Home for the Holidays

Christmas is hands-down, by far, my most favorite time of the year. Period. It’s the one time of the year where practically everything is decked out in Christmas décor and it is the one time of the year that practically everyone is cheerful and happy to be around. I love winter. I love ice-skating. I love skiing. I love shopping with the fam. I love making sugar cookies with friends. I love making holiday cards. I love the Starbucks holiday cups. I love caroling. I love sledding. I love fudge. I love Santa.

Clearly I love an overwhelming amount of things when it comes to Christmas and the winter season. So, naturally, I have a mental list of things I want to do when I am home for the holidays. I have been home for a week now and I have had the absolute joy in spending the utmost amount of time with my friends and family. (1)I have made Christmas cookies and holiday cards with Talor, Emily and Laura…we dressed up in elf costumes, ugly Christmas sweaters, and I do believe a cowboy hat somehow made it into this outrageous picture.(2) I have also been to Snowflake Lane multiple times by now…you’d think it’d be old by now, but it’s not! Getting pictures with the infamous Snow Queen and the drop-dead sexy drummer were clearly some highlights of the night and boy do we have pictures to prove it!(3) As my second time at Snowflake Lane, I went with my mom’s side of the family, as it is a little tradition we have adopted over the years.(4) We went shopping at Bellevue Square for a couple of hours prior to Snowflake Lane and then headed over to Palominos. It’s an Italian restaurant right next door to Lincoln Square.(5) Last night, Emily, Talor and I went downtown to Seattle and did a little shopping, got a bite to eat at the Nordstrom Café (dungeness crab bisque obviously), and then got a horse carriage ride around the city! (6)In the midst of all the holiday chaos, I managed to make a visit to my old roots...high school. Yes, the one place I pretty much swore I would never go back. But, all in all, it was really great to say hello to all my favorite teachers and see some of the seniors that I miss. Needless to say, I am SO GLAD I am in college. I love everything about it.

Not too much longer, another 11ish days and I will be back!