All the Festivities... and All the Social Events (in one weekend!)

It's no secret that I am an Introvert.  

I think I actually am a little of both. I love to be with friends and family... I love a fun party or a dinner date out but not quite as much as I love my pajama's, a good book, and some quiet time.

Close... but not a tie!

Oh and Coffee. I love coffee.

So this last weekend pushed beyond my normal social 'needs' and was filled with all kinds of celebrating and noise and, well, --people. It was a FULL weekend! Good, but full, y'all! (and it's no small wonder that I made it through without feeling overwhelmed and while still mostly being cordial and all that jazz!)

From our first ever Dad's House church Christmas party Friday night, to a full day working on Saturday and another party Saturday night to celebrate the cutest boys' First Birthday, to a great, full day of church on Sunday... there were small wonders all around and much joy and celebrating enjoyed by all (--even us introverts, as it turns out!)

So, here's a thing you may not know about me:

I used to love to bake, back in the day! 

I loved the holiday tradition of baking all the sweet things... (OK - mostly cookies, but still. You know what I mean!) However I changed the way I eat several years ago and while I have slipped up and loosened up over the past couple of years (and sadly yes - regained some of those lost pounds!), I still do not bake things anymore.

It is a rare and special occassion to find me baking in the kitchen... and it usually only happens when I know I am going to take the majority of what I make somewhere else and will not be tempted with left overs at home.  

So I braved the kitchen and baking, and made this for our church Christmas party:

It is a spiced apple cake with cream cheese filling. Oh My! It is delicious... and dangerous... and I made two cakes and am happy to announce that I only have two one piece left (now)!

We were happy to have a joint church Christmas party this year. (And no, even though we live in WA State where 'that' is legal - it was not that kind of joint party...)  

We partnered up with Freedom church, a local Foursquare church, and gathered together at their pastors' home for a ton of food, fun, and fellowship.  We ate (and ate... and ate...), played trivia games, had an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, did a White Elephant gift exchange and sang a few Christmas Carols with what was left of our voices.  There were a LOT of people crammed in to that lovely house and oh my goodness, it was fun. Loud (says the introvert) - but fun!

#Icanteven with his adorableness, y'all!

Dad's House Pastors - 2015

Then, after a full day of computer work, we hit the road and gathered with friends who feel like family and celebrated this little man:

This little guy turned one and oh how he was prayed for and longed for years before his arrival and he really is something special and worthy of all the celebratory things! (Including smash cakes, balloons and streamers and pinwheels, a house filled with people, and adorable one year old presents (for his Dad) to unwrap!

He was getting as tired as I was!

Happy Birthday, Little Man! We love you bunches!

And then it was Saturday night and we huddled up and watched something Christmasy before we passed out from being over stimulated and socialized and ohmygosh,-tomorrow-is-Sunday?! For only a brief moment did I miss the days when I had nowhere to go and nowhere to be on Sunday mornings... 

But I started off my morning with a bit of this:

A quiet house... a full cuppa... and a bit of alone time - just me and Jesus!

And then I was ready and excited for a bit of this:

We were honored to have our friend Harold Eberle as our guest at Dad's House and man, did he bring a great word on how your heart determines the quality of your life.  He shared about how love forms your thoughts and how your mind follows your heart.  It was so good!

So after church, and a wonderful lunch, we made it here - all snuggled on the couch, with the lights twinkling on the tree, and a bit of just you-and-me time...

Reconnecting and refueling side by side, holding hands and laughing together, in the calm and the quiet... recounting and remembering just some of the small wonders and benefits of this season... of this life!

And today? Monday... 

Well... we are once again ready for the week ahead and praying ever so softly that it will hold a little less excitement, and a little more awestruck silence, because (--and all the Introverts chime in,) 'of course!'

P.S.  I'm linking up with these lovely writers:

The Community over at #SmallWonders

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp

What about you, friends? What were some of the Small Wonders surrounding you this past weekend?