Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Most Embarrassing Moment of my Life

Let me start by saying that I don't get embarrassed often. I'm not saying that crazy, random things don't happen to me. They do. But I normally just laugh along with everyone else.

Not this time.

~~

It was a Sunday night back in September, and I was in Houston with Brandon. We had just driven in from Corpus, and after finding out that our hotel had us booked for one night, instead of five nights, we drove around the city looking for another place to stay.

This went on for over two hours, and by the time we found a hotel we were both exhausted, hungry, and very frustrated. Those feelings combined made me feel like I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Brandon knew this.

At ten-thirty that night we pulled up to the main entrance of our hotel, and Brandon went inside. After checking in he came out with a luggage cart.

He said, "You just sit here and relax. I'll unload the car."

I sat there, still feeling exhausted, hungry and frustrated as Brandon loaded everything onto the luggage cart.

"Take the cart and just wait right over there," He told me. "I'll go park the car, and then we can go in together."

I got out of the truck and slowly maneuvered the large, heavy cart towards the door.

{Photos were taken a week later when we went back to the same hotel}

'I can at least get this thing inside,' I thought to myself.

There were two doors to the hotel, a large revolving door and a smaller door on the right that pushed open. In my exhausted, hungry, frustrated state I only saw the revolving door.



As I pushed the luggage cart closer I noticed how fast the revolving door was moving. It wasn't one of those that you step into and push as you go. It moved all on its own. As the glass panels spun by in front of me I started to get a feel for the timing.

Woosh. 
Woosh. 
Woosh.

I was thinking, 'Man, I'm going to have to run through this thing.' 

I was standing facing the door, and I had the cart in front of me, positioned at an angle so it was ready to be pushed inside. I started leaning forward and back, with each pass of the door.

One.
Two.
Three.

And on three I pushed the cart with all my might and ran inside the door.

The second I was inside the cart came to a complete stop. The doorway was round, and since I didn't turn the cart when I ran in it hit the wall on the other side. But the revolving door kept moving. 

I could feel my legs, ribs, and face being pressed into the bars on the cart, and the glass panel behind me was completely smushing my backside.

I was stuck. 

I yelled as loudly as I could, "Help! Help!!"

No one came. It was late at night, so there wasn't anyone around to hear me.

I was able to wiggle my arms up, and I started waving as I yelled.

"HELP!!!"

I noticed a lady with a stroller walking by, so I yelled louder.

"HEEELLLLPPPP!!!"

........

She heard me!

She quickly waved her own arms, motioned to the hotel staff who were sitting behind the desk and yelled, "She needs help!!"

Four hotel staff members quickly ran over to the door, and there I was, stuck inside with my luggage cart. 

One of them, a tall, strong looking man reached his head inside and said in a deep voice, "Ma'am, you're not supposed to push the luggage carts through this door. They don't fit."

Looking down with embarrassment I said, "I know that now, but can you please get me out??"

He pushed the door hard enough to stop it from smushing me, and he wiggled the luggage cart out the other side into the hotel lobby.

Phew. I could breathe. 

I slowly stepped into the lobby as the lady with the stroller and the other hotel staff members stared at me, their eyes wide open, shocked that this had actually happened.

The strong looking man who got me out pointed to the regular, push through door and said, "Next time use this one."

~~

Brandon walked up a few minutes later and could tell something had happened. As I glanced over at the revolving door he said, "You didn't try to push the cart through there, did you?"


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tuesday Topics: Memories

{via}

Getting Engaged
I will never forget the night we got engaged. It was December 8th, 2009. We were in the middle of finals week, and I went to Brandon's house for what I thought was a night of studying. When I got there he had our dinner, spaghetti and salad, set up in the living room. It was amazing! I suspected nothing, because Brandon had always done things like this. After we I ate {he was so nervous he didn't even touch his food} he asked me to dance, and after the song was over he got down on one knee. The rest was a blur, but I do remember hearing the words "Will you marry me?" And I responded, "Are you serious?" {How unromantic of me!} I was just so surprised! Of course when I realized I wasn't dreaming I said "Yes!" We spent the rest of the evening calling our family and closest friends, and later that week I sent my professor an email explaining the lack of effort that was put into my take-home final. 
No worries.. She congratulated me and gave me just enough credit to keep my 'A'. 



Getting Married
You can read all about our wedding day here



Winning Cheer Nationals
I did competitive cheerleading for about eight years, and when I was a senior in high school my team won at nationals. Most of us had been cheering together for years, and winning nationals had always been our goal. I will never forget the feeling we had when we finished our routine. The energy we had was unbelievable, because we knew we had nailed it! I'm getting chills just thinking about it! 




