Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Cousin Fest 2009

The friends we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with are like family to us. They have a huge family with lots of cousins that are all about the same age. This year, all the cousins were able to make it home for Christmas so they decided to have Cousin Fest 2009. I was lucky enough to be invited to this gathering. We spent the evening playing Family Feud on the Wii and Cranium. For Family Feud, we played Cousins against Non-Cousins (which was significant others and me). I am happy to report that the Non-Cousins Team won each game! It was such a fun evening and my stomach hurt from laughing so much! Here are just a few pictures I took of us playing Cranium!



Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Christmas 2009

Christmas was fantastic this year! Santa was very good to me and I had a fabulous time spending the holiday with my family and friends. Christmas Eve was spent with our good family friends at their Christmas celebration. They have a huge family and my family is lucky enough to have been semi-adopted by them. We ate lots of yummy food, talked, and opened a few presents. Even though we aren't officially family, I still always manage to get some sort of gift. It's so thoughtful of them to think of me and my family. Christmas morning was just my parents, my brother, and I opening presents and hanging out. Mom and I began cooking our fabulous dinner. Some of our good family friends came over for dinner and we stuffed ourselves silly. For dinner, we had a special fruit salad, prime rib, sweet potatoes, oven roasted potatoes, veggies, and a garlic bread wreath that I made. For dessert, we had peppermint ice cream pie, brownie ice cream pie, banana pudding, and cookies. It was such a yummy meal!
Here's a few pictures from the day!
The tree with all the presents~

Even Leo got a present to open~


Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls~

The table all set, just waiting for the people to eat~

The Yummy Prime Rib we had~

My brother, Ben, carving the prime rib~

The Garlic Bread Wreath that I made~

Dad sleeping underneath the tree after a long day of eating and fun~

Monday, December 28, 2009

Snow, Snow, and More Snow!

Here are a few pictures of all the snow we got in Chicago on Christmas and the day after. The weather people forecasted only 1-3 inches. We got about 12 inches! It's been so much fun to see all the snow and how pretty it looks. But I'm glad I only have to deal with it for another 2 weeks, then its back to the warmer weather of Texas.




Sunday, December 27, 2009

These Boots are made for Snow


I've been visiting Chicago for almost a week and it that time it has snowed, then rained (which melted the snow), and then snowed again. These boots are the perfect boots for the weather. Surprisingly, I've had them for about 6 years. I bought them when I lived in Texas to wear as more of a fashion statement. I never though I'd actually be using them in REAL snow. And you may be asking yourself- Are those HOT PINK COACH snow boots? And my answer is- Yes, they are! They are probably my favorite pair of shoes I own. And since I really can't get a whole lot of use for them in Texas, I'm wearing them a lot here in Chicago.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Spiritual Enlightenment

I saw this video and it really reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas. Enjoy!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Are you ready for Christmas?


(My roommate's dog- Patty Cake. Isn't she precious!)

I'm so ready for Christmas. Finals are over. I get a whole month off school. I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet and it doesn't even bother me. I'm working overtime at Williams Sonoma until I go home on the 22nd. I get to be home for 2 1/2 weeks. Life is good!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Out of Commission


I'm dropping out of the blogging world for the next 2 weeks (not that I was ever very consistent at being in it). It's finals time. My first final is Wednesday, then I have one the following Monday, and my last final is on Friday the 18th. It's going to be a stressful and hectic 2 weeks but I know I can make it through. I can't wait to be done with this semester and to go home for the holidays. Think good thoughts and send some extra prayers my way. I have a feeling I'll be needing all I can get!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

A Perfect Evening

This is what a perfect evening looks like. Hot chocolate and White Christmas.


Friday night was a perfect evening. I should have been studying but I needed a mental health break.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009


This year, Thanksgiving was a little different. For the first time ever, I was traveling home for the holiday. I left Wednesday morning and came back late Sunday night. I was lucky that I didn't have to fly alone though. Since my dad is working in Houston now, we were able to take the same flight to Chicago and back. It was a good thing to because I had an extra carry-on that he was in charge of. It was kind of a pain because I had to bring home all my school books so I could study during the break. I had one suitcase for my clothes and another for my books. The break was a much needed change of scenery. I studied most of the day and then met up with friends at night. 5 days went by so fast! Here are some pictures of my Thanksgiving break!

Waiting around for the food-

Dad getting ready to carve the turkey-

The turkey!

The table-

Even the dogs wanted some turkey!


80's Cover Band-

Pre-Thanksgiving Fun!
You can't bring Kristin anywhere! (I love being the designated driver- you get to see the crazy things people do)

Me, Meg, and Char-

Me, Tim (my new friend), and Meg-

Friday, December 4, 2009

What's that white stuff coming down from the sky?


It snowed in Houston today! It came down most of the day but not much of it stuck to the ground. It doesn't snow very often in Houston so Houstonians are ill-equipped to deal with it (no plows or salt). As a result, they closed the university early and even closed the law library (and we have finals starting next week). I was supposed to work at Williams Sonoma tonight but they closed early due to the weather. There is going to be a hard freeze tonight so everyone is worried about people driving on slippery roads. Being from Chicago, I think its a little ridiculous and over the top but it sure was fun to see snow again!