Like Living

Yes, it's January 13th and we still have our Christmas decorations up. And we're darn proud of it! Okay, maybe not 'proud'... but I ain't mad! I may or may not be that person that leaves the Christmas decor up until Valentine's Day {I only hope I'm kidding here...but you never know what life will throw our way between now and then!}. I had every intention of de-decorating this past weekend, but that just didn't happen. I had more important things to do. 

Like working 8 hours on Saturday. 
Like visiting a friend in the hospital {he's doing GREAT!}. 
Like spending time with my husband. 
Like spending time with God and praising His works. 
Like reading for fun. Whoa. 
Like giving Ace some quality time. 
Like preparing for another super busy week. 
Like sleeping. 
Like working on our financials. 
Like enjoying some me time. 
Like laughing uncontrollably at something crazy my husband did. 
Like appreciating the gorgeous 60 degree weather. 
Like catching up on some Pretty Little Liars and Ravenswood. 
Like indulging in some spinach dip. 
Like grocery shopping. 
Like arguing with my husband. 
Like praying. 
Like being deliriously silly from lack of sleep. 
Like falling asleep to some MercyMe. 
Like living. 

Who cares if my Christmas stuff is still up? The Christmas season only just ended yesterday, as we celebrated Jesus's baptism in the Jordan. I honestly loved walking into church and seeing the Christmas trees and poinsettias still up everywhere. My heart was overjoyed, and I enjoyed the services that much more, singing Hark! The Harold Angels Sing and Angels We Have Heard on High. 
My tree will be up this week as well, seeing as I'll be working nonstop and tending to other things. This weekend may allow time for tree removal, but if it's not, I'm okay with that. I'd much rather be doing the little things that make me happy. 

Christmas Movies

Now, it's no surprise that I love, love, LOVE Christmas. Seriously - every single thing about it! One of my favorites, though, is Christmas movies! From Lifetime movies to the 25 Days of Christmas on ABCFamily, to movies on Netflix - I'm a lover of all things Christmas movies! And yes, I'm well aware that Christmas has been over for almost two weeks now, but I have still been watching Christmas movies that I recorded. There's just not enough time in the day to get them all watched right at Christmas! So, without further adieu, here are the Christmas movies that I saw and loved this year, whether they be first-timers for me or traditional watches. 
A Christmas Proposal Two lawyers dueling over a proposal to turn a quaint mountain town into a ski resort are former childhood sweethearts. Lisa is fighting to protect Fillmore and big-city attorney Rick represents the developer who wants to plow down part of the town. When car troubles force Rick to stick around a few extra days, the small town and his former beloved begin to work their magic on him. 
This movie is one I've seen every year for the past few years on LMN {that's Lifetime Movie Network for those of you that aren't familiar}. I love the small-town feeling in this movie, and it always reminds me of home! 
Saving Santa A lowly stable elf finds that he is the only one who can stop an invasion of the North Pole by using the secret of Santa's sleigh, a TimeGlobe, to travel back in time to save Santa - twice. 
This is a movie that I found perusing Netflix one night and watched with my hubby while it was freezing outside. It made for a few laughs and a great lazy Saturday night in! Per IMDB, it was newly released this year. 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.
Okay, so I jumped on the National Lampoon's bandwagon this year! I've seen this movie on many Christmas-lover's movie lists, so I vowed to finally watch it this year {that's right, I was unfamiliar with the Griswold family prior to this movie this year!}. So, the Saturday after Thanksgiving while at Colten's grandparents' house, we watched it on Netflix, and it was hilarious! I'm so glad that I've finally seen this movie! Definitely a must-see for the entire family! 

Twelve Trees of Christmas Cheri Jamison rallies the residents of her beloved Manhattan neighborhood to participate in a Christmas tree contest when her cherished local library is abruptly set for demolition. Cheri finds herself up against an ambitious developer, Tony Shaughnessy. 
This is a new movie on LMN, and I'm so glad that I recorded this one! It revolves entirely around an old, neighborhood library and the joys it brings to not only the employees, but the children and their families as well. As an avid reader myself, I truly enjoyed this film! It's a must for all book lovers alike! Heck, even if you don't love to read, it's still a great story. 

