Happy Christmas Eve!

I am one of five people in my office at work today. I despise having no vacation time to spare. But until I get out of here, I need to keep myself busy. I have actually managed to near completion on a project that has been on my desk for a while, but I want to take a break and say HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all my readers.

Our plans this year are rather simple. I am going home this afternoon, I am going to clean, and Mike and I are beginning our own holiday traditions. We have decided on taco night for dinner - because to me, Taco Night is almost as exciting as Christmas anyway. We plan on watching a holiday movie or two (not sure what those will be - but I am going to suggest watching a Christmas episode of Arrested Development somewhere in there). Mike stayed up super late working on a paper due for a January conference, and he will hopefully be able to get that wrapped up before the taco night festivities begin.

Our Christmas day will also be rather low key. It will just be Mike and I for Christmas Day - although we may wander out Christmas evening if the fancy strikes us. This is Mike's first Christmas away from his Mom, which I know will be hard for both him and her. With my lack of vacation time, Mike's schedule with his paper and the insane amount of cost associated with travel, we had to stay put this year. It's also difficult when our families live so far from each other. I haven't been home in far too long, and Mike hasn't even been to Texas yet. It was hard to justify, even if I had the time off, to go to Florida over Texas. Mike's Mom is on her own, but my family hasn't had me home for Christmas in a couple of years. Tough decisions as a married couple, I tell ya. But it was decided that we would stay put in North Carolina and spend our first married Christmas together just the two of us. We are both sad that we won't be with our families, but we will be with each other - and that is wonderful all in itself.

We have a fun dinner planned for Christmas Day planned. Some yummy foods for the both us - nothing too crazy, just some warm comfort food. Mike wants some ham, I want some Quorn turkey roll again. Some cabbage casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, some sort of veggie. I may make an apple crisp. That will be about it for us.

I think the most exciting thing about Christmas will be on December 26. Ed, Amy, Owen and Ellis are coming in from Atlanta to spend the weekend with us in D-town. We always love having a chance to spend time with them, so it is sure to be a great weekend. Next week though, it's back to the grind. With no vacation time, I'm working every day next week except New Year's Day.

Okay, I am going to finish up this project so I can get out of here a bit early today. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!!!!!

Twilight update: I finished New Moon last night and am starting Eclipse today. I ordered Breaking Dawn on Amazon and it will be delivered next week. Since I loved the books so much, I went ahead and bought Books 1 and 4 on Amazon yesterday in hard copy, and Mike got me book 3 in hard copy yesterday. I just need to Pick up Book 2 and I will have the full set. I have also started reading Midnight Sun, which is Twilight but from Edward's perspective. It is available online at www.stepheniemeyers.com. I'm hooked :-)