Winter Happiness

Hey lovelies!
It’s December! The best month of the year. The month of Christmas and hot chocolates and blankets. The month where I get to wear as many layers as I want without being questioned.
Anyway, it’s been a rather stressful week but I was able to end the week on a positive note! Lately, I’ve been consumed in my studies and work, which hasn’t been all that exciting. Tuesday, one of the little girls at daycare had decided that it’d be a good idea to shut the door on my hand, breaking both my middle and ring finger. Haha, no really, it was completely an accident and despite my fingers being in blistering pain, I was hurt that I made her cry from her feeling guilty. The next day, she made me a “Sorry” card and told me that I could hurt her finger if I wanted to! Cutest thing ever! It’s impossible to hold a grudge against children, they’re too sweet and adorable! Nonetheless, I have been nurturing them for the past few days and both are healing well. The injury has also made work and classes a little harder since I have a hard time writing with two broken fingers!


Anyway, when things head south for me, I try to cherish the little things. So let’s see. Firstly, I’m wearing my favorite sweater, curled up on the couch and drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate with little marshmallows. Secondly, my hair actually managed to stay in a bun today. Hmm...and lastly, I had an eventful day spending time with my love, from Christmas tree shopping, to bell ringing for the Salvation Army, to ice skating and a nice dinner. Just some little things that lead to little memories. But sometimes those little things take up the most room in your heart.


In my family, It is tradition to cut down a Christmas tree. I can remember ever since I was little, we would always go to a tree farm a few miles from my hometown and cut one down, my brother and father taking turns cutting with the little hand saw while the my mother, my sister, and I would watch in the freezing cold. It was always a highlight of December and even though I couldn’t participate in the annual tradition this year with my family, I did it with my new “family”, Sammie, Jade, Ally, and me! It was a forty minute hike from the city to the nearest tree farm but luckily, Jade still had her Dad’s truck, which made everything possible. The tree farm was beautiful and much different than the one my family goes to. This one was more natural, set in a woods that not only held small five to six foot pine trees, but twenty to thirty feet trees as well! It had snowed yet again today, which gave all the trees a blanket of white beauty. With the smell of fresh pine in the air, it was a captivating moment. We wandered through rows and rows of pine trees, singing Christmas carols aloud, until we all agreed on one, a beautiful six-foot, bushy, and full tree. We all took turns cutting it down and dragging it to the muscular men up front who helped us wrap it and put it in the truck. The tree went in Jade and Ally’s part of the house, but we are in and out of each other’s houses so much that is is basically just one big house shared by all four of us. They decorated it in neat lights, red ribbon, and green, red, and silver ornaments. It’s beginning to look alot like Christmas in our cozy, little home!


After Christmas tree shopping, Sammie and I went to the mall to ring bells for the Salvation Army, something me and my sister have been doing since we were little girls, but this time I had a different companion! If you know me, you know that I am rather active in charity work and ringing bells is by far one of my favorite charitable things to do. It is overwhelmingly joyful to make a difference in this world, whether that difference is big or small. Ringing bells for a good cause, while singing Christmas carols aloud and making people smile, while doing it with your best friend in the entire world makes you feel alive and happy!


After a few hours of bell ringing, me and Sammie returned home to check in on the Christmas decorating, in which Jade and Ally were still at it, covering both parts of the house in the Christmas spirit. Sammie changed clothes and then we went out for a date night, ice skating and dinner. We went to a nearby ice rink. For $9, you could skate for as long as you would like. Nothing beats smiling, skating, and kissing in the cold for nine dollars! I’m no figure skater nor is Sammie, in fact, we fell more times than I can count but it only led to more laughs and smiles and made the night greater than it already was. After countless songs and endless laps of singing, attempting to dance, and holding hands, we called it a night and went out for dinner. It was nothing fancy, just a local cafe. I ordered a yummy bacon grilled cheese with cheesy broccoli soup. Sammie ordered a barbeque chicken wrap and we at in a tired delight!


Anyway, I’m looking forward to this week. I’m not scheduled to work near as many hours as I was scheduled for last week and even better, on Saturday Sammie and I are going down to the Fifth Harmony concert for the Pepsi Jingle Bash in Rosemont, Illinois! She got two VIP tickets for my birthday for the two of us, which means I get to meet all five of my biggest role models before the concert! It hasn’t even happened yet and I’m already speechless just thinking about it!
Au revoir beautiful people!

P.S. I love all of you!
~Lia