Our first Christmas

Christmas 3 of 4, was of all our Christmas celebrations, the one most anticipated in the newly established Rohlin Household. It was the first Christmas we celebrated as a family, the most lavish gifts were given there, and it was the most special and significant to us both.

We unanimously elected to open presents Christmas Eve, after celebrating with my family (Christmas #2). While we both agree that Christmas morning is a better time to celebrate for children, while it is just the two of us the evening before Christmas makes most sense.

I handed out my presents first. I have been looking forward to giving these presents for MONTHS. Before we were married I knew I wanted to give these presents to him, but didn't know when I could afford them. I saved and saved, and had enough just in time for Christmas! He loved the presents--and was satisfactorily impressed with my creativity.

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Richard wanted to go second. He gave me a pair of super cute red heels first. They are very old fashioned looking, and I believe at some point I'll have to make a special dress to match them. Richard's second present was the biggest--and the most special.

When Richard first proposed, nearly two years ago, he presented me with a beautiful heart necklace. The front was encrusted in 16 small diamonds, the back was silver filigree forming 9 hearts within the framework of the heart shaped pendant. It was hands down the most beautiful and valuable piece of jewelery I'd ever owned up to that point, but I treasured it most because it was the present he'd selected to give me on that very special evening. But less than three months after that night I lost the necklace.

I was terribly upset when it went lost, and I didn't tell Richard about it for several months (the longest I've ever kept something from him). Finally I had to tell him. Richard wasn't upset--he told me it was just things, and things weren't important people were. But I continued dilligently searching for that necklace. Every time a drawer was pulled out that I hadn't already thought to pull out, my heart jumped as I hoped it was there. Every time there was a day of in-depth house cleaning I hoped it would turn up. It never did. To this day I have no idea what happened to it.

Ever since I finally gave up on finding the original necklace I've hoped that Richard would think to purchase a second one, if possible, to replace the first. I haven't really talked about it, but if there was one THING I wanted me husband to give me, it was that particular diamond necklace.

And this year, our very first Christmas together, that's what he got me.

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Christmas morning we started with a (very) simple breakfast together, after which we sat in the living room and read the Christmas story together.

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Even though the mail doesn't come on Christmas day, I asked my husband to go check it. I ordered Christmas Ornaments to give to his family, as our main Christmas present to each of them. To my dismay the ornaments still hadn't arrived, although I'd ordered them a month ago. You can immagine my delight when my husband returned, triumphantly holding a package from china!!

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