Yesterday Colin and I shuffled through the airport, and hefted our chocolate laden suitcases onto the train, through the streets and finally up six flights of two-hundred-year-old stairs into our Madrid apartment. Once we finally unpacked the last pair of Christmas socks we realized just how much we missed our family in Texas.
We got to visit Colin's family in Plano for just about two weeks over Christmas. Colin's dad, John, decided to keep our visit a secret and surprise Marilyn (mom) when we arrived. In the weeks leading up to our trip it was painful to hear Marilyn tell us how sad she was that we couldn't all be together for Christmas. When we turned up on the front porch though, everything seemed to be right again.
Colin had prepared me for watching the Lord of the Rings movies with his family. When the first DVD ended I said something like, "well, that was better than I remember. Ready for bed?" To which Colin and his dad responded, "Oh no, that's only the end of disk 1. This is the extended version!" I had to dig deep to smile and find the will power to stay awake through 2 more hours of Frodo's hairy feet journeying towards Mordor. I did it though, and by the end of movie 3 disk 1 (yes, all three movies have extended versions) I began to really feel that the fate of the world depended on one little hobbit. I felt completely involved in the battle between good and evil and I was touched by the bravery of Merry, Pippin and all the other warriors lead by Gandalf and Aragorn. Considering I fell asleep in the theatre the first time I saw LOTR, and the only thing I remembered was the trees walking and talking, I'd say this time around was a huge success!
When we weren't watching LOTR we were cycling, cooking, playing cards, or just relaxing. Being in one of Marilyn's spin classes made me feel like Frodo in his final stretch towards Mordor- weak yet determined, and completely motivated by Sam, or in my case, the desire to beat Colin (luckily on stationary bikes that might actually, subjectively, be possible). Playing cards with the Taylors can also sometimes feel as intense as the battle between good and evil in LOTR, but in the end, everyone's a winner! Right? Wrong. There can only be one winner.
Christmas Eve
I had to chance to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with Marilyn too, which was really fun. I got to know her much better, and I learned some of the family's recipes from the master. Now Colin and I will be able to carry on traditions like the cinnamon roll Christmas tree, raspberry trifle, and yorkshire pudding. Colin also took over the stove for a while on Christmas eve for another of the Taylor traditions: crepes with lemon and powdered sugar. I am happy I married into a family with such delicious traditions :)
Christmas pudding the front and trifle in the background
Colin got the chance to see a few old friends too. Between Gazeebo Burger, late night hot tubbing, Magica and Civilization it felt like old times. Just like going home to family, it's nice when you can fall back into old friendships with ease. Though John, who dislikes video games and lost a few hours of sleep thanks to the hot tub noise outside his bedroom, might disagree...
I had my first white Christmas! I never thought my first snowy Christmas would be in Texas, but there you have it. Christmas Eve night a thunder storm shook the house and woke us up then in the morning lightening flashed outside the windows and raindrops fell steadily. During a short lull Colin and I went on a run, during which we battled strong winds and eventually hail! Once we were home it started snowing! Slowly the roofs started to turn white, then the tree tops, lawns, and sidewalks were covered in a glistening blanket of soft snow. It was beautiful.
Christmas dinner deserves its own paragraph. The star of the feast was a beef roast with a port mushroom gravy that was out of this world. Supporting cast members: roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, roasted parsnips, brussel sprouts, mint peas, homemade rolls, and yorkshire pudding. Raspberry trifle, and Christmas pudding made a strong appearance at the end, and everyone's glasses were overflowing with Martinelli's bubbly.
The hats were presents from traditional English crackers
We were in town for our second wedding anniversary as well (has it really already been two-years?)! We had booked a hotel in Downtown Dallas and we got massages in our room. We also toasted a wonderful two years and ate truffles. We are so happy where we are in life right now, more in love than ever, and thrilled for whatever the future may hold.
It was with sadness that we finally packed our bags on Monday afternoon. We had an amazing trip. We love our families so much, and it was a special blessing to be with Colin's on Christmas.
We hope all of our friends and family far away were also able to enjoy the Holidays. One last time until next December, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Plaza Mayor, right behind our house
