It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Are the holidays really over? Didn't they just start!? Time is moving at speeds I can't quite keep up with. Even Bart, who always argues with me about the speed of time, seems to be feeling the effects of the wormhole we have been traveling down since Gracie was born. Some days seem never ending, others go by way too fast. But all in all, it's hard to believe that another year has come and gone.

After our trip back from Thanksgiving, it took us a little while to recover. I was sick, Gracie was sick, and there was an overall malaise and exhaustion from travel and RV/airpline life with a toddler. Gracie continues to travel well, always ready for the next adventure! But the older she gets, the harder it gets to keep her entertained and still in the confines of an airplane economy seat. Thank you Benedryl! We didn't have much time to recover as we had to immediately hit the ground running when December came. I started off with a half marathon alongside my friend Sara Barone. I met Sara in my singing group, Legacy!, and we've just hit it off! Although I was battling a sick tummy through the whole race, it was SO fun to not only get to run a race with a singing friend, but also literally run into some other Legacy! members singing along the course! One of my favorite things about CFCArts is how it causes so many worlds to collide. Singing and fitness. Can't get more random than that! Plus, I hit my goal of 2hr 10min with a finishing time of 2hr 10min 5sec. WOO!

Speaking of CFCArts, I also had my big, annual, choir Christmas show. It was so sad to not have Mom, Dad, and Moggy there, as I know they would have really enjoyed this particular show. It was my second favorite main stage show thus far. But luckily, Colleen was able to come out and she and Bart represented! We had such a fun few days relaxing together, catching up on life, and giving her a taste of Rogowski life out here in Florida. She even put the lights on our Christmas tree for us! Thanks so much Colleen for making the trip and always being such a supportive Auntie.

Next up was the whole gang (well, almost!) making the trek out from California to spend Christmas with us! I don't think anyone could have predicted just how grand a journey that would be. 3 adults and 3 kids in the motorhome with Erica driving the truck and trailer behind them. For 2,800 miles. That's family love right there! All things considered, they had a fairly uneventful trip out and once they arrived the craziness began! Decorating the tree, gingerbread houses, Johnny Rockets, bowling, lizard hunting, and fishing kept the kids pretty busy! Although I had to check myself a few times to not get too overwhelmed by the chaos, I kept soaking in the moments, reminding myself what a rare occasion this was and how sad I would be when it was over.

Christmas Eve was probably my favorite day of the whole visit. The excitement of Christmas on the horizon, preparations for Santa, and a fun filled visit from the Feners. Watching Lindsay help us wrap presents pretty much made my year. We laughed, ate chili, told stories, and even put out milk and keto fat bombs for Santa (thanks, Lindsay!). Christmas morning came too early but the kids were buzzing with excitement, as expected. The grown ups downed cups of coffee as the kids tore into their gifts from Santa, including bikes for the Roblee kids! Gracie seemed a bit confused by it all but didn't hesitate to dig into her stocking and play along. The day as a whole was interesting. Different. You could certainly tell we were a group of people who have done this day the same way for 35 years and weren't quite sure how to do it in such a different environment. Even though I was home, that day I felt completely out of my element. Like I was a visitor in my own house. Mom stepped up (quite literally) helping the girls and I cook our traditional Christmas feast, although the left overs made it obvious that Mom isn't used to cooking for less than 30 people! ;) Bart managed to get the turkey cooked by hot-wiring the roaster. Disaster averted! Power cord discovered hours later. The Feners came by again to spend Christmas day with the clan. It's been years since we've been lucky enough to have so much time with Lindsay and Nick. Bart and I had a good 4 hours of conversation with them Christmas night, sitting out in the warm and steamy Florida room, which was such a special treat. We felt very lucky that of all places to be on such a special day, they chose to spend it with us. Being that they are travelling all over the country these days, we just never know when we might see them again. I definitely cherished that time we got to spend with them just talking about life! The only thing missing from that day was Reggie, AJ and Nikki, Moggy, and the rest of the extended family. It was odd to not be together that day, but thankfully technology makes it a little less tough.

A couple days after Christmas it was time for the Nocita/Roblee clan to hit the road, back to California except.....they forgot Erica!! Don't worry, it was intentional. ;) Erica decided to move out here and join the TST Industries team! Words cannot express how excited we are about this! She has already begun her transition into work and her new life here and it's been such a joy having her both in our home as well as at the office. Already I feel a huge sigh of relief knowing she is there, day to day, doing what I can't. But more to come on that in the next blog! Meanwhile, the Nocita/Roblee clan didn't have as smooth a transition back to California. With a broken down motorhome in Texas, they were forced to continue their journey back to California packed into a Suburban. It broke my heart to know they spent New Year's Eve in a hotel room, especially because Kristy and the kids couldn't be with Mike. But as they always do, they rallied and made the best of it. I am eternally grateful for all that they endured so that we could be together on Christmas!

New Year's Eve here wasn't much more exciting than a hotel room. Bart and I continued our tradition of making pizza, and we brought Erica in on the fun! Gracie was in bed by 7:30, Erica in bed by 10, and Bart and I stupidly stayed up til midnight to watch the ball drop, and then an additional hour to chat about the new year. That was followed by Gracie waking a few times throughout the night yielding some wrecked parents the next morning. But hey, it wouldn't have been right if the whacked out year didn't end equally as whacked, right?

In all seriousness, it seems that most people weren't fans of 2016. It was a rough year for many, including our families. But in the final minutes of 2016 Bart and I realized that it wasn't all that bad. It was tough, sure, but we are ultimately so lucky and so blessed to have what we have. Even with all of the hardships over the last few months particularly, with the sale of the house and Mom's injury, we all still have each other. We all still made wonderful memories together and learned to love each other in a whole new way, under new circumstances. 2016 was the year of changes. And while the Nocitas have never been particularly good at change, I think it's about time we all be forced out of our comfort zones. It's easy to be a fun loving family when things are great and easy and the same every day. But it's through the challenges and the changes that we all grow as individuals and grow in our relationships with each other. So cheers to 2016 for the life lessons, and here's hoping 2017 gives us a second to adjust before dishing out any more craziness!