Over-due Christmas Photos

I know that I am running a little behind here, but here are some shots from our family Christmas gathering. My brother and his girlfriend hosted the amazing dinner in their home. 

{Gabe-my brother, Me, & Taylor-his girlfriend}

Look at that gorge kitchen- done by the two of them!

 

 Taylor prepared a hot chocolate bar with homemade marshmallows and all kinds of other goodies. Can we say domestic diva? 

{silly family photo}

Even Charlie dressed up. He hates getting his photo taken, so I am the crazy aunt running around trying to capture him with my Canon monster. I wish I had taken photos of the table, but obviously I was more concerned with the sweets! 

That's it for now!

Santa Always Knows...

Even at age 28 (29 in one more month...eep!) I can say without a doubt, Santa always knows best. I have been dealing with a lot of ups and downs lately, and as much as I want a smooth ride, I think I need to just brace myself and go with it. That whole cheese-ball analogy, along with my love for being outdoors made this gift the perfect one for me this year.

-a fabulous retro beach cruiser-

(find it here)

Now, all I need is a basket and a bell and call me a wanna-be 1950's California girl.  I went on a bike ride with my Dad yesterday, and there is something about being in the fresh air and clearing my mind that I find is absolutely necessary for me.  I forget this on a regular basis.  I use to do this running when I lived in South Carolina, but living back in South Florida in the hot and humid temps, I need to get myself re-acclimated to elevated heart rates in the tropics. 

So for right now, I just need to enjoy the ride and not forget that a little fresh air can go a long way.

What did you get for Christmas? I hope it was oh-so-merry!