merry christmas and happy new year!

NYC

Well, my blog has been a bit quiet for the past week or so due to getting ready, going, and coming back from a trip up to New York City! Instead of describing everything here and having to choose a few photos to upload...if you want to hear all about my trip, I will post two links to the photo albums on my facebook page for you to scroll through. And once you start...don't stop till you've looked through both albums! You won't want to miss my Most Fabulous Experience in the second album! ;)

Here's the first one:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195260&l=81aa9&id=729430647

And here's the second one:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195283&l=068a1&id=729430647

tree party

A few years ago, I lived and taught out above Nashville, TN for a year. I didn't make many friends that year and spent a very large portion of that year alone. It was good in some ways and way lonely in others! I discovered that the absolute lonliest thing to do was to decorate the little 3ft tall fake Christmas tree I bought for my little apartment. I put on Christmas music and even splurged on a little bottle of sparkling cider...but it was just not the same! So ever since then, I have made sure to have friends over when decorating my tree! This past Sunday I had a tree decorating party and put up two big trees - one in the living room and one in my bedroom.

My friend, Leah, and I have known eachother since the beginning of elementary school. We were in the same second grade class together and then ended up at the same college! Just in the past year we have really reconnected and gotten together quite a few times. Here, she is helping me "fluff" my tree. :)

Leah is an awesome cake lady and made this adorable ornament cake for the occasion! It was beautiful and she did it all free-handed and totally just from the pictures in her head! :) It was very yummy too - chocolate mint! :)

Shannon, Dave, and Jonathan came for a little while. Somehow they left before I could get a picture of all three of them. But of course I got plenty of Jonathan! :) He very much enjoyed Aunt Kiki's beads.

He also enjoyed helping Aunt Kiki decorate the tree. He set this roll of ribbon on the tree and was very proud of himself. :)




After decorating two trees (you'll see them in just a minute...), we played the game Compatibility. I love this game, even though (as you can see here. I was the blue guy.), I almost always lose! :}







My friend Eric... and Michael being his usual goofy self.... :}

Leah, who is 35 weeks pregnant, discovered a new trick while sitting in the rocking chair that my mom rocked me in as a baby! :) It works as long as baby Aiden doesn't kick the cup off her belly! Ha! :}

Leah and her husband, Ben. Ben also went to college with us, but I didn't ever really get to know him until the past few months. The more I hang out with him, the more I like him. :) He is so sweet and gentle and is going to make an awesome daddy here in another month or so!

My best friend of twenty five years. Yikes. Makes me feel old! :}

Ok, Mrs. T., this picture is for you! :) I ran across an old email from you the other day mentioning that you would like to see my red couch. I had totally forgotten about it and so after the trees were decorated, I took this picture specifically for you to see. :) Oh, and I did not put the beads across my wall...a couple of the guys did that when I wasn't looking.... :)

My Webkinz tree! :) I knew all those little animals would come in handy somehow! :) This is my fun, colorful, cheerful tree.

This is the tree in my bedroom. It is more formal and I love it. I actually like white lights better and I love all the blue, white, and silver on it. :)

It was such a fun evening! I love having bunches of people around! :) Now, if only I could have a "tree UNdecorating party"...! :}