A little reminder of xmas

All of our holiday stuff is down as of this morning (except our xmas cards), but a few more pics of what xmas had been here. 

front door decor--love this wreath! I wish I could say I made it.

xmas towels embroiderd by my SIL, Laura last year.  

And my favorite--our xmas cards in full glory.  We filled the whole thing and had to double up in areas.  I don't want to take this down any time soon.

Introducing the Boy, his bed, his dogs, and some no good goings on

Some crazy New Year's hair.  Straight up back there.  It lasted up like that for a couple of hours.  He's watching Blue Angels videos w/daddy--one ov C's favorite pastimes.

One of is pretend poodles to the right and 1 real chocolate poodle to the left

Snuggling w/all his poodles.  I guess Kona is yawning here.  Hilarious.  C is loving his big boy option on his bed.  I don't think he's sleeping as much during nap time, but he's happy about it.  The dogs are clearly loving it as well.  They don't get up there to actually sleep with him, but he loves to have them up for a a little snuggling/petting.  I think Cosmo would stay up there for good if we let him. Next phase: potty training.

Happy New Year!

We had a kind of quiet evening in last night, but it was fun.  We had a another couple and their son over.  The boys played great together.  I kind of forgot to take pictures once we got settled in--bad lady.  I did get an okay shot of the boys. 

Believe it or not the boys stayed happy and playing well until almost 11 pm.  We should have watched the ball drop on eastern time, but failed.  Oh well.  We had lots of appetizers to snack on, and we had chocolate fondue for dessert w/tons of selections for dipping. 

Our menu and table:

I don't have all the food laid out yet, but we had mini-chicken wellingtons (courtesy freezer of Fresh Market)
Spinach and goat cheese fried wontons (I made this up)--herbed goat cheese w/spinach, garlic, onion, and pecorino romano.  I heated this all up in the skillet and then stuffed wonton wrappers w/the filling.  Then I fried them for 2 minutes.  Yum-o.  We also had meatballs (frozen w/sauce made w/cranberry sauce and chili sauce, lemon, and brown sugar), pimento cheese and crackers and crab dip and hummus w/toast points (courtesy of you know where).  It was all easy stuff--perfect for a relaxing New Year.

The obligatory shrimp cocktail

Oberlie sausage, garlic cheese, and smoked pork loin.  Also some smoked gouda from Frsh Mkt

My Martha Stewart inspired 2011 sign--hard to see against the patterned curtains.

My other decor

I also tried to make a drop ball--it's not finished.  I underestimated how long it would take to cover a styrofoam ball w/little sequins.  Evidently it's going to take about 4-5 hours.  I'm about 1/2 way done.  Maybe I'll finish it before next year.

I wish I'd taken a picture of dessert.  The Nords brought tons of stuff for dipping in the chocolate. We had pineapple, oranges, pears, apples, bananas, and dates as our fruit. I had crackers, graham crackers, and pound cake as well.  It was delicious and decadent to try all the various things.

Ode to a Drive-thru Gas Station

If you don't know this about me, Scott and I met at Southeast Missouri State University.  I transferred there from a small university in GA my sophomore year.  One of the things I miss about living in Southeast Missouri were the drive-thru windows at gas stations.  You could just pull up and order a soda, a 1/5th of whisky, cigarettes--whatever you wanted that a gas station provided (especially if it could kill you evidently). (I see the drinking and driving flaw in this system, but I still love it's convenience--not the drinking and driving convenience--sometimes it's hard to get your point clear here).  We're not talking about high class gas stations here or travel centers.  I'm talking about gas stations where sometimes they still smoke behind the counter (actually I don't know if any of them do this anymore since I haven't been to one in almost 9 years).  I love me some gas station fountain coke with cherry syrup.  For some reason no where else tastes like it.  As far as I know, the only places you can get a coke w/cherry syrup (not cherry coke) are the good ol' gas stations in SEMO, Wibs Drive-In (BBQ joint in Jackson, MO), Steak and Shake, and Sonic.  Here where I live only one of those places exists: Steak and Shake.  Somehow if I go to S&S I'll end up buying more than a soda.  This is why I'm feeling sentimental toward SEMO gas stations.  Sigh!  I miss Sarah Adams and our regular trips to Kidd's gas station, Burgers, Shakes, and Fries walk up restaurant across from the florist where we worked, Wib's (our favorite eatery) and anywhere else we knew we could get our fix.  This girl seriously needs some Sarah Adams and a coke with cherry syrup (don't you dare say cherry coke!). I think neither is likely.  But when I go to Advance (located in SEMO) in 2 weeks, I'm making it a point to stop at Wibs and go through a gas station drive through.  Now if only I could see Sarah it would be a trifecta.  Seriously though, it will be great b/c I'll get to see my grandparents.  I haven't seem them in almost a year. 