The Santa Clause When a man inadvertently kills Santa on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place. 
This one is a classic! I watch it every year, and this year enjoyed it with my husband. I laugh and really get into this movie every single time! It was first released in 2004, and I'm pretty sure I've been in love with it ever since. If you're looking for a good, fun, family Christmas movie - this one's for you! It's hilarious and very well done. Who doesn't want a glimpse inside of the North Pole at Christmastime? 

The Santa Clause 2 Scott Calvin has been a humble Santa for nearly ten years, but it might come to an end if he doesn't find a Mrs. Clause. 
This one is up there, right behind The Santa Clause {duh}. I love the addition of Scott's niece and her joy and love for Christmas! I also am fond of the fact that you really get to see Santa still being a father to Charlie, through all of his problems at school. I know it's what ultimately leads him to the Mrs, but it's nice to see the 'family' aspect of the movie as well as the Christmas one. If you're watching the first film, you might as well settle in for The Santa Clause 2 as well! 

The Mistle-Tones Holly, blessed with an amazing singing voice, is all set to audition for the newly vacated spot in a legendary local Christmas group which was founded by her late mother years ago. Shocked and upset when the spot goes to the barely talented best friend of the group's leader, Marci, Holly sets out to create her own musical group, the Mistle-Tones. Holly finds herself on a journey to the real meaning of Christmas with some new friends and a new love thrown in for good measure. 
This movie is becoming a favorite of mine! It first released on ABC Family in 2012, and I just love it! It's a competitive movie about the love of Christmas and singing carols, with a love interest thrown in the mix. It's a great movie that reminds you of the true meaning of Christmas! A great flick for the whole family! 

Christmas on the Bayou When successful New York marketing executive Katherine discovers her workaholic ways are taking a toll on her eight-year-old son, Zac, she decides to spend Christmas with him and her mother, Lilly, in her home town on the bayou. When Caleb tries to rekindle a childhood romance and convince her to move back home, Katherine is torn between the bright lights of the big city and the quiet, gentler rhythms of her Southern roots. Only a Christmas miracle orchestrated by Papa Noel can steer her heart to her true home. 
This is a newly released movie on Lifetime. It's such an amazing story of a family trying to survive post-divorce at Christmas. Being a southern girl myself, it was refreshing to watch a truly Southern Christmas movie and just fall in love with the small hometown community on the bayou. And the Christmas parade was out of this world! I loved this movie!! 

The Holiday Two women troubled with guy problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love. 
I may be biased on this one, seeing as when I first moved out of my parents' house, I didn't have cable and didn't own any DVD's other than this movie, so I watched it on repeat for weeks and weeks before I finally got cable hooked up. With that being said, this is my all-time favorite movie ever! I love the humor, the romances, the homey feel of England with the large city life of L.A. It's just a great mix all the way around! Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz killed it! It also doesn't hurt to get to stare at Jude Law...just sayin'. :) 


So, there you have it! Christmas movie watchin' is officially over in our home, as sad as it makes me. But I absolutely loved these movies this past Christmas, and I can't wait to see what next Christmas brings! :)  What are some of your go-to Christmas movies? 

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013 was so much fun! I talked a little about it here, but I now have pictures! 
I'll start off with the Austin Trail of Lights. I went this year with my husband and sister - and we had a blast! Our transportation to the park was via a school bus that was decorated on the inside for a contest through the school system. Pretty neat! However, it didn't feel quite like Christmas. You see, the night we attended this, it was 80 degrees outside. It's just not Christmas when you're sweating! 

This past Friday, although it was after Christmas, we decided to go through the Round Rock's Rockin' Holiday Lights Tour - it's a drive through trail of lights, which was awesome! 

Well, it was awesome up until my genius of a husband decided to lose his shoe. Yes, you read that right. Redneck much?! He was driving, and we had the windows rolled down to take pictures of all of the displays. Well, for some unknown reason, he decided to put one of his crocs (shoe) on top of the car. That's right, on top of the car! Well, it wasn't a problem until he sped up and seemingly lost his shoe. After the gorgeous tunnel of lights (as seen above...super cool!), he checked, and his shoe was gone. Well, there were cars behind us, so we had to just finish out the tour. Then, we went back through again! We attempted not to have to pay a second time, but for some reason *rolls eyes*, they just didn't believe him when he said he lost his shoe on the trail and wanted to go back through to retrieve it. Y'all. MY HUSBAND LOST HIS SHOE AT A DRIVE-THRU TRAIL OF LIGHTS! Seriously! I can't make this stuff up! I was a little upset pissed at the time, but then had to laugh it off. So, we paid the entrance fee again and went back through. Luckily, we had an idea of where he lost it. Of course, just driving through wasn't enough for us to locate a BLACK croc in the dark...go figure! He pulled off into a parking lot and then walked {barefoot} with his phone for a flashlight until he located it. Get this...apparently, the shoe was underneath a car that was going through, so he nicely asked the gentleman to move his car. I can only imagine the look on that man's face! Ahahahahaha! Priceless, I tell ya! Priceless. And now, we have an everlasting joke - he's never going to live this one down! He ultimately paid for his shoe twice. Once when they were bought, and again to retrieve it at the trail of lights! Never a dull moment... 

