Christmas

Getting to Austin from Grand Forks, ND certainly didn't work out how I had planned. I spent the night in the airport in Grand Forks, got on the first flight to MSP (Minneapolis). I missed the first flight to Atlanta that I had planned on taking to make it to Austin. I waited for the next flight and got bumped from that one too. Once I started looking at flights I realized that I wasn't going to make it on any of them to Austin. I was stuck and knew that this wasn't going to go over well. I did find an opportunity to fly to San Antonio which is about an hour away from Austin. I called Josh and asked if this was an option. Next thing I knew I was boarding a delayed flight to SAT. Josh and his dad drove to come pick me up. I had slept soo hard on the flight from not sleeping that night before. I tried on the way to Austin but with the rain I was too nervous. Once we got home, we immediately got ready for church. We went to a non-denomination christian church. It was huge and soo pretty. It was also the first time Josh and I had gone to church together. :-)

all the children singing silent night

After church we all went back to his mom's house and ate.

Josh and his dad, George

I met an additional aunt, uncle and cousin of Josh's. He has a cousin, Elizabeth, who is 8, and they live in Lexington (where I had had an overnight). She took to me pretty quickly. We went to bed fairly early too, especially since I hadn't slept much. Christmas morning, we waited for Josh's sister, April and her boyfriend, Brandon to get there. We had breakfast and then opened presents. I was shocked. I hadn't expected gifts from any of them. It wasn't necessary. But it's just how his family is. I love them to death. They've taken me in as thier own. I was really excited to open a girft from Josh and it was a ring from a store called James Avery. It's a christian jewelry store in Texas. It's beautiful and a sight worth looking at! I already have another one picked out that I want for our anniversary in January. I also got an espresso colored jewelry armoire from him. I have wanted one for years and years and years. So now we just need to fill it! All in time of course. I love all the gifts I recieved. But the best was just being with people I care about that that care about me as well since I couldn't be in Missouri with my own. Maybe next year we can go there instead. After presents we went to his aunts house and had dinner with them. All the family was together. I miss that in my own. Now that my all my grandparents have passed no one really does that now. It's sad. Maybe one day I can buy a huge HUGE home and have everyone over for the holidays. Now that would be awesome. After that Josh took me to the apartment but we couldn't see much of it. So I went the next day with his mom while Josh and the rest of the guys went shooting. I wanted to go shooting but it was soo cold. That and I wanted to exchange my ring for a size that fit (it only fit on my pinkies)

and see the apartment. It's from a store called James Avery. It's a christian jewelry store.  I love it and already have other things picked out from there!
There will be plenty of time for me to go out shooting once we move. Other wise we really just hung out with family and relaxed. And today we left for Salt Lake City to complete the packing and start heading towards Austin.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! New Year's is right around the corner and I hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve!!!