I still want a hoooola hooooop

Well, it's already Christmas Eve and all of our presents are opened, and my sweet Brent is already gone...

Monday, Brent and I drove back to Garland. I listened to Wuthering Heights the whole way, and I had a bit of an accent when we got home. I didn't do too much that was Christmasy this day ...just ate a Christmas tree cookie and shook different packages under the tree.

Tuesday (my birthday) Brent and I went to see Avatar ...and it was EPIC. For real. EPIC. Then we shopped at the mall for a little bit and I ran into my best friend Natty!! That was a great little birthday surprise. Then my parents, Brent, and I went out to dinner at Sciliano's for my birthday and we all watched the Santa Clause while I worked on my sister's homemade napkins (which turned out really good, if I do say so myself).

Wednesday, I helped Brent wrap his homemade Christmas presents and we watched TV and went to Taco Bell. I don't know why I felt I should mention Taco Bell. So then Taylor and Lance came over to celebrate my birthday and we had our amazing American Beauty Cake!! Then we all hung out for a while and opened our Christmas presents from the Westbrooks.

Thursday (today), our Christmas finally came!! Lance made us breakfast first thing in the morning, and then I went to my traditional post of handing out Christmas presents to everyone. At the Tuerck household, we like to watch EVERYONE open their Christmas presents. So when too many people attempt to open their presents at the same time, it's very frustrating for us. So the passer-outter (me) maintains the flow of gift opening so everyone can watch and have something to open. I really, really enjoy watching people open their presents!! Even when I didn't give it to them, it's great to see how excited they are when they get something wonderful!! It was a really great Christmas, and I got tons of stuff that I wanted/love and didn't know I wanted this badly.

Brent had to leave shortly after we opened our presents, but at least I didn't cry this time. It was actually pretty ironic that the one time it started snowing on Christmas Eve, I was praying against it so that my sweet Brent could make it back to Tulsa safely. I think that one of the reasons that I wasn't as upset this time is that I know this is the last Christmas break I will ever have to spend without him. That makes me very excited!! Next Christmas, he won't be as stressed having to participate in 3 different Christmases by himself, and I'll get to be with my love through the whole holiday season!! Oh, I can't wait.

My Christmas celebrations thus far...

Well, I have been trying to keep up with my "something Christmasy" every day until Christmas. So far, I have been quite successful.

Thursday we celebrated my birthday at work!! They ordered pizza for the office, and then had THE most epic cake EVER. It was chocolate cake, with a layer of chocolate WHIPPED icing, then ANOTHER layer of chocolate BUTTERCREAM icing. The whole cake weighed like 8 pounds ...it was amazing. Then that night, Bekah and I went to B-Dubs and celebrated our roommate Christmas!! The wings were especially tasty, and it was fun to get to hang out just the two of us before break!! After dinner, we went back to the apartment and she gave me a new pair of houseshoes, and I gave her Elf on DVD and then a hat and glove set. We then proceeded to watch Elf while I painted a gift for my parents.

Then Friday was our big Christmas celebration at work!! We had a huge Christmas potluck for lunch, then two different gift exchanges. The first exchange was for Dirty Santa, with a $20 limit. At first, I opened a mojito kit. I didn't even know what it was ...I thought it was a set of vases. Luckily, I didn't say this out loud. Anyways, it was accompanied with a bottle of Bacardi. I immediately commenced the praying that someone would steal it from me. I didn't have to wait long, thankfully. Then I ended up with a neck massager, so I was happy again!! Yay, something I'll actually use!! Then we had our Secret Santa gift exchange, and my Santa (whom I found out was Suzie, our receptionist) gave me a craft organizer. It was awesome!! Then that night Brent took me to dinner for my birthday!! We went to Jonny Carinos and I got this "Skilletini," which was really tasty ...and a bit more manly than Brent's meal. And he gave me a beautiful bracelet with Xs and Os (which unfortunately, he had to point out to me). But I loved it.

Then on Saturday, we drove to Tulsa to spend a few days with Brent's family. So we went out to dinner at Lonestar, and then came back and they SHOWERED me with gifts!! Not only did they give me lots of great Christmas presents (like sweaters, shoes, laptop tray, and other goodies), but they also had a stocking for me ...full of nice perfume, socks, and $150 in gift cards!!!! I couldn't believe it. I was really blown away!! Then I gave Kim and Dawn my gifts for them, and I was REALLY excited to give Kim the Poison Ivy Barbie that I bought for her. She flipped out when she opened it, so I think that it went well. Then Brent and I watched the 6th Harry Potter movie. I'm a nerd. The books were good!! And after a while, you start to miss the Wizarding World. You just wait til you read it ...you'll get hooked too.

