Christmas times a comin', Christmas times a comin',,,

Despite it looking more like spring outside -- Christmas will be here in a few short days. I can not believe how quickly it has come. And how utterly unprepared I am. Although I have my tree up, there are still many things on my to-do list. We are sticking around the area this year (which makes it so fewer things have to get done in a timely fashion) and looking forward to celebrating with the K and L families!

Outside of Christmas preparations, I have been thinking about going on vacation these last couple days! Pete surprised me with a trip to the Dominican Republic (for Christmas)~ he gave me the tickets yesterday! I was shocked/surprised/happy! This is the 3rd Christmas gift he's given me since we have been married so I really was not expecting it!* I am looking forward to having time together, sand, sun, and relaxing for a week before starting the craziness that is med school! :)

I am also starting to get anxious about going ~ quite a bit of things to arrange before going: digging the warm weather clothes/shoes out of storage, getting anti-malarials (according to the CDC, the resort areas of the DR have high number of mosquitos that carry malaria), sunblock/aloe, bug spray, among other things... It should be a good escape for a few days! For those that have been ~ any advice?

*We don't usually exchange gifts. It works out just fine for the two of us...  Things we buy for each other do not make it to Christmas, we are not experts in each other's interests/hobbies, and we buy things as we need them rather than for a specific day.