Skeletons in the Closet

As the year comes to an end, many of us are pondering all that has happened over the past year.

What good have we done?
What have we been blessed with?
What are we going to resolve to change?
How is this next year going to be even better than the last?

Some of us even have to face some very scary skeletons that we have hanging in the closet. Or what's behind the bricks in the walls we've built around us.


A few days ago, I was putting Christmas wrapping away in my downstairs coat closet, when I was forced to face some skeletons myself. Some extremely frightening skeletons.

What the hell is that about?
Why the crap do I have three pregnant plastic mannequins stored in my closet?
Where did they come from?
Am I dreaming?
Did I take a few bumps of blow?
I don't get it.

Roomie, can you please explain this?!?!? (When I get an answer, I will let you all know.)

But fo realz, I have taken a deep look into the past year and have started making a list of my resolutions. And ones that I'm going to keep too! Nothing like cutting out coke and fatty foods. That's what Lent is for. 40 days I can handle. 365 days - you're out of your mind!!!

I hope you all have safe adventures as you ring in the new year, and I can't wait to see who posts some resolutions!

Bring on the 2009!

Let Me Upgrade You

I'VE BEEN UPGRADED!

Does that Beyonce commercial annoy anyone else? The commercial that vomited glitter and gold all over the screen... It's for Direct TV and their new HD channels...

Last night, the 'rents came over to help me set up my new TV and I found myself singing that damn song. But, yay for new HD channels!!!

Out with the old...

In with the new...
I also decided to bust out my new fun bath toys that my lovely sister got me for Christmas. I am such a bath junkie, and am constantly looking for more things to make bath time more fun. Unfortunately, they don't sale hot bachelors at Bed, Bath & Beyond, so it looks like I have to settle for some other items. However, I do love my new bath pillow (I've gone through so many of those) and my fancy bath caddy that combines three of my favorite things: reading, wine and baths!
Doesn't that look so cozy, relaxing and romantic? Well, if I'm involved - there is bound to be some disaster.

Of course I arranged all that to take a picture for you, but then getting in the bath required me turning myself into some sort of contortionist and maneuvering underneath the bath caddy. Then, as I'm sitting there reading, my knee bumps the damn thing and the wiggles the candle holder. Pretty sure I unintentionally waxed my knee last night. Although my knee was burning, it at least smelled of warm cinnamon sugar. Then, my book mark falls through and into the water. DAMMIT! What about trying to dunk my head in the water? Impossible with that thing hovering over my chest. Getting out? Better stretch for that one...

So, I guess I shouldn't actually plan on having to do any sort of bathing while using my new caddy...just sitting there reading is about all I'm allowed to do.

I still love my new bath accessories though. Thanks sister!!! :)

I'm Baaaaaccckkkk!!!

I finally returned to work this morning. Good thing too, I've got lots of things piling up on my to-do list. My blogging to-do list, that is. I've got to stalk all of my blog friends back to before Christmas and post all my updates. Not that I've really had anything to do on my time off, but I decided to wait until I returned to work to re-enter my Blogosphere.

Here's what you've missed...

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Twas the Nights Before Christmas
Egg Shells

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Chirstmas

So much for the "much smaller Christmas" that my mom promises us each year. Does it look like we drew names for one gift each??? Yeah, didn't think so. This year though, we had to do things a bit differently. The tree was moved to a new location, for the first time ever, and so we had to haul the presents from under the tree to the common living area to be opened. We don't usually pile gifts on a coffee table!

Of course, not only did we provide gifts for each other, so did Santa. We woke up in the morning to realize that not only had Santa come, he she was still at the house. Claire's stocking had lots of fun things for her to grow into...including her new bow!

We all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas morning together as a family. How we didn't get dad in any of the pictures, I don't know???

