THREE Trees

I got into the holiday spirit very quickly last weekend and put up three trees in about 36 hours.  Crazy, right?

I started Friday morning after Thanksgiving with my mom.  (And by morning, I totally mean around noon...)  I walked downstairs, and my parents had already pulled all the Christmas stuff down from the attic and the big tree was in place in the den.

The past few years, we've done two 3-foot trees, which are just smaller and more manageable, so imagine my surprise to see the big tree ready and waiting for decorations!  Mom and I had a great time listening to Christmas music and decorating the tree.

We have this fun tradition of getting an ornament anytime we travel, so it was fun to remember the trips we've been on.  The oldest ornament might be the "ALOHA" one cross-stitched from when my parents went to Hawaii when they were first married.  Pretty cute!

Friday afternoon, I headed to Adam's.  We ran, and the weather was beautiful!  We were passing this one spot on the lake about sunset, and tons of ducks and geese were gathered at the edge.  We went over to look, and a van pulled up soon after.  Apparently Charles works for the city, and he comes every day to feed them, and these birds know it.  (So smart.)  We learned all about the African geese, the Chinese geese and the newest additions, the two Canadian geese that had just arrived (My personal faves).  They ate bread out of our hands.  It was kind of surreal, and definitely one of my favorite memories.  

After dinner at Chili's, a Starbucks stop and putting the Christmas music on, we got out the tree!  It was so fun.  I loved this day.

There really are ornaments on the tree, but they're just a bit hard to see in this pic...

 

Saturday, Claire and I came back to our apartment after spending the weekend with our families.  It was so fun to catch up and hear what went on.  I was reminded again how much I love living with her!  

We pulled out our tree, and this year, Claire was able to add LOTS of ornaments!  Last year, she started out with six, and by the end of the holidays, she'd been given lots more by her adoring students.  It was so fun to pull them all out and remember how we got them.

My mom's mom, "Nanny," used to give us an ornament each year, so that when we grew up and had a tree of our own, we'd have lots to hang up.  Well, her plan worked, because I have 24 year's worth of ornaments now!  I also started collecting them when I travel, and I have one from almost every country I visited in Europe.  It was really funny to try and find ornaments in some places, but always and adventure! 

Surprisingly, I'm not tired of trees or Christmas music yet!  Good thing, since it's the beginning of December.  This truly is one of my favorite times of the year.  I'm loving it!

A Thanksgiving Letter

Dear Jesus, thank you for family and friends, and a day to really say thanks--may we be more like that every day.  I am so grateful.   Dear Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I love waking up and watching you--one of my favorite traditions.  Dear Dad, thanks for running to the store after my chocolate cake fiasco in the kitchen.  I still have a lot to learn about bringing a dish to a family dinner.  Dear Mom, I know you love having all your chickens under one roof.  Happy Thanksgiving!  Dear AMP, I'm so thankful you got to spend the day with us.  Having you there was such a treat.  You were such a trooper to meet even more family friends.  Dear Aunt, Uncle and Cousins, it's so nice to have you back in Big D.  Celebrating Thanksgiving together for the first time in your new home was wonderful.  Dear Papa, sorry Adam and I beat you in Rummy Tiles.  Beating you only happens once in a Blue Moon!  Dear Thanksgiving Break, you've been much appreciated.   Five days without work will be enjoyed to its fullest.

A Golden Birthday

My birthday was quite a happy day!  I got to continue the celebration with more people that I love, and it was a lot of fun.  I walked out Wednesday morning, and Claire had left a box outside my door.  I went over to her room and opened it with her there.  I got these super-cute pajama pants from JCrew, and they are so comfy!

At lunch, I got to eat with Claire, my cousin Anna, and Katie was in town from Nashville.  It was such a treat to share this day with them.  We ate at Smash Burger, which is my new favorite place.  I would highly recommend it!

{Claire, Me, Katie & Anna}

All day, I got text messages, Facebook wall posts and phone calls wishing me a Happy Birthday.  That really meant the most--I love hearing Happy Birthday!  :-)  

I was just so thrilled to spend the day with some of my favorites and to hear from everyone else.  I totally forgot about presents.  I was really blown away.  My friends and family gave the most thoughtful gifts, and  I have lots of thank you notes to write!  (Totally not complaining one bit about that!)  I got lots of gifts for running--I guess that means I'll keep doing it.  I mean, looking cute for winter running is half the battle, right?!  

