I made pesto!

And I finished school! But I'm more excited about making pesto. It's actually super easy as long as you have a food processor and thanks to Kohls (Or, Mizz Kohls as Matt would say) we finally got one! So the great thing about making pesto is that it's super easy, super fast, and super tasty! 

The bad thing about making pesto is that pine nuts are one of the main ingredients and pine nuts are stupidly expensive! The Kroger brand baggie of pine nuts is literally 1/2 cup and roughly $5.50. What's up with that? I haven't looked into where pine nuts are from or why they are so expensive, but my reasoning tells me that pine nuts come from pine trees and pine trees are literally everywhere but the tropics/ deserts/ the amazon... I think. Therefore, the supply of pine nuts should be plentiful and the demand... I'm not so sure about, but I'll tell you what I am sure about - pine nuts are way too freaking expensive. I realize I could Google it really quick and keep myself from sounding as ignorant as I am, but I'll save the real reason pine nuts are so expensive for another blog. 

Anyway, I made pesto and after making my pesto I put about a tablespoonish of it on some leftover rice, along with a little butter, microwaved it for a minute and a halfish and garnished it with goat cheese. I finished off lunch with an orange. It was all very delicious. I wish I had the drive to create new foods everyday instead of sticking with the same old soup and sandwich schtick. Not that soup and sandwiches aren't delicious, but too often, I keep myself from making new foods because other things are more convenient. 

Okay, I want to back up to the part of the paragraph where I was talking about goat cheese. Because I'm obsessed with goat cheese. I'm pretty sure goat milk would be even more disgusting than regular milk (I love all dairy products, I even have milk in my cereal, but I cannot drink white milk by itself without gagging), however, goat cheese is like the ranch of cheese. You can put it on anything and it makes food taste incredible. Put it in a salad with cranberries, use it instead of Parmesan on pasta, smear it on a Triscuit with a cherry tomato a basil.... There are just endless and wonderful things one can do with goat cheese. Too bad it's also more expensive than your average crumbled feta or blue cheese. Oh well. 


In further news, I've finally come to the conclusion that I'm switching my major. Currently I'm doing Public Relations with a minor in history. But I've already re-registered for fall classes with the intention of getting my BA in history with a minor in Medieval and Renaissance studies. I'm EXTREMELY excited about this. I have a passion for history and if Matt can get a salary paying job with a BFA in musical theatre, By God, I can do something awesome with my history degree. 


So yes, Matt did get an AWESOME job offer from the church we attend in Cincinnati. And he excepted (duh) and his first day is May 22. We're pretty excited about this. Crossroads is notorious for taking care of their employees and their families and it shows. We feel so absolutely blessed and its such a perfect confirmation that God works in mysterious and awesome ways. This time last year, we were wondering if I was going to make it out of Taji, all the while questioning why Matt wasn't getting the kind of work he had been told he would get. Well, I'm back from the desert and he's back from LA and I don't think either of us would change anything. We love Cincinnati, we love our community, and there is no doubt in either of our minds that we're right where we need to be. It's a nice feeling. 


I'm jumping around a lot but I have to mention that I finished my first semester back at school and I feel pretty good about it. I ended up with all A's and one B+. I'm very pleased. Summer break couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I'll be ready for classes to start in August but until then, I'm going to enjoy myself!  


Well that's pretty much all I have to say for the day. In a final summation of this blog - I made pesto. It was good, but the price of pine nuts suck. I love goat cheese. Matt got a job - Praise the Lord! And my first semester back at school was pretty sweet. 

Apparently I can't blog and be in school at the same time

Unfortunately being back at NKU means writing 800 papers, which then makes me not want to write anything else - ever. Well, that's a little extreme. I just haven't had any motivation to write on here because I spend so much time on my laptop and I don't want to spend a second more on it than I have to. Even my Pinteresting has come to a severe decline. However, I suddenly had a burst of motivation to write a quick update blog. I think this happened because I have less than a month until I'm done with the first half of my Junior year :D 

I really like being back at school, but I'm not sure how long that's going to last. The rest of my friends who didn't graduate last May, graduate this May. And I've found that the social college life I enjoyed before my deployment, isn't really what I'm looking for now that my deployment is over. I just don't have a community in college and I'm not necessarily looking for one. I'm married, I'm not a huge party kind of person, and I'm 23 with most of my High School and early college friends already done with their college career. So I'm kind of ready for summer break. Actually, I'm VERY ready for summer break. 

