Open House

Last week, Boyfriend wrote of starting new holiday traditions.

It's something that couples do as they grow closer and they live further from their families. It's something we all do as we become adults.



This year, we're hosting my family at our apartment - last year I hosted at mine, but this year is different. It's our apartment, our meal, our traditions, and we're sharing them with my family. My sister and her fiance will spend Christmas Eve with his parents and family, celebrating their traditions, and then come to our home in Brooklyn on Christmas morning. My parents arrive a couple of days before, staying at the home of one of my dear friends, only a block and a half away. My other sister will stay with friends in the city, as she did last year, and join in on the festivities.

Last year, in my loft-like apartment on Manhattan Avenue a friend, who had to work the holidays, joined us for dinner as well. But it was pretty much my immediate family.

This year, though, as we've mentioned before, is all about new traditions and forming lasting memories as we move forward together - navigating the rocky and amazing world that is a relationship - in our life.

And, to that end, this year, in our cozy apartment, we'll host not only the seven of us, but some of our urban family, as well. The people who we spend weekend days with, who hold us when we're sad, who make sure we get home safe from a late night party. The people whose joys and sorrows we've witnessed. The people who we laugh with and cry with. Our family away from the bosom of our biological family.

I'm not going to lie, gentle readers. Your MatchGirl is a little nervous about hosting such a large group of people for Christmas dinner.

But I'm really excited about it as well.

I know that this will be the first of many amazing Christmases that Boyfriend and I spend together, planning and hosting and making sure that our family - all of it - has an amazing time.

Photo: Christmas cookies in the making