Another year, come and gone

No matter what, each year I end up buying last-minute gifts. Inevitably, I forget certain family members and have to rush out (usually to Target, my home away from home) to buy them.This year though, it seemed as though I took everything in stride.  Alright, so I lost it a little on Noche Buena, but only because I committed a major no-no by putting the lechon in too late and left my poor family members, who were incredibly patient and supportive, waiting too long to eat.That however, was my only setback. The 2012 Christmas season was otherwise without incident. Putting up and decorating the tree was a joyful occasion with my daughter doing most of the work and my husband and I assisting. I also spent several nights simply sitting by and admiring the tree while enjoying a mug of hot chocolate with my daughter.We checked out our usual holiday spots. The lovely Enchanted Place street nearby with the canopy trees glowing with Christmas lights and all the lovely lighted decorations on every house. The spectacular Christmas tree light show set to holiday music by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Gulfstream Park and of course, the "little park" as we like to call it, at the end of Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, right off LeJeune Road.Christmas morning was a relaxed affair except for the excitement of opening the gifts but otherwise, we had our homemade pancakes and enjoyed playing the Clue boardgame and watching the Disney Christmas parade on television before heading to my sister's house.I'm really looking forward to New Year's Eve and wrapping up (pun intended!) a wonderful Christmas season. I truly took time to reflect and enjoy time with family and friends while keeping the true meaning of the season close to my heart.