Home means Nevada, home means the hills...home means binge drinking?

Chris and I ventured south for Martin Luther King's Day weekend for what we hoped would be a relaxing time to reconnect and hang with my parents. This plan was quickly foiled when my brother, James, and his girlfriend, Morgan, surprised us from Las Vegas! James and I don't see each other very often and so anytime an opportunity arises it's hard to pass up a short drive. Or I imagine it's hard to pass up a short drive. I've actually not surprised my brother at my parents' home, but I'll put it on my bucket list.

No surprise, the relaxing weekend became a time to celebrate all celebrations for which we were apart during the year. We had Christmas/Thanksgiving (I think that was the wine and yummy pork dinner), Memorial Day/4th of July/Labor Day (drinking large amounts of beer on the patio), New Year's Day (drinking in the morning-white russians and bloody marys), New Year's Eve (staying up too late, drinking), and baseball season (watching Major League while drinking, and actually creating a drinking game with the movie). We celebrated James's birthday in actuality as well, which was lovely.

Chris and I returned to Washington, tired, bloated and in need of detox. However, we were definitely smiling. That was some vacation.

Our day together OR Why the f*** did I ever think I liked to ski?

Chris and I were lucky enough to have this past Friday off together, and decided to go skiing...a past time we both claimed to enjoy from the early talks of our relationship, but one we had never actually experienced together. Now, we all joke about my obscene planning tendencies, but this husband of mine has a planning streak as well-and his happens to be a little more particular than mine. Consequently, he decided the location, prices, and of course, meal options far in advanced. It was a wet day of skiing, particularly for me, as I fell on every run except the last one. So frustrating. I need to ski more often, I suppose. Chris was lovely, patient, and helpful. Even when I had a full on nervous breakdown in the middle of a slope and a 12 year old asked me if I was okay. Just kidding, he actually laughed at me that time.

Our little Christmas

Our first little Christmas was fabulous. Attended the Children's Mass on Christmas Eve with our good friends the McBeavs and their adorable hunk of love, Keane. Thank God Keane attended, because he kept Chris entertained. Well, and vice versa. The four of us enjoyed a crab dinner with wine a-flowing while Keane sat in the living room, happy as a clam with our kitty Harvey. Such a good boy. He never once got fussy, just happy to be present.

Christmas morning was a melding of traditions for us. We woke up, popped the champagne and had cinnamon rolls while opening stocking stuffers (my family). Then we made our meat-i-licious Christmas breakfast before we opened any gifts. Killer. Lots of fun gifts, of which we still need to write our thank you notes. Working on it, I promise.

The rest of the day consisted mainly of sitting on the couch, drinking champagne until it was time to shower and head over to the McBeav's house for a tasty prime rib dinner (complete with Molly's fab jell-o mold) and Mama and Papa Beav. We did discover that all of us should enter a wine drinking contest because we are really good at it. Beav's wine/white russian combo did catch up to him, and eventually the evening was called to an end. A fabulous end, mind you.

Forcing Christmas

I love Christmas. Not like, "Oh what a fun time of year, I like presents, blah, blah, blah," but I FREAKING love Christmas. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas season for me and my family. We have a lot of traditions, as Chris is beginning to grasp. We kick it all off with our annual viewing of "White Christmas" on Thanksgiving. Now, when I watch "White Christmas" with my immediate family, we are obnoxious as hell, commenting on the same exact things, at the same exact time, every year. Chris is still learning the stimulating plot line along with the required commentary, but I'm considering writing cue cards with these comments for next year to make it easier.

Early in our relationship (probably like our second date. I'm serious about this holiday), Chris and I discussed Christmas preferences. Conversation probably went like this, "Chris--so you know I want to get married as soon as possible and I like multi-colored lights on my Christmas tree. What kind of lights do you like?" (If you know me at all, you are laughing your ass off right now, just so ya know.) Well, much to my dismay, my future husband likes white lights! No worries, I showed him the light. Enter stage left, our beautiful, gaudy, multi-colored, tinsel covered, glorious tree.

Look at me compromising...it has colored lights AND white lights. :)

Snowy Turkey Day

The week of Thanksgiving came with lots of food and lots of snow. All in all about 10 inches, making for beautiful scenery, you know from inside. We ventured out for a little exercise one snowy day. Unfortunately, Chris left his boots outside this summer, so he had to wear running shoes and those sightly sweatpants on our walk. Don't worry, no frostbite.

Our Olive just loves the snow. She snow plows with her snout, ending up with a Santa type snow beard. It is nearly impossible to capture on camera, but I'm still working on it.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with our dear friends, Charlotte and Troy. Lucky for Charlotte, she had to work Thanksgiving day and came home to three half drunk party guests. We some how made dinner come together and it was mighty tasty. Macaroni and cheese was added to the menu this year, along with our usual turkey, cranberries, potatoes, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, brocolli casserole, waldorf salad, and crescent rolls. All this for four people. It gives me indigestion just thinking about it. We all better start having some kids soon so we can spread the deliciousness wealth a little more.

Doing what we do best...

This time of year (who are we kidding? All times of year), we enjoy a cocktail. However, this time of year we enjoy the flavors of the season in cocktails-cranberry, pomegranate, orange, grapefruit, mint-leaving us to experimentation of the best type. Tonight, we tried a concoction presented to us my my brother's girlfriend, Morgan. Muddled fresh cranberries, vodka and a splash of sparkling wine. Pretty yummy. Next time, I think we'll add some orange, too.

Cranberry Mojitos, Cranberry Margaritas, and of course pomegranate cosmos. Cocktails, anyone?

The Ambrose Family

Ahhhh! I changed my name legally today. Hit the DMV and Social Security Office early with some of Spokane's finest and managed to get in and out of both places in 15 minutes. Which is actually pretty scary. At the social security office they didn't even ask to see ID.
For the record, I dropped my middle name, moved my maiden name to the middle, and took Chris's last name. But I feel myself torn--As my best friend Charlotte pointed out today, our parents thought about our birth names, how they sound, what kind of person that would make us, and I just threw that away without even showing identification. I know, I know...my family will still know me as Sara Lynn, and it's not like they'll stop calling me that now, but I am no longer Sara L. when signing. As sad as I am to see Lynn go, I'm glad I held tight to my maiden name, and I still get to sign a B. in the middle. I just love the letter B.

Today, Chris also got his USAA member number. And I'm beginning to think that was one of his top three reasons for marrying me. :)