Getting Princess
My parents surprised me when I was a freshman in high school and took me to pick out a puppy. I'll share more of this story in another post, but I came home that night with Princess. 



Our First Texas Football Game
I think I was in the third or fourth grade, and my parents took Michelle and I to our first football game at DKR. I remember Ricky Williams was playing then, and Michelle was in love with him. {She would run around the house singing, "Oh, Ricky you're so fine..."} Throughout the game my dad taught us all the Texas traditions. We yelled "Texas Fight" for the first time and sang every verse of "The Eyes of Texas". I even ate my first foot-long hot dog! {Michelle had one too, but she dropped hers.} From that day on we were Hooked


Graduation: The University of Texas
My graduation weekend was absolutely perfect! My family and closest friends came to Austin, and we had a great time celebrating. On Friday Brandon and my friend, Kayla, graduated, and after their ceremony we went to Pappasito's to eat fajitas. My college's ceremony was Saturday morning at The Erwin Center, and  after it was over we headed to Maudie's {my favorite!} for brunch. That night was the final ceremony at The Tower. Gathering with the entire class of 2010 to sing "The Eyes of Texas" one last time was something I'll never forget. It was such a memorable weekend!



~~~

I had a really hard time choosing only six memories! I would have loved to mention our family trips to Georgia, my senior football season at Texas, and my first rock climbing experience. Thanks so much for reading, friends!

P.S. I typed this really quickly, so I apologize for any mistakes!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Friday's Letters

{Life Lately via Instagram}

Dear Friday, Why do you always take so long to come around?? I look forward to you all week! Dear work schedule, I do not like you. At all. I remember telling everyone when I accepted you, "If Brandon was working a regular eight-to-five job, I probably wouldn't have liked this schedule." Wellll, Brandon is now working eight-to-five a lot more often which means we hardly even get to see each other. Thanks to you {work schedule} our only face-to-face conversations are when he surprises me and brings me Chick-fil-A to work. {Insert pouting face here.} Dear B, If you want to bring me Chick-fil-A to work every single night that's okay with me. Dear absolutely perfect weather, I love you! Princess and I have really enjoyed spending our mornings outside on the swing, and you have made my runs this week so enjoyable. I know we live in Texas, so there's a good chance it will be cold and rainy next week, but you are more than welcome to stay as long as you like! Dear C25k, Thanks for coming back into my life. I took a month long break from running, and you are just what I need to get myself moving again! Dear old DCMC friends {you know who you are}, Thank you for the encouraging phone calls and emails. Your support means more than you know. Dear Princess, It seems like you're getting used to our family's new schedule. I'm glad we found a cozy place where you like to hang out while we're at work. I think you're starting to like it in there! Dear Brandon, P says thanks for letting her hang out in your closet. Dear Shell, I miss you. We had so much fun together during the fall, and I got spoiled seeing you every other weekend. Oh yeah, I heard that Vince is back on campus. If you ever see him try that "accidentally-run-into-someone-and-drop-all-your-books" trick we used to talk about. Then call me right away and hand him the phone. I want to tell him about INVINCIBLE. Dear B, Thank you for being so supportive. I know I complain a lot about our schedules, and I really appreciate you listening and reminding me that this is only temporary. I think we've gotten into a good routine, though. I cook lunch and leave dinner for you, and you clean up the mess if I don't have time. Thanks for your help. I couldn't do any of this without you. Dear readers, Thanks for being here. I know I've said that I blog for me, which I do, but knowing there's a few people actually reading what I write helps me feel like my voice has been heard. Thank you.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Tuesday Topics: People I'd Like to Meet


God
Just so you know, I do know God. 
We actually have a pretty good thing going right now. 
I trust him, and He leads me down His path. 
But I'd really like to sit down, face to face, and have a conversation with him. 
I mean, He created us. He created our world, 
and He planned our lives so that even when we're feeling lost or scared, 
we can look back later and see how things were actually falling into place. 
Who wouldn't want to meet Him?

My Grandma
She died when I was two, so I don't really remember her. 
From what I've heard she was an amazing wife.
My dad says that my grandma and grandpa had the perfect marriage, that they truly became one.
That's why I want to meet her, so she can give me advice and help me to be a better wife.

My MaMaw
(When she was 25)
I remember my MaMaw being such a strong woman. 
She was honest, hard working, and a great friend to many people.
I'd like to know what she was like when she was my age. 
What kind of struggles did she face, and how did she overcome them?
I know I could learn a lot from her.

The Kardashian Women
(Without Makeup)
I want to see what they really look like, 
and I want to see what their personalities are like off camera

1996 USA Women's Gymnastic Team
I'd love to meet them, particularly Kerri Strug.
When she landed her last vault on one foot I learned what it meant to be part of a team.
She inspired me. 

Bloggers
I read so many inspiring blogs, and I'd love to meet the people behind them.

My eighty-year-old Self
I bet she could give me some great advice! 



Thursday, January 17, 2013

Family Photos 2012

I just realized I never shared our family photos! Here are my favorites...






{All photos taken by Christi Richards in Yoakum}


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

You know what they say...

As soon as you stop trying so hard, it will happen. 

I'm talking about tomato plants. As soon as you stop watering and fertilizing and trying so dang hard to take care of them, they will grow. At least that's what happened to me. 

After completely giving up and not watering them for about two months, I walked outside on New Year's Eve, and look what I found...



 All I could do was laugh! 

I haven't touched them since, because apparently my presence causes them not to grow. They haven't ripened yet, and I'm not sure if they will, but at least I  can say have tomatoes! 


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Tuesday Topics: TV Shows



Here are my eight favorite TV shows of all time...


{via}
My mom, Michelle and I used to have Gilmore Girls marathons all the time! We had all the seasons on DVD, so we'd curl up in our pj's and watch for hours at a time. 


{via}
Michelle had always been hooked on OTH, and she had all the seasons on DVD. Except season six. Last year I started watching them from the beginning, and when I got to the end of season five it just killed me not to know what happened next. Lucas had made a phone call and asked someone to meet him at the airport, fly to Vegas, and get married! As the show ended Brooke, Peyton, and Lindsey each picked up the phone and said, "Hello." 
Which one was talking to Lucas??!!? 
Luckily Michelle gave me season six for Christmas this year :)


{via}
I never watched Friends when it first came out, but over the past year or so I've caught up on all the reruns. I could watch this show over and over, and I'd still laugh every time! 


{via}
This show is hilarious! I love Sheldon's personality. Bazinga!


{via}
I've watched Grey's from the beginning, and it used to be one of my favorites. At this point I watch it more out of habit than anything. I am excited to see Meredith and Derek's baby, though!


{via}
Now this was a good TV show! I used to love Ruthie's curls, and I wanted a relationship like Lucy and Kevin's so badly! Did anyone else have a serious crush on Kevin??


{via}
I used to be obsessed with Boy Meets World. {Who am I kidding? I still am.} I loved Topanga's hair, and I always felt a connection with her and Cory. Maybe because she was the smart and studious one, and Cory was her goofy boyfriend. 
{Shh.. Don't tell B I said that!}


{via}
I used to love this show. 
"Ohhhh... As long as we got each other, 
We got the world spinnin' right at our hands. 
Baby you and me, we gotta be 
The luckiest dreamers who never quite dreamin'!"
Seriously, one of the best theme songs ever

