Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah/Kwanzaa! And happy New Year!

The Christmas atmosphere was lovely this year, what with all the lights, decorations, and the tree, which I waited to decorate until my sister came home. My mom went on a super rare baking marathon, filling the house with warm scents of almond and citrus. I baked my first coconut cream pie, which was quite a project, because I had to work on the filling and the meringue at the same time. XD All the while we listened to the classical station on the radio. <3

My friends and I had a gift exchange on the shortest day of the year, with some zany results: one friend decided to give me the New Moon board game as a joke. Dear, dear, dear. Naturally, we had to play it. That was interesting. XD
(Other gifts a scrapbook w/ supplies from and Kung Fu panda from another friend. I LOVE that movie )

The gifts from my family weren't really surprises (essentially impossible these days) but they were awesome nonetheless.

My Grandma gave me a miniature hourglass pendant and a perfume I've had my eye on for a while. My bro got me an Enya CD, my sis got me the Mononoke OST, and my mom got me the 6th Potter movie, FINALLY the >old< Star Wars (we haven't owned it in years), and a shiny Bible with an awesome Bible study.

However, my dad's present is the quirkiest one of them all: he gave me a front-opening-unified pod, aka FOUP (foop).

Basically, it's a component of capital equipment machinery which is used to transport and sort the silicon wafers that are made into computer chips. It looks like this: [link]
Mine is like that, except it's dark green, and it doesn't have a door. Apparently the company had an excess of older, not as pristine foups and wanted to get rid of them, hence the Christmas present. XD

What am I going to do with it?
Put shelves in the slots and make it into a jewelry supply cabinet. XD

My dog got a new collar scruchie and some treats.

Anyway, food or decorations or presents can't compare to seeing all of my family and friends again. My brother and sister are far away most of the year and my cousins are scattered all around, so we only see a lot of each other around now. I love Christmas specifically for that reason. <3

Anyway, I hope everyone stays happy and safe for the rest of the holidays. Cheers to the birth of Christ and a new decade!

*~A~*