LATELY...

{One of my favorite Christmas gifts - the gift of a beautiful photo of Paris taken by a good friend, my new notebook of the year that states one of my goals for the year, and mags that I never got to during my time off... :)}

Happy New Year! I hope things are off to a good start for you. They certainly are for me. I had a great two weeks off complete LOTS of downtime that I really needed. My consistent days of binge watching trash TV shows that I never have time to watch, cooking, sleeping in, and hanging with friends have me feeling totally relaxed. I am so not ready for real life to set back in, yet I'm really excited to get going and see what this new year has to offer. Even numbered years for some reason make me feel more confident. Ya know? The writing down and visualization of the things that would make my year most exciting and productive has been done. Now comes the reliance on God, faith, and good works on my part. So excited... I'll be sharing some of those things with you soon. In the meantime, here are a few photos of life as of late... Have a great first week of Sweet 2016! 

{I cooked the entire dinner from scratch on Christmas Eve and most of the dinner on Christmas day, so cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning from the refrigerated section of the grocery store it was! Fresh is best, but it's our tradition and we LOVE them! }

{I made a standing rib roast for the first time (this recipe is fabulous!) and this scalloped potato gratin for our Christmas dinner, and my mom cooked these turnip greens that were fresh from our neighbor's garden... Our meal couldn't have been any better... } 

{Right before the Christmas morning festivities... }

{And under the tree for me were a few gift cards... When you're a kid, you get so excited about the latest toy that Santa brought you. When you are an adult, you're just excited to get gift cards and coupons from the parents that pay for all the errands that need to be completed after Christmas... #adulthood }