Mid-Holiday Recap

One thing that Jay and I have dealt with for years now (and will continue to deal with once we're married) is the family holiday conundrum. Thanksgiving has always been a little tricky because there's only one day of celebration (we stretch Christmas out as long as we can). This year, Jay's family ate with his brother's in-laws, and while he and I were both invited, I think it was nice for the Welches and Pifers to have a nice dinner before the birth of baby Sef (more on that later!). So Jay spent Thanksgiving dinner with my family--and claims he loves how laid back we are. I know that my mom sometimes worries that we're not "festive enough," but personally I've found that we strike a great balance of festivity and relaxation (I mean, isn't that what vacations are meant for?).

Of course this Thanksgiving was especially low-key because on Saturday we left for my Mom-mom's 75th birthday party. Now, Jay has done long (read: 12+ hours) car trips with my family before, but never with all five of us in one car. Jay and I are used to talking out disagreements, but as it turns out, we don't feel entirely comfortable doing it in front of four other people. So, we had a few rough moments. Overall though, we had a ton of fun, and Jay got to meet almost all of my Dad's side of the family (and they seemed to love him!).

I think the lowest point of this holiday season was when my parents had to put down our dog Pippin on December 2. As far as we can tell, he had a brain tumor that was forcing him to have seizures; the night before he died, he seized for most of the night. His death was especially hard for me because I wasn't in Youngstown at the time--also I found out right before going into work. Jay was really amazing through my grieving (even when I was irrationally angry). He did his best to comfort me over the phone and told me about his favorite memories of Pip. One of the things I love best about Jay is that he is an unabashed dog lover--he coos at puppies and grieves lost pets.

On a far brighter note, on December 10, Jay's brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first child, Joseph "Sef" Kumar. Vital stats: 7lbs 7oz, 20 inches, dark hair, navy blue eyes, and an adorable dimple. I'm still waiting for pictures (drat my being in Athens!) from the proud parents and grandparents. I'm so excited to have a little nephew to spoil, and I'm hoping that spending time with Sef will help Jay to become more comfortable with children. I'm not looking to have my own anytime soon, but I wish Jay would believe me when I say that he'll be a great father. Now at least he has his brother's excellent example to follow.

And on a random note, Jay and I may have found where we'll be honeymooning. The dream honeymoon would be a trip to Wales, but in all honesty one (or both) of us would need to win the lottery to make that happen. However, while hiking in Hocking Hills this weekend, we discovered that the state park has amazing cabins for rent. They range from rustic "campfire and a bunk" set ups to luxurouis chalets with hot tubs and private balconeys. As I asked Jay, "How wonderful would it be to hike these trails all day, then collapse into our own private jacuzzi?!"

At any rate, we're looking forward to enjoying our last Christmas as "just" boyfriend and girlfriend. I'm not expecting a ring under either of our Christmas trees, but I'm so excited to share another holiday season with our families. Happy Santa Lucia Day to you all (and to all a good night)!

Embracing the Narcissism

I had been planning this foray into self promotion for some time now, but for some reason I felt that tonight was a good time to start this wedding blog. No, we haven't set a date. No, we're not actually engaged. But somebody let something slip earlier this evening, and the proposal seems more or less imminent.

I'm writing this blog primarily to keep my far-flung family and friends up to speed with the planning and stressing for this (currently hypothetical) wedding. But I also can't resist telling our story one more time.

Jay (that handsome guy on the left) and I met in high school when he transferred into my Speech and Drama class. He was turning 17 and I was 15. I'd just been dumped and it was, like, totally the end of my world, so I wasn't really looking for a new boyfriend. But he opened with a Star Wars pick-up line; I had no choice but to give him a chance.

Fast forward six years. Jay and I have had to grow up a lot during our time together. My life took me 200 miles away from Jay to attend my dream college. Jay's life is keeping him in our hometown for the foreseeable future. High school relationships are tough to maintain after graduation; long distance ones are even harder. Yet, somehow Jay and I have managed to grow up and grow closer all while living four hours apart. I guess it's because we're Corellians at heart: never tell us the odds!