Our First Christmas

                        Can I please open my presents, Mom??                                                The Aftermath….

As the Years Go By, I’ll Think of You and Sigh…

I cannot begin to say how much Alpha Gamma Delta has blessed my life.  I am so incredibly humbled that one of my sisters would want to come visit me so much so that she would ask for a trip to fly all the way up here as a gift from her parents.  I’m astounded that her parents sent her up here, let alone even considered it!

This began Miranda’s journey to the frozen tundra of Quebec! lol  I tried to show her all of the major highlights of Montreal, like the Old Port…

and Notre Dame Basilica…

and St. Joseph’s Oratory…

We also managed to squeeze in some snowboarding while she was here!

We had so much fun, and it was really a gift to have Miranda come visit.  I never would have guessed it, but being so far away is teaching me what sisterhood is all about.  Peace. Love. Epsilon Pi.

I want to linger, a little longer, a little longer here with you.  It’s such a perfect night. It doesn’t seem quite right, that this should be our last with you. Our roses and our pearls, our purpose and our squirrels, college days and friendships true.  And as the years go by, I think of you and sigh. This is goodnight and not goodbye.

I’ve Been Saved by the Grace of Southern Charm

I miss the South.  A lot.  And I am very thankful that Brian and I got to go back to Georgia for Thanksgiving last week.  It was great getting to see my parents and spend time with my sister.  We, luckily, had a few opportunities to hang out with friends too.  Between our early flight, staying out late, and black Friday, it was a very tiring, but well worth, trip.

Out late with the Upsilon Family

Lunch with some of the cheerleader clan!

Another reason for our trip was Adam and Mary-Austin Palmer’s wedding! Brian was a groomsman, and this was at the rehearsal dinner.

                     Brian’s Big, Parsek, and I at the wedding

 Mr. & Mrs. Adam Palmer!

The SAE's at the wedding

                                      The groom and me 

Psi Family at the wedding

Shannon and me

                                    Us and our Buddy   <3

Mischief Managed

I’m a little late on posting about this, but better late than never!

A couple days after Brittany’s wedding, I went with my cousin, Stephanie, to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando.  It was absolutely magical!  I felt just like a little kid walking into Disney World for the first time; I got goose bumps and was on the verge of tears!  According to my dad, this was our ‘nerd day,’ but we didn’t care!  It was an absolute blast!  The attention to detail is unreal!   Here are a few of the highlights!

For more pictures and details, check out Stephanie’s blog: http://metzler-family.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-solemnly-swear-i-am-up-to-no-good.html

Where’s my Thanksgiving?

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated in October, on what the US knows as Columbus day.  Growing up back home, my mom never put up the Christmas tree or any other decorations until a day or two after Thanksgiving, but here, people have just skipped right to Christmas!  And to be honest, it’s throwing me off a little!  Without Thanksgiving as we Americans know it, Canadians just make the leap from Halloween to Christmas!  Lights have started popping up since the beginning of November, and Christmas decorations have been in the stores since September. 

Therefore, in honor of my new home and their lack of a November Thanksgiving, I’m decorating for Christmas early as well, starting with my blog!  (It’s also due to the fact that I will be going back home to Georgia for Thanksgiving with my parents and sister, so I don’t actually need any Thanksgiving decor!)  And what better way to decorate my blog for Christmas than in red, buff, and green? 

And to match my blog, here is a picture of my lovely dining room!

Mr. & Mrs. Justin and Brittany Pike

Last week, I flew to Orlando for my cousin Brittany’s wedding.  I arrived on Wednesday night and immediately dove into the wedding festivities on Thursday! 

The favors for the wedding guests were going to be sugar cookies in the shape of pears because the theme was ‘The Perfect Pair.’  My grandmother had made all 400+ cookies, and it was the bridesmaids’ job to ice them all!

Mixing up the perfect color green for the pear shaped cookies!

 

Yummy!!

After icing most of the cookies, four us us went to go get our nails done.  Oh, and our cute shirts are courtesy of Stephanie Metzler, sister of the bride and Matron of Honor!

The Bride getting Pampered!

On Friday, my parents and sister arrived!  It was so great to see my family again!  (I hadn’t seen them since I moved to Montreal in July!)  The rehearsal was that night, and Stephanie and Matt Metzler opened their home for the dinner as well.

Auntie Brittany, the glowing bride, and Isaac, Stephanie’s son

Oh, I missed her!!

‘Aunt’ Krissy and Isaac!  I also had the pleasure of staying at the Metzler house with this adorable little man for most of my trip!

‘Aunt’ Shanny and Isaac

Saturday was WEDDING DAY!!  So exciting!  The bridesmaids all got ready at the Metzlers’ home, and then headed over to Lake Receptions for the wedding!

The Beautiful Bride!!

I did my own and Shannon’s hair for the wedding! It looked great if I do say so myself!

  

The Bride in her fabulous blue shoes!

Stephanie and me

So us…lol

Stunning!

The wedding ceremony was absolutely perfect, and the reception was so much stinking fun!!

  My parents   :) 

 

Dancing the night away!!

The wedding was bittersweet for Brittany’s close friends and family because she was moving with Justin to Missouri, where he is stationed in the Air Force.  Being a Florida native, she’s not gonna know what hit her when she gets her first big snowfall, but I know they will be just fine! 

Congratulations & Good Luck Mr. & Mrs. Pike!!  Love you both!