Our First Christmas... As Mr. & Mrs.

Our Holiday
Well, as you may or may not know, Mark and I started talking on November 30, 2009. After decorating my Christmas tree and making sure every bulb and light was in place I plugged in the tree and much to my dismay... a whole strand of lights were out. I posted my frustration on Facebook and was met with a sarcastic response from Mark. That conversation was the beginning of our happily ever after. Now, on November 30 we will celebrate our 'holiday' by decorating for Christmas. Here are some pictures of 2010...

Mark putting our Christmas tree together.

Don't worry... I did check the lights this year!

This Christmas Tree is approved by my husband!

On our Honeymoon we went into a Christmas shop and bought our first Christmas ornament.

Christmas Eve w/the Stares
This year we started our own Christmas Eve tradition. Our morning started off with breakfast in bed. My husband, the wonderful cook that he is, made pancakes and sausage. We spent the rest of the day lounging around and having some quality time before all the Christmas festivities.

Christmas Eve at my parent's house

The year that my dad lost his job he started buying us gag gifts from Goodwill in order to bring laughter back into our family. This tradition has continued over the past few years and it is a highlight of our Christmas. This year my dad got Mark a kid's bow set and a wooden deer for practice because he hasn't 'caught' a deer yet, my brother a car and bubbles for his hot bubble baths, my sister camo slippers because she loves camo so much, and me a Coach/Louis Vuitton/Chanel/Prada purse.

Seneca Lake

Seneca Lake quickly became my favorite place to be. I started going in the second grade as a G.A. (girls in action) and am now in my eighth season of chaperoning youth camp. Anyone who has ever been to Seneca Lake knows that you are offically 'there' when you come down the hill and see the 'Dam Bait Store'. As children, we always thought is was so cool to be able to say that we passed the 'Dam Bait Store' on the way to church camp. Still to this day, we give some hearty honks as we pass the store. Seneca Lake has become a place where you meet new friends, play crazy games, lose a lot of sleep, walk more than you wish (although we have become accustomed to golf cart rides), but more importantly; it is a place where you find God. There is something serene and calming when you sit on top of Vesper's Hill and get to look out and see all that God has made. It is a place where you can reconnect to God and feel His presence in your life. It is a place that lights the fire in your heart to go out and spread His Word. It is my favorite place to be.