2008 Recap

January

Target won and took my money again and again. I lost my fancy contacts while at the first wedding of the year we'd go to. It took a lot of money to get new ones. I also took my Boudoirs this month (sorry no link to those!) and had to get my first spray tan. The best thing that happened this month? I discovered my apple cake recipe.



February

Riley started his escape artist act.

John chauffeured Julie, Erin and I around on our drunken night out.


Had an awesome Knottie night out.


March

Celebrated Erin's birthday
Discovered Mint Dreams
I celebrated my birthday!


In a 2nd bday celebration Julie made me my giant cupcake.


Went to Baby Bake.

April

Discovered someecards.com
Got angry in the grocery store
We also went to Oyster Bake and served beer which meant lots of free beer. Somehow that also went undocumented on my blog. Could have been a good thing....

May

Got the AC replaced, goodbye stimulus check.
In one mass post I shared that we celebrated Julie's bday and then faked a bachelorette party, went to a Spurs game, went to another where I got to see Misty

my phone was stolen at that Spurs game and then I bought a new one.

John also shared his porn and I introduced you all to the German Man that calls my house.

I was the minister in Erin's wedding.

I also created my 101 in 1001 Days list.

June

The old German Man called back.

I started counting the number of weddings and babies for the year. Little did I know how big this list was going to get.

Made my first Chicago trip for this year, saw Lionel Richie while I was there.

Married Emily and Jordan.

Celebrated Becky's Bday.

July

Hosted the first annual H*man Olympics and finished physical therapy for my back.

It was two of my brother's birthdays this month.

Worked the pink wedding.

Ran away for the weekend to see Virginia and my nephew Ben.


Julie and I made TONS of cookies


The AC also broke again.

Bachelorette party in Austin.

August

Another wedding

The puppy hell that continued

Ode to Cheese Fries and lots of ranch dressing


John's dad and his nephew came for a visit and we all went to the zoo.

Watched nothing but the Olympics


Updated the living room and bought a new fridge.

The AC broke, AGAIN.

Mom had back surgery and we had to entertain ourselves in Waco.

September

Went to Chicago again and saw Oprah and all the Olympic athletes


Found out what was wrong with my wrist

Gave John the Boudoir pics and celebrated our one year anniversary with a trip to Fredericksburg. We got to sleep under the creepy turkey.


It was my youngest brother's birthday.

Celebrated Stephanie's birthday.


October

Spent a weekend in the kitchen

Bought a plant that is still barely alive.


Started going crazy writing my comps and had no life for 3 weeks.

Found a big pad of stress fat and my thyroid problem.

Was a Reverend again for my BFF's sister's wedding.

Bought a car



Lauren and Jack's wedding in Lubbock.


Celebrated John's last birthday in his 20s.


Halloween party and more John's bday celebration.


November

Emily's lingerie shower, visit with Virg and Jackie and a trip to Wurstfest.


Worked the White Wedding

Had the very NOT FUN thyroid biopsy. Only to find out everything is normal.

Passed my comps!!!

Became a Tia again to my wonderful little niece Elizabeth.


Thanksgiving

Week took our Trash the Dress Pics


Erin's bachelorette party and the baking of more cookies.


December

My life got even more crazy

Erin's Wedding


Emily's Bachelorette

I started my two week and much needed vacation.

I graduated from Grad School


Emily's Wedding


and finally Christmas!

The Return of Ross

2 years ago at Christmas John and I decided to find the ugliest thing we could and regift it. This was all because his mom is the Queen of regifting. She's always unloading random things on you and as a way to hopefully stop we bought this horrible glass clown at Ross (the clown's namesake). We gifted it to my MIL's husband since he would probably appreciate it the most. Well then Ross started showing up at any and all family events.

Things like Christmas and cookie exchanges


He was even (despite my friends' many attempts at kidnapping) at my wedding



After that first year Ross' visits kind of dropped off. In fact we didn't really see him at all last year. So imagine my surprise when Ross shows up in my bedsheets on Christmas. I'm just crawling under my covers and find this ugly clown staring back at me.

The next morning I show him to my mom who just starts laughing and saying that my MIL had told her she was going to do that. Apparently, my MIL thinks 2009 is going to be MY year and Ross is supposed to bring me some kind of luck and fertility. If this is also the reason that this:

has mysteriously shown up in my mailbox, things are not going to be pretty. At least she's never asked me about grandkids and has only talked to John. She might not like my answer. Why can't people comprehend the "we're just not ready yet" answer?

So until Ross meets his demise he's now camping out on John's bookshelf in the office.

Christmas Continued

On Christmas Eve John and I loaded up on the hot apple cider and hot chocolate, got into the car and headed out in search of Christmas lights. Here are some of the best and worst that we found along the way:


The first time either of us had seen this type of nativity scene.


This guy had music playing and snow falling over the garage


John thought it was unfair that the black wise man was the one that was burned out


This house gets the scary house award


Decorating the old school way - not a SINGLE inflatable

These two houses were directly across the street from one another. I can almost see the two men battling eachother each Christmas:



and across the street:


The best part of this house? The Animatronic Santa and Mrs. Claus


One street over from these two houses we found a street with every tree lit up. People were actually getting out of their cars and walking the street and posing in front of the houses.




Our final Christmas Eve adventure started just after we got home. I had yet to make my Christmas Day pies. I started at about 10pm on my 2 pumpkin pies. When my sister in law moved she gave me pretty much the entire contents of her pantry. This included a crapload of baking related items. When I had done my shopping I saw that I had a can of evaporated milk, so I only needed to buy one. I poured the milk from the first can into the bowl and everything was fine, then it was time for the 2nd can. It came out kind of thick and very yellow. I turned the can over and it had expired in September of 2007. Yeah, it had expired well over a year ago. Do you know how hard it is to find 2 cans of evaporated milk at 10pm on Christmas Eve? After 7 different stops at various gas stations, Walgreens and CVS I finally had my two UNEXPIRED cans of evaporated milk.

On Christmas Day we got up and opened our stockings:

The dogs liked their bones

John loved all the stuff I got him, including the hidden Spurs tickets




The Santa gifts for the dogs



John knows I love chocolate


For me it was off to the kitchen to start cooking for the eight people we were hosting that day. After the big meal and lots of complaints from my little brother (he's 23) about when we were going to open presents it was finally time.

John got a $1 and I got $5


My nephew Ben

Kids always like the packaging more than the actual toy. Don't worry, I took this away right after the picture.

My brother loved his camping stove and propane.


Wonder what it could be?


Even more Spurs tickets


My parents know him so well


I think the Shop Vac his favorite gift next to his circular saw


I got all the books I asked for


My favorite gift!


Then it was time to play!



There was a lot of Guitar Hero going on


Ben also played rearrange my house


My niece Elizabeth finally woke up from her 6 hour nap. We couldn't believe she slept so long!


Already thinks her Tia Faith is a crazy lady

See her little monkey toes?

Then it was time to say goodbye, and of course that's when Ben finally let me hold him.


Then our FINAL Christmas event was dinner with my Indiana cousins. See the tall blond one on the end? He was just a baby last time I saw him.


The next day all the family was gone and what did John and I do? CLEAN. Oh he also got to buy Guitar Hero World Tour and that's pretty much been consuming our lives ever since.