Last time I saw Sarah Adams: Nov. 2007
Last time I had Wibs: sometime in 2006 or 2005 probably (and this would have included the infamous soda).
Last time I had a drive through gas station coke with cherry syrup: maybe 7-8 years ago

If you live in southeast Missouri still (ahem..Ann) go and get yourself a drive through soda and some Wibs for me.

Terrible response when given too many choices and a lot of stream of consciousness rambling

If you don't know, I'm the girl who can't get a large menu and make a decision.  I will agonize b/w 2-dishes b/c I'm indecisive and then immediately regret my final choice.  I'd rather see a menu w/less than 10 options.  Then I feel good about my decision--this is one (only one) of the reasons I hate chain restaurants.  I also hate to shop in department stores or discount stores b/c I find them disorganized (except Von Maur, Nordstrom, and the like--but can't afford the luxury of organized department stores and piano playing while I shop with my extremely well behaved child, saying "mommy--please can we go to Hobby Lobby next..I really want to do a craft"...sorry slipped into an alternate universe there).  I don't want to have to dig through things or figure out how the heck they have things grouped by designer--so if I'm shopping for jeans I still have to run around the entire store---drives me bonkers while my child hides in racks, climbs on displays, escapes from his stroller and runs off saying--I not like this store or I can't go to Hobby Lobby or this store or I need to look at toys or let's go to Toys for Us (cause that's what he call Toys R Us--and he recognizes it on sight) !  I get stressed by disorderliness--as in even though I leave stuff out in my house and I'm not always tidy--it's always bugging me and gnawing at me. 

Why am I rambling about this?  Here's why. Evidently choosing a preschool is a bit important.  So important that your kid has to be accepted into it 8-9 months prior to school beginning.  I kid you not.  I did not know these things.  I've "looked into" several preschools, as in surfed their websites, read a couple of reviews, and chatted up other moms.  Seems like there's several good ones.  That's my problem.  Frozen by indecision, so I'm way behind the ball.  Evidently registration begins Jan. 5 (didn't know this until this week).  Guess what, everywhere is closed for the holidays until Jan 5, so I can't go visit anywhere.  Yeah--just call me mom of the year.  So, I'm either going to have to throw our name into the most desirable place w/o visiting or cross my fingers that there will be a spot in our top choice preschool by the end of the month.  Some schools will still have spots, but I'm not sure if our top spot will--b/c I'm not sure what our top pick is.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Can you hear me screaming, blog world.  What if we make the wrong decision--or piddle around and can't get in anywhere that's not skeevy or ridiculously expensive or just plain wrong for C's needs.  Major meltdown coming on.  It will arise in some form or fashion totally unrelated to this question.  As in Scott will ask where XYZ is and I will rip his head off.  Or C will refuse to eat his 6th carrot and I will send him to timeout.  You never know how stress will manifest itself in my crazy world. 

Serenity Now.  There's a tiny, rebellious part of me that says screw your waiting lists and timelines.  I'll sign him up when I'm good and ready and let the chips fall where they may.  But let's get real--I'm not that laid back in reality.  My alter ego--better personality--would just say--it's cool--it's just preschool.  But then my terrible side secretly (well not so secretly anymore) wants him to go where everyone else is going--b/c anyone that's anyone goes.... (wow, I'm going to be that mom--who lives vicariously through her kid hoping that he's popular and adored by everyone).  Seriously hate myself right now. 

