Mid December? WHAT?!!!!

And I haven't posted since Halloween. I'm not sure where the past month and a half went. Is anyone else in disbelief that Christmas is in 12 days? Coming WAY too fast. Brian and I have big plans for the next week. We've got a lot of Capital City Christmas stuff to get in before we head off to South Carolina for a week! So I figured I better at least try and update the blog a bit before all the new photos come flooding in!

Thanksgiving break was lovely. The highlights?

*Hanging out with all the people I love most in the world... Bri-Bri, parents, and sisters. Who needs anything else when your biggest fans are all gathered around?! :)
*A delicious Thanksgiving meal. It had been a few years since I'd had my mom's traditional turkey dinner, and my-oh-my. I aspire to her level of chef-pertise someday, but doubt it will happen. Delish.
*A heated mattress pad
*Two adorable little one year olds jabbering away, toddling around, shaking their bums to music, and hamming it up (Every time you tell Londyn she has beautiful eyes, she looks at you and starts slowly batting her eyelashes! Tre is more of the rugged type, climbing to the top of step ladders and shaking them while he hangs on for dear life if the climb wasn't quite challenging enough. Man...the stories I could tell about those two....)
*Hale Center Theatre's Christmas Carole and dinner at the Mandarin after (only the best play and best restaurant EVER)
*Snow, snow, snow. There was LOTS and I'm so glad I got a taste of it during the Christmas season. I am definitely a white Christmas sort of gal.
*Eating lots and lots and lots of gluten free bread, rolls, english muffins...you name it (my parents always go a little hog wild at the gluten free store near their home when I come in town... I'm a wee bit spoiled. Against the Grain has the BEST baked-that-day breads...)
*Temple lights... beautiful, peaceful...COLD!
*Seeing a few friends and loved ones (although there's never enough time to see everyone in our short visits... we loved seeing those of you we DID get to see)
*Getting to see the world's best doctor, and actually having her order some tests that might do some good. Hallelujah! Hope is alive :) One day, with her help, I am fully convinced we'll get to the bottom of my weirdo-ness.
*After Thanksgiving shopping. Brian and I have carried on my family's tradition of going every year we've been married, but it was really fun to get to do it with my family again! And we got some killer stuff. Packing it all wasn't fun...but... worth it.

Could go on...but won't. It was a great two week break, that was over too fast.



Friday night, was Brian's work party. Holy Hannah. That's about all I can say. Picture a hoity-toity resort rented out. You enter by walking down a red carpet, then promptly get your picture taken green-screen style (we were in Times Square). Then the rest of the night you mingle with 1700 other people (lots of which are a little tipsy), and eat about everything you can imagine (well...if you're not gluten-free that is). There were, I think, 5 different rooms. A big ballroom, with dancing, a huge bar, an Asian bar, and a mashed potato bar. A lounge with live jazz music and cigar rolling (got our use outta that one as you can imagine). An outdoor big white tent, with a big gas fire, smore roasting and hot cocoa. A Las Vegas room, with a buffet and tons of gaming tables. A NYC room, with a huge Christmas tree, a hot dog and pretzel stand, and salsa dancing. It was an adventurous night, and just fun to be all dressed up, and out with my boy.

Saturday was the ward party: A Night in Bethlehem, and the gym was completely transformed. I got to work at a storefront selling jewelry with the young women to the mary-and-joseph clad people and Roman soldiers.

Throw in a few wedding album orders that I'm working on for Christmas, a sub-for Santa project, a business photo shoot & web redesign, mutual, Brian's busy work schedule... and you've got all the makings of a hectic holiday season :)

Goal of the week: Get in the true Christmas spirit while we're out and about the next few days seeing all the beauty DC has to offer.

Hope you're having an amazing holiday season so far!!