Feliz Navidad

The reason why it's Feliz Navidad and not Merry Christmas is because the only thing I have consumed over the past 3 days has been mexican food, and this very moment (dripping guacamole onto the keyboard) is no exception. 

I had an incredible Christmas. On Friday, just minutes before my work Christmas party, I came down with the most violent and disgusting stomach bug to ever grace mankind. The non-stop vomiting in places that you could never even imagine really put a damper on the fajita/margarita gorging that I was planning on. I was sure that December 21st really would be the end of the world, or at least the end of me. But thank the dear sweet Lord it only lasted the typical 24 hours, because I had some major Christmas-ing to attend to. 

One reason why Christmas is awesome is that it gives you an excuse to sit around all cozy and eat ungodly amounts of food, all while surrounded by your favorite people in the entire world.  

My Christmas Eve might be just as important/awesome as my Christmas day. My Christmas Eve always starts out with a semi-early morning Best Friends Christmas Eve Cracker Barrel Breakfast & Gift Exchange. You would be shocked to find out that this event consists of  breakfast at Cracker Barrel where we exchange Christmas prezzies. Yes, we do title all of our best friend traditions. They are all long and self explanatory titles so you better just get used to it. 

Oh and the reason she looks cuter than me is because she is. In my next life I will do a better job of picking out uglier friends. 

For the first time ever, it worked out that I really had nothing else that I had to do until that night, so I decided to follow my bestie home and hang out the whole day long, really secretly hoping that her good looks and talent would rub off on me. It did not. But turns out I am a faster wiener chopper upper. Yes you read that right. I know. You're impressed. 

This is just a funny picture. 

Ever since I've been alive my Christmas Eves have been spent with my family at my Mimi's house. We meet up for tamales, watch a Christmas Story and do Mimi gift exchange. It's probably my favorite Christmas tradition and as far as I'm concerned I will be 85 years old and still going over to Mimi's for Christmas Eve. 

This is Mimi discovering the Iphone flip around camera while the phone was sitting on the table. 

 Mimi's entire goal in life is to fill her tiny apartment with so many people and presents that you can't move at all. Every year she gets closer and closer to achieving that goal. Her trick is to invite more people each year and shower them with lots of prezzies. Taylor and Alli have officially surpassed me (the ONLY granddaughter) in number of gifts. Not that I'm counting. (But really. I counted.)

There's something about spending Christmas morning in the same house I grew up in. It's just really beautiful for me to think that even though it's been almost 23 years, I can still remember waking my brother up at 6am and the two of us creeping into the living room with the glow of the Christmas tree off of the shiny wrapping paper and everything feeling so...magical. Fast forward all this time, and now it's a struggle to get everyone awake by 10, and even though a lot of that magic has faded, I still live for Christmas morning sitting in the living room drinking hot chocolate and laughing at my brother's shotty last minute wrap-jobs, and just enjoying being together. I absolutely live for it. So I guess that's the new magical. Okay, I'm probably done being sappy  now. Please enjoy the following Christmas day festivity pictures.

Dallas/Fort Worth Texas actually saw a White Christmas this year. While we woke up to a rainy Christmas morning, the snow started coming down hard around lunch time and continued for a few hours and gave us quite a few inches of gorgeous fluffy snow! Luckily I headed out to Taylor's family's for lunch and the afternoon and got to enjoy the wintry gorgeousness with some more of my favorite people.

It's been really hard for me to sit here and type when all I really wanted to do was show you pictures of all my new running swag! So I probably better just get that out of my system now. 

Anyone see a color theme? PINK. And lots of it.

OKAY, let me just tell you. I scored: my PERFECT and long awaited shoes (Mizuno Wave Prrecision 12's) a fuel belt, a new dri-fit running top, pink nike drawstring bag, experia running socks, and Yurbuds!! (the only thing without any pink. Bummer.) Can you believe that??? I know. Me neither. I have my shoes and outfit all set out for my run tomorrow. Because I've got some doctors appointments in the morning and lots of afternoon plans, I'm having to make tomorrow's run a 'mill run, but hopefully Friday I'll be able to hit the trail and try out the fuel belt and everything else all together. 

Oh and here is another reason why you should envy me. My brand-new multi colored braided Under Armour braided headband!!! This was one of the fabulous gifts that the bestie gave me and I'm already obsessed with it. It stays put no matter what. Plus it's adorable. 

I'm sure this has been a lot of really fabulous information about my life that you are still trying to process. But I have one more tidbit of good news. I will no longer have ANY excuse for being a blog-slacker, because I am blogging from...

A BRAND NEW LAPTOP!!

Again, SO EXCITED. I no longer have to wait 30 minutes for my brick to power up, and then shut-down again mid-post or download. So get ready y'all. 

If you can't tell, this has been one of the best holiday seasons thus far in my life. And the best part is that it's only half way over! I'm so happy to be able to relax a little over the next few days and ready to ring in the new year with the ones I love.

Who else had a white Christmas?

What was your absolute favorite gift this year?

LOVE&HUGS,

Nat