Anticipating Christmas

Christmas time starts early for us, but not too early. We give Thanksgiving the whole month of November, but come December 1st, it begins to look a lot like Christmas around our house. There is truly nothing like the Christmas season. I spent that first week of December changing out our fall and Thanksgiving decorations for our Christmas ones. My hubby was so proud of me for going up to the attic myself to get everything down. He met me at the bottom of the attic steps, though, just in case. Since I could only decorate for a short time in the evenings, it took a few days. Also, we were missing something kind of huge.. a Christmas tree. Our old tree was a beautiful, wide, and full 8-foot artificial tree that took up way too much storage space, so I sadly parted with it (but kept it in the family), and decided we could get a real one this year (being in North Carolina and all). The fact that we would be gone for two weeks and a real tree being in our house, unattended, began to get to me a little, and when my mom told me about a smaller 6-foot, PRE-LIT, tree from Target for FORTY EIGHT DOLLARS, I was on it.

The first weekend of December was go time. We had a pretty fun weekend planned, actually. Some friends of Matt's from the Corps of Cadets were in town, and one even stayed with us a few nights. We love seeing people from home. It definitely does the heart good. They came over Friday night (pictured above), but then had plans for the rest of the weekend.

Our Saturday was booked with us having our Christmas card photo taken in the morning, and then... my hunting trip for our tree. Did I mention it was on sale for $48? I looked online to ensure that the Target closest to us had said tree, and the website claimed it did. However, this was not the case once there. No big deal, Target's awesome customer service called the next closest store (25 minutes away... I was determined) to have them put one on hold for me. This was me, fueled up with Spark after leaving the first Target on my way to Target #2.

And then this is me leaving Target #2 with only my tree my tree and lots of other things I needed that caught my eye. Oh good grief, you try going into Target during Christmas time at any time of the year! I found a new doormat I didn't need. Seriously, I already had one that looked like Santa Claus, but I couldn't pass up this poinsettia one. I LOVE poinsettias. I also got some new wrapping paper. I actually did need wrapping paper. I like to buy one roll (sometimes ends up being two) and wrap all presents in the same paper. To me, it makes family Christmases easier. Or maybe, it's my undiagnosed OCD. Honestly, I can't remember what was in the bag. I'm sure it was full of very non-important but Christmas-y (making them important) things! Okay, I admit... I have Target has a problem.

When I got home, I got to it. The tree went up, and it was just as sweet as the sale price! The tree was perfect, and I was so happy with how it turned out. And if I say so myself, the doormat was not a bad purchase either!

       

      
















Okay, and one more, because I added a filter and put my dog in a Christmas sweater... how cute is she?!

In the weeks leading up to Christmas break, Matt was recruiting for jobs, so he was traveling quite a bit, which left Aves and me at home, dreaming of Christmas and trying to stay focused on work. We watched a lot of Christmas movies. One good thing about grading papers is that it is very easy to multitask. Lifetime and Hallmark Channel, thank you for being here in December.

Seriously, we snuggled up on the couch in our buffalo-check patterned PJs a lot and watched Christmas movies. Who knew there were so many! (Christmas movies, not buffalo-check, but I guess that, too)

Since moving to North Carolina, work has taken up a lot of my time. Recently, though, I joined a Cookbook Club, in which each month, we meet at someone's house, having all cooked a dish from the same cookbook. It is somewhat of a potluck dinner, only all of the recipes come from the same book. I've loved it. We have only had two meetings, one in November and one in December, which I hosted. We cooked from one of my favorite cookbooks (one Matt gave me for Christmas in 2014) Skinny Taste.

I loved getting to host new friends and enjoy great food and great conversation around our dining room table. 

When the time did finally come for the holiday break, I was ready. Starting all of the Christmas-y stuff on the 1st definitely has its perks and definitely brings with it anticipation. On the last day of school before the break, we busted out our tacky Christmas sweaters and sent the kiddos off in style!

Thanksgiving

Let me begin by saying that I should be grading projects. I've done literally anything BUT grade those darn things today. #YOLO am I right?

Y'all, the holiday season is awesome. Seriously, the best. It starts with Thanksgiving. I L-O-V-E Thanksgiving. This year was a very special Thanksgiving because family came to us in North Carolina rather than us having to travel to Texas. I know I'm a couple of holidays behind, but this semester has been crazy (isn't it always?!), and I am just getting to it... don't judge.

Right before the Thanksgiving holiday, the last of mine and Matt's siblings got his Aggie ring. This is a big deal to us Texas A&M people. Some say bigger than graduation day. We were so proud of him and all of his accomplishments. Unfortunately, I could not take off of work (so goes the teaching profession) and therefore celebrated from NC with Avery, but Matt was able to fly down for the occassion and got to see his brothers and our sister-in-law and dad. I was so happy he could be there. Is that not the studly-est looking bunch? Shout out to the cutie pie on the left!


