Our First Christmas

I can't believe it has come and gone. I really really really don't want to take down our tree, or put away our stockings, or stop using my adorable Christmas napkins from Target. So I think I'm going to just keep it all up for the next few days. I have been looking forward to our first Christmas as a married couple for so long and it was just as special as I had anticipated. We did our best to keep all family members happy and the result was a fun, action packed, very filling two days.

On Christmas Eve I had the pleasure of attending the traditional Edwards family meal at Benihana. It was all very exciting since the Memphis establishment burned down last year and the family wasn't able to enjoy the refreshing steam of the hibachi like they usually do. Different from the usual Italian fare served at the Good house on Christmas eve, but equally fun. After Benihana, the Edwards bros and I attempted to start a new family tradition by watching A Christmas Story and eating peppermint ice cream pie over at our place. Weren't able to finish the movie before we had to scurry to the beautiful eleven o'clock service at Second Pres, but we were able to get a decent picture in front of our first Christmas tree!

The next morning I awakened at my usual 6:45 to prepare breakfast for Price. After exchanging gifts with each other we ate cinnamon rolls and bacon while listening to Christmas music. I turned up the thermostat, lit allllllllll of my candles, and it almost felt like we had a fire going. It was so cozy and fun. I must say, Price totally out-gifted me this year. He really spoils me and I totally don't deserve it.


We then headed east to celebrate with our families, starting off the day opening presents at the Good house. (Below is Hannah, black sheep?!?!?!)

Then off to the Edwards for gifts and lunch and relaxing. Around 4 we headed back to the Good house so that I could prepare my dessert for our Christmas dinner. My mom really out-did herself with our Christmas feast. Ham, turkey, cheese grits, hot fruit compote, mac and cheese, orange and green salad, and my mediocre attempt at the Pioneer Woman's tres leches cake. We returned home to our haphazard apartment stuffed and pooped.

The next morning we set off for Jackson, MS with Price's brothers to visit their mom's side of the family. It was great to get to catch up with them and see where they lived. I have never been to Jackson and really enjoyed it. Still can't get over the fact that they have an Anthropologie before we do. We had so much fun playing with Price's six year old cousin. Price had so much fun playing Super Mario for Wii. It was a great finish to our Christmas weekend.



Since then, we have been enjoying doing absolutely nothing until around 1 or 2 everyday, eating leftovers, and watching movies. I love being a teacher and having a Christmas break. I just can't believe this bliss must end on Monday the 4th.

"Christmas Cookies and Holiday Hearts..."

Only a Hutch girl will understand the title of this post, but it does pertain to what I have been doing for the past 48 hours off of work. Working on our homemade Christmas gifts to friends! We may not have a Christmas card this year, but we do have cookies to deliver. And I really need to get on the ball and start giving them to friends so that I will no longer have to stare at the tempting stash of calories that I have "hidden" from myself on a very tall shelf that I can't reach in our kitchen. I have been plotting what "we" would make for our homemade Christmas gift for months. I always enjoyed helping my mom out with these kinds of projects when I was younger and I especially loved delivering them. I finally decided to make gingersnaps with pumpkin dip. Here are the recipes and pictures of the finished product.

Pumpkin Dip
- 1 block cream cheese
- lots of powdered sugar (I just kept dumping it in... probably 1/2 of a box)
- 2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix together these ingredients until combined. Keep adding powdered sugar until you get the consistency you want. I prefer mine a bit thinner so I added quite a bit of sugar. I also added more spices just for kicks.

Gingersnaps
I found the recipe on this site. They turned out great. I added some extra molasses and additional ginger.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/gingersnaps

He Went... To... Jared?

A year ago today, my sweet husband got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. We were talking last night about how quickly this year has passed. I so vividly remember walking to the admissions building at Furman thinking I was meeting my sister to "talk" and being swept off my feet by a candlelit proposal in a place that was so special to our relationship. I remember getting in his car and not knowing who to call first or where to go to celebrate because everyone was studying for exams and I was too excited to think straight. I remember going to McDonalds before going back to tell my friends and getting a soft-serve ice cream and then not eating a bite of it and leaving it in Price's car for 2 days. Clearly, I was distracted as ice cream is not something I ever waste. I remember running around the J apartment complex telling friends, both awake and asleep, about our exciting news. I remember standing in front of my closet for a good thirty minutes trying to decide what to wear on my first day with a fiance. I remember painting my nails once a week for a good month or so. I have a good memory and could go on and on but am going to stop for your sake.

