Breaking Down Christmas Break

The last few days have finally felt like I am truly on a break from school. 

What a beautiful experience it is to have rest! 

Yesterday, due to the good fortune of delayed airplane flights, 

I was blessed to spend an entire afternoon 

with my dear friend, and my Resident Assistant at school, Ruth. 

{this is what it looked like, with tea and yummy soup to sprinkle it with some flava flave}

It was a pure 

de~light 

to hear how her heart is being 

strengthened

as she has experienced the greater extent of her 

weaknesses

throughout this semester. 

How grateful I am to know a woman like her!

~~~~~~~~~~

Today was a day for catching up and traditions. 

I snegged lunch and some time in one of my favorite

hometown spots with an old friend.

{looking out on my city, so lovely}

 Sean has been such a good friend my whole life. 

We realized today that we literally went to school

together from preschool until high school graduation.

He's the only one I've had that with.

What a joy to have such consistency in my life. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight was an evening of family. 

One of my favorite Christmas rituals each year.

An evening pre-Christmas spent

with some dear family friends.

They are such wonderful people.

We always consume copious amounts of

 bread rolls, soup and sparkling apple cider.

White Elephant gifts are exchanged. 

And Bingo is played to a mad happy extent. 

Christmas seems to be a time when 

family 

doesn't just mean you have to be related. 

When we got back, my mom had 

pre-Christmas gifts

 for me and my sibbas to open.

*GIANT* Gingerbread Men!!!

{mine had weird bumpies on it's face, all gb men are different}

We cranked up the Christmas music 

and channeled our inner-cookie-decorating skills. 

I decided to make mine into a gingerbread grandfather. 

Gb's age too, ya know? 

I started with his heart and then made eyebrows. 

And suspenders. 

Those are the things that matter you know? 

Oh and his left arm is in a cast. 

He fell whilst playing Christmas bocce ball in the snow. 

{whattastud}

It has been a thoroughly joy-filled week. 

I am grateful for each moment...

the tastes...

the smells...

the images...

the people...

and the hugs, always the hugs. 

{grateful and ever so blessed is this Maddy in this pre-Christmas time}

.Rest.FULL.of.JOY.

Last weekend I went on a retreat with the girls from my floor. 

It was a wonderfully restful and joyful 24 hours. 

It was a time for us to get away from school and get to know each other better.

We drove a snatch away to Oak Glen

where there are many beautiful apple farms.

We all caravaned in different cars...

but our caravan broke apart and the area

 we went to didn't get very good cell service.

So it took a few hours to get everyone together. 

Here are some snatches of what we did:

One of my R.A.'s Winnie and my dear friend Georgey.

Several of the girls that make life in Alpha so sweet.

Classic napkin head impersonation from The Holiday.

We did a lot of eating, too.

Los Rios Rancho is a lovely little store...

but it's so much more than just a store!

We tried yummy apple samples 

and tasted several variations of apple butters

and fresh baked bread...

mmmm so delicious!

This is Georgey. I'm her Lenny.

We're going to open up a fitness center for 

senior citizens someday.

((She blogs here.))

The pinkies matter. 

But mostly not really.

Playing some old school four square at the Christian 

Conference Center we stayed at.

It was like a summer camp but we were the only ones there!

Awesome roommate pic. 

Rinny is the one who usually takes all the pictures.

So I try to sneg moments with her in FRONT of the camera every now and then. 

((Posing on fake ponies is hard business.))

My other epic R.A. and good friend, Ruth

There was an old truck on the conference center campus. 

It was nice being the only ones there.

Needless to say it got pretty exciting!

I think this moment involved the suggestion, 

"Pretend you're about to get hit by a car!"

We keep it real classy.

Also, there was an old school one of these bad boys.

I'm pretty sure they've been outlawed like

everywhere. 

It was pretty sketchy...

and by that I mean amazing.

This is my lovely Lou friend. 

She is gorgeous.

Rinny captured her gorgeousity well.

It was an amazing golden hour.

Bah I love all of the girls that I got to spend 

those few hours with. 

We laughed often and talked even more often. 

Sporadic Disney songs and talk about boys 

rang loudly through the gorgeous trees. 

I delighted in SEEING the stars for the first time since Hume.

I felt RESTED in my quiet times with the Lord.

I sat with great CONTENT under a tree eating a fresh Jonagold apple.

I felt my HEART SMILE when I saw a leaf that had truly changed color.

We rang in the Autumn season well. 

((so thankful for these girls is this Maddy heart))