Here’s what happened: I ate the traditional bowl of chicken soup… Santa visited… There were presents hanging from the ceiling… The Yankee Swap was wild… Jared wore cowboy boots… My brother’s car got stuck in the snow!

And those are just a few of the crazy details! 

Rather than try to further explain, I’m just going to share some of my favorite photos from the party.

Me in 1990 on the “big screen” and in 2009 on the digital screen

Nothing beats silly times with my family.  Love them a lot!

When I saw what Santa (and my wonderful boyfriend) had left under the tree, I was filled with so much joy.

And when I spent a wonderful Christmas day surrounded by loved ones, I was again filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness.

My Christmas isn’t over yet.  I still have one more party with my mother’s side of the family tomorrow.  Jared and I are wait out the snowstorm that’s quickly approaching.  Once it’s safe to travel, we’re off to Rochester to spend some Q.T. with his family.

Let the holiday celebrations continue!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I arrived home to a beautifully decorated tree.

I love the warmth and memories of being home for the holidays.

My Pepere and Memere joined us for dinner.

My mom loves snowmen so they’re ALL over the house.  I can’t believe New England is supposed to get hit with a crazy storm in a few days.

Being snowed in just after Christmas will be so cozy.  I want to frolic in the snow, maybe make snow angels or run in circles with the dog.  I want to warm my hands by gripping onto a steaming mug of hot chocolate.  And I want to drowse by the fire and watch a silly movie with my family.

I spent Christmas Eve surrounded by those I love most.

I also drank wine that I loved!

And dined on a delicious Christmas feast.

Merry Christmas from Crunches for Cupcakes!

Miles hopes that all of your holiday hopes and dreams come true!

Merry Christmas!

Did I look fun and festive for today’s Jingle Bell Run?  I thought so, and gave my outfit 2 thumbs up.  A clip and 5 bobby pins meant that giant bow wasn’t going anywhere while I was running around.

A group of my friends and I ventured to Somerville this morning for the Jingle Bell Run, a 5K race with an overwhelming amount of holiday spirit.

Is that Santa and his reindeer?!?!

Yup!  The inflatable reindeer costumes were hysterical!  This group had handlers to help them run in sync and in a straight line through the course.  I couldn’t stop laughing when Rudolph led the team to the lines for the Porta-Potties.

Our group split up when we first arrived: Jared and I had to pick up our bibs and the rest went to our buddy’s office nearby to drop off our coats and bags.  (I was really grateful to have somewhere safe to keep our stuff…and a cozy jacket to wear when I finished running.)

Even though I was cranky because my Garmin had a meltdown, I was excited to start the race.  It was chilly and I needed to run to warm up.

There was lots of holiday spirit at the starting line!

I couldn’t get enough of those inflatable reindeer.

I saw lots of Santas, striped socks, a Christmas dog…even a Holiday Hotdog, but he’s not in this photo.

The Jingle Bell Run sold out a few weeks ago.

Look at the crowds of people lined up for the race!

Ready-set-GO!

I didn’t snap any photos during the race.  I was too busy chasing Jared.  He thought he could run this 5K in 24 minutes.  Um, nope.  Maybe next race Jared!  Two of my run club friends finished in 20 minutes.  They’re the fastest girls I know!  I was asking them for tips and motivation to increase my speed.

I was so busy smiling at a corgi dog near the finish line that I forgot to look up to see my finish time.  Jared finished after me, coming in around 27 minutes, so I know I was a little faster than that.  I’m still waiting for the official results.

All of the bars in Davis Square were packed.  There were lines at the doors and people were being let in one at a time.  We managed to get into Johnny D’s and I enjoyed a post-race Blue Moon beer.

Running in costume is fun, but drinking in costume is even better. 

I ordered a quick lunch from b.good.  I had a cup of Butternut Squash soup and a chicken sandwich topped with tomatoes, avocado, and salsa.

After a weekend that had been filled with parties and holiday prep work, I really needed an afternoon nap.  I crashed for a few hours and woke up starving.

What do you do for dinner when you’re half-asleep and insanely hungry?  Order pizza!

Gotta stick with my usual order from the Upper Crust: mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. 

My cousin Jenna and I have a holiday tradition.  Every year we decorate gingerbread houses together.  I can’t remember when this tradition first started.  I’d like to create a photo collage of our houses over the years!

Jenna and I only use pre-built gingerbread house kits.  We’ve tried to construct our own houses before and we not successful.  That was the year I designed a gingerbread tepee because I couldn’t keep my house in tact.

A fierce competitor, I work very hard to make sure that I have the best gingerbread house.

Now that Jenna is 15, her decorating skills are improving and she’s tough competition.

But in my opinion, I’m still #1!

Miles had fun decorating gingerbread houses too.

Intense focus is required when decorating.

As well as fun and gossip.  Right Jenna? 

My finished product!  The back window of my Gingerbread House.

The front door.

Close up of the roof decorations, including green sparkle decorating gel.

Jenna’s finished product!

Those icicles are impressive!

Jenna did a great job designing her 2010 Gingerbread House.

*Do you decorate gingerbread houses for Christmas?*

There’s something about the glow of Christmas tree lights…

I’ve spent too much time staring dreamily at my Christmas tree.

Holiday lights make me feel warm and fuzzy!

And jolly and cozy!

And this Stitch mini-stuffed animal makes me laugh every time I look at it.  Stitch is dressed as a bellman from Disney’s Tower of Terror ride.

*There’s still time to enter my giveaway to win Weleda’s Body Oil Essentials Kit*

Dancers and Carolers and Rockettes, oh my!

The Boston Common Tree Lighting seemed like a great event: free samples, Rockettes dancing, Katharine McPhee singing, and local celebrities serving as hosts.

