Dashing Through the Snow, Roads, & Airports

We finally have a light dusting of snow to cover the ground.  Everyone's lights are always shining bright at night.  Holiday music continues to fill my office during the day.  It's the perfect setting for some Christmas excitement since it is next week!  Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I'm usually bouncing off the walls with anticipation (I'm still very much a kid at heart).  Unfortunately, this year I happened to get shnooked with the flu a week before the big day!  Thank goodness for some strong Tylenol, Tazo Refresh tea, and quality chocolate shakes!  I swear by this recipe to get me through any sickness.  It's now day 3 and I'm feeling almost back to normal :).  At this rate I'll be good as new by the time we leave on Saturday for Kansas.  That reminds me, I still have to pack!!

We're going to drive through the night on Saturday to get to Kansas by early Sunday morning.  It'll be the second year we've gone back for Christmas, only this time everyone will finally be able to see/meet Logan!  It's a sad part of living so far away from family, but we do our best to make it work.  Logan has only met his Grandma and Grandpa Conwell once!  This means he'll be meeting the WHOLE Conwell family on Christmas.  Unfortunately for him, he's got some of the most pinchable cheeks ever, and the Conwell's loooove to pinch cheeks!  He's going to have everyone wrapped around his tiny fingers in to time.  

As excited as I am for getting to see my in-law's again (love them!) I'm almost more excited to see one of my best friends, Alison!  I haven't seen her for over 2 years and I miss her sooo much!  We live almost identical lives (it's a little scary how similar they are) and no matter how long its been since we last talked, we're always able to pick up like it was only yesterday.  She is due with her first son (told ya!) in like 2 weeks!!!  I'm going to be meeting up with her on Sunday or Monday for some quality girl time :).  Eeeeek so excited!

We'll be leaving on the 26th to get back to Colorado so that I can make it to work on the 27th.  Then I have to turn around, repack the suitcases, and fly out to Minnesota on the 28th at 7am!  Lol, little man is going to be so sick of traveling by the time this year is over.  We'll get to celebrate a late Christmas with my family on the 30th and then do Christmas with the "grandparent's" Lene and Bob on the 31st.  I'm making plans to see some of my other girlfriends while I'm back that I haven't seen for at least a year or longer.  If this year has taught me anything it's that great friends are hard to come by, and when you find them hold onto them tight!  I can count mine on one hand and I love and miss them all so much.  They're my sanity control ;).  

I'm sure it'll be a little while until I'll get to post again with all of the craziness listed above, so I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) and a Happy New Year! 

P.S. Christmas cards are going to be sent a little late this year (oops)!

P.P.S. Here's a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies that I have to watch every year!! 

Home Alone

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas Vacation

The Polar Express

How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Lucky day

Today is Wednesday, it's 13 days before Christmas, and it's going by super slow.  It means that I'm at work and stuck behind stacks of files to be gone through and organized and filed away, but that's not really the point.  The point is that today is 12-12-12! It's a little exciting since this is that last time that most of my generation will ever see a date like this.  It won't happen again for another 89 years when there will be another 1-1-1!

While listening to the radio on my way to work this morning it was obvious that people have been making a big deal out of this day.  Thousands of people are getting married today, almost a 1/4 more people than usual are expected to play the lottery/gamble, and others have dubbed today as the official "anti dooms day" before 12/21/12 comes (the predicted day the world will end).  It's believed to be a day of magic, luck, and/or romance by people from all across the world.  Here's an interesting site that listed some interesting facts about this day! 12-12-12

I'm usually not one to gamble, although the thought did cross my mind to give in to the whole hoopla.  Unfortunately my rational side kicked in and I highly doubt that if I buy a lottery ticket or scratch off that I will have any more luck or chance of winning today than I did yesterday.  Well, what the heck, I think I'll say screw it.  It can't really hurt any can it?!  It's official, I'm buying a scratch off tonight!  :-)

If you're planning on celebrating today in some way, shape, or form I'd love to hear about it!  Whether it's something big or small, let me know!

Me time

Last night was waaaaaaay over due!  I had my company Christmas party/"WE" awards, so Logan spent the night at the nanny's and we got to have a baby-free evening!  This is a pretty rare occasion considering we haven't had a date night/time away from Logan since our anniversary in June.  One of the harder aspects of being a parent is that it makes it more challenging for us to find time to spend just with each other.  Like I said, it doesn't happen very often that we're "relieved" of our parenting responsibilities so we made sure to take full advantage of it. 

