My Life as a Novel

My mom put together a stocking for Mendy's bun-in-the-oven.


And Craig & Amy made a very important announcement on Christmas morning using a stocking!

So I'm going to be an aunt ... twice! Once in April and again in July.

Labels: Aunt Rita, family, holidays, photo

Today, Polkapalooza got at least 40% more awesome. And it was already pretty awesome!

Labels: Polkapalooza

Today is Chris Brown's birthday. And my mother-in-law's birthday. And is it even possible that Christmas is in three days? Eeek!!! (Happy birthday, you two!)

So I fell back off the blogging bandwagon for a couple of weeks there. Sorry about that. I'm sure there are so many of you out there just sitting by your computers waiting and wondering about what's going on in my life. And, yes. I'm so egotistical, I really do think that.

These past couple of weeks have involved turning some of these things into items suitable for gift-giving later in the week. I'm still working on two of those projects and really really hoping they'll get finished by Christmas. (Look for me this week and I'll be the one with her butt firmly planted, Christmas movie on, needles in hand.) And I also took some pictures of our friends and their families for Christmas. (And I didn't ask permission to put them on my blog, but ... come on. You had to expect this, right?! Just kidding. If you want them down, just say the word.)



The Jernigans
I love Eliana's face in this picture. I'm glad y'all picked this one! :)


The Mattinglys
Is Joshua Mattingly not a little stud in that gold tie? What a dude!

Labels: family, Friends, holidays, photo

We finally finished up a project in our home, last weekend. One that we'd been putting off for almost four years. Our kitchen. It was verging on ridiculous how long it took us to buckle down and finish painting the walls in there. Red all the way up to the top but never trimmed out. Our intentions were to purchase crown moulding and hang it. But, (a) that's expensive and (b) it's difficult and (c) really, after four years, it's fallen very low on the priority list, if we're being honest!

So we painted. All the way to the top. So now when our friend Matt comes for New Years, he won't be able to say, as he has for the past two years, "Next year, I can come a few days early. It'll only take an hour or two to trim this room out and get it finished."


one gold wall, three red ones -- painted all the way up to the top
and a new painting to tie it all together! :)
(I married into talent, y'all!)

Labels: home

Can I just say that our house is the place to be on New Year's?

Our party is going to be awesome!!

Be there. Or be a loser.

Labels: Polkapalooza

Have I mentioned that Thanksgiving is my favorite day? It is.


We arrived at Mendy's house around 10:30 on Wednesday night. My folks were tired.
And probably wished I didn't have a camera in their faces! :)


Thursday morning, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the
Dog Show that followed. (How awesome was that Bassett Hound?!)


... while others worked on finishing up a homework assignment


... and still others sat outside, wishing to be inside (but not for long).


There was some cooking going on too, as evidenced by this bountiful feast.
It was delicious!


Amy's beautiful (and yummy!) pecan pie. Almost too pretty to cut! Almost.


And then, the obligatory Thanksgiving after-meal nap.


Not sure Amy or Craig ever got a nap, but her assignment did get finished! :)


And then we set up the Goebels' Christmas Tree.










Mendy, Derek, and Daddy decorated the outside. I watched and took pictures. :)

Then on Friday morning, we headed out to meet up with Kyle's family for lunch and a visit. It turned out to be a very relaxing day. Just what we needed.






The beginning of what I assume to be a facial hair inspection.




... he passed.

And then we went home and finished putting up our Christmas decorations.

Labels: family, holidays, photo