Journal - December 29, 2008 (Monday) Day +170

by Sheri Nocelli on 06/14/13

Merry Christmas everyone!! This is the longest I've ever gone between updates, so there’s a lot to talk about! The week before Christmas was nuts getting our house ready for guests. I couldn't travel to New Hampshire this year, so my Mom, Dad and brother came to visit us. They got here late Tuesday night and that was the kickoff of Christmas! For the first time in history, we only worked Monday and Tuesday last week, and took the rest of the week off. It was so worth it!

    Christmas Eve was a blast. We went to Lucien's parents and exchanged gifts. This was the first year that I got to experience the Italian Fish Dinner on Christmas Eve. There were 5 fish dishes throughout the dinner; it was so different and delicious. The kids got huge magnadoodles, which they love, Lucien got a nice shirt, and I got leopard print Crocs! They're by far the coolest I've ever seen!

    At about 7:30, we started to hear sirens outside in the distance. Everyone started running around getting their coats and hats on, because this meant Santa was coming by soon with the fire trucks! I was like a 4 year old; I was so excited to see this. I was jumping up and down, screaming and waving....  it was kind of pathetic, but so much fun! Of course, they sped by at about 50 miles an hour, we heard a "Ho Ho Ho" and that was it, he was off! (I guess to start delivering presents!) 

     We headed home, singing the Chipmunks Christmas the whole way! Once we got home we put out some cookies and milk for Santa, and Adrian wrote a really sweet letter to him too.

     Christmas morning was the best! We woke up, got the kids and came down to open stockings! I got lots of makeup that I needed because my makeup was a year old, I didn't wear any all year, and some other really cool stuff. We took a break for breakfast and then dove into opening! We went steady opening gifts for a few hours. The kids had a lot of presents to open since we had donations from Adrian’s school, the church and friends and family even sent some extra gifts for them this year. I was so happy for them to see their excitement over all their new clothes and toys. I was especially happy for all their new clothes since they were both outgrowing everything they had.

    Lucien and I got jammies, some books and dvds. I got some jewelry that I had been eyeing up at the Fossil outlet when it opened, and a new bathrobe because I had forgotten my old one at the hospital, some bath goodies, a pair of clogs, canisters for the kitchen, a toaster (which we needed So Badly! Thank you Aunt Carole and Uncle Skyp!!). Lucien got some converse, a new cordless drill and typical stuff like bracelets and a belt. Then everyone started acting funny, and the next thing I know, rolled around the corner into the living room comes a purple Marshall Amplifier half stack!!! I had been eyeing this up for years!! I needed an amp for the tour coming up this year (the Deal With It Tour), and I was going to use one of Lucien's old amps. But boy was I floored when I saw this! It's limited edition, Marshall, and the amp of my dreams! This was the best Christmas present ever!

     Someone gave the family Rock Band 2 for our X Box 360. We were skeptical at first if we should keep it, because usually we want nothing to do with music related things out of work hours, we want football and different things because music is work for us. But since my family was here we decided it would be something 4 players which is hard to find on X Box. Well, it turns out that it was a blast to play as a group. I was the lead singer, I made my character with short pink hair, Lucien drummed, he has a lot of fun drumming and his character looked just like him with the dent in his chin and everything! My brother Scott was "Spanky" the guitarist, because that's what he plays at home on his game, and Dad was "Bizarro Bob" on Bass, and did an awesome job following the colors on the buttons. We had fun with trying to earn money and buy new instruments and clothes as well as trying to earn new venues to play. It was a blast!

      The whole week was so much fun; we had some crazy moments for sure. Like for lunch Lucien surprised us Friday with a burger the size of Adrian's head, it was huge! We all had some laughs at that. We watched some movies of course. One was Silent Hill, which was about a witch that ruined a town or something. It was the strangest thing, especially since the DVD kept getting stuck at the most important part... (Next time clean your fingerprints off Scott!) Just Kidding! But the best part was the next day when Dad, Lucien and I used some Barbie's and a candle to re-create a scene from the movie and taped it as a mini movie! Ah, good times!

             

    It was just a fantastic way to wrap up this crazy year. Christmas was always a big deal in my family, we always start talking about plans in August, and we’re absolutely nuts and insane about the whole thing. But this year was that much more special, because when I was spending all those hours and days alone in the hospital, it was thinking about Christmas that got me through. My goal was to be home by Christmas, with my family, with my children and I was rewarded with that, and then some. I could never have asked for a better time, everything was just as I wished for all those months. And now, we're heading into the New Year with high hopes for life. We're reaching high this year, and we'll get there. We're so determined to do everything and I know we'll get every single thing accomplished. This year we're cleansed of the old and looking forward to the new. We've shed old skin, old relationships, stale partnerships and time of sickness and we're determined to enjoy a healthy, happy new year with our Tour coming up after a year of delay, a new album coming out in the spring, new business ventures, new partnerships and a new way of life. We're excited for 2009, looking forward to a wonderful year professionally and personally. I think after the craziness, we deserve just that, and with the drive inside both Lucien and I, I know we'll have a wonderful year. Because of all the help, support, donations, gifts and open hearts you've all offered through this year, we were able to maintain a positive outlook. We have been able to look forward to the bright future instead of dwelling on the things we've gone through and are still living through every day. We do it, live it and look forward, thanks to all of you, we love you all!

    Have a merry, wonderful New Years, and let's all hope and pray for a happy, healthy year to come for everyone. Happy New Year Everyone! 

     As Lucien has been yelling from the rooftops, 2009 is gonna shine!!!!