Thought I would take some time to update the blog while Josh and Dad wind down on Christmas Day watching a movie. It's been a while since I posted, so this one is rather long - I think they always end up that way!
Josh and I have been celebrating Christmas with my dad. He flew in on Sunday and will be flying home tomorrow. It has truly been a blessing to spend time with him. Even though my days have been long with training for my new job, I have enjoyed being able to spend time with him in the evenings. I was able to get off work early yesterday, so I had yesterday and all day today to spend time with him and celebrate Christmas with him and Josh. God is good!
Josh and I have been pretty busy lately. We've been working on some projects around the house...and we have lots more projects yet to do! So far, we've painted the downstairs bathroom and Josh put up crown molding after we painted. Here is the end result...
Although we thought we were being smart when we decided to start our painting projects with the smallest room in the house, we soon realized our mistake! Painting around cabinets, shower stalls, mirrors, etc. is no small task...needless to say, we had lots of touch up!
Josh did such a great job with the crown molding...he's such a handy man to have around!
We also received our family coat of arms and were able to install them in our formerly bare niche! Turns out both of us are of English descent!
We celebrated Thanksgiving with our friend Nadia. Her husband was training, so she and I cooked up a grand feast...we had LOTS of leftovers!
Even though it was only the three of us, I decorated the entire dining room table...couldn't help myself :-)
Getting ready to eat!!! Yum! Yum!
Josh, Nadia and I
Nadia and Liam
Nadia and one of her dogs...Noble
We also had the Marine Corps Ball on November 20th. I didn't get to take as many pictures as I would have liked because we were so busy meeting all of the men and women from Josh's new squadron. We had a blast! And I actually received a call that night telling me that I had been selected to work for Chase Bank. I will be working as a Licensed Personal Banker...right now I am studying for my Series 6 license which will allow me to sell mutual funds. After taking the Series 6 exam, I will then take the Series 63 exam and the Life Insurance exam. The studying has been tough, but it will all be worth it in the end!
Getting ready to head out for a night of dancing and USMC birthday celebration!
Me and Josh with CWO Buckner - this guy is awesome!
The ball took place at the Catamaran Resort in Del Mar. It is located along the bay, so we had a beautiful view from the deck.
Josh's squadron also had their annual Christmas party. Again, we were too busy socializing to get many pictures, but here is one of us by the Christmas tree.
Josh's squadron also had their annual Christmas party. Again, we were too busy socializing to get many pictures, but here is one of us by the Christmas tree.
And of course, we decorated the house for Christmas! Josh decided he wanted a nice big Christmas tree this year since we had so much room. I think next year we will be downsizing...that thing is HUGE!
Yes, Josh had to get out his 8 foot ladder to get the netting off the tree! And we had to use the ladder to finish decorating the tree!
Liam decided he wanted "Eau De Pine" breath...
Vega: "Mama, what's Daddy doing under the tree?"
Me: "I think the tree is eating Daddy!"
We had to buy more lights!
And it's finally decorated! YEAH!
Garfunkle: "Mama, can I keep him?"
Outdoor decorations
Indoor decorations
Since we had the tree in the library, we decided to have the stockings close to the tree instead of hanging from the fireplace.
This is the wreath that my friend Bridget made for us a couple years ago...isn't it BEAUTIFUL!?!
And finally, the Santa quilt that I found at a thrift store for $2.50...what a deal!
Josh (Santa) brought me a fantastic camera for Christmas, and ONCE I LEARN HOW TO USE IT (haha!) I will be posting more pictures from our Christmas celebration. We hope that all of you have a wonderfully Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with love, laughter and many blessings! We love you all!
"Eternal God, this joyful day is radiant with the brilliance of your one true light. May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do. May we share the divine life of your son Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity. Bless us and let us be thankful for the true gift of Christmas, your son."
