I'm dreaming of a White Christmas...

It's been since 1882 (I do believe) since we've had a White Christmas. This morning I slept rather late, 11:30 to be exact. That's the latest I have ever in my lifetime slept on Christmas Morning!! I mean I'm 26 I guess I don't get THAT excited over Santa anymore. However, he still brings me presents and fills my stocking :) This afternoon (since it really wasn't morning) Mom, Dad and I sat in the "great room" and had mulled cider while we watched the snow fall over the back portion of our land. Absolutely beautiful! Then, we decided it was time to get ready to go PLAY in the snow. Of course Mom took this as a photographic opportunity. I'm so glad she did! We've some pretty fun photos to frame and they will definitely spark our memories when we look at them! After I got finished rolling in the snow like a blooming idiot I darn well thought I had frost bite. So I camped out in front of the fire for a while. We all watched our FAVORITE Christmas movie together: A Christmas Story, and then Christmas dinner followed. 
So, you ask: Did I get everything I asked for? Plain and simple: I got more. Why? Well, because I didn't ask for anything. I got to spend WONDERFUL time with my AMAZING family. We enjoyed a beautiful gift sent down on our Lord's birthday. We had a delicious meal together. We LAUGHED together and just enjoyed each others company. The gifts were very nice in every way!! As a child we celebrated a "retail" Christmas just like most other families, but it wasn't a hugemongous affair. I'm really thankful for that now. Mom and Daddy really taught us what Christmas should be about. Christmas shouldn't be about breaking the bank, maxing out the credit cards or keeping up with The Jones'.  It's about something much greater than that. 
So in my 26th year I witnessed my first White Christmas. I'm so in LOVE with the snow. I'm one of those people. After our little "snow photo session" I had another first time in my 26 years.... Mom was putting the pictures on the computer and she said to me "Summer you are absolutely beautiful. Do you know that?" My response? Complete shock. And duh I said "No, I really didn't, and thank you." I'm not saying this is the first time ever in my life that she's said that, but it's the first time in my adult life that I remember her saying such. I've never really considered myself to be absolutely beautiful, beautiful, or even pretty for that matter. I've always just considered myself to be just me. Anyway, it's approaching the last half hour of Christmas - so Happy Christmas Friends. I hope you had wonderful days, and got all you asked for and more!!!

Deeper Still - Day 1

This weekend I am attending the "Deeper Still" conference in Birmingham. Now, in May/June when I signed up to attend I was absolutely ecstatic, I could not WAIT for December to get here. August rolled around and I was still thrilled. Then, hello December. Guess what? Not thrilled. I was actually DREADING it. I have finals next week, and to be honest I really thought that I'd feel insanely guilty for neglecting the "study time."  Forget getting "Deeper Still" in my Christian/Spiritual Life. Then, this morning Momma and I had a really great discussion about it. She gave me a new perspective on the weekend away. "Look at it as time to get away and get yourself a new perspective. You'll come back REFRESHED and ready to go." I'd looked at it that way in June, but not so much in the recent days. Now, as I sit here in the wonderful hotel room (I'm really not joking it's a pretty nice little place. Except I'm having to wait on sheets for my fold out bed. No linens for the bed here.) I'm so excited and glad and so many other things that I came. For so long my mother has RAVED about how terrific Kay Arthur is. Tonight I got to experience it first hand. WOW. I mean DOUBLE WOW. This 70 something year old woman rocked my socks right off my feet. I've really been struggling over some issues as of late, and I know I KNOW that this is the time for them to be resolved.
Look for some much more in depth ramblings later in the weekend. Like tomorrow night when I get home.
This weekend (in 2.5 hours tonight) has been POWERFUL. Tomorrow 13,900 women get to hear from Priscilla  Shrier and Beth Moore. Maybe I should take some tissues?
Well, my sheets are here and my bed is made. I lost my zone when the sheet delivery person knocked on the door. Just know that I'm having an amazing time and I'm in a wonderful place.
I'm getting refreshed and renewed for finals, and life.
As I think about how SILLY it is that I wanted to stay home and overload myself with studying for finals I can't help but to think how just silly I was about it all. There IS a life outside of college. One day I will be a wife, a CHRISTIAN WIFE. What better place to engulf myself? What better time is there? Right now my vocabulary can not do this weekend justice. I'm so glad to be a part of this. I am so THANKFUL to be here. I'm so blessed to have my mother's words of encouragement.
Good night friends.