A Catch-Up Post.

Because I am so behind on here, I am devoting this post to recap everything I've been up to from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

Well, not everything. Just the important things.

Bonus: This post includes step-by-step instructions on how to be cool while on vacation, fabulous Christmas party ideas, and a tip for buying Christmas presents right in front of the recipient without them ever knowing.

For Thanksgiving, my family and my grandparents went to visit my aunt, uncle, and two cousins in Alabama.

I love visiting them because they live on the lake in the middle of nowhere. It's just so pretty and peaceful out there.

You know how people make up hashtags for their vacations and stuff? Well apparently that's the cool thing to do, so I made up one for my trip, too. You know, to be cool. It's #kaylabama. Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it was too perfect to pass up.

Here are a few pictures from my trip. To see the rest, check out #kaylabama on Instagram.

Isn't the view beautiful?

Reading by the fire. It's the simple things.

 Part of our Thanksgiving morning hike included climbing all the way up to the top of this.

 And, as you can see, it was totally worth it. I don't know why I look like I have two black eyes.

I'm on top of the world!

So that was Thanksgiving. My favorite part was our Thanksgiving morning hike. I actually love hiking and wish I did it more. It was quite the climb but totally worth it because the view was GORGEOUS.

I didn't like Thanksgiving being so late this year, because it felt like there was NO time to prepare for Christmas. This resulted in me having an exhausting week before Christmas.

Case and point: The week of December 15th I went to FOUR parties (two of which I was hosting), baked 11 dozen cookies and two dozen blondies, did virtually all my Christmas shopping and present wrapping, worked 21 hours a week, and saw a minimum of 10 people each day...which is overload for an introvert.

So Sunday after church when I had no plans for the first time in a week, I went home and laid on the couch and watched Christmas movies for 8 hours and then went to bed at 9 o'clock. And I felt SO MUCH BETTER.

Anyway, one of the parties I helped host was this past Saturday and I was in charge of all the food for it. The other party I hosted was the night before to help get some of the food ready. Here is a picture of some of the food:

 Santa hat white chocolate covered pretzels and Christmas tree cupcakes.

For the cupcakes, I just used a box mix and then made the Wilton frosting (stiff consistency). I colored the frosting green and used the Wilton 1M tip to pipe tall frosting in the shape of a Christmas tree. I then used little ball shaped sprinkles (they only had white available, though I would have preferred colors) for ornaments and a star shaped sprinkle on top. I had to stick each sprinkle on individually and one at a time which was tedious but they turned out so cute so it was worth it.

These santa hat pretzels are the easiest thing ever. Just melt some white chocolate, dip half the pretzel into it, dip into red sugar crystals, and top with half of a mini marshmallow. They are so cute and taste yummy -- these were a huge hit.

I also made cake batter blondies with Christmas-y sprinkles, Christmas-shaped sugar cookies to decorate, and I bought chips and dip and a fruit and veggie tray for the healthy people.

It's funny how much I love food when I hardly eat anything.

We also had a hot chocolate bar:

For some reason the border here looks blue. It is actually white so I guess it's just an optical illusion...? Ignore it.

I had three different types of hot chocolate mix (regular, dark chocolate, and caramel), marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, sprinkles, and candy canes to stir with. We also gathered up all our Christmas mugs to use as cups to make it a little more festive.

My co-host Meagan set up a photo booth, because no party is complete without a photo booth.

Now, onto actual Christmas!

Christmas Eve was spent with my dad's side of the family. We spent the morning preparing dessert and fruit and wrapping presents, and then headed over to my aunt's house for a late lunch. After lunch, my uncle had put together a crossword puzzle based on facts about ourselves that each of us sent him. That was really a lot of fun and a great way to get to know the family better!

After that we exchanged gifts. I got a lot of cash plus a really cool cookie press I've been wanting.

That evening, we spent some time with the other side of the family at my grandparents' house. They have us over every Christmas Eve for snacks and family time and a couple games of pool.

