Christmas 2009

According to my camera, we had a relatively uneventful Christmas...

which is true.

It was great to spend the holiday with just the hubs

but I still tried to keep some of my family's traditions alive.

Including...my family:

(Totally ignore the nasty dirty computer screen...it has since been cleaned!)

Thanks to technology, we were able to chat with my family both Christmas Eve and morning.

We chatted while my family enjoyed their Christmas Eve fiesta

(consisting of Gecko Grill...yummy Mexican food that makes me really miss AZ!)

TJ and I enjoyed our own mini fiesta

(consisting of Cafe Rio pork burritos...thank goodness I have the recipe!).

Then we attempted to decorate our gingerbread house.

I say attempt because...well, it didn't really go over very well.

For starters, the kit my mom sent was broken.

TJ tried to patch it together using frosting but...

the frosting was the consistency (and taste) of toothpaste.

Plus, it hardened in point two seconds...so none of our candies would stick!

Of course we donned our matching Christmas pjs.

This picture isn't the best...

but I believe this was attempt number 286.

TJ was not willing to take any more.

Lisa + camera self timer = not so great pictures

According to my camera, we didn't do a single thing on Christmas.

But that's not really true.

We slept in...

we web-cammed (is that a word?) with the family while opening presents...

we ate sausage gravy and biscuits...

we watched the Disney Christmas parade...

we ate a yummy lunch with our bishop...

we watched Sherlock Holmes...

we vegged out on the couch and fell asleep early.

See, we totally did stuff!

TJ and I really enjoyed our quiet Christmas.

While spending the holidays with our families would have been great...

spending it alone was just as nice!

Happy Christmas!

I gotta admit...

I'm not feeling too holly jolly just yet.

Due to the child growing in my belly,

hubs and I are hanging out in Columbus for the holidays.

While TJ is enjoying his break from school

I still have to go to work.

And while I absolutely LOVE my job

(can you sense the sarcasm?)

it isn't giving me much time to get into the Christmas spirit.

And it definitely doesn't help to know that all my sisters are back in AZ for Christmas.

Things that I am totally going to miss this year:

*temple lights

*Christmas Eve fiesta...complete with a pinata and food from Gecko Grill!

*staying up way too late playing ridiculous games with Calli

*waking up way too early to open presents (even though we're all grown up now!)

*Christmas morning breakfast @ Gma Knight's

Basically, I'm going to miss spending Christmas with my family.

But, TJ and I are looking forward to spending time together this weekend...

especially since this is the last holiday with just the two of us.

We'll have our own mini fiesta...

decorate our own gingerbread houses...

don our matching pajamas...

and have our own holly jolly Christmas.

I plan on getting into a much more Christmas-y mood...

just as soon as I leave work tomorrow!

Merry Christmas!

Shout Out To My Daddy

Today is my daddy's birthday.

That's right...I call him daddy.

I am, and always will be, a daddy's girl.

(Daddy and me at my wedding...he attempted to waltz, but I'm not very good!)

I think my dad is one of the greatest men ever.

My dad could definitely beat up your dad.

But he probably wouldn't...

not unless he had a really good reason.

See, my dad is a complex individual.

Physically, he's a big guy.

He was once described as a "tall, powerful man"...and he totally is.

But my daddy is really just a big teddy bear.

I think this has something to do with raising 5 daughters...

(My dad...and Summer, the "special" sister. This photo will be displayed at her wedding...should someone ever marry her.)

One thing is for sure...raising 5 daughters has made my dad a VERY patient man.

He puts up with a lot of craziness from all us girls

Definitely take note of his facial expressions in most of these pictures...

he's very tolerant!

(Daddy carrying Taylor...she was plum-tuckered out!)

(Disclaimer...that bag held his Father's Day gift from Summer...a Diamondbacks jersey...not lingerie!)

My daddy has adapted to his life in an "estrogen ocean"

He takes us camping...we ride 4-wheelers and jet skis...we even shoot guns.

Now that 3 of his daughters have gotten married, there are some boys to help even things out.

But daddy will always have a soft spot for his "Arlon's Darlins!"

(My absolute favorite picture of my parents!)

(He's one hip daddy-o)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

I LOVE YOU LOTS!

Fir or Faux?...The Final Decision

The Christmas Tree 2009 debate has come to an end.

I know you've all been anxiously waiting to find out our decision.

Would if be fir?

Or faux?

This weekend, the tough decision was made.

Can you tell what it is?

That, my friends, is a real live Christmas tree.

The first REAL tree I've had in...well, a lot of years.

TJ and I adopted this tree this weekend from our neighbors.

They decided, last minute, to head back west for Christmas

(along with the rest of our neighbors...seriously, we are practically the ONLY people left!)

Rather than leaving their Christmas tree behind, TJ and I decided to adopt it.

We spent our date night decorating our tree and watching "Scrooged"

(which, according to hubs, is the greatest Christmas movie ever...I didn't stay awake to see the end)

Now all we need is a star for the top...

and some stockings...

and maybe some gifts...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Columbus.

