Chapter One-Hundred-and-Sixteen: Merry Christmas

The first day of winter was on the 21st, but the chilly front that swept across most of North America came before that! As the Texas temperatures slowly climb back up to normal southern winter conditions, I'm slowly rocking back into my home life.
The semester ended earlier this month, but before finals crept in, Texas Tech had its annual Carol of the Lights celebration. This is when the center of campus is filled with the sound of Christmas music and carols and, at the end, beautiful lights. The entire ceremony starts with Saddle Tramps carrying bright red torches down an aisle formed by crowds of students, alumni, and curious children.

 

**Drama**

The ceremony continues with Christmas carols and songs performed by various groups such as the choir, esteemed opera singers or alumni performers, and various trombones. The sequence ends when, after a dramatic build-up and swelling of music, the beautiful lights illuminate the campus we all love so dearly.

Taadaaa!

It's all quite fun and romantic - which is why Luke and I really enjoyed our time. It was freezing cold and rain was at a constant drizzle, so we quickly returned home to share some hot chocolate and play some video games in the warm, warm house. 

A couple of days later Luke invited me to his church for a pianist Christmas concert. They played some classics as well as some combined melodies that were still pleasing to the ear. It was very fun and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. Thanks, Luke!

*insert piano music here*

Luke being Luke and getting into my shot

The next few days seemed to fly by with finals approaching. Students struggled to learn a semester's worth of material in a few days, and groups desperately tried to meet with each other to complete projects and papers. It was quite a feat to make room for group projects in the calendar - especially when there are three different groups to meet with that same week! Despite all the scheduling conflicts and complications, there was still room for fun and relaxation. In between it all, Nikki and I took the pigs on a special trip to PETSMART. I took a traditional family photo with the pigs and Santa himself. Copper was frozen from fright of the jolly fellow whereas Tod just wanted to hide in my sweater. We finally got a decent picture out...something for the books! Nikki enjoyed smiling at all the dogs waiting in line for Santa, and I appreciated her help to make this picture happen! It was a very fun experience and also a great opportunity to pick up the pigs' Christmas gifts.

Smile!!

That same day my housemates and I decided to take some jolly Christmas photos too. It was a rough semester for all of us, so we all asked Santa to please send us a better one in the spring! We still find time for each other in the bustle of studying and hanging out with friends and, after living in an actual house and doing actual house chores, still like each other! So here's a photo to prove it:

Sincere smiles, I swear

The night before leaving for home (as opposed to the Lubbock home), Luke and I went out to gaze at Christmas lights in Lubbock. We stumbled upon some very nice houses, which means their lights were out of this world (as was their electricity bill, I'm sure). We enjoyed the night out with the soft murmur of Christmas music on the radio as well as the twinkling lights to commemorate the impending holiday. 

Nice!

Inflatable Fun

Upon returning home for the holidays, I followed Dad on a Saturday morning to help with Blue Christmas, a nice holiday present for families in the area I live in. The fire department and police department come together to buy and deliver Christmas presents to families in need. At the volunteer sight, Dad and I (and many others!) received information (such as age and gender of children) and got to pick out fun toys for the family. It's very fun to pick and choose what the family will receive for their gifts, but it's hard work! Still, giving back to the community is so essential to a healthy lifestyle, and I'm glad I have a family that values that so much. 

Toys organized by gender and age! Woow!

Dad picking out some dolls for a little girl

On Thursday, I took the guinea pigs to our vet because Tod was giving me signs of a sinus issue. While they don't really like getting poked (to feel their lymph nodes) or prodded (to see the inside of their ears) or nails cut (because they were really long), it's all worth it in the end because healthy piggies are happy piggies! Tod ended up having an upper respiratory issue, so we received some banana-flavored antibiotics to treat the issue. So far, so good...although, I'm pretty sure the banana flavor must not be good, based on the way Tod dreads seeing the syringe. Regardless, I'm just very thankful we caught it early and that Tod's health is improving!!

The next day my best friends and I got together again and went window-shopping at a nice mall. It was Christmas Eve Eve... in other words, very busy. It was nice to hang with my girls though... we went to LUSH and walked into fancy stores that made us laugh with outrageous prices. 

Fancy Mall Fountain

Fancy Mall Reindeer

Fancy Mall Kitchen

Fancy Mall Art

Fancy Mall Pretenders

After shopping until literally dropping, we did walk away with some pretty cool stuff. I got my Christmas Eve Mass outfit, which I promptly wore the next day. Thanks to Mom for cute black ankle boots, I was all set to feel and look my best!

Sporting a sheer heart-patterned top with a black cardigan complimented by mauve skinny jeans and black ankle boots as well as a dog companion. Winter Fashion 2016.

But enough of that... let's get to the juicy stuff: Christmas!! 

Christmas morning was an early one for Mom, who cooked and cooked and cooked in anticipation for lunch. We arrived to my sister's house for the complete showdown: Kids vs. Presents. It was a close match, especially when the kids would get distracted by their new toy and not feel interested to open any more presents. However, thanks to some helpful parents and proper focusing, the presents were vanquished!! 

Round 1

Round 2

Success!!

After the presents were opened and thanked for, the house was full of sounds of new toys. Stuffed animals were singing, marbles clattered on plastic ramps and loops, and airplanes made cool whoosh noises. Then, at lunch time, we ate our Christmas feast. We then returned home, and relaxed the rest of the evening. It was a very Merry Christmas indeed.

Merry Christmas!!

The Guinea pigs also had a wonderful Christmas morning. They finally got to look into their little stockings that Santa had filled, and boy, did they enjoy their new toys!! Maybe visiting Santa will be a little easier next year knowing he really does listen to you.

Oh boy oh boy

Twas the day AFTER Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, except for the pigs who liked to bounce

The stockings were empty and scattered on the floor

While the kids and pigs secretly hoped there was more

The adults were nestled all snug in their beds

while visions of delicious leftovers danced in their heads...

From me to you, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. I wish the best for the new year! Thanks for reading...and to all a good night!