Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Well the holidays are over and I hope everyone enjoyed it! My Christmas came around too fast and passed too quickly, as always when you are in school. Matt and I made our Christmas last two nights, with two nights of many lights. 

Matt with our tree when we picked it out

Everyone needs to come to Houston next year...I have never seen so many lights in neighborhoods. The second night we opened gifts in front of our first tree together. I have no job this year so I was thrifty with all gifts and I gave him the boring gift of pants haha. He really really surprised me with a white electric guitar! Ever since I met him I have talked about one day wanting to learn how to play the guitar...I always thought it would happen after I graduated, but he stunned me with it now! And it is my favorite one...white! Now I guess I will start learning now...never too soon to start doing something on your bucket list!

I then went to Oklahoma to my parent's house and Matt went to his, in Lafayette. That was so nice. The first night we enjoyed the company of Scott's family and some other friends surprised us with Christmas carols at the door...Karli and Keith are such great singers! Then later we did a little hot tubbing. I love that my parents have a hot tub and pool; I cannot wait until summer time! 

The next day was Christmas and we took our time getting up and around. We def. set a record by waiting until 2 pm to open gifts! Rock Band was a big hit of the family all weekend, we had a ton of concerts and now I am obsessed. 

The day it snowed we lit our first fire!

For those of you who were there at Thanksgiving you would be proud, my dad fried two turkeys which were both done BEFORE dinner! Dawn's nephew taught me a few chords on the guitar so I am really excited! 

Family pic!

I spent one day at home before leaving with Matt for New Orleans, for New Years with my three best friends and their husbands/boyfriends. After spending hours in Serrano's (a local Mexican food restaurant) watching LSU DOMINATE! woohoo, we went to Jackson Square to see the Fleur de Lis drop and the firework show over the river. The rest of the night we walked around...bourbon...Harrah's Casino, and finally went to bed.

Looking back on the past few weeks I think about all that I have in my life. Of course the most important are health and family and friends. I am grateful for everyone in my life. The mixture of personalities that surround me make me who I am today. I have realized that people go through their good and bad times in their lives, but never forget the people around you who love you. I should remember to always make an effort to keep people close to me. Friends cannot stay your friends if there is no effort made on each part! I am so grateful that I can share in the life experiences good or bad with the people I love!

Couldn't find my stockings so had to make do with his sock haha

Just as shocked as when I got my car!...I believe the phrase was "NO YOU DID NOT!

I know this is a long post but I have a lot to say. I looked back at a list I had made my Junior year of high school. This list contained all of the things I wanted to accomplish in my life. It is amazing the things that I can check off and the one's I didn't, and how meaningless they are now.
* Make Senior Cheerleader and Homecoming court (check)
* Get a degree in Architecture and become an Architect (still trying)
* develop a neighborhood (well....we will see)
* Find the right guy for me (Hope so!)
* Get Married (hmmm...haha)
* Learn to play the guitar (well...hopefully)
* Run a marathon (hope so)
* Travel the world (still think I can...one country at a time)
Now six years later I have so much more to add, but I think my wishes are great and they will keep me entertained at the least for awhile!

xo,
Nikki