Thursday, December 31, 2009

A year in review..


It's hard to believe 2009 has come and gone. It's hard to believe it's 2010. A little surreal if you ask me. But alas we are about to see what this year holds for us. What will the year bring? Happiness, sadness? Ups, downs? From my experience it's probably safe to check the "all of the above box" on that one.

Farewell 2009, farewell to the memories..



- Celebrated my 26th birthday.






- Was attacked.





- Welcomed little Ella into the world.










- And took a million pictures. (see the my photography tab, and the holga photography tab)

This year has been one to remember. I love that I have a blog to remind me of how lucky I am to have so many blessings. Happy New Year! Bring it on 2010.. hopefully this year my 20 year old body will reappear.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Look who's here..


Bob's brother Mike is here in town with us over the holiday. So far we have eaten (a lot) and watched movies. It's always fun to have Mikey around. When Bob and Mike get together they have me laughing my guts out. It makes me sad I have to work instead of hanging out with them.

Now we are just trying to think of something fun to do on New Years. Any suggestions?

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

O' Christmas Tree


I was having a discussion with Bob about which kind of tree is better for Christmas. A real one, or a fake.

We discussed how real trees smell great and are festive. But are more expensive since you have to purchase one each year, and the needles fall off when they die. But it's part of the fun of the season to go as a family and pick out just the right tree.

My family has always had a fake tree, so for me it's no big deal to get a real one. Bob's family used to always get real ones. But Bob doesn't really care either way. So as long as we have been married, we have stuck with our little fakey tree. Perhaps when we have children we will start the tradition of a real tree.

This got me thinking about if money were no object, and I could have any tree of my choosing. What would I choose? A large real tree, smelling of pine? A fake flocked tree all white like the one from my childhood? Nope, I would choose the small ceramic tree my Dad's mom made shown above.

It's the one tree that screams Christmas to me, brings back great memories, and is simply simple. Just my taste. Now, I just wonder how I could fit presents under it..

I'm interested in what everyone else needs in a tree. So..

What kind of tree is Christmas for you?

Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas 2009


Our Christmas was chalk full of food, treats, family, friends, movies, presents, and sleeping in. Did I mention the food? My jeans are a little more snug than I remember.


Fun was had by all. Bob and I even created a new tradition of having lunch at Woody's Drive In. We ate greasy hamburgers and listened to Beach Boys on the jukebox.

I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday. I feel incredibly lucky to have so much this time of year. It helps me remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Let it snow..


Oops! Didn't blog today. I haven't had a chance to sit down until just now. I think I'm finally ready to relax and enjoy the snow. Happy Christmas Eve (early)!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Herbert


I decided to give my parents part of their Christmas gift early. It was just a small 5x7 picture of a street. Herbert Avenue. Odd? Yes, to most people it would be a weird gift. But for my parents, it seemed to be just the right thing.

My parents call each other Herbert. They have since shortened it to Herb in later years. Why? No idea. I have absolutely no clue where it started, or why, but I love it. I love that they have found a unique "pet name". None of this honey bear, sweetie pie stuff. It just wouldn't suit them.

I would come home from school and see a scribbled note they had exchanged. It would say something like..


Herb,


Could you take out the garbage?


Herb


My parents are not the most physically affectionate, but they have the best little ways of expressing love. It's never a big show with them. It's just for each other. They are one of the best examples of a good marriage I can think of. I also think it helps to have a sense of humor to be called Herbert all of the time.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Weekends should include Monday.. and Tuesday


Bob and I spent the weekend finishing up some holiday stuff and mainly just relaxing. Which is nice since we both have scratchy throats and the sniffles. Don't tell Bob I called it the sniffles, he wouldn't stand for such a girly expression. I also did a little photographing. More pictures to come.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Barbie Mansion


A couple nights ago, I had a dream about time travel. When I woke up I was a little disappointed that it wasn't really possible. Around the holiday's I get nostalgic and my mind drifts back to the "good ol' days".

I think if I could choose one Christmas to revisit, I would choose this one. The year I got my Barbie Mansion. Oh man, if I could just get my hands on that thing again. It was the ultimate. Not only did it have a fridge that opened with plastic food inside, floral blow up furniture, but a moving elevator. I mean Barbie wouldn't settle for less.

