Back From Hiatus

It's been so long since I've posted that the web address for my blog didn't even autofill in the browser bar. Yikes.

As is always true when I sit down to blog, there is so much going through my head that I don't know where to begin. So I'll start with some photo recaps of the past few months.

In October, I decided to drive home with one of my good friends from home, Meaghan, to see the girls and baby Nora. Baby girl is the most adorable baby I have ever laid eyes on, and she is surrounded by so many people that adore her. Try to tell me you've seen a cuter baby. I won't believe you.

November flew by, thanks to a friend's wedding, a visit from mom and dad, Friendsgiving and a five-day weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving in Salem.

A friend from TFA got married near Cincinnati, OH, and I had a great time catching up with friends to celebrate her big day. The following weekend, mom and dad visited for the taping of the Country Music Christmas special, and we had a great time. It was a shorter trip than usual, but it helped make November feel full and exciting. We even found Deacon's house from the show Nashville - it's less than a mile from my place! Dad also finally tried a hot dog from the wiener truck, I Dream Of Weenie. I think it got his approval.

We definitely outdid ourselves with our second annual Friendsgiving celebration. I can't even remember what we did for food last year - it obviously wasn't good enough to be memorable. This year, though, we decided to bring our a-game, and everyone made at least one Thanksgiving dish for a potluck at my place. I am my mother's daughter - I couldn't miss an opportunity to set the table a little fancier than usual, complete with chargers, cloth napkins, and place cards. It almost felt like we were real adults (almost!). Instead of going around the table and saying what we were thankful for, we wrote things down (both funny and serious) on slips of paper, put them in a jar, and read them out loud as we ate. It was both hilarious and humbling. I have so much to be thankful for, including an amazing family of friends in Nashville.

Thanksgiving break brought with it 3 week days plus a whole weekend of vacation, and I headed to Salem Wednesday morning. It's the first time we've been to Salem as a family in years, and it was an absolute blast. It was great to see both sides of the family, although it never feels like quite enough time. One of the highlights of the weekend was hanging out with 3 of my cousins at a bar where my uncle was playing. Crazy that we are (almost) all old enough to be at a bar together - how time flies!

There's been plenty of Christmas cheer around here since Thanksgiving. I decorated my tree almost immediately upon returning to Nashville, and have been listening to Christmas music for weeks now. Although my condo doesn't even come close to being as festive as mom and dad's I've got a few decorations scattered around that will for now. Last week we watched the governor light the Christmas tree in front of the capitol building while Lee Brice sang "Silent Night" - gotta love Nashville.

This past weekend was full of festivities. Saturday morning Ashley and I participated in the Ugly Sweater Run. It was a 5K non-race with hot chocolate stations along the way and two beers waiting at the finish line. Although it was freezing cold and snowing the whole time, we had a blast people-watching and got a great workout in the process.

Saturday night was our staff holiday party, and Sunday evening a few of us went to the Matt Wertz Christmas concert, where Dave Barnes made a special appearance (and I almost fainted). Up next: Dave Barnes Christmas concert this weekend, followed by our friends Christmas party. And only 8 more days of school before a luxurious two weeks off to re-cooperate.

Work updates to come soon. I'm feeling pretty uninspired to write after an 11-hour work day.

Happy Monday!