Texas continued

The peanut butter section
vs.
Nutella (below) 

Christmas Eve was spent catching up on old times like drive-thru's and mexican breakfast burritos, american grocery stores, more family time and more eating. 

Then on Christmas day we went to church and spend the afternoon with my grandparents and aunts and uncles. A special moment for me was watching my Grandfather skype his elderly sister. Such special moments. Then we made new special memories when we sang hymns and Christmas tunes altogether. 

There wasn't much "normal" about this Christmas but I'm having to learn that the older you get, things just aren't always the same. Sometimes I change and sometimes the things around me change and what matters most is that I was able to celebrate this season with my family and be thankful for Jesus who is the reason for the season!

christmas

I went back to Texas for the first time in almost year for Christmas and my! was it a quick but awesome 7 days! Recap?

I was reunited with my car, burritos, and the Texas motto "everything is bigger". My parents also surprised me by moving to a new house before I arrived home. New Mexican cuisine and funfetti cupcakes were my 2nd meal and meeting the new Mister in my life, Holden.

Reunion with my family were how I spent my first day back in Texas and it was amazing to reconnect with all the loves in my life. New and not so new, I was so glad to be back with you all!!!

You know those weekends where you arrive home on a Sunday evening late and sit down on your bed for the first time in what feels like eons and realize that the weekend is already over when it feels like it was just Friday night and beginning?

Well, I have those quite frequently. But right now is one of those moments.

It's midnight thirty, yes, I do speak like that now. And I just arrived home and feel like the last time I sat on my bed (because its literally the only place to sit in my apartment, no joke) was Friday night and that seems like it was just 5 minutes ago but yet 48 hours has come and gone since then.

So reflecting on what all I did this weekend... a lot of fun stuff but nothing I really NEEDED to do. Story of my life though. Who wants to do the boring-blah stuff when theres a city to explore, friends to attend to, and a life to live? Come on, who?

I was supposed to pack and move this weekend seeing as how I now have 3 days left on top of house sitting and interviewing and still working and applying for a visa (which takes 5-6 hours of a day nonetheless), but of course I got as far as putting my books into a suitcase. Thats all. Granted I don't have THAT much stuff anymore because I have a little over 100 square feet and I am not a "stuff" person so over the last 4 months I have acclimated to the size of space I live in, but give me a break, Paris has all 54 seasons meaning I have a lot of shoes. ha.

Anyways, the updates include: happy 23rd birthday to a gem in my life life: Mme Grace!

And then today after our big Christmas service at church, my other British friend (I speak British English now so don't be surprised if you don't understand half the words I say when I get back to Texas, I don't even understand what I say sometimes...) hosted a Christmas dinner tonight so I spent all day cooking with her. Amazing memories and am so glad we did one last big hoorah! before we all parted for a week. Caroline and I have now managed to cook several major meals (tonights was for 12 people) together and we have decided we are moms-in-training and that we can now have an army of a family since we can cook for such large groups without problems. Just kidding about the army part.

I failed horribly at taking pictures this evening as I was sous chef and doing a lot the dirty work but it was such a fabulous evening with family/friends, lots of wine, laughing, and food! I didn't take a picture of the girls but they were there, ha. And this time was an "all British" meal with brussels sprouts and chicken. Americans had Thanksgiving and the Brits had to "one up us" with a typical british christmas dinner.

I am so blessed by the people that have come into my life in the last year and a half and that I have people who I can laugh with and laugh with and laugh with until I'm crying and then cry with but only because there is so much laughing going on. Life may be far from perfect, in my case at least, but at the end of the day, these people mean more to me than anything money can buy and the memories I've made with them are priceless! I will miss then tons while I'm gone for a week but can't wait to make memories with my biological family as we now call them, ha. 4 days! only 4 days!

making my list and checking it twice

So this weekend has not been anywhere near productive. My to-do list is growing by the minute and the days are going down as fast. I have decided I will be completely moved out of this apartment before I leave for Texas which gives me no time at all to pack. I have a laundry list of things I need to accomplish before I leave as well, like getting my finances in order so I have money in the bank. And that big elephant in the room, getting a visa! I have also found myself house/dog sitting this week and celebrating friends birthdays. But the light at the end of the tunnel keeps getting brighter and brighter seeing as how in less than a week I will be back in Texas and with my family for the first time in almost 365 days.
yea baby!!!

See you all sooner than you know it!