I miss those days of anticipation for Santa to come. Having the hardest time getting my eyes to close so I could sleep. And then having my brother sneak into my room the next morning, pluck a hair from my head, and tickle my nose with it until I woke up to go check out the presents.

Then we would all sneak into the front room and find it sectioned off into each kids presents. (Mine were always around the piano.) Santa had wrapped my presents all the same, but made sure to wrap my siblings each in different wrapping paper so we could easily find all of the goods that belonged to us.

Then we would get to it. Each of us would escape to our spot, and let the paper fly. What I find interesting now is, that I'm not as anxious to hop into that time machine for the presents, as I am to sit back and watch our little family. All of us together, with our parents watching lovingly as the excitement filled the air.

Man, today I wish I were friends with Doc Brown..

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Santa Claus is comin' to town..


(I look like the orphan my parents brought in from the cold to celebrate Christmas with.)

Well it's one measly little week until Christmas Eve. Where did the time go? I swear time is speeding up. This year I seem to be cutting everything pretty close. I am usually so much more on top of things, but this year has just felt like I don't have enough time to get it all done.

Luckily Bob and I got mostly everything finished last night. I addressed, stamped and sent our Christmas cards out today. Thanks to Rebecca for helping me find free Christmas cards! That's right, free. Which was a big help this year. All I had to do was pay for the stamps.

We only have a few small presents to purchase, and we're home free. Next week will be full of celebrating. From Monday-Sunday we will be celebrating with friends and family. This weekend I think I will make these easy festive treats. (Thanks for the tip Susan.)

Hope everyone is ready for the holiday's. With how time flies, I'm sure I will blink and they will be over.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Happy Happy..


Wow, what is it with December birthday's!? There are a lot that's for sure. We celebrated Holli, then Eric, and then London and Bob in the same weekend. They are some of my favorite people, so it was really fun to celebrate with each one of them.

Bob wouldn't hear of any pictures being taken on his birthday, but London obliged. Here are a few from her 1st birthday party..

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Jazz Game


we went to the jazz game last night. they lost.. boo. but it was still really fun, and i always like a close game. it was nice to have a date night and celebrate finals being over.


Monday, December 14, 2009

The tradition lives on..


So last year around this time I was doing this. (Thanks again Stephanie for the tickets.) And since then, my cousin Ami and I have decided to make it somewhat of a tradition to see the subsequent movies.


Unlike some others, we think the movies are kind of laugh-able. We're not huge fans of the acting or the writing. We liked the books okay, but the movies have left something to be desired. Now I have had some pretty upset people on my hands when I tell them I laughed through the whole movie. But that's sort of the reason why we go to them. We laugh, we talk, we have fun, we poke fun.. (come on Jasper? Really?) Thus our tradition is born.


Ami was in Mexico for the midnight showing of it, so we had to settle on seeing it Wednesday. We went for some yummy Thai food, and then to the movie.


This is our "Hey, pose like a vampire" shot. Which we realized that this time around when we said one of us should pose like a vampire, and one of us should pose like a werewolf.. it looked a little similar..

Friday, December 11, 2009

The first date..


To this day Bob and I can't agree on when we first met. Although I am telling you right now, I have a good memory, and Bob has a hard time remembering what happened last week. So I think we know who's story is right.

He says we met in a bowling alley, I say we met at my house playing games. Either way, we met. But we didn't date right off the bat. In fact, I kind of thought he was weird, and he thought I was a little snobby. (Just goes to show, don't judge a book by it's cover.)

Besides.. I was dating someone, and he was dating.. well everyone. Eventually I started losing interest in the guy I was dating, and Bob and I happened to be somewhere together with some mutual friends. I was goofing around, and as we were all leaving, I grabbed his hand and said.. "C'mon Bob".

{At the time I didn't think anything of it. But when I asked Bob what made him ask me out later that night, he said, "Because you grabbed my hand, so I figured you were interested."}

Well later that night I met up with some other friends to get some late night Denny's. We were all laughing and talking so loud, I didn't hear the phone ring. When I got the message, it was Bob asking me out to dinner.

I was flattered, and kind of caught off guard since we had known each other for a while, and we had never talked about dating. So we made plans for a date.

