Christmas Day

*This next post is not necessarily posted in chronological order*

Christmas Day! What can I say about it? Well, I can explain more about the circumstances in my next post. :) But for now, I can say I have never felt so exhausted during a Christmas morning. I LIVE for the way Christmas makes people feel: the snow, the music, the tacky decorations. I just LOVE it! My entire Thanksgiving until December 24th are spent preparing for Christmas: Baking cookies, decorating, shopping, wrapping, cleaning, planning, singing carols from the shower.... it's just my favorite time of year.

Waking up on Christmas morning afternoon was surreal, and not the way it's supposed to go! Regardless, we were able to enjoy the time together. Doug and I still waited at the top of the stairs like anxious 6 year olds, and my dad still waited by the Christmas tree with the video camera.

Before we opened the generous gifts left under the tree, we took a moment to thank the heavens that we were all alive and together. (More later) Then... Doug and I busted into some gifts. It was so great to see such amazing gifts under the tree for us. My favorite part is watching other people opening their gifts. Seeing their faces of surprise (did Amy REALLY get me that?) or amusement (Is this wrapped in BARBIE paper?) makes me smile. My parents were very generous to Doug and I this year, and it was a very fun couple of hours we spent laughing and enjoying the gifts we received!

Among some of the fantastic gifts I received, I opened a box of amazing work boots! Ok, this is SO exciting to me! I always work outside and am in a pair of really old shoes... now I am rocking the steel toe work boot! I put them on and wanted to run outside and plant a tree! I have been wanting a nice pair for such a long time! Now, I just have to exchange my Carhartt coat for a smaller size, and I will finally fit in with all the other farmers in my classes! :)

The other gift that meant the world to me was a shadow box with a collage of VERY meaningful things inside of it. During my freshman and sophomore year, I lived in Walker Hall 333. My sophomore year, I was president of that area of campus (three buildings). My government was called CCRG - Central Campus Residential Government. I worked my tail off and fell in love with the very old buildings. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and Central Campus was decommissioned at the end of my sophomore year and demolished. Shannon and I sat in our room junior year and watched our old room of 2 years get clawed out by the construction machines. Tears welled up in our eyes as 2 years of memories were flattened in a matter of moments.

My mom found on the ISU website that the mailbox covers were being sold to alum who were interested in preserving a part of Central Campus. She did some research and bought the 333 mailbox cover and added it to more:

I was absolutely SHOCKED to see it when I opened up that box. I wanted to cry. What an amazing gift. In the shadow box she added a key chain that Shannon designed and I ordered for every resident in Central Campus. She also printed out a few goofy pictures: 1 of me hugging the pillar in front of Walker, 1 of our window above the front door, and 1 of the name plate. This is by far one of the BEST gifts I have ever received! :)

Doug and I have always been so lucky to receive such presents from our parents on Christmas - and this year was no different! Perhaps the best gift of all was life and the love we have for each other. Merry Christmas and I hope everyone had a meaningful day with their family and loved ones!