Then today (Sunday), we went to church and heard about the Christmas story and sang Christmas songs. Then I gave Brent's dad his Christmas gift. I know that this isn't QUITE as much as the other days, but it's still SOMETHING Christmasy. So far, mission is proving successful.

It's MY fa-la-la-lifetime!

Well, Bekah and I have been keeping a countdown of the days until break and until Christmas posted on our fridge. Today, the number counting down to Christmas dropped down to the single digits. Yes, my friends, only NINE days until Christmas!! So today I decided that I want to do something Christmasy every day until Christmas day (and hopefully I'll write about it ...keep the spirit alive for posterity and all that).

Today we had the youth group Dirty Santa gift exchange. Brent and I always buy our presents for those at Dollar Tree ...and we continued with the tradition again. I brought a badminton set, and "he" (even though I bought parts of it, put it together, and wrapped it) brought some gag gifts and Puppy Chow. Over all, both gifts were a hit. I measure whether gifts are a hit at exchanges by whether anyone wanted to steal it or not. Both were stolen, so I count the night a Christmas success!! Brent ended up with a Sock Monkey, and I got a $10 gift card to GameStop (I don't exactly shop there all the time, but I still walked away with more than I brought, so success #2)!!

Tomorrow is also my last final of my fall semester EVER!! oh, joy!! Although I feel like my week decided to save the worst for last. Tomorrow we are given two questions. We pick one, and write about it for two hours. I hope I know what I'm talking about, because this one essay will end up being 30% of my overall grade. Ridiculous, I know. But I'm crazy excited for Friday and being DONE with finals!!! Plus, over Christmas, I finally get to do some much-needed wedding planning. Oh, I can't wait!!

Getting Close

Well, the end of the semester AND Christmas are getting closer and closer!! Today was the last Monday that I will ever be in chapel at OC (since next semester I'll be working on Mondays). Weird, huh?! It's hard when you feel like time flies by too quickly. The more you try to hang on to it, the more it seems to slip by faster and faster. I only have two weeks left in this semester, and then my 22nd birthday and Christmas are right around the corner!! I want to soak up every minute of the holidays and being with my friends. But (almost, unfortunately) time flies when you're having fun, so my semester has gone REALLY quickly.

I'll miss being in college and getting to hang out with all my friends, but at the same time, I'm so ready to graduate!! I'm way too excited about getting married and starting a life with Brent to pretend like I want to stay in college forever ...but I don't mind making the most of it while it's here.

Thanks and Giving

Already done with Thanksgiving break, and only two and a half weeks of the semester left. Wow. Time really flies. In less than a month, I'm going to be 22 ...and one month from now, it will already be 2010. That's the year I get married!! Can you believe it?! I'm soo excited for Christmas break and my future with Brent!! aw, yay. Anyways...

Thanksgiving went well ...times four. Yep, I had four times to be thankful with friends and family!! How blessed (and now, chubby) am I?!

I had my first Thanksgiving with my sweet Brent, Bekah, and Lane. Plus, I cooked my first turkey!! I was so proud of myself. We had turkey, homemade mashed potatoes, boxed stuffing, gravy from a can, green beans from a bag, and bread from a pan package. Ah, the budget of four college kids!! Highlights from #1: we sat on the floor (we don't have a table), drank sparkling cider, and I cooked my first turkey!!

Then the second Thanksgiving was at Brent's mom's house. It, again, was tasty. This was my first Thanksgiving with Brent's family, and it was a lot of fun. It was really sweet to see how excited his mom was to see us. Highlights of #2 (hehe): Brent ate half a pie, I was under-dressed, and we still got to watch Glee.

Third Thanksgiving was at Brent's grandparents' house. And again, it was tasty. Highlights of #3: cherry cheesecake pie (mmmm), Brent's grandmother was really sweet, I saw the fattest weenie dog EVER, and I accidentally left the price tag on Brent's dad's birthday present.

Then we drove down to Garland for our final Thanksgiving with my family. Once again, it was tasty. My sister brought my favorite triple chocolate pie!! mmmmm. Highlights of #4: triple chocolate pie, sister and I talking while everyone else took naps, Black Friday shopping (9 stores in 5 hours!!), Christmas decorating, and family time.

And now, pictures from Thanksgiving #1...