Now Playing: Girls in the study.

It's been awhile since that last post, unfortunately. I'm seeing a trend here: last post near Thanksgiving break, this post during Christmas break. Perhaps more regular posting should be a New Year's resolution.

The past month has been eventful. Scott proposed the week after Thanksgiving, after talking to my parents during Thanksgiving break. I knew he was talking to them, and that it had gone well, but I had no idea when anything was going to happen after that. It felt rather like falling off a cliff. Ever since then we've been wedding-planning on and off. Wedding-planning made the ten-hour drive to Tulsa for Nicole's wedding pass much more quickly than usual.

Nicole's wedding was on 18 December at Christ Presbyterian Church in Tulsa. I was one of five bridesmaids, two maids-of-honour, and three junior bridesmaids. Quite a production. It was beautiful, though. Perhaps that's what we're supposed to say about every wedding, but her wedding really was lovely. The lovely awkwardness of watching her walk down the aisle, hardly able to bear looking up at Matt, hardly able not to look up at him. The elegance of her lace dress, of the white lilies we were all carrying. The quiet fitness of them standing side-by-side at the reception afterward. Their calm, in stark contrast to the bustling, noisy, jewel-colored hurricane surrounding them.

After scrambling around all weekend, returning to Stillwater brought a welcome break. We basically spent the weekend chilling out at my family's house. Laura, Stephen, Scott, and I would go for walks or sit in the living room, reading. Laura cooked lots of delicious food. My mother, Laura, and I shopped for wedding dresses. And so on.

On Thursday Scott and I drove up to Ponca City for Syneva's family's annual ball. Bittersweet: Amanda, Syneva, and I were the only RUF people there. Everyone else has moved on. Also, Scott was totally overwhelmed by the prospect of dancing and spent the night up in the stands, watching. It was still really good to get to see Syneva and Amanda and to hang out with Syneva and her family afterward.

Christmas here was extremely laid back. My father's parents came over Saturday night and Sabbath day for lunch, and we opened presents Saturday night.

Peppered throughout all this, I've been getting to see friends. On Monday, a trip to Enid for tea with Katie, Missy, Mr and Mrs W, Elizabeth, Anna, and Ruth; later, coffee with Sarah; yesterday, a scavenger hunt around downtown, particularly in the antique mall, with Elizabeth and Scott; today, coffee with Jenny. 

And today... the infestation began! At least, that's what my mother called it, with her best good Fearing humour. The cousins, minus Uncle Kirk, drove up from Texas to spend the week with us. The girls and Peter just finished watching the latest Dr. Who episode; Aunt Lisa and my mother are sitting in the living room, knitting and talking; Scott and my dad are reading, and so forth. Full house, fun times.