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Dan and I both slept in again today.  We’re still not feeling great.  I finally decided to shower at about 5pm.  Yep, 5pm.  I did get some school work done though.  I worked on the classes I’ll be teaching, I read some more blog articles to add to my literature review, and I submitted my scholarship application for next year.  All good things.

Now, we are sitting around, watching movies and waiting for the New Year.  No parties, just a normal night.  We’ve replaced champagne with nyquil.  Happy New Year!

P.S. My title has correct punctuation (Year’s), but for some reason this new background removes apostrophes and commas and various other punctuation from my titles.  Rah.

Today, Dan and I slept in and I didn’t end up getting out of bed until about 11:00.  I feel a bit of a cold coming on, so I didn’t feel too bad about it.  I did get the laundry done and we went grocery shopping too (our fridge was completely empty).  Then, I decided to make this delicious eggplant casserole and hummus.  Dan and I ate and watched some more movies.  It feels nice to be in my own house and my own kitchen, even if I’ll be taking some nyquil before bed tonight.

I am the confirmation sponsor for my niece Katie.  When I signed up, I received a sheet saying that I should take her out and chat one-on-one.  This morning before I left Canton, I got the chance to do that.  We went to Perkins and got some breakfast and had a really nice talk.  I’m so proud of my niece and who she is becoming.  I think I’d like to spend time like that more often.

Afterward, Dan and I loaded up the very full car.  It had become messy and unwieldy in the last week and half and I was no longer interested in packing things neatly.  We just threw it all in and went home.  It felt so nice to unpack and clean up my own house.  Dan and I ordered some food and watched movies for the rest of the night.  Ah, home.

This morning Julie took me out for my Christmas present, an outing with my sister (that would be Julie)!  First, we went to watch a Central basketball game, then we went out to lunch for some Japanese food, and then we went shopping.  We both ended up with some jeans from Ann Taylor and some smelly stuff from Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Good sales, good times!  Thanks, Julie!

Julie making good use of her chopsticks.

This evening, Dan and I headed up to Medina to visit Todd and Marcy.  They made us spaghetti and meatballs and we had a great time touring the new house, talking, exchanging gifts, and Dan and Todd even got to play some rock band together (they were a good duo).  Getting to hang out with Marcy always makes me wish that we still lived ten minutes away from each other and had 6th period together every day.  Oh, how times change.  Thanks, Marcy!

All grown up!

This morning, Dan and I slowly got up and hung around my mom’s house until it was time for the family party at Grandma’s.  Dan and I got there at around 1pm and the dining room was totally packed.  All nine remaining kids were there and lots of grandkids and great grandkids.  I was able to catch up with a few of my cousins.  Angelika, who is about my age, has a nine-month-old named Nicolas.  I got to tote him around for awhile and smell his nice fuzzy baby head.  It was awesome.

After lunch was served my Uncle Kent had a special announcement.  My Uncle Kent is retired from the army and his son Karl is currently in the army.  Apparently, Uncle Kent had written to see if Grandpa Richards had been overlooked in receiving any medals from his time in WWII.  He had written to the army over three years ago and just this August, he received a letter back stating that, sure enough, my grandfather should have received the bronze star for bravery.  I’m not sure of the circumstances, but the bronze star is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces.  Uncle Kent presented it to my grandma and it had my grandpa’s name engraved on the back.  Karl had also put together a special frame with all of my grandpa’s medals and gave it to Grandma as well, explaining each one before handing it over.  There were quite a few tears shed as this is the first Christmas we celebrated without Grandpa at the head of the table.  “Grandpa would have been so pleased.  He would have been so pleased, he wouldn’t have been able to stand it,” Grandma said.

Karl presenting Grandma with Grandpa's medals.

For more pictures from the party, check out the piictures tab!