Sitting here thinking about a year ago, I'm struck by how much has changed. Right now, Price and I are sitting in the living room of our apartment in our pjs (it's 8 pm, mind you) watching Mary Poppins on ABC family. We will probably go to sleep in an hour. My nails haven't been painted in awhile and I can't remember the last time I cleaned my ring. Our friends are all over the place. We are both teaching, something that really wasn't even a consideration a year ago. We have to pay bills... okayyyy... he has to pay bills. And I don't make the gourmet meals I pictured myself making as a wife because I tried that for a month or so and realized it wasn't amenable to our budget! Confession: tonight, I scratched the plan to make chicken enchiladas and instead opted for leftover ravioli from the PDS lunchroom. Price told me it was delicious. Apparently I am a great food heater-upper.

Things are so different from where they were last year and from what I imagined they would be like, but they are different in a good way! I really had no idea what a blessing marriage would be. I get to spend all the time I could ever want with my very best friend. We watch movies. Laugh about the grasshoppers that have infested our apartment. Fight about putting up the Christmas tree and then happily hang ornaments together. After dating for 5 years I really didn't think we could get much closer but everyday I am surprised. Price is gracious, kind, and so encouraging. I always knew these things, but being married has made me see them on a deeper level. A year ago today I was a very lucky girl! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in the future.

Disclaimer: Price did not actually go to Jared.

Elf on a Shelf

A new phenomenon I have encountered this holiday season is the "Elf on a Shelf" tradition that many families with youngsters have embraced. Whoever thought of this one was pretty crafty. You have this elf, who sits on a shelf, and watches everything the little ones do so that he can report back to Santa. Naturally this voyeuristic household addition "encourages" the children to behave, at least while they are in the elf's presence. I am learning from the daily updates my kindergartners share that elven activity varies depending on the family. Some elves just stay put on that shelf. Others will disappear without any warning (to go to the North Pole of course). I have even heard of elves causing havoc with toilet paper in the living room. To add to the Christmas excitement this past week, our boys made a elf craft and got to write the name of their house elf on it. Now we have "Commander Elf" "Rocky" "Elfo" "Elf-ee" and many others watching our classroom (hasn't helped the Christmas-induced wild behavior yet). I strive to practice impartiality, but I have a favorite elf. His name is "Rex Malone." Poor little guy has two left feet and looks like he might need to go potty, but that doesn't stop him from spreading Christmas cheer. (See top row far right)



Have any fun family traditions? Please share! Also, if you too are fascinated by the elf on a shelf you can find out more info on this site: www.elfonashelf.com

The Halls Are Decked

Decorating for our first Christmas has been something I have been looking forward to ever since I created my gmail account with my new name months before we got engaged. Just ask Kate about it. However, I was unaware of the intensity and costliness of the process. I started buying decorations in early November. The shopping bags piled up in our one tiny storage closet, but when it came time to decorate I was amazed at how unsubstantial the items I accumulated were. It turns out Christmas napkins, stickers, cups, and treat bags can't get you very far when trying make your apartment appear festive. After many trips to Target, Michael's, and Hobby Lobby, I feel as if our decorations are blog-worthy.






Helpful hints for others looking to spruce up their space for Christmas:

- Home Depot is where it's at. We got our lovely 8 foot Fraser Fir tree for $39.99. The other tree lot we browsed had prices between $70-$150. Rip off.

- Hobby Lobby has garland that looks very real. And they run it half off for a few weeks after Thanksgiving.

- Christmas scented candles make me oh so happy. An even cheaper way to add a festive fragrance to your house is to let water, orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves simmer on your stove for a few hours. A trick I learned from my mom that smells heavenly

- BUY A DECENT TREE STAND. I will spare you the sappy details of our experience with a shoddily made tree stand that was too small for our tree, but if you are trying to decide between the $7 tree stand and the $12 tree stand just splurge on it. It will save you blood, sweat, and tears. We experienced all three.