Someday I think I'd fancy a white kitchen with red accents....
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Christmas Break Re-cap
It has been a wonderful 12 Days of Christmas. We were able to take enough days off of work to give us this 12-day break, and it's been chock full of adventures worth recording here for posterity's sake!
Although the first day off was a little rocky (I ended up having to work, even though I was out of office on PTO), but once we got on the road and made it to Indiana things cleared up. There's not much that being welcomed with a glass of champagne and a big hug can't fix. We enjoyed dinner and a pre-Christmas gift exchange with the in-laws -- good food, good times and lots of great presents! Including but not limited to:
And that was just the beginning! I love giving gifts as much as I enjoy receiving them, so I must say this year was an incredible success where both sides of the equation are concerned!
We got on the road to Georgia on Friday morning and arrived to a warm welcome at 6:30 in the evening. Dinner around the table at which we gathered every evening throughout my childhood is always a heartwarming experience. Nothing can mar that memory, despite the sibling spats and awkward silences those dinner table conversations may have included at one point or another -- my mind will always remember the love given, learning offered and relationships built around that table. It's something I hope to provide for my family some day as well. I believe the dinner table is a necessary pillar of strength to the family structure.... but that's a post for another day.
Saturday (Christmas eve) was spent in food preparation and catching up with family. It doesn't get much better....
Saturday evening was the Christmas Eve service at All Saints Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta. Although my eldest sister sang in both services, I attended the first alone. It was reverent and memorable. I don't need to be at the front of the church to know that my voice lifted in worship is heard by the most important Audience. I much prefer being amidst the congregation, whether we are in harmony or not -- it makes me think that's what heaven must be like.
Sunday was Sabbath. We spent the morning together as a family in worship. My sisters and I sang for the service and, again, there's just no better feeling than being in harmony (mentally, spiritually and vocally) with those you love. I won't deny that we were all a little anxious for the Christmas festivities to being, but I can't deny the message of which we were reminded on Sunday morning: the only holiday which God has given us to celebrate continually is the Sabbath. On that day we celebrate not only the advent but also the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and anticipate His coming again. And we get to do it every week! No arbitrary day established by the Church to convert a pagan holiday can be more important than that. Nonetheless (and this is yet another conversation for another post), we are to live as a Christian culture and I think that the Christmas celebration can be a very important redeeming factor of a culture that might otherwise be sinking low under the weight of modern customs.
After church, gifts were exchanged, fun was had, more food eaten... and more gifts exchanged! Love this part!
And then the forced Family Photos.... always worth it, in my humble opinion. :)
Although the first day off was a little rocky (I ended up having to work, even though I was out of office on PTO), but once we got on the road and made it to Indiana things cleared up. There's not much that being welcomed with a glass of champagne and a big hug can't fix. We enjoyed dinner and a pre-Christmas gift exchange with the in-laws -- good food, good times and lots of great presents! Including but not limited to:
And that was just the beginning! I love giving gifts as much as I enjoy receiving them, so I must say this year was an incredible success where both sides of the equation are concerned!
We got on the road to Georgia on Friday morning and arrived to a warm welcome at 6:30 in the evening. Dinner around the table at which we gathered every evening throughout my childhood is always a heartwarming experience. Nothing can mar that memory, despite the sibling spats and awkward silences those dinner table conversations may have included at one point or another -- my mind will always remember the love given, learning offered and relationships built around that table. It's something I hope to provide for my family some day as well. I believe the dinner table is a necessary pillar of strength to the family structure.... but that's a post for another day.
Saturday (Christmas eve) was spent in food preparation and catching up with family. It doesn't get much better....
Gingerbread Cake a la Young Pastry Chef
Classic Christmas Eve table-setting...
Bruder-in-law
My youngest sister and her BF
Me and DH!
My older sister and her husband (aka bruder-in-law)
Saturday evening was the Christmas Eve service at All Saints Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta. Although my eldest sister sang in both services, I attended the first alone. It was reverent and memorable. I don't need to be at the front of the church to know that my voice lifted in worship is heard by the most important Audience. I much prefer being amidst the congregation, whether we are in harmony or not -- it makes me think that's what heaven must be like.
Sunday was Sabbath. We spent the morning together as a family in worship. My sisters and I sang for the service and, again, there's just no better feeling than being in harmony (mentally, spiritually and vocally) with those you love. I won't deny that we were all a little anxious for the Christmas festivities to being, but I can't deny the message of which we were reminded on Sunday morning: the only holiday which God has given us to celebrate continually is the Sabbath. On that day we celebrate not only the advent but also the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and anticipate His coming again. And we get to do it every week! No arbitrary day established by the Church to convert a pagan holiday can be more important than that. Nonetheless (and this is yet another conversation for another post), we are to live as a Christian culture and I think that the Christmas celebration can be a very important redeeming factor of a culture that might otherwise be sinking low under the weight of modern customs.
After church, gifts were exchanged, fun was had, more food eaten... and more gifts exchanged! Love this part!
And then the forced Family Photos.... always worth it, in my humble opinion. :)
P.S. Dear family, if you're reading this -- don't worry, I'm sending prints of all the photos. :)
Monday, January 2, 2012
2012, here we come!
Is it bad that my resolutions haven't changed from last year's? Everything I was thinking and feeling at this time last year still applies... with 365 days worth of experience tacked on for proof.
So, along with yet another new blog design, I'm posting my resolutions for 2012, as well as last year's Proviso for a New Year's Revolution. Although the general concepts are the same, I've added updates that apply since I first made these resolutions for 2011!
- Paint more regularly (it's been rather sporadic since 2008)--and complete the paintings I start.
2012 update: I took a few classes at the Palette & Chisel studio in 2011, and plan on doing a few more this year -- being in the right environment has a lot to do with keeping the creative juices flowing!
- Exercise more often and attain a healthy weight (what this will be I'm not quite sure... I think I'll know it when I see it).
2012 update: Our gym membership expired in June 2011.... we just renewed it in November. That means a full 18 months to get back into the swing of things! I'm hoping to do more group classes for Pilates, aerobics, dance, etc.
- *Keep House... better and with a joyful spirit (*This covers a variety of concepts, including but not limited to cooking, cleaning, organizing, decorating and maintaining a general environment of comfort and joy.)
2012 update: This has become increasingly difficult since the start of my new job in March 2011. I couldn't have guessed how much that would change my schedule back in January 2011, but it does add a new level of challenge to keep up with a housekeeping regimen. I think I'm up to the challenge..... Looks like I won't be going to bed before 11pm this year!
- Cook meals that are both healthy and delicious (this includes weekly meal planning to avoid last-minute restaurant meals and as well as consideration of nutritional value)!
2012 update: This is also a more difficult task with my job hours, but I know there's plenty of women out there who can do it -- so can I!
- Pursue contentment, peace and gratitude in any given predicament: job, location and general life situation.
2012 update: This is an ongoing pursuit in my life... one with its good days and its bad days. 2011 was a pretty 50/50 split as far as feeling contentment. I'm hoping that one day (soon) everything will just snap into place but, in the meantime, I'm willing to keep working at maintaining that balance.
- Be more proactive in all of my relationships -- near and far.
2012 update: I've always known that I was something of a loner. I don't always need company to be happy, but sometimes I really do need someone who gets me and is willing to listen. I realize that's pretty selfish and one-sided -- wanting a relationship that works only when it suits me. So, the update to this goal is to be more giving of myself and willing to make a relationship/friendship work even when I feel like I'm not getting everything I want out of it. A friendship (just like a marriage) takes two people working at it, which can be quite difficult, so my goal for 2012 is to work harder and pursue the relationships that count the most.
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