Full Circle

It's been a year since we've been back. All I can say, is this year went by SO fast compared to the year we spent living in Washington. I swear, life dragged on the whole time we were living there and it seems that time has sped up now that we are here in California. I can hardly believe it. I started of last year with a wedding and ended it the EXACT same way on almost the same weekend. I really have come full circle. Now it is time to embrace the holidays... again. Every year I write a post about how the holidays are my favorite/worst time of the year. But this year is different. Somehow, all the pressure has been lifted from my shoulders and I can share the burden of bring  people together with others... It's not my responsibility anymore.
My family has always been somewhat Nomadic... we never seem to have it together. My mother, bless her, has been hosting Christmas and Thanksgiving at her tiny apartment for years, since that is the only place, despite how cramped, our family had to gather together. It seemed stressful and more effort than it was worth... but every year, we marched forward, as if it were law and had a crowded Christmas in my mothers apartment. I always felt this pressure to come up with an alternative solution to our holiday problems... knowing full well that was impossible. It made me sad since I believe my calling in life is to bring people together. It felt like failing. Every year.
This year, however, God has blessed my father with a large house, completer with pool, guest bedrooms and a fireplace. Hooray! Now it is time for a proper Holiday!
The only problem is that my dad is a full on bachelor. The kind with flat screens in every room and horrible recliners and TV trays instead of coffee tables... So it will be interesting, to say the least.

I guess my only issue now, is that the weather refuses to believe it is November and insists on 90 degree weather. Ugh. I have been defiant and am wearing jackets anyway. At least my office is a brisk (not) 64 degrees.

Wedding Pics :