Twas the Night Before Christmas...

JP and I spent Christmas with my family this year.  I love Christmas Eve just as much as I love Christmas Day.  My sister, Mom, and I started the day by going to GiGi's to pick up some cupcakes.  We each picked two flavors, and I chose strawberry and chocolate peanut butter.

 The rest of the day was spent cleaning and preparing for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner.  I also took time to reorganize the gifts under the tree and number each gift for our Christmas morning gift opening game (more on that later).

That evening we went to the Christmas Eve service.  I get so frustrated throughout the Christmas season over how so little of what goes on seems to revolve around what Christmas is really about.  I love spending time with my family celebrating and focusing on the birth of Christ.

Following the service we headed back for our Christmas Eve dinner.  Each year my aunt, cousin, and grandmother join us.  We always have the "ol' hen" and my Granny's yummy dressing.  Seriously, it is the best I've ever had.  

Our napkins were straight from Paris via my cousin who had just returned from a trip abroad.  And the flowers are my all time favorite, gerber daisies, and were a sweet gift to me from JP.

After dinner, my sister, cousin, and I always entertain our Granny while my always Mom puts away the food and my Aunt always cleans the dishes.  When I say my Aunt always cleans the dishes, it's true.  I always offer to do it for her, and she always refuses the offer.

Once the dishes are clean and the foods is put away, we exchange gifts.  We used to all give everyone a gift, but as we have gotten older we each get one gift to open.  This year we all got products.  My sister, cousin, and I both got body wash.  My Aunt, Mom, and Granny all got different types of facial cream.

 So what does a man get when all the women get products?  My Dad got some intense dry skin lotion, and JP got Tylenol Pain Patches.  It was super funny.  He has been playing basketball after work and has had a sore back lately because of it.

 After everyone opened their gift, it was time for Granny to open her big gift.  This year my Mom and Aunt basically bought her a new winter wardrobe.  The gift bag was full of SO many clothes.  I think Granny was a little overwhelmed!  It was fun to see her go through them all, but what was really fun was the fashion show she had the next day when she tried all of the clothes on!

We chatted for a while, and then I went to bed!  I fell asleep as soon as I got in bed.  Complete opposite of my childhood self! It always took me hours to fall asleep with the anticipation of Santa's arrival!

Secret Santa

Each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my co-workers and I play Secret Santa.  We each draw a name and once a week  for 3 weeks we give a gift.  There is a $5-8 price limit on the gifts each week.  Trying to figure out who each person's secret santa is and looking at what everyone gets is SO much fun.  We all look forward to it all year long.  Actually, our new employees that started in June were informed on their second day of work by a co-worker that Secret Santa was "just around the corner."

I always have a lot of fun buying gifts for my person.

 The first week, I gave these ornaments.  I actually got them in Phoenix the day after Thanksgiving at Hobby Lobby.  They were all 50% off!

And then I put the ornaments in this cute tin.





The second week, I went to Hobby Lobby again and gave this oven mitt and dish towel. Again, everything was 50% off!




I thought this box was really cute to put them in.

 Finally for the third week, I gave what was my favorite of the three gifts.  I got this really cute teapot at TJ Maxx.

After all of the anticipation over the three weeks, it all comes together at our annual Christmas party.  This year we decided to have it at one of the girl's houses instead of at a restaurant.  We all brought a dish, and yes there was only one "healthy" item at the dietitian party.  

This year because we had it at a home, we decided to invite spouses too.  Not many came but it was great to meet the ones that could make it.  We hear about these guys all the time so it was great to actually meet them.

At the end of the night we do the Secret Santa reveal.  There was much laughter and fun.  I am very blessed to have such fun co-workers that I get along with!

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

What a glorious day today has been! What a wonderful day to celebrate our dear Savior's birth!  More updates on our celebration and fun later.  For now, just enjoy our Christmas card photo.

I was so excited about having our Christmas card pictures taken in Phoenix over Thanksgiving by JP's brother Michael.  For months I knew that I wanted to have cacti in our picture.

Well cacti we got.  However, one of us did not participate in the photo session very well.  No normal faces were made and therefore every photo was goofy.  The above was the best option.  Below were the other two that were in the running...

