Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays.  We had a fantastic two weeks of spending time together and with family and friends. 

The way the holidays fell this year, Russell was able to take 2 weeks off with only 5 days.  So he had the exact same break I did.  It was nice having time together just to relax and do nothing.

On Christmas we had Russell’s family over.  However, Max woke up with vertigo, so he ended up having to stay at home.  But Kathy and Tony made their way over and we had a nice ham lunch with all the fixings.  Russell and I had opened stockings in the morning, but waited to open presents until we did with the family.  Santa was very good to us this year, was very blessed by so may loved ones!

My family came down the Thursday after Christmas.  Leslie had to work through Christmas so they came down as soon as her 7 days off started.  We celebrated Christmas Thursday night.  On Friday the boys played golf (go figure) and s ladies did some shopping.  Saturday we watched the Aggies gang up on Northwestern!!  And Sunday after church they had to leave to go back.

Both Russell and I went back to work on Tuesday, luckily though the kids didn’t come until Wednesday.  It has been an adjustment getting back on schedule, but I am confident it will be a great semester!!

And now the outside

So after several weekends of work, we have most all of the outside decorations up.  We have a few things that we bought this year for the porch and columns- but honestly I don’t think they are going to make it up this year.  And that’s ok.  There is only one more week until Christmas!

This year we added the red lights around the garage and the lights coming down on the right side.  And all the bushes are red lights, unlike last year only the uppers were read and the lower bushes were multicolored.  This was mainly because we could only find multicoloreds last year.  I found some more reds this year.  We also added an angle to the front porch.  Russell thinks she looks kinda cheap- I like her.

This year, and the discovery of pinterest, I have done some Christmas crafts.  You have already seen the ornaments.  Now I have made these cute little snowmen.

I suppose I should get a Christmas rug to go on the porch now.  Perhaps there will be some on sale after Christmas.  That’s where I normally get stuff for the next year.  So stay tuned

Tis the Season

So the Christmas season is here.  This Christmas I am feeling crafty.  Well actually there is this website www.pinterest.com – it will make you want to be crafty.  I saw several ornaments that were really cute and they make it seem like its not that hard.  So I went out to Hobby Lobby got my supplies and got started.  Here are some of my creations:

Inside is officially decorated… hopefully tomorrow after church we can get up on the roof and put up the outside lights…

Thanksgiving

This week we got a whole week off for Thanksgiving!  It was awesome.  Technically Monday and Tuesday were bad weather days (if we had a hurricane this year). 

I went to Dallas on Monday, since a weekend is never long enough to see everyone.  Monday I met up with Dad for dinner.  Apparently Leslie said she was coming too, but neither dad nor I knew that so when I saw her walk by (Ggnghis Grill at the mall) I stood up and waved and made a scene- but she was coming all along.  HAHAHA. oops.    After dinner dad and I went to see J. Edgar.  It was not good- nothing like we thought it was going to be… so weird

On Tuesday I met up with Lauren and Heather for lunch at Panera Bread.  Then we went and hung out at Heathers new house.  Then we went to the Galleria and walked around, shopped, and had fun.  We ended up having dinner as well.  It’s been so long since we have had two meals together.  We used to do it all the time in college.  I miss the days when we complained that I was 10 minutes away from their apartment. 

On Wednesday Leslie and I headed to Greenville to see Grandmother and Granddaddy.  We met up at their apartment to have lunch and ran some errands with Grandmother and then went to see Granddaddy, but he was in the middle of a therapy session so we didn’t stay too long.  But it was great to see them.  I miss them.

On Thursday we went to nannie and Da’s for Thanksgiving.  On our way over though we had a family photo shoot.

Then mom and dad went to see Grandmother and Granddaddy, so we killed some time at a gas station.  Russell saw a scratch off machine and wanted to buy a lotto ticket, but only had $4, so Leslie chipped in the last dollar.  They won ($10) so they both doubled their money and were SUPER excited!

While we were at Nannie and Da’s we got to meet my newest second cousin (I think that is what she is to me). 

Friday Rachel was in town, so the girls came over to my house to hang out.  Again I miss us all being together.

Then we had dinner with the Smiths.  On Saturday we (mom, dad, Russell and I – Leslie had to work) went to Top Golf.  That is a fun place and I did decently well. 

