Birthday Celebration Weekend

After an exhausting weekend, I was ready to get to work so I could rest!

How crazy is that!?!?

It was my "Birthday Celebration Weekend" so it was jam-packed full of fun!
Friday night I chilled out in the LaZBoy and wrote a bunch of Thank You notes. I took this night to take it easy before the craziness started early the next morning.
The insanity began at about 5:30am Saturday morning when I crawled out of bed. Not only did I have to do the normal morning routine, but I had to spend a little extra time and effort since I was prepping for a "photo shoot." Yes, it was the day Bobby & I picked to do our "maternity photos"....I don't really know what else to call them, but they weren't really "maternity" pictures. They were really pictures of us and the belly. We had a friend take the pictures, and we used a couple of our friends houses and a nearby park. Since the pictures were all going to be outdoors...in August....in Austin, we opted for an 8am start time to avoid the worst of the heat. After 3 "costume changes" and 3 location changes, we wrapped up about 10:30am.....just as it was getting a little too hot.
We got some really great pictures, and the sunlight was just right!
(Thanks to G & T for all their help on this!)

After the photo session Bobby and I headed downtown to hit up the big sale at REI. We bought our BOB jogging stroller and a couple of extra attachments. Since we waited specifically for this Labor Day Sale, we saved about 100 bucks! We then enjoyed at nice lunch in the shade on South Congress. If you have not yet had a Mighty Cone, do yourself a favor and do it! Yummy!

We had a Dog Training appointment at 2:30, so we loaded up Bobby's truck about 2:15. Didn't get out of the driveway before we realized we had a flat tire...a really flat tire. So we loaded up Holly in the Mama car and headed for the appointment.
When we got back home I had to get ready for that night's girls slumber party...which included packing a little bag, and taking a big nap. Bobby went outside to change his tire, but couldn't find the jack. Instead he found a tool box full of oil from a busted bottle. So he completely cleaned out the tool box and back end of the pickup while he waited for AAA.

After a nice long nap, I made a stop at the grocery store to stock up on junk food for the slumber party, then headed that way. We talked and laughed from the moment we got there until 2am!! It was a great night of girl bonding, and exactly what I needed!

Sunday morning we got up had a light breakfast and headed our separate ways. G & I went to my house to get ready for an afternoon of more food and Wicked fun.
Brunch was at 11 with my family and G & J. Thankfully I had allotted 2 hours for Brunch at Chez Zee...and it pretty much took up the entire 2 hours due to slow service. Good thing the food was outstanding!!!
We then headed to UT Bass Concert Hall to see WICKED! It was so AWESOME, and I was so glad we had paid a little more for the good seats at this show. I highly recommend seeing this anytime you get a chance! I am sure it is amazing to see on Broadway in NYC!

After dinner and a few loads of laundry, Bobby & I went to bed early.....exhausted.

Now I just have to rest up this week before another busy weekend with my Dad in town for the Holiday weekend.
~~~

Girls! Girls! Girls!

YEA! I am so excited! Today one of my best friends K found out she is having a GIRL!!! Our little girls will just be 3 months apart....so they will HAVE to be best friends!
I was secretly REALLY HOPING she was going to tell me "It's A Girl!" but I didn't want to get my hopes up...so I kept saying "Boy". I am so glad that was WRONG!

Even the Happy Couple had it in their head that they were having a Boy....because that is what everyone kept telling them. So when they got the news this morning, she was immediately overjoyed with visions of pink dancing in her head, and his whole world was flipped upside down in an instant.
I know this has to be true because that is exactly what happened to Bobby & I a few months ago.

Since then it has totally sunk in for both of us and I can't even imagine preparing for a boy now. Girls are so much fun to shop for!!! Even Bobby is totally on board with having a little girl. He is already thinking of Daddy-Daughter days and fun things they can do together.

In fact, one of our favorite little girls stayed with us on Wednesday night for a few hours while her parents were busy. She and Bobby had a blast watching the Scooby Doo movie. She was standing on the couch and tumbling around with the pillows. Bobby got such a kick out of watching her laugh and giggle at Scooby Doo. I know he was seeing his future watching silly movies with his own little girl.
So Sweet!

It just so happens that K and I already had plans for a baby shopping excursion on Sunday. Well, now I know it's going to be an all-out PINK day!!! I am so excited!
Another good piece of news I found out today.... baby clothes and diapers are TAX-FREE this weekend!
http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx98_490/tx98_490.html
Sweet!

Happy Friday!!!
~~~

Week 32: Baby Shower - Dr. Seuss Style!

