{Merry Christmas!}

 The week has full. It started with the annual family tradition of Christmas caroling around the Marion neighborhoods - with all 45 members of Jordan's extended family. I have to admit...before I met Jordan I never knew that people still went Christmas caroling. But now it seems completely normal to me. I absolutely love it. 

Besides caroling, we have spent most of our time eating, relaxing with family, singing in the church choir together, and playing with baby Oliver. This morning was a typical Christmas with jammies and gifting. We finally got done opening presents at 3:00pm with a giant breakfast to follow. Now we are committed to watching Parks and Recreation and playing board games all night. It has been such a blessing to have all 10 of us Shepherds together for an entire weekend. We have too much fun together. 

And tomorrow we head to the mitten for another round of celebrating! Hello snow and Dowell family madness :) 

  

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

- John 1:1-6

{Weekend Away}

listening to: Chopin – Fantasie Impromptu #4 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 66

reading: The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards

reading (with husband): Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

sipping: Seattles Best Level 3 brew

smelling: Autumn Festival Yankee Candle 

touching: fluffy white Down pillow

feeling: happy.

It has been a quiet and relaxing evening at the Race Street house. We had a great weekend trip to Chicago with Mark and Lauren to celebrate the marriage of our friends, Steph and Alex Mrakovich. The wedding was tasteful, the Bride was stunning, and the groom never looked happier. I think Jordan and I were so excited to get out of Marion for a few days and enjoy time with family and friends in a new setting. We shopped, ate a homemade meal, went on a hay ride, danced until we sweat through our clothes, and created numerous inside jokes with our brother and sis. Let me just say that road tripping through the middle of the night is one of the more entertaining and hilarious things I have participated in.

And now it's time for a new week. Fall break will be here before we know it.

{Mississinewa 1812}

The annual fall Festival of 1812 is my favorite event of the season. Traveling reenanactors set up camp for three days in the woods to provide the Marion locals with a taste of history and entertainment. They go all out with the outfits and olden day vibe, and when you're there, you do feel like you're in another time period. It seems kind of corny, but after you have experienced this once, you will want to return each year for the battle reenactments, nellies famous noodles, and the bottled beer of the root (that is root beer....not real beer). 

This year Jordan and I went with our friends Hannah and Lawson. We bought homemade rosemary frank & mint soap and matching 1812 pottery mugs!! It was the best. 

{JuJu Berry}

Guess who has a new froyo place? We do. Yes, Marion is moving up in the world with the healthy alternative to ice cream. Jordan and I have taken about eight or nine trips to JuJu Berry in the two weeks it has been open. And every night, it is packed out with people dying to get a bowl of the stuff. I have to say, it can be overwhelming your first time. I mean, there are just so many options. Thankfully I don't have to worry about deciding - I go with original tart every time.

look at those faces? Can't you just taste the joy? 

Bests

My bests from home were here to visit yesterday. They came to Indiana for tattoos, but ended up coming to Marion for a final goodbye before our dear Elise heads out to Virgina. I hadn't seen these girls since the wedding, and it was a delight to have them back even if it was only for a few hours.

I know I blog about my friends a lot, maybe a bit too much, but they are too awesome not to mention every so often.

House Tour

We are finally settled into our new place, and I am falling more in love with it everyday. I have been craving this....especially after living in cramped dorm rooms for the past three years. Some may say our house is small, but it feels huge to me.

One thing is for sure, I am officially a neat freak. I literally can't stop cleaning and re-organizing everything. Also, I have never slept in a more comfortable bed than our new queen sized "cloud" (we named it). It just sucks you in and doesn't let you out. Getting up for classes in the fall will be a struggle.

Anyway, here it is!