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Miss Porcupine, NYC/Lancaster, PA Age and Occupation: 26, Sales Coordinator/Publishing Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Assistant Manager/Sales Engagement Date: August 8, 2010 Wedding Date: March 2012 Venue: Riverdale Manor About Me: I'm a born and bred New Yorker with a love/hate relationship for the city I have always called home. Although I may seem quiet from afar, I have a loud personality once you get to know me. I am a book nerd at heart, but love a night out in the city with good friends. I have a serious addiction to all things cheese, chocolate, cardigans, Mexican food, and reality TV. The future hubs and I met in college, settled in New York, and decided to go with a rustic/peacock infused wedding in Lancaster, PA, right near his hometown. Come the big day, we will be together 5 years, and we're looking forward to making it official!
About Miss Porcupine

The Unwed Holidays

November 18th, 2011 @ 5:55 am by Miss Porcupine

Not to get deep on you all, but I have to say that sometimes I take a step back and realize Mr. Porcupine and I are really lucky to each come from a family that has accepted the other with open arms. Since the day Mr. Porcupine and I got together we have immediately clicked with each other’s families.

I didn’t get much of a chance to get used to the idea of meeting “the whole fam” when it came to our relationship. After about 3 months as a couple I met pretty much EVERYONE in Mr. P’s family at his brother’s wedding. On the flip side, Mr. P met my immediate family (parents, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparents) at my college graduation after only two months as a couple. So really early on we knew what we were getting into. (Haha, I kid…OR DO I?)

When it came time for the holidays, I can only vaguely remember our first holiday season together.

For our first Thanksgiving together I spent the actual holiday—that Thursday—with my own family and then met Mr. P out in Pennsylvania for the rest of the weekend. Since that time it became the norm for me to go with Mr. P to PA for Thanksgiving since his whole family scattered around the East Coast meets up there. For Hanukkah, Mr. P and I spend it with my family since they throw a little Hanukkah party shindig. For other pertinent Jewish holidays we usually are able to find a way to celebrate with both families thanks to Jewish holidays lasting a few days (e.g. Passover).

There has never been that “well last year we spent it with YOUR family so we’re going to MY family” argument. Neither of our families have ever shown any annoyance over the arrangement either. Ever since the first time we shared a holiday together, each of us has been made to feel like our presence at the table (or perching on the floor) has always been there.

Annoyingly enough I have no photos of us during our first holiday season. But, I do have a shot of us at our first engaged Thanksgiving.

The Unwed Holidays :  wedding family lancaster Img 324 IMG_324

Classy Shot

The Unwed Holidays :  wedding family lancaster Img 32401 IMG_32401

Mr. P’s comparison to a troll shot

Last post-Thanksgiving weekend Mr. P’s parents used the time getting the family together as a good excuse to throw a mini-engagement celebration. Since we opted to not have an engagement party it was just the usual small gathering his parents always have over along with my parents and sister.

It was a great weekend, and since we decided to have the most annoyingly long engagement (unintentionally) ever, we have one last engaged Thanksgiving to go. This year we’re spending it at my parent’s. Mr. P’s parents have re-arranged their Thanksgiving location since Mr. P’s SIL won’t be able to travel due to the impending LIL BABY!!! (Oh, I haven’t mentioned my insane baby obsession yet? ’Cause yesterday I almost got hit by a car as I smiled at a little chubby baby in his carriage-TRUE STORY). Due to Mr. P’s work schedule we’re staying put.

I’ll have to make sure to snap a pic to mark our LAST non-married Thanksgiving. Next year we’ll be husband and wife (SAY WHO-WA? WEIRD! THATZ A GROWN-UP WORD). I’m sure next year’s holiday will feel just the same as always thanks to our fams.

Do you have an easy holiday-sharing arrangement with your significant other? Did you and your SO feel a part of each others’ families pre-marriage?

*all are personal photos

Tags: family, lancaster |
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12 Responses to “The Unwed Holidays”

1.
MaggieL
Member
MaggieL (message)  168 posts, Blushing bee

I had that same thought the other day…with a similar reaction when I thought “we’ll be husband and wife…holy shit!”

 
2.
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Bee
Miss Hawk (message)  598 posts, Busy bee

With my family being in CA, we don’t really have the opportunity to “share” holidays with both our families. Luckily, everyone is very understanding has there has been no pressure to be at one location versus the other!

 
3.
thirdtimebride
Member
thirdtimebride (message)  356 posts, Helper bee

Pretty doggone easy: my immediate family is here, where we live, and his is a couple thousand miles away–it’s just not feasible to pop up there for a holiday (though we do hope to go to Nebraska for Christmas at least once: I want to see snow!).

