Merry Christmas! The Lord has come! I hope your holiday is filled with joy and hope, love and laughter.



Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Love, the Welshimers

rewinds

REWINDS
<< I ran the Turkey Trot for the second time this year. Recap coming soon!

<< We spent Thanksgiving day with the Mister's family. The day was full of food, family, football, and games.

<< Some of my Oklahoma family was in town for the holiday. We took a quick trip down to Galveston so my cousin could see the beach for the first time ever. Which is nonsense to this Texas girl.

<< At Youth Group this week, the Jr High students decked the loft. It is finally, officially Christmastime! Now I just have to get my own tree...

SOMETHING TO SHARE
* I made these crostinis and this salad for Thanksgiving. Tasty and pretty.
* Cutest cookies on the block.
* I'm putting one of these on my Christmas list.
* What a clever way to celebrate the Advent season!

Mister 25

My amazing Mister is 25 today!



He is sweet and strong. He is kind. He is always willing to help. He's funny. He's easygoing. He's dependable. He's all good things, and I am so proud and in love with this man.

He has all my heart. Forever.

Wishing him the happiest of birthdays!

pumpkin patch

Even with all the fall love bouncing around the internet, I was having a hard time feeling like fall was here for me. Tax busy season had me mostly confined to my cubicle when people started drinking pumpkin spice lattes, decorating pumpkins, and wearing their flannel, boots, and scarves. The 85+ degree weather that has been holding here in Houston hasn't helped, either. (Just change, weather!)

Well I'm happy to report that FALL IS HERE! (No, the weather has not changed. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.) But I have finally started to check some big items off my fall bucket list. The Mister and I escaped to the woods Friday and Saturday, for some much needed R&R. On Sunday, we went to the pumpkin patch! We picked out some beauties for decorating and took our yearly family photos. Enjoy!



Sean and I have been taking photos together in this pumpkin patch since 2007, minus a few years we were away at college. Continuing our tradition this year really made me feel like we were celebrating fall, rather than just letting the season change around us. I want to engage in the current moment. Finally, I feel like fall has arrived!

Or perhaps I have finally arrived in fall.
Carpe diem and seize the season!

What is your favorite fall tradition?

rewinds

REWINDS
<< The weather here in Texas was b-e-a-utiful all weekend, and we did not let it go to waste. Friday night we went camping in the East Piney Woods at Martin Dies Jr State Park. I took it up a notch past hot dogs, and we had baked chicken with roasted brussel sprouts and potatoes for dinner, pancakes for breakfast, and toasted sandwiches for lunch. I got a teensy bit excited about having a cast iron skillet, if you couldn't tell. :)

<< Saturday night we rode the Moonlight Bicycle Ramble - a midnight ride all over Houston! Coolest experience I've had on a bicyle by far.

<< Sunday we visited our pumpkin patch for family photos and to pick our pumpkins. We came home with some lovelies, and I can't wait to decorate them!

Port Aransas

Oh how I love the beach.  Beach vacations truly make me feel like I'm getting away.  We almost decided not to go to Port Aransas, since we leave for Israel this weekend. (Oh my goodness, so excited!)  But the beach was calling to me.  And I'm so glad we went!

The mister and I made quite a road trip out of it.  We started with a stop at Sonic for a little indulgence:

Yes, those are Slushes.  Yes, there is candy in them.  Yes, I do know that I should not put things in my body that look like they should glow in the dark.  Yes, I am a little ashamed.  Yes, it was delicious.

After a long drive, we finally made it to the beach house that Sean's family had rented.  It was an adorable circular little house on stilts, just a few blocks from the beach.  It was getting late when we arrived, so we hung out with the family a little while before heading to bed.

Saturday, we woke up bright and early to the smell of coffee and sunshine streaming through the windows.  We spent the morning at the beach, soaking up the sun, playing frisbee, boogie boarding, and enjoying the salty air.



Around lunch, we headed back to the house to eat sandwiches and clean up. Then we headed into Corpus Christie to play some mini-golf and drive some go-karts.

This is about my luck:

womp womp.

We all raced on the go-karts the first round, but I chose to sit out the second round to take some pictures and watch this professional:



All in all, we had a wonderful vacation. It was a great little getaway, and I only wish we could've stayed longer!

here comes the sun

SUMMERTIME!

I do realize that as a working girl, summertime does not equal a three month break from reality anymore.  But that doesn't stop the feeling of freedom I get when the pools open, schools let out, boats head to the lake, and we break out the beach towels, sunscreen, swimsuits, and suitcases.

And let me tell you what, this summer is going to be chock-full of sunshine trips all over the world!

Here's the list.  Are you ready?

June 6-8 - Port Aransas, TX

Sean and I are heading down the coast for a little beach trip with his family.  I'm looking forward to relaxing and spending quality time with his clan.  Life just gets so busy here, so it will be great to kick back and enjoy each other's company.  And a trip to the beach is always a win in my book.

June 15-28 - Israel

You read that right - We're going to Israel!  Sean and I headed off on a two-week study tour with a group from our church.  The trip is through Jerusalem University College and is led by Jack Beck, a brilliant professor there.  It's a mini study abroad trip, complete with a textbook to read and homework to complete before we go.  It's heavy on history and geography and making the Bible come alive in it's setting.  It's completely nerdy, and I'm completely excited.  I know God will move in incredible ways on this trip because it's already such an amazing blessing that Sean and I have the opportunity to go at this stage in our lives. Prepare for massive photo dumps.

July 24 - 28 - Eureka Springs, AR

Family reunion with my side!  We're renting some cabins near the river and it's going to be a blast!  Floating the river, a winery or two, lots of board games (per the usual), and of course, all the love and laughter that is guaranteed with all 19 of us going!  I love how that number gets higher every trip as we add significant others and brand new family members.  There's a joyful chaos in these huge family gatherings that I wouldn't trade for the world.

And of course, we'll make a few Galveston day trips throughout the summer.  Say what you want about Galveston, but it's only an hour away and has a warm place in my heart from so many summer trips.  And hey, it's still the beach!

Bon voyage!  Go grab some sunshine!

3 years

our very first picture together - Dec 2006

May 21, 2011

February 2014

May each year be better than the last.