The last two summers have kind of sucked. The year before last I was counting down my days with friends and family before I started pre-deployment training and then last summer I was obviously in a desert. I think now is a good time to make a list of things I'm excited for this summer (I love lists). 

1) Laying out at the pool. Now, I should explain that I actually did this last summer. There was a pool at Camp Taji and I frequented this pool on my day off. But now I don't have to look at ugly dust, worry about Incoming alarms, or be outnumbered by males 10:1. Also, I can enjoy the pool with Matt AND it's not a mile away and its not 130 degrees outside. God Bless America (Except the parts that resemble Iraq). 

Pool times!

2) Grilling out! There is nothing that says "It's Summer Time!" like the smell of freshly grilled meet, veggies, pineapple, whatever-the-hell-food-you-want-to-grill! Matt and I don't have a grill and we aren't permitted to have one because we live in an apartment, but I'm pretty certain our friends and family will be grilling out a few times this summer :) <--- Emoticons replace punctuation. 

Just a stock photo of grillin' out

3) Lake-house! My best friend, Melissa, has the most awesome lake-house ever. Well its not just hers - her dads side of the family owns it. But we always have the most amazing time going out on the pontoon, drinking mixed drinks, driving the jet-ski (before we've had the mixed drinks, of course) and TUBING.  There is literally no cell phone reception, internet, or even a Starbucks nearby. It is the perfect getaway and I LOVE it.

 <3

4) Experimental Cooking! For my birthday, Matt got me two awesome cook books. One was a binder filled with recipes I grew up with. He asked my mom for my favorite home cooked meals and so now I have that little part of my past to take with my into my future. He also got me my very first official cookbook called Clean Foods  by Terry Walters - It's a seasonal guide to eating close to the source. It's mostly vegetarian and it gives you recipes based on the seasons and what is naturally growing in winter, spring, summer and fall. I love it. Matt and I made the decision a few months ago to go pseudo-vegetarian. Basically, we're just limiting the amount of meat we eat. We've stopped buying meat from the grocery, but we have no problem enjoying it at a friends house or when we go out to eat. There was a lot that went into this decision so I'll have to save it for another blog. 

Get it! 

5) More time to  play with Boswell, tan, work out, and spend time with the people I love! Working, going to school full time, and trying to make meals that are healthy instead of eating out all the time is very time consuming. But when I'm just working part-time, I'll have a chance to really rejuvenate and get back into a work-out schedule! Matt and I took Boswell for a little run the other day and he did great! I'm thinking I've found my new running buddy when Matt isn't around :) 

This is Boswell. He's my favorite. 

So that's the update/the plan for the summer.

In a quick summation - life is good, school is good, lots of papers, can't wait for summer, got a dog, and I'll hopefully be updating more often in a month! 

Catie Home-Maker

Isn't it funny how much we don't want to be like our parents growing up?  Aaaand what's even more funny is how we turn into them without realizing its even happening...  Inevitably, we all come to a point in our life when we do come to find - The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, now does it? 


As a girl, a series of events in which little Catie got burnt by stove-top and or oven, quickly had me swearing that I would never cook like my mother. My mom always had home made meals prepared for us breakfast, lunch and dinner. We only ate out on vacation/REALLY special occasions. I probably asked for McDonalds every time we drove by it and I was greeted with a very resounding and resolute, "No, Catie, we have food at home." 
"Well I know we have food at home, mom, but I don't want that food".... I wasn't a very appreciative child when it came to the healthy and balanced meals my parents provided me. (Dad cooked too, but it was definitely more of moms thing.) So, until rather recently, I just knew I would never cook. It wasn't something I was sad to admit, it was an absolute statement that I would NOT be cooking meals. I would marry a chef if I had to or a Boyscout because they cook over fires and fires are even more unpredictable than ovens. 


Well guess what... I love cooking. I love the produce section of Kroger. I love grilled onions and peppers in everything. I like baking, sauteing, grilling, crock-potting, and boiling. I like looking up recipes and gathering up the specific ingredients needed for whatever the hell I'm getting ready to whip up. But, what I love the most about cooking - is serving. I like knowing that I picked out healthy, and usually, organic/natural foods to give my guests. I like the look of someone being satisfied from something I did. I'm still in the process of trying different recipes out. I'm no Rachael Ray, Alton Brown, Paula Deen or Bobby Flay or any of those other fancy chefs on Food network. But I have yet to see anyone run to the bathroom or suavely spit a bite of something out into their napkin.  


