as if you don't ALREADY know...

I’ve been blogging now for almost 2 ½ years, and let’s be honest, there’s not a WHOLE LOT about myself that hasn’t already been exposed in blog world. However, when there’s a “tag” going on, I can’t ignore it. I was tagged a couple of times on facebook for this (I prefer the blog way more than facebook), so I’m feeling the pressure. I am to come up with 25 MORE things about myself to share. Seriously? I’m not sure I can do this, but I’m about to try. So here goes…and who knows, maybe I WILL decide to let the facebook world in on this too...
I compiled this list last night...

25 MORE things that maybe you don’t know about me.
(insert drumroll here):
1. I have crooked middle fingers. I have no explanation for it. It’s just how God made me.
2. I do not walk around ANYWHERE without shoes on. Even when I’m in my own home, I always have something on my feet. Again—no explanation.
3. I chew A LOT of gum but not for a long period of time. I chew a piece for a little while, spit it out, and then a few minutes later I’ll get another piece. This tends to annoy some people.
4. I carry Mace with me when I go running. Paranoid maybe, but it makes me feel in control and safe.
5. I have a mental block when it comes to doing my taxes. For some reason, I just DON’T GET IT. Thank goodness my mom is a genius. Every year she “helps” me with them and explains exactly what to do. Then, the next year I TRY to do them myself, and always end up going back to mom. I hope to marry someone who understands better.
6. I LOVE being a teacher but HATED being a student. I just don’t know if I could go back to school.
7. I have never had a cavity.
8. I am seriously knock-kneed. It’s quite possibly the first thing anyone notices about me.
9. I (with the help of my parents) once played Santa Claus for a former student and his siblings a few Christmases ago because he wasn’t getting anything for Christmas. It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.
10. If I got married RIGHT NOW, I would have 12 bridesmaids. I realize that’s a bit ridiculous, but I just consider myself lucky that I have 12 best friends!
11. I LOVE eye make up. Bobbi Brown, please.
12. I love peanut butter. In fact, I love it so much that I can’t allow myself to buy it because I would literally eat it with a spoon out of the jar until it was gone. I have portion control issues.
13. I am fascinated by twins, triplets, etc. I wonder if that’s a sign of what’s to come for me…
14. I REFUSE to pull anyone’s tooth. This is ironic because I’m a second grade teacher so I’m surrounded by loose teeth, but my kids know up front that I get a little weak at the thought of being the one to pull them.
15. I require more sleep than the average 27 year old.
16. One of my biggest goals in life is to become a mother.
This is a good one: *17. Recently my sister Kristen had a picture of the 3 of us (me, Kristen, and Heather). When a co-worker saw it, she asked Kristen if we all had the same parents. Kristen (a little confused), replied “yes,” and the girl then pointed to me and said, “well, I was just wondering because this one looks HALF ASIAN!” HA! I thought it was funny and most definitely took it as a compliment! For the record: I am NOT half Asian and YES, my sisters and I all come from the same parents!
18. The prongs of a hair dryer plug went up my foot. Yep…when I was a sophomore in college, I jumped off the top bunk and landed directly on it. It was excruciatingly painful to say the least.
19. Sometimes I like to bake cookies for others just so I’ll have an excuse to eat the cookie dough.
20. I buy birthday/anniversary cards a year in advance. For example: I go to Hallmark in January with a list of every single person I need to buy a card for that entire year. It usually takes me a LONG time to shop, and it costs a good chunk of money, but it makes it so much easier for me. I have a greeting card organizer where I keep everyone’s card for the year.
21. Ironically, I sometimes feel cuter when I have on jeans instead of when I’m wearing a formal dress and really TRYING to look cute.
22. As a child, I LOVED turnip greens. Now the look and smell of them make me sick. My grandmother used to always fix them for me and for years I pretended to still like them, FORCING myself to swallow some in front of her because I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I hated them!
23. I have a fear of witnessing someone choke. I watch my students like a hawk when they’re in the cafeteria.
24. I don’t think the TV show Friends is all that funny.
25. I am giving up sweets for LENT again this year. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

Have a great weekend! :)

what a precious, precious child...