Yes, it’s official. I really do have the best friends in the world! I am not sure how I got so lucky, or if I even deserve them, but somehow I have them and I will NEVER let them out of my life!

In all my life I have never had a group of girlfriends. I have always had one or two friends here and there in every stage of my life, but they have come and gone with the years. I never really thought it was possible to have a group of girls that actually get along with each other all the time. Of course I have heard of such groups, but I doubted they could sustain the years and changes in each other’s lives.

Our group is still relatively new, but I do believe we actually have one of those groups. We bonded so quickly and easily, and have already overcome adversity as a group, which only made us stronger. We all fully intend to still be the best of friends in 10-20----50 years. I think if we all outlive our spouses, we would be totally cool living out the last years of our lives “Golden Girls” style. :-)

Going through these last 7 months of my life being pregnant, has made me realize just how important these girls have become to me. They are all so different, but each has the same goals when it comes to our group…. Take care of each other, and make time to be together. They have definitely taken care of me, more than they know. I believe the reason my pregnancy has been so easy and even enjoyable is due to the support and love I have received from my husband, my Mom & Sister, and my girlfriends.

I had the most awesome Baby Shower this weekend! It could not have possibly been more perfect! They went with the Dr. Seuss “theme” to go along with Punkin’s nursery theme (which was the big secret they were keeping from me). Everything was decorated so bright, colorful, and fun! My girlfriends made it perfect right down to the smallest details, and it went off without a hitch. Everyone seemed to have a great time, even the ones who walked in not knowing anyone there. There was a ridiculous amount of food (always is with this group)….all the food was bright and colorful, and there was even green eggs & ham!!! The cake had the “Oh Baby the Places You’ll Go” theme, and it tasted as good as it looked. I got to take home some truly gorgeous flowers decorated up Dr. Seuss style. Probably the biggest perk was having a neighbor friend of G’s take all the pictures so I didn’t have to pose for 10 different cameras. :-) We played several fun games, ate delicious food, laughed and chatted, and I opened a ridiculous amount of baby gifts for Punkin. She is one really lucky girl to be loved so much….and she hasn’t even made her appearance into the world yet!

I went through all the gifts yesterday and tried to organize everything in the nursery. After doing that, I feel like we are now prepared to bring a baby home. I am only saying that we could bring her home anytime, and we would be able to take care of her and meet all her needs….. I am not saying I am ready for her to be here yet. I have actually enjoyed my pregnancy and I know our lives are going to change so much when she arrives. I know it will all change for the better, and will be incredible….but I am not yet ready to give up what “free” time I have left. I fully plan to enjoy these next few weeks and soak up the time I have with my husband, family, and friends before the big change.

