Friday, January 13, 2012

Jess & Larry's Christmas Shower...Oh My!

This past Saturday, Lisa Crain and I hosted a Christmas shower for the future Sullivan's.  It was an absolute blast!  I handled invitations and the location, Lisa handled all the food (and man was it delicious).  Jess and Larry were loaded up with some great items for future Christmases.  I know that when they unpack each item every year, they will remember who bought it for them and how special it is to them. :)  We played a "game" of sorts.  No one won anything, and it wasn't competitive, but it meant a lot to everyone.  All of the attendees were to write their favorite Christmas tradition on a card then read it aloud.  Jess and Larry got to keep all of the cards and will hopefully make some Christmas traditions of their own.  Nick and I were able to pick out lots for their gift.  Since the party was after Christmas, we were able to grab all those holiday deals (and Jess doesn't mind me saying this because she's a bargain shopper as well). :)  We got them 4 boxes of solid colored shatter-proof ornaments that are Jess's favorite colors, kitchen towels, and a soap pump and two towels for the bathroom.  I know they loved it, and I can't wait for the future showers over the next few months. :)

This was one side of the invitation I created and poem I wrote.  If you click on the picture, it will blow up larger and be easier to read.
The hostesses with the happy couple.  Look at all the food! AND there was even more on the counters.  Go Lisa!

Sherry and Sandra getting some yummies.
The Robertson ladies with the newest Robertson.  His attention is on the important stuff...cookies.
Yay!  Aggie ornaments and an "S." 
The table runner that was one of the biggest hits of the shower.    Every time Jess opened something after this it was, "Oh, that'll look good with that table runner." :)

Pretty new Christmas apron!

This was our gift to the Sullivan's.  I made a Christmas tree out of the boxes. :)

New plates. :)

Everyone was joking that Sandra and Sherry were going to be in every picture, so they started posing as "Vanna White."

Larry's gift from the shower... a ladder to put it all up.

Some of the Bridesmaids and the Bride

The Bride & Groom with their mothers and maternal grandmothers. :)
The Bride & Groom with their ring bearer.  Isn't he the cutest?

Monday, January 9, 2012

The nephew...Oh My!

I have one of the cutest nephews around!  As I posted in my last post, Nick and I took Owen out for a photo shoot for Alan & Tovah's Christmas present.  They were both so excited, and I've wanted to share these pictures ever since we took them in October.  Nick's parents helped us out by trying to get the little man to smile.  Owen was 5 months when we took these.  He's almost 8 months now!  Time has definitely flown.  So, without further adieu, here's the handsome little man. :)

The handsome little man.  I bought his outfits for him too. :)

This is one of my favorites!  The hat he is wearing belongs to Nick's dad.  A lot of people call it the "Joe Rex Hat."  So, Owen was getting to support JoePa's hat. :)

The rocker nephew...ACDC is awesome.

This is the picture we have hanging in our living room.

Cutie patootie!

This is the picture I printed for Tovah for her office.

He kept giggling at Oma (Nick's Mom) because she was singing "Zippi-dee-do-dah."

What's that in my face?

This is the only pic I got of him in his Baylor onsie.  We'll have to do more Baylor pics.

This was the most precious of them all!  I had this one printed in a 16 x 20 and framed.  Gorgeous blue eyes!

He wasn't happy with me for this one, but I wanted a pic by the pumpkins.

This was his Christmas present from Oma and JoePa.  This is the only year he'll be able to see his presents before Christmas and still be excited Christmas morning.  :)

Just chillaxin.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's...Oh My!

This holiday season has been AWESOME to say the least.

We celebrated Christmas with Nick's family (Joe & Melanie, Alan & Tovah, and Owen) on Christmas Eve day. Everyone came to our house between 9:30 and 10:00 that morning. We had a delicious spread of finger foods that everyone participated in bringing but we didn't eat it all until AFTER we opened presents.

Nick and I were loaded up with all kinds of goodies. I got a Kuerig, sweater, awesome squatty bats (houndstooth) TOMS, ornaments, Back to the Future Trilogy on Blu Ray, and many other awesome gifts. Nick's biggest gift was a smoker that Santa bought him. We broke that sucker out this weekend to enjoy some yummy goose poppers. He also got Cabela's Big Game Hunter for our XBOX. I can honestly say that's how I'd like to do my hunting, from the comfort of my own home, at night, and warm. :)
Nick enjoying a sugar cookie, and me apparently being surprised at what Santa brought.

Yay! A Kuerig and Back to the Future trilogy.

"This is my other Ride" ornament that Nick got in his stocking. :)

A leaf ornament I got in my stocking. :)

My awesome hounstooth TOMS.

Priceless Nick face. :)

New sweater.

A new work shirt for Nick. :)


Everyone loved their presents from us. We gave Melanie a Santa and Moose to add to her Christmas decoration collection and a quesadilla maker. She's already used the maker to make turkey quesadillas with the leftover Christmas turkey! We got Joe fishing tackle and other doo dads (sorry this was Nick's department) to fill his new tackle box that Santa brought him. :)

Melanie and her snazzy new tackle box.


Joe's new tackle box. :)

Melanie's new quesadilla maker.

