Christmas on a budget

One of my very favorite things to do has always been to give gifts. I love picking them out, wrapping them, and especially watching people unwrap them. I genuinely like to give them more than I like getting them. But with all of the weddings/bridal showers/baby showers/birthdays that have found their way into our schedule this fall, the gift-buying has definitely started to take a toll on my wallet. So with Christmas just around the corner, I'm finding that a little creativity can make the dollar stretch a lot more than it has in the past.

Enter Sofia's Christmas gift. With Stefanie a little more than two weeks away from her due date, I wanted to get my new niece a present for her first Christmas! I've gotten a great head start on my Christmas shopping this year, so as to avoid the mob-mentality-Christmas-shopping-crowd, and also to snag up some of the best gifts before they're gone. I've done really great sticking to my budget, but I was still perplexed about what to get baby Sofia that wouldn't leave my bank account with a little negative sign in front of it. Then the other day I was in Hobby Lobby, and I wandered over into an aisle that was full of great gift possibilities. I'll call it the "unfinished wood" aisle. There were all kinds of ornaments and picture frames and things just waiting for someone to make an art project out of them.

And that is what I did. I already had paint brushes at my house, so I picked out a small box, a little paint, and I was on my way. I kid you not... the entire project cost around $5. I spent that afternoon painting my little heart out, and this was the result:

It's not much to write home about, but I am really proud of my creative chops. I assure you, I am definitely one of the most artistically-challenged people alive, so if I can do it, anyone can. And the most important thing is, now I have a great, heart-felt gift and I didn't even come close to breaking the bank.

Our life lately

It seems like it's been some time since I gave you guys a good old fashioned update, and since life seems to be changing at a faster-than-ever pace, there's lots to catch up on.

Maurice is getting ready to finish up his last undergrad semester, and he couldn't be more excited. I have never known people who worked harder than architecture/design students. After December, he will be able to take a much-deserved break from school (before beginning grad school in the fall) to focus on working, wedding planning, and hopefully some relaxing. He is still working at Marmon Mok, an architecture firm in downtown San Antonio, until we move to wherever it is we're going to be moving to.

I just accepted an internship at an Advertising and Public Relations firm in Alamo Heights called Taylor West, and I'm really excited about all that I'm going to learn there and the experience I'll gain. I'm the public relations intern, so I won't be dealing so much with the advertising aspect of things, but I will get to do a lot of writing, which is always great news to me.

I am not afraid to admit that one of the things that unnerved me the most about wedding planning, was definitely pre-marital counseling. I couldn't tell you why, but I was totally intimidated at the idea. I think I secretly feared that if we gave the wrong answers, they wouldn't allow us to get married. But when we found the church that we wanted to get married in, they informed us that we would do a six week class on Sunday mornings in a group class along with other engaged couples. And I have to say... I truly enjoyed the experience. We were in a class with 8 or 9 other couples, most of whom were around our age. Each Sunday we covered a different topic, such as finance, communication, etc. Not only were the class teachers helpful, insightful, and great, but it was a fun experience to be able to listen to the stories of others who are the same place in life that Maurice and I are. I felt instantly bonded to them, knowing that we're all going through the same joy and excitement, and even fear and anxiety. The church was wonderful to us, they were some of the kindest and warmest people. It seems like every day I get another letter or card in the mail from a member of the church, letting us know that they are praying for us or that we are welcome back anytime. We finished the class in October, and I actually miss it. Maurice and I learned a lot during our time there, and the whole experience was such a blessing. Here is a picture of our class at Central Christian.



There are plenty of things to keep us busy these days, especially with the holidays upon us, but I couldn't be more grateful for all of the things that God is doing in our lives. I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week. There is definitely plenty for us to be thankful for.