I think another reason for my new found joy of cooking has to do with having real cookware and cooking utensils. Let me tell you two things that will change your idea of cooking/preparing healthy meals, especially if you're afraid to use vegetables. 


1. The Chopper aka the Chop Chop - This magical device prevents anyone from chopping up vegetables with a knife ever again. I can use the chop chop on anything and it takes a fraction of the time. Even though I have to chop smaller portions at a time, its still MUCH faster than taking a knife and trying to nicely and evenly cut that stuff up. Also, it's much less hazardous AND it's super easy to clean. Thank you, Chop Chop inventor - you just made my meals 30% more healthy. 


2. Garlic Press. I saw this neat little device at my brothers apartment a month or so ago. Matt and I were both fascinated by it. A very simple machine in nature, but so powerful. 

(I just considered using Luke Skywalker & friends trapped in the garbage disposal of the Death Star from Episode I (or IV if you count those stupid prequels) as an allusion to what the garlic press does, but figured showing a picture was a better reference) 


No more chopping garlic up in a plastic bag with a hammer... you know to keep your hands from smelling like garlic for the next 24-36 hours. Now, we could put cloves upon cloves of garlic in whatever we wanted in a matter of minutes. Also, cleaning this contraption is super easy and not time consuming.  I know garlic is a weird thing to love, but there are SO many health benefits to garlic. It is proven to assist in lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and it's a natural antibiotic. Garlic = Awesomeness. 


So those are the two big things that have made a huge difference in what Matt and I cook. The other day we made the most AMAZING Quesadillas. We drove by a Taco Bell on our way home from Kroger and I immediately went into crave mode. I wanted a steak quesadilla in the worst way and if Matt had consented to a quick drive-thru pitstop, I wouldn't have felt guilty... until about 5 minutes after consuming that quesadilla in approximately 3 minutes. 
Well, instead of wasting money on crappy food (that tastes Oh so good), we made quesadillas ourselves using: 


1. Two whole wheat, all natural tortillas. 
2. Grilled organic onions, pepper, and garlic. 
3. Grilled organic chicken. 
4. Organic Black Beans
3. Trader Joes shredded cheese... which is, of course, organic. 
4. Organic sour cream. 


Let me just say - they were the BEST quesadillas either of us had ever consumed. We finished the meal off with some white wine . Awesome. It was also awesome, because we both worked on the meal. It was so much fun cooking with him. Matt is always encouraging me to experiment with the ingrediants we have in our cabinets. He's just wonderful like that... oh, and btw, he also happens to be a better cook and MUCH more knowledgeable about the kitchen than me. So between my experimenting and his expertise, we make a pretty good team :) 

I'm Home! I'm Married! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! It's time for school.

I know it's been a while since I've written anything in here, but I promise I've been thinking and formulating this blog for months! I want to continue to blog my life on here especially now that I'm out of Iraq. I think it would be something neat to look back on in 5-10 years. I'd like to think that I'll continue blogging about school, married life, traveling, babies and everything that life happens to send my way. I also feel like blogging is a good way to measure my growth in my faith. I can scarcely talk about the events in my life without reflecting on the how and the why and I usually find that those answers have something to do with the way God is working in my life.

- By the way, I'm blogging while watching Julie and Julia... seems fitting.

So the quick summary of the last few months goes something like this: I got home in a whirlwind of emotions. It was an amazing feeling to be home with my friends and family but also there to greet me, was a funeral for my uncle. It was not expected, but very sudden and tragic. There is still something about it that doesn't seem real or make any sense. In the end, I'm glad I was able to make it home in time to be with my family during such a trying time. And since my return, it has been go, go go for the last 3 months.
Matt and I moved into a one bedroom apartment that we LOVE. It really does seem like the perfect place for  a newly married couple. Or a couple that has been legally married, but are newly back together and just got covenantally married.... That is something that should be explained a little better.