We spent Christmas Day with Colten's parents: lunch at his mom's and supper at his dad's. We got lots of goodies - Colten cleaned up with all things Duck Dynasty from his mom and step-dad, including shirts, a hoodie, pants, a cup, etc. I got a matching necklace and ring from Kay's {black diamonds, I'm in love!}, a handmade scarf from Colten's 3rd grade teacher {that thing is gorgeous!}, and a cross for my cross wall at home. :) We also got Starbucks gift cards from his sister - score! We then enjoyed some Fruit Ninja on the Xbox and took a walk after eating a huge lunch! 

   

 

My absolute favorite gifts this year came from my aunt and uncle. We did 'couples' gifts this year: each couple drew another couple's name and had to get a gift for said couple. It ended up being a lot harder than I thought! Regardless, the gifts from my aunt and uncle, who had our names, were just amazing!

 

So, the above may look like just a piece of wood with some knobs on it, which it is. However, I later learned that this piece of wood is special. It's from my grandparents' barn on their property! My aunt and uncle grabbed it up and added the hardware to it to match our decor! It's seriously such a special gift, especially having to experience Christmas this year without any living grandparents. It was hard, to say the least. When I learned of where this wood came from, I cried. I will cherish this piece forever! Thank you so much Aunt Loretta and Uncle Dan! As you can tell, I had to hang it up right away! I just love, love, love it!

So, overall, this Christmas was hectic and we drove all over the place, but we spent it with lots of family and love, and it's one I'll never forget!

FIVE on Friday: Christmas-y edition.

What a week! Holiday weeks are always fun, but I'm always so thrilled when I get to be in my own home and sleep in my own bed. If I don't have to travel in a car for several hours for weeks and weeks, I'll be just fine with that. 
I spent most of yesterday car sick and feeling absolutely terrible. But today is much, much better! 
We got home late last night and lo and behold, I'm at work today. So, needless to say, all Christmas-y pictures are still on my phone and I of course had no plans today for a post! It's really no surprise, is it? But alas, here I am. Friday morning, feeling sluggish, and missing my oh so comfy bed. And my husband, who does not have to work today... *sigh* 
So, here's to another FIVE on Friday! :) Linking up with The Good Life Blog. 

one//Although Christmas is over, I'm still celebrating our Lord's birth! You better believe our Christmas decorations are still up and our tree is lit. 
two//I am so, so thankful for so much family in our lives! I know that not everyone is so fortunate, but when you have to decide and compromise on where to visit and who to see, it just means you have been blessed beyond measure with so.much.family! 
three//I'm missing my grandparents dearly this year. It's the first year that I did not have any living grandparents to celebrate Christmas with, and it hurts. I'm praying it will get easier with time, but many, many tears have been shed recently. I know they are ALL in a much better place with our Savior, but I still miss them terribly! 
four//We ate, and ate, and ate, and ate, and ate some more! Oh my goodness - we ate! If I don't have another big meal for a few weeks, I think I'll be just fine with that! The holidays always bring so much food! I'm grateful to have had laughs and love over the dinner table with so much family this year! Praise God! 
five//This year was the first year I've completely missed a Christmas celebration with my family. Now, I know that I have a fairly big family and we celebrate - a lot! With that being said, I also know that when you get married, things change. New traditions are made and you have to compromise and sacrifice...every single day. It's no surprise the holidays are any different! This year, we celebrated with Colten's family on Christmas morning instead of my dad's side of the family, and I can honestly say that I missed it dearly! Although I had a great time with Colten's parents, I missed the chaos and laughter of my loved ones that I won't see for many more months. It reminds me to truly cherish the time that you do get with your loved ones, because life changes every single day and you never know when you won't be able to tell them you love them anymore or won't be visiting them when you thought you would! 

