A Merry Christmas & A Low Key New Year's

It's New Year's Eve at 8:27 pm, and I am blogging from our recliner in my pajamas! Michael and Scarlett are cuddled on the couch watching football. We are truly ringing in the new year! I don't think I would have it any other way. We enjoyed an amazing dinner at home tonight, compliments of the chefs at Whole Foods who made us stuffed porkchops, focaccia bread, and twice baked potatoes. All we had to do was make a salad and put the rest in the oven. Now, let's just hope we can make it until midnight...just 3 1/2 hours to go! Scarlett has already pooped out!



We had a great Christmas this year in Arkansas. We stayed with my mom for six days, and we celebrated with family on Friday night and on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day, it was 60 degrees, so we went to Burns Park on the Arkansas River and walked the trails for a couple of hours. On Christmas night, I made homeade white chicken chili, and we watched a movie.

Though we weren't planning to do gifts, my mom cannot seem to help herself when it comes to Christmas. Knowing she couldn't stick with the plan, we also got her a few sentimental gifts. My cousin Jack who lives in Boston gave me a cd with a ton of old family photos when we visited him in the spring. I had several pictures printed for my mom and bought her a picture hanging wire that she loved from Ikea when she saw it last year. We took the pictures and hung them above her guest room bed to make a headboard. It turned out so cute, and she loves the pictures.



Michael and I made out with some great gifts as well. He got some clothes and a ton of fast food giftcards since he enjoys eating out so much for lunch :)! Thank you mom for saving me money! Like I said, my mom cannot help herself. When she gets an idea in her head, she runs with it. For several years, she has always given me a set of new pajamas for Christmas. Pajamas are my favorite Christmas gift to receive for some reason, and my pajama drawer is ridiculous. Well....mom contributed to my obsession by getting me 5 sets of pajamas this year! She warned me that she went overboard!



She also gave me some other "interesting" gifts for my stocking. I can only suppose that she bought these on her pre-Christmas trip to Branson, Missouri. Branson is home to the most knick-knack gift shops I have ever seen!



This gift is the funniest of all. She gave this to me early because she knew it would get a good laugh. It is made to go in my car, but as much as I love Scarlett, I think I'm going to pass. My mom has a fun sense of humor doesn't she?



I also got a cold for Christmas and was feeling under the weather for the past few days. Fortunately, I think I'm well enough to toast the new year with a glass of champagne tonight.

I hope you have had a Merry Christmas and are enjoying a fun and safe New Year's Eve. Cheers to a great year to come!

Celebrating Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner! I hope everyone has finished buying, planning, stressing, packing, and baking, but if you are like me and the girls I know, that is wishful thinking! This has been an amazing holiday season for us (much better than last year). We had a wonderful trip to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving to kick off the holidays, and I have loved every bit of Christmas so far.

Tonight, Michael and I are attending our church's Christmas Candlelight Service. Although it's 70 degrees in Birmingham, I think seeing everyone dressed up in holiday attire and listening to the Christmas performances will make it truly feel like Christmas. I can't wait to head to Arkansas to see my family and friends. Too much time goes by between trips home, and I feel blessed to spend a longer amount of time with my mom this year. We will celebrate with family tomorrow night and on Christmas Eve, and I will see my girlfriends on Monday night at dinner.

I officially kicked off the Christmas festivities last Saturday with a party for the girls I work with. We enjoyed wine and hors d'oeuvres at my place before heading to dinner. The dinner experience was a bit disappointing, but it was nice to spend the night with my girlfriends outside of the office. I had so much fun!



It's always a fun time with these girls.



Rachel, Jamie, Me, and Madeline at dinner.



I Love Madeline!



Lindsey is the funniest! Somehow she deformed her fork with a piece of bread. She was up to no good before dinner arrived.



I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Baby Arvin is A...

Our friends Chris and Nicole Arvin are expecting the arrival of their first little Arvin in April. Last week, we went to their home for their gender reveal party. Their friends and family were so eager to find out what the little peanut is going to be. I think we all ate very quickly, so they would finally cut the gender reveal cake that held the secret to the baby's sex.

Blue Icing Inside = Boy, Pink Icing Inside = Girl.

All of us picked a blue or pink plate based on what we thought the baby was going to be. I was convinced it was a girl, so me and my pink plate waited impatiently for the reveal.



The happy couple holding the secret we were all waiting for!



Notice Mommy has a blue plate....



Hurry Up Already!



Notice Any Clues?



Baby Arvin is a BOY!!! I was so shocked and so happy for them. He is going to be the most handsome boy. He will be loved by so many, and I cannot wait for his arrival in April.

Congratulations Chris and Nicole Arvin!

LIFE Retreat

I attended my first LIFE Retreat this weekend. What an amazing two days that I will hold dear for the rest of my life! The Retreat was a God breathed, life changing but bittersweet experience because retreat weekend only means that the time with my LIFE Group is ending tomorrow when we meet for the last time. I have grown to love these girls, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to form strong bonds with them. I prayed for God to send me godly women to befriend, and he delivered as always!

The retreat lasted two days. It was spiritual, intense and exhausting. I slept for 12 hours last night, which I don't believe has ever happened! I feel so blessed to to be a part of this experience at a time in my life when I needed it. I am in awe of how God continues to reveal himself to me.



"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

Family Photos

We got our professional family photos back today, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you. In all, we have 107 to choose from, and I'm up to 24 favorites. My friend Laura with Laura Headley Photography did such an amazing job, and I am so glad we hired her. We have not had our pictures taken professionally other than our wedding day, so I am thrilled to finally have them in my hands. The hard part now is deciding which ones are going up on the wall!











This little girl was the star of the shoot! We have so many great pictures of her!






These pictures were a 5 year anniversary gift to me, so we took this picture on the fifty yard line on the Samford football field to celebrate 5 years together. I think it turned our awesome!






I want to thank Laura Headley for the amazing job she did on our photos. I can't wait to do it again soon! :)