BIG THANKS to everyone who made Saturday so special for me! I am so Lucky to have each and every one of you in my life!!!

~~~

One Lucky Chick!!!

Almost all of the ladies that mean the most in the world to me will be gathered in one place tomorrow….and I could not be more thrilled!!!
My best girlfriends are throwing me a baby shower tomorrow, and somehow they managed to pick a day when most of my closest friends will be able to attend. There are a few that will be missed, but unfortunately that is almost always the case. Honestly, I am amazed at the amount of my friends that plan to attend. Not because they wouldn’t want to attend my baby shower, but because the location is about 30-45 minutes from most of their homes in Austin…not so convenient.

My girlfriends have basically been working on the details of this party since I told them I was pregnant….at 5 weeks along. Now I am 32 weeks along and the party is finally here!!! I know they love me and are having a blast planning this thing, but the fact that every part of it is a secret from me is driving me crazy…

· They had an initial planning session Happy Hour that I didn’t get to attend.

· I am sure there have been numerous email chains I’ve been left out of.

· Tonight they are all getting together to decorate, and of course eat and drink.

Not that I don’t appreciate all that they are doing for me, but I hate being left out of these special girl times with my best friends. I am so glad all the secrets will be over after tomorrow!!!

Honestly though, the fact that they have all done such a remarkable job of keeping details from me has me completely intrigued. I absolutely cannot wait until tomorrow!!! My week WAS going by fast…until this afternoon. Now it feels like the day is just dragging by just to torture me.

My big day tomorrow starts with a mani with my sister, then we’ll get ready for baby shower. On our way out of town we’ll grab some lunch so I won’t be devouring everything in sight as soon as I walk in the door. :-) The girls are letting me get to the shower early so we can take some pictures and chill before the festivities start. And then the mayhem will begin. I am sure they have some crazy, silly games planned that will have everyone laughing and having a good time. After the shower a few of us will crash another party where we’ll find our husbands having their own “good” time.

So yes, I am truly looking forward to a fun filled day with people I love!

*** I genuinely do have the most amazing girlfriends in the world. How did we get so Lucky to come together like we did? Now that we’ve come to this point, I know our friendship will never fade. We have so many years ahead of us to look forward to with big, little, happy, and even sad events. I feel so good knowing I have such an awesome circle of girlfriends to go through life with.

I Love You All So Much!

Thank you for Everything!

~~~

BIG MILESTONE: 30 WEEKS!!!!

Hooray!!! I have made it to 30 weeks. It definitely feels different when I tell people I'm "30 weeks" rather than 29 :-) It feels like the big day is getting really close and we are running out of time to get stuff done. On top of our ever-growing To-Do List, my calendar is really filling up over the next 2 months! I have projects I need and want to finish....one being my mosaic bird bath.

Other things on my To-Do list include:
- dinners and happy hours with friends & couple friends we need to catch up with now....because it may be awhile before it happens again...
- baby showers!!!
- bi-weekly and then weekly doctor appointments
- dentist appointment
- hair appointment
- classes for me & hubby to prepare to bring a baby home
- dog training...as a group, to prepare our 4 dogs for Punkin's arrival
- get Dr. Seuss pages framed and up in the nursery
- get all my picture albums caught up...because I know there are going to be tons of new pictures soon!
- take all my photos now in individual frames and organize them into the multi-picture frames
- Church
- as many Yoga classes as I can fit in
- pack bag for Hospital stay
- my Birthday!
- lots of Girl Time with my Chicks: HHs, Movies, Slumber Parties, Plays, Shopping....SPA WEEKEND!
- of course I still have to work 40 hours/week

.....that is just in the next 2 months. And I'm sure I'm leaving some things out.

This isn't even touching on Bobby's own To-Do list....which is probably longer than mine!

I am happy to say that we are marking one To-Do off this list this weekend....road trip to see my Grandma in Lubbock. She is my FAVORITE grandparent, and always has been. I was her 1st grandchild and I always new I had a special place in her heart. I even suspected...and still do...that I was/am her favorite, but she will never admit it.
She hasn't been doing very well for a couple of months now and I have been trying to fit this trip in for awhile. So we are finally taking it this weekend....and I am really looking forward to seeing my Amma and other family & friends I haven't seen in way too long.
~~

Baby Registry...CHECK!

With the help of some awesome girlfriends, I can now mark one big item off of my Baby To-Do List.... REGISTERING!!! With my husband's blessing, the four of us descended upon Babies R Us and Target this past Saturday to get my registry done. I had done some preparation work so the event itself would not be painful in any way, and it worked. With a team effort we were able to get finished at Babies R Us in just 2 hours, and Target in less than 1 hour.
Our only hangup of the day was a ridiculously long lunch at BJ's. They tried to make up for it with a free dessert, and it did help. But the fact that we were in the lunch place longer than we were in BRU, was a bit absurd.
We topped off the day with some much deserved pedicures. I could not have asked for better friends!!! Thanks Ladies!!!


