Kim Priore

Well, 4 hours of shopping, 2 days of cooking and decorating, and one day of clean up later, the 7 Fairview Priore New Years Extravaganza ™ is finally complete.  It was a little nerve-wracking, a little exhausting, and a LOT of fun.  There’s really nothing better (at least for a Priore) than having a house full of people, food, and laughter.  What I loved about this New Years, in no particular order:

-Spending time with my mom in the kitchen - brainstorming menu ideas, looking through cookbooks, and basically watching the Master in action.  No one puts a meal on the table like Sexy Sue, y’all, and if you don’t believe me, come on over, because we have a week’s worth of leftovers to prove it.

-The complete and total lack of drama.  It’s a wonderful thing when adults get together. 

-Watching my mother pantomime her way through ‘Catch Phrase’ and wondering if her friendship with BGH would survive, or if we would have a repeat of the infamous Fast Scrabble With Jamie Incident of 2000. 

-6 Words: Nintendo Wii on the Big Screen.

-Discovering 2 new wines I like – thank you JMG and KC.

-Watching family mix with old friends mix with new friends, and thanking God for every one of them.

-Celebrating new marriages, new babies on the way, new couples, and new friendships. 

-Watching SC try to devise a life plan for NG and me - you think it’s easy!  She discovered otherwise.

-True friendship = someone who will take custody of your phone and save you from ill advised phone calls and texts.

-The midnight CST call from Shan – a tradition dating back to the last millenium.

-Knowing that the same people who were there for me when my Nana passed and my brother left are the same people who can laugh and celebrate with me in the good times.  And knowing that together we will face whatever tough times and happy occasions lie ahead in the year to come.

I have literally no idea where I’ll be this time next year.  That makes ringing in the new year a little scary.  Life after June is one big black hole of uncertainty.  But I know my Redeemer lives, I know my family loves me, and I know that I am blessed with some incredible friendships.  As for the rest, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.