For starters I have to tell you that BRYAN SHAVED HIS BEARD!!!!  Lol!  Now this may not seem like such a big deal to some of you, but lately he could have passed for Paul Bunyan!  I'm sure it'll all grow back in within a week, but I was so excited that he shaved and dressed up (not something he'd typically do just for a party) that I did a happy dance :).

 

After we dropped little man off we headed down to the Blue Sky Grill in the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver.  This place literally looks like they made Cabella's into a restaurant!  It was beautiful and the food was delicious.  After they had the award ceremony they handed out poker chips and opened up the game room where they had poker and roulette tables all set up.  I've never been a big gambler, but it was much more fun playing with fake money :).  After a few drinks, a lot of laughs, and a fun evening, it was time for home.  We stopped by a friend's house for a little bit(just because we could) then came home and went straight to bed. 

It wasn't until after I climbed into bed that I realized just how much I needed nights like these.  I didn't spend my entire night itching to get back to Logan as I had anticipated, and at times it made me feel guilty.  After a few reassuring words from my boss (who has 2 daughters of her own) I came to the conclusion that it doesn't make me a bad mom if I want to let my hair down and enjoy being a 23 year old every now and again.  I have to make more time for myself, or else I just might end up going crazy. 

With that said, I'm off to go get my nails done!  I hope everyone is safe and enjoying their snow :P.

Gah!! So behind!

Last Friday was the end of November which means THE HUBBY SHAVES HIS BEARD Christmas is right around the corner!  (Side note::Bryan takes the whole "No Shave November" all the way until March  :-/ crap.)  It had been one crazy month to say the very least.  There were been ups and downs and lots of running around in circles.  The only way I'm able to make it through is to take one day at a time, which to be honest, is a pretty great way to live! 

It was a pretty eventful day.  In the morning Logan got his last round of shots until he turns 1.  My new boss had her last 1/2 day at her old property and then officially starts here on Monday.  Most importantly, it was Friday!!

Since I'm running to terribly behind here's my thankful/grateful month of November wrap up!

24) The dryer.  I hate to iron pretty much anything, so if my clothes need a little de-wrinkling back in the dryer they go!  BEST. INVENTION. EVER.!

(My current washer and dryer)

25) My cell phone.  Yes, I am one of "those" people.  I feel lost and naked without it.  It's a terrible thing to be so attached to a piece of technology, but it's just so darn convenient :).

(Megan's cell phone progression.  Mine is frighteningly similar.)

26) Holidays.  I love the holidays, but most of all, I love Christmas!  I set up my tree the day after Thanksgiving, decked the halls, and have garland and ornaments coming out of my ears!  When I was younger my family would all load up in the car wearing our pj's and sip hot chocolate while driving around town to look at everyones Christmas lights.  Those happy memories always flood back to me this time of year and make me smile.

27) Toothpaste/Floss/toothbrush/etc.  Without any and all of the above, I would probably have terrible teeth due to my ridiculous sugar addiction!  Looks like I get to have my cake and eat it too!

(Image thanks to Google)

28) The little things.  I love it when the little things are enough to completely turn your day around.  Anything from a little note, to stranger being kind, to getting that extra swirl of whipped cream on your coffee when you didn't already ask for it.  It's the little things that make a difference in everything you do.

(Image thanks to Google)

29) Doctors/medical advancements.  I know I already touched on this one, but I have a completely different reason this time.  I recently was informed that my best friend's mom wasn't doing so well and she discovered from a casual doctors appointment that there was a tumor in her brain and a mass in her lungs.  She underwent brain surgery 2 days later to remove the tumor, only to find out that the other mass was a result of stage 4 lung cancer.  My heart completely broke for both my best friend and for her mom.  They're two peas in a pod and I simply can't imagine one without the other.  Even though this is a terrible situation, I'm grateful for the amazing advancements in medical technology and medicine.  Without either, the doctors wouldn't have been able to discover the cancer or treat it in a way that will hopefully give her more time to enjoy life. 

(Image thanks to Google)

30) Electricity.  After the last one this doesn't exactly scream profound or thoughful, but without it we couldn't do jack squat!  We all rely on electricity for just about EVERYTHING these days!  Heck, even some of our cars run on it.  So I'm very thankful for the wonderful invention of electricity! :)

(Image thanks to Google)

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen.  Even though November is over, I'm still constantly finding new things that I'm thankful for.  Today in particular (since I'm almost a week late posting this anyways) I'm thankful once again for our veterans.  More specifically, our WW2 vets who served after the terrible attack on Pearl Harbor.  We'd be lost without you.

Until next time when I have more exciting news to share (or have time to share it), take care of each other and enjoy your weekend!!! :)