.National Christmas Tree & the Pathway of Peace.

On Christmas Day before family celebration number two with the extended family, we drove into DC to see the National Christmas Tree and the Pathway of Peace.  On the way we also stopped at the Jefferson Memorial.  It broke my heart a little that we didn't have a white Christmas, especially when for once in about 30 years it actually snowed here on Christmas day.  Later we were grateful though, because we weren't stranded like many others on the east coast.  Snow or not, it was all frigid and lovely {what's not to love about being surrounded by over 50 Christmas trees and family?}. 

 

* Also, the charming yellow tote I'm carrying was a Christmas present from G that I spotted at a giveaway here, and had to put on my list to Santa because of its functionality.  I highly suggest it to other ladies on the go who live by their camera.

.Flashes of Christmas Day.

When you look at your life the greatest happiness are family happinesses.

.Dr. Joyce Brothers.

.Christmas Eve Eve & Christmas Eve.

Full of strategic packing and traveling that could not have gone more smoothly or been more stress-free {G and I work famously as traveling companions}.

Full of very unlikeable DC traffic.

Full of my sweet baby-turned-sassy pants Katheryn well into her terrible two's whose favorite words are "no," "mine," and "no mas" and her new move that consists of dramatically throwing herself onto the ground face-first to make a display of her current displeasure.

Full of hilarious family dinner conversation and old baby pictures.

Full of food, food, and more food shared all around.

Full of winter winds and the hope of a white Christmas.

Full of my hilarious grandparents and my Papi continuing to insist that we see his "new" release movies like Baby's Day Out and A Christmas Carol.

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We were so lucky to start our holidays full.

.Puppy Play Time.

On our lovely trip we were still missing Paisley, Margot, and Tenley.  Paisley Cruz: our stubborn beagle... our big fat fatty firstborn boy.  Margot Paloma: our genius mutt who is the mischevious middle child.  Tenneson Plum: our loving mini RatPin, teeny tiny Tenley.  The spoiled loves of our lives.  They know it too.  Our great destroyers.  Our usual fellow travelers (those blasted prices for transporting pets via air!).  Our proof of blatant lack of self-control when it comes to the humane society.  We now avoid all sources of future pups like the plague, but they make life so interesting and fulfilling.  Even when they chew things that make me want to cry or for no apparent reason decide they all need to go out at 4 am.

Enjoyed the break, but can't wait to pick you up today!

.Best Morning Ever.

It's my favorite day of year!! The weather man has snow predicted for my Christmas Day here in DC and I couldn't be more thrilled.  Here's to keeping my fingers crossed that we'll be so lucky as to have a white Christmas.  I'm not usually a sucker for commercials, but in seeing this one it made me revert back to the past and reminisce of my childhood and the innocence and pure thrill that comes from Christmas.

 

Who am I kidding though?  This is still what I look like every Christmas... it's just the best holiday ever... and no not just because of presents {that's what birthdays are for!} but more the collective joy and appreciation that befalls this day across all areas and families.

Wishing you a very joyful Christmas wherever you may be and however you're spending it this year, whether alone, with family, friends or a significant other, in the snow or on the beach.  It's up to you to make it beautiful.

.Tis the Season.

Tis the season to go see my family for the holiday!  Having no adult responsibilities for several days may be the part I look forward to most.  Holiday traveling I am not looking forward to.  However I'm am looking forward to visiting some new sites in DC with family, having a white Christmas, and taking a short blogging break.  I have a few posts scheduled for reading fun if anyone needs to take a breather from too much family time, so check back later. 

Safe travel readers!

.Christmas Cookies.

It's been dreadfully cold for the south and all I've wanted to do lately is stay indoors.  Friday night was no exception as we made plans to decorate Christmas cookies with friends.  In making these arrangements, it did slip my mind that Mary is a professional cake decorator (as seen in both cakes here) so while she had tools galore at our expense... her abilities made me feel like I had the motor skills of an awkard child.  It was still loads of fun though, especially when we saw G's "talent" in decorating.  Think you can spot any of my lefty husband's work?



.Christmas Fantasy.

