Friday, December 30, 2011

The Holidays

This year Matt and I had a very different, and yet wonderful Christmas season. Being a nurse, I had to work on Christmas day. So, we packed up and headed home to West Virginia the weekend before Christmas to have a pre-Christmas weekend with our families.

My brothers and my parents. Miss them all so much!
My nieces are so adorable! Kadence is the oldest and Ava is the youngest. My entire family did a fun new thing this year,  we took my nieces to "Breakfast with Santa" at this really nice hotel. We ate a lovely breakfast buffet that was delicious and my nieces got to meet Santa. We also got this awesome family picture with Santa.  




Matt and I spent the first 2 days of the weekend with my family. Saturday we had our "Christmas" with my family. We woke up and opened gifts and hung out with my family.

Kadence loves BINGO. She has a wildlife bingo that she loves to play and learn about the animals. This year she got OCEAN BINGO, naturally we all had to play. It was a blast. My family was never really into games. Christmas was pretty much one of the only times we ever played board games. This was so fun for all of us.  


We spent the next 2 days with his family. I apparently didn't take any pictures at their place. We got a flip video camera and all I did was take video with them. I will spare you those treasures.

It was a very wonderful time at home. I miss our families a lot.


I worked Christmas day from 3pm-11pm. Matt and I had planned on waking up on Christmas morning and opening our gifts before I went to work. On Christmas eve, however, we put all of our gifts out underneath the tree. We were like 2 little kids. We honestly could not wait to give each other our presents. So, we decided we would just open our presents Christmas eve. It was a lovely time. We made coffee, we ate cookies, we listened to Christmas records and opened our gifts. Such a good time.




Matt got me an Anthropologie mug that I have been eyeing for a year now that I would never spend the $6.00 for (I have no clue why?! it was $6.00 for goodness sakes!) He also got me a necklace from this lovely etsy shop, The Civil Wars record on vinyl, a dress from H&M I wanted, a shirt from Anthropologie, new boots, and tons of other goodies!

And Matt got:


  a banjo!!! He loves it! He has this dream of owning tons of stringed musical instruments. So far we have a ukulele, a banjo, and 2 guitars. We're on our way to a lovely music room filled with stringed instruments and my piano.



Christmas was quite lovely this year. We had a wonderful time. Now, here we are in 2012 and I am just updating this blog from Christmas time. I have been MIA. You see, we got an IPad for Christmas. I have been staying up to date on all of your blogs and reading them everyday. I just have not had the motivation to blog lately. I have been thinking about the direction I want to take this blog in for 2012 and honestly for about the millionth time have thought about giving it up completely. I am reevaluating what I want from this even though I so desperately want it to be something that it probably never will be. I read all of your blogs and follow your beautiful lives and I just don't know that I can live up to the expectations I have for myself. I have messaged some of you with advice and appreciate it all, but I think this blog will probably stay the same with it's grainy point and shoot photos and meandering words. I think I am okay with that. I know not many people read this blog, but I am okay with doing this for me. It's a way to capture my life and this next year is going to be a big one. Lots is going to happen. So, for now, I will continue to do what I do and we will see what 2012 brings for The Lovely Purl.

Happy New Year blog world. (a couple weeks late).

Monday, December 5, 2011

Nostalgia


Does anyone else feel extremely nostalgic this time of year? I mean, to the point where you find yourself wishing you didn't grow up?! Okay, maybe not that much, but I find myself thinking of years past a lot more often around the holidays. The things I think of most are baking with my grandma, waking up to snow and being unbelievably excited about it, decorating with my parents, looking through all my parents decorations and thinking about what they all mean to me, my Pap and his complete and utter joy about Christmas, my family, and so many more. The memories will come to me in a moment least expected and I will stop what I am doing and just think of that moment in time. 

Today, I baked cookies that are so dear to me. When I think of these cookies it reminds me so much of my mamaw and Pap. My mamaw and I made these together so many times. They are a rather difficult and time consuming cookie to make and today was my first time attempting them on my own. I was so excited to attempt to make them. The entire time I was in the process I was thinking of years past. Through all the nostalgia, they turned out great! 



This evening I sat down to catch up on all my favorite blogs. I read back on years past (I can't believe I have been blogging for 5 years now). I read this post and let Matt read it when I was done. His exact words were "you have not changed a bit". 

I am learning that I am not good with change. My neighbor here at Trinity is one of my closest friends. She made my move here so easy and lovely. Unfortunately she and her husband moved out this week. They moved only about 10 miles away and I must admit, I cried when I found out. Things change in life. We grow up, our friends move away, we move away from our families, we have to work on Christmas day, and as hard as it can be at times, life is wonderful and great things happen every single day. I am thankful for great memories and a wonderful life that I can think about and cherish forever. 

What are your favorite Christmas memories?