But the real excitement happened around 6pm -- one of my good friends from high school got engaged! I am beyond excited for them and cannot wait for the wedding. :-)

Christmas morning we had a big breakfast (our tradition) and then opened presents. more than 50% of my gifts have to do with baking, haha. The only two that didn't, aside from a few stocking stuffers, were my two main gifts -- a new phone (FINALLY! I have been due for an upgrade and I'm sick of my iPhone 4) and a 24" TV for my room!

The TV was a total surprise and here's how my parents bought it right in front of me without me knowing:

On black Friday, while we were still in Alabama, we were looking online at some deals on our phones. My mom found a cheap TV from Best Buy and asked if we needed a TV for any reason. I joked that I needed one for my room. My mom was all like, "You don't have the set up for a TV in your room" but really what was going on was she and my dad were using secret hand signals across the room -- while I was lying RIGHT THERE ON THE COUCH IN THE SAME ROOM -- and my dad told her to get it.

So now I have a TV! And I purchased a Blu-Ray player with wifi (so I can hook it up to Netflix, of course) on sale at Best Buy so I'm pretty much never leaving my room now. I'm also the ideal roommate whenever I move out because I come with a TV.

In the afternoon, my mom and I made some desserts and then decorated a gingerbread house. We finished off the evening with dinner and gifts with my mom's side of the family.

We should be on HGTV.

Oh my gosh! And my former English teacher got engaged on Christmas. So that makes 9 couples I know who have gotten engaged in the last, like, 4 months. 2014 is going to be a big year for weddings.

But that's totally okay with me, because I love weddings.

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas as I did! I'll be back in a few days to talk about New Year's Eve!

A Merry Christmas and Some Other Stuff.

Hey everyone! I realize that I updated my blog a couple weeks ago promising to post more...and it hasn't happened! So this is going to be one giant post covering the whole month of December, and then my New Year's resolution is going to be to post more. And also to get more followers. And to comment on other people's blogs more. Clearly I just need to make blogging my second job. I think I'd do it more if I got paid.

So anyway, did I ever post about Thanksgiving? I don't think so. I'll start there.

Thanksgiving

Not gonna lie. Thanksgiving last year was hard to top. It was so much fun. But Thanksgiving this year was still good. All my family was in town this year, so we all gathered at my grandma and grandpa's house for dinner around 5:30. We spent most of the day and the previous day cooking.

The previous day, actually, we were working on some desserts, and while I was making pumpkin pies we here this loud, obnoxious, continuous pounding on our front door. I was literally scared for my life; I thought someone was going to kill us.

Instead I just got kidnapped.

Turns out it was two of my friends "kidnapping" me to go see a movie that started in like half an hour. (Red Dawn -- crazy movie! Major unexpected twist at the end.) So the desserts got put on hold for a little while.

Thanksgiving day we made homemade rolls which were AMAZING. We went over to my grandparents' house and ate all the delicious food and then played a few rounds of pool. And then finally we went home where I had a couple hours before my friends came and picked me up for my first ever Black Friday experience.

Starting off Thanksgiving right with cinnamon muffins.

Our homemade rolls.

Food!

Black Friday

My friends picked me up around 9 because most of the stores were opening at midnight. We had a couple of friends who had been standing in line at Best Buy since like 4 to get some TVs (which they didn't even get). So we stopped to get them some food and then went and stood in our own lines. I waited at Kohl's (which was crazy long) with another friend.

We got soooo much stuff when the doors finally opened. It was crazy. My first destination was the shoe department to get some $75 boots that were marked down to $20. And I ended up getting two pairs because I didn't have time to decide which to get. Then I had to get some other stuff that my dad wanted me to pick up for my mom for Christmas. And it was very heavy stuff and they were out of carts.

Thankfully, everyone I ran into was really nice. A lot of people offered to help carry stuff. It was really cool. So my first Black Friday experience was quite pleasant.

Friday night, I went with a group of friends to see the "Parade of Lights" downtown. It's a fun parade with cars and stuff covered in lights and then after the parade, they light the big Christmas tree.

The line at Kohl's

One of the floats.