So I was really disappointed when I arrived 45 minutes after the start of the show.

By the time I drove into Boston through evening traffic then walked through Back Bay to get downtown, I was crabby: worried about being so late that I wouldn’t be able to get a good spot to view the performances.

But 1 hour and 15 minutes later, standing in the cold and crowded Common, I was grateful I hadn’t shown up any sooner. My fingers were numb, and I could sort of see the stage! (Imagine how cold I would’ve been if I had stood there for the entire 2 hours?!?)

It was fun to wander around and people watch.  Lots of interesting folks out and about. I circled around the back of the crowd, taking in the show from various obstructed locations.

The poor dog got dragged along and viewed his 2nd tree lighting of the season.

Lousy pictures!  I blame the low lighting, crowds, and lack of a tripod.

When the tree was finally lit, lights on the trees around the Common’s perimeter also lit up.  Such a pretty scene!

The lights around the Frog Pond Skating rink also turned on!  Fireworks filled the air!  It was holiday magic and a quick distraction from the chill in my bones.

Thank goodness for a cup of Chicken and Corn Chowder along with a garden salad and a large mug of Caramel Hot Chocolate to help me warm up and relax.

Faneuil Hall officially lit its Christmas tree on Saturday, November 20th…a little bit early to kick off the Christmas season, but I love lights and celebrations so it’s all good.

I happened to be wandering around the North End around 4:30 pm on Saturday afternoon and realized there was only 1 hour until the tree lighting started.  Armed with sandwiches and pastries, our group made its way to Faneuil Hall to grab a spot to watch the show.

Miles was hoping for a bite of my friend’s Lobster Tail dessert.

Sorry buddy, no desserts for dogs.  But I did share a few pieces of chicken from my sandwich.

There was musical entertainment while we waited for the main event.

It was SO crowded that I was afraid Miles was going to get stepped on.

5-4-3-2…1!  The giant cardboard switch was flipped.

Ta Da!  The tree and all the lights surrounding Faneuil Hall burst on, paper snowflakes  filled the air, and there was a loud applause.

Twinkling lights are one of the most magical parts of the holiday season.

As the masses tried to exit, I knew Miles was bound to get trampled so I held him tightly in my arms.

Aww, my little fur baby was so scared of the hustle and bustle.

I’m just grateful that the dog held still long enough for me to lug him through Faneuil Hall on our way to the T.

What an arm workout!  Miles refused to help me out and try to make himself feel lighter than his actual 30 pounds.  He’s a little pork chop.

Even with Miles’ heavy body in my arms, I still kept turning around and checking out the view of the tree.  So pretty!

It’s the beginning of Christmas time in the city!

Happy start to the Holiday Season!

Thanksgiving is so close I can taste the turkey.  I’m psyched.  From the Macy’s Parade until New Year’s Day is my absolute favorite time of the year!

Yesterday I had blueberry pancakes for breakfast.  I don’t normally eat bacon, but it looked so good so I had one strip.

Jared, Bryan, Jenna, and I went to see Avatar in 3D.  I loved the movie and thought the animation was amazing.  The plot held my attention the whole time, even though it was a loooong movie.  Then I did a little bit of shopping.  I bought 2 calendars for 2010, a wall calendar and a Page-a-Day calendar for my office.

We had a delicious dinner last night:  ham, apple sauce, macaroni and cheese, peas, salad, and homemade bread.

I didn’t photograph dessert.  There was apple pie and a vanilla cake from Wegman’s.

I had leftover blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning.  Plus a cup of Boston Common coffee.  I need to post a review of this blend because it’s AWESOME.

I love the holiday table setting in Jared’s parents’ dining room.

Rochester has been getting snow since we arrived on Sunday night.  Miles loves it and wants to be outside all the time.  Unfortunately it’s ruined my running plans.  I’m looking forward to exercising once I’m back in Boston on Wednesday night.

We’re supposed to go to the museum this afternoon and check out a Titanic exhibit.  After the movie came out, I was fascinated with the disaster and I read several books about it.  I’m really excited to tour this exhibit!

Yesterday afternoon, everyone gathered to celebrate Christmas with my mom’s side of the family.  The party began at 1 pm and the appetizers were ready to eat as soon as we walked in the door.

I started with a bowl of chicken soup.  My Memere makes chicken soup every Christmas.  Everyone looks forward to this holiday tradition.

Since we don’t bother with a sit-down dinner, my main meal consisted of lasagna, shepherd’s pie, a spinach ball, and monkey bread.  Plus LOTS of unphotographed nibbles.  My Auntie Pam always makes monkey bread and it’s my favorite.  I can’t resist it; I finished off the last chunk of monkey bread by the end of the evening.

The entire spread.

Santa arrived with presents, and almost experienced a wardrobe malfunction!

Giant cupcake!!!  So happy!  Thank you Jenna for getting me the best Christmas present this year!

(Also many many thanks to SANTA, Mom, Dad, Matt, Chelsea, Jared, Becky, Auntie Pam, Uncle Gregg, Jenna, Uncle Jon, Memere, Pepere, Auntie Mary, Uncle Steve, Kerrin, Jill, Lauren, Pat, Grandma, Bob, Kris, and all of you… for making this a wonderful Christmas!)

My mom and I tried on fun Christmas shoes, and then my mom wanted to try on my boots.

But once she tried a boot on, she couldn’t get it off!

The family played a lively game of Taboo, with lots of cheating as usual.  My family never plays by the rules.

We went back to my Auntie Carol and Uncle Jon’s this morning for more family time and breakfast.  I had a blueberry muffin, fruit, and potatoes.

Jared and I hit the road and drove 6 hours to Rochester, NY.  We had dinner with his family and exchanged gifts.  Now everyone, especially the dog, is exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep.