Christmas 2012

Another Christmas has come and gone. This one came and went in a flash too. It was much different than past Christmas'. Within 24 hours everything was done - 5pm on Christmas Eve and we were home and relaxing by 5pm on Christmas Day. 

Christmas Eve was dinner with my sister. Usually both of them come, but this year Holly and family stayed in Chicago. It was great to see Heather and Jimi (Jas didn't come either! :( ), but Christmas is always more fun with little kids running around. Emery and Charley were definitely missed, as were Holly and Eric. 

I also didn't attend the Christmas Eve service at church. I was a little disappointed about this. My grandma and uncle didn't go because of the fog. It was very foggy around here, so choosing to stay off the roads that night was a wise decision - especially on those back roads. But, still disappointed that I didn't get to go to Candlelight Service because it is one of my favorites. Singing "Silent Night" by candle light - so lovely.

My family :)

On Christmas morning, we actually had to get everyone up. Nothing like years past where we were up at 3am. :) We exchanged our presents. This was the first year Santa didn't bring anything. :(

Christmas morning

Molly and John - their first christmas!

I almost have a full tool chest now! 

Bowie's obviously been a good girl this year.

As always, we headed up to my grandma and grandpa's for Christmas morning breakfast. Now that we're all older, we eat first, open gifts second. It wasn't always that way. I think Christmas morning breakfast is the one part of Christmas that my cousins and I look forward to the most. My grandparents make every breakfast food possible and it's all delicious. We all sit around the kitchen table together and eat and it's just wonderful. That's the only way I can describe it.

My favorite thing about Christmas - breakfast at Mam and Papaw's!

Pre-gift socializing at Mam & Papaw's.

A few years ago we started a tradition of playing games at Mam and Papaw's. Now that we're all older, we are no longer playing Barbies and baby doll's in the back bedroom. A few years ago we did Pictionary. We played Family Feud one year, and this year we played Taboo. I love Taboo. Let's just say my team has never lost. 

She's trying hard to win at Taboo!

Cousin picture. :)

We always take a family cousins picture each year (above) and another tradition that we have is taking my picture with my grandma's nativity set. I've done this every year since I was born. She didn't do it with any other grandchild - just me. (Obviously the favorite, right?)

yearly picture with Mam's nativity.

I love the packaging! :)

Overall, I had a great Christmas Day. I spent the whole day with my family and it was just really special to be with all of them. 

That evening after we got home, we were sitting around watching tv. Some of us in different rooms. And I got to thinking about my Grandma Primer and just being younger. We would always be getting dressed in our party dresses to go to her house and spend the entire evening there with so many cousins that I hardly ever see anymore. When I think of Christmas, I always think of going to her house in our fancy clothes, then driving home hours later, so tired and worn out from a crazy day. I miss her and the Christmas' we spent together.

NYE Date?

I read today that Tim Tebow is back on the market. That's wonderful news, because I'm also available! ;)

Do you think he has plans for NYE and would want to be my date? He looks really good in a suit.

Wildlights @ the Zoo

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium gave our students complimentary tickets to go see the Wildlights before Christmas. As a student council advisor, I got to go too. Whoo too! 

Of course, it rained the day we were supposed to go, but a small group went anyway. It was so much fun just to walk around and enjoy the lights. We basically had the entire zoo to ourselves because of the weather. It didn't rain at all after we left campus. PTL!

Some of the group before we left campus.

The polar bears just hanging out. Girls on the outside, boy in the middle. 

Ellen with the polar bear.

Molly telling the giant bear to 'come at me, brah.'

Elephants

Some of the group in the elephant house.

Showing us her circus acts.

Model elephant, trying to get a good glamour shot.

The lights are sooooo pretty!

I hadn't been to the Wildlights since 2008, so I'm glad I got to go this year with such a good and fun group of people. :)

Holiday Tour of Homes

My Junior League hosts a Holiday Tour of Homes each December. This year, I was on the planning committee. I helped Fletcher decorate one of the homes and then worked a shift at the Preview Party and the morning of the tour. 

The homes were all really pretty and I got a lot of ideas for decorating. And mostly, got in the decorating and crafting spirit myself! :)

My favorite house was the one that I helped decorate. It was Fletcher's house. It just seemed like the most 'me' and livable. 

Pretty tree. 

I loved these wreathes. They were really easy to make too.

Kitchen table.

Frame Gallery

The first house on the tour, was probably also a favorite. It also seemed like me. And it had a lot of blue in it. I like blue in a house. You'd never know by looking at my own living room. :) Kidding, it's mostly blue.

I may have copied this idea for my coffee table tray. :)

Colorful mantle.

The bedroom was my favorite part of the house.

Ginormous bathroom. See the bedroom and sitting room behind Julie.

 I didn't take many pictures in houses 2 or 4. They were cute, but not anything I hadn't seen before.

House 5 was pretty elaborate. They had stuff everywhere. So much Christmas.

This makes me think of the "Red Room" from 50 Shades.

Abra and her mom were there too. So we kept running into them. Like our cute booties?

That's all for this tour. Any other fun holiday home tours out there?

Christmas Dinner/Ugly Sweaters

Last Friday night I had a little Christmas Dinner for a few close friends. I requested everyone wear an ugly sweater or sparkles. Both were preferred. 

There was so much good food! Roasted potatoes, macaroni, pork tenderloin, buffalo chicken dip, green beans and bacon, veggie pizza. I know I'm missing something. These delicious things from Giant Eagle, that I think are called Gobs, but I called them "Goos". Maybe I'm still getting it wrong? Either way, they're delicious.

I'm so glad everyone could come and dressed festive!

Maggie, Michaela and Lauren hanging out.

Michaela and Lauren

Sitting around enjoying conversation.

Adam and Alex

This was late in the evening. My 'poof' had fallen from my hair.

I have always wanted to host some kind of party at my house, so this was the perfect opportunity. I planned it way back in the fall. I think everyone had fun. I hope they did anyway. It was so great seeing so many of my friends that aren't friends with each other come together. Most everyone that I invited only knew me, but by the end of the evening everyone was talking and joking around. We went on to Woodland's Tavern after dinner because they were having an "Ugly Sweater Party." Well, the party must have got cancelled, because Tricia and I were the only ones there with a sweater on! Oh well. :)

And the best part of the whole evening was knowing that most of the people at the party I didn't even know a year ago. Or if I knew them, I just knew of them or we had hung out a few times. Now I consider them to be some of my closest friends. I'm so thankful for that.

Tilly Pearl

I have a house guest. No, I didn't get another cat. But I am watching one for a few days while her 'staff' is studying abroad in Ireland. (I saw a sign at TJ Maxx that said "Dogs have owners, Cats have staff." So true.)

Tilly Pearl's mama's found her a few weeks ago and while they're on their trip she is staying with me. The other option was to go to the humane society and they would euthanize her!!

I'm so pretty. 

"What do you mean Lauren and Darcy just left me here?"

"Oh, they're coming back. That's cool."

I love to cuddle.

She really is the purrrr-fect cat. ;) I sound like I'm bashing my own child, but she's so calm and snuggly compared to Bowie. I've never even heard this cat meow. Bowie constantly whines about everything. She is such a diva.

I definitely know that one cat is my limit. The two of them chasing each other all evening wears me out. It's been great to have her hear and I will miss her when she's gone (and so will Bowie). But I also miss being Bowie's source for attention. ha. With Tilly here, she never wants to play with me. :)

That State Up North

Over the weekend I went to the University of Michigan to watch their basketball team play the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Obviously I was there to cheer for Arkansas because I claim them as my second favorite team even though I've never been in the state of Arkansas and because why would I ever cheer for Michigan.

Woooo Pig!

I will say that after this trip, it will be hard to hate Michigan so much. Their campus was beautiful and there fans were so nice. They joked around with us as we were cheering loudly during Arkansas' almost comeback.

Julie and Joe don't really have devil eyes. Just the victims of horrible iPhone photos.

I almost feel bad about throwing up the "O" at every chance I got! Almost. I did it a lot.

 

I don't know how this can really be bigger than Ohio Stadium. It doesn't look like it.

I even stepped on their M on the quad that you're not supposed to touch! Whoopsie!

Julie and I had a great time on our first trip to Michigan with our Michiganders (?) guiding us around.