The Thursday after I returned, I had orientation. They had both groups, ABSN and ELMSN, in one room and went over tons of information about the school in general, paperwork, introduced faculty, etc. The day went by fairly quickly but it was a lot to take in. Thankfully, they served us a delicious breakfast of bagels and fruit as well as a sandwich lunch. I'm a HUGE fan of free meals. I also purchased my scrub tops... two 5-pocket tops that have the school's logo on it as well as a blue jacket that we can use in lieu of the scrub tops if its cold. I was told not to order the pants through the company because they tend to shrink. Luckily for me, my Ate Ari just finished the ABSN program at the SMU's San Francisco campus and was able to give me her old pants that fit perfectly! I've also inherited two of her scrub tops and a lab coat. You can never have too many scrubs if you don't wanna do laundry!
Thanksgiving wasn't too shabby. That morning I made these amazing pumpkin cream cheese muffins that I brought to brunch at Ate Ari's in San Francisco. I had never made muffins before so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but they were well received. It's one of those recipes you wanna hang on to. Ate's house was packed with people. Here's a quick rundown of who was there:
-Me, Mom and Dad
-Ate Ari, Kuya Paul and their kids - Isaiah, Tony and Maya
-Ate Lorie and her kids- Wayne Jr., Nikko, Eli, Rosie, Sammy
-Ate Lyn, Kuya Roger and their kids - Jonah, Xavier
-Ninong Ben
-Uncle Paul and Aunt Diana
-Mike, Angeline and their kids - Jasmine and Alana
-Josh and two of his friends from Cal
Pretty sure thats it.. Keep in mind my Ate lives in San Francisco in the Sunset... Tiny homes! Luckily, they had some work done on the garage and people were spread between the upstairs (adults) and downstairs (kids). The men were hiding out in Tony's room to watch football. The women were in the dining room/living room chatting. And the kids were in the den downstairs playing video games.
My handsome ina anak, Xavier
After brunch, we went home for a bit to recuperate before heading to Grandpa's for dinner.
Grandpa's house was much calmer. We had our traditional onion dip and chips - wouldn't be a Huddleston family gathering without it! - while waiting for dinner. Most of the family was there though Brandi was missing as she was in Colorado with her dad's family. Jessica's new little girl, Natalee, made her debut with the whole family. She is too cute and incredibly sweet. With only two little kids around (Nathaniel and Natalee), the evening was very relaxed and chill. This Thanksgiving was truly enjoyable and special. So glad I got to spend it with so many loved ones.
Aunt Linda and Natalee
The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were filled with work, family and friends. I went to a lot of birthday parties and did a lot of commuting between Davis and the Bay. It may have been a lot of driving, but it was all worth it. I got to meet Lauri's little girl Harley, Janice's little girl Wynterlyn, celebrate my ina anak's 2nd birthday and my baby cousin's 16th, have a fun morning with two friends I haven't seen in a loooong time, and watch another cousin's ballet recital. Yes, the drives were all worth it.
Steph and Me on our way to a Pilgrims and Indians party
Garry, Jones and Sus
Kyle, Kirsten, Tiffany, Sol, Me, Steph and Bri at our Holiday party
Ariel, Kim and Me... My Dixon roomies!
Tiff, Annie, Bri, Steph, Jenn, Me and Tam at Jenn's Holiday party
Ninong, Maya, Isaiah, Nikko and Roise at Tony, Jonah and Xavier's birthday party
Kuya Marc, Wynterlyn and Me
Christmas was pretty much a repeat of Thanksgiving except brunch was in Rodeo at Auntie's house, Kuya Wayne was there and the extended Abeyta's were not in attendance. We went to mass the night before so that we could take the morning at a leisurely pace. Once at Auntie's house, it was kid central! All the boys were playing with their video games minus Sammy and Xavier who are too young to play. Rosie was running around doing her own thing and Maya was upset because she was bored. Typical events when all the kids are together. Honestly though, I wouldn't change it. Dad and I bought Mom a Nintendo DSi for Christmas and the game Scrabble so she was found playing right along with the kids. Grandpa's house was also a repeat but Brandi was there.
Nikko, Rosie, Sammy, Tony, Isaiah, Wayne Jr, Jonah, Xavier, Maya and Eli
I received tons of amazing gifts for Christmas and am so thankful for all of them. There is one in particular though that I absolutely love. When we got home from mass Christmas Eve, there was a flower arrangement on my porch with a note from Dave! :)
:)
Since Christmas, I've spent the days hanging out with high school friends who are in town and working. Sadly, yesterday was my last day of work until next Wednesday when my new schedule begins because... SCHOOL STARTS MONDAY!!!!
Sandra, Stan, Ariel, Pierre, Ben, Jeremy, Meena and Me at Kip's
Taking Wayne Jr., Nikko and Eli to the King Tut exhibit in San Francisco tomorrow! Very excited. I've heard tons about it but still have no clue what to expect and can't wait to see what there is on display. Hopefully the boys enjoy it as much as I will.
Lastly, I can't believe 2009 is almost over. In less than 24 hours it will be 2010. 2010!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful year and wish the best for the coming year!
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