I do have to note that I took one item off the registry that my girls helped me pick out....the baby swing. I know G is gonna be bummed because she fell in love with the little owls....but her time is coming and she can have all the owls she wants. ;-)
After spending all day in baby world, one of my overwhelmed girlfriends sent me some swings she found on Craigs List. So that led me to start checking out what all was available...used.
Swings are one of those items that I keep hearing are hit or miss with babies. They either love them or they hate them. So many people end up selling them for way cheap on Craigs List after only using them a few times.
I found a cute one on Craigs List close to my neighborhood. I emailed back and forth with the seller several times last night and she told me that she already had 2 other people interested in it, but I could go by and look at it this morning (Monday) if I wanted to. Bobby & I decided it was worth the few extra minutes in the morning, so we made arrangements to be at her house at 7am.
Bobby was looking at her emails to find the address and directions to her house, and noticed her last name. He asked if I thought it could be the wife of a bar owner we know (who helped me throw Bobby's 40th B/D Party). I told him I doubted it....

HA! we were in her house this morning waiting for her to bring the swing downstairs and I saw a picture on the wall of her and the guy we know!!! Small World! :-)

ANYWHO.....We got the swing, excellent condition, and it is way cute!!! Even though I was really only looking at gender neutral ones, I really like this pink and brown one. I guess I'm ok getting non-neutral stuff at the right price!!!
I am glad, of all things, this is an item we could save some $$ on and get 2nd hand.
We are LOVING Craigs List for this baby stuff!!!
~~~

BEST CONCERT EVER!!!!

$100 concert ticket
10 hours in the car
2 hour walking tour of down(dead)town Dallas
$40 concert t-shirt
Girl Time and an Awesome Concert = PRICELESS!!!

NO DOUBT STILL KNOWS HOW TO ROCK!!!!!

3 girlfriends and I traveled to Dallas this weekend to see No Doubt & Paramore in concert.

BEST CONCERT OF MY LIFE!!!

The band was not promoting some new album, so they played all their best hits. We sang and danced right along with everyone else in the crowd. The band really knows how to play for the fans.
Paramore put on a great show as well. I think Paramore & No Doubt are two of the few bands that sound even better live...(i.e. The Killers)
We girls all had an amazing No Doubt experience and agreed it was totally worth the trip!!!



Such an amazing concert!
~~~

Floating Baby

So if you are like my friend Madison, and think the Floating Baby on the left side of my blog is CREEPY....Check This Out:
When I showed it to Madison her response was: "Hell to the no! Oh dear sweet baby Jesus, please don't consider getting this tank top, lol. I wouldn't be able to walk next to you without laughing my butt off!" (I can always count on her to tell me exactly what she thinks!)

