The Loot Lowdown...

So, here is what we got for Christmas....

Franz got a Kitchen Aid mixer. But not just any Kitchen Aid mixer... nope, he got a SPECIAL Kitchen Aid mixer. It is a special edition mixer made just for Williams Sonoma. With extra wattage and special designer colors. He loved it. It is Cinnamon colored. It actually reminds me of the color of my Mom's car. :) Anyway, there were too many choices of what kind of attachment to get, so Franz got another Christmas present... it was just invisible. He has to go pick out what kind of mixer attachment he wants and I will buy it.

I got "America: The Book" by the same people who do Comedy Central's Daily Show. It is basically a funny version of an American history book. It's also funny because that was one of my ideas for something to get for Franz for Christmas. Our tastes are so scarily similar sometimes. Anyway, I also got Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Season 7 on DVD...thus completing my collection. (Woo hoo!) I also got some really pretty, soft fuzzy blue socks for wearing around the house (guess someone is tired of me wedging my ice cold feet under him when he sits on the couch) and also some nice black socks for work. And I got a Sonicare toothbrush! But not just any Sonicare toothbrush... nope, Franz got me the "top of the line" toothbrush! It is so cool! I can't wait to brush my teeth with it for the first time. It has to charge up for 24 hours first, though. Yaaaaa!! Good oral hygiene!! (hee hee....) :) <--- see? That's me smiling with my shiny clean teeth.

Franz's folks sent me a few presents, too!! Can you believe it? I haven't even met them yet and they send me Christmas presents and also a card for my graduation. They sent me a Christmas candle in a glass jar. It smells like cinnamon and vanilla... it makes me hungry whenever I take the lid off. They also sent me two little ceramic snowmen for our Christmas tree. I am hoping that we will be all settled in a house in New Zealand next Christmas, and we can have a Christmas tree. I haven't had a Christmas tree since I moved to Oregon. Because we always were going to celebrate Christmas elsewhere. Next year it will probably be just me and Franz. I am going to try to make it as festive as possible so we will be less homesick.

Actually, days like yesterday make thinking about moving to NZ harder. Franz has such a wonderfully warm family, and going to have Christmas dinner with them was wonderful. Franz's neices are both still little and cute.... and funny as hell. They had us all laughing so hard that it was difficult to breathe. And sitting down to a big feast with all of them was so great. I will miss it next year. And I think that Franz will too, whether he knows it yet or not. Like it or not, I am just one person... and I know I am not the best homemaker in the world. I have doubts as to how warm I can make a home.... and no matter what I do it won't take the place of all those loved ones talking and laughing and cooking and telling stories. We shall see. Maybe I am getting all anxious over nothing. I hope....

Anyway, all of those fears aside, Franz and I gave ourselves one more Christmas present yesterday. We sent in our Expression of Interest to the New Zealand Immigration Service. All 22 pages of it. Franz stood over my right shoulder as I clicked "Submit". So, we have paid our $355.00 NZ (about $200.00 US Dollars) and sent in all of personal information. We have six chances to be drawn from the EOI lottery pool. Keep your fingers crossed, folks. Yesterday was the first time it occured to me that we might not make it in. And it makes me want it even more. The next drawing in on Jan 5th. I'll keep you all posted.

Merry Christmas everyone. I love you all!

Sherry