We met Leslie for lunch.  Then we went to see the Muppets movie.  We got their pretty early, and so they made us stand in line.  We were the first ones.  So nothing like being the first in line for a kiddie movie. lol.  But it was still a really good movie- brought back memories.

All in all is a was a GREAT week.  Too bad then we had to come back.

I love my church :)

I just want to say I love my church.  Yes, it is hard work, but the people are great.

I say it is hard work because we meet in a middle school and we help tear down, pack up, and load out every Sunday.  So while everyone else is home eating lunch and napping, we are still up sweating (yes even well into November) and tearing down.

Some of our manly men that help.  We have four 25 foot (probably) trailers that we load up every week.  Fortunately we are not on the crew that sets up at 6 am. 

We also attend both services every week.  Well I should clarify, we attend the 9:30 service and then at the 11 service I teach the 2 and 3 year olds in Sunday school and Russell helps greet, offering, and tear down.

The people at our church are great- especially the people on staff.  They decided that this week we should tailgate.  So we did.  And it was awesome.  Each lifegroup was charged with making a pot of chili.  So yesterday several members got together to cook.

Here we are tasting it- and we approve.  We found a chili online that had cocoa powder, coffee, and beer (*gasp* don’t tell the people who ate it at church lol).  It created a nice taste. 

The competition

Our entry.  Yes I made the signs.  Had had several names, and no one wanted to pick one, so I put both.  Choeeree (a combo of chocolate, beer, and coffee our secret ingredients) and 3^3 (three meats- ground chuck, sirloin, and pork sausage and the three secret ingredients).

Our judges.  Ours didn’t win, but that’s ok we still had fun.  But we will blame these guys!

Manning the grill is Tracey and Pastor Bryan!

Our favs: Bryan, Jake and Beth

AND at what other church is proper attire your jerseys?!?  Just saying….

…and yes I know you all love my macaroni necklace.  It is a friendship necklace because God gives us friends who help us, like Jonathan helped David.  (see above about teaching 2 and 3 year olds)

Whew!

Where has this semester gone?
I can’t believe that it is already Thanksgiving?  I am pretty sure my last post was Labor day.  AH I am so sorry.  And it has been a busy semester, stuff to blog about, but I have been SO busy with work.  It’s crazy.  This year has definitely been crazy, and unlike any other semester before.  I will update you on this past semester, but until then I will remind everyone (including myself) why I do what I do:

Labor Day Weekend

This past weekend was a three day weekend!!  YAY!! 

My parents came into town Friday night.  And they brought Kristin!  Kristin is a sophomore and Dallas Baptist University, and I have known her since she was two.  Mom used to babysit her and her brother when they were younger, and when she only had one brother, now she has two!  I love the Thieman family!  And I was really excited that Kristin had a free weekend to come down.

We didn’t really do too much over the weekend.  It was nice to just sit around and hang out with my family.  Saturday we went to Cypress Station grill for lunch (and was also dinner) and then went and go frozen yogurt later that night (yes that was Russell and I’s third time to go that week- ) lol. 

Sunday we went to church.  Mom, dad and Kristin went back home after the first service.  Russell and I stayed like we always do. I teach the 2s and 3s in sunday school and Russell greets at the door and takes offering.  After church we just had frozen pizza for lunch, because for dinner we had fajitas while we watched the Aggies play.  Russell’s family, and my friend Amanda came over to watch as well (even though she is a longhorn).  We had fun watching the Aggies win, hopefully that’s a trend that continues!!

Monday we hung around the house, and then went to Smash Burger for lunch.  Mom and dad were curious about it, because they don’t’ have them in Dallas (yet- I’m sure).  We love Smash Burger and eat there pretty regularly.  Last week on Groupon they had a buy a $12 gift card for only $6.  So I bought two and so did Russell, but Russell had a ten dollar credit so we got $48 worth of Smash Burger for $14.  Not to shabby!  After lunch mom, dad, and Kristin had to head back to Dallas. 

That night we had our fantasy football draft.  This is Russell and I’s second fantasy team.  This one was just for the Roddy/Taylor/McCarthy family.  Leslie chose Payton Manning first round, first pick over all.  She knows he’s hurt- I don’t know  her thinking on that one.  Oh well her loss my gain!  Go McCarthatrons!!