Weddingbee Blog

As a East Coast transplant I am always torn between spending holidays here with my hubby or seeing my family on the West Coast. Of course I want to spend these special occasions with my best friend and husband…but  I get one or two days off on top of my hard-to-come-by vacation days this time of year. It is the most perfect time to go!

So every year for the six years I have been with Mr. Pashmina I have gone back home to be with my family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ve always tried to feel out Mr. P to see if he would mind my departure or if he was getting tiresome of me always going away.

Nope. He always has been super understanding. More than I would be, truthfully. But this is why I love him. Not once has he ever placed any guilt or sadness about me going away. He always is excited that I get to see my family who I am always longing for. But sometimes he would say, “It is okay. The first year we are married we can spend it together!”

I wasn’t quite sure if this was something he really, really felt tied to or if he was simply excusing my absence with a hope for us to be together. Well, I am a girl of my word. And this year was the first year we were married! So I was gung-ho on making this happen.

My family has huge Thanksgivings and Christmases. My mom does such a wonderful job at making these times so extra special. I didn’t want to miss out on this time with them. So I tried, tried, tried to get Mr. P out West so I could have the best of both worlds!! But, Mr. Pash’s work didn’t cooperate with this plan…nor did the ticket prices. So instead of forking over lots of dough for only the weekend, I ended up staying on the East Coast for my first (almost) White Christmas!

I was hoping to go back to see my family between Christmas and New Year’s, but again, the tickets were so expensive that I ended up going back before Christmas. I was able to be there for my mom’s birthday, participate in holiday shopping, bake lots of cookies, and get some sun before heading back to NYC. I didn’t get to see my four-year-old nephew put out cookies for Santa or wake up in the early morning to unwrap his gifts. But I got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with my hubby and it was well worth it! We made a feast for Christmas, even. We slept in the next morning––something I’ve never done––and then traveled to upstate New York to be with Mr. Pashmina’s family. They live in a 19th century stone farmhouse and it was covered in icicles. We had the best time eating prime rib sitting next to the cherry wood fire. It was so picturesque and wintery!

Then we headed home, with two of our nieces in tow, headed to NYC to see the big tree at Rockefeller Center. We couldn’t find a parking spot so we just ended up driving around. But let me tell you––we got the best view. We put down the top to our convertible and got a really good view. Traffic was slower than a snails pace going past the tree, so it worked out perfectly. People kept on laughing at us asking if we were cold, but we were actually sweltering! It was a really fun experience seeing NYC in the dark, all lit up with lights, and full of Christmas cheer!

The next morning, we were hit with what they dubbed The Christmas Weekend blizzard. We were all trapped inside for two days playing board games. Let’s just say there was a major Monopoly competition going on!

Work was canceled the next day so vacation was extended even a little bit longer, too!

Our very first Christmas as husband and wife. It was filled with snow, and filled with love!

How did you spend your first holiday together as husband and wife? Was it a compromise?