Matt and I have been legally married since September 26, 2010. This was for all the added benefits soldiers and their dependents get for having a spouse. If something had happened to Matt while I was gone, as my husband, I could have taken emergency leave no questions asked. But as my boyfriend or fiance... I would have had a much harder time convincing anyone to let me leave. Also, Matt was automatically covered for health and dental insurance while I was gone.  Before I left, there was no time for us to have the wedding that I had been planning since I was a little girl. So we planned for a December wedding in 2011 instead.

And what a wonderful wedding it was. I don't know if it was the smartest idea to have a wedding in between two major Holidays, but I certainly wouldn't have changed a thing. It was perfect from sunrise to sunset. There was laughter, and some tears... but only the good kind that comes about because your head and your heart are so full and happy that there is nowhere else for them to go except out from your eyes. There was a lot of dancing, good eating, and beautiful people. When all the pictures come in, I'll have a blog dedicated to that day. It is just too much to put in a catch up blog.
The Honeymoon was sublime. But also needs its own blog to go over the details of getting there and what a trial that was.
Matt and I brought in the New Year with a few good friends and a few good drinks at Habits Cafe in Oakley Town Square. We had a great time talking and laughing and at 10 till midnight, we went outside Habits to stand in front of the 20th Century Theatre. We watched their version of the ball drop, which was coupled with fireworks and singing. Good times.

And now, I've started school again. I also picked a major and I'm actually very excited about it! Two years from now, I should have my degree in Public Relations. I've never been more excited to be back at school. Now that I have a goal to reach, I'm definitely taking my education more seriously. Its a good feeling.

I'm going post this without editing because its nearly 11:00 and Matt and I are getting up at 6:45 in the morning to work out..... But I wanted to post something and revive this blog so I can finally start doing this on a weekly/monthly basis again!

The Leaves have changed a time or two...

And now its time for me to be on my way home. In the near future I will board a plane that will finally take me away from this place back to my family, my home, my husband. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to end this chapter of my life and start the next. Already I'm aware that my homecoming will not be filled with the ecstatic smiles and the overwhelming joy that I have long day dreamed of, but just the same, I'm excited to go back to the United States/the tri-state area and just stay there. 
I'm actually still wrapping my mind around that thought. I'm going to be home for good in about a weeks time. No more counting down the days until I report back to some state or country or continent far, far away from everyone I love so much. 
However, I am thankful for my time away. I am thankful for the lessons I have learned and for realizing that I'm made of tougher stuff than I initially thought. I'm very much aware that my strength comes solely from my faith in God and all the blessings I have incurred from my deployment are all because of Him. I won't lie - There were many times that I was scared. My initial entry into Iraq left me feeling homesick like I use to be as a little girl. I was suddenly aware of how far away everyone was. I use to think I would be deployed with one or both of my brothers... but God had other plans and that safety net was not there for me to hold onto. Its interesting, though, that God puts the right people in your life to help you through the situations you fear you can't overcome. And within a few days of arriving into country, I realized that a certain person was there in place of my brothers and I was comforted. 
There were nights after May 4th that I lay in my bed straining all thought and energy on the sounds outside. Was that the air conditioner finishing a cycle or did we have incoming? Would I wake up to those heart stopping booms... would I wake up at all? At that point, all you can do is pray for mercy and the Lords will to make things right. And in my time there, God was merciful.  So did I learn to overcome fear? No, not necessarily. I simply learned to trust in God in a much deeper and more meaningful way than I ever could have back home where we all sleep safe and sound.


So here I am after all of that. I didn't think this year would ever end and here I am... on the cusp of finishing. I have my ticket... and I just want to go home. 

Of course I have a Civil Wars song to reference. I literally spent all day listening to this song... numerous times on this deployment. 


My Fathers Father


I hear something hanging on the wind
I see black smoke up around the bend
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home

The leaves have changed a time or two
Since the last time the train came through
I got my ticket and I want to go home

My father's father's blood is on the track
A sweet refrain drifts in from the past
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home

The winding roads that led me here
Burn like coal and dry like tears
So here's my hope, my tired soul
And here's my ticket
I want to go, home
Home
Home

Considerations for the future; Concerns at the present.

