Christmas 2014 in the Bum-Smith household was a whirlwind. There is just something about being engaged, planning a wedding, and celebrating one last round of holidays with different last names that makes each family gathering a bit more special and a little bit more crazy and wonderful. We still have not come up with a plan of what the holidays are going to look like next year. However the love and affection that our families have shown to us this year make us feel certain that our first married Christmas is going to be fantastic.
Our Christmas celebrations lasted 3 full days. We ate a lot. We opened a lot of presents. We laughed until our bellies hurt. I actually remembered to take out my camera and take some pictures. It was the perfect break from work and school.
Two days before Christmas Chase and I decided to open our stockings together and have our own mini Christmas with just the two of us. At the time we had literally just moved into our new apartment together (a post about that later). Boxes were still everywhere and we did not have time or space for a Christmas tree. But we bought a few decorations and made one little corner of our new place festive. It made it feel more like home which was much needed.
We drank hot chocolate and opened our stockings in our pajamas. I think that this may be a new Smith family Christmas tradition. It was so much fun! My favorite thing in my stocking was my new red and white scarf. It is the perfect touch of NC State pride. Chase's stocking was full of map things. Chase loves maps, geography, and anything to do with foreign countries. So of course his new map mousepad was a big hit.
Chase and I came home for Christmas Eve. My niece and nephew spent a couple of days with my parents and me, and on Christmas Eve morning I decided to make them a special Christmas treat. I found this cute idea of making a Christmas tree out of cinnamon rolls on the Internet and I decided to give it a try. It came out really cute and everyone enjoyed every single bite. I wonder what other things Chase and I could make out of cinnamon rolls for other holidays?
After Christmas Eve service at church, my family and Chase's family came together for our annual Christmas Eve dinner and present opening. We have been doing this for about four years now and it is something that we all look forward too. During this time Chase and I open the presents that we got for each other since we will not see each other on Christmas day. Then we both open the gifts that our future in-laws bought for us, and then our parents exchange gifts.
My favorite and most thoughtful gift that Chase got for me this year was a black diamond sideways cross. He picked it out all by himself and he did such a wonderful job. Chase's favorite gift this year was a large colored globe. He searched high and low for a globe that he absolutely wanted and this one was the one. I didn't know how I felt about it at first, but since we have found a place for it in the apartment, it is growing on me fast. It is what my mother would call a statement piece. One last gift that is worth mentioning is a sign that Chase decided to get for the both of us. It is solid wood and hand engraved with our new last name on it and our wedding date. I cannot wait to use it in our wedding and to hang it up in our new home together.
On Christmas day Chase and I spent time with our respective families. It was restful, beautiful, and just what we both needed. One highlight of the day was getting a family picture with my dad's parents. Mama normally doesn't have her eyes open and Papa Joe had just recovered from the flu. Seeing the both of them so awake and so in love on Christmas day was a blessing to all of us.
Flash forward to New Years day and...not much happened. Every year I say that I am going to stay up to see the ball drop, and every year I fall asleep and Chase wakes me up 5 minutes before it happens. For breakfast new years morning though we did go out for a special treat. We both are Bojangles addicts and they just came out with a new cheddar biscuit. We braved the cold and filled our tummies with this yummy goodness. We will be going back and getting more of them. They were that good!
School and work is kicking back into high gear for the both of us. So is wedding planning. 19 more days until "I Do". So much left to do, but every minute of planning is going to be completely worth it. Come back for more life updates!
S & C
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