Not only does it smell like Christmas, it most certainly is cold enough to feel a lot like Christmas, here in Texas!
Exhibit A:
However, it is a very different feeling now! 'Different' because Christmas usually feels like family... it feels like hot meals with more than two people at the table... it feels like hanging ornaments on the tree, but having to crawl your way through family members to get to the tree... it feels like singing Christmas carols in the car... It feels like that "hustleand bustle".
Christmas for me is singing carols and singing at The Nutcracker with my sister, Jeanette, and our old choir friends. And going to Publix for Christmas-y foods and snacks. It's smelling the cinnamon fragrance fill the air. It's eating ice cream and drinking hot chocolate. It's sipping Starbucks with girl friends I've known since middle school! Christmas means I get to see my family all together again, even though I saw them just a week prior. It's singing at the Biltmore Estate.
My family - Christmas 2008
My sister and I singing at The Nutcracker at The Fox Theatre - 2008.
Singing at The Biltmore Estate with The Atlanta Youth Choir - I think it was 2008.
The cousins - Christmas 2011.
Last year, decorating with the Potter's.
2012 Christmas with the Potter's.
Well reality is, it doesn't look like those things and it doesn't feel like those things! Reality is, we are living in a new place and we are away from family and friends. This is just how it is for us, for now. It is one of the many small, but emotionally big, sacrifices we make because of military life. It's just something you don't really think about, until you think about! :P It's heartbreaking being away. But it's a blessing to have this opportunity to be here, in Texas! To be married and loving our lives. It's wonderful and we have the privilege of meeting many great people.
So, we are making our own feeling for the holidays...because we don't have family near and Texas is just different than Georgia, there's no getting around that. These days leading up to Christmas don't have that feeling, but I believe we'll get there one of these years. This year, we're just toughing it out until we are finally with family again. :)
Putting the topper on before the ornaments lol!
Daniel worked at the Tree Lighting ceremony for III Corp.
We went a little overboard on presents for our families!
So prettyyyyy!
Made our Wedding Invitation Christmas Ornament :)
Daniel does the cutest wrapping ever!!
Pictures in our ornaments we got last year! :)
Only a couple of our childhood ornaments we have on our tree!!
Shells from our honeymoon in an ornament - thank you Pinterest for the idea! :)
Playing a video game on our new 42" sitting by the Christmas tree ;)
To: The Potter's. From: The Potter's ;)
This year and probably the next, it looks, feels, and means different now! It's just us. Our tree is ours and only ours. Our friends are brand new (but great!). The smells and the views we see here are the "new" look, feel, and what-it-means of Christmas for us. So until we are reunited with family in Georgia, this is our Christmas, feel it or not ;)
I began thinking lately that there are a list of things that Daniel and I have not yet done together.
Of course, there are the obvious things, like skydiving, or scuba-diving, or snorkeling...but I was thinking more on the little things...
Things like:
We've never gone out to a buffet together. (Update: we went to a sushi buffet with friends in town and it was so good!!)
I've never seen him in a suit. (He wore his uniform at our wedding, which is so much better than a suit, lets just be real ;) !)
We haven't gone to Sixflags together.
We haven't gone bowling... (Update: we went bowling with Daniel's brother Dale.)
We've never slid down a hallway in our socks.
We've never gone hunting.
We have not yet raised a dog together...or a child! Yet! ;)
We haven't been to the Georgia aquarium or the Atlanta zoo together...or any zoo, for that matter!
Or the Coca-cola factory!!
We've never been on a Ferris wheel.
We've never gone out for a Starbucks date.
We haven't gone riding together.
Or gone on a cruise!
Never been out of the country together...
We have never taken a day to go antiquing!
Never been mini golfing.
We've never kissed on New Year's at midnight.
We've never ordered in Chinese.
We have never kissed underwater - probably because I hate water! But that's not the point...
