Christmas in California

Well folks, Christmas has come and gone...just like that. (sad face) BUT the good news is with technology nowadays we can watch, listen, and repeat Christmas 24/7, 365 days a year!!! (Happy face)

I've decide that even though the song, "Pennies from Heaven" By Louis Prima is not a Christmas song, it's one of my favorites to listen to during the Christmas season. Because of this... http://youtu.be/b6yYd6Pq7Ic It's a great song!

The Yellow Ones don't stop...

This year for Christmas, Jeff and I celebrated with my side of the family which was awesome. When I was younger my family would always have a HUGE Christmas Eve celebration every year. I looked forward to it every year, and missed it when we stopped. This last year my mama and I decided that we wanted to bring that tradition back, and we did! It was so much fun. We had about 30 family and friends come over to my parent's house. We ate delicious food, opened presents, listened to Christmas music, performed 'Jesus's birth' (Jeff and I were Mary and Joseph), sang our own version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas", played games, hugged, kissed, and laughed until 4am! It was so nice to have that tradition back.

 

 

Okay, I am a born and raised So-Cal girl, but I have grown to LOVE and crave cold weather. Most people who live in Cali love the constant sunshine, beaches, and warmth. Not me. I wish I lived somewhere that had actual seasons...you know those things called Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. Instead, California is almost always Summer. So you can imagine my disappointment when it was 84 degrees on Christmas Day! What is that?! So lame...no winter wonderland, or warmth by the fire...instead I was sweating in my outfit all day. But enough complaining...Christmas was still wonderful and full of love. Was anyone else as disappointed in the weather as I was?? I can't be the only one...

Before Jeff and I were able to enjoy the Christmas Eve extravaganza, we were working our butts off packing our entire 1300 sq ft apartment, and putting it all in storage. And we were victorious!! DUN DUN DUN DUN! (that was a good 'dun dun', not evil..lol...like the superman 'dun dun dun dun'...) So, we are officially, completely moved out of our apartment of 2 1/2 years. It was bittersweet. We have so many wonderful memories in that apartment. We really made it our home. But, the Lord is taking us in a new direction, and we couldn't be more excited! How many couples in their mid to late 20's get to travel around the US together?! We are truly blessed, and I am very much ready to start our adventure.

Once we put our life in storage, we took our live-in suitcases and headed up to the Central Coast to enjoy New Years with the Sparrow family. It's been weird living out of suitcases, even though it's only been 4 days. It will definitely take some getting used too..specially with laundry, haha. 

So here we are! 2013 is gone. All my favorite holidays are over, my birthday is done, New Years...everything. Time to start 2014 off with a HALLELUJAH, thank you Jesus, and get ready to rumble!!! ;)

I haven't figure out my New Years resolution yet, have you? How long do you think you will stick with it? I think the farthest I've ever gone is until February.

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and New Years holiday!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

<3 Em

Birthday Fun

If you haven't had a chance to go see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, you must go see it! Now! Go...I said go...I'm not joking...get off your bootay and go!!

If you have, good job! 

That is what Jeff and I did on my birthday this year. My 24th birthday....ugh, seriously? When did I get so old, and why doesn't time want to slow down for me?! I was really liking 23...it was a great age. But, alas, I am now 24...which means if I am going to stay on my plan to have my first child by the time I'm 25, I need to start getting pregnant soon! Pregnant? Now? So not happening...

Anyways, last year for my 23rd birthday my family came up to Orange County to celebrate with dinner, presents, and the first Hobbit movie. This year they celebrated with Jeff and I again! It has sort of become a tradition now, which I love. We waited in a 3 hour long line to get good seats for all of us. It was the first and possibly the last time I will wait in a line like that for a movie...at least until The Hobbit 3 comes out this year!! hehehe

Wow...did I just say this year? That means it's already 2014. Like I said...why doesn't time want to slow down for me?! This is officially the year that Jeff and I will be traveling around the USA. Oh man, life sure does fly by.

I owe you guys a few blogs for 2013...my bad. It got so busy in December! I swear every chance I had to start writing, something else came up. Between preparing for Christmas, my birthday, packing, buying Christmas presents, and getting distracted by a whole new book series that I started reading...I just didn't find time to write. This is me saying so sorry!