One of the 18 zillion fire trucks at the parade.

The weird looking downtown Christmas tree.

It's officially Christmas season! 

Holiday in the Park

Every year after Thanksgiving, Six Flags turns into a winter wonderland which they call Holiday in the Park. I'd never been and I heard it was really cool, so I really wanted to go. We went the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but I think we spent more time waiting to get in the park than we did actually at the park. Apparently, the park didn't open until 2 and we didn't know that and got there around 12. But we didn't have to wait in long lines for roller coasters. :)

That one doesn't count for Holiday in the Park though, because it really starts once it gets dark and we didn't stay that long. We went again this past Saturday, and it was a lot of fun. Especially the light show. It was so cool. It was about 30 or 40 minutes long and all the lights were programmed to music. I always think that's really awesome.

Pretty lights.

Half of the group.

:)

More pretty lights.

 I SO wish this picture wasn't blurry.

Christmas Eve and Christmas

Christmas Eve I had to do some last minute stocking stuffer shopping and you know what? It wasn't that bad. It was worse on the Saturday before Christmas. Anyway, in the evening we went to my grandparents' church for a candlelight service which was really cool. But I have to say, the candles make me nervous. Little children. Open flame. Carpeted floor. *Shivers*

Then we went over to my grandparents' house afterwards for some hors d'oeuvres and more pool playing. And I won a game, and almost won the next game. Except my cousin had a couple lucky shots and ended up winning, but it was close.

The next morning was Christmas. At 8, I opened presents with my family. Some things I got:

• A really soft Hello Kitty blanket
• A Hello Kitty flashdrive
• A purple apron with my name on it
• A new hair straightener
• A pretty scarf
• New boots
• $50 toward swimming with dolphins in Cozumel on our cruise next month (!!!!)
• The first two seasons of Friends on DVD, though those aren't here yet because they sent the wrong thing (Friends is my new favorite show, by the way, and I'm collecting the seasons now.)

Then we had a couple hours of cooking and cleaning for my dad's family to come over for a Christmas brunch. It was yummy! Then we opened presents, and as my family was leaving....

IT STARTED TO SNOW.

I live in Texas, y'all. It doesn't snow. Especially not on Christmas.

Now, I hate snow. But because it's a rare occasion, I did take a few pictures (below).

In the evening my mom's side of the family came over for dinner and presents. It had stopped snowing by then, but it was definitely still cold and the snow stayed for the next two days.

 Christmas Eve was the one year anniversary of getting Nemo.

Dolphin coupon :)

My new [purple] straightener.

My new pretty scarf :)

Modeling my apron!

Fun in the snow with the dog who thinks I'm trying to steal her bone...

 SNOW!

Overall, pretty good Christmas. Not the best (like last year's) but definitely a good one. Hope everyone else had a good Christmas, too.

So now I have my New Year's Eve party to finish planning, and then after that, I only have about a week until our cruise. So many exciting things are happening soon! And I PROMISE, I will post about them in a timely manner. Pinky promise.

Happy New Year, everyone.

30 Days of Thankfulness.

Lately my Facebook and Instagram feeds have been filled with posts detailing things that various people are thankful for. One thing that you're thankful for, once a day, for the entire month of November. Not sure where it started, but I kind of think it might be the female alternative to Movember/No Shave November.

November: The month of thankfulness and beards.*

*Important note: not to be confused with thankfulness FOR beards. No woman I know enjoys the barbaric appearance of the male gender during the month of November. Or any month. Keep that in mind, guys.

Anyway, I wanted to be thankful, too. But instead of posting one thing every day and adding yet another thing to read on your Facebook feed, I'm going to post all 30 at one time. Right here, where you can choose to read it now or later or not at all. And so, without further ado, 30 things I am thankful for.

1. The Lord Jesus Christ and everything that comes with believing in Him. I am a sinner. I deserve nothing more than death. Yet my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ decided that I (and everyone else on Earth) was worth a second chance. He came down here and died so I could live. He saved my life, and He saved yours too. As if that isn't great enough, all He asked in return is that I live my life for Him. And though sometimes I fail, he continues to be merciful and forgiving. I am so not worthy, yet He loves me anyway. And for that, I am eternally thankful.

