Christmas 2009 - D-Family (part 1)

We're spending Christmas in Nebraska this year, so this weekend we celebrated with Andi's family here in Minneapolis. We had such a great weekend - Andi and I are truly blessed to have such loving parents and sister. 2009 was such a banner year for us - we took many great trips together, we got married, Andi started his new company, and the list goes on.... I think the older we get, the more we realize how fortunate we are to have a loving support system around us.

Saturday
Our holiday celebration began Saturday with a progressive dinner at first Lindsay's, then our house. Lindsay made some yummy appetizers and served wine and beer. We talked and took a few pictures by the Christmas tree. It's neat to see Lindsay so grown up! Her house looks gorgeous, all decked out for the holidays. I couldn't help but think several times during the night about how special of a time this is in our life. In a few short years, we'll have a houseful of little ones, our life will become busier - I wanted to soak up this moment; my first Christmas as a member of Andi's family.

After appetizers, we drove down the street to our house for dinner. Andi and I decided to serve cheese fondue using our new fondue pot my cousin Jen and her husband Zach gave us as a wedding gift. We served various kinds of veggies, bread and steak to dip into the heaping pot 'o cheese - yum! For dessert, Janie brought over ice cream and fancy chocolates. We played games and just laughed and talked all night.

Loved decorating my table for Christmas!

Our Christmas tree (and the VERY glittery presents)

My hubby and I

Now we're just getting silly ...

After dinner, the cocktails were flowing and Andi decided to make White Russians for he and Lindsay. Andi made the drinks, gave one to Lindsay and after a few sips, pulled an ant out of his mouth! Gagh! It may have been a few months since we used the Kahlua. The bottle was full of about 30 dead ants swimming in a sea of liquor. Now I know the mental picture you have in your brain .. and no, our cabinet is no ant farm. The bottle had one of those pour spouts on it instead of a cap. Those smart little ants found there way into the way into the good stuff. Andi poured all the Kahlua out into a glass and this is what it looked like - ick!

More to come on Sunday's celebration ...

Asymmertrical Bob

A superficial debate taking place in my bubble lately? To cut my hair or grow it out. That is the question.
In the last year, I've gone from being the type of girl who NEVER cut her hair - always has long, straight hair - to cutting it chin length 6 months before my wedding. Now that my hair started to grow out, I really debated which style was a better fit for my personality and lifestyle.

And what did I decide?
Both.

I haven't had a chance to take a photo of my new 'do so I found this one online of an asymmetrical bob very similar to mine. Rhianna really rocks it, doesn't she?

I'm not exactly sure what I think about this new style. It's definitely more edgy than I've ever had before. Today at work, I wore a scarf around my neck because I wasn't completely sure I wanted to bare this daring new look to my sometimes judgemental co-workers. But I can't wear a scarf forever...

If I keep it, I think I just need to rock it. Be confident of my new style.

What do you think? Too crazy or is it cute?

Twenty '10 To Do's

I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions. It just turns into one of those things you beat yourself up for later because you never achieved all the things on the list. But I do make goals for myself - about my relationships, my career, things I'd like to do or see. Here's a few of my 2010 to do's ...

1: Volunteer my time to help others.

2: Give more - make a list of organizations most important to us and donate time and/or money.

3: Pay off all our debt.

4: ... and then build on our nest egg.

5: Set a monthly giving goal for church and stick to it.

6: Landscape the side of our house.

7: Be asked to present at three sustainability conferences.

8: Spend 4th of July at the lake with friends.

9: Host the 2nd Annual Holiday Baking Party

10: Start taking pre-natal vitamins to not only prepare myself for the future conception of a baby ... but to have lush hair in the meantime!

11: Meditate in God's Word every day.

12: Go on one big vacation and three smaller weekend trips with Andi.

13: Go to a Husker game.

14: Visit my friend Melissa in South Dakota.

15: Spend the weekend in Chicago with Derrick & Ellie.

16: Join a Bible group.

17: Eat locally.