This morning, I got up early to do a five mile run.  The sun was just starting to come up and the neighborhood was silent, likely nestled in after an exciting day yesterday.  The air was nice and clear and cold and I enjoyed my post-Christmas run very much.  Afterward, Dan and I ate breakfast with Pete, Joyce, and Ray, packed up the car, and headed north.  We stopped in Columbus to drop off some gifts and pick up a few more before landing in Akron at my Mom’s house.  We were the first ones there, followed by Ben, Julie and company, and Mike and Kelly.  First we snacked and caught up, then we opened gifts and then we ate.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day.  There are more under the piictures tab!

The Mokros family taking it all in!

Dan likes this one because he thinks I look ADD.

I made Ben an awesome book from our trip to Japan.

Mom loved this homemade ornament from Katie and Marky.

Katie with her Ikea finger puppets (for movie making).

Guido feeling excited and apprehensive about his new iPod.

Now we’re relaxing and watching some football with Guido.  Goodnight!

This morning, Dan and I woke up and exchanged our gifts to each other.  My most exciting gift is an updated Garmin running watch!  Dan’s is most likely his new server (tech geek that he is)!  Then, we got ready for the day and for Jess, Jeff and kids to arrive.  Here’s the scene before the living room was a war zone of paper and boxes.

Look at all the loot!

Diego amongst the gifts.

Dan and I ready to unwrap.

When everyone was there, we all tore into our gifts.

Grandma helping Katie and Cole.

And Ray and Pete took lots of pictures.

Smile!

And then we played.

Katie's new DS.

Uncle Ray helping Cole.

The adult kids playing a riveting game of Catan!

Now, the house has calmed down a bit and I am listening to Pete play his new Beatles’ Rockband.  My new favorite song is Come Together (any song that uses the words joo-joo eyeball and toe-jam football are definitely my style).  Oh, and check out the piictures tab for the officially sanctioned pictures from today (many more than I included here).  Merry Christmas!

Dan and I slept in pretty late today.  We didn’t really have too much to do, which was nice.  I ran, read my book, made some soup, and crocheted a bit.  At 5pm we went to church and then everyone had a nice meal together.  Dan has been pretty excited about Christmas and he decided that tonight we should all open one gift, so we did.  I got some purple ear buds!  Dan got a book he wanted (The Invention of Air), Joyce, an ornament, Pete, a Wii game, and Ray, magnets from Japan and Graceland (woo hoo!).  We got just a little taste of Christmas and we’re all ready for tomorrow.  Now, we watch It’s a Wonderful Life until bedtime.  Merry Christmas Eve!

This evening everyone (except Pete, who’s not feeling great) loaded into the car to head to Clifton Mill to see an obscene amount of Christmas lights.  It’s a quaint little mill near Yellow Springs, Ohio.  Apparently, it takes a team of 8 men 3 months to put up 3.5 million lights.  The official lighting is at 6pm every evening.  We got there a bit early and walked past the toy trains, went through a little shed full of antique toys, looked around the gift shop, and went through another small building full of Santas.

Uncle Ray in the Santa room!

At 6pm, they started some music and lit up all 3.5 million lights.  Then, the lights on the covered bridge were synced to Siberian orchestra song.  It was pretty cool.

Dan and I in front of the covered bridge and the "waterfall" of lights.

Grandma and Katie in from of the mill.

Afterward we went to Young’s Dairy Farm to get burgers (or black bean burgers) and ice cream.  Just a few more minutes until Christmas Eve!

First thing this morning, I met with my teacher friends for breakfast.  We got there at 9:30 and didn’t leave until 12:30!  At that point, I was ready for lunch!  We just talked and talked and caught up.  It was so nice.  We could have easily stayed for three more hours.  I think I might be a bit horse.  That was a lot of talking. 

Heritage chicks, past and present.

Wow, that’s some terrible lighting, but it’s all I have.  My apologies.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent playing some Wii with Katie and Cole, eating dinner with the whole family and then playing some more Wii and reading part of The China Study.  It was a fun day and I’m pretty tired.