 Pretty much the whole month of November was dedicated to school and getting ready for Thanksgiving company. The two ran together a little bit, too. Here is a Color by Number I assigned to my students before the holiday break. They loved it! Even though it was solving equations, you have them color it, and all of a sudden, they can't wait to get their hands on it. I also changed our kitchen chalkboard to a verse of thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for, it seemed like a great daily reminder.
            
















The first to arrive in North Carolina was my mom. She came early to help get everything ready and grocery shop but also just to be here. It was so fun having her here for a few days before everyone else got here.

The next to arrive were my brother and sister-in-law (with my soon to be born niece or nephew!) and her family, as well as Matt's brother and his girlfriend. So many people that we love all in one place! We took them to one of our favorite lunch spots, and later, some of the group even got to enjoy a Duke basketball game. Here are the Cameron Crazies in Cameron Indoor.

I stayed back with my mom to pick up these two goofballs from the airport--my dad and sister. They didn't arrive until Wednesday night, but we soaked up all the time we had together.

On Thanksgiving Day, my mom, sister, and I were in the kitchen most of the morning. My mom is pretty much a professional when it comes to holiday meals and even created a timeline of when things would go into the oven, etc. Think we are related? Yes. That afternoon, we indulged an abundance of great food, football, and family time. After lunch, we went on campus to explore the Sarah P. Duke Gardens and took some pictures (some of which ended up on Christmas cards this year).
          
















That night, many of the ladies took to the streets mall and braved the Black Friday shopping while the others went to see a movie.

The following day was spent trail hiking, showing family around our new city and the beautiful Duke campus, and again just enjoying the company. That night, we went to The Angus Barn, a Raleigh icon, that serves some of the finest steaks and seafood in the Triangle. It really was an experience. It was decorated for Christmas already and was such a wonderful atmosphere. We even took a tour of the wine cellar and kitchen.

      

     
















While we were waiting to be seated, we took pictures by the Christmas tree. If you look closely, you can see a little elf who was sitting in the tree. On the right, the boys checking out the cigar collection after dinner.

All too soon, the week was over and everyone had to go back home. We didn't get to see all of our family, but we cherish the times that we get to see any of them, especially since being so far away now. Once Thanksgiving was over, it was time to finish out the first semester strong and begin to get ready for Christmas. December was upon us!

2014 in Review

2014 was a big year. So many fun things happened this year, and I loved getting to look back and re-live many of these moments. So here's to bringing 2014 to a close...

January

On the 19th, my mom and I ran the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon. This was my third half-marathon and by far my favorite one I've ever run. I loved sharing this experience with my mom.

February

 Our Family Fitness Challenge ended with a bang and a Brennan's Dinner Celebration. 

Matt and I enjoyed a mini Texas road trip and vacation. We went to my favorite resort, The Hill Country Hyatt and celebrated Valentine's Day there and then in Austin.

March

On the 14th, we celebrated Pi Day at school. Being a 7th Grade math teacher definitely has its fun days! And this was one of them.

 For Spring Break, we took our first trip to the East Coast. We visited Thomas Jefferson's house, Monticello while we were there. 

March also brought Rodeo season! One of my closest friends joined our Mutton Bustin' committee this year which made it even more fun. 

April

We took a little weekend vacation to Boston to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary. It was Matt's first time there, so we did all things Boston tourist- Freedom Trail, cannolis, Red Sox game, etc.

May

Bayhouse trips galore! I feel like we were in Galveston pretty much every weekend in May. Mom's birthday, Mother's Day, Memorial Day...

June

Summer Softball. Matt and my brother, Chase, have been playing in a summer league for at least three years. Avery loves watching her daddy play ball.

July

 We spent the Fourth of July at the bayhouse in Galveston. Matt and I took on a little project to help celebrate the 4th!

We participated in Mission 1:8 with our Sunday School class. We helped put on a small Vacation Bible School for some refugees, most of which had never heard about Jesus before.

My roommates from college and I had a reunion weekend. It is so rare that we are all together, so we took advantage of the time we had together. 

August

 On the 1st, we celebrated the wedding of our friends, the Debayles, and we got to spend time with some of our favorite people.

The weekend before school started, we visited Matt's family in Fort Worth.

On the 26th, I started my third year of teaching middle school.

September

On the 24th, many of our students gathered for See You at the Pole. I will never forget listening to their sweet voices singing songs of praise to our Heavenly Father at the flag pole of our public middle school.

October

 The fall brought Aggie football season, so we traveled to College Station for tailgates quite a bit throughout October and November.

Since I can't post pictures of my sweet athletes, here's a selfie of me before our big volleyball tournament, in which my team won 1st place!

November

 On the 4th, we made our voices heard by voting in the midterm election.

In the week before Thanksgiving, we took advantage of my time off of school, and we traveled to Washington D. C. for the first time. We loved it!

December

 On the 21st, my grandparents got baptized in the same church I grew up in.

