It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It's beginning to look, and feel, a lot like Christmas here in Albuquerque. It actually snowed today -- several times. (I'm constantly amazed by God's creativity; the beauty of snowflakes falling just puts me in awe of Him!) The radio in my car is permanently set to the local station that has chosen to play Christmas music nonstop, and I'm getting to pass by more and more beautiful light displays during my daily runs with Max. Our church, City on a Hill, has begun celebrating Advent, complete with symbolic lighting of candles and some Christmas carols thrown into the worship mix. Plus, I've even been able to watch a few cheesy Christmas specials/movies on tv. I LOVE it. If one could say that I'm obsessed with any time of year, it's this one. The only element that's missing is our own decorations. This weekend, Aaron will put up some lights, and we're going to get a tree. I can't wait for our house to smell of pine. Mmmm. This will be Max's first Christmas (well, technically, his second...he was born on Dec. 19), and I'm hosting my family this year, so it's just exciting all the way around.

What else is new? Let's see... Well, Max has finally acclimated to his dog house (no, that's not a new white marking on his forehead -- it's dirt/dust). In fact, he likes it so much that he chooses to be outside instead of inside the house with us sometimes. We were a little hurt but also relieved that, after all the work Aaron did, Max has finally realized it's warm and cozy in there.

The bok choy experiment that I mentioned was upcoming in a previous post ended up tasting ok, but I'm still working on perfecting the way I prepare it before I share anything to that end. I have, however, become obsessed with an unhealthy food -- pizza. Homemade pizza, that is. It's funny because I've never been much of a pizza eater; it's not something I usually crave.

However, inspired by our visit to Farquahrt's in Durango this summer, I searched for a whole wheat pizza crust recipe a few weeks ago. Per Aaron's suggestion, I have also made a cornmeal crust for a Mexican pizza. This is our favorite pizza so far:

It's topped with fresh basil, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, and a few other choice ingredients. It's even better with a small glass of shiraz. Great, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

And last but not least, Aaron and I have determined that all Max wants for Christmas is a friend with whom to play! Therefore, we are looking for a second dog to add to the family. We are trying to be patient and selective, so we're not sure if our family will grow before Christmas or not (it may take longer), but we will post pictures as soon as it happens!

I hope you're enjoying the holidays as much as I am and remembering the reason for season -- God having sent his one and only Son, Christ, to Earth to walk among us and save humanity from the punishment we deserve. How amazing is that?!