Christmas/Birthday with Olivia

One of my the things I've loved most about life for the past five or six years has been the opportunity to meet with Olivia. I knew her from church, and one night at Bible study, her mom sort of matched us into a mentoring relationship. I'd never done anything like that before and had no idea what to expect. We started out meeting for coffee once a week (Thursday evenings, actually) and studying Elizabeth George books together.

After Olivia graduated from high school, we kept meeting, but her college schedule has made it a little tougher to meet as regularly. Still, I really enjoy that time we get to share and I have learned way more from her than she has from me.

This year, for Christmas and her birthday, Olivia came over to my house and we spent the entire evening together (our celebration interrupted only by the 2 hour finale of the Biggest Loser) catching up and EATING!!!!

We recognized our dinner of a large pizza as the "what not to do" advice of choice during the Biggest Loser finale, but we ate it anyway. It was GOOD.

We exchanged our Christmas gifts - and she gave me this very cute cappuccino cup/plate set, which I LOVE. Do you love the closed captioned television behind me? HGTV, you know. (By the way, I'd normally be more festively dressed, but I'd just come home from the gym. Yes, I know - the pizza undid it. )

And then it was time to celebrate her birthday! Candles, party hats, noisemakers, balloons, roses, sparkling grape juice - the WHOLE nine yards.