We spent Christmas traveling around Texas and visiting all of our family :)

It was such a great year. I cannot believe it is now over. We learned so many things this year, especially me. I am constantly working on trying to be the best wife I can be to Matt. I have learned to be patient with God, that things are perfect in His time. I have been continually reminded of how abundantly blessed we are. God is so good! I know He has really big plans for 2015. I can just feel it. I pray that we continue to keep Him at the center of our marriage and trust Him in all things, and I pray that we cherish time we get to spend with family and friends.

Here's to 2015!

Christmas 2014

This year was the first year I spent Christmas Day somewhere other than home. Everyone knows that once married, holidays are more complicated. You try to see and be with as much family as possible in the little time you have. We did just that. Our Christmas started on Sunday, December 21st--a day I will never forget. The reason this day is so special to me and will always remain special is because my paternal grandparents were baptized in the church that I grew up in. They decided to join the church about 3 months ago, and they chose to be baptized on the 21st, a day when the whole family could be there to witness it. It was amazing. God is amazing. Below is my sweet grandmother right after the service. She was on Cloud 9 all day, as were the rest of us. God's love is overwhelmingly infectious in the best way possible. 

That day, we went to Maggiano's for lunch to continue celebrating my grandparents. Then, we convened at their house afterward for dessert. That night, we had Christmas with my family. We ate great food, drank "Christmas cocktails" as my mom liked to call them, we laughed, and we enjoyed being together, even if not on Christmas Day. 

On the 22nd, I met my mom and sister for lunch and then helped my mom set up her dining room tablescape for Christmas Day lunch. That night, Matt and I had our little Christmas together at home and exchanged gifts. The morning of the 23rd, we finished packing up, and then we headed to Dallas for Christmas with his mom's side of the family. We got in to Dallas in the late evening, and went straight to his aunt and uncle's house for dinner with everyone. I'm so sad I wasn't really great at taking pictures while in Dallas--must of been having too much fun!

On Christmas Eve, we met up with Matt's mom, two younger brothers, Sam and Russell, and Sam's fiancé, Shannon, for lunch at Brewed in Fort Worth. It was such a neat restaurant with delicious food and a great atmosphere. After lunch, the boys wanted to "be boys," so they decided to go to Dave & Buster's, while Shannon and I went to "be girls" and got manicures. After playing for the afternoon, we all went back to get ready for Christmas Eve service at church. In the car on the way to church, my mom sent me a selfie from their car ride to church back in Houston, so we returned the favor. I love technology. And check out those matching earrings...great minds think alike!

        

        

After a wonderful Candlelight Service, we went to dinner with Matt's family and then back home for one more sleep until Christmas! 

We woke up Christmas morning, and went for a run. As you may be able to already tell, we ate WAY too much over the holidays. One of my favorite things to do is run with these two, and it felt very necessary. 

      

      

It was already a very Merry Christmas, indeed. But the fun was only just beginning. After we showered and got cleaned up, we went over to Matt's grandmother's house to have Christmas with his mom's side. Even though Dallas is in Texas and seems so close, it is rare that we get up there, so it made the time there so sweet. 

Our time in Dallas seemed to end too quickly. But when it did, all the kids packed up and caravanned to the middle of Texas where Matt's dad's side of the family lives, New Braunfels. His dad had rented a house right on the river for all of us to stay in together. They had decorated the house before we got there and had a tree full of gifts. 

    

    

The first night we were there, we enjoyed a quiet dinner at home, all nine of us (still missing two). The following morning, Matt and I went on what was intended to be a nice and easy run, and now I understand why they call it the HILLcountry. Also, it rained on us, so we were soaked when we got home. I quickly got over it, obviously. 

Every Christmas, for much longer than I have been in the Bormann family, the extended family has gathered in New Braunfels for a Bormann Bowling Party. I have been fortunate enough to attend the last four.

We always have so much fun, and most years, it is the one time of the year that I bowl, and I always love it and am usually sore the next day. This year was no different. It was our first big event of the weekend. Our team didn't win, but it didn't matter. Getting to see 50+ family members from Matt's side made it completely worth it, even without the bowling. 

     

     

Back at the house that night, we played games (corn hole, Kuub, ping pong, pool, and fetch of course) and stayed up way too late. I swear, I think Matt enjoys playing fetch with Avery just as much as she does.

            

The following day, the 28th, we did a Christmas gift exchange with just Matt's immediate family. And then that afternoon, we did the whole big family Christmas lunch thing again with Matt's dad's side of the family. We did a White Elephant gift exchange and had a big ping-pong tournament going. There was a men's bracket and a women's bracket, and while it was no easy feat, yours truly came out on top.

Game faces... obviously.

I loved every bit of this trip, but my favorite part may have been early in the morning of the day we were leaving, watching these two do their thing and with that view... 

Another really neat thing that happened that morning was that we got to pet a deer that roams around near the house frequently. I believe the family who owns the place actually considers it a pet.

After watching a little bit of the Aggie game, it was time to head home. All three of us were exhausted and still are, but I think that speaks to the good times that were had.

It was nice to use the drive home to reflect on the past week and also the past year. It seems like I blinked and it came and went. And it was a good one.

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!