I just had to make myself stop reading about this little angel. So sad.

Read about this beautiful little girl, but be sure the kleenex is nearby.

Prayer WORKS.

Have you ever...??

Happily stolen from this blog. :)

Copy and paste the list below into your own post, and then make bold (and/or italicize) all the things you have done. Tag 25 people plus the one who sent it. (I am NOT tagging 25 people. Do it if you wish!).

HAVE YOU EVER?

Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland/world
Climbed a mountain --(I mean, it wasn't a really BIG mountain, but I'm still counting it.)
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning (that one is for you, MSKS).
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Who hasn't??)
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Been to a Broadway show in NY
Ran a Marathon (ASK ME AGAIN IN 3 MONTHS!)
Been in three states at once
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a Cruise
Seen Niagra Falls in Person
Visited the birthplace of your Ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo’s David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Been to Grace Kelley’s grave in Monaco
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Swam in the Mediterranean Sea
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout cookies
Gone whale watching - dolphin watching
Gotten flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten Caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible (not in order from Genesis to Revelation)
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared my own meat
Had chickenpox
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous (Jerry Seinfeld!)
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee

Looks like I still have a lot of things to do and places to go before I die!

here I go again.

So, I made YET another header for myself last night. I guess you can expect to see a new one every few weeks or so. It's an addiction really.

...put a ring on it...

Recently MSKS revealed her girl crushes to the blog world. Read MSKS's post and I'm sure you will share the same feelings and see that it is very normal to girl crush.
Anyway, it's no secret that I totally have a crush on Jennifer Nettles. Many don't understand this, but to me, she's got the looks and the talent. I love her.
Now, I've never been a huge Beyonce' fan, but after hearing "Single Ladies" (I'm shamelessly admitting that I LOOOVE that song) and seeing the video, she's totally added to my list. You have to check this out.

Now, COME ON! Who WOULDN'T want to be her? Gah.

Amazing.

I may be getting in over my head a little with this one...

I just got finished making a blog header for Emily's family and for Emily's store. Have I ever told you how much I LOVE Scrapblog? I just can't get enough. :)

SO....I'm here to offer you "my services." I'm no design expert, but it's something I enjoy doing (much like blogging) during any extra time I have.

If you're interested in having a new header for your blog, let me help you! Email me at LLTomlinson@hotmail.com and let me know what you want yours to look like. You may want specific colors, styles (polka dots, stripes, flowers...ANYTHING!), etc. Also let me know what you want it to say and include any picture(s) you want to use.

Click here, here, here, or here to see other headers I've done (in addition to my own) recently. They may give you ideas for yours!

Email me if interested, and we'll get the ball rolling!

(Hey...you might want to take advantage of this NOW before I start charging!) :)

OUT with the old and IN with the new!

What a historical day it is today! My students are in music class right now, and I'm unsuccessfully trying to find a site in which I can watch some of the Inauguration. Several of the popular sites are blocked and a couple must just be too busy, because I just can't get through. Bummer.

I'm not one to talk politics on the blog, but it's no secret that I was not an Obama supporter. I, in fact, appreciated everything W did for our country, and I am sad to see him go. I think he endured so many trials during his presidency, and unfortunately ended his term as one of the least liked presidents ever. That saddens me. Disagree with me if you want, but I think many many years from now, he will be remembered as one of the BEST presidents of all time.

Now, about Obama. As of today, he IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. As soon as he won the election, I decided that there's nothing I can do about it, and that I need to support him and give him the respect that I think ANY President deserves. I am looking forward to looking back and being proud of the things he has done for this country.Funny story...