2. My family. No matter how loud, crazy, weird, annoying, imperfect, and embarrassing they might be sometimes, I wouldn't trade them for anything.

3. My friends. I'm an only child. Because of this, my friends have always meant so much to me. My friends have acted as siblings to me my whole life, and I'm thankful that they love me and don't mind being in public with me even though they know how weird and crazy I am.

4. My church. My church is awesome, y'all. The sermons are always applicable and they're like, super good stuff. Everyone is welcoming and they make serving fun. I have created so many healthy relationships and am consistently furthering my walk with God through my church. I'm also grateful that I have a church to go to, because so many people in other countries don't. 'Merica.

5. America. Even though the president that I believe would have been best for this country lost the election, I am still grateful, because it could be a lot worse. The fact that there's really no country that would be better to go to says a lot. I'm proud to be an American.

That concludes the serious/main/long items. The next 25 will be much shorter and random.

6. This weather. High is 82 today. Right now it's 68. I'm currently (I probably won't be when I actually post this) sitting outside on my college campus because I had a bunch of time to kill after taking a test. The grass is green, the trees are changing color, the sky is clear, and the breeze is just right. I could stay here all day, but I have to go to work in about 45 minutes...

 Imagine sitting in the shade of a tree, in 70 degree weather, and this bliss surrounding you.

7. Work. My job. I have an awesome job at a fantastic company with great people. I love it. And though it's not what I ultimately want to end up doing with my life, having a job -- especially one that you love -- is such a great privilege these days and I'm going to hold on to it as long as I can.

8. The guy who is currently studying in the next tree over from me, because he provided me great entertainment for me as I watched him greatly struggle to climb the tree. I actually think he got stuck. Poor guy, but it did brighten my day.

9. The bee that has been buzzing around me for the past 20 minutes. He hasn't stung me yet. Thanks, little guy.

10. Ice cream. And sweets in general. My sweet tooth would seriously suffer if these things had never been invented.

11. My bed. If you have never laid on my bed...you're missing out. Everyone who has agrees that it is the most comfortable thing since yoga pants.

12. Yoga pants. Who invented these?! I must meet this genius.

13. The inventors of CLEP, DSSTs, and online college courses who are helping me obtain my college degree in just one year.

14. Thomas Edison State College, who accepts unlimited transfers and allows you to take online courses. Without TESC, I wouldn't be able to graduate this summer and/or have to move to New Jersey for a semester.

15. Sunsets and sunrises. Not only are they fun to watch, they're a great reminder of the Supreme Artist. God is so creative.

16. Summer. A break from school is always much needed after a long semester. And I do love warm weather.

17. Fall. Usually by the end of summer I'm ready for slightly cooler weather and fall clothes. And of course, Starbucks' salted caramel hot chocolate.

18. Music. Without music...I think I might die. I'm always listening to it. ALWAYS. I'm listening to it right now. I don't really know why I like music so much...I just do. It's a huge part of my life. And I'm thankful for it.

19. Children. Little kids have a tendency to make my day, no matter how bad it's been. I think they're cute and hilarious and I just love them.

20. My car. I would have problems getting places without it because my school is 30 minutes away from my house, and I go straight from work to school...and both my parents work, and there's really no one else who could take me. Also, I got a really nice car for a very affordable price. Also something to be thankful for.

21. Food. Mainly because I'm hungry right now.

22. Graphing calculators. Because as confusing as they are to me...I would not have passed calculus without one. (Though I might have done better if I knew what all the buttons did...)

23. Animals. I just love animals. Big, small, cute, ugly, indoor, outdoor, red fish, blue fish...you get the point. I would be lost without my pets. They mean the world to me.

24. Flexible professors, church leaders, and bosses who are willing to work with my busy schedule.

25. Laughter. I love laughing. I think it's the greatest thing since milkshakes. (Though I think laughing came first, so never mind). Imagine how much more boring the world would be without laughter.