One more good scream for posterity?  Sure, why not. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

I could host a giant party and that would take my mind off things for 5 nanoseconds. Or start a huge sewing project (oh yeah still haven't finished that Xmas present). 

Serenity now.  Cocktail anyone?

Throwback: before we were us!

10+ years in the making!

2000: Our first Xmas together-- yes my hair is sticking up in straight sticks in the back--yikes.  Awkward posing here as well. 

January 2001--not quite engaged

Cape Girardeau Christmas Parade: 2000

Superbowl party 2001--still not engaged

January 2001

Summer 2002--some random persons home!--thanks Sam for the summer of swimming at the house of the random lady you knew

September 2001: a very hot SEMO football game--when they were still the Indians!

A couple months before we got married at our Cape apartment--at this point still mine and Sam's apartment.

9 years ago today

I turned in my last name for another on a very cold night in December.  I can't believe it's been 9 years!  We were so young when we got married.  Scott actually graduated the week before.  Our lives have been a bit of a whirlwind since that evening in Cape Girardeau.  We moved about 3 weeks after we got married to St. Louis to live with Scott's parents since we were jobless and homeless.  Then we moved into an apartment in Kirkwood (suburb of STL).  Two years after that we were in our first home in Kwood.  2.5 years later we moved to Columbia, MO.  A little less than 3 years later Scott moved to Bloomington and about 7 months later I joined him here in our rental house in Normal.  So we've had 6 residences, 6 jobs for Scott, and 6 jobs for me (including being a SAHM).  We have a lively 2 year old that makes our little family complete.  We added two dogs along the way, and have had an amazing, if not at times difficult, journey so far.

I was completely shocked when Scott brought me home 1/2 dozen roses tonight.  He has only ever given me flowers a handful of times--and always unpredictably.  He's like that though.  His biggest gifts always come unexpected--not on the usual timeline.  We are looking forward to many more years together. 

Here are a few lot pictures in retrospective.

2001: The rehearsal dinner 9 years and 1 day ago

2001: Cheesy wedding still (photography has come a long way)

2002: Seriously--the only photo I could find of us together in 2002 (sure there's one somewhere, but have no idea where all of our photos have gone)  We were going to a New Year's Eve party (it was not a dress up one, but in years past had been, so we dressed up as Janine and Nigel (enemies) from This is Spinal Tap.

2003: Our first vacation: the Nantahala Mountains in North Carolina--awesome time: mtn biking, hiking, sightseeing and we stayed in a cozy cabin. Scott started his job in the wine industry when we got back from NC.

Xmas 2003 (still in our apartment)

2004: Our trip to Sicily visiting my parents--we are in Catania here near the market.  We moved into our first house 4 weeks later.

2004: Just moved in:

Our little house in Kwood when we first moved in.  The only outdoor pic we have and it's right when we moved in.  It didn't have any landscaping yet.  Again--got to find the pictures--we seem to have a digital gap from 2004-2007. 

2004: Chad and Missy's wedding at Kiener Plaza

2005: We got our first puppy--Cosmo.  Sweetest dog.  He's so big now.

2006: Our trip to Maui--we found out we were moving to Columbia the week before we left, but didn't actually move for 3/4 months (Scott moved ahead of me, so I could finish teaching the semester).

2007: Our trip to Wine Country.  Here we are at Beringer House in Napa Valley.  About 2 months later we found out I was pregnant (we like big changes to happen after vacation)

 2008 before C joined us--I think this was March, so I was about 4 months pregnant.  Notice the addition of Kona.  We got him the March before.

 C arrived that July--Here we are at our home for Thanksgiving 2008.  We had the whole family for the holiday.

Our CoMo home-Xmas 2008

2009: the year of family weddings.  Scott's siblings both got married.  Here we are at his brother's wedding.

 At Sarah's wedding

Family photo at Grant's Farm in St. Louis

No vacation this year, but we did make the big move across 2009/2010

2010: Our Normal, IL home this Xmas

Hilton Head Vacation

Sorry for the indulgence of photos.  For our 10 year anniversary I'm preparing a digital slide show of wedding photos and friends who have impacted our lives.  I know you can barely contain yourself until next year--you're welcome!