I'm so thankful for an unexpected snow day today so I have time to add these precious memories to my blog while they're still fresh on my mind and heart. I'm currently sitting by a warm fire, looking out the window at about 12 inches of snow that fell over the last two days. I love how beautiful a fresh snow looks before it's disturbed and how peaceful it makes everything feel. I literally have not seen this much snow in about fifteen years. I think the last time I saw so much snow was when I visited my brother in Pennsylvania at the very end of 2009.
Interestingly, I just got back from spending four days in the Texas sunshine. In fact, after my friend picked me up from the airport, our first "event" together found us siting outside on the patio at a Starbucks for the entire afternoon on December 31st. Talk about contrast!
We started out with four of us, me, Amy, Martha, (two of my closest friends) and Regina (my writer friend who still speaks virtually to my classes about writing!)
Then Aubree (my soulmate friend) came, so we needed another selfie!
Then Seana, my long-time bilingual teaching coworker/church friend (who happens to currently have my last class that I taught in Garland as 2nd graders),
and then Savannah, Aubree's daughter, who is now a teacher also!
It was such a treat to spend the day catching up with all of them, my dearest and closest friends that I am so thankful to keep in touch with despite the miles that separate us. I can't think of a sweeter way to bring 2024 to a close. My parents stopped by briefly, too, but we didn't get a picture with them.
Besides hanging out at Starbucks, Amy and I also enjoyed a lovely lunch and dinner together before we both fell asleep before midnight while watching movies. LOL. Hey, I'd been up since 2:30 a.m. Texas time in order to catch my flight.
I insisted on sitting outside in the Texas sunshine that I miss so much at this time of the year.
Definitely don't see this in January in Indiana
Then my precious son, Juan David, came with his girlfriend, Loren, and took me out for a Vietnamese dinner.
And then we sat in the car in front of my parents' house so they could open their gifts and stockings that I brought for them.
Juan found a special bowl for eating his ramen at home in his stocking, which I had already noticed in a picture that he'd received from someone else--so now he has two identical ramen bowls with his favorite anime character on them. LOL.
The next day my mom and I went shopping at all of our favorite little stores nearby, and I stocked up on a bunch of little Texas trinkets to take back for my coworkers who always bring me things from their travels back to their countries.
We also did a little crafting together. I failed to get a picture of my mom's craft, her yummy reuben egg rolls that she made for our dinner.
I made a rope wreath for my classroom with different center ornaments that I can change out for different seasons, along with the ribbon.
My mom took me out the next day for lunch at a beautiful tea shop she'd just discovered called the Chocolate Angel. It's located right in the center of an antique mall. I don't know how I lived in Texas for so long without knowing about such an adorable place! It was a real treat, and the strawberry pretzel salad was delicious!
After lunch, we went back to the house to get my stuff, exchange some writing projects with my dad, and get one last picture together.
Well, maybe a few last pictures.
I spent my last evening in Texas out with my son, Juan, and my friends, Warren and Martha. Juan treated us all to an amazing dinner experience at Delucca's. (Loren got sick and couldn't join us). I'd call it a cross between Cici's and a Brazilian steakhouse. The waiters kept coming around with about 25 different kinds of pizza (dessert pizzas, too), and you ate until you just couldn't eat any more. Plus they brought you arrugula salad, meatballs, and a warm, creamy lobster soup in a cup. My favorites were the street corn pizza and the dulce de leche dessert pizza.
Juan and I got a couple last pictures together outside before he gave me my Christmas gifts and one last giant hug. I love and miss that boy so much!
New pink slippers from Juan!
And a new planner and devotional book.
I stayed at Warren and Martha's house that night so they could take me back to the airport early the next morning. So Martha and I stayed up coloring and watching Hallmark movies. I love friends that are so comfortable to be with.
I made it through security the next morning with enough time to get a quick breakfast before my flight.
And before I knew it, my plane landed back in Indianapolis.
Mike and David and I enjoyed a nice lunch out together, got some groceries to stock up before the winter storm predicted to come in the next morning, and then we made it back home to settle in. I came home to quite a nice surprise in my bedroom/bathroom that they spent hours working on over New Year's!
They did a fabulous job! I felt spoiled for sure. :)
The next morning, since we haven't taken down the Christmas trees yet, I was able to put up my newest ornament that Amy gave me while in Texas. :) So thankful for such a treasured friend and for the way we both intentionally stay connected, despite the many miles that now separate us.
The three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas truly exhausted me mentally to the point that I didn't even look forward to making a quick trip to Texas. I knew that I already had a packed semester ahead of me without any kind of break (going on a mission trip over spring break), so I really wasn't enthused about "sacrificing" any of my winter break. Plus David is here indefinitely for now, and I didn't want to miss any time over Christmas with him. But I'm so thankful I bought the tickets and went because I felt so spoiled and loved on all four days. I needed that reconnection with my close friends and family. It filled me up emotionally in a way I didn't realize I needed. It was worth every penny and every minute.
