Four Months Later...

I must admit I completely forgot this blog even existed. Oopsy! So much has happened since I wrote my first post. Well... an entire semester has happened - ending today! Just two more finals and I am home free. I promise I am going to try to post more regularly - maybe this will be one of my many new years resolutions. Maybe I'll get in the habit of posting over Christmas break. My semester has been jam packed with classes, ridiculous middle schoolers, and a little bit of wedding planning. I have so many stories I could tell about my crazy kids but I will save those for another blog post. I know I will have plenty to tell when I am with them every day next semester.

For now here's a little bit about what's been on my mind this weekend. I spent the weekend in Gatlinburg with my sweet fiance for the Christmas Parade. It was a very special weekend for both of us as we celebrated our one year engagement and are officially under the six month mark for the wedding! It was also bittersweet for me because it was my last time staying in the Midtown Lodge. After 73 years they are closing their doors on December 31st. They are literally paving paradise and putting up a parking lot... It's so sad to me when any historic building is torn down, especially one that is so close to my heart. I can kind of understand those crazies who chain themselves to buildings... too bad it's December.

It's not much to look at it but it holds so many memories for my family. Those of you who have lost someone special know what it's like to feel their spirit in a certain place. This is one of those places for me. I could feel my grandparents with me here all weekend and it was so comforting because I miss them tremendously, especially now that Christmas is right about the corner. My grandmother passed away a little over a year ago and this month will mark the thirteenth year my grandfather has been dead. They were the best example of true love, marriage, and Godliness I could imagine. I didn't have them as long as I would have liked but I thank God for blessing my life with them.

 Have you ever seen anything so precious? Me neither.

And of course one to celebrate the holidays:

I inherited my crazy obsession with Christmas from them. My love of wrapping presents from Grandpa and my love of buying gifts from Meme. :) If your grandparents are still alive this Christmas do me a favor - appreciate them, listen to their stories, and tell them how much you love them. No matter how many times you do - it can never be enough!