26. Writing. Writing is my outlet. I turn to writing when I'm happy, sad, angry, embarrassed, nervous, scared, or excited. Imagine all that emotion bottled up inside me if I couldn't write...I would explode.

27. A house. This is in no particular order by the way. Because I'm definitely more grateful for a house than graphing calculators. But yeah. Really thankful I'm not living in a box on the street.

28. Crossword puzzles. A much more productive way to kill time than watching TV or staring at Facebook, because you learn things, too. It's a mini brain workout, and it's fun! Win-win.

29. Pop Tarts. One of the only ways I will eat breakfast, is if we have Pop Tarts. And my stomach greatly appreciates when we do.

30. Life. You know...I couldn't experience any of this if I didn't have life. If Jesus hadn't died for me, if my parents hadn't wanted me, if I was in a country where Christians are persecuted...yet here I am, alive. So many of us take it for granted when really it's probably the greatest privilege we're given. Go life.

And thus concludes my one day of 30 days of thankfulness.

What are you thankful for?

I Am Thankful.

(Note: I realize that in my post last week I said I would post about Thanksgiving "tomorrow or Sunday." Well, in my defense, I never did specify which Sunday...so the way I see it, I'm early. In case you were going to get on to me or something...you can't! Ha!)

My Thanksgiving was really great. It started out disappointing, because we had plans earlier in the year to travel to Alabama for Thanksgiving. However, that ended up changing, and instead of going to Alabama to celebrate with my family, we stayed here and celebrated with 20 of our closest friends! No joke...here we all are:

Back row, L-R: Cody, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Simmons, Josh, Mr. and Mrs. Myers

Middle row, R-L: Me, Meagan, Kayli, Melissa, Mrs. Sanders, Cassia, Luke, 

Jessica, Mr. Sanders, Kaitlin, Mr. and Mrs. Nuckolls

Front row, L-R: Tyler and Jake. They were late for the picture, so we stuck them in front.

And this is what happened.

 

And can I just say that that is the longest caption I've ever written for a photo? That was the longest caption I've ever written for a photo.

Yeah, so funny story. It originally was not going to be this many people. It started out with 3 families, then 4, then 5. It was going to be a progressive dinner...but it got too big so the entire thing ended up at my house. 

 Our delicious food! And I do not know the girl in the pink tank top...

We ate lunch around 1, and everyone brought a dish that's a tradition in their families. Our contribution was 2 apple pies (which I got to make, and they turned out really good!) and buttermilk pies (which sound really gross but apparently aren't--tradition in my family).

 Eating. We specifically left one chair open on the girls side to see who would take it.

Tyler did. No one was surprised. And also, Luke looks like a creeper in the background.

The food was awesome. Afterward, all of us "kids" (ranging from 6th grade to college senior) played with an app on my iPhone that turns everything you say into a song. Haha, that was entertaining. Then we watched a play that several of us were in last spring called Is He Dead? Hilarious.

Watching Is He Dead? Tyler and I are not texting, I swear. We were playing Words With Friends.

With each other. (I won).

After we took the family picture, we played a giant game of Kingdoms. If you don't know, Kingdoms is a really fun game where everyone picks a name different from their own. One person compiles a list of all the names, but no one else knows what your name is. That person then reads off the list of names twice, and you then have to try to remember all the names and figure out who is who. If you guess right, that person joins your kingdom and you become a team. It's really fun. The funny thing is, the youngest person there was the winner. 

So all in all, Thanksgiving was really fun this year. I would take the time to list everything that I'm grateful for, but I think it's pretty obvious that I have a lot to be thankful for, plus I have somewhere to be in 20 minutes...and the list would for sure take longer than that. :-)

Best thing about Thanksgiving is that once it's over, it's officially Christmas time! And I love Christmas...I hate Christmas before Thanksgiving, but after Thanksgiving I love it. :-) I am listening to Christmas music as we speak. I can't wait to decorate and buy presents for everyone. Yay!

 I look awful in this picture, but I'm licking Meagan's face so it's all worth it.