We each got one big special present from Santa and then really little things like gift cards and such, but we all made out pretty well. I was so dang excited to get my food processor. I've been wanting one {a good one} since I moved in my house, and my mom got it for my last Christmas, but never gave it to me. Finally, I got it! Mark & Maegan got a cool new touch-screen camcorder to record Claire's cutest moments. Molly will be enjoying herself in her former home, Washington DC, for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration and she couldn't be more thrilled for such a gift. Scott & Abby got....{drumroll please}....new tires!!! May not seem that exciting to y'all, but trust me - when running on bald rubber, that's very exciting!!!

My parents had one special surprise left for me, and I had absolutely no idea I was going to get anything else. They brought in a huge box and I wondered if it was my dad's gift to my mom because it didn't have a name on it. I couldn't figure out what it could have possibly been, but the only thing I could think of was a bookshelf. Seriously though, I've been looking at different cool bookshelves to put upstairs in my hallway - so I figured maybe my mom got me one I had pointed out when I was with her. I started unwrapping, caught a glimpse of half the picture and looked back at my parents stunned.

Are they freaking serious??? Yes. Yes, they were!

Aren't Mike & Leslie the absolute greatest? I had noooo clue, much less I hadn't even asked for anything other than my food processor.

After gift opening, we cleaned up the mess, prepared our fabulous dinner and celebrated the season with our tradition Friends & Family meal. Chris & Danette, along with Danette's parents and her brother's family come for Christmas each year and it always turns into a pretty fun and long night. Several rounds of Aggravation and games of pool, and many many glasses of wine later, I was definitely ready to hit the sack. But not before we had dessert and exchanged our cross-family gifts.

During this time, the-ever-competitive twins decided to have a weigh-off and to see who had lost more weight. My brothers aren't even close to being considered tall, but they both have quite the stocky build, with a little fat thrown in there for good measure.

So out comes the scale and Mark steps on.
Now, it's Scott's turn. "I should be under 190, I've been doing good. I've lost over 20 pounds and last year at this time, I was 212."

"219!!!" This shit is wrong! Let me try again."

"220!!! No fucking way!!! This is bullshit!
{Poor poor Scotty, had no idea his sweet little wife was behind him adding pressure to the scale. Good one, Abby!}
"Okay, let's try this ONE more time. Abby, you stay over there."
I don't know any other family that has a weight competition during the holidays, especially after eating a huge meal, but what would a Stanga Family Christmas be without a little misery?

Once again, another great season spent with the ones I love most. Now it's time to work on my New Year's Resolutions. I've got a few good ones in mind.

Twas the Nights Before Christmas

I was so fortunate to have the entire week of Christmas off and thoroughly enjoyed the time to relax. Of course, I didn't do much except eat, sleep, drink, watch movies and an occasional visit with family friends, but the majority of the time I did absolutely nothing. I loved it!

Molly and Boudreaux came to visit me on Monday afternoon and stayed through Tuesday afternoon. We spent 24 hours being completely worthless, with half of our time occupied in the kitchen and half on the couch. Molly definitely enjoyed some much-needed time off after studying her life away for law school, and sweet Boudreaux was glad to have his mommy back!

Little Bou Bou got in a little trouble with me, however, when he decided to eat the corners off my wrapped gifts. Even Jessica stopped by for one more last night out before she births a sweet little girl on January 2nd. {If not before then. ;) }

Tuesday evening, we gathered up the troops and headed over to the Duffield's to spend a nice dinner and great story-telling with our long-time family friends. Claire even made a guest appearance as Miss Clause.


Wednesday afternoon, I packed a bag laundry hamper full of enough stuff to last me the rest of the week, gathered all the junk from under my tree and headed over to my parents house for the holidays. Funny how we drew names for the first time ever this year, and were supposed to bring only a couple of gifts each - but I still managed to fill up my entire car with presents. Mostly for Claire, of course!
Christmas Eve was such a great day, as we celebrated the birth of Jesus at church then engaged in a fun family game of Scrabble. {Is equape a word?} We also got a special gift that came a little bit early. Miss Claire has learned to sit up by herself. Of course, she only stays put for a short time before she faceplants into the floor, but she's still making headway.