Melanie's Santa.
We got Alan & Tovah a special homemade gift. Back in October, when Joe & Melanie kept Owen, I did a little photo shoot with him. Poor little dude was under the weather, but he was a champ and worked with me as best he could. After numerous wardrobe changes, a few laps around Quail Hollow, and 100 shots later, we had the beginnings of a Christmas present. I picked out my favorites (13 in all) and edited them. I then printed a 16 x 20 of one of my favorites and had it framed. I then picked two more favorites and printed those out as 5 x 7 and framed them. Then I made a disc of all the edited images for Alan & Tovah's use.  Tovah & Alan were so surprised and LOVED them. I'm so glad we were able to participate in making some fun pictures of our nephew's childhood.

I think they were surprised. :)

And excited!!

Tovah's picture for her office.

Alan's picture for his office.  Owen is wearing JoePa's hat. :)


Speaking of the little man, we got him his very first toy cars and some Superman pjs. He played with those cars all morning. :) After presents, we ate lots of the yummy food, then did our own things like napping or frying turkeys in Nick's case. It was a great day!

Owen's first Christmas present from Aunt Dede and Uncle Nick.

"Am I allowed to do this?"

Aunt Dede cheering Owen on.  :)  I just love this picture.

Superman pjs.  Now he can match RG3!

Of course we had to play in the box. :)

Yummy cars!

"This is how you play, Aunt Dede!"
Nick & I attended the candlelight Christmas Eve service with my parents and Sister. We had the traditional pizza for dinner then watched " It's a Wonderful Life."  Mom refused to let us open Christmas presents Christmas Eve because she didn't want to go against tradition.  I think she wanted to get my sister and me (mainly me) back for all the years of me waking them up super early.  :)  But we got up that morning and opened all of our presents.

We got my sister a "Bazinga" bracelet, a "Let's go Camping" box, and a "Now Freak Out and Panic" sign that I found at Canton.  My sister has been wanting to go camping with us, so I made an invitation for camping this spring, the makings of s'mores, and a lantern.  She was super excited about it.  We're going to let her pick the date, but I can't wait for that.

Sister's "Let's Go Camping" Box contents. :)

Her sign and a hook that Mom and Dad got me that matches our bathroom decor.
We got my Mom a Kindle case (Sister got her the Kindle), and a handmade necklace.  And we got my dad Seasons 1-4 of The Big Bang Theory.

Mom & Dad opening presents.

Dad's Big Bang. 

Dad with all his TV shows to watch.  Sister got him all the seasons of Seinfeld. :)  And Mom's playing with her Kindle.

I love my Dad.  He's tying the string around his head. :)

Mom and her new necklace.
Nick and I both got lots of goodies: tools (Nick), a Chi (me), Lord of the Ring Blu-Ray extended editions (me), hunting jacket (Nick), sweater (me), The Black Eyed Peas Experience for Kinect (me), Amazon gift cards (Nick and me), and quite a few other goodies as well.

Opening movies...I got The Help and Sister got Captain America.

My new purple chi!

Nick's new tools that Santa bought him!

Nick's new jacket (that he's already worn quite a bit), and me looking at Sister's Harry Potter film books.  I got some too.

Opening something else. :)

More gift opening.  Mine was an Alamo charm for my charm bracelet.

Yay!  The Black Eyed Pea Experience.  That is a work out, let me tell you.

I'm not entirely sure what this is...

New sweater.  Love it.
We had lots of fun playing the Kinect that morning, then we ate monkey bread and sausage balls.  We had church that morning, then went back to Mom & Dad's to have Dad's family over.  We had way too much fun playing The Black Eyed Peas Experience with most of my family.  We even got my Mom and Aunt to participate.  It was too much fun.  However, we didn't get any pics because it was quite embarrassing.  :)  We also celebrated mine, my cousin Michaela, and Nick's birthdays.

Opening presents. 
Cousins opening presents. 
Sister opening presents.

Husband opening presents.

Mom and husband watching everyone else open presents.

Aunt Nee, Aunt Gena, and Uncle David opening presents.

Dad opening presents.

Cousins looking at their Harry Potter books.  :)

Me opening presents.


My parents, sister, and my friend Jess, came over for New Year's Eve.  We, yet again, played Kinect, watched Back to the Future II, and ate lots of yummy food.  Nick made goose poppers and brisket in his smoker.  Mom made macaroni.  I went and picked up some sides at Big Kahuna's.  We stayed up until midnight to usher in the new year, then we all crashed.  We got up and went to church this morning.  My sister is absolutely AWESOME and made me a purple velvet cake for my birthday.  :)  I was so surprised when I cut into it.  My sister got me a Pride & Prejudice cuff bracelet that has a quote from Mr. Darcy, "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."  It was handmade and sent from Great Britain.  :)  She also got me The Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig AND it was signed!  And she also got me the Blu-Ray edition of the BBC Pride & Prejudice.  She knows me oh so well.  I loved it all.

Purple velvet cake that my sister made me. :)

We didn't have candles, so I blew out the lighter. :)

Cutting into the cake.  At this moment, I didn't know it was purple inside.

I yelled, "IT'S PURPLE!"  Everyone laughed.  I love Nick's face in the background.

It was yummy too.

Opening birthday presents from Sister.  Satch looks like he's chewing my leg.  He wasn't.


An autographed copy of The Pink Carnation.  Cool!

The awesome bracelet that came all the way from England!




I'm looking forward to having the day off today and getting to relax.