I've been dying to go to Fantasy in Lights in Callaway Gardens for awhile now, and when G made this crushing declaration, we were able to come to a compromise as married people should in order for me to still get my Christmas light fix.  We planned ahead of time trying to guarantee the weather was free of unbearable cold or rain, but alas when the night came we were in for a wet ride on the Jolly Trolley.  Rain withstanding, I felt as giddy as my 6 year old self in experiencing a world of 8,000,000 Christmas lights creating a dozen scenes like the 12 Days of Christmas, March of the Toy Soldiers, Snowflake Valley (my favorite!), Firefly Cove and the Enchanted Rainbow Forest, filled with Christmas music along the way.

Obviously quick pictures en route do it no justice, but it was magical.

.Baby Birthday.

Happy 2nd birthday to the cutest, most adorably wonderful little sister I could ever have.  I'm sure when you're older Kate, you'll give me a complex on how beautiful you are.  For right now, I'm perfectly content with just spoiling you with Elmo toys!

.Personal Space.

"At the end of the day, when it comes down to it, all we really want is to be close to somebody. So this thing where we all keep our distance and pretend not to care about each other, it's usually a load of bull. So we pick and choose who we want to remain close to, and once we've chosen those people, we tend to stick close by. No matter how much we hurt them. The people that are still with you at the end of the day, those are the ones worth keeping. And sure, sometimes close can be too close. But sometimes, that invasion of personal space, it can be exactly what you need."

.Grey's Anatomy.

via

.Fondue Fun.

My mother is quite the foodie.  She likes what she likes and she can probably make what she likes better than any restaurant around.  While G and I enjoy the fruits of our labor, many times we are much  too  lazy uninspired to come home after a long day's work to prepare a suitable entree.  Suffice it to say, it took convincing to get my mom to agree to experience this amazing place.  G and I had only been once before years ago, but distinctly remembered our bellies thanking us afterwards.  We kept it simple this time with only the cheese and chocolate platters... but my... was it still oh so decadent.

.Holiday Bug.

We're back from a lovely weekend adventure celebrating an early Christmas with my mom and her husband.  As always, it was filled with lots of homemade food and relaxing family time.  I always associate the holidays with freakishly cold weather as most of them have been spent up North, but in Florida one is pretty much left to use their imagination.  We still visited a Christmas light park to get in the festive mood, and opened our presents after breakfast the next day to get that Christmas morning feel.  The only downside to the trip is that G seemed to catch the little bug that inhabited my body the last several days... so I'll now be playing the role of nurse-wife as G experiences his own inevitable system shutdown.

.Dunzo.

Although I'm still under the weather, I've thoroughly enjoyed my break from school thus far.  This hiatus from school is much needed, as my brain was slowly turning to mulch between assessment reports, counseling papers, and statistics.  At one point in the last weeks of class, I sat with Virginia working on an assignment and actually had to ask her, "How do you make an L?"  This is not an exaggeration.  Several assignments later on a rainy long night, Virginia proceeded to get frustrated at not being able to distinguish the difference between a 2 and a 5. 

We made it though, through our first semester of doctoral school in one piece and partially sane.  Although school is in the back of my mind until January, I'm trying to remain productive with watching several movies I've missed the past months and finishing the last of my Christmas shopping.  Thank God for online shopping... it's much too cold to scurry from store to store.

Celebrating at our Counseling Christmas party Friday night.  Those are faces of utter exhaustion and pure joy.

.System Shutdown.

I attribute the stress of finals week, as well as my recent interaction with one sick person too many, to my immune system finally shutting down Friday night as I was at a Christmas party.  Like, I literally felt the sickness come on and then there I was, laid up at home all weekend with the sniffles, raw, scratchy throat, fever and chills.  I am a ridiculous baby when it comes to chills... I just stop functioning.  The only productive things I did accomplish was decorate for Christmas (with some sweet jams), watch several movies, and start a new book.  Surprisingly, I was perfectly content... minus the chills.

* No we do not have a real tree.  I learned from experience that a real tree is not for me and my house.  The perfect solution for us?  An artificial tree with a pine-scented candle nearby.  All the experience with none of the hassle.

.You're My Best Friend.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

“Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.”

.back to august.