Before I took my kids to music, our principal announced that some teachers were able to get a clear station on the TV in order to watch some of the inauguration events. I would definitely love for me students to be exposed to what's happening today, as this very could be a day they will always remember! Anyway, while flipping around on the TV and even attempting to "tilt" it to make it clear, I was only able to find one station that was even a little clear. So I went with it, telling my students to be patient, because I thought I had found what we were looking for. It was showing channel 27, which is Fox News here. After a few seconds, the picture was getting clearer, so I told my students to look at the TV, only to discover that I had been wasting my time getting the Maury Povich show. Oops. Some of the students asked if we could watch it, but I decided that it wasn't worth the risk of losing my job, so I quickly turned it off! (You really NEVER know what you might find on "Murry,", right Emily?).
Enjoy your day hopefully watching some of the events on TV. Perhaps you'll catch a good Maury episode...if you're lucky.

Farewell, my dear friend.

A glimpse into the life of George Costanza.

Most of you know about the love (it's an obsession really) I have for Seinfeld—the best TV show of ALL time. I have seen every single episode aired during its 9 year life span multiple times each, and I continue to watch reruns daily on TBS. The show will never get old to me. I also have quite possibly the best Seinfeld trivia knowledge of anyone you’ll ever meet. I’ve been wanting to purchase the “Seinfeld Scene It” DVD game, but I can think of no one who could even stand a chance playing it with me. Well, OK...I suppose MSKS would be a good competitor. There’s also my friend Matthew, who actually owns the game and says “he could beat me any day”---bless his heart for even thinking such a thing. ;)
Anyway, if you’re at all familiar with the show (and probably even if you’re not), you know of George Costanza. He’s a pathetic, lazy loser, who I find impossible not to love. Things never really seem to go right for poor George, and it really is hard not to feel sorry for him.

I had an experience this morning that was so George-like, I was immediately reminded of one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. I’m fully capable of providing a complete plot of this fabulous episode, but I’m going to let my good friend Wikipedia do it for me instead. Please PLEASE, if you’ve never seen that episode, click here and read about it. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’ll give you a chuckle or two. If it doesn't, then I'm just not sure my blog is your thing. =)

With that being said, allow me to share my George-like moment with you.

It all happened this morning. It’s…well…a time of the month in which chocolate is a complete necessity for me. More like a medication really. I don’t keep chocolate in my classroom for very obvious reasons. There’s always the option of going to the vending machine at school whenever these chocolate attacks hit me, but I don’t do vending machines for 2 reasons: 1. I rarely EVER have money---not even a couple of extra quarters and 2. 90% of vending machine items are so not good for you. I would normally rather ignore the temptation completely.

ANYWAY, this morning ( I refuse to tell you what time it was), I knew that I had to have

chocolate.

Nothing else would do. On this particular day, I had a nice crisp dollar bill just waiting to be spent. I rushed down to the vending machine, already tasting the M&M’s I was about to purchase. I made the haul to the machine, slid in the dollar bill, and carefully selected D1 (notice I said “carefully”---if I was just one button off, I would have selected pork skins. SICK. That would have been a total disaster!). I watch my M&M’s just as they are about to fall, when – GUESS WHAT?! They get stuck. WHAT??? The only thought in my head was: “THIS ISN’T HAPPENING TO ME!” I had honestly NEVER used that vending machine before.

What a terrible first impression it was giving me. I suddenly

realized that I’d become George in that infamous episode. Although, he was trying to get a Twix (which actually IS my favorite candy), our feelings were the same. We had a connection. I began yelling at the machine, shaking it, and doing everything that George did. (Well, everything except lie on the floor face down trying to find change under the machine). Fortunately, after what seemed like an eternity of panic, a fellow teacher came to my rescue, stuck some quarters in the machine, and out came my M&Ms. I ate the entire bag and I have no regrets.
There really are SOME days when chocolate is all that will work for me.
Now that I've shared my personal story, it's important that you learn some important lessons in today's post:

1. Seinfeld is very informative, as well as entertaining. You really can learn a lot from George.
2. Chocolate does the body good sometimes.
3. You should ALWAYS help a friend in need, especially if chocolate is involved.
Happy Friday to you, and for all of you who are lucky to have a 3 day weekend like myself, enjoy every second of it.

Until next time...which I am sure will be sooner than later!
LT

It's the BEST season of the year!

