Looking Back.... 2008

I stole this from Carrie and Kara.

(Haven't had the time to upload pictures from our trip yet. So enjoy this randomness.)

In my 2008...

What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Got engaged.

Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I really just try to be happy and not get mad at myself for being myself. So yes, I did! Next year - same thing.

Did anyone close to you give birth? My cousin, Jill, had a baby girl Daley. Tons of old friends from college and high school. But none here in Orlando.

Did anyone close to you die? My Uncle Paul (in November) and my Aunt Betty (in December). They both led very blessed lives.

What countries did you spend time in this year? USA.

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Not sure yet. Pretty happy with what I have now.

What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? April 2, 2008 - got engaged!

What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? Being happy. (I know that sounds silly, but I've been trying a long time to just be.)

What was your biggest failure? Not doing more.

Did you suffer any serious injury or illness? Nope.

What was the best thing you bought? P90X.

Whose behavior merited celebration? Friends and Family.

Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed? Don't know.

Where did most of your money go? Dinner. I really like food.

Compared to this time last year, are you,

a) happier or sadder? Happier

b) thinner or fatter? No idea

c) richer or poorer? Richer

What did you get really, really excited about? Seeing friends when they've come to visit.

What do you wish you'd done more of? Travel. Must. Travel. More.

Did you fall in love in 2008? Even more so? Yes.

How many one-night stands? None.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No.

What was the best book you read? Eat Pray Love.

What did you want and not get? New house. New car. New everything.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 28, and Darin and I were driving back from a Clemson football game.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If Darin was more happy with his progress - but he's doing great. Wish I could show him somehow.

What political issue stirred you the most? Science. Who was going to keeping giving government funding to science/research. It's important because it's what both Darin and I do.

Who did you miss? My good friends that have moved away who I don't get to talk to regularly anymore (or as much as I used to.)

Who was the best new person you met? Suzanne! We have so much in common - it's great to listen and share with her.

Tell us a valuable life lesson(s) you learned in 2008: Things just happen. And you have to deal with them as they happen. So just deal with them. (Simple, really.)

What sums up this year? (a word, a quote... ?) "I won't worry my life away" Jason Mraz

Fiery Night - New Years Eve

Happy New Years, Everyone!

Darin and I went to our good friends' house to celebrate and bring in the New Year. My good work friends, Janice and Tony; Darin, Jake, and I; and Mike, Carrie, Honey, and Blackjack all enjoyed a wonderful night of fondue and Partini. And bonfire.

Fun fun.

And the girls won. Even better.

Note on the game - Carrie had gotten it for Christmas and it was all of our first time playing. Darin got a little annoyed because we had to read the instructions. We found out that Darin can't hum worth shit. Well, neither can Janice (though she did get us to guess the songs...). I thought it was a really fun game - like Cranium/Apples to Apples/Pictionary.

Janice and Tony



Carrie and Mike



Darin and Del

Joyous. Simple. Fun.

After midnight and me taking lots of stupid pictures, Darin and Mike continued their obsession (Rainbow Road on Mario Kart Wii), and Carrie and I talked.

We were so grateful to be able to spend an evening together with friends.

It's as simple as that!

Here's to 2009!

The Madness: Seattle Trip Part One

This year, we decided to try out my family 'together' for Christmas. Previously, I would go home, and Darin would come later. It was okay, but I missed being able to celebrate with him and have him enjoy my wildly-crazy and fun family get togethers.

So we headed off to Seattle.

On December 21st.

You know, when this happened. When Seattle got 8 inches of snow.

We ended up in Houston. With a lot of other travelers. Thinking, we'd get out. Our plane would make it.

It didn't.

So we left the next day (after spending a night in Houston at a Hotel 8) to go back to Orlando and try to fly out another day. Thankfully, my sister had gotten us a flight on Southwest or else we wouldn't have been able to get to Seattle until the 26th.

Yeah. It sucked.

And that day seemed like it lasted for.ever. Crazy how time does that to you.

But, we did end up getting to Seattle safely, on Christmas Eve. So it turned out okay.

(And that's all I am going to say about that because it was not fun.)

Okay. Christmas Eve!

Arrived in Seattle and saw all of the bags that had gotten stuck there. Do NOT know how this happened, but I guess they had over 1000 bags or something like that.

