A Soldier's Silent Night

I saw this video on facebook a little bit ago. It moved me to tears  (which isn't much of a surprise)

While you spend these last few days getting ready for Christmas, take time to remember those who aren't with their family this year. I have two friends who are in Afganistan this holiday. I just pray that they have a good Christmas this year and that their families are able to enjoy the holiday even in their absence. I pray this for not just my friends, but for all of our troops.

You’re a COLD one Mr. Grinch

Matt’s work had their holiday party last Friday. It was at a yummy Mexican restaurant in the National Harbor.

After the lunch party, we decided to go check out the ICE! exhibit.

It was really neat and VERY cold! Everything was made of colored ice blocks. The exhibit was a toasty 9 degrees. Even with the parkas they gave us I was pretty cold. It didn’t help that I had on a dress with tights. ( I kept getting a very COLD draft up my dress!)

 

The parka was over my regular jacket and scarf and I was still cold!

With Mr. Grinch

The Grinch making his reindeer!

The ice slide. I didn’t go because I had on a dress and didn’t want to give an extra show!

Had to take a pic of the ice cake!!

The ice nativity scene was really amazing and beautiful – even if it was a little random after all that Grinch stuff. But a nice reminder of the real reason for the season.

 

Christmas tree made entirely of Peeps!

Pretty tree . The lights danced and changed colors along with the music playing.

It was a really fun afternoon! If you ever get a chance to see one of the ICE! Experience exhibits I recommend it. I tried to find a link to it, but I just saw a lot of different links to Gaylord hotels. I guess they are all connected to the hotel chain.

I go back

Last Wednesday night Matt and I got the chance to go back to College Park for a Maryland Basketball game.

Matt and I met in college freshman year and most of the people I was friends with freshman year are the people I am still friends with today.

I say often that I miss college. I don’t miss the papers, and walking to class in the bitter cold. But I do miss having my friends around 24/7 and going to basketball games.

I tried to go to all home games, even the ones over winter break. I was one of those who would go early to save seats with my textbook and homework. (ear muffs mom and dad) Even when I had a test or paper the next day I was at Comcast Center cheering on the Terps.

I miss that a lot.

The day after Thanksgiving my grandfather called and asked if we wanted 2 tickets to UMD b-ball. I called Matt and even though getting there on a work night might mean sitting in a decent amount of traffic we decided to go.

On the way there Matt tells me the team we are playing are really bad. They don’t even have a win. So we knew this game would most likely be a win, and probably a blow out.

 

Testudo getting everyone pumped up before the game.

Tip off

I have never been a dancer (ok maybe for like 1 year when I was like 6 ) but I love the dance team. It was always one of my favorite parts of the games. I had a friend on the dance team and I would always go in her dorm room and show her my versions of the dances. Always hilarious and horrible!!

 

Gary Williams – I remember when I started school he was in like his 16th season with UMD. Now he is in his 22nd.

We had a great time. The Terps won 99 to 56. I was begging them to take one more shot because I bet they would get to 100. But they played it safe and let the clock run out at the end. A win is a win!

I hope this we can catch another game this season. I also hope one day I will have season tickets. It is a goal of mine. I know my dad would like it too! :-D

Now… it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 

Now that it is December I am officially ready to start thinking about Christmas. I took time to reflect on how much I have to be thankful for, and now I can focus on the reason of the season.

I love Christmas.

I started collecting pink Christmas ornaments sometime in college. I knew one day I would have my own Christmas tree and I have always envisioned a pink tree with white lights and a green tree skirt.

Pink and green are my favorite colors.

Lucky for me Matt didn’t object to my oober girly tree.

My mom also made a wreath for my door to match the theme of the tree.

I have plans to make an ornament ball wreath, but it might not happen until next year. We shall see.

 

 

Before

 

After

 

The best part about where our tree goes is that you can basically see all 360 degrees of the tree. Which is good because I have a TON of ornaments.

I showed you some of my favorites but there are tons more that I love!!

We are also celebrating Hanukkah right now. Wednesday night we had a 3 way call with Matt’s parents in Miami and his sister in Atlanta and we all lit the candles together. Matt and I were gone for the weekend but we resumed the lighting of the candles Sunday night and tonight. I love it. I am trying to learn the Hebrew so I can say the blessings to0, but I am a pretty slow learner I guess. Maybe next year I will get it down!