We've never watched the Harry Potter movies - haha, get it?! ;)
The list could keep going - we've only been married 9 months, after all! But this list will be fun to look back on, update to see what we can maybe cross off or add to it! :) and the list is not a "to-do" list or an agenda. None of it HAS to be done. Like I said, it's little things. It's part of the adventures and journeys of spending, and enjoying, your life with your best friend!! <3
These things may happen sooner or later... Or even never, and I'm perfectly fine with never. Because the fact is, I'm living happily ever after with the man of my dreams! I have the honor and privilege of growing up, and growing old, with the man God planned for me. We have adventures that I will always, and forever, cherish and they never have to include any of these activities or events. But if they do, that's just a bonus on this joyous track of life we call 'marriage'! :)
We get asked a lot of questions. Being in a new place, having moved away..
Here is a good question I get...
"Why do you blog?"
Well, lets be honest. It is not because of my mad writing skills because I will be the first to admit, it could use a lot of work!
I do it because we live 900+ miles away from friends and family.
Also, when I used to keep a blog when I was in college, it was fun to look back on memories that I might not remember on a daily basis. So to have record of the very beginning of Daniel and I's story, I know for a fact that I will be thankful and will love looking back!
One day, I used to think that I would be this grand 'ol organized madam that scrapbooked every moment. But, let's be real, I rarely have photos printed. And if they are printed, they are in a picture frame. Also, I do not have the time to scrapbook page after page. And mostly, I don't have that type of creative bone in my body. To create a decorative page and then plug in pictures along with it? It would turn out looking like a bunch of colorful paper and mismatching stickers glued to a page in a book that I would eventually lose.
So I love technology. It allows my "book" to be accessible from anywhere I can get Internet. It allows others, friends and family, to stay somewhat up-to-date with how we are doing.
The feedback we receive from the blog is also an indicator that I'm doing something right...so many of you say how much you love keeping up with us through the blog and seeing the pictures and videos we post! And when we get busy and go out of town and the posts slack off a bit, the texts start coming in "Where'd you go!?" "Get another post up!" :) That's encouraging :)
So we do it for you guys :) we do it to keep in touch, to keep you all up-to-date with how we are doing, what we are doing, how texas is treating us, and what the Army life for us is like here! We hope you all continue to enjoy it and follow our story!
So since we're here, why not have a few pictures? ;) Enjoy!
I realized that I have not posted about any of the events leading up to our wedding, about the actual wedding (with the exception of this post about the special aspects of the ceremony and reception), or even about our honeymoon.
Since the honeymoon is the less stressful part of all that, I will start there :) Next, I'll post about the engagement, in honor of it being one year ago from today!! Stay tuned for that post.
So. The Honeymoon. It all started...well, when we left the church.
We drove straight to the gas station to fill up the tank because snow was coming and we were about to embark on a two hour drive to the North Georgia mountains! His parent's gave us their GPS system to follow to take us to our destination, because where we were headed had been a secret until then! It was called Falling Waters Mountain Lodge!! Visit their website and browse through the photos. It was SPECTACULAR! The owner took such great care of us.
The owner took this picture and texted it to my Mother-in-law, Terri, the day of our wedding, showing her what it looked like after the snow that day! So beautiful!!
In the distance, there is a lake, you just can't tell in the picture.
Here are some pictures I found on the lodge's Facebook page that the owner took the day of our wedding before we got there...
But, back tracking here...
On our way up to the lodge, we were driving on snow covered roads, in the downpour of more snow! The GPS was taking us a way that included a road that was too steep in the current weather conditions and our car was not going to make it. Among all the confusion of the snow and the GPS, we were almost ready to just turn around and go home. Daniel was convinced we were not going to make it to the lodge if the only route included steep roads covered in 2 inches of snow. (we were already sliding on the roads, as it was.)
We called the owner of the lodge, whom, by the way, was such a wonderful person! He was so helpful - he guided us down the correct roads and when we arrived, he greeted us at our car and carried my bag in for me because I was busy holding my dress, and trying not to slip in my heels and fall on the snow/ice.
