Tis the Season

It has been well over a month since my last posting and that has been way to long. But as everyone knows the Holidays are busy. To kick off my Holiday season I officially started working the night shift, or what others know as the grave shift. I work 7 pm to 7 am, and let me tell you I love it. I never thought I would be one to stay up all night, but I love it. After a few days of sleeping and trying to rearrange my schedule I have it figured out. For the days that I work I get up and get things done, take a nap that afternoon, fit in my workout and head off to work. That morning, depending on the schedule for the day I will either sleep for a few hours or stay up and have a social life. I thoroughly enjoy my schedule, my job and my coworkers.

Another kick off to the holiday season was incorporating my holiday traditions from home into my new home. As you all know I love to bake, thanks to my grandma, and every December all my cousins and aunts gather together for our annual "Bake-off" where we literally bake our little hearts out and split all the goodies for the month of the celebrations. So one Saturday morning I woke up and baked my little heart away with a special little helper, Myah. We baked all day. Here is just a glimpse of the variety of goodies we made.

Scotcheroos, peppermint cookies, fudge and heath cookies

Peppermint cookies, heath cookies, and haystacks

Don't forget Rudolph the Red nose reindeer to the party!

The display of cookies leads me into the next party of the "season." We decided to host an 'Ugly Sweater' party at the house and guests had to show up in some ugly Christmas sweater and bring a white elephant gift. It was a blast to have our new friends in for a little Christmas party! 

Just a week later and the true celebration of the season began, Christmas Eve. Lets take a step back and set the presence here, I have never in all my twenty-five years of living I have ever missed Christmas with my family. It amazes me how just small little traditions really make up what a holiday really feels like. Christmas this year was different, well obviously, but different in that I had to work Christmas eve. Christmas was also different because for the first time in years, I was able to go to the Christmas eve service before heading off to work. 

This is Dave, my pastor, using a "blow torch" to light the candles for the Christmas eve service.

My drive into work, a little wet, rainy and tis the season.

I came home from work to a house starting to roar to join in on the celebration of opening presents. The Runyan's made my Christmas special this year and I am so thankful for them. Tanya had a stocking on the mantel for me and even a few presents under the tree, because they haven't done enough for me!! My family back in California sent all my presents out so I could have a little bit of Cali in Texas and some presents to open.

Oh Christmas Tree

 After the completion of opening the presents, I did my best stay awake but come 1030 in the morning I was a little toast and hit the pillow for a few hours before Dave and Lea came over for Christmas dinner. For those who do not know, Dave and Lea are best friends to the Runyan's and also lead the church out here. We spend all holidays with them and lets just throw it out there, they are just plain awesome and we always have a great time. With this said, Dave and Lea gave me a few cupcake ornaments for Christmas which has now set the design of my own tree for next year... A cupcake tree. Yes, I know this is very fitting but man am I excited. Christmas night entailed a wonderful dinner, some games, laughter and just plain celebration for the true meaning of having Salvation.  

As usual the "Tis the season" would not end without ringing in the new year. I had been thinking for some time of a theme to ring in the new year and I decided to do a "Cocktail New Years Eve" Party. The whole premises of the cocktail party was to just have an excuse to dress up, because out here in Texas its all boots and jeans, which don't get me wrong I love, but I also love a good reason to dress up and so did everyone else. We decided to have a full sit down dinner, where Tanya, Bryan and myself served the guest. All children were instructed to come in their pajamas where they enjoyed some spaghetti before heading in the loft for a movie and popcorn. After dinner we turned the downstairs into a dance hall and just enjoyed the fellowship and community to ring in the new year. 

Our table and some of our guests. 

The new year eve ended with playing a few games, skyping my best friends back in California and taking a "hot damn" shot with Heath and Stevie. Cheers to a New Year. 

I pray y'all had a great holiday season and are ready to somehow make a difference in this new year!