Oh, Christmastime. How I Love You So.

My December feels like a little bit of a blur.  Maybe because it was 6 months ago?  Yikes.  Pretty far behind on this here blog.  Some highlights:

Having a car so I didn’t have to walk everywhere in the cold.

An unseasonably warm Christmas season (which I had mixed feelings about, truthfully.  I wouldn’t have minded it feeling a little more like Christmas).

 

The girls- Jenny, Pam, and Eleesha

 

Roommate tree-decorating night, with a little impromptu photo shoot thrown in...too bad we didn't actually make those Christmas cards. 
Laying wreaths on graves at Arlington National Cemetery.  Definitely humbling, and a beautiful morning.  

 








Going to see the lights at the DC Temple.  First-timer over here, and it was beautiful! And the company was great too. :-)  

 

Unexpected flowers delivered to my office from my new boyfriend!  Oh man, that was awesome.

 

 

Potomac Ward Christmas party- The dress was “seasonal or cocktail.” Danny and I were not about to dress up, so we sure did make Ugly Christmas Sweaters, and rocked those things at our party among everyone else in their dresses and suits.  We were a hit!
The Tree at the Capitol.  Don't mind the Capitol covered in scaffolding in the back.  Buzzkill.  But the Christmas Tree was pretty.

 
 
Brook visiting for a weekend.  And taking yet another successful selfie.  Sorry.  It's a thing now.  It just happens, and I give all credit to her, because I'm terrible at them. 
Target runs with Danny.  



 

 

Going home for Christmas, as usual.  Not a highlight- being sick for the first few days of that.  Boo.  

 

MOTAB Christmas Concert watching Amanda with my people!



Getting to be an aunt again and fawn over the cuteness of family, family, and more family!

Decorating cookies with some nieces and nephews!  Eeeeee!

 

 

 

 Seeing my dear friend Jeff for the first time in a long time.  So good to catch up.

 

My first Payson Temple trip with my parents, eeeeeaaaaarrrrllllyyyy in the morning. 



My Christmas Eve baking extravaganza.  Nobody complains about the results, and I kind of love it. 



Christmas Eve, where Grandma and Grandpa were Mary and Joseph, with Rudolph as the donkey and Mom in the robe I gave her from Victoria's Secret.  It won Christmas. 



 

Christmas Day.  I'll say it again.  Family and Home.  It's pretty much all that matters.
















Celebrating Mom's birthday, of course!
Oh yeah, and being the favorite aunt.  Always.

 

And best of all, Danny came to visit and meet the family.  We had only been dating for a few months, but we are both practical people, and didn’t know when we would both be out on that side of the country (he is from Washington state, and went home for Christmas himself).  Also, I think we both knew there was some serious potential here, even though it was still a little early on.  So, why not?  He was a rock star.  My mom hugged him as soon as he walked in the house, and then hugged him again…it was great and a little scary to bring him into my world like this.  I have dated a lot since my divorce, but had no serious relationships.  The fact that this was all happening was awesome, but scary.  Definitely.  But totally worth the risk, because the visit went great, and we even saw some of his family too.  Danny was fully engaged in my family the whole time, just wanting to get to know them as much as he could.  He met half the family at Christmas, and will meet the other half at our family reunion before our wedding. #spoileralert

 

 

A successful Christmas, I would say.  It’s always wonderful to be home.  Who knows where I will be this year?

And PS, there is always this lady in Old Town Alexandria, playing her harp in her witch costume.