The Journey...

12.30.2009

Thoughts at this moment

This is what I'm thinking about right this second. Ready...GO!

1. My eyes hurt. Why do the lights in our office have to be so darn bright?!?

2. I'm sad that we have to go to my neighbor's memorial service tonight. He was 61 years old and died on Christmas Day, shoveling snow from the blizzard. How sad.

3. I'm really hungry. Mom's cooking Italian for dinner, before we go to the service. Like I haven't had enough of that this weekend.

4. Ironically, all of the Christmas cookies, except for 3 chocolate Andes mint cookies, and a handfull of peanut butter balls are gone!

5. I'm really ready to go home. I need some rest to recover from the holidays.

6. I suppose there's still another holiday coming, huh? I'm kind of excited about our double-date tomorrow night. We're going to dinner, a movie, and hopefully out for cheesecake on the Plaza.

7. I still haven't seen the Plaza Lights this year. I'm quite sad.

8. I just put up the 2010 calendar, and I'm already marking things on it for May. How is this possible?

9. I want to go play in the snow with Lily. And then go snuggle inside, of course!

10. I want to take pictures in the snow with Lily too! Maybe tomorrow before our date!

11. Justin doesn't go back to school until next Wednesday! Seriously ridiculous.

12. I really don't like creepy people. They're just creepy.

13. I hope Justin's car gets fixed by Monday.

14. It's really hard to be productive right now...

12.29.2009

As most of you know, our Christmas plans got a little off track as a blizzard hit Kansas City on Christmas Eve. We were supposed to go to our church service Christmas Eve, then head to St. Louis on Christmas Day.

I knew it was going to be a crazy weekend when my brother called me at work after lunch to tell me that the Christmas Eve service had already been cancelled due to weather predictions. Well, when I got off work, I went out to my car to find it covered in a sheet of ice. It took me almost an hour to get home because the rain that had lingered for days had finally turned to freezing

drizzle. Grrr... Before we knew it, we were in the middle of a blizzard!

Justin and I haven't been in a blizzard since we were in college in Lamoni, Iowa!

Needless to say, we did not travel to St. Louis on Christmas Day. We spent the day in KC, trying to stay warm, opening each other's gifts, and driving to my parents house to borrow their Highlander, so that we could drive through the elements.

Saturday, we left at 6:45 A.M. for The Lou!

We surprised his parents by pulling up in their neighbor's driveway and then calling them to tell them that we were still snowed in KC. His dad was so disappointed on the phone, but when we rang the door bell and they opened it, I thought Renee was going to explode with tears of relief and joy! It was so perfect!

The funny part was that we beat his brother and sister-in-law over to his parents house!

Maya and Gianna were overwhelmed with all of the presents from Santa, Papa, and Nona, so we pretty much immediately began with the gift opening. Then we ate the most fabulous Christmas Italian dinner I've ever had!

Buon Natale!

12.23.2009

Not cool...

Winter Storm Watch Issued For KC Metro - Kansas City Weather News Story - KMBC Kansas City

We hope that this doesn't mess up our travel plans to St. Louis for Christmas...

12.21.2009

Christmas Cookie Rules

As many of you know, I spent Friday baking an obscene amount of cookies for my family's holiday party on Saturday. The following cookies were baked:

1. Mint Surprise Cookies

2. Frosted Ginger Creams

3. Italian Christmas Cookies

4. Dark Chocolate with Candy Cane Cookies

5. Dark Chocolate with Andes Mints Cookies

6. Peanut Butter Balls

7. Peppermint Twist Kisses

8. Coconut Macaroons

9. White Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Sticks

Here are some rules I took into consideration when baking for 13 hours on Friday:

Christmas Cookie Rules...

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking Causes calorie leakage.

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this this time of year!

12.04.2009

A new perspective...

A Baby Changes Everything

Teenage girl, much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything

Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

The man she loves she's never touched
How will she keep his trust?
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries, oh she cries

She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can't stay
A baby changes everything

She can feel it's coming soon
There's no place, there's no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries, and she cries, oh she cries

Shepherds all gather 'round
Up above star shines down

Choir of angels sing
Glory to the newborn King