Then it was time to drift off to sleep, dream of sugar plums and wait until the morning to see if Santa had come. Merry Christmas!

Egg Shells

This post has no point.

We try to do something festive each year - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Last time, we attempted the Myerson Symphony Orchestra's rendition of The Messiah. Halfway through, my brothers ended up down the street at a bar while my dad and I tried not to laugh out loud as we watched a man sing like his nuts were tied in a knot, and the whole time, Molly gave us evil, disapproving-motherly looks.

We skipped any attempt at culture last year, but last night, the parents, Molly and I resumed keep the Christmas festivities as we headed to see the City of Plano Symphony Orchestra. We were pretty excited to go support the local orchestra and I always love nights out with the family.

As we're walking in the church, Molly comments on how large the building is and I simply stated "Welcome home to Dallas." Her response: "Yeah, where the churches in Texas are as big as the tits and hair." The whole be-quiet-in-church thing....yeah, not so much. We were all trying to mask our giggles.

Of course there was a Sing-Along portion of the performance and the Conductor invited the audience to join in and harmonize with the choir. Immediately, I felt three pair of eyes glaring at me and when I turned to greet those stares, my dad shook his head and mouthed "Do not sing!!!" Seriously? The family is absolutely embarrassed of what pitch might come out of my mouth, so I just sat there like a reject, the only one not singing.

I guess their reasons of embarrassment are validated pretty well though. Not only have I sung an entire song in church in my own made-up tune, but sometimes I don't really get the words right. I was probably 20 years old before I really understood that the verse was:

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Not Gloria in egg shells deo.

Okay, okay. Point taken.

Altoids

It was early April in 2000 and I was sitting with Brittany S. against the windows of the theater building at Plano East, donning our fabulous black spandex leotards, black spandex jazz pants, jazz sneakers and an insane amount of bobby pins in our hair. I was trying out for the Plano East Golden Girls, and Brittany was a year older and already a member of the Drill Team, so she was helping us prepare for our big audition.

Both Williams and Clark Drill Teams were joined together in the same building, and that is when I first caught glimpse of the most obnoxious thing ever. There were two girls from Clark practicing, one of which was sporting baby pink leg warmers and thought she was a complete sexpot. (Best thing ever - she got caught having sex at lunch in the school parking lot and got kicked off drill team, but that's much much later!) Totally out-of-control obnoxious, definitely never been told 'no' by anyone in her life, and just down right annoying. They were practicing their routine together and critiquing each other, so I figured the second girl (while not wearing pink leg warmers) must be just as heinous to be around.

Brittany and I were so grossed out by Pinkie and we just wanted her to sit down and be normal like the rest of us, so we started throwing Altoids at her. I honestly really have never been a mean girl, or at least not that mean, but this chick deserved it. It just so happens, that maybe the Altoids hit the second girl too, and she went back to Clark telling everyone about this bitch of a redhead who threw Altoids at her. As I entered my first year at Plano East, and I was mingling with all the other students that came from Clark, I realized they were all coming to the conclusion that I must have been the 'Altoid Girl."

Turns out, we became really really close friends and it's a never-ending joke about Altoids. We were so close, that she floated the river with my family, and my dad even had to bail her out of jail for underage drinking. It was totally stupid that she was there in the first place, and I think my dad even may have been arrested if he fought for Casey any harder. Needless to say, we love each other and love to laugh at all our crazy stories.