What is funny is that she actually has to wonder if I'd wear that shirt.....
~~~

I'm gonna have a Mini-Me!!!

April 28, 2009 - WEEK 16 (almost 17) - Ultrasound appointment

I can't believe we're gonna have a GIRL!!! We have been talking so much about it being a boy, that we are both still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that its a Girl and not a Boy.
The craziest thing is that now its not just a fetus (alien) inside me, now its more like a person...a little girl. And that fact has both Bobby & I floored. Now we are calling it "Her" and "She" and discussing girlie names. It's definitely making it more real for both of us.

We had an appointment with the nurse Tuesday...on our 2 year Anniversary. The morning started off a little rocky when I got a voice mail from the doctor's office. The message said that the doctor was out of the office, but that I could still have my appointment with the nurse. I immediately panicked as I called and left a message on the nurse line asking for a call back. I waited by my phone all morning for the call back. Finally at about 11:30am the nurse called me and made me feel better. She said that even without the Doctor, the nurse would still do the ultrasound and we would still be able to find out the sex of the baby.

Bobby & I both worked 1/2 day and met for lunch at Santa Rita near the doctor's office. After lunch we went to a nearby jewelry store where we picked out a new charm for my pandora bracelet. I chose a 2-tone one with 2 diamonds to signify our 2 year anniversary. :-)
After that we were off to the doctor's office. We waited eagerly in the waiting room for 30 minutes before the nurse called us in. The long anticipated ultrasound was finally underway. The nurse looked and looked around but did not seem sure enough of herself to declare a gender. She finally said she thought it was a girl. (I could see the color drain from Bobby's face out of the corner of my eye.) I was still skeptical because she didn't seem absolutely positive. The nurse went out and came back with our favorite nurse and she started looking around. She was much quicker and more decisive. She said that we were definitely having a girl....and they had all girls that day so far.
The nurse also informed me that I was at 16 weeks, 5 days...and the baby measured at 17 weeks, 5 days.....1 week ahead. She said that was a good thing because that means the baby is healthy.

Before the nurse could finish wiping the goop off my belly, Bobby was already on his Blackberry composing a message about the news. As we walked out of the office (in a haze) Bobby asked me who all he should send the message to. I could not even think straight so I told him he was going to have to give me a few minutes. I was feeling like I was in a dream...so many things in my life had just changed, and a new direction of my life had been set in motion with the words "It's A Girl!"
Bobby & I called our family and sent messages to our friends. After a flurry of congratulatory replies, we began the process of letting it all soak in...
We were both freaking out for our own reasons.
Bobby's first question was "What am I going to do with a girl?"
Bobby's 1st concern: "You and your girlfriends are going to spoil her rotten!"
My freak out: "Oh No! Now I'm gonna have to be the 'role model'.....great." (my tattoos were the 1st thing that came to mind.)

We talked and freaked out all the way to the movie theater. We watched Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D....just because nothing else really jumped out at us. I did find humor in the fact that we chose a "kids" movie...since we're going to have plenty of time to watch "kid" movies in the future. The movie wasn't great, but it did manage to get us out of our spinning heads for a little while.

After the movie we went to Eddie V's downtown for our anniversary dinner. Since the menu at EVs mostly has fish on it, I had a lot of questions for the waiter. I could tell he was getting a little annoyed so I explained that I am pregnant and can't eat some things. He immediately understood and his annoyance seemed to lessen. Bobby told him that we just found out the sex of the baby so our stomachs were a little twisted....thus not sure how hungry we were. The waiter congratulated us and asked about the baby's gender. Bobby told him we are having a girl. (The first time he said those words out loud, other than on the phone to his Mom.) The waiter smiled and called her a princess. (I was thinking to myself, "oh no, don't say that word to Bobby yet!") But surprisingly Bobby didn't cringe at the princess reference and just smiled. Sharing our news turned out to be a good move...at the end of our meal the waiter brought us an awesome huge chocolate dessert with "Congratulations" written in chocolate....on the house. :-)

Bobby and I ended the overwhelming day watching our Wedding Day DVD and reminiscing about the events. I think we both dreamed of pink things and sweet smiles that night.
~~~

Girls V-Day Party Night

Tonight is our 2nd annual Girls Valentine Party...and I am so excited!
We are having Mexican food and lots of Margaritas. :-)
We'll have a blast exchanging our Secret Sister gifts.

Then the fun will really start.....
Our chick band will most likely be playing ROCK BAND on the Wii until we drive our pregnant host crazy. ;-) Then the "sleepover" part will ensue in which we will spend hours talking and giggling like a bunch of high school girls. Good Times!

