9 Months.

Tomorrow I go home for the first time in almost exactly 9 months.

A lot can happen in 9 months.

Well… a lot besides that can happen in 9 months.

According to my calculations, a 23 to 24-year old (because someone can have a birthday in 9 months) can:

Go through 1 Costco pack of toilet paper

Go through 1 container of shampoo/conditioner (Don’t call me dirty. I promise I bathe regularly)

Go through 1 Costco-sized bottle of vanilla extract (I promise I didn’t eat all the baked goods myself)

Start a job and start to feel slightly more confident at said job

Run two 5Ks and (almost) start to enjoy running (Shh! I didn’t say that aloud)

Master Crow Pose (Bonus: without breaking nose or face planting into floor)

Find a “groove”

Hang pictures up on your apartment walls (This is only noteworthy because, shamefully, it took almost 9 months to do this)

Start dating someone.

Well, that can technically take 24 years.

(I look forward to sharing more details with all 5 of my blog readers when I see you in person in the coming week)

This has been an incredible, exciting, life-changing 9 months. I am so thankful!

Merry Christmas!

The One Where Senia Didn't Know What to Name Her Post

Last night I had 8 girls over (+ a baby!) for visiting and holiday treats. It was so fun to (more or less) have the space and freedom to entertain! I do have ample floor space and even vacuumed the carpet for my guests. What can I say, I go all out. It all went well, even though one of my neighbors chose to cook fish for their Friday lunch and stunk up the hallway.

Here's a picture of my centerpiece/party favors: Cupcakes in a jar! They were fun to make and if I had made 100, they would have started lookin' really good! I caught myself making awkward facial grimaces (Think: applying mascara) as I packed the layers.



More Christmas festivities and time with friends today and tomorrow, hooray!

Look for one more update later this week... "A Lot Can Happen in 9 Months." You will just have to wait and see whether or not I have conceived and grown a baby since I was last home in Vancouver, almost exactly 9 months ago. I know, what a cliff-hanger.

There's Nothing Simple About a Gingerbread House

Last night two of my good friends came over to decorate Gingerbread houses (From Ikea, to make your home cozy like the Swedes'). We laughed a lot. We ate a lot of candy. It was super fun and a perfect mid-week diversion!

Unfortunately, there were a few casualties:






I can only proudly post these pictures of my (still standing, knock-on-wood) house because I had many-a-humbling moments during construction, including a cracked piece right out of the box (which I'd like to blame all subsequent structural problems on), a collapsed roof (x 2), and a broken roof shingle.






Oh, and note the absence of a chimney? Mine is going to be one of those houses where Santa just needs to come in the front door. At least I can report that the gingerbread is quite tasty!