And NO...I'm not referring to the bitter, miserably cold winter we are enduring. I'm talking about AMERICAN IDOL SEASON! Did you watch the season premiere last night?? I love watching the auditions...I mean LOVE it. My personal fave from last night--the African American with the insanely deep voice. I'll probably search for that one on YouTube when I need a good laugh.

And guess what? If you're beating yourself up for missing it last night, have no fear! Tune in again TONIGHT for some more fun (or set up the Tivo for all of you who are up-to-date-on-technology. That's NOT me)!

Thanks to all of you who humored me by giving me a shout-out on the blog. What can I say? I'm easily entertained and love getting comments. It's fun to know who actually keeps up with this blog, even though, most of the time it's nonsensical (is that a word??).

OK. Now for the next order of business, my sister Kristen's dear friend Laura awarded me with this "Proximidade" award. Below is a description of it. Although I'm not quite sure my blog is "exceedingly charming," I'll happily accept the compliment. Now MY job is to choose 8 blogs that I enjoy reading and who I feel are worthy of this honorable award. ;) (Unfortunately, there's no cash prize for it. I never win money).

I read literally a hundred blogs, so it's hard for me to choose 8. I'm not going to choose the sis, because she's already been awarded by another blogger.
So, here you go! Here are 8 fantastic blogs, that you MUST check out, if you haven't done so already:
Mary Straton Smith's (a.k.a. MSKS): "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"

Katey Overstreet's: "The Overstreets"

Emily Redwood's: "The Redwoods on Redbud"

Candy Robertson's: "The Robertsons"

Laura Dearman's: "The Dearman Family"

Tassie Rosamond's: "Tassie and Her Random Thoughts"

Jenny Holloway's: "The Holloway Family"

Mary Katherine Segrest's: "The Segrest Family"

Thanks to all of you who ask about my marathon training! So far, so good. I must admit...getting out to run when it's SO COLD outside, is difficult. However, I always feel MUCH better after doing it! I'm proud of myself so far. My next big run: this Saturday--7 miles!

I'm off to run an easy 3-miler now ;)

Stay warm...

Come on, give me a SHOUT!

Every once in a while, my curiosity gets the best of me.

I want to know who's reading about my life! Every 6 months or so, I ask you to leave a comment if you stop by (while also reminding you not to be ashamed if you're a regular 'stalker'! HA!). Obviously I like to see if I have more readers than the last time. I think it's fun just to find out who all is reading AND to see who will actually take the time to let me know they're reading! So come on---leave a comment--you know you want to!

Oh, and also, let me know you're a follower by clicking "follow this blog" on the right! Thanks! Happy Commenting! =)

Saturday ramblings

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like without weekends. Seriously.

Today has been, what I would consider, they IDEAL Saturday. I slept in (top 5 favorite things to do), completed my required 6 mile run, showered, cleaned my house, and got to visit Katey and sweet Paxton. I also very shamelessly watched a couple of Lifetime movies (they suck me in everytime), and even an old episode of Saved By the Bell. Zack-Kelly-Slater-Screech-Jessie "aka 'Mama'"-Lisa... They just don't make shows like SBTB anymore. Agree?

It was one of those no-make-up days, which frightens those in which I have contact, but makes me totally happy. I think every female needs to have at least 3 scheduled days out of the month in which she puts on NO make up.

Now about Paxton...HE.IS.SO.ADORABLE. I'm not even kidding. Unfortunately Camp wasn't there (I haven't even seen him since he's been a big brother!), but I was still glad to have some more bonding time with Paxton and of course some good hanging out time with Katey. I wanted to take Paxton home with me, but Katey very selfishly wouldn't let me. :)

My first week of training has been successfully completed. I was super sore towards the end of the week, but I had yesterday off from running, and I was able to make the 6 mile jog today. I registered for the 1/2 marathon today, so I guess it's official now! I paid $100 for that thing, so there's no backing out now!

I suppose that's all for now.

I hope YOUR weekend is fantastic!

Until next time...

One more.

