Snow Already

For the past month the weather forecasters have predicted various of amounts of snow and I'm convinced there is a direct correlation between the amount of snow predicted and distance away of the storm. For example, a week before the snow storm the weatherman has my house 5 feet under snow and is warning me to take stock in Wonderbread for the next 3 months. A day before the storm I'm told I'll be lucky to see a dusting in the morning. Get it right weather dude. I'm tired of being disappointed.

Not that I want a barrel of snow again this year, but I would like a day or so off, and not just to lay on the couch, unshowered, stuffing my face with junk. I'd reorganize, clean, and get things back to the way they were pre-Christmas.

Meanwhile, the new year resolutions are going well. I've not reunited with the gym yet but I haven't had a soda since January 1 and I'm doing pretty well at cutting out the junk. I've spoken with one of my brother's pretty regularly and have called the other a couple of times.

I'm hoping to be able to post pictures of this looming snow storm in the next couple of days, but I'm not holding my breath.

Resolutions Galore

2011 is going to be a pretty big year for the boy and I. We're getting married after all. But 2010 was just as big. We grew individually, we grew as a couple, and we expanded--into our very own home. I strengthened some relationships, let go of others, and made a few new friends along the way. Even though 2010 started out rough (someone did steal my wallet 3 days in) it was a good year.

My resolutions in the past have been fairly successful so this year I'm challenging myself, I've decided this year I need to tap into my spiritual side. I'm not defining spirituality, not right now anyway, so we'll see how it goes.

I have a couple other goals to achieve for 2011 like becoming friends with the gym again, at least twice a week, staying in better contact with my brothers, and the renovation of our house. All very attainable, just a little determination needed. I have a feeling 2011 is going to be just as good as 2010.

Happy New Year!!

Christmas Shenanigans

Last night as the boy and I were climbing into bed I reminded him to enjoy his slumber a little extra because the next three days are going to be insane for us. Tonight we trek two hours south to celebrate Festivus with a group of our high school friends. Tomorrow will be split amongst our two families, with multiple stops to his parents, my grandmother's, church, and finally my Mom's. I have a large extended family so my grandmother's will be packed with peeps, young and not so young. My Mom's house will be filled with tiny footsteps, it's Christmas tradition my brother and his family spend Christmas Eve at Mom's.

Christmas day we have a full line up as well. The gift giving will commence as soon as the little one's open their eyes, followed by a HUGE breakfast at the boy's aunts house (hello sausage pinwheels!!), and then dinner at the boy's parents house. The pending snow might derail our Sunday plans to spend Christmas with my Dad in Virginia but I guess we'll play that by ear Saturday night. As much as I love SoMar, I would much rather be snowed in at my own house.

The boy and I already exchanged gifts (we do Christmas early every year) and I must have been extra good this year...or maybe extra naughty...because he definitely outdid himself. He replaced my stolen Tiffany's ring and I'm the owner of a brand new Flip camera. I scored a signed Redskins helmet for him and a couple other small things.

I hope your Holiday travels are less stressful than ours!! Merry Christmas!

First Snow

Our first snow fall started this morning around 11am. We didn't get a ton but the one or two inches we did get makes the the trees look very christmasy. It also created chaos on the commute home, a 12 mile trip took almost an hour and a half. And I wasn't even in rush hour.

I'm getting a little more into the Christmas spirit. I finished up the boy's gift today and have just a few more things to pick up before I can say I'm done for this year. My Christmas work party is tomorrow and I still have to pick up a gift for the chinese gift exchange. Looks like I'm going out on my lunch break tomorrow.

Saturday I'm headed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The boy and I are going ice skating at the Mall and then to the White House (along with everyone else and their Mom) to check out the Christmas decorations. Good times.

And now to curl up on the couch with a white fluffy dog to enjoy the Big Bang Theory.

She's 1

A year ago yesterday I was pacing back in forth in a hospital room, complaining about terrible cafeteria food, and arguing with my brother about who was getting the last piece of the only edible food in the room; an orange. My sister-in-law was laying in a hospital bed scowling at us both because the only thing she was allowed to "eat" was ice chips. A couple hours later a dark haired, very tiny baby, was born. She was rushed away before we could hold her. She was born with Down's Syndrome and inherited the usual complications of a Downs baby. Tubes were hooked up and nurses and doctors swarmed her little incubator. We were allowed to touch only her hands and feet before they flew her to a hospital with a more established NICU.

A year later, we have a happy, mostly healthy, thriving baby. She laughs (especially at her Daddy), coos, can roll from front to back and back to front, loves to play with toys, and looks super cute with with her hair in a pony tail. Happy 1st Birthday Alexis! We love you more than you could possibly imagine.

A whole year old!!

7 months old

3 months old

A day or so old

Holiday Unspirited

This is our first Christmas in our new house. I envisioned lots of decorations, fresh baked cookies and a huge tree...ya know, all things that most people cringe over. The time came to christmasify our house and I was totally lackluster about it. Our tree is nice but it's not huge. It's in our basement because it doesn't fit in our living room and the boy and I bickered pretty much the whole time putting it up. We have a few decorations stuck here and there though there's no real flow to them. The boy refuses to put lights outside which is a total bummer, even though his reasoning makes sense.

It's just definitely not how I pictured our first Christmas in our house.

Oh another note, I'm hoping to escape down to Florida for a few warm days, if my budget allows, after Christmas to spend some time with a girlfriend.

Happy Hours

Happy hour is one of my favorite activities and not because of the drinking. I love the camaraderie that happy hour spurs. People from all walks of life drop into bars for cheap drinks and inexpensive appetizers as they're passing through from one destination to another. One large team looking to wrap up their day at the end of a tall drink.

A pair of gentlemen to my right were chatting about his impending engagement, discussing the different rings he looked at for his future (hopefully) wife. A group of girls in the corner were giggling about God knows what, but promptly left at 7 when happy hour ended. The older gentlemen to my right, a former FBI agent turned liaison for the Maryland State Police, chatted my coworker and I up for the better part of our happy hour(s). Unfortunately, my friend and I did most of the talking, and I know little about him. Get a few drinks in me and I'll talk myself silly.

As I was driving home, I reran the montage of people I've met (or observed) at happy hour over the course of my...happy hour escapades. There is always one or two individuals that look like they're trying to drown their sorrows from impending doom, another couple looking too friendly at a private corner table, and the one or two strays that are at the bar by themselves, looking to pass time before heading home, alone or otherwise.

My blue moon was flat tonight so I had to settle for an old school Coors Light in the bottle. Boy, have my beer tastes changed. But that's for another post I suppose.