These are a few of my favorite things...

It's Saturday afternoon. I'm sitting on my couch, and I'm in my own house. Is this real life?

Just when I thought December would be the death of me, I pulled through, making it through the year's last workload and finishing two more graduate school classes before Christmas break.

These are a few of my favorite (December) things...

Fantastic Four Christmas Sleepover 

Every year our little group of four gets together to celebrate Christmas, but this year we were honored with the company of little Miss Lillian Staples. It's hard to believe how fast a year can go by! It seems like yesterday that Roz laid her head on Leah's belly so her and Lillian could take their first official picture. This year for their second annual picture, Lillian was all smiles! She's one of the most beautiful babies we have ever seen and is so loved by all of her "aunts." I'm so thankful now that we all live so much closer to each other than ever before.

 

 Birthday Month!

December also brings my birthday, which happens to be 9 days after Marie's. This year we were able to celebrate at a dinner together! I don't know about her but I sure don't feel a day over 21! Lunch with wonderful co-workers and a birthday dinner with the best friends and family; there really isn't anything else I could have asked for.

The year of the camera thanks to Brad, Aunt Cindy, Mom, Dad and Katie! Now if I can just figure out how to use it... Please be ready to have your picture, your child's picture, your unborn child's picture, your daddy's picture, etc. taken.

Christmas and Dad's Birthday Month

Give or take, this has been the fourth year or so we've done Jell-o Shots for Jesus. What? It's Jesus' birthday. Don Juan's too! 

I love Christmas time. From "Christmas in Dixie," to the mix-matched lights that align a house not too far from my parent's home, there is something about Christmas and its constants that come with the season that make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. 

 

"Start spreading the news..." New York City 2013!

A trip that was a long time in the making and in a blink of an eye, was over. It's the story of all our trips. Even though I was heart broken (understatement, there were real tears shed) that we didn't get to do everything we had planned, it wasn't like we "sat in the hotel room picking lent out of our toenails," I believe those were Ashley's words. We didn't stop the whole time! This trip, along with 2012 in general, kicked my ass, and I rang in the New Year with a stomach bug and a horrible cold, followed buy a shot and two prescriptions to prove it.

 

 

I love New York. I always have. Even before I visited for the first time with one of my oldest friend's Whitney. From the first time with Whit, to the second time, when we braved the big city without any adults and stayed with our good friend Ashley, her and I have always loved the Stardust Diner. Is it cheesy? Yes, I'm sure you would think so. Is the food terrible? Not to my standards. Do the wait staff sing Broadway tunes while serving you? YES! I had to bring Brad there on our last night. He loved it! I love that he loves musicals and we're ready to add Rock of Ages to our list of shows in the next few weeks when we visit Vegas!

Bring it on 2013!

Brad and I will be running our first half marathon on Feb. 24. As you can imagine the next few blog posts may be about our training - how much I hate running while I'm doing it but how much I love it when it's over. We had 6 miles on the books for this weekend that I tackled with Amy this morning when she came over to bring Brad some medicine. Whew, that sucked and I made her walk some... more than I should have (okay, I admitted it) and we'll be building up mile by mile as the weeks go on. I'm nervous. Big time nervous but as long as I complete 13.1, cross that finish line and am able to wear that medal proudly, I'll have succeeded. Speaking of - check out my Coach's blog! She's the bomb.com (yep, I said it). 

Cheers!