Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2012 has started off well for you!  Aaron and I went to Sharon's cousin's house just south of Sherman, and it was so relaxing!  We've gone up there for the last few years, and it is so fun for us.  The year has started off well, and we've done nothing all day!  Aaron and I are going back to work tomorrow, so we wanted to just lay around today.  I made sure that all my grades were done before I left for the break.  I finished all my cleaning and laundry by the time we left our house yesterday.  Today, I've been anything but productive.  I'd say it's a good start!

I must say, 2011 was a good year for us, and I'm hopeful that 2012 is just as great, if not better.  I haven't mentioned before that my sister is engaged, but she is, and her wedding is just 9 months away!  I pray for many blessings for Monica and Matt as they prepare to be married.  I know that their wedding is going to be wonderful, and I pray that the planning continues to be fun and relatively stress-free!  I pray that Claire continues to grow as a healthy, happy baby girl.  She is so much fun, and I love watching her personality blossom a little more each time I see her.  I pray that Aaron and I are blessed with health and happiness.  I look forward to the things that God has in store for us.  I pray that your 2012 is blessed.  May you have a wonderful year!

Merry Christmas!

As I said before, I love Christmas and all the things that come with Christmas. I love spending time with family for Christmas, especially since our family has grown so much. My family's tradition has always been to go to San Antonio for Christmas. We spend Christmas Eve eating tamales, menudo (which I don't eat), and KFC. The KFC tradition started with my grandpa when my cousins, sisters, and I were little. We wouldn't eat the tamales, so my grandpa would get us KFC. My uncle continues that tradition still. Aaron and I went to San Antonio yesterday. We rode down with Monica and Matt. The whole family, which has grown this year with Claire and Scarlett, got together at my aunt's house for Christmas Eve. It was so much fun, and I loved meeting Scarlett! This morning, Aaron and I flew back to Dallas to spend Christmas with his family. It was a wonderful day! I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as mine! I hope you celebrated the birth of Jesus with people that you love! Merry Christmas!

Thankful

Thanksgiving came and went without a hitch!  I am thankful for so many things this year, I know I can't list all of them.

Aaron and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the first time.  I am thankful that we have a home that allowed us space for 16 people to gather and spend time together.  I am thankful that we only had to do Thanksgiving once this year since both of our families are in Dallas.  Normally, we spend part of the day with my family wherever they are, then the other part of the day with the Arnolds.  Our first Thanksgiving was spent at the hospital with the Arnolds because Brian was having surgery.  This year, I am thankful that everyone is healthy and doing well.

I am thankful for our families.  I love my sisters, and I was so sad not to spend Thanksgiving with them this year.  Adelina, Reed, and Claire spent Thanksgiving with Reed's family.  Monica and Matt headed to Lubbock to spend Thanksgiving with Matt's family.  I am thankful that my sisters have these wonderful families that they enjoy spending time with.  I am thankful for Brian and how much fun we have with him.  Since he no longer lives with Sammy and Sharon, we don't see him as much, but we always have a good time with him!  I am thankful for Claire, and for the joy that she brings to our family.  Adelina sent me a video of Claire laughing so hard at Reed making noises.  It was the most precious sound, and I loved hearing her laugh.  I am thankful for my parents and Sammy and Sharon.  Both my parents and Aaron's parents have been married for 33 years.  We are so blessed to have parents that show us how marriage works, and that it is not always easy, but it is so worth it to work through the tough times.

I am thankful that Aaron and I have jobs that allows us to have a home, our cars, and enjoy the things we love!  I am especially thankful that my job allows me to have a week of rest at Thanksgiving.  It has been a wonderful week, and I am a little sad to see it end.

Last, but absolutely not least, I am thankful for my little family.  Aaron is the best husband, and I could not have asked for more.  He is kind and caring, and a wonderful chef!  Brody and Lily are sweet animals, and they bring us so much laughter on nights when we are just sitting around.  I am beyond thankful for the many blessings God has given me.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and ate well!