silver bells, silver bells..

it's Christmas time in the city!

just a few snapshots of how we have been enjoying the holiday season here in Baltimore...

our apartment, all dressed up for Christmas

our tree! It is almost nine feet tall. I really wanted a big one since we now have the space!

Baltimore's Washington monument

34th Street in Hampden. This picture was actually on Bing.com a few days ago, along with tips on how to speak Baltimorese. It is Baltimore's own Miracle on 34th Street!

thankful

I can't believe that it has been over a month since I last posted something. And by that, I mean that this month has completely flown by! Derek and I have both been extremely busy at work and traveling a ton, so we have really been looking forward to spending time with our families today and tomorrow.

Today, tomorrow, and every day, I am thankful for..
                    ..the love that always fills my home.
                    ..the distance between Baltimore and Virginia. Hah! I mean I am thankful that they
                       are not so far apart. My parents and brothers mean so much to me and it is so nice to live  
                       close enough now to see them more often.
                    ..evening runs with my future husband. It is our chance disconnect from the world no
                       matter how crazy the week is.
                    ..our little bear, Kaiah. She brings us such an immeasurable amount of happiness. I can't  
                       wait for her to be our flower girl! She is already practicing.
                    ..experiences that push me out of my comfort zone. I have started living by the motto,
                       "what would you do if you knew you could not fail".
                    ..the opportunities I have had to be a traveler, experience new things, and see the world.

christmas traditions

My favorite part of the holiday season is the traditions. This year Derek and I started some of our own family traditions since it was the first Christmas we were out of school and did not visit our families for the entire winter break. But our first tradition was actually started exactly 5 years ago! Time flies! In 2006, Derek gifted me with the ornament below..

This year we picked out one that would remind of us of the year we moved to Maryland! I just love that little crab!

Another tradition that we started was cutting down our own Christmas tree! Derek is a perfectionist and I am extremely indecisive, so our visit to the Christmas tree farm took about 4 hours.

Derek was so amazing to lug that cart around the entire time, and I kept an eye on our little reindeer as she checked out the trees for herself. Eventually we found one to take home, standing just a few feet from where we had parked.

On Christmas Eve-Eve, the night that we cuddle up and exchange gifts, we drove in to Baltimore's Little Italy to get cannoli from Vaccarro's. We had been looking forward to this ever since we ate cannoli at the famous Mike's Pastry in Boston!

What are your family holiday traditions? I'd love to hear them!