Without a doubt tonight will prove to be fun and memorable for everyone!!!
I love you chickies!
~~~

The Killers!

Two girlfriends and I partied with The Killers last night! (Yes, a weeknight) We had an awesome night hanging out together with our shared appreciation of one of our favorite bands.

We three crazy chicks had dinner at the Scholz Garten before the concert. None of us had ever eaten there so we decided to try something new. To my surprise, the food was actually really good. Mostly BBQ on the menu, but there enough options for us non-red meat eaters.




We arrived at the concert just in time for the opening band to be finishing their last song. We were so stoked about our awesome seats and perfect timing. The Killers played all the songs from their new cd Day & Age with several of the old favorites mixed in.
The Killers rocked the Frank Erwin Center for about 1.5 hours.

My personal Killers favorites are:
When You Were Young
For Reasons Unknown
Read My Mind
Bones
Mr. Brightside
Smile Like You Mean It
All These Things That I've Done
Somebody Told Me

Obviously, The Killers are one of my favorite bands. And with good reason.... They absolutely ROCK live. In fact, they undoubtedly sound BETTER live than on the CDs. I cannot say that about any other band I've heard. Sometimes the music is so doctored up in the studio that it can be a let down to see your favorite bands live.

There are several songs on their new CD Day & Age that I really didn't love...until last night. Seeing and hearing them live made me appreciate those songs so much more. Now I can't wait to listen to the new CD again with this new appreciation and visions of the concert in my head.

Smile Like You Mean It!
~~~

Uber-Awesome Wife

Finally...... I won the UBER-AWESOME WIFE Award....at least my husband says so.

I always fret about what to do or get my hubby for birthdays and holidays because he is so hard to buy for. Seriously. If there is something that he wants, he just goes and gets it. He doesn't really have many hobbies; for the few hobbies that he does have, he already has all the gear he needs or wants.
So this year I went out on a limb and created a day for him to do something that he had mentioned on occasion that he thought would be fun, but never took the time to do anything about it.

Before we headed out for Bobby's birthday dinner on Friday night, I gave him his gift. He unwrapped the box with intense curiousity. Inside the box was a jersey, goggles, and a pair of gloves.... He looked strangly at the items and said, "this is stuff for a dirt bike right?"
I just smiled.
With a confused expression he asked, "Did you get me a motorcycle?"
I replied, "Now that would be a silly thing for me to do, wouldn't it?"
He quickly agreed.
So as I explained to him that I had rented him a dirt bike at a trail park near Marble Falls, his eyes lit up and he was smiling from ear to ear.
He exclaimed, "So that's what I'm doing all day tomorrow!!!"
I went on to tell him the best part was that a few of his friends would be going with him. Two guys who already have dirt bikes, and two more who had rented as well. He was just like a little boy on Christmas morning who had just got exactly what he wanted. He then opened up the big box that I had hidden. He pulled out the full set of dirt bike gear and could not make himself stop smiling.
That smile lasted through dinner and for the rest of the evening......

For his birthday dinner Bobby chose a French place in downtown Austin that has been around for many years, but neither of us had ever tried. Chez Nous is very cute and cozy (read small) so if you want to try it for dinner, get there by 7:00. We did and got right in, but it is known to have a wait most nights. Oddly enough, it is very popular with the grey-headed crowd. First of all, I can't believe that many older people put up with the ridiculous, non-existent parking in that area. Second, this restaurant is located next door to a sex shop, and across the street from the infamous Coyote Ugly. Just one of those factors alone would be enough to deter any grandparents I know from frequenting that restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights, no matter how magnificent the food.
The food does deserve to be mentioned. For apps we had a salad and some salmon pate, both tasty. I had the delicious salmon special....I gobbled down the large serving with no problem. Bobby had a tenderloin steak, and even though he said it was a bit overcooked for his taste, he cleaned his plate. For dessert we shared a chocolate mouse....YUM!

After dinner, we stopped at the Thirsty Nickel for a drink and reminisced about his big milestone birthday party just one year before.... (good times!)
Then we headed home. Honestly, I think Bobby was just excited to get home and try on all his dirt bike gear. :-)

Saturday morning Bobby bounced out of bed and jumped in the shower. I was nearby brushing my teeth and I heard him giggle. I looked at him and asked, "Did you just giggle?"
He smiled and said, "I'm going dirt bike riding today."
I replied, "So that was a giggle."
He just kept smiling.