Let It Snow!

It's officially winter!

We woke up to snow this morning.

Not a whole lot...just enough to dust our car.

Being the native desert dwellers that we are, snow isn't a common sight.

Except that one time....

TJ and his buddies got caught in a freak snow storm...

in the middle of the desert.

The snow we faced this morning was nothing major.

TJ was more than happy to brush all the snow off the windows.

I found other things to amuse myself while he did his job.

The cold weather isn't something that we love...

but we are learning to embrace the winter weather.

Most nights involve a cuddly blanket and two mugs of cocoa.

TJ drinks from the Santa mug...

I choose the pretty pink one.

So bring it on Old Man Winter.

Bring it.

32 Weeks

32 weeks down...

8 more weeks to go!

Fir or Faux?

Hubs and I are in need of a Christmas tree.

Since we're staying in Ohio for Christmas, I must get into the Christmas spirit.

This means a tree, ornaments, lights...

the whole shebang.

(Christmas 2007...see the tree back there?)

Now the question is this:

Real tree?

Fake tree?

What should we get!?

(Christmas Tree 2008)

The cons:

Real trees require more maintenance.

Fake trees are more expensive.

The pros:

Real trees have a look and a smell that you can't get out of a box.

Fake trees are easier to deal with and don't die.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanksgiving 2009

Yesterday was Thanksgiving.

This was my very first holiday away from home.

I survived.

Hubs and I planned our own Thanksgiving dinner with some good friends.

We even took in some strays.

The missionaries from our church came for dinner.

Plus, a couple of single guys who live nearby

(they might have settled for Mickey D's if we hadn't fed them).

I was in charge of 3 of my favorite things:

green bean casserole, rolls, and cheesecake.

My friend Britney tackled the turkey, stuffing, and potatoes.

Dinner was delicious.

So delicious that we were too busy eating to remember to take any pictures.

I know, pathetic.

My first Thanksgiving away from home and no pictures to document the event.

But trust me, it was great.

Top 3 things I am thankful for this year:

1. a husband who loves me (even when I don't act very lovable)

2. a healthy baby (who will make his debut appearance in just 9 weeks!)

3. a supportive family (who I miss every day!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

(oh, ps, we woke up to snow flurries today!)

OSU Game

People in Ohio take their football very seriously.

You are either and OSU Buckeye fan...or you are shunned.

When we knew we were coming to OSU, we knew football tickets were a must.

Unfortunately, OSU football tickets sell out in about .5 seconds...

so we were not able to attend any OSU games this season.

Until today.

We bought a couple of tickets from some friends.

This was the last home game of the season.

And apparently it was a big deal.

Like, if we won this game we would get a Bowl game.

And apparently, Bowl games are important.

We donned our scarlet and grey gear.

Plus a Buckeye necklace made for me by a friend in the ward.

*Fact: Buckeye nuts are poisonous. Don't eat them.

It was a thrilling game

and I actually was able to keep up with almost everything that was going on.

At the end of the fourth quarter, it was tied.

You know what that means...

overtime.

The crowd was going crazy, hoping and praying that the Bucks could pull it off.

And with a final kick of the ball, we did it!

Can you tell how happy TJ is with this victory!?

It was baby's first football game...

and according to TJ, it is definitely not his last!

Now we can say that we are true Buckeye fans!

Nutterbut Squash

29 weeks

Baby is the size of a butternut squash.

I am the size of...something much bigger.

Bonus points to whomever gets my title reference!

Another post about pigs

Well, sort of.

It's about the swine flu.

Being pregnant makes me "high risk"

so my doc encouraged me to get the H1N1 shot.

Unfortunately, my doc's office hasn't received any of the vaccine.

Here in Ohio, there have been several vaccination clinics for "high risk" people

(like me!)

So Saturday morning we drove to one of these clinics.

The advertised hours were nine to noon.

We got there at nine...

and waited in the world's longest line for two and a half hours!

Seriously!?

This line wrapped all the way around the church...

down a hill...

then snaked back and forth...

3 times.

After spending all that time waiting, I got my shot.

TJ couldn't get one...

he isn't eligible for a "high risk" shot until I'm 32 weeks.

So he might get sick and die...but I'm good.

This Little Piggy...

Many years ago, my grandma gave me a piggy bank.

It was filled with lots of coins.

20 dollars, to be exact.

Since then, the amount of change in that piggy bank has varied.

Most often, I went in after the quarters.

When the hubs and I were first married, we used all the quarters to pay for laundry.

This piggy bank has been extremely handy over the years.

Unfortunately, husband did not love the piggy bank like I did.

He's wanted to get rid of the piggy bank since day one.

Recently, husband got his wish.

