Christmas Season 2010

Well a lot of things have happened in the past few weeks.  Like I wrote in my last entry, I got to go home for Christmas- thanks to my wonderful and AMAZING family.  I also got engaged!!!  Ahhhh, that week was an amazing week followed by two more amazing weeks with my family.  When I got to Bakersfield it was like a whirlwind of wedding planning, Christmas traditions, and seeing people I love. 

My mom and a good friend from her work, Jennifer, picked me up at LAX late Thursday night and it was nonstop from there.  I got to go to the Country Christian School 1st grade class Christmas party (I have an "in" with the teacher).  I also got to spend some good time with the two most amazing kids in the world, Nathan and Elisabeth.  I got to see almost all of my family and we laughed and ate a lot.  We took family pictures as well, which is something that hasn't happened since Nathan was a baby almost 3 years ago.  Here are a few pictures from Christmas.

 The girls at family lunch at Los Hermanos Sunday after Church

 Family Pictures (minus Becky and Zach) on Christmas Eve

 I also got to spend time with two of my very best friends in the whole wide world.  Denise came down from Fresno to be with her family for Christmas and so Layne, Denise and I took advantage of the time and looked for bridesmaid dresses.  It was super fun to hang out with my girls (we were definitely missing Erin) and we were even successful in finding dresses and shoes for the bridesmaids. 

Talking about wedding planning, we also did a lot of that!  It was amazing to me how many things we got done between my mom, sisters, friends, and me in just two short weeks.  I have definitely been able to feel God's faithfulness through the planning and I feel like there has been blessing after blessing already and we just got engaged!  I will keep you all updated on the details, but until they are set in stone I am going to keep you waiting...

I had a great time at home, but I was so glad to be able to come back to my man!  He was glad too, I think, because even though my plane didn't get in until 10:30, he was at the airport at 9.  He also had some beautiful flowers waiting for me as I got off the plane.  When I got to my room there were more surprises from him.  He had cleaned my room- which was definitely NOT clean when I left since I didn't know I was leaving until two days before and packing left a tornado of clothes behind in my room.  I thought that was the extent of it until I went to bed that night.  I got into my prime sleeping position and stretched my arm out under my pillow and felt something.  It was a Snickers bar that he had hid for me.  He knows me well!!!  We have had a good time being engaged since I have been back and I am finding that he is almost as excited as I am (which is a feat in itself) for all the planning and details of the wedding!  What a wonderful, blessed past month I have had indeed!!!