one last day.

And this was our very merry Christmas morning with the Bargerons on Brookdale! It's hard to put into words how special it was to wake up to all of Santa's goodies on Christmas morning in a home that belongs to us. I hope and pray I never forget how much magic is tucked away in the simple, especially in the lives of these two newlyweds who rely a whole lot more on faith than reality.

If only we could be as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every other morning as we are on the morning after our stockings are stuffed and presents appear under our trees. I say we try with all our might in the coming year to embrace life's little pleasures, be satisfied with the simple, and keep our eyes fixed on the Living God who gives and takes away according to how He sees fit. Oh, that we would march forth into two thousand thirteen with a new found confidence and a trust in our Creator, the one who supplies our every need.

Enjoy your last day of twenty-twelve, friends, and believe that greater things are yet to come!

hollywild.

Our annual trip to Hollywild to look at all the pretty lights was, yet again, a huge success. This time, in particular, we were accompanied by a group of our most favorite people, which added tremendously to the fun we would have had without them. We rode through the park, stalked all the animals in the feeding field, fed a large cow some Cookie Crisps, toured the petting zoo, and finished the evening off with a stop by Krispy Kreme for some dessert. Teesh and I are so thankful for this group of God-fearing men and women, and it is such a blessing to walk through life with them. May we never grow weary of praising Jesus for the way He never fails to give us exactly what we need at the exact moment we need it--for us, these wonderful people were at the top of our list. 'Twas a merry Friday-before-Christmas evening, indeed.

a very k4 Christmas.

The Friday before Christmas, we had our annual party in Ms. Anna's K4 classroom, filled with fatty foods and eager children ready to dig in. I have been so blessed by these precious boys and girls this year, and I'm anxious to see what 2013 holds for all of us as we try new things and begin new adventures. One thing is for sure--these kiddos will be loved harder and harder with each passing day, even when it gets tough to do so. Being surrounded by little ones all day long may not be your idea of a dream job, but it has certainly turned into mine, one I never knew I had--at least not in this particular setting. Now, I can't imagine going anywhere else.

Merry Christmas from some of the cutest kiddos on the planet, y'all.

city lights.

After an afternoon of walking miles and miles along this single street, we freshened up at our hotel before dining at the most delicious restaurant I've ever dined at. Seriously, y'all, it was so good. Not only was the food to die for, but the sweet little gray-headed man playing the piano was tremendously talented. I could have sat there and watched him play all night, and that still probably wouldn't have been long enough. He even played Beauty and the Beast, thanks to my always-looking-out-for-me sister-in-law, and I must confess that I teared up for the duration of the song. I'm a sucker for anything romantic, especially if it's from the sweetest love story Disney ever made. :)

Once we filled our bellies with so many tasty foods, we ventured around the city to admire the lights for a little while before turning in for the night.You may not think it would be much fun, but I can assure you that walking along this beautifully lit up town hand-in-hand with my Teesh was the best time I had all weekend long. I loved showing my fella off to everyone we passed as we wandered along the sidewalk, and I'm already looking forward to the next time I get to do so in this cute little country town.

a day in Gatlinburg.

The Bargerons made a get-a-way up to the Smoky Mountains for a weekend of adventuring, delicious food, and a perfect dose of Christmas. We walked up and down the streets of Gatlinburg, went into every little shop that even remotely caught our eye, admired all the beautiful scenery surrounding us, took a mid-afternoon nap, went into the most intense outdoor store we'd ever seen (which only heightened our love for hiking, by the way), laughed at all the ridiculous sights we saw along the way, enjoyed some yummy ice cream from Kilwin's (had to, of course), and soaked up every minute of time well spent with family.

It was so much fun to remember the last and only previous trip I took to Gatlinburg with the whole family way back in 2004. We were merely sophomores in high school with no idea that we'd be happily married eight years later. Ahh, young love. :)

new toys!

We've got new toys! We've got new toys! Hip hip hooray, we've got new toys!

Thanks to our home warranty and Cyber Week, we were able to purchase a new oven and microwave for our precious little kitchen! Then, a week later, we got a curtain rod and two curtain panels for our dining room! Yay for being able to check detail items off of our wish list little by little! Can you tell this new homeowner is super pumped? Because she is! Teesh and I are both absolutely, positively smitten. After a year and a half, we no longer have to use a little toaster oven, because we've got the real thing now. Hip hip hooray! We'll miss that little faithful friend, but it's so nice to be able to have a stove-top to go with it. With how excited we are, it's like we've just won the lottery!

Hopefully we'll be able to check off more little nick-nacks over the next few months, making it feel more and more like home with every new addition. Until then, we're still just as giddy to have a place to call ours, a place we can be proud of no matter how momentarily un-put-together it may be. The Bargeron Bungalow is just plain perfect for us, even in its simplest form.

glimpse of Christmas.

Friends, allow me to introduce you to a little sneak peak of Christmas on Brookdale, the place where the Bargerons are so proud and joyful to call home. 

Santa, we can't wait for you to come down our chimney in twelve days!

hpb.

"Somebody told me that this is the place where everything's better and everything's safe."

-One Tree Hill