Post-Holidays Update

Well, things are finally winding down after a very hectic but wonderful holiday season:) Kyle and I spent the weekend before Thanksgiving moving into our new apartment. We are loving the whole "our place" experience, probably moreso than with our last apartment. We're very centrally located, within 3 minutes of four grocery stores, a couple of department stores, the freeway, the bank, and the city park. We're within 15 minutes of both our families. Our new apartment is just right for us, right now:) It's a one-bedroom apartment in the best complex in the valley - not the fanciest, but definitely the best. Soon after moving in, we purchased several things that our apartment 'needed,' (we're being flexible with that term here) many with the help of generous friends and family:) We were given a nice like-new recliner, we bought a sofa/love-seat set for only $150, we were able to afford a nice television, and Kyle built a tv stand, perfectly suited to the odd arrangement of our living room. It wasn't long before the place began to feel homey:) I'll try to post some pictures at some point:)
The holidays were, of course, busy but great:) We spent Thanksgiving with my family, and the day after with Kyle's family, minus Cory who is stationed in Florida. As we transitioned into the Christmas season, we were determined to thoroughly enjoy Christmas - as many of you know, last Christmas was taken over by weddings. So this year, we made a point of including luxuries such as snuggling by the fire, watching Christmas movies, going to see Christmas light displays around town, and even (would you believe it?) playing in the snow!!! That's right, we got snow! Six whole inches of it! In our little patch of desert, that truly is a Christmas miracle;) Kyle and I spent a whole morning walking to the park down the street and playing in the snow:) I realized that Lancaster actually looks quite beautiful when all the dirt is covered up with snow!;)
As part of our determination to thoroughly enjoy Christmas, I took the whole week of Christmas off of work:) It was a WONDERFUL week!:) I got to spend nearly the whole week with Kyle, without worrying about having to wake up at 4:00 the next morning:) That in itself was a beautiful feeling;) We enjoyed spending the week together, alone and with family, and had a great Christmas with both families:)
Soon after Christmas, Kyle's parents got a call from Cory, saying that he would be flying out to visit for two weeks around New Years! That was exciting news, since we all thought Cory wouldn't be able to take leave time this holiday season. Kyle's parents were going to be out of town the first couple of days that Cory was in town - he sprung it as a surprise, so they'd already made plans - so Cory spent the first few days with us:) It has been great seeing Cory again, and we all wish he could stay longer! He will be flying back to Florida tomorrow:( I've grown a little bit protective of my new "little" brother, and will miss having him around. I am hoping that when Cory moves out to San Diego for BUDS (Navy Seal training), he will be able to visit a little bit more often, being a few hours away instead of across the country. We'll see, I suppose:) In the mean time, he has been doing very well in the Navy:)
After all the holiday craziness died down, Kyle and I did take the liberty of spending some gift money that various friends and family sent - we will be sending out real thank you cards, but 'Thank You!' to everyone who sent such generous gifts:) We bought a few lovely accent pieces for our apartment, including a great big clock that now hangs over our fireplace:) It looks great! We also bought some nice Christmas decorations, which will help make our home look more festive for years to come:) The rest of the gift money we received, we actually split, as Kyle was itching to buy a game system, haha. So, we are now the proud owners of an XBOX-360 (which Kyle, Cory, Kevin and Brian are currently playing), haha:) I found a beautiful little sewing kit and some plain white handkerchiefs, which I am embroidering, as well as a few 'new-to-me' teacups for my collection, and a lovely little display stand so that my teacups don't have to hide in the cupboard anymore:) Needless to say, Christmas was a complete outpouring of blessings for us! The best part, in my opinion, is that, in part due to many of the things we've been blessed with lately, our home has become the place to hang out for the young people in our church, whether it be for Bible study, video games, or a pot of tea and conversation! I love hearing the occasional, "Your place is comfy!" or hearing video-game-playing before I even open the door. I wouldn't trade a welcoming apartment for the fanciest house in the world:) I have loved having a full house most evenings, and hope that it stays that way:)
Well, I suppose that's pretty much all the news for now. I really need to update more frequently...I will try! Until next time..!:)