The Twelve Days of Christmas

When I was a young woman of twenty-six, I made the decision to begin collecting a Hallmark Ornament Series entitled "The Twelve Days of Christmas". I remember when I first purchased that first ornament, I wondered what my life might look like in "a million years" when Christmas of 2022 had come and I had completed the collection. 

I think I imagined I'd have a husband and multiple children - and while I do have that husband (the best husband) - we don't quite have the children yet. My life looked very different than I thought it would as I collected these ornaments, but every year was a blessing and I wouldn't change a thing. The Lord has made (and is making) my life beautiful in His time - and that is the greatest blessing there can be.

The First Day of Christmas - A twenty-six year old, living and working in Mississippi and celebrating Christmas with friends and family in our little town in Mississippi (not Bethlehem). My parents were living in Virginia and my sister was (I believe) in pilot training.

We; of course, took our annual picture of the cousins - previously taken on the stairs at our house, but now - with my parents living in Virginia - we moved the Christmas Eve celebrations to my Aunt Beth and Uncle Neil's. I was single this year... and that will be a theme, ha-ha!

The Second Day of Christmas - Christmas in Virginia! I flew to Virginia on the twenty-third and flew home on the twenty-sixth, so it was a bit of a whirlwind visit, but wonderful all the same!

My lovely little twenty-seven year old self had snow around Christmas for the first time and thought it was delightful. It was a wonderful Christmas, even if it seemed like it flew by in a flash!

The Third Day of Christmas - I was twenty-eight and I didn't know it at the time, but this was the last time I'd host Christmas in my home in Mississippi! The family came down and we had our traditional Christmas Eve celebration with friends and family.

We grabbed our cousin picture and my twenty-eight year old self was - of course - single. And y'all, Watson got the most handsome little gray hoodie! 

The Fourth Day of Christmas - The first Christmas that I was living in Virginia! I remember I imagined that this Christmas would be magical because I'd finally been able to move to Virginia... and while it was a wonderful Christmas, I was working in retail at the time and I also distinctly remember crying on Christmas Eve. Whoosh!

 

It was wonderful to spend time with new friends who have become family and we were able to go see the National Tree in DC - because I was now living in what is technically considered a "suburb" of DC. 

Twenty-Nine, single. working in retail - but hey, I got my ornament this year for over 40% off - because I was working at Hallmark. 

The Fifth Day of Christmas - London! For my thirtieth Christmas on this Earth, we arrived in London on Christmas morning and spent the next week discovering all the parts of England! We saw the city and the country and celebrated Christmas Day with Afternoon Tea at the Dorchester!

The trip was truly a dream come true and I could have spent more than a day hanging out at the Tower of London! We rang in the New Year in the shadow of the London Eye and it was certainly a unique and wonderful way to celebrate Christmas!

The Sixth Day of Christmas - A lovely Virginia Christmas indeed! We participated in Wreaths Across America, even with frozen temperatures and ice everywhere and my Mom and I attended a lovely tea at Abundant Life (our church now).

This was the first Christmas in my parent's new home - the four of us were together and little dog was in the midst and it was a wonderful time indeed! I was thirty-one and I was still... single!

The Seventh Day of Christmas - On the seventh day of Christmas... I got to meet Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman! We explored DC and Lindsey was home from Las Vegas (I believe - she moves a lot) to celebrate with us! Watson was less than impressed with his hat, ha-ha!

There were Christmas celebrations all around throughout the month - and my thirty-two year old self was (if I remember correctly) struggling quite a bit with being single.

The Eighth Day of Christmas - Thirty-three and celebrating with friends as I grew into life in Virginia! We made a trip to Monticello, Lindsey was in Virginia again for our celebrations and we raced around DC taking in all the sights!

 

Our favorite treat? Taking in ICE at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort, where we were submerged into the frozen land of all things A Peanuts Christmas - my absolute favorite!

The Ninth Day of Christmas - Christmas cookies and hot cocoa and traveling to Maryland to take in the Symphony Orchestra's Christmas performance... I remember distinctly sitting in a BJ's Brewhouse on December 23rd with my family for a little dinner on the way home. 

We were fresh off a November trip to Italy and Lindsey was - once again - in lovely Virginia to celebrate with us, so we were a foursome once more! I was thirty-five and single! *smirk*

The Tenth Day of Christmas - Oh... the Christmas of COVID! After making it almost all year with no struggles, my Dad and I attended an event at Belle Grove (see below) and then, he ended up with COVID! And while he was through the ten-day period by Christmas Eve - it was definitely a Christmas to remember.

 

Lindsey came home from England to celebrate and we didn't leave the house once we'd picked her up! 2020 will always be remembered as the COVID Christmas! Blegh. I was thirty-six... and I wouldn't be single much longer.

The Eleventh Day of Christmas - Ryan had been in my life for ten months, he'd been my fiancé for seven months and we celebrated a week early with my parents by taking in the lights of Enchanted on an unseasonably warm evening! 

 

Ryan and I celebrated our first Christmas together at my parent's home, while in the process of purchasing our first home and planning our wedding together! It was a special Christmas, to be sure.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas - My first Christmas as a wife! Ryan and I celebrated at our home together, reading the Christmas story and exchanging gifts together before heading to my parents for Christmas lunch and more gifts!

It was a wonderful Christmas - a different Christmas (in a good way) as Ryan and I start our own traditions together. And it was the culmination of my "Twelve Days of Christmas" ornaments - and compelled me to look back on the last twelve years!

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Life rarely turns out the way we plan for it to - but if there is one thing I know, the Lord works out all things in His perfect time, in accordance with His plans. What a blessing to know the Lord is working out our lives so wonderfully! Here's to twelve more days of Christmas - and then many more!