We took piggy with us to Wal-Mart

(yes, Wal-Mart...we are classy people)

We had to remove many non-coin items that were stored inside piggy...

souvenir pennies from Disneyland

bobby pins

batting cage coins

random bits of trash

Finally, we were able to reap the benefits of piggy.

Years later, piggy had more than the 20 bucks Grandma gave me.

We could have done any number of things with our newfound wealth...

but we decided to buy groceries instead.

That's the way we roll.

Kirtland, OH

My goal while living in Ohio is to see as much as possible.

Since I've never lived anywhere other than AZ, I want to experience as much as Ohio as I can.

So when some friends asked us to drive to Kirtland with them, we jumped at the chance.

We drove up on Halloween.

It was a blustery day and rained the whole way up.

But as soon as we got there, the sun started to shine!

Isn't Ohio pretty in the fall?

The Newel K. Whitney Store

A room on the second floor of the N.K. Whitney store was used as the School of the Prophets.

Joseph Smith sat here to provide instruction to the other leaders of the Church.

The Kirtland Temple...the very first LDS temple to be built.

Feel free to ignore how huge I look in these pictures...

Next to the temple was an old cemetery.

TJ thought he was funny.

It was such a neat experience to see these Church history sites.

The stories that we heard in Kirtland were not new to us.

But standing in the place where this history was create made the stories much more meaningful.

BOO!

More Pumpkins...

Seems like I can't get enough of pumpkins!

This time we were carving them instead of eating them.

Hubs and I carved our pumpkins with friends Monday night.

(I left my camera at home, so hubs captured some memories with his cell phone...hence the junky quality)

TJ's pumpkin is throwing up pumpkin guts...

He thinks he's clever...I think he's gross.

Our finished projects.

My pumpkin is just big enough to cover my belly.

We are officially ready for Halloween!

Pumpkin Festival

This weekend, hubs and I (along with some friends) went to the Pumpkin Festival.

Why?

Lisa's reasoning: to see a plethora of pumpkins and eat pumpkin flavored foods

TJ's reasoning: his wife didn't give him a choice

Things we saw/did at the Pumpkin Festival:

Giant pumpkins with faces carved in them

A giant tower of pumpkins

Random pushups in the middle of the street just to earn a t-shirt

Horrific depiction of Taylor Swift

A memorial pie made in honor of the worlds biggest pumpkin pie...

not the world's biggest pumpkin pie, just a smaller version to memorialize it.

Pumpkin flavored foods that we eat:

*pumpkin donut

*pumpkin burger (basically, a sloppy joe with pumpkin spices mixed in)

*pumpkin fudge

*pumpkin cheesecake

Pumpkin flavored foods that we didn't have room to eat:

*pumpkin chili

*pumpkin pizza (basically, pumpkin pie on a pizza crust)

*pumpkin funnel cake

*pumpkin waffles

*pumpkin seeds

*pumpkin bread

*pumpkin pretzels

*pumpkin ice cream

*this list could go on, but I think you get the point

Fall in Ohio is definitely better than fall in Arizona...

hmm, pumpkins!

Sexy People

Have you been to this website?

My hubs should be featured...

100

My favorite day of school has always been the 100th day.

Kinder teachers always make a big deal out of this day.

All the kiddos bring 100 somethings...

100 legos

100 pennies

100 Cheerios

100 marshmallows

and of course there is always to over-zealous mom who sends in 100 cookies or cupcakes that teacher now has to deal with.

At my elementary school, we had to search for Zero Hero.

He left us clues and we had to look all over the school for him.

We found him back in our classroom where he had set up a party just for us.

We played and/or ate our 100 things, colored pictures of the number 100, and counted in our loudest voices all the way to 100.

The day ended by releasing 100 balloons into the sky.

Isn't that frowned upon now? Something to do with killing birds or whatnot?

I looked at my baby ticker over on the side of my blog today.

I saw that magical number.

100.

I have just 100 days left of being pregnant.

100 more days until our family of two because a family of three.

100 more days until I get to meet the little baby that kicks me all day long.

100 more days.

I think I will celebrate the number 100 today.

Maybe I'll eat 100 somethings...

Mom's Adventures in Ohio

Living in Ohio is great...TJ and I are really enjoying it here.

BUT we do miss all our family and friends in AZ.

So you can imagine how happy I am to have my mom in Ohio this week.

Some highlights of mom's trip thus far:

Power Outage!

The power went out for several hours Friday night.

We amused ourselves by playing card games and Scrabble by candle light.

And mom was even able to read her book while looking snazzy in a headlamp.

North Market!

Since we've moved here, I've heard so much about North Market.

It's a cool old warehouse that features a farmers market and lots of vendors selling yummy food!

We ate some yummy samples plus a scrumptious lunch.

TJ and I plan to head back soon!

The Santa Maria!

Well, a really cool replica of the Santa Maria at least.

Since we live in Columbus, we had to check out the ship that Columbus sailed on.

It was a lot smaller than I imagined.

Her trip ain't over yet, so stay tuned for more fun adventures with Mom!