Well, a very bitter sweet event is about to happen - she's moving. To PHOENIX!!! I'm very proud of her for being so successful in her career and wish her and Brent the best on their big move, but we will definitely miss her so much! We decided to have one last Girls' Night In at her house before they moved, and it was definitely a night to remember. It was a dinner party, a wine party and a pajama party all in one. Of course, we showed up wearing the exact same jammies. Casey is not what one would refer to as 'domesticated' so it was pretty comical to watch her try and start the grill. She told us in her email that she was going to make us delicious grilled salmon (as long as someone knew how to turn on and off the grill.) Allison is a pretty skilled 'grill-er' and said she would be able to handle it, but unfortunately she wasn't too familiar on this particular apparatus. Therefore, Casey was on the phone with her husband (who is in Dubai) getting instructions while repeating them to Allison, who is trying to start the gas while holding a flashlight, and of course there is 9-month preggers Jessica, standing behind with the fire extinguisher. Don't worry, it all came out so good! While we're waiting for all the food to be ready, we're hanging out inside enjoying a varied selection of wines while we watched Amanda and Jessica compare baby bumps at 11 weeks versus 37 weeks pregnant. How sweet! Suddenly, we smell something burning, but we couldn't figure out what it was. The grill hadn't exploded, the oven wasn't on fire, so what in the world was burning? We checked our clothes - nothing. We checked our hair - nothing. Casey demanded that someones head wason fire because she smelled burned hair. Amanda jokes that maybe the cat caught on fire and we all shared a giggle. Immediately, the cat jumps down off the counter and scrams out of the room, which definitely caught our attention. Turns out, the damn cat jumped over a lit candle and singed all the hair on his belly. So sad, but so damn funny too! Pretty sure Casey is a little scared about having kids now, if she can't even keep from setting her cat on fire. Needless to say, it was a great night. We ate, we drank. We ate, we drank some more. We played games and chatted. We ate, we drank some more. And just for fun, we even lit animals on fire. I really enjoyed spending this night with the girls and am so sad that it will be the last one in a long long time with my dear friend Casey. We'll miss you, lady!!!

The Polar Express

I just love the story of the Polar Express and I really love how it travels through the area each year to ring in the holidays. This year, the Polar Express had a little special 'polar' gift to deliver to me. A teeny tiny bit of bi-polar Christmas spirit. Ahh, don't you just love the holidays!

Wednesday went down in history as one of the longest days ever. Ever! The cold foggy rain and a list of idiot drivers, paired with intense hunger and some explicit PMS tendencies, all after sitting on my ass and poking my eyeballs with paper clips for eight hours makes me a poor candidate for the Spirit of Christmas. I'm pretty sure when Molly opened the door at my parents' house that night, I gave her a good piece of my mind. I apologize for that sister. But my frustrations quickly went by the wayside when I indulged in a glass of wine, played with Claire, hung out with Molly & Maegan, won a fabulous 4 of 5 games of Aggravation, and was blessed with such deafening harmonious Christmas carols from Abby and Scott via telephone. Ahh, I was all cured. Driving home I was in the best mood (minus being a little nervous of all the fog) and quickly dozed off in to a peaceful slumber as soon as I hit my pillows. Until 2:30. My dumbshit neighbors think it's a real good idea to have friends over and blare their stereo on the patio at 2:30 in the morning. Um, hello??? It's raining outside. Idiots! These are my drug dealer neighbors, they're oh so pleasant. Yikes, my bi-polar disorder has returned.

Yesterday driving to work was borderline miserable, and work was excruciatingly painful. Thanks to Hayden though, I was provided with such amazing material, I was able to spend a good amount of time giggling through the day. What a roller coaster ride of crazies I am. I was so excited to watch the clock count down to the final minutes of the workday, and was pumped to get in my car and listen to some Christmas jams. And then I hit traffic. As soon as I reached my on-ramp. Profanities make another guest appearance. In four times the normal travel time, I reached my house, with no patience to spare. I pretty much ate and laid in bed the rest of the night. It was probably very dangerous for me to have any human contact for the rest of the evening.