I hope that everyone had a fabulous Christmas this year and celebrated the true meaning of Christmas! 

Merry {Christmas Eve}!

I can't believe it's finally here - it's CHRISTMAS EVE! 
I look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and remembering that it's what Christmas is truly all about! I pray that he is glorified and that families around the world celebrate his birth. During this time of hustle and bustle, trying to round up presents and little ones, showing up here and there and everywhere ... I hope that we consciously remember what this season is truly about. It's not about how many gifts are under the tree. It's not about the food and the festivities. Although all of those things are great and fun, we must remember that on Christmas Day - Jesus Christ was born! Dust off those bibles and read about it :). 

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:1-20

Merry Christmas Eve!

Delicious Creeps

And just like that, it's Monday once again! I had such a fabulous weekend, so we'll get right to the recap, shall we? 

one// We went to the Buda trail of lights with our cousins on Saturday. It was so.much.fun!  two// Nutella crepes - seriously so delicious. Be on the lookout for the recipe on the blog later this week!  three// flipflop. My new favorite wine. :) I may or may not have had half the bottle in one sitting...#sorrynotsorry four// We tried out a new church yesterday, and it definitely is promising! We'll be going back for sure. 
This year, we tagged along with our cousins to the Buda Trail of Lights, and I'm so glad we were invited! It got us out of the house and with endless entertainment at that. Win, win! We even got to ride a school bus to get there - there's really never a dull moment when we all get together! Colten is definitely a kid at heart and always plays with kids when we're around them, and this time was no different. He even painted his nose red {like Rudolph} with the kids. Precious! And we got a picture with Santa! :) 

 

  

 

 

 After the trail, we stopped by their house for some hot chocolate and then loaded up in my cousin's car to drive around looking at Christmas lights! The fun only continued, as I'm sure you've already guessed. My absolute favorite was a house that had their Christmas lights set to the tune of a radio station that was playing Christmas music. One of the songs was by the Trans Siberian Orchestra, and it was mesmerizing! I'd upload the video for you to see, but I couldn't get that to function this morning, so go head over to my Instagram to check it out! It's pretty awesome. We had so many laughs and just such a great time driving around looking at all of the lights. This one is my second favorite:

It was a huge, HUGE display in front of someone's house. I'm talking, so big I had to take this picture as a panoramic to get it all in one shot! But I love it :). It reminds us all of the true reason for the season, keeping Christ in Christmas!

Yesterday didn't go exactly as planned, but that's okay! It was better :). We started the day by attending a new church nearby our apartment - we're still in search for a church that we both love, and this one just might be a good contender! We'll go back a few more times first to really decide, but I loved it. :) After church, we were invited to my sister's house to watch her attempt at making Nutella Crepes - which was a total and complete success! They were so delicious and we were excited they turned out so well! Like I said before, be on the lookout for that recipe this week! It's a perfect {and easy} treat for Christmas morning! {or any morning, in our case...ha!} We then did some Christmas shopping and hung out for the rest of the day. It was great to relax and enjoy my sister's company! I wasn't as productive as I would've liked or had anticipated, but that's okay. Life is short, right?! :) The laundry can wait... And Colten, being the 'redneck' that he is, always pronounces things different than what they really are {mostly on purpose}. For example, if you're eating a trifle, he calls it a truffle. So, the crepes were no different - he kept calling them "creeps". Haha! He thanked her via facebook for the 'delicious creeps'. Y'all, my husband is hilarious. Seriously.

How was your weekend?

All about Christ.

