Good (Holiday) Times

Today marks my first day back to work after a little over two glorious weeks off from work.

And I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of it. 

A few days before Christmas we went to Disneyland with Leo's family and despite the rain and the cold, had a really great time. The lines were manageable and the Christmas decorations were beautiful, of course.
I loved seeing the happy faces of Leo's nephews as they climbed in and out of the rides and I've never seen so many brightly colored umbrellas and rain boots - I wished I had taken a picture - it was definitely a sight to be seen.

At the end of the evening, after the rest of the family opted to head home, Maria, Leo and I spent some time walking around all of the shops on Main Street before heading over to Downtown Disney for Dinner, despite our messy hat hair, wet clothes and sloshy shoes. (Another sight to be seen) We noshed on salad, shared a pizza and enjoyed a tall glass of wine. So nice! 

On the Thursday before Christmas, for the first time in years, my sisters and I got together to make tamales - pork and chicken, just like Dad used to make. We ended up with far too many green beans and peas and we had to go back for more masa at one point but we managed to produce about 15 dozen, they turned out great and we had a good time making them. We're definitely hoping to make this an annual tradition, for our family, once again.

New Year's Eve was spent at our house this year. I baked a ham, made mashed potatoes and freshly steamed tamales for dinner. Christmas music played in the background as we talked and sipped on sangria - laughing and taking pictures. We rang in the new year by first toasting with a glass of almond champagne (Yum!) and then we each ate 12 grapes (while making a wish for each grape eaten) before making our rounds around the table to give and receive hugs. (A family tradition)

Then on New Year's Day everyone came together at our house to celebrate Leo's Dad's birthday, this time with extended family. Leo's parents brought the main courses - I just peppered in some appetizers and mini sandwiches made with the leftover ham, assorted sliced cheese and freshly baked rolls. Leo's sister made Dad's favorite - carrot cake plus several different pies and I made chocolate cup cakes so dessert was definitely covered. Everyone seemed to have a good time, again, despite the cold. At the end of the night we took a photo of each family in front of our Christmas tree before we said our good-bye's. 

On Sunday, we didn't do much and Monday we spent most of the day taking down the Christmas decorations, including the tree. Our house almost seems bare now, without the color and bling of Christmas. Tuesday we took a drive to Long Beach. The weather was chilly but the sun was out and sky was clear. If you haven't had the famous shrimp tray at the Long Beach Market, you must try it! I highly recommend it.

After you pay for a pound or so of their fresh shrimp, you take it over to a different counter to have it sauted in butter and spices along with onion, bell pepper and tomatoes. Then they top it off with two large pieces of freshly grilled garlic bread. After our scrumptious lunch, we headed to Shoreline Village.

Shoreline Village is one of the first places Leo ever took me to and the location where he asked me to marry him. I hadn't been there in years - so much development has gone up and around the village but the village itself, is exactly the same. It's still peaceful and so beautiful.

We walked up and down the boardwalk, holding hands - the sun was about to set so we sat down and watched as it fell beneath the horizon.

 
We stopped for some hot chocolate and shared a cinnamon roll before heading home. It was nice - just the two of us - talking and reminiscing. 

On Wednesday, we both relished in the last few hours of our vacation. I treated myself to a spa pedicure while Leo enjoyed my Christmas gift to him - a hot stone therapy massage. For dinner, I made chicken and pasta with Garlic Bread and then the the rest of the afternoon was spent on the couch watching movies. He mostly slept, as he usually does with Quincy on his lap and Sunny on mine.

Relaxing. Quiet. Comfortable. The perfect ending to our perfect Christmas/New Year's vacation.