in my {Christmas} heart.

My heart is so full + happy after the weekend full of Christmas happenings. After the stress of finals week and shopping/wrapping gifts three days before Christmas, it ended up being all worth it. Family just always seems to melt everything bad away, don't they? It's funny how three days can seem to be going by so quickly. On more than one occasion, I had to say to myself "Slow down, remember this. Remember this feeling..."

Highlights include (but are not limited to):
seeing Chad hold our cousin's baby for the first time. and be completely mesmerized how long his fingers are. debuting my new purpley skirt ("I like your dress, it's very purpley" -- Buddy the Elf). giving a Christmas goodie tray to a completely flabbergasted and grateful woman. getting an our 1st Christmas ornament from a friend's mama. seeing nephew UJ in his first vest, tie, and dress shirt combo--complete with pocket square. giving wedding pictures as gifts this year to very touched recipients. brother-in-law's reaction to a picture I took and gifted of him and his son during our Cali vacation. a sleepy husband greeting me with a kiss + hug on Christmas morning. a mid-afternoon siesta with every member of husband's family (nothing quite like their cozy blankets and fireplace to make me curl up and take a cat nap). my new hot pink pashmina. brother-in-law's family famous fish fry. reading article's of The Bro Code out loud. father-in-law making jokes every time one of us would open the traditional gift of new socks ("Sock it to me" was a crowd favorite). singing Joy to the World + Silent Night with all the church goers. listening to one 4-yr.-old boy sing/shout "God Loves Me Dearly" (and quietly laughing alongside my husband). watching Inception with some of the family members. one pie success (and one pie failure). the mini-concert featuring mom on the piano, the sisters on the vocals...and UJ as guest pianist. playing with the vintage Fisher Price farm and silo for UJ and comparing it to our old childhood one (our's didn't have the silo, but it did have the door that "mooed"). gingerbread latte creamer. listening to Chad read the Christmas Story / Luke 2 out of our Bible at the end of Christmas Day.


**First picture: credit goes to my sister Hannah.
**Second picture: credit goes to my MIL's Facebook profile. :)