 
4.
thirdtimebride
Member
thirdtimebride (message)  356 posts, Helper bee

Oh! But my brother and sister-in-law have it tougher (and her family has no concept of trading-off): Every holiday they have to go to her mom’s, her dad’s, and at least one set of grandparents before making it to my (his) family. Thanksgiving means 4-5 dinners for them and we started doing our family Christmas on Christmas Eve just so we didn’t have to compete as much.

 
5.
MrsSl82be
Member
MrsSl82be (message)  7,970 posts, Bee Keeper

We are the same way with our families, we all click together. We do holidays the same way every year,a nd no complaints yet. I love how close we are with both families!

 
6.
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Bee
Miss Unicycle (message)  293 posts, Helper bee

You’re lucky to have avoided holiday dramz!! We haven’t had any problems deciding whose family to spend holidays with yet either. I have more trouble within my own family than with deciding between mine and Mr. Uni’s family. Ah, the holidayz.

 
7.
totheislnds
Member
totheislnds (message)  5,361 posts, Bee Keeper

this is our first holiday as husband and wife and actually the first holiday we have spent together - in the past we would just do holidays with our own family knowing that soon enough it would be one or the other. Luckily his parents are only and hour away and mine are 15 minutes - i think this year we will do thanksgiving at my parents house and since its a 4 day weekend go down to his parents house on friday. For christmas i think we will do christmas eve at his parents, spend the night and do gifts in the morning (they have little kids still so it makes it much more exciting) then head to my parents for xmas dinner. Its been tough for me, im super close with my family and have never spent a holiday away from them - time to put the big girl pants on i guess.

 
8.
MissMogwai
Member
MissMogwai (message)  32 posts, Newbee

My FI and I spend the actual Thanksgiving holiday with my family (where I actually cook), then the following day we head up to a cabin his grandparents rent every year for a weekend with his dad’s side of the family. We spend Christmas with my FI’s grandparents who are in assisted living. Its a nice arrangement, so everyone gets to spend time with us and no one feels left out.
This will be our first engaged holiday season! Haven’t seen his extended family yet, so it should be interesting.

 
9.
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Member
firebugj16 (message)  101 posts, Blushing bee

Our holiday sharing is quite easy, especially considering our parents live within 1.5 miles of each other. Things get a little tougher when someone out of town decides to have a holiday but both families haven’t given any issues over who’s going where for the holiday.

 
10.
Member
NerdLove11 (message)  181 posts, Blushing bee

I’ve gotten so lucky, my family and my future in-laws LOVE each other, so much that our moms are best friends and work together. We’ve already started integrating our family holidays to include each family, and I just couldn’t be happier with the outcome. We are so lucky to have parents that love each other!

Glad things work out so well for you, and don’t worry, you certainly not the only one who goes gaga over chubby cheeks.

 
11.
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Member
Future Army Wife (message)  1,102 posts, Bumble bee

We met each other’s parents within a month and a half. Having said that, this Christmas will be the first where we meet the majority of each other’s fams (on both sides of PA). We’ve been together almost three years.

 
12.
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Bee
Miss Porcupine (message)  428 posts, Helper bee

@MaggieL: Such a weird realization when it hits, right?
@Miss Hawk: That would definitely be a lot of traveling to share the holidays all the way out to CA!
@thirdtimebride: Ugh, that is definitely not fair to your brother.
@Miss Unicycle: Luckily my immediate family all lives close by to each other-like redonk close.
@totheislnds: Aw, damn the big girl pants. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful first holiday season as a husband/wife!
@NerdLove11: Wow, that’s so cute that they are best friends! How nice that you’re really all one big happy fam.
@Future Army Wife: Ah, goodluck! I’m sure it will go well!

 

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Miss Porcupine
Miss Porcupine

Miss Porcupine, NYC/Lancaster, PA Age and Occupation: 26, Sales Coordinator/Publishing Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Assistant Manager/Sales Engagement Date: August 8, 2010 Wedding Date: March 2012 Venue: Riverdale Manor About Me: I'm a born and bred New Yorker with a love/hate relationship for the city I have always called home. Although I may seem quiet from afar, I have a loud personality once you get to know me. I am a book nerd at heart, but love a night out in the city with good friends. I have a serious addiction to all things cheese, chocolate, cardigans, Mexican food, and reality TV. The future hubs and I met in college, settled in New York, and decided to go with a rustic/peacock infused wedding in Lancaster, PA, right near his hometown. Come the big day, we will be together 5 years, and we're looking forward to making it official!

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