18: Reinstitute date nights with Andi.

19: Invite the neighbors to dinner.

20: Read at least six books.

Shiny spot in a normally unpleasant experience

Disclaimer: TMI post? Maybe (but not too bad). Read with caution :)

I went to my female annual exam today. Everything went fine, or as fine as those things tend to go. But one thing happened that I've waited my whole life to say. When the doctor asked me about my sexual history (one of the most uncomfortable situations a woman can be in, I think), I was able to say MARRIED! ... which sounds a whole lot less trashy than previous answers of eh, well, uh ... I have a boyfriend. But that's not the exciting part. Next when the questions about pregnancy and children came up, I happily stated "well, we maaayyy be trying within the next year" ... which was such an exhilerating thing to say - outloud, in a real doctor's professional setting! Truthfully, we may or may not be, but now that I'm married I'm finally in a place where I could utter those few sweet-sounding words. I called Andi right away when I got in the car to share my excitement. He didn't sound so amused and when into some schpeal about women and turning 30 and why do women on the cusp of turning 30 always want to get pregnant ... yada, yada, yada. Boys just don't understand. I, however, see a cute little baby in my not-so-distant future which is the best darn feeling in the whole wide world.

Currently in December

Ho, Ho, Ho! Currently in December ...


Current Books: Just finished Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollin (likely the most powerful and influencial book I've read this year!). I liked how this book gave stark details and farm-to-table stories but allowed the reader to determine how they felt about it. Definitely changed my views on our country's food system!  On January 1, I'm getting ready to start The Daily Bible -- one of my 2010 goals is to pray and meditate in God's word every day. If I can keep with it, this book should make it easy! The book is broken into daily increments with passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.

Current Playlist: All I've really been listening to lately is Christmas music. There's a station on our satiellite box that plays non-stop Christmas music. Sadly, I forced Andi to go hang out in his man-cave last weekend (the room above our garage) because he counldn't take it anymore. Oh well! I love what a good mood it's put me in these last few weeks. Such happy, heartfelt songs.

Current Guilty Pleasure: Iced coffee ... mmmm!  Andi was just telling me how to make iced coffee at home in our new french press. I can't wait to try it!

Current Color: Black, always.

Current Drink: Diet Coke, iced coffee and Starbucks VIA (I don't change much, do I)?

Current Food: Loving create-your-own salads right now. Bleu cheese crumbles, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds and Ranch dressing ... yum!

Current Favorite Show: If someone were to peak into my TiVo box, they'd think I was majoring in crime dramas.  CSI, Criminal Minds and 48 Hours all the way!

Current Wishlist: I new hairstyle. I can't decide if I want to grow my hair out or cut it short again. Part of me wants to color it lighter brown (think Jen Aniston), yet I secretly swoon over the black silky hair of this girl at work. Oooh the tough choices in life ...

Current Needs: A warmer climate. I did NOT sign up to live in the arctic tundra that is Minnesota. Sigh, two more months of this crap!

Current Triumphs: All my Christmas baking. We have so many cookies at our house that I've been saving to gift to friends and snack on at Christmas. We've only eaten a few outselves - good work Andi and Heather!

Current Bane Of My Existence: Grouchy people. The stress of the holidays is really getting to people and they're rubbing their grouchiness all over the place. Keep it to yourlseves, people!

Current Celebrity Crush: Can I have a girl one? I've been admiring the hair of Jen, Angelina and Kate Beckinsale

Current Indulgence: Christmas sugar cookies, mmmm

Current Blessing: My husband. I'm more enamored with him everyday...so lucky to have him in my life.

Current Slang: What up.
Current Outfit: Black pants, black long-sleeve tee and a gray sweater. I wore boots today to work, which was a big mistake. I've skidded across the icy sidewalks about seventeen times today and my toes are in a constant frozen state.

Current Excitement: Only 8 more days until Nebraska for Christmas! We're also celebrating Christmas with Andi's family this weekend which should be super fun.

