Christmas Letter (in case one didn't reach you)

As 2008 comes to a close the Dishner family is thinking, “Can it please hurry up?” With the passing of a beloved matriarch in the family, job changes and an economy that affects us all, we decided to do what we do best, see each other as much as possible to encourage and love on one another.

There were many wonderful things that happened this year as well including mom and dad celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary. Both Britt and I agree they are not aging a bit and are having more and more fun with each passing year. Diligently praying to make the right move, Mom accepted the General Manager position at Pinehurst's historic Country Club of North Carolina. We are so proud of her and she is loving the new challenge. We think her skills as a fabulous mom are multiplied as she is in charge of over 150 employees and really takes on the responsibility of caring for the Club and members with enthusiasm and grace, all the while creating a fun work environment for the employees. Did I mention she beat out over 35 men for the job? I can brag on her because I was in charge of writing the Christmas letter this year! To top it off people still regularly mistake her for my older sister. Yeah mom!

Dad celebrated his 50th birthday this year and absolutely no one believed him. Out for dinner for the special occasion everyone guessed early 40's but soon met me, now 26, and realized their math was a little off. This is a true testimony to dad aging like a fine wine, a little better with age. He has been busy with projects in the Sandhills area as well as new developments in Banner Elk and the NC coast. We have all had a great time meeting in the mountains to see the progress and enjoy a little time away in Boone. Dad continues to be an amazing host always welcoming the droves of people Britt and I frequently bring home. Whether it's firing up the grill, being the captain of a boat ride or keeping the logs on the fire, Dad always makes coming home special with whoever we have in tow. Thanks dad!

My baby sister is no longer a baby, and I have to constantly remind myself of that fact! A junior at UNCW she is majoring in Operations Management. She is enjoying all the fun that comes with her sorority, Chi Omega and I am constantly getting fabulous pictures from her formals. She lived in Wilmington for the summer, getting more and more tan by the day and enjoyed working at Bluewater, where she once seated a “really good looking guy” who soon became her boyfriend, Luis. They are having a blast meeting in Seven Lakes for the weekends for family time, Panthers games in Charlotte and exploring Wilmington.

As for me, I am enjoying my new loft in Charlotte, a few minutes from downtown. My part-time hobby of freelance writing has become my full time job and I am loving every minute. I currently write articles for wedding magazines, business journals and newspapers, and have received word that over 18 publications are interested in featuring my work. Working from home and various coffee shops is growing on me and I always get a little flip in my stomach when I see one of my articles in Barnes and Noble next to magazines I have read for years. I am thankful to God for this unique opportunity and am leaning into Him each and every day to guide me in this venture. I also found a great church and have made it my second job to find all of the fabulous restaurants in Charlotte. Come visit me in the Queen City, I've got a couch with your name on it!

My hope and prayer for you this season is echoed by my family. With all of the beautiful things that have happened this year, I am sure you, like us, have experienced challenges and hard times as well. We pray your holiday season is a time of rest and renewal and especially a time to surround yourself with all of your favorite people. With the beginning of a fresh new year around the corner, let us remember that God's mercies are new every morning and He is faithful to bring you through. We love you and look forward to the next time we see you. If you are traveling through NC, just know you have a home in Seven Lakes, Wilmington and Charlotte!

Plastics

After dinner and a little shopping, I went out with F, T and C to a little pub off Selwyn. Let me set the scene. F was wearing jeans and a casual shirt, not a stitch of makeup. T and C in casual guy clothes, although C had on cuff links I later noticed and really was the most dressed up of all of us. I was in jeans and casual boots with a pony tail.

When we walked in to the pub...all eyes on us. F says, "Didn't know we were going to a semi-formal." I followed with, "We are the only ones that are pale with brown hair." We smiled lightly as we found our way to the couches by the fire. Every girl did the stink eye-glare-up-and-down. F leaned over and said "Geeze they look pissed or hungry."

It was so strange. There on a Thursday night, sitting around the outdoor fireplace sipping beers we couldn't help but notice that everyone looked like they were not comfortable with themselves. We watched as South Carolina hair styled-banker types stared down spray tanned-bleach blonde gals all holding light beers. The girls grouped in one area and the guys, slightly drooling grouped in another. It was middle school all over again except without the beers out in the open. Did I mention everyone had on pearls? It was an interesting group for a pub to say the least. I enjoyed people-watching as guys explained their position at work and gals batted their double coated lashes hoping this was the one to bring home to mom.

You might think I am being harsh, but I was not the only one who noticed how uncomfortable everyone was. No one could just chill. They were too busy trying to appear as if they had it all together. Just another interesting night of people watching.

My Apologies

My apologies for not mentioning the motivating reason behind the nose ring...The Sushi Sisterhood. Wondering what the heck that is? Well here's the story.

When I was living in LA, two of my favorite people Hikari and Nora joined me on an afternoon trip to Santa Monica. We sat on the beach solving all of the world's problems one by one. It started to get a little chilly so we took the blanket we were lounging on and laying on our stomachs and side by side rolled ourselves up in it. Someone, I don't remember who, mentioned that we reminded them of a sushi roll. Hikari was the rice (she hails from Japan), Nora was the avocado (she's Mexican) and I was in fact the imitation crab meat (after all white Americans don't exactly have a lot of foods that set them apart) :(

Hence the California Roll Sushi Sisterhood. And hence the reason I was motivated to seal the deal with the ring, well stud. Love you both!

Opps...

