a little bit of this. a little bit of that.

So I've been a horribly inconsistent blogger these days...blame it on laziness if you will, but I really did want to share some pics from my mom's birthday, Thanksgiving and a couple other things before Christmas hit and we were too far gone.

Last month, my mother celebrated the 30th anniversary of her 27th birthday. She's not only my mom, she's also the beloved "mimi" of two of the most precious girls in the universe, and no, I'm not the least bit biased. We celebrated her birthday by grilling out, opening presents and eating birthday cake. We kept the festivities going with a girl's brunch to Breadwinner's. It was really nice for the three of us to spend some time together and I think we camped out for almost 3 hours. Happy Birthday, Mom!







The family was a little disjointed this Thanksgiving. I was in Austin and they were kickin' it in McKinney. My day started with the Christmas parade, followed by mimosas and then plenty of cooking. Obviously, you can't have a cooking party without music and dancing, both were in no short supply. Once the turkey was trimmed, the sweet potatoes whipped and the stuffing golden brown, we sat down to an exceptional feast. It was almost disappointing how much variety there was as I felt like I could only manage a few bites per dish. But, all was not lost, they made delicious leftovers the next two days.












The rest of the weekend was so fun and definitely felt like a vacation. There were wine tastings, shopping, movies, strolls through downtown and South Congress...I had such a blessed time with my dear cousin and friend (fousin), Christina.




And, since I just can't get enough of Austin (or my fousins), I headed back down 35 to celebrate China's birthday and Sean's graduation from UT. Our weekend started with China's birthday celebration: sweet and savory crepes at Flip Happy and a wine tasting at Stonehouse Vineyards. It was a gorgeous day, so after our tasting, we headed to the patio and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I think we could have stayed all day, but we had to take a ridiculous amount of pictures before jumping in the car and heading to Sean's graduation. Happy, happy birthday, China!!! I hope I get to celebrate the next 27 with you!



















After a delightful afternoon, we made it to Sean's graduation which was surprisingly painless. Being a December graduation, there wasn't a terribly large amount of grads, so all the candidates were able to walk across the stage. We made sure to cheer loudly for Sean. After the graduation, we all had to get our snapshots with the recent grad. So a huge congrats to Sean. I'm so proud to call you my cousin and apologize for all the torurous years you had to endure (being the only boy) with the Nsync videos, dance parties and the like. I know you are going to be successful whatever it is you do!











So consider yourself updated and ready for Christmas coverage via Abundant Life. Until then, may the peace of Christ surround you and draw you in during the blessed and wondrous season.

the most wonderful time of the year.

I know I have some catching up to do (the mom's birthday, margarita ball, Thanksgiving, etc.) and I have a lot of things brewing on my mind that I want to post (in terms of quotes, scriptures, articles and the like), but that will have to wait for now. Here is an unabashedly fluffy post detailing a few of my favorite things related to Christmas and the overall holiday season that begins in November and lasts through the new year.

1. Watching Christmas movies. I have so many favorites: Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Family Man, Fred Claus, The Holiday, The Grinch (cartoon version), Christmas Vacation, Meet Me in St. Louis (though I suppose not technically Christmas, but it makes me think of it)...the list is never ending.


2. Making Christmas cookies. It's just not Christmas until we've rolled out the sugar cookie dough, cut out the shapes and made our best attempt at decorating our delicious creations. I have to do this every year. Clearly, I love all the goodies, backing, cooking, etc. that come with this time of year, but the best part is sharing it with those you love.


3. Looking at Christmas lights. I have done this every single year without fail for as long as I can remember. There's nothing like piling in the car, fighting the log-jammed streets and looking at some highly ostentatious displays.


4. Christmas cups at Starbucks. It's a small change, but it automatically fills me with Christmas cheer as soon as they switch over their cups to the bright red color.


5. Christmas carols! Who doesn't get excited when they switch over the radio stations to all Christmas, all the time? I find myself singing along at the top of my lungs. I want to bring back caroling as a legitimate activity, who's with me?



Obviously, I am just touching the tip of the iceberg of all the trappings that come along with this festive time of year. Of course, without a doubt, I love preparing for the day we celebrate the incarnation of God here on this earth in the form a baby, born of a virgin. This baby truly changed everything. It deserves all the celebration in the world and demands we embrace every moment of this season with exuberant joy.