A Time of Firsts

Everyone has pretty much summed up their Christmas experiences on Facebook with pictures and captions.  I have been pretty ill and am just now feeling well enough to do so.

We spent Christmas Eve at my brother- and sister-in-law's house in Lexington with both my in-laws and my sister-in-law's family, a first for us.  I forgot to take pictures, but we had so much food.  We had ham, turkey, copper penny carrots, broccoli casserole, ham rice, baby limas with ham, deviled eggs, green beans and potatoes, macaroni and cheese, hawaiian sweet rolls, cookies, sweet potato souffle, and probably more things I'm forgetting.  I have no idea where we thought all that food was going, but we could have fed a third world nation... or two.  We figured out that my little niece, Sarah, does not like green beans.  I really regret not getting that facial expression on camera.

After we were all miserably stuffed, Chris and I went to my aunt and uncle's house by the lake for what we expected to be the annual Christmas Eve party.  Turns out, only my uncle was there... eating cereal.  I wish I would have known so we could have brought him a decent dinner.  Turns out, my aunt had a change of job position and would not be home until wee hours of the morning.  I found out some things that have recently happened on that side of the family, and request your prayers for them and their sons, daughter-in-law, and grandbaby.  We stayed and talked with my uncle a while before continuing on to my Auntie's house to pick up a washer and dryer.  Chris did all the dirty work and I played with my little Jaden while he was working.  We finally made it home sometime around midnight and we crashed.

We were supposed to be at my in-law's by 8:30 or 9 on Christmas to start making the traditional breakfast before opening gifts.  We woke up around 9:30.  We ate breakfast just before noon.  We did remember to take our camera and capture some images of opening gifts, so I'll let the pictures tell most of the story... (By the way, if I come up missing my mother-in-law has likely murdered me for one of these pictures- I'm sure you can figure out which one.  It was worth it.)

And now that you've shown enough interest to read and peruse, I will invite you to share in our most exciting first... parenthood.  We are not sure of the exact due date, only sure that sometime in July or August, we will gain a blessing we have come to refer to endearingly as "Bean." 

I didn't realize it fades, but you get the gist.  Now you can see what we're thankful for in 2013 and have an idea of some resolutions for 2014.  Any firsts for you?

About Time...

It's been so long since I've written a blog entry.  Life has been so full.  Not necessarily a bad full.  Just a "life is changing and there are things to be done to accommodate it" full. 

I have successfully finished my fourth semester of nursing school.  One more semester and then NCLEX and I will be Brittany Blankenship, RN.  May 15, 2014, I will walk across the stage and officially be a college graduate.  I wish my Daddy could be there.  I'd be the first generation in my family to do so.  There is so much attached to this journey, and I am thrilled to be still standing.

We are so close to Christmas.  9 days, people.  Finished your shopping?  We have, and I think we will continue to be October shoppers every year.  That has taken a lot of stress off of me, and allowed us to avoid terrible traffic! I am so looking forward to Christmas this year.  We will have Christmas Eve dinner at my brother and sister-in-law's house and Chris and I will head to my aunt's house after for her annual party.  Christmas morning brunch at my in-laws then opening gifts.  The gifts may not be worth much monetarily, but I can't wait to see everyone's expressions when they open them, because we chose each one with such care.  Oh, it's going to be wonderful.

I'll post pictures after everything settles, maybe the day after.

And, giving Christmas its due respect, I look so forward to 2014.  I feel the Lord has so much in store for us.  Life will take turns that it never has before.  I will be employed again in a career that I love.  We will pay down accumulated debts.  We will look to move after then.  Such adventures await us!

What are you looking forward to?  Christmas, New Years, a day sometime next year?  A penny for your thoughts...

Just a look back to last year...