Ahh, peaceful sleep and I woke up in a fabulous mood. I was actually excited to come to work today. It may be because we have our Christmas lunch, or because it's my last day before the holidays, or both - but whatever the case, I'm back to being just peachy. Top if off with a piece of pecan pie and a Dr. Pepper for breakfast - I'm all set and full of the seasonal cheer! Let's just hope I can stay this way for awhile...

Oh dear, dear bi-Polar Express, how I do love you so. But next year, save yourself a trip and bypass stopping at my house.

The Book of Beef

Last night I was uberly excited to have Robyn over for dinner, wine and the newest episode of Intervention. There isn't anything quite like getting drunk with Jan, the alcoholic. Female alcoholics are probably some of my favorite guests on the show, I don't know why. They come in second to Allison, the chick who inhaled computer air duster.

Sunday afternoon I made beef stew, but it wasn't quite right by dinner time, so I let it slow cook again all day yesterday and by the time we ate it for dinner, all the flavors were well blended. It was pretty good, nothing amazing, but a warm hearty meal for a cold night. Being as cold as it is today, I brought leftovers for lunch so I could stay out of the cold as much as possible.

So with my work bag in tow, I headed off to the office, very slowwwwly. First, let me state the importance of my 'work bag.' I bring it to work every single day, along with my purse, and it is an essential part of my job. I don't actually take any work home, nor do I carry a work laptop, so what is in my work bag you ask? Everything to keep me going through the day at work: Sudoku book; any book I'm reading at a given time; my makeup (although I never reapply - that's only if I even apply at all some days;) all my coupons and ads to browse through; a newspaper; all my electronic accessories (camera charger, phone charger, card reader, flash drive, etc.;) some headbands and bobby pins (of course;) stuff to take to the bank; bills; and whatever other personal crap I may find necessary to do at work. Oh and food. Usually food.

Today I arrive at the office and Dave from valet opens my car door for me, as he does every morning, with his lit cigarette so tactfully hanging from his lips. I grab my junk, head up to the second floor and unpack my bag for the day, only to find a little surprise waiting for me.

Apparently, I didn't secure the lid on my stew very well and it spilled all over my bag. I brought a new book today, one I have yet to begin, and it now smells hellaciously like beef and vegetables. Don't get me wrong, I love beef and vegetables, but I don't want to be constantly reminded of it with the stale smell excreting from my book. What's worse is I also had a book I'm mailing to Hayden for Christmas in my bag, and that too has a little something extra going into the envelope with it. Beef. Merry Christmas friend. I hope this book is all you're expecting...and more! :)

May I Take Your Order?

Yes, I would like an order of Fully Loaded Nachos without the guac and a drink.

Will that be all for you today, ma'am?

Yes, thank you. Well......hmmm...can you add a side of Fully Loaded Ass too? Thanks. Merry Christmas!

This picture does NOT do this horrific sight justice. I am forever scarred. I was indulging in some calorie-packed greatness, also known as Taco Bell, when I looked up in right in front of me was a very large, very Hispanic, very hairy ass crack. Ugh, I think I just vomited in my mouth a lil' bit reliving that.

Lost That Lovin' Feeling

Dear Jesus,

Please don't be afraid to condemn my soul to hell for this one.  I already know that writing this is the epitome of the Devil's work.  Please forgive me.

Love,
Lane


Dear Salvation Army,

May I please give one simple suggestion, or request if you will... I highly recommend designating a special gift drop-off only parking area with a 15-20 minute time limit.  This would be greatly appreciated by donors.

Thanks and Merry Christmas,
Lane

Today was the day I was supposed to skip right into NorthPark full of glee and deliver my heart-felt warm wishes and gifts to the needy. However, I have decided that while I am a complete bitch (one that must have forgotten the real reason of giving) for writing this, I absolutely dread NorthPark. I know that giving isn't always easy, and it's not convenient, but holy crap, my misery began sitting on 75 trying to exit Park Lane.