One of his friends came to pick him up and drive him out to meet the group. They had venison breakfast tacos and headed out for their day of adventure. About 8 hours later they made it back to our friends house where all the wives had been happily hanging out for the day.
We heard all their stories about the cold, the wrecks, the races...they laughed at each other all night. Bobby's smile had apparently been contagious because they all had grins from ear to ear all evening.
We had a feast of wild game, all kinds of dips, and birthday cake. We got competitive playing couple games and ended the night with missing drunk husband (thankfully not mine). The husband was eventually found and we all headed home to crash after a long day.

Sunday morning Bobby got up at 5:00am and headed out to go hog hunting with another group of friends. For which he caught no crap from me, because I met some friends for brunch to celebrate one of our girls completing her first 1/2 marathon. Then we spent some girl time at the mall, and somehow I managed to leave with just one item: the Twilight soundtrack :-)

When Bobby got home from his Sunday adventure he told me that I win the Uber-Awesome Wife award. I am so happy I was able to both surprise him and make him so utterly happy.

Well Crap.....now how the heck am I ever going to top that?!?!?!
~~~

Holiday Update

I FINALLY got my Christmas stuff down and cleaned up yesterday. I am glad Christmas is officially over at my house. I am already starting to look forward to springtime!!! Winter Solstice has come and gone, so slowly but surely the days are starting to get longer. Whew! Once again I made it through the hardest part of the year for me. The holidays and a few trips always serve as a good distraction.

After the Costa Rica trip I had about a week at home before our trip to Georgia. During that week I hosted my girls group Christmas party (the only reason I even decorated this year at all). We had so much fun laughing and having good girl-bonding time. I hated that the evening seemed to go by so quickly. A few of us stayed up late after the party was over...guess we weren't quite done with the girlie night....we watched the Sex And The City movie. Due to a slight hangover, work the next day was long and torturous. I warned the girls that future parties MUST be on weekend nights! I am getting too old for this.....

Bobby and I spent Christmas at his sister's house in Georgia. We flew in Christmas Eve, rented a car, and drove 2.5 hours to just outside of Evans/Augusta. His sister her best friend had recently finished painting and decorating their beautiful home. We had the perfect Christmas holiday with lots of eating, drinking, games, eating, Wii tennis/golf/bowling, movies, drinking more.....and did I mention eating? Bobby loves to remind me that his sister and I bonded over 4 bottles of Champagne we drank on Christmas Day alone....he thinks there were 7-8 empty Champagne bottles by the end of visit....but who's counting?!?!? (that isn't including the wine and misc other mixed drinks.)
I loved spending quality time with Bobby's family, but especially his sister. She, her husband, and their two girls only recently moved back to the U.S. after living overseas for about 3 years. Before this visit she and I had only hung out one other time....which was the week of our wedding. It was great to just sit and talk and find out more about each other. Of course when I've been drinking I get all kinds of chatty...so she probably learned more about me than she really cared to know.... :-)
Bobby has twin nieces....and I absolutely love them! The were little princess flower girls in our wedding and they called me the big princess. That is when they stole my heart. I was slightly concerned that I wouldn't get that same kind of admiration without the big white dress, but that wasn't the case. They warmed up to me again quickly and were soon calling me Aunt and wanting my attention as much as I wanted theirs. :-)

We stayed indoors all but one day of the visit, which we took a day trip to Stone Mountain. I can best describe it as a theme park, without the rides. Well there were two rides, one was a cable car that takes you to the top of the mountain.
The main thing about this place is the Confederate Memorial Carving int he side of the stone mountain. For all you locals...the actual Stone Mountain was like Enchanted Rock times ten thousand.
In the same concept as Mount Rushmore, there is a carving of three figures of the Confederacy on horseback.

I won't bore you with the details...however, I do want to mention the 2nd "ride"... a train that goes around the mountain. OMG! The headache we all acquired by the end of that ride was indescribable and unforgettable. The brakes on that train needed several gallons of WD-40!!! Ridiculous that people were actually standing in line to get a massive headache. The important thing was that the girls had a blast and we all got to spend the day together....and got out of the house.

