Man I've been Slackin'!

I feel terrible! I haven't updated for weeks! I have so much work to do if I am going to be able to make it up to you!

To start with, I finished a post that I started a while ago. I had tried to add pictures to it, but I think that Blogger's server was down or something, because it just didn't want to load my pictures. So, take a few minutes to browse through the new pictures in the post from November 12.

So, what has happened since November 12, you ask? What hasn't happened since November 12! Since then I have traveled to Virginia's Shenendoah National Park to see the fall colors on the trees (I'm going to post some of my pictures from this soon, don't worry). I have surprised my friends in College Station by showing up (almost completely) unannounced. I spent a few days with my mom and stepdad in Austin. Spent 7 hours in the car on the way to Beaumont, TX, with a dog in my lap I might add! I spent Thanksgiving day eating way too much food and playing guitar hero with my uncle from Lake Charles, LA.

I drove home to Austin with my dad, stepmom, and sister, getting home just in time to slide in front of the tv for the kickoff. If you don't know what kickoff I'm talking about, I must say that I am a bit shocked! The kickoff for the Texas A&M vs. University of Texas football game! THE rivalry game of the season! During the tense game I cooked an insanely large amount of chicken spaghetti on Tammy's amazing new gas stove. I think I'm in love... with her kitchen! I can't wait until Christmas break, when I can cook all sorts of delicious things on that amazing stove! I should've taken a picture of it, but I didn't think about it at the time. Darn. Anyway, back to the game. We won! Whoop! I won't spend too much time gloating over our victory, because I don't want to hurt the sensitive feelings of the Longhorns, who have now lost two years in a row... *sniff sniff*. I still can't believe we won.

College Station was a blast! I miss that town so much! Well, not so much the town itself, but all of my people! It felt so wonderful just to sit in my living room surrounded by the people that I love and have missed for months! I got into town about 10 pm on Saturday and, of course, it was pouring down rain. Absolutely POURING! After I worked up my nerve, I jumped out of the car and ran to the front door. I pulled back the screen door and knocked. Kyle knew to make Christina open the door (she was still completely clueless that I was coming). I heard her fumbling with the lock, and I just stood there dripping with water with a most likely ridiculous grin on my face. She looked at me for a second, and then it finally sank in that I was standing on the doorstep and she flipped out! She jumped about three feet in the air, then launched herself straight at me. It was great!

While still hugging we somehow managed to make it into the house and off the doorstep. Everyone inside had come to the door to see what the heck Christina was freaking out about, and it was hilarious to see the shocked expressions. It was hugs all around, and I just about cried I was so happy to be home. After standing there for several minutes, someone said that there were even more people on the patio that still didn't know I was there. I ran out to the porch, flew through the door and found Greg and Swink, two of my best guy friends chatting. The looks on their faces were priceless as I pranced out of the door. I think I was the last thing they were expecting to see!

After everyone knew I was back, we moved into the living room and I grabbed some food; I hadn't eaten since my 'interesting' pizza from Subway in the DC airport. As I sat there trying to eat dinner and talk to everybody I looked around and realized that everyone in the room was looking at me. I didn't really know what to do or who to look at. I was just so happy to be home! We ended up watching Elf and just hanging out. The next morning at church it was even better! People just came running. I felt so loved! I can't wait to go back next semester.

Yesterday after a delicious meal of Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas at Matt's El Rancho I went to my uncle's house in Hutto and got to see more family. My grandparents were in town staying with my two uncles, and it was really good to see all of them.

I went home last night to a beautifully decorated bedroom in my dad's new house. We had gone to Anthropologie to get new bedding for my room. I picked out an absolutely precious duvet with blues, aquas, and yellows, and with the help of the store's Visual Director chose accent pillows, a bedskirt, pillow shams, and rugs. Nothing matches, and it's all adorable! I absolutely love it! The room is very fun and light. Tammy calls it the "Happy Room." Apparently Bertie, our Golden Retriever, had a great time 'helping' them while they were decorating.

I woke up at 3:45 a.m. this morning so that i could make it to the airport early enough to get on my 6:00 a.m. flight to DC. Ew. Amazingly enough it's warmer here in DC now than it is in Texas! I'm hoping that I took all of the cold weather with me to Texas and that it stays there for a while. I've had enough of the cold already!

One positive about the cold weather is the exciting new extracurricular activity of ice-skating! Outdoors! I know, what a concept! In the winter they turn a giant fountain in the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden into an iceskating rink. Me and my roommates might go tomorrow after work. Don't worry, I will inform you thoroughly about how much of a fool I make of myself. I don't think I have iceskated in about 6 years, at least! I'll be lucky if I walk away with only a few bruises. Goodness gracious.

Whew. I'm going to go finish my laundry and maybe get to bed early so that I'll have a good start tomorrow morning at work. I'm sure I have a huge stack of things to do that have accumulated in my absence. Eeek. Oh, and by using my amazing anthropological skills I have discovered the reason why people who visit DC (tourists) think that Washingtonians are rude. Interestingly enough it's all about escalators. But I will save that little gem for another post. I have to keep y'all coming back somehow!

Thanks so much for reading this. I really do appreciate every single comment or kind word that I get about my blog. Y'all are amazing! I am so thankful for you! Have a beautiful day!