Okay, back to my birthday, it was amazing!! I am so spoiled. My friends and family are the best people any girl could ever dream to ask for. I'll never have enough words or ways to express how thankful I am for all of my friends and family, but I truly am. Everyday day of my life they bring me joy and make me want to do a little dance because they just make me so happy!! I'm 24 and I still get birthday presents...not only that but my hubby bought me beautiful flowers!! My family drove up to hang with us and have a sleep over, and then my sister and her fiance spent the night the next night!! Not to mention all the "Happy Birthday" facebook posts, texts, phone calls, etc. Thank you all so much for making my birthday amazing and special. I love you all so so much!!

 

Did anyone else have an awesome birthday this year? I would love to hear about!!

<3 Em

Thanksgiving, 10 Year Reunion, Christmas Lights, and More!

DISCLAIMER: There will be lots of photos..and this blog is long. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is over!!! AHHH...and now its already December 2nd? Seriously? Where did the time go?????

That was a lot of question marks.

Well, these last 10 days have been a bit of a blur....a fun, joyful, busy, and relaxing blur. Jeff and I started our Thanksgiving week with an engagement! Not just any engagement but our little brother Josh's engagement!! He officially asked his girlfriend (now fiance) to marry him on Saturday November 23rd. It was beautiful. He invited about 30 of her closest friends to join us with a surprise engagement party that same day! Makela's parents drove down from Nevada City and almost everyone who came was from out of the area. The party was filled with so much love and joy, it was wonderful!

 I'm so excited!!! I keep smiling. First, my sister's wedding, then I find out my sister-in-law is pregnant with baby # 2, and THEN my brother-in-law's engagement! 2014 is shaping up to be an amazing, fun-filled, wedding, baby, traveling, year...it is going to be epic.

After the celebration festivities, hugs, cries, and laughter, Jeff and I saw Catching Fire! 

OH EM GEE.

I don't know why I see movies when they come out...I'm always left wanting more!! Now I have to wait another year until MockingJay comes out. It's okay though, I have patience. At least I keep telling myself I do.

((It says Hunger Games, but I promise it was Catching Fire.))

We were able to enjoy an entire 9 days on the Central Coast. It was so nice to relax and not feel like we are cramming in family time in two days. We were able to go on walks, runs, dinners, and fun outings with both my family and Jeff's family. We spent Thanksgiving day with the Sparrow's, extended family and all, as well as the Weebe family! I loved it. I love family. I love being able to spend time with family. I'm so thankful that the Lord blessed me with such amazing people as my family and relatives. I couldn't have imagined it any better.

((Check out Love My Baby Photography on facebook! She is amazing!!!))

While we were on the Central Coast we went on a glass bottom boat extravaganza and saw the local fish in Morro Bay. We walked around Morro Bay Rock, and we attended Jeff's 10 year high school reunion! WOW. 10 years. That's mind-boggling to me...especially considering I have 5 more years until my 10 year.

Anyways, Jeff really enjoyed his reunion and it was so great meeting all kinds of different people that he grew up with. Some were married, some were single, some were still living in the area, and some lived only 20 minutes away from us in Orange County! What a small world we live in. I loved watching Jeff mingle with all his old buddies. Everyone was so nice too! It's so much easier to mingle when people are generally nice.

After that we were able to visit the Cambria Pines Lodge Christmas Lights! It was THE BEST WAY to end the Thanksgiving holiday and start the Christmas season. Here are some pictures:

And that brings us to today...Cyber Monday. Oh yes, I finished 97% (actually, I made that up...but I only have 3 people left) of my Christmas shopping today. Cyber Monday has great deals for people like me who hate shopping. Online shopping is SO nice. No lines, no crazy people, no mean people, no maneuvering around chaos. Just me and my computer. LOVED it.

So now we are back home, I finished most of our Christmas shopping, and I have 25 days until I have to have everything packed and stored away for our move out date. Time needs to slow down!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Let me know how yours went...any crazy stories? Any funny moments? The best memories are the ones shared.

Love,

-Em

P.S. I forgot to mention that while Jeff and I totally and completely enjoyed our time with family and friends, we also got sick. I don't remember being this sick in years...I mean, it's only a cold, but I feel like it's the worst cold in the entire world. LOL...the funny but not so funny part is I also got Jeff sick. My poor husband...So we have been sick since Wednesday with no end in sight. I do have to say, I wouldn't want to be sick with any other person than Jeff! He is the best sick person to be sick with. Hahaha...Okay, goodnight!