I'm pretty sure this will be the final blog post regarding 2008, but I just love these little "questionaires." This one was stolen from Anisa. It takes several minutes, and I just got back from a 5 mile run, so I can assure you I'm not going anywhere for a little while. (P.S. The first week of my half marathon training is kicking me in the rear!).

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? flew to Texas---TWICE!
2. Did you keep your New Year’s Resolutions in '08, and have you made some for '09? I didn't really make them in '08. I'm totally serious about my resolutions this year though!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?Yes! My friend Katey had Paxton Dec. 27. I love him.
4. Did anyone close to you die? thankfully, no.
5. What countries did you visit? NONE. I've NEVER been out of the U.S.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? more patience.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? a dreadful day last March. If you're a reader of my blog, you know what happened. Ironically, I THANK GOD everyday that it happened.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? completely paying for my car!!!
9. What was your biggest failure? I can't really think of any!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? nothing serious. I fall down a lot while I'm running, but it only causes scrapes and bruises. :)
11. What was the best thing you bought? new sheets. That may sound odd, but my old sheets were so worn, they were starting to get this little balls on them and even a few holes. Very sad. My new sheets are 400 thread count (I think) and I feel as though I'm sleeping in heaven every night.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Sarah Palin (I'm glad that we can agree to disagree on this one, Anisa! No hard feelings! :) )
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Casey Anthony. People who hurt children (ESPECIALLY THEIR OWN) infuriate me.
14. Where did most of your money go? Rent. Have I ever mentioned how ready I am to OWN a house?
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? seeing my friends and family! When I know that I'm about to see someone I haven't seen in a long time, I act like a child waiting for Santa. Ex. I flew to Alpine, TX to visit Mere this past April. I couldn't sleep the entire week before my trip because I was so excited.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Jason Mraz "I'm Yours"
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? same I guess. (b) thinner or fatter? About the same.c) richer or poorer? TECHNICALLY I should feel a little richer because I have no more car payments!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? praying
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? crying
20. How did you spend Christmas? with my parents
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? N.O.
22. What was your favorite TV program? The Office, Desperate Housewives, and American Idol. Oh and Jon and Kate Plus 8 is a favorite too.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? well....hate is a strong word. Stongly dislike? Yes. But I've learned to forgive even though it was one of the hardest things I've ever done!
24. What was the best book you read? Well...I'm in the process of reading Twilight. So far it's pretty good.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I don't think I had any "musical discoveries"
26. What did you want and get? a trip to the BEACH!
27. What did you want and not get? enough money to buy a house.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? I have a tough time with this one. In the previous questionaire, I said "Mamma Mia." I will stick to that one. Meryl Streep is fabulous.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My 27th fell on Easter Sunday this year, so it was spent going to church and hanging out with family! (I also consumed A LOT of cake that day).
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? to be completely debt-free.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? I think I've become slightly more trendy than I've ever been before.
32. What kept you sane? Jogging, Blogging, family, friends, Mexican food and margaritas! :)
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Sarah Palin.
34. What political issue stirred you the most? I don't know if I would consider the Presidential Election as an issue that "stirred" me but I did get really into it this year.
35. Who did you miss? my Dada. Everyday.
36. Who was the best new person you met? The best people I know are people I've known longer than a year.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Life isn't always about what I WANT, WHEN I want it. I've also learned that I'm no where near as patient as I used to think I was.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. I'm going to quote a Bible verse rather than a song lyric. I love this verse and it speaks volumes to me everytime I read it!:

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed."-Habakkuk 2:3

I think it's your turn now. I like doing these myself, but I'd rather read what others wrote. It's much more fun and requires less thought.

Happy ALMOST Friday!

I think I have a new hobby!

I'm officially obsessed with scrapblog. In addition to MY new header, I've also used that site to make several headers for other people in the past few weeks.

Heather and Trey's:

The Robertsons'

The Overstreets'

...and I also made one for my friend Heather's painting company

....if only I could make a living by blogging, jogging, cleaning, and playing on scrapblog!

Let the training begin!

My half marathon training began this past weekend. The schedule which I am following is fairly consistent, which I really like.