Current Mood: Relieved that Winter Break is almost here. I'm looking forward to a few days without interns and a few quite days around the office.

Current Link:  http://www.people.com/people/

Seven Quick Takes: Christmas Memories

As I anxiously count the days until Andi and I drive back to Nebraska for the holidays, I've been flooded with childhood memories of Christmas past.  Some of my favorite Christmas memories ....

ONE: Babes in Toyland. Does anyone remember this old-school movie? My sister and I used to watch it all the time as kids. We thought the evil Barnaby was so scary! And Tom Piper - so dreamy! At Christmastime, I can't help but remember this classic movie and cuddling up with my sis on the couch to watch it so many years ago.

TWO: I'm from small town America; a place where my entire extended family lives only a few miles apart from one another. There are seven grandkids on my mom's side, who'd all met up at my grandparents house every weekend. At the holidays, as soon as Grandma received the JCPenny Christmas catalogue in the mail, all of us grandkids would belly up the kitchen bar and begin to pick out toys for Christmas. We'd circle Cabbage Patch Kids and write our names by the one we wanted. Remember the ventriloquist dolls they used to advertise? Each of us grandkids would choose our favorite one and pretend it was us! We used to look over those books over and over again at the holidays, contimplating the perfect gift.

THREE: Santa never wrapped Christmas presents at our house (I think he and Mrs. Claus might have been too tired from all the celebrating at my grandparent's house the night before). So on Christmas morning, my sister and I (and years later, my brother too) would stumble into the living room, likely in matching Christmas pajamas, rub our eyes and see what Santa brought us for Christmas. All our toys and gifts would be displayed ever-so-nicely in a row in front of the Christmas tree. There was nothing like that feeling, walking into the livingroom to see all your favorite things lined up together. One year, my brother sleepily stumbled into the house after a late night at my grandparent's house on Christmas Eve, only to walk right past his brand new bike in the garage. He didn't even notice it! Luckily, my sister and I were old enough to know Santa's Christmas secret so it wasn't so suprising to us.

FOUR: One Christmas tradition that still holds true is watching home movies with my sister. It's something that bores my husband to tears, but one of my very favorite things to do when I go back home. It's so funny to remember all the birthday parties and Christmases past. We laugh til our stomachs hurts, watching them over and over again.

FIVE: My mom makes truckloads of homemade Chex Mix every Christmas. Just when we think it's all gone, she pulls out another huge tupperware that she's hidden from us! Now that I have my own home I make Chex Mix for Andi and I to munch on too. It's never the same though, there's something about the way she makes it that truly makes it feel (and taste!) like Christmas.

SIX: Going to church on Christmas is something we've always done together as a family. Not that going to church during the year isn't special but there's something magical about picking out a Christmas dress, getting all dressed up and singing Christmas carols at church on Christmas Eve. When I was a kid, my mom would always have one special present for my brother, sister and I to open before church. It was usually a pair of earings or a pretty necklace to wear with our Christmas dresses. This is definitely a tradition I'll continue for my kids someday.

SEVEN: One Christmas tradition I started when I moved out on my own is creating a special theme for my Christmas presents. Two years ago, I wrapped all our presents in glittery wrapping paper with shiny red jingle bells. Then Andi and I made the seven hour drive from Minnesota to Nebraska listening to nothing but jingly bells all the way there. ANDI ABOUT DIED. No more bells he said. Last year's theme was recycled brown paper and raffia which was also very pretty. And this year? A pretty red and silver glittery paper which sparkles so beautifully under my Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we have glitter EVERYWHERE from wrapping the gifts. It's in our bed, all over the couch and yesterday, even in Andi's hair. I just smile and laugh to myself when I see his cute little cheek sparkling in the sunlight. Sorry honey - it's all in the spirit of Christmas!

Holy crab ...

We just got back from Andi's grandma's house ... and a yummy birthday dinner. We ate ourselves silly - crab, steak, baked potatoes, salad, french bread and ice cream for dessert. Think the birthday boy had a good time?