I do acknowledge that it is partially my fault since I chose to return to the Angel Tree mid-afternoon on the Saturday two weeks before Christmas, but seriously???

After spending 30 minutes in traffic, on one exit alone, then another 15 minutes in one block stretch trying to get through a light, I was more than ready to park this damn thing and get out on my feet. One little problem, I had a shit ton of stuff to carry. So I spent another 45 minutes looking for a parking spot around Macy's, but let me clarify that 45 minutes was not actually spent *looking* it was more of sitting in lines.

Approaching the hour mark of being confined to a parking lot without going anywhere, I decided to screw that idea and headed over to valet. The car in front of me proceeded just fine, but I had to break through the "Valet Full' barrier just to get yelled at. Dude, the very next car in front of me got through, why are they giving me shit? Sorry, the slapdick was driving a Ferrari, I guess my Honda Cervix doesn't get that kind of treatment. So I roll down my window and bitch kindly declare:

Look dude! All I have to do is drop of some freaking presents for poor people at the Angel Tree. This is what I'm going to do...I'm going to park my little car up front along the fire lane with my hazards on. Then I'm going to hand you five dollars, and you're going to look the other way. Got it???

So glad times are hard, because otherwise I don't think the only five dollar bill I had in my purse was going to cut it.

I park right in front of the Macy's entrance, unload my presents and head in. Well, S.A. asks that you not wrap any of the presents, but just put them in a red plastic trash bag they supply you. *Note to SA - get better quality bags!* So I'm hauling $400 worth of clothes, shoes and toys, stuffed into 3 plastic bags that are ripping with each step I take. Every 5 feet, I had to stop and readjust, restuff, and reassemble before moving another 5 feet. People just stared at me, in the middle of my path without moving. That crap in my arms was heavy, uncomfortable and just plain awkward to carry.

Excuse me. (Smile on my face.)

{Nothing}

Um, pardon me ma'am, may I get through please? (Half smile on my face.)

{Nothing}

Pardon me. (Tap on the shoulder. Or I may have rammed one of the toy boxes into her ass, but it's all the same.)

{Nothing}

FUCKING MOVE!!! (Who was that the little redheaded devil that escaped?)

Pushing my way through, I may have added "And learn to speak English while you're at it!!!" I'm just saying that might have happened....

Making my way through Macy's was just one obstacle, hitting the general public of the open mall was another. {Dear Jesus, please let me make it to the Angel Tree without cursing at anyone else. I'm just trying to do good.}  Finally, I made it to the drop-off point where I was warmly welcomed by gracious volunteers. That made me feel better about my little experience. It also made me feel guilty for being such an ass. I walked back to my car, praising the Lord that was over, got in my car and and sat in traffic. For another 45 minutes.  Another four letter word escaped my mouth.  

Does anyone have some Christmas spirit they could lend me? I seem to have misplaced mine.

Annual Holiday Tradition

Jennifer, CEO of the Bergman Headquarters has maintained a fun holiday tradition for nearly as long as I've known her. I can't even remember how many years I've participated, but I absolutely love when I get the invite each year to her Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange. It is such a fun night when we can all get together for a delicious meal, so kindly prepared by Jen, some sassy holiday beverages and of course, COOKIES!

Of course, there are rules. No cakes of any sort. Can't be store bought. Can't be made by anyone else. Can't be what you brought last year. So on and so on...
At the end of the night, we take a vote on the tastiest treat, but I have yet to win. I don't know if mine will be the tastiest this year, but I sure did put a lot of time into these dang things.

I made Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies, which are some type of sugar cookie sandwiches filled with peppermint icing. The recipe came from Southern Living, so they've got to be pretty flavorful. We'll see. They didn't turn out as perfect as the picture in the recipe, but I swear that was airbrushed or something because it just doesn't work like that.

First, I had to make the cookie dough from scratch, separate it into two equal parts, use food coloring paste to dye one part, roll them out into equal-sized rectangles, layer them, roll them up and freeze them.