"Hooray for Friday!" is exactly what I'm happily shouting at the top of my lungs today! Seriously - it's been a super long week and I'm so ready to be able to just head home today after work instead of going to job #2. Although I'm thankful for both jobs, I truly look forward to being able to actually spend time at home and get stuff done {or just be lazy and relax...those days are definitely crucial!}. So, in the spirit of another Friday that I've been beyond blessed to see roll around, I'm sticking with the theme of blessings. Today's five on Friday is all about Christ. 
{one} CHRISTmas. Christmas is in the air EVERYWHERE, and I'm absolutely in love! It's been especially present on my little blog these past few days {seriously, I think there's about a bajillion Christmas linkups - so if you're in the mood, go have some fun!}. I had some fun this week sharing about what I love about the holidays and how I decorated my home and office this year! So, you should definitely go check it out. Also, I'm completely obsessed with the fact that Christmas is officially less than two weeks away! Ahhh! 
{two} thank God. There are a lot of people {way more than I'd like, quite honestly} that seem to feel as if they're at their wits end and don't know which way is up. They are spinning down into a tumultuous black hole and constantly complain about the 'awful' things in their lives. Well, I'm here to say thank God. I've been there, and I know what it's like to completely feel as if what you are facing is just completely terrible and you've been faced with such a huge burden that it's just the worst thing ever. Seeing others experiencing the same hurt, pain, and anger truly makes me thankful to God for the blessings that have been bestowed upon my life. No matter how big or small, a blessing is a blessing, and I am forever grateful. It's so easy to overlook the joys in life and stay focused on all of the negativity. I'm living proof that through the smoke on those bumps of life, there is greatness. There is happiness and joy. There is life. And for that, I thank God. 
{three} remembering. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The video below is completely heart wrenching and just blows me away every single time that I watch it. Please, please take a few minutes {4 minutes and 5 seconds to be exact} out of your day to watch this beautiful video of Emilie's family after tragedy ripped apart their family just one short year ago tomorrow and changed their lives forever. You'll definitely need a kleenex or two, but it's completely worth it. I promise.  Those blue eyes...I die. This video has gone absolutely viral, as I've seen it posted on blogs, on Facebook, twitter, emails ... it is a truly amazing video of how evil did not win that day. 
In remembering such a terrible tragedy, I went back and read a few blog posts that I wrote regarding that day:  + Newtown, Connecticut Shooting + Because it Still Hurts They're not long posts, but they remind me of my anger, confusion, and faith from that day - the day that so many lives were completely changed forever. The day that will haunt them for years to come and may never go away. The day they lost a piece of their heart. I'm remembering, and I'm praying. May God comfort those that are still hurting from the senseless tragedy and bring a sense of peace that the lost loved ones are joyfully playing in Heaven at the feet of our Creator and Savior. 
{four}little drummer boy. After that last video, I'm now asking you to spend four more minutes watching this one. You won't be disappointed - honest! If you weren't in the Christmas spirit before, you will be now: 
Isn't it beautiful? The union of all of their voices and the gorgeous message behind the song. I can't sum it up any better than Amber did over at Mr. Thomas and Me. Please, please, please go read it. PLEASE! {Yes, now I'm pretty sure I'm begging.} It's glorious, to say the least! Thank you Amber! I can seriously have this song on repeat to enjoy over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. It's that good. Do yourself a favor and go listen to it, even if you've done so already - even a couple hundred times ;). 
{five}healing.  Hallelujah! Colten is finally free of his pneumonia! Now that is something to scream at the top of my lungs! He will still have to use his inhaler for the next month and a half, but he's done with his antibiotics, and he is fully admitting that he's all better {which is a suretell sign that he's better}. I hate feeling completely helpless and having to sit back while the man I love with all that I am suffers day in and day out. So I am praising God today that He has healed my husband and will allow us {hopefully...} to celebrate Jesus' birth day free from illness. What greater gift is there?! 

Of course, linking up with THE GOOD LIFE BLOG. 

Deck The Halls...

Today, I'm linking up with Texas Mrs. to showcase my Christmas decorations this year!  I seriously love all things Christmas, so featuring my decorations is a must! And through a link-up? Yes, please!  Here we go: 

Kitchen {thanks Karla and Nicole for the idea of lights in the kitchen! I'm in love!}

*I display the Christmas cards I receive on the ribbon on the kitchen cabinets. Bar {and my thankful tree all spruced up for winter!} **sorry it's a little blurry....**

 

*I just love the ambiance of glowing lights in the house - Colten hates it! But, he's being a trooper this year and has been nothing but helpful!  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And my office at work is decorated for the Christmas season, too! 

I just love my adorable bobble-head snowman that I snatched up for $1 at Dollar Tree! Score!  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've even decorated my nails for Christmas, to keep me in the spirit all day long, courtesy of OPI! 

There's seriously no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to go all out with decorations! I wish I had a lot more, but seeing as we're still young and don't make much money {yet}, our collection isn't the biggest. But what we do have, I just absolutely love! Each piece is sentimental and I adore all of it.