Luke 2:11 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Another semester in the bag...

picture from here

JP and I finished our grad school semesters last year.  It started off as a busy semester, and once JP started his job, it only got busier.  JP took three classes... Business Law, Tax Research, Advanced Accounting, and I took two classes... International Business, Marketing Seminar. 

Of course our classes could not meet at the same time.  Here is what our schedule looked like:

• Tuesday: JP class from 4:30-7:00, Me class from 7:15-9:45
• Wednesday: Me class from 4:30-7:00, JP class from 7:15-9:45
• Thursday: JP class from 4:30-7:00 

So basicall on Tuesday and Wednesday we would hang out in the parking lot for about 10 minutes between our classes.  On the night I had the late class, he was in charge of dinner.  The night he had the late class, I was in charge of dinner.

Overall, I really enjoyed this semester.  Probably because both of the classes were heavy on the group work, and I actually loved both of my groups.

I have about two weeks off before I start what will be my LAST semester.  I will be taking 4 classes though so it will be very time consuming.  Thankfully one of the classes is online so I will only have to go to class 3 nights a week instead of 4.  I'll be taking:

• Technology Project Management
• Social Media
• Social and Legal Ethics
• Strategy

JP will not be taking any classes during the fall since he will be focusing on work during busy season.  He will take classes during the summer.  He has 2 or 3 classes left to take until he is officially a CPA.

Stranded in Paris

So why am I posting a picture of the Eiffel Tower on my blog?  Am I going to Paris?

Unfortunately, no.

But, I LOVE this picture of the Eiffel Tower in the snow. Oh, Eiffel Tower, I have never seen you in real life.  My cousin, on the other hand, has seen you and has taken the above picture.

Yep, my cousin Brooke went to Paris for her job (she works for a photographer in NYC).  As it so happened there was a snow storm in Paris, and she is now stranded there for three additional days.  Stranded in Paris... I could think of worse places to be stranded.

Hopefully she will be able to make it back to NYC in time to get on her flight from NYC to Alabama for Christmas!  We all know that Alabama is the superior of the three places mentioned in this post :)

My husband went to the ballet.

Last Friday, JP and I went to the ballet.  Now, if you know JP, you know he is very openly NOT into the ballet or other similar things.  So, I never in a million years thought that I would ever say that I went to the ballet with him.

One of my friends I have made in grad school works for a firm that was sponsoring the opening night of George Balanchine’s Nutcracker (which is the original version of the Nutcracker).  As a result they were giving free tickets to their clients.  My friend offered me some of the tickets.  I told him I really wasn't sure but what let him know.


Now, I really had no desire to go to the ballet.  However, I did say to JP, "Do you want to go to the Nutcracker? I have free tickets."  I really just asked to see how he would respond.  I totally expected a disgusted "NO" but I got, "Yeah I'll go."  I made sure several times that he was actually ok with going and made it clear that in no way was I forcing him to go.


So, that is how we ended up at the ballet.


We knew JP was not going to love the show.  This was my first ballet since my 5 year old ballet recital, and I've decided I'm not a ballet fan either.  Don't get me wrong, I am in awe of the things they do and kept thinking 1) I wish I could do that and 2) I wish my legs looked like that.  They did a very good job.  However, I got somewhat bored during the show, especially during the first act.  This is not surprising as I frequently get bored during movies as well.  Another thing, I was quite thankful for the written description in our program of what was going on because otherwise there were somethings I don't think I would have gotten.  I must say though that I did enjoy hearing the familiar Nutcracker songs.


So, two things we learned from this event.
1. JP got lucky.  He has a girl that would much rather sit and watch a baseball, basketball, football, or even curling game than ballet.  
2. JP and I both mentioned several times during the show and afterwards that we really hope we don't have children that want to hard core pursue the ballet.  Although, I'm sure watching your children would be different.

pictures from here

Chili 3-peat... sorta.

My husband can cook.  So, of course he always is eager to enter our church's third annual chili competition.  The first year he won the competition.  The second year, last year, he didn't win best overall but he won best hot chili.  Well, this year he won again!  And when I say he, I seriously mean he.  I played no role in the cooking process, just moral support.

Here is the Best Overall Chili of 2010!

Again, JP did not write down his recipe.  He seriously just makes it up as he goes.  This one did have tequila in it, but as we all know the alcohol cooks off.  There was also some orange juice in it.  I think the fact that the orange juice was calcium fortified was what put the chili over the top :)