Yesterday was lovely. I started off making my experimental dish for my mom's family gathering: ranch chicken casserole. I let the chicken simmer while I took my dad to the docs and went to the post office. After we came home, my bro and dad left to get some Chinese food while I finished up the casseroles. I made two; one with broccoli and one with spinach. I'll post up the recipe later.

I got ready and mom came home, we left for my aunt's house and got there with hardly any traffic! Right away my baby cousin James started talking to me, I think he's going to be three, he talks and talks, so cute!!! He was showing me his DVDs and drawing pictures all night on his magni-doodle. I caught up with his mom (my cousin) Sabrina, my uncle kept serving me wine. :D Really good wine! I wasn't driving so I was like COOL!

I talked to most of my other relatives, we ate really really well. A lot of people came up to me to tell me that my casserole was VERY good! It's what I envisioned in my head, too, I wanted to make something that everyone was going to say WOW to!!! :D <3

Kevin called me while I was there. So did Saul. We talked and we're really optimistic and happy right now. I love him so much, it made my evening together hearing from him. If he weren't in that horrible place, most likely he would have come with me to my aunts so him calling me while I was there made me feel a lot better. I told him I was sad cos I was hoping I would spend the holidays with him and he said, "In due time, babe, in due time." and it made everything better. It's gonna sound lame but him saying that makes me feel like he'll be here next year and that makes me feel really happy.

We left around 11pm so mom and I could go to midnight mass. Before we went, mom asked me to open my Christmas pressie: I got a new red little MP3/Video player!!!! I love it!!! We got Jer the game he was DYING for...but for the wrong game console!!! OOPS!!! LOL Mom loves her necklace.

Even though we were early, it was packed already but not as packed as earlier years. We ran into Pam's Dad and cousin. I was tired but I was happy to be there, the mass was beautiful. I prayed for Saul and everyone involved in his situation and I put to peace some ghosts of the past. After mass, I dropped by Kevin's to give him a lanyard I sewed up for him. We talked for a half hour, then he walked me to my car. I thought it was nice of him. I know that there was something there for him but it's not for me and we're better being close enough at the distance we are. In the grand scheme of things, we had our time and now it's time for us to take whatever we learned with one another and float on.

At home, I slowly opened and poured over Saul's letter to me that I couldn't open until Christmas. It was the sweetest thing to read Christmas morning. He told me how much he loves me, plans for when he comes out, his thoughts on God, how he wants to go on a lot of trips. I can't wait for all these things to happen. He drew a rough draft of a picture he had in his head. Once it's perfected, I'm going to get it tattooed on me.

In the morning, I made it to morning mass solo, that mass was also wonderful. I love it when we say the responses in Latin. I ran into Pam's dad again! After mass, I ran into and greeted Father John and he asked "Is your mom here?" I had to explain she was sick. And she was; she's had veritgo for a few days now, dunno why. I thanked God that this year was blessedly uneventful with my mom's depression and overall horrible unavoidable things. Sure, there where a lot of obstacles and such, but the last two years were just too much. Compared to those years, this year was a ride in a boat during rough waves instead of a ride on an airplane on fire crash landing onto a nuclear power plant.

Came home and expected dad to be ready to go to Nana's. I asked him when we'd go, he said when mom was up. She got up later and we still didn't go anywhere. Around 4 I finally asked when we're going and dad was like, "I didn't say we were going!" ARGH!!!! I hate that I stood home waiting and he didn't tell me we weren't going, it's so inconsiderate. I got invited to go out to see movies with friends tonight but I'm so flat broke right now, I'm saving my monies for ALA and my car insurance. grrr. But hey, I'm setting up my MP3 player, I cleaned out my external hard drive more, and I'm enjoying a night in with the familia. Good times.

We'll see what tomorrow brings us. I can't wait for the weeks to come. :)

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I know the pieces fit cos I watched them tumble out