We went on a double date with our friends who had introduced us. We played pool and ate at Stone Ground downtown. Then we headed back to our friend's apartment to play games. We ended up playing one of the funniest games of Truth or Dare. I laughed so hard that night, my cheeks hurt.

I also remember getting dared to dance to no music and to keep a straight face and not laugh. (Which is THE most embarrassing thing. You wouldn't think it would be so bad, but try it sometime. It's awkward.) Bob was incredibly nice all night. He really made me feel like I was the most important person in the room at all times.

I have heard stories of love at first sight, and knowing there was something special from the first meeting, or the first date. That wasn't Bob and me. After the first date, I didn't even know if I liked him that way.

But I'll tell you one thing. I knew right off the bat that Bob was a guy any girl would be lucky to date. He had me laughing from the start of the date to the very end. He is super smart, he complimented me all night long. He had such an innate way of making me feel special and important. He was just that really genuine good guy you always hear about. The guy you are always hoping to find when your friends set you up.

Years later, after we had been married for quite sometime, we were talking about when we were dating. That's when he told me, that he didn't think I was snobby back when we first met, like he had originally said. He thought I was out of his league.

I realized right then that I was the luckiest girl to have met someone who always knows just what to say and is always sincere when he says it. He always manages to make me feel special and amazing. Even with all of my imperfections. Bob is a blessing I appreciate every single day I get to spend with him. Even those days he eats beef jerky in bed.

Yeah, I married a good one. Happy Birthday (On Sunday) Robert.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Birthday Stuff


Tuesday night we celebrated Eric's birthday. We ate with all of the old people at Marie Callender's and then came back for some birthday pie.

Everyone who has the privilege of knowing Eric, knows he is hysterical, kind, and an all around amazing person. I consider myself lucky to be his good friend. Happy Birthday E, we're glad you were born.





(I may have also bought some trick candles. They make birthday's more fun after all.) (You'll have to tilt your head, Bob always tells me to stop turning the camera on it's side, but I always seem to forget.)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Somebody should have told me not to leave the house like that.

Apparently blogger hates me today, and won't let me load the video I was planning to load for today's post. So until I can get it to play, I give you this very random, yet Christmas-ee post.


Well actually just a picture of me from 13 years ago. Apparently it was cool back then to have frizzy hair, caterpillar eyebrows, high waisted wide legged jeans, and wait, is that a silky shirt I see? Oh to have a time machine..

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Ugly Sweater Party


For our annual Christmas party this year, we decided to go with another Ugly Sweater Party.

We have some pretty creative friends, it was hysterical to see all of the hideous things people were wearing. This is just a sampling of who was there. I was bustling around so much, that I was glad Eric took pictures, and let me steal them.


We had yummy treats, (thanks for everyone who brought something to share) and we all found out that all salsa is vegan.


We awarded prizes for the ugliest sweaters. 1st place belonged to Doug, 2nd to Eric, and 3rd to Kurt..


Then we had a rousing white elephant gift exchange. I have to say the funniest was probably this.. (It had a treadmark on it's head.)


Then some people left, and some people stayed. We talked, laughed, and we even had a mini surprise party. Thanks to everyone who came and made it so fun. We hope to see all of you next year, as well as the people who couldn't make it this year.


I always love having Christmas parties early in the month. It gets me so excited for the holiday. And all of this fluffy snow is getting me even more in the spirit of things. Happy December, it's officially Christmas time.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Holiday Weekend


We had quite the festive weekend. I will post all of the pictures tomorrow. Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend too. (Ours included a lot of ugly sweaters, vegan salsa, very interesting white elephant gifts, and a lot of laughs.)

Friday, December 4, 2009

It's Christmas Time in the City..


We're all decorated at the Selle casa. The trimmings are trimmed, the stockings are placed with care, and we're ready to see all of the ugly sweaters walk through our door tomorrow. It's finally feeling like Christmas. Happy weekend. With all of this cold weather, I intend to make myself some very hot chocolate at some point.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Washington

When I think of Washington, I think of a painting. Muted colors, hazy skies. With long wispy clouds. Opaque and cozy. You can feel the calming influence from the water that is usually near. When I snapped these pictures, they just felt like Washington.

I give you our vacation in pictures..