That all took place on Monday. Last night, I retrieved my frozen dough and let it sit for a few minutes before slicing it up. While the cookies baked and cooled, I prepared the peppermint icing.

Time to fill with a yummy gooey center and smash together to make sandwiches. Then wrap them up like little peppermint treats!

And just like that...you've got some fun little treats to share with your friends. I'm so excited to see the selection this year!!!

Congrats Tammi & Jarod!!!

My sweet sweet running mate and pal Tammi, and her husband Jarod welcomed their first child into the world.

Blaze Riley Neil was born at 1:16 am on Friday, December 12th, 2008 weighing 6 lbs 13 oz and 20 in. long.

I can't wait to be able to meet this wonderful little man.

Every Time A Bell Rings...

I have to admit:

It. Is. A. Wonderful. Life.

Instead of exchanging gifts this year, I suggested to Robyn and Allison that we spend a night of quality girl time dining, conversing and doing something to give back since we are each so blessed in our own lives. What better bonding time than to help others as well?

We first enjoyed a delicious meal, bottle of wine and many laughs at Maggiano's. Yum!!!

Then on to browse the selection on the Angel Tree. It was so hard to pick, there were so many people I felt compelled to help out this season. I ended up choosing a family of three children: Devonta, 7; Destiny, 8; Jamarcus, 9, as my Angels this year. Their needs and wants were so minimal, and it really made me appreciate choosing them so much more.

Angels in hand, we hurried off to let the shopping extravaganza begin! I had so much fun shopping for these kids, but I still wish I could do so much more. All they want are some pants, clean underwear or a belt - it absolutely breaks my heart! I never realized this until this year, that there are older people on the Tree as well. I saw a 90 year old lady, and her request was a warm jacket and some slippers. I think I'm going back at lunch to get her too.

I was so excited to do this as my holiday charity, but there is a part of me that still feels empty. Unsuccessful. Defeated. I know I did my part, but I still don't feel like it was enough. Each time I do this, it makes me take some time to stop and think. I praise Him for all that he has given me. I am so thankful I have such precious gifts and my life, and I'm thankful that I have the ability to offer up some of my gifts to others in need. So $390 later, Santa's sack a trunk full of goodies, and a half-warmed heart, I am off to do deliver my presents. And maybe to pick up a few more Angels.

I know times are tough, but if you haven't given back this holiday season, I suggest you take a stroll around the Angel Tree, and see if there is any one face you can put a smile on for Christmas day. Really, it could even just be a $3.99 pack of socks!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Last night, the gals and I had every intention of acting like snow and getting plowed. Well, not Tammi, but you get it. Robyn suggested Snookie's since we like to try out different venues. Note to self - remember that Snookie's is smokey and has eardrum-bursting mega-death metal on the radio, but they also have cheese fries!!!

There was quite a group that planned on attending and we were all excited to have one last girls happy hour before everyone gets caught up in their own personal holiday plans. Or before one of us births a baby. Turns out, Tammi couldn't make the drive all the way from Ennis yesterday (good thing she's staying close to home, she's about to POP! YAY!) Jen caught the funk that has been going around, Sarah couldn't tear herself away from Fort Worth and Harris was just down-right exhausted. So that left Robyn, Kacy and myself to indulge in some calorie-packed snacks and frosty beers. We still had plenty of fun and lots of laughs. *Anyone interested in a Roast N Toast?*

When it was time to leave, we walked outside and saw that there were snowflakes in the air. I was immediately excited about it finally feeling like winter. We tried to take a picture of ourselves to capture the snow behind us. Do you see it? Okay, so that didn't work. We asked a guy to take our picture for us to see if that would help capture the falling snow. Do you see it now?
Alright, well...what if we turn off the flash? Do you see it now?
Dang it! I swear it was snowing last night. Robyn said we melted it because we were so hot. Okay, one last time...do you see it now?