December 2010 / with candor

'Twas the night before Christmas...

life lately

Decemberings.

Tall buildings. A movie in the park. Barnes & Noble. The Houston Zoo. A novel about werewolves. 70 degree weather on the first day of winter. Chicken and sausage gumbo. An Inception party. Pumpkin pie. Running a mile for the first time in months. Good conversation among siblings. A dirty chai with soy milk. Eyelash wishes. Panini makers and wine carriers. A game of bowling. Daily mass and reconciliation. The trio reunion. A Thomas Kinkade Christmas clock. The Woodlands Mall. Soft slippery socks. A downtown farmers' market. Meeting my baby cousin. Traffic-free highways. Panera Bread. Christmas carols on repeat. Constant picture-taking. Nerdy board games. Making fun of Miley Cyrus's acting in The Last Song. A lunar eclipse on a cloudy night. Sugar cookies and multi-colored frosting. An ice skating rink. Cologne-sniffing at Sephora. A beautiful Catholic wedding. Laughter at 4:00am. Humming along to the music in Burlesque. Red velvet cake balls. Numerous road trips. A black sequined dress. Waiting for a sign. A cranky old man wearing a Santa hat. Back massages that tickle. Egg nog after dinner. A very hilarious uncle. Peppermint sticks. The anticipation of our Savior's birth.

...and so much more to come.

Photo by Aurélien Lemasson-Théobald.

college holidays home sweet Houston

Home for the holidays.

Alas, my first semester of college has come to a close, and the only thing on my mind is Christmas. Oh, the joy! I can't even begin to describe how amazing it feels to be home for a whole month.

[I brought a friend back with me! Originally from Longview, Megan is visiting Houston for the first time.]

There will definitely be more posts on the way... But for the time being, I'm going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the freedom that comes with my highly-anticipated winter break. (Now, if only the weather would cooperate—70 degrees is simply not okay in the middle of December.)

holidays

Christmas songs.

In the spirit of Christmas, I've decided to change this question up a bit. Instead of telling you my "favorite cover of my favorite song" (because, well, I feel like I've already covered that), I'm going to list my three favorite Christmas songs (because choosing only one would be impossible).

1.) "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey

Okay, who doesn't love this song? Every time I hear it, I can't help but sing and dance along. It's also sort of a tradition for Lance and I to rock out to this fun ditty on the way to Louisiana each year. So, as you can imagine, listening to it brings back a lot of good memories.

2.) "Where Are You Christmas" by Faith Hill

Ever since my grandma bought the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas ten years ago, I've been obsessed with this one. There's just something so sweet and sentimental about the lyrics, especially when it's sung by little Cindy Lou Who.

3.) "O Holy Night" by Josh Groban

A classic. His beautiful voice is enough to bring a person to tears.

college life lately

This past weekend...

is now at the top of the list of my favorite weekends so far this semester. Due to the fact that Friday was our last day of classes (hallelujah!), I didn't have any studying or homework to complete for this week! And therefore, I felt an uncommon sense of freedom and a strong urge to get away from campus and do something fun. Can you believe it? I actually wanted to be social. Weird, right? (Only kidding! ...Well, sort of.)

cinema family

First memory.

One of my first memories.

When I was a wee little munchkin (like four or five years old), Dad would sometimes watch The Little Mermaid with me before bedtime because he knew it was my favorite. I remember sitting on his lap and humming along to "Part of Your World" while rocking back and forth in our orange early '90s-style rocker recliner. I was obsessed with Ariel's beautiful red hair and angelic voice, and I wanted so badly to be a mermaid in an underwater world. On many occasions, after the movie had ended, Dad would carry me to my room, tuck me in, and kneel beside my bed to thank the Lord for all of the day's blessings. One particular evening, after our prayers had been said and he was about to go downstairs, I asked him with childlike curiosity what he thought Heaven might be like. A smile instantly spread across his face, and he began by telling me that God knows the deepest desires of His children, and that Heaven is a place where all of our dreams will come true. "Does that mean that I can be a mermaid in Heaven?" I asked with wide eyes, my excitement growing by the second. Dad nodded with just as much enthusiasm, and went on to describe my younger self's idea of complete happiness: a magical kingdom under the sea, with God as (a kinder and gentler version of) King Triton, and all of us as His mer-sons and mer-daughters, blissfully swimming in a clear blue ocean for eternity. It seems a bit silly now, but my little five-year old heart was glowing as I imagined such a place.

Although this may not have been my first memory (or even my second or third), it's definitely on my list of the top ten most cherished. The truth is, I'll never forgot my daddy's reply, so perfect and sweet.