Twelve (Wonderful) Days of Christmas

This has been one of the best Christmas seasons I've had in my life. I know I did nothing to deserve it. The past twelve days have been full of little surprises. It began on the 1st day of Christmas. I received two Christmas cards from my boyfriend in the mail. One said do not open until 12/15. My sister gave the cards to me because she had picked up the mail earlier that day...and she said "Oh wow, he's doing the 12 days of Christmas!" I hadn't even figured it out until she said it. I couldn't believe it. Each card from that day until the 7th day had been full of words of encouragement and some that made me laugh :). On the 8th day of Christmas I got to see him at the airport in Philadelphia where I had the chance to spend the next few days visiting him and his family. They had invited me over a month ago to join them in their annual Christmas dinner, where they all get together to celebrate (the whole side of his mom's family). That was lots of fun. I got to spend some quality time with his mom and I got to meet his sister, dad, and the rest of the family. I felt so welcome and I am very thankful for that. I also had the honor of meeting his dad's family, including his wonderful Italian grandmother who, by the way, makes the most delicious cookies! Needless to say, day 8 through day 11 were amazing....and guess what? The cards of encouragement kept on coming. Four of the cards included gifts, such as flowers, music, and a gift card :). Well, as if all of this was not already enough, my boyfriend and I got to spend some quality time together talking, laughing, and getting to know each other on a deeper level. One thing I appreciate most about our relationship is our open lines of communication. We are big communicators. We are honest with each other and we're not afraid to say what we need to say to each other, especially when it comes to making sure our relationship stays pure. We have been straight forward from the beginning, setting boundaries to make sure that we keep our relationship focused on building a deep friendship full of respect and admiration. We were able to share affection with each other but with wisdom. I learned that you don't need to go overboard with displays of affection in order to feel loved by the other person. In fact it helps us stay focused on what's important, and that is our relationship with God. I feel so blessed to be dating my brother in Christ, who shares the same values and convictions as I do from the scriptures, in fact, I have always felt that he truly does lead the way in this area. I know I need this and God knows I need this. The 11th day of Christmas was bitter sweet because we had to say goodbye. However it was mostly sweet because we'll be seeing each other again in less than 2 weeks (he's coming down to Miami for a week). I'm very excited about this, especially since after this next trip, the next time we see each other will be in May. Long distance relationships can be wonderful because we appreciate the time we do get to spend with our "true loves". I am so thankful to God for giving me the most memorable and amazing 12 days of Christmas I ever had in my life. I'm so grateful for putting this man in my life. Of course I'm ever thankful for my two little loves (my sons) which I get to spend the rest of this and next week with. Thank God for these past 12 days of Christmas. I'm looking forward to what 2014 will bring:)