Sunday we got up extra early and headed for the Atlanta airport. We were at the airport over 2 hours early and it's a really good thing that we were. We walked in the door to see the Delta check in-line was super long and full of pissed off people. So remembering that we had booked 1st-class for this flight, we found the first class check-in line. This line was not nearly as long, but it hardly moved. Evidently many others had not allowed that 2 hour cushion and missed their flights home. So now they stood at the check-in counters trying to change their flights. Unfortunately, we were unable to check-in online or use the kiosks for our check-in. Bobby had purchased the tickets using credit card rewards through Continental for this Delta flight, so long check-in line for us....at one of the busiest airports in the U.S. on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The airport was no problem at all once we finally made it through the check-in line. After about an hour flight delay we finally made it home....so happy to see our four furry kids.

We ended 2008 at a dinner with some friends, and we started 2009 at family lunch at my Mom's house. Friends and Family....the most important things in life.



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Where did the Weekend go???

I had a really awesome weekend! It was over way too fast!

Friday night Bobby & I had our usual debate about dinner. We eat out often (too often - we know) and we get tired of the places around the corner from our house. If he lets me pick, 90% of the time it will be Mexican food. So Friday night we were headed to Chuy's until I mentioned Hooters shrimp....Bobby jumped on that idea since it was something besides Mexican.
Driving north on Mopac I realized just how glad I was that we had ventured outside of our little area. THE MOON WAS MAGNIFICENT! It was dark orange, low, and huge...just over the skyline of Austin. It was one of those moments you know will not happen very often. I only took my eyes off of it long enough to text a few people to tell them to check it out. It was absolutely beautiful.
Hooters was not great. I used to always love to go & get the buffalo shrimp. This time, not nearly as good as I remember. I only make it there once every few years....it will probably take a few more years until I'll try it again.

Saturday afternoon I met up with some friends at the Hill Country Galleria for lunch, girl time, and some serious shopping. We all found a few good deals and spent too much money on Christmas decor. :-) Some of the husbands met up at a bar in Austin for some live music.
While the rest of us were out shopping and listening to live music, Bobby was home slaving away in the kitchen. Don't feel too bad for him....he really enjoyed his afternoon cooking for friends. He cooked a "practice turkey" along with some sides in prep for next week when he will be cooking the turkey for my family's Thanksgiving meal. The food was all (of course) delicious.

After dinner we all rocked out to Guitar Hero World Tour. Most in the group were newbies, so it took us several tries to make it through a song and not get booed off stage. But once we all found our niche, we jammed through lots of songs we knew and even some we had never heard before.
Surprisingly Madison was the Rock Star of the night on the drums. She rocked those drums for over 5 hours straight! Very Impressive!
We were all wiped by 1 am...Madison and N even stayed over. I am pretty sure Madison's hubby did not believe her when she told him she was staying over due to too much GHWT.

Saturday morning we got up early and kicked the girls out about 6:30am. Bobby & I headed to San Antonio to watch my sister run a half-marathon. Not exactly something we were all fired up to do after a late night of drinkin' & rockin'.
We cheered for my sister at the 8 mile mark and again at the finish line. Then we waited for her to get through all the post-race stuff. We all had lunch on the riverwalk then split our separate ways. Sister headed home to re-coop. Bobby & I headed to the mexican market and browsed around for while before heading back home.
On the way home I thanked Bobby for pushing us to make it to the marathon. It was really cool to see my sister complete a goal she has been working toward for a while. It really made me wish I had not given up running & training with her.
This made me think back to when she and I first started running. It was about 2 years ago when I found a beginner runner training group to train for 5Ks and 10Ks. I forwarded the information to her and asked her to go with me to the information session. She was pretty hesitant, but I finally did talk her into just going and listening to the spill. While there they handed out separate sign up sheets for the 5K & 10K training groups. I told her I wanted us to sign up for the 10K...she was like NO WAY! I finally convinced her to just sign up for the 10K, with a promise that we didn't have to actually run the 10K, we could always just do the 5Ks. We training together for about 7 months and then ran the Cap10. I remember what a huge accomplishment we both felt afterwards. I am sure she felt that x 10 yesterday.

I am so proud of you sis!

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