Christmas Leave: An Overview

As always, time at home went way too quickly!!!

While we were home for a week and a half, we were soooooo busy!  When we go home for holidays, it's always that way.  The holidays make it really hard for us to be able to visit everyone we'd like.  Obviously our families are our top priority and I can thankfully say we spent lots of time with family.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to see friends.  Nick has not seen many of his friends since our wedding!!  We planned a Friday night out and invited all our friends.  It was just the simplest way to see everyone.  Unfortunately, that was the night Yadi injured herself and we spent all night in ER with her.  So we didn't get to go out with friends and cousins =(  And seeing as this was on the 28th, we were booked solid on the 29th and 30th, we weren't able to reschedule =/
(Although I did get to see my bestie, Jessie.  She doesn't live too far from me so I headed to her house early (7:30am) to hang out while she got ready and packed to head out of town at 9am for NYE.  It was quick but oh so great to see her.)

I also spent a good portion of my time at home sick.  It started out as flu like symptoms, but then changed more to sinus infection symptoms. Both equally annoying!!  I was pretty miserable.

But there were some highlights!

• Christmas Eve was spent with Nick's family and we had a really great time!

• Christmas Day was spent with my family and we ended the evening with our favorite game, Telestrations!!

Grandma and her girls

Grandparents with all their grandchildren

My Family

• My family got together another night for our regular Game Night.  Of course, it was loads of fun, with plenty of food

Playing some Just Dance 4

• We spent more time with Nick's family, also playing some games one night!
• Probably the most exciting part of our trip was seeing Wicked!!!  My grandparents gave Nick and I tickets for Christmas.  On the 27th, we headed downtown to the Fabulous Fox Theatre to watch my absolute favorite musical, Wicked.  I am OBSESSED with it!!!!  I listen to the soundtrack allllll the time.  Nick had never seen Wicked, yet he knew almost all the songs just because I'm always listening to it.  That evening, we met my Aunt Janet and cousin Melissa at their house and went out to eat at a steak restaurant, then headed to The Fox.  We walked around for a while taking pictures.  This place is one of the most beautiful places ever!!!!!!  I took some photos but they do NOT do it justice so I'll borrow some from other websites.

Photo from the stage
(Photo borrowed from {HERE} )

This is the view when you walk into the Fox.  That blue is the ceiling and it's GORGEOUS!  So much detail.
 (Photo borrowed from {HERE} .)

View from an upper balcony looking down
(Photo borrowed from {HERE} .)

The play was AWESOME!!!!  I'm not sure if my soundtrack is missing a song or they added a new one, but I do not remember the song "Wicked Witch of the East" from the last time I saw the play.  And  I KNOW it's not on my soundtrack.  It's a scene between Elphie and Nessa.  Has this always been a part of the play???

Anyway, Nick really enjoyed the play!  He said it was nice to see it because while he knew the songs, he didn't really follow them enough to know what was going on.  And now he does.  I'm happy he enjoyed it.  Maybe now he won't object as much to me playing it ;)

• As I mentioned, we got to spend a lot of time with family.  Just hanging out at my parents house, surrounded by five (and when my brothers were in town, seven!) dogs.  Laughing.  Drinking wine.  Watching HGTV.  Just pretending we were living back at home.  It was soooo nice to have Leah back home.  It almost felt like old times.  (And on our last night in town, we let the guys take command of the main television to play games while Mom, Leah, and I laid in one bed, drinking wine, watching tv, and just enjoying our last night together.)

Mom and the Bromance with the 5 pups!

With my cousins and sister at a good family friend Christmas Party

We had to head back to Florida on the 1st, so we spent New Year's Eve at home with my parents, sister, and her boyfriend and all our pups.  It was relaxing and perfect for a sick Melanie.  We did take some photos, but you can tell just how sick I am so I might leave those off this post lol

The drive home was awful.  I was so sick (and still am).  I FEEL awful because Nick only got 3 hours of sleep the night before.  We got up around 5:30am and left around 6:30am and he was so tired.  But I was so sick so he drove.  I slept/dozed about 9 of the 11 hour drive.  I just feel so badly!!!!!!  He was tired, it's a long drive, and it rained through a lot of it.  But he didn't complain at all.  Just did it.  I cannot thank him enough and I wish there were something I could do to show that because I just feel so freaking awful.  Not just that he had to drive the entire time, but also because I was sleeping so he didn't even have anyone to talk to and try to entertain him or keep him awake.  I'm a horrible wife.

That's pretty much it.  We had an AMAZING time and it was so incredibly hard to leave.  We are very, VERY thankful we were able to go home for such a long period of time (in terms of military leave that is).  We really cherish every second we're at home with family.  And now I'm counting down until we can return!!

To check out ALL the photos from Christmas at Home, visit the two links below.
 The photos are in two albums:
"Christmas 2012" AND "Christmas Leave in St. Louis"