I made an appointment to get my eyebrows done from Erin at Aveda, the same gal that does ALL my waxing (no details needed there). Well I swoop in, talking a mile a minute of course and answer all of her questions about work, life, love, etc all in one breath. As I am doing so, I proceed to take off my boots, socks and as I am reaching for my button and zipper, mid-sentence about a new project I am working on, she stops me. "Sweetheart aren't we just doing brows today?" I stop just short of my jeans dropping to my ankles. "Oh, haha, right."

My Bedazzled Nose...

Top 5 Reasons Why I got a nose ring:
1) It is a reminder of God's promise to me for my career.
2) I have always worried too much about what people think, and now am moving into a place where I am much more comfortable with being myself.
3) It is a daily reminder that I am pursuing my artistic career as a writer...boo corporate.
4) I don't like to live my life wondering "what if."
5) I think they are cute!

Top 5 Responses when I told people...these are for real:
1) "Oh awesome Baby Girl, those are so cute. I bet it gives ya a little edge."-Dad
2) "You DID NOT! Oh! I have always wanted one of those but I can't because of work! I'm so jealous!" -Mom
3) "Shut up. I bet you rock it."-Shana Crawford
4) "That is the new hottness." Eric DeLeon
5) "Braaaaaann. I thought you would just talk about it forever, not actually do it!"-Britt

Top 5 New Habits/Changes:
1) I can't sleep on the right side.
2) I can't pick my nose (with a tissue of course)
3) I nearly had a panic attack before the first time I sneezed with it...turned out to be no big deal.
4) I soak my nose with sea salt on the regular.
5) My face feels dressed up even without makeup!

I think it's funny because I thought about it for 2 months, researched the best place to go and found out it was a block from my house. So yesterday I just waltzed down there, by myself, and asked 5 million questions and then said ok, let's do it. Wasn't as bad as I thought...the needles on You Tube videos looked a lot worse. Wow I'm so type A.

Honesty

I was sitting here tonight reflecting on the year and all that God has shown me, taught me and brought me through. One thing that stands out is being honest about how I feel. I am the oldest child and a natural born people-pleaser. I can still remember getting a pair of red flippers to use in our pool in Arizona. When I unwrapped them I didn't really know what they were and really didn't like them. I was devastated at the thought that my parents would think that I was ungrateful. I imagined them picking them out and carefully wrapping them. I was four. I also used to kiss all of my stuffed animals and baby dolls before I left to go somewhere with my mom. I had to make sure they all felt love and I rotated placing them on the bed to make them feel each one was special. I started at a young age making sure everyone else was ok.
I have realized that over the years, I have not been truly honest about what I like, don't like or feel about a particular situation. A lot of times I stuff what I think or feel to the very bottom just so someone else is encouraged, comforted, reassured. This year, I have recognized this and feel so much freedom in allowing myself, to well, be myself. I think this goes hand in hand with my honesty with God. Being honest with God is kind of funny, because He already sees past my front and to the heart of the matter. It is so much easier to come to God honestly than with fluffy words about how I feel. In fact coming to God with fluff is exhausting over time. Since losing my job and being carried by the Lord in this adventure of writing full time I have had many ups and downs. Working from home is great, but it's a challenge. Some days I feel encouraged and enthusiastic and other days I could drink coffee all day in bed. I think this comes with the uncertainty of what lies ahead. That's the honest truth. But I am working on the path the Lord has carved out for me and nothing, nothing is more real to me.
Before, if I used to be a little down about something I acted like I was ok. I prayed like I was ok and I talked to others like I was ok. Sometimes if feels good to just say, "this sucks" or "I'm upset about this or that," and that is what I am learning. There is freedom is saying, "I am disappointed" or "my heart is broken over this." That is when we can allow God to step in and comfort us, teach us, be God to us. Honesty and brokenness has been a beautiful new beginning of my life this year.

Marriage

My mom and dad don't have any hobbies. This first time I thought about this was when my sister and I were trying to think of what to get them for Christmas. We thought, well what are their hobbies? What do they like to do in their spare time? And the thought came to us, well spend time with each other. After work, they go to the movies, dine out, watch tv all cuddled up on the couch or go out of town for the weekend. And as I thought about the fact that they are each others hobby, it made me wonder if this why they are still so in love after 28 years of marriage.

It's not that I think in order to have a successful marriage you can't have anything "for yourself". In fact I think it is vital to have things that you enjoy by yourself. But as I look around I don't see a plethora of happy couples, especially after 28 years and so I wonder if this is a part of their secret. Just the other day I called my mom and she told me that she and my dad had 20 minutes and realized they were in the same area of town so they met up at Fresh Market. As simple as it is, they walked around holding hands and sipping coffee and pretended like it was a little date. Hmm. After 28 years.

Last Saturday was their anniversary and out of all of the things to do, they came to visit me and take me out to lunch. I can't believe it. They said they didn't feel a pressure to do anything extravagant because they "date" each other all the time. My mom is constantly doing little things to help my dad and my dad regularly fills the flower vase in the kitchen. Each morning he brings her a cup of coffee and my mom will notice he needs something and gets it before he even knows it himself. On top of that, they are actually looking more and more youthful as the years pass. I believe being in love is their secret. They are truly best friends. They enjoy each others company. It's so very precious and rare.

I know a lot of couples who argue a lot and complain about each other. I always think of my parents. Sure they get frustrated at times, they are not perfect. But really factors outside of their relationship are the cause of tension, never each other. There is something to this. And because I believe in what they have to be from God, so fresh after so many years, I am thankful for the example.