So the month of August has completely flown by, for which I am very thankful. Obviously this month passed faster than every other month because I took my R&R this month. Between travel time and the complete 14 days the army gives to be home, a good chunk of this month was NOT spent over seas. Thank God. I needed a break. It had been about a year since I received a break from the military/military training for longer than 4 days. The next time I get a break, I will be home for good and that is right around the corner :) 
And because that is right around the corner I'm trying to get mine and Matts finances in order to make sure we have a successful first year of living together as a married couple! YAY! We found an apartment that we LOVE and we have been approved to live at Brookestone Crossing in northern Kentucky close to NKU.  Matt will be moving in sometime in October and we'll both start living there together after we get back from our honeymoon in December. 
In January I'm starting school aaaand I have officially chosen a major! *Fireworks/Confetti/Sparkles* For those of you who don't know, I have been trying to figure out what my major in college should be since I was a junior in High School. My lack of decision making is probably one of the reasons I joined the Army - I simply needed more time to figure it out. I've always known I wanted to get my degree in something. I'm not okay with having nothing to fall back on if something were to happen to Matt. So right now, the plan is to major in Human Resource Management which automatically means I'll be getting a business minor. I'm excited, but scared about my sudden decision. However, I really feel like this is the direction that God is leading me. As it stands right now, I have to take SIX math classes for this major - because the 'naturally-good-at-math-gene' did NOT pass down to Earley number 3. It actually skipped me and flew across the world to my sister... who is adopted from China. So due to not being adequately skilled in math, I am supposed to take Math 099, which counts for nothing except it allows me to then take Math 109 or something like that. However, I plan on making Brian, aka Earley number 2, tutor me with practice ACT tests and whatnot so I can take NKU's ACT in January, score a 23 or better and eliminate the need to take 2 of the 6 math classes. 4 of the classes are inevitable for my major so there isn't much I can do about them. 
Whew. Anyway, I'm really excited about Human Resources. I could get my degree in history in like a year and only take one or two math classes, but I really want to learn a new skill set and be more marketable so I can get a big girl job someday. Matt and I have already talked about me being a stay at home mom as long as the finances are going well and I still want to do that. However, once the last of the kiddies are born and off to grade school, I want to work. I'm pretty sure part of the draw to human resources is my love for "The Office." I secretly want to work with people like that... I mean, who wouldn't? 


Also something that has started taking up a large portion of my daily quandaries is: 1 car + 2 people = conflict and possible time management issues? Matt and I are really good at compromising, but I'm afraid that only having one mode of transportation between the two of us is only going to work for so long. Between me at school and his possible job at Crossroads, I think we need to be looking into adding another mode of transportation. Especially because I will still have to go to Ft. Knox each month for drill weekends... So I've been looking around online at various cars. Okay, really I've just been looking at one car in particular. I really really really want a Volkswagon Jetta. I figured Matt and I can make the one car thing work until Summer. By then we will have saved up enough to put a few thousand down for a new car. We'll wait to trade the Cobalt in until its completely paid off and then we'll get a Crossover or SUV or something bigger.  Yes, I used to own a German car and I'm pretty sure I swore I would never own one again. However, I really did love my Audi when it wasn't costing me $2,000 in repairs. So maybe I just said I would never buy Audi again? Whatever. I've heard from avid German car owners that if you treat your car right, it will last for 200,000 miles +. I also learned (after I traded in my Audi for my Cobalt) that there are a few shops in the Cinci/Louisville area that work on German cars and know what they're doing but don't cost half as much as the dealership. Also, I like nice and fancy things - so there's that. 

Hello, Sexy Exterior. 

And a fine hello to you, Sexy Interior.

And the last thing that needs to be addressed in this blog entry is this. And I'm sorry it's going to be in all caps, but it is an egregious crime that must be fixed sometime in the next 3-10 years. Bridal Designers: STOP MAKING UGLY CLOSE TOE WEDDING SHOES.  Seriously. This has to stop. Not every Bride gets married in Spring/Summer. Some of us get married when its cold outside and therefore DO NOT want to wear open toe, peep toe, or any kind of toe-showing shoe.  

No. 

No. 

Absolutely NOT

WHY? NO! 

This is literally all I can find when I go to bridal shops to find shoes. Bridal website aren't much better. All I want is that $300 pair of lacy Augusta Jones shoes - is that too much to ask for? Well yes, it is. $300 is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for shoes I doubt I would wear again. And I can't just get a nice pair of pumps because pumps usually run 4"-7" and I'm 5'3 and Matt is 5'6 and I can't be taller than him... But all the stumpy, close toe, shoes are hideous. 