My "long runs" are every Saturday, and I experienced the first long run a couple of days ago. My wonderful brother-in-law, Trey, actually joined me on the 6 mile run. He jogged at my pace, and even though it took us (well...me) a little over an hour to finish, I STILL DID IT! I realized that even though I successfully ran 6 miles, I'm still a long way from 13.1!

Several people have asked me what my training schedule is like. I made a chart (with help from a couple of websites), printed it out, and put it on my refrigerator. I scanned it onto my computer so that you could see what the next few months of my life will be like! (I hope you can see it!)

some favorites from '08...

Just thought I'd reflect a little on the past year of my life:

Favorite song in 08: choosing a favorite song is difficult (right MSKS?). I really like Jewel's "Stronger Woman." While I'm not sure it would make my all time favorite songs list, the lyrics have really spoken to me this year.
Favorite movie in 08: I saw a lot of good movies this year. I really liked Mamma Mia and plan on buying it soon.

Favorite new friends of 08: I've met lots of fun people this year. Do I have to pick ONE favorite?

Favorite concert in 08: Sugarland! (Even though it was the only concert I went to this year!)

Favorite musical group in 08: Sugarland--STILL! I just love them.

Favorite purchase in 08: Although I didn't go out and get my car this year, I DID completely pay for it in December! Yay!

Favorite baby born in 08: that award has to go to sweet Paxton!
Favorite TV show in 08: The Office, Desperate Housewives, and American Idol

Favorite vacation spot of 08: I went to several fun places in 08: the beach with my friend Heather; San Antonio; and Alpine, TX to see my sweet Meredith!

Favorite photo taken in 08: DEFINITELY the one of Henry wearing his Halloween costume! Adorable!

What are YOUR favorites from the past year?

Kristen hits the big 3-0!

Happy 30th birthday to my sweet big sister! Kristen was in town to celebrate her birthday yesterday and I think it was a really good one for her. Even though it was hard for me to be away from my sisters on Christmas, it worked out well that we were together this past weekend so I could be with Kris on this special day. Rob had the idea of giving her a surprise party Friday night (the 2nd), so we invited some of her friends to be at the Veranda to surprise her. She was definitely surprised! On her actualy birthday, my mom, Heather, and I took Kristen to Birmingham to do a little birthday shopping.

Well, after a nice 2 week break from school, it's officially come to an end. :( I'm headed back to the real world tomorrow morning! UGH!

Christmas with my family! (FINALLY!)

My family was here this weekend, and we were finally able to celebrate Christmas! We had a great time together as always! Here are a few pictures that I took. Most of them are of Henry of course. He was so much fun this Christmas!

(Oh, and if you want to listen to the fun music while looking at the slide, just click on the little icon in the top L corner).

Welcoming in a New Year and saying Happy Birthday too!

Happy New Year!

This is officially my first blog post of 2009. Year 3 of my blog is well underway.

I spent last night doing something I'd never really done before. Today is also my friend Heather's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEGS!!!) so we decided to celebrate a little differently. A few of us drove to the casino in Philadelphia and we met a couple of Tom and Heather's good friends there. I didn't need to entertain myself by wasting away money gambling. My entertainment was found just in watching other people. Wow. You can most definitely see some interesting characters wasting THEIR money at a casino.

We really had a good time. It was fun being with Heather on New Year's and her birthday!

Here are some pics we took last night.

me and Heather

Emily, me, and Heather

me and Heather ringing in the New Year!

Ok, so I guess a good explanation is needed for this picture. :)

It's no secret that I love mullets. I've posted about them before, and try to capture them on camera anytime they're spotted. Last night I was fortunate enough to see TWO mullets sitting next to each other. I couldn't let this opportunity slip away from me. I took a couple of pictures of them, and then I decided that I totally needed to BE in one of the pictures. So, Heather took this picture (nice photography work, HEGS). Look closely and you'll see that I'm perfectly placed in the middle of these 2 mullets. Aren't they beautiful?

Nothing gets to me more than a good mullet. ;)

Enjoy your day and be sure to eat some black eyed peas!