As soon as we walked in, the owner handed us both a glass of wine! He gave us a quick tour that ended in our suite with a huge spread of cocktail shrimp, smoked salmon, medium rare steak, cheese and crackers, more red wine, fruit, and veggies!! We were starving so it was perfect! We dug right in. (Borrowed the picture below from the lodge's Facebook page as well... I'm SO glad he took these pictures! And posted them!!) :)
Unfortunately for everyone, I left my phone at the church because it is what we used for the music for the reception. So we do not have very many pictures from the stay at the lodge. But here are a few...
The owner decorated our suite for us! So romantic and perfect! That is two bottles of wine you see on the pillows. He got them for us from the local winery! (The first pic is from the lodge's facebook page too...)
The second day, we went to the local town and got a few drinks to add to what the owner already gave us!
This is my brand new husband, passed out while watching the Superbowl. :)
And here are a few videos to share as well...
We arrived at the lodge on Saturday night and departed for Atlanta again on Monday morning. We immediately got to work at my parent's house packing my stuff, and the packers were already there! I felt sorry for them because I thought it was going to be a large crew...but no, just three guys. And I had a LOT of stuff!! o.o
Never-the-less, they got it all packed up! Eventually!
Among all my stuff, there were the gifts we received at our reception that were still unopened, so there we stood, in my parent's living room, in the way of the poor packer men, opening all the wonderful gifts!!
It was so precious to see all the wonderful gifts and to know that we were taking it all with us to make our first home together in Texas. But first, the honeymoon must continue.
Our honeymoon consisted of two parts...or three actually!
1. The North Georgia mountains Bed & Breakfast resort - courtesy of Daniel's parents
2. The condo stay at the beach in Florida - courtesy of Daniel's grandparents who own the condo
3. Road trip to Texas - our first home together!! <3
We left for Florida before the packers finished but couldn't leave without saying our goodbyes to my Mom and Dad and taking a few pictures of all the packing action.
I miss my Daddy's kisses!!
Standing in the room I grew up in.
Daddy was sad that the empty room meant I was gone...
But then Daddy was happy to have a room to make his office!
I'd like to think these two pictures were in reverse order but they weren't :/ lol!!
All my stuff packed into my parent's living room!
Coming up next on Hoarding: Buried Alive!
Where's Jenn?!
So then we were off! We said our goodbyes and shed some tears. We also stopped at Daniel's parent's house to say our goodbyes to them as well.
We drove to Florida and this is how Daniel slept on the way...
We arrived in Florida at Daniel's grandparent's beautiful condo and were greeted by one of their friends that gave us the key :) The community at the beach is so friendly and welcoming!! We walked in, dropped our stuff, and found this on the bed!
Daniel's grandparents, Mimi and Pop, have such sweet friends!! They gave us gifts and put them with a basket of goodies. Thank you Mimi and Pop and friends!! We appreciate all you have done for us. <3 Pop, we miss you everyday!
Big cheesin'. Standing on a dock after we ate lunch.
The bridge in the distance.
We went to the local grocery store to get food to cook later.
Driving back to the condo.
Poor sunken ship :/
This is our amazing dinner we cooked together!! It was tuna steak, topped with mango salsa, with asparagus.
SO yummy!! Daniel is an amazingggg cook!
Medium rare tuna steak - the only way I will eat tuna! Lol!
Daniel has this weird thing with laying on the floor. He looks relaxed though...
And here are a few more videos...
So then it was time for us to head home. To our own home - our first home - in beautiful Texas!!
The gorgeous sky during the drive.
We arrived in Texas but because of the timing, our water nor electricity were turned on at the house, so we had to stay in the barracks over the weekend. Where we were sleeping in a twin bed in the barracks, living out of our suitcases, and cleaning the barracks to get released out.
5 days later, and it was finally time to live in our first home!!
And the honeymoon continues everyday... ;) even 245 days later!
