Waiting for Winter

With mere hours left of 2011, we're still waiting on winter to truly arrive. This time last year we were still recovering from the Boxing Day Blizzard, unaware that it was only the beginning.

Hubby and I have completed our holiday circuit with both the Egan and Riggi sides of the family. We're relaxing now in anticipation of the New Year's Eve gala at the Adventure Aquarium. We're very excited to go, as we've been wanting to for many years now. No time like the present, eh? What a great time of year to be a newlywed.

Today is also Hammy's 4th birthday! Since we brought him home on October 31 and he was 10 months old at that time, we just added two months and chose 12/31 as his birthday. We truly can't imagine our life and home without him in it--he really makes the apartment feel alive, and he's always making us laugh. Well, when he's not annoying us by singing opera for his dinner or headbutting me at 4am for breakfast... So happy birthday to our little kitten, or I guess as we should start calling him, our big boy!

Here are a few pictures. Stay tuned for some shots from the party tonight, which will conclude with primo views of the Philly fireworks at midnight.

Checking out a little stocking we hung on his cat tree.

Super Hammy and his tissue paper cape.

Family portrait included in our Christmas cards.

Ch-ch-changes

I am now officially and legally Maureen Riggi. I have completed the rounds to Social Security and the DMV and switched over my name. I also sent out name change notifications to my utilities, etc. who need to update my information. I updated my alumni listing at Stockton. I have my new ID at Princeton. I have added my spouse to my benefits at work. I feel very married now, and it feels wonderful.

I'm still waiting on a few official things, so in some respects I'm still in limbo, but for the most part I'm all done. I have long since gotten over the name change anxiety discussed here, and am really just eager for the transition to be over. I am still thinking of people I need to contact--someday, this list has to run out, right?

So after the holidays, what's on the horizon for Mr. and Mrs. Riggi? Birthdays--my dad's, mine, my brother's. I'll be 26 and he'll be 21. How did that happen? Sheesh... Then after that is Valentine's Day and John's and my 7-year anniversary (hot dang!). Then things calm down a bit. There are, of course, birthdays and little holidays sprinkled in, but then we can start gearing up for our summer vacation to Las Vegas to visit my godmother. By then, she'll be a grandma, as my cousin and her husband are expecting their first baby. What an epic year.

Once January hits, it's also the countdown to Commencement and all the Pton students going home. Meaning life at work slows down and the blood pressure can get back to normal. I love my job, but by this time I'm definitely craving the slower months.

But that's all out there. Right now I am truly enjoying the holidays, after feeling like last Christmas totally got away from me. I feel like I missed the whole buildup and the little things that make merry and bright. This year I'm consciously drinking it all in. We may not make it to NYC to see the tree, but there's plenty of holiday spirit close to home. In our small-town America life, it's easy to feel the cheer by simply taking a walk through town.

So here's to hoping my readers' seasons and jolly, and wishing you all a healthy start to the new year!