And got our bag (it had arrived right on time. Yep.)

Drove up to my folks house and were greeted by my sister, Cricket, Matt, and Glenda!

Sweet Puppy.

And presents. Snow. Slick roads. Snow chains. Cookies.

Though tired, Darin and I had a good night just getting adjusted to the new house (Darin's first time there) and all that jazz. Ended up doing our (my sister and mine) stupid/fun holiday tradition of giving Santa a shot of some interesting drink and a platter of cookies/carrots for the reindeer.

Tangerines for the reindeer.
They didn't particularly care for them.

We're creative.

Went to bed and got up to a white Christmas and Santa!

The stockings, filled with care. (And socks.)



Presents!



The best present. Poor Crick.

More to follow!

Jingle Run and Opening Presents

Well...

On this past Saturday, DJ (my soon to be sister in law) and I ran the Jingle Bell Run around Baldwin Park. It's a 5K run to benefit the Arthritis Association.

She can run. I more or less jog/run - but I didn't stop the whole time. (I was very proud of myself as that was my goal!) It was great fun. (Sarcasm, kind of).

The runners.

Jake got "Best Dressed Pet" award. Seriously. There were pictures taken and everything.

Jake and his Mama

DJ got 2nd Place in her age group (we totally cheered for her).

I finished.

Darin didn't run. Ha, I win.

After the race, we went back to Darin's folks house to open some presents... love presents... and eat some good food. It was truly terrific.

The Tree

S. opening presents... he got lots of cars.

C. opening her stocking.

For some reason I didn't get a picture of us all. Oops. The whole family was there and everything... next time, definitely. We had a great time being together and got to eat birthday cake too (it was C.'s birthday on 22nd.)

Merry Christmas Orlando!

Where would you go?

Pick and choose:

Option 1:

Option 2:

I should be fair though.

At least we will have a white Christmas.

P.S. Option 1: Anacortes, WA and Option 2: Orlando, FL

Christmas Weekend

Last Friday, Jake and I headed up to Pawleys Island, SC to visit our 'other' family: Margie and Bob. They moved there, what eight years ago?, from my hometown, and I visited them quite often when I was in Clemson.

To do my laundry and get some chicken bog (or chicken bob as Darin likes to call it).

Anyways, Jake and I went to to celebrate Margie's birthday on the 12th and also to help out with the neighborhood party they have annually at their house.

Yeah!

We got there around 8:30 pm for a nice dinner of hamburgers because Margie was sick as a dog. AKA she had bronchitis. Fan-tas-tic.

Cards?!
Bob and Margie re-gift cards every year... this one was a good old one!

It was a perfect cake.

She was secluded to the other end of the table because she was contaminated.
(We 409ed the heck out of that table and the telephone.)



Jake was very happy with Bob's shoe.
I just missed the shot with his head in the shoe.

One of the things I looked forward to the most around this time of year was Margie's decorations in her house. She has all of these wooden dolls, horses, etc. from Holland (?) maybe and Germany that were placed with care all around the house. (I do have to mention that last year we had to help put them away, which was a little annoying. There were lots of the little guys.)

Aren't they wonderful?

The next day, Saturday, we got ready for the x amount of neighbors who were coming for the holiday party. We did cheese and crackers, pizza on rye, beer cheese dip, meat-cheese spread, ham, more cheese, some weird blue cheese in cheddar cheese block. (Margie liked cheese. Or we all did, I guess.)

Wine. Yikes.

And did I mention the wine? Or bar area? Last year Darin somehow got to be the bartender and made some very stiff drinks for the neighbors - probably a good reason why they came back this year...

Will he?

And the nuts. They were in two places in the family room. Temptation...

It was a very fun party - I talked to Joanie most of the time and tried to figure out who was who. And worked on the beer cheese because I love beer cheese. And it was good. Oh so good.

At least he can sit.

Jake was allowed in the last half of the party and ended up just following people around hunting/begging for food. It was very amusing. Everyone did enjoy his company, and he got lots and lots of bits of ham.

It was a fast weekend, but well worth the trip. I miss getting to see them every month or so.

Love you guys!

Newest Christmas Favorite

You must go to this link.

It's absolutely fantastic...

Basically, its a medley of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

L.O.V.E

I.T.