I'll probably end up with a sensible peep toe. I don't know why I care so much anyway because nobody will probably even notice my feet. I don't remember what Kristin or Katie wore on there feet for their weddings and I was a Bridesmaid for both of them. 

In a final summation of current musings: I finally picked a major - it has way to many math classes, but I'm going to work around it/get over it by using my smarter siblings. I want a knew car but really I just want a cute red Jetta (No, I didn't mention the color earlier) that has everything my Audi had but doesn't' suck, and close toe wedding shoes are currently the bane of my existence. That and living in a desert. Have a happy rest of August! 

Praise in Pain

So as part of our pre-marital (just typed martial and it made me laugh a little) counseling, Matt and I have to write a Spiritual Journey paper... talking about our Spiritual Journey we've been on - past present and future. I wrote mine months ago but I haven't turned it into our wedding coordinator yet. After a prompting email from her, I decided I should look it over again and make some last minute adjustments. It sort of made me realize that in the few months since I initially wrote that paper, I have grown SO much as a person. It's sort of weird, because you don't really realize you're growing until you have something to reference back to. It only goes to show that every moment counts. Every time I choose to wake up, work-out, try my best, fail, succeed, and all of that daily stuff, I'm slowly but surely growing as a person. Even more remarkable - I'm growing as a Christian; as a sister in Christ. 
I can't help but praise and thank God for this horrible opportunity in which I have been grown and stretched. Some events force you to grow more in a smaller amount of time and the repercussions of that growth hurt... It's like being sore after a ridiculously long work out. But as you work that muscle further, and the lactic acid recedes, you can see the benefit of your labor... and you know you're stronger for it.  
Overall, this has been a test of endurance. I can honestly say, I have endured and I think I endured well. I'm beginning to thank God even for the challenges. If I'm mad, if I'm sad, if I'm too tired to think, if I'm homesick - I am learning how to praise God for those feelings and for testing me in order to grow me. 
To sum it all up - this place sucks, and I don't ever want to repeat this year, but it has all been an important life lesson that I wouldn't have learned any other way. Praise and thanks be to God. 


In other news, I am ridiculously excited about Autumn this year. It has definitely become my favorite season. And because I love lists so much, I'm going to list, in no particular order, the reasons why I think Autumn is da best. 


1) Leaves changing color = Beautiful 
2) Leaves changing color, dying, falling off branches = Catie jumping in a leaf pile. 
3) Leaf Piles = FUN! 
4) Halloween is awesome even as an adult. I can still dress up as whatever I want. However, I've replaced walking along the streets with my mom and dad in the search for copious amounts of candy for a party with friends and copious amounts of alcohol :) - Okay, not copious amounts. But I don't mind trading my king size Milky Way for a beer. 
5) I love the way the beginning of fall feels. It's crisp, its cool - but not freezing. 
6) I love the way fall has a progression of smells. It starts out with the smell of bonfires and leaves. As November comes along it smells like a mixture of cranberry sauce, baked pies, and turkey... for obvious reasons. And December smells like cinnamon and pine and snow soon to come. 
7) I have an obsession with outerwear. 
8) I love to break out my boots, hats, gloves and scarves. 
9) I love my family and I get to see them more in three months of fall than I do the other 9 months of the year. 
10) I wait 11 months to hear nothing but Christmas Carols for an entire month. 
11) Black Friday Tradition. 
12) Food. 
13) Lights. Decorations. CHRISTMAS VILLAGES! 
14) Wedding anniversary :) 
15) Wedding ceremony 
16) Scented candles 
17) Holiday movies make my heart warm. 
18) Hot Chocolate/hot cider .... not-spiked or spiked. Both are fiiiine. 
19) Snugglin' with muh hubs. 
20) Birth of sweet Baby Jesus - I saved the best for (second to) last. My entire list wouldn't mean as much to me if I wasn't so blessed with the life I have.  And the life I have is because of the Grace I have received. And the Grace I have received is because of the baby who was born who later died for my sins - even though it is pretty much decided that Jesus was most definitely not born in December. However, I think he's cool with it. 

I plan on doing this when I get home. Oh yeah, 21) I'LL BE HOME FOR GOOD!  


Side note: I realize that Christmas actually sort of straddles seasons and is technically in the season of Winter, which I don't love as much and it might be my third or last favorite season of the year - But basically October - January 1st is my favorite.