My whole family took me to dinner that night, and I started out at my parents' house to open even more presents with just the four of us.  Troy is home for Thanksgiving, and it was so fun having him celebrate with me.  

{Troy was super pumped to give me the penguin pillow and red blanket!}

{Dad & Troy at Dinner--don't they look alike?!}

My aunt & uncle just moved back here (yay!), and my cousins were in town this week for Thanksgiving.  We don't typically celebrate my birthday on the actual day all together, so this was quite a treat!  Papa and Jonita came to dinner, too, and it was so much fun.

I loved having my family together to celebrate, and we got to see everyone again the next day for Thanksgiving.  My fam is so great about separating the birthdays and holidays!  My mom's birthday is right around Christmas, and we always do something separate for her birthday, too.

Adam had to work on Wednesday, and he'd prepared me that he'd probably have to work Thanksgiving Day as well, but he wouldn't know until late the night before.  It was a great ending to my birthday to find out that he didn't have to work on Thanksgiving and could come hang out with my family.  

From start to finish, November 24 was a great day.  Golden, in fact.  

Here's to year 24!

Birthday Week Begins!

Last night I got to celebrate my 24th birthday with some of my favorite people!  It was so much fun.  I'm convinced I have the most beautiful, kindest, talented, giving and fun friends a girl could ask for!  Lyndsy put the plan in motion and made a really yummy Mexican Casserole, and SMoo hosted it at her new place.  Sarah made the cake, and Claire helped SMoo with the details--it was quite a group effort, and I felt SO loved!

Chef Sarah made my cake, and it was absolutely delicious, not to mention incredible looking!

With the cake maker herself!

Lyndsy, SMoo,

Sarah, Me and Claire

and THE cake

 I should also add that Adam came to pick me up for the party with flowers, and I'm convinced he should have an award for making it through dinner with five girls.  He was such a trooper and chimed in with stories from Boston, complete with sound effects, became the resident photographer, and even did the dishes.  What a guy.

I started opening my gifts and reading the cards to myself, but Adam informed me that his family has a tradition of reading the cards aloud, so I went back and read them for everyone, just for grins.

Hungry?  Just come on over for some cake!  We've got plenty...

Thanks for starting my Birthday Week off with a bang--I truly felt so special!

How Sweet It Is...

Have you ever had a moment where you step back and realize your life is really sweet?
Like, really, really good?
Today was one of those days for me.

Today reminded me how much I have to be thankful for.
Today I got to have a really great lunch with my Dad.
Today I got to run in the cold weather with Adam and talk.
Today I got some time to myself to think.

Tomorrow I have lunch with a dear, sweet friend.
Saturday I will celebrate being alive 24 years with some of my nearest and dearest.
Wednesday I will continue that with my family--I like to drag out the celebration as long as possible...
Thursday my family will all get together under one roof and celebrate being especially Thankful.

And while most of us haven't had actual locusts eat away at us, I'm certain we can all think of times when things weren't going so great, and we were wondering what in the heck was going on.  I love that God restores things.  In His way, and in His time.

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— 

   the great locust and the young locust, 

   the other locusts and the locust swarm— 

my great army that I sent among you. 

 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, 

   and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, 

   who has worked wonders for you; 

never again will my people be shamed. 

 Then you will know that I am in Israel, 

   that I am the LORD your God, 

   and that there is no other; 

never again will my people be shamed.

Joel 2:25-27

Now that's really something to be thankful for.

My Favorite Spot

I'm not sure why, but my favorite spot in Boston is this little curve in the sidewalk, right near Troy's place, and if you lean over the edge, you can see the water.  The colors of the leaves were just beautiful to me, and I've always loved this pic with Anna.  The first time I saw it was when my cousins and I went up to visit Troy over Fall Break my senior year of college.  It's just so very FALL to me.

{2008 with Anna}

{2010 with Troy}

{2010 with AMP}

Boston in the Fall

{In front of  a Fire Station on Boylston Street, right by Troy's school}

Hold on to your hats...this post is full of photos.  Bostonian photos, to be exact!  

Adam and I went to visit Troy in Boston this weekend and had a blast seeing all the sites and hanging out.  We each had a list of things we wanted to see in the city, and I think we accomplished almost all of them.  I kind of already knew this about Adam, but he's a great planner, and between the two of us, we mapped out everything we wanted to see, and he navigated us around the city.  (Because if you know me at all, I'm not the one you want doing that...)

{Hungry & Happy}

Our first stop Thursday night after dropping our bags off at Troy's tiny little a-p-t was Spike's Hotdogs.  They have THE BEST hotdogs.  So much so, that I crave them occasionally.  (And I'm not usually a hot dog kinda girl!)  

Troy was a great host (Boston hasn't stolen that Southern Hospitality from him!), and he showed us all sorts of things.  It was cool to be in his world and see what his everyday life looks like.  This is the practice room where his band practices about three times a week.  They also share this room with at least two other bands, and they coordinate their schedules using a Google Calendar.  (Troy let me ask him all sorts of questions, bless his heart.  I didn't even realize I was doing it until later that first night in Boston.  But he totally let me keep asking, and he was super patient with me!)  

Most of the time, Troy would meet us for brunch (sounds so adult, right?) or dinner.  He went on the Freedom Trail Tour with us Friday afternoon, and helped us charge our "Charlie" cards, the ones you use to ride the subway, and then Adam and I conquered the city.

Even though it was mid-November, the leaves were still on the trees, and it was b-e-a-utiful weather while we were there.  Loved it!  

We took a 90-minute Freedom Trail Tour, which is marked by a red line throughout the city.  It takes you through all the historical sites, and someone dressed in authentic clothing from the 1700s gives you all the interesting details.  

{Here we are on the "T," about to ride the Subway.}

I think this picture is so funny, because you really kind of have to look for Adam.  We went to the original Cheers bar Friday afternoon.  

Did you know that it gets dark at 4:30 on the East Coast??  True story.

There's a lot of fireman memorabilia around the city, so that was really fun to see.  This was a fire box,  where you pull the alarm on the street when there's a fire.  I think they're still in working order, which was pretty cool.

That photo was taken on our way to the Ghost and Gravestones tour.  We saw a lot of the same things we'd seen earlier on the Freedom Trail tour (like graveyards with famous people buried in them), but we rode a trolley around, and they told us ghost stories.  It was hard to know what was fact and what was fiction, but it was a lot of fun.  

We were in one of the graveyards listening to them tell a story, and we were in our own little world, making scared faces.  Two girls saw us and thought we were "precious."  It was kind of hilarious.

This was our guide...kind of creepy.  She totally had a thing for Adam, which was quite entertaining.  

Adam looks super hard-core with these graffiti walls we found on our way out to the Fire Museum on Saturday.

Neil was a volunteer who worked the museum, and we ended up with our own private tour, full of interesting stories and tangents.  

He left us to our own demise upstairs for a minute, so this is what we got ourselves into.  Thanks to the beauty of the self-timer, you can see that Adam is wearing more of a rain coat, and the one I have on is a bit thicker, but neither one compare to the bunkers Adam wears these days.  I've tried them on, and I thought I'd fall over, they were so heavy!

Neil let us climb on one of the old fire trucks.  There was one in there from the 1700s!  Pretty old stuff.

(And moving on to Saturday night...I'm telling you...we really packed it all in!)

We met up with Troy and his girlfriend, Sarah, to visit the aquarium.  They have a huge penguin exhibit, which was really cool.

I thought this was hilarious:  Troy and Sarah both trying to find our restaurant for dinner on their iPhones, and both having a bit of trouble.  

Troy heard the Parentals were treating us to dinner, so he ordered lobster.  (Hence the bib.  Although I'm certain he would've worn it anyways!)

The other bib-less side of the table.

{The four of us after dinner}

Sunday morning Adam and I went to see the USS Constitution, the oldest warship still in commission.  Adam knows how much I love my Baylor Bears, and insisted that I stop by this bear.  He was pretty cute.  (I guess I mean Adam and the bear.  Ha.)

We learned that each cannon weighed as much as an Escalade does.  Crazy!

It was so fun to share this weekend with Adam and with Troy, and seeing what his city life is like.  I really loved being up there with them.  We had lots of good food, lots of laughing, and obviously lots of history to see!