~~~

I hope you enjoyed this little flash back in time! If you're like me, you're going to have the Growing Pains song stuck in your head for the rest of the day. You're welcome. Thanks for reading, friends!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Looking Back {on 2012} Part III

Part I, Part II

September
September was the beginning of my favorite time of year, fall. Aka football season. Aka the twelve week span when I wear burnt orange every single Saturday. We kicked it off with a weekend of college football, good food, and my first ever fantasy draft. That weekend I gave myself a serious stomach ache by eating a few too many hot dogs. That's how excited I was



I did a lot of work in my garden, and I not only learned the basics of gardening, but a little about marriage as well. I had my first crawfish eating experience, which was probably a one-time thing. And at the end of the month we went to Angie and Logan's wedding. September was full of fun, firsts, and memories


October
October was possibly the best month of the year. It started with Princess's birthday, and it was crazy to think that she'd been a part of our family for ten whole years. To celebrate we let her eat a few extra pieces of ham, her favorite. Next on the calendar was Michelle's birthday. Her twenty-first. It was one of those weekends that made me smile every time I thought about it. And just when I thought I couldn't possibly laugh anymore, we spent OU weekend in Dallas. The conversations during that weekend and the night at the piano bar kept up laughing 'till our stomachs hurt. The actual football game, not so much.


The week in between Shell's birthday and OU weekend was pretty tough. It marked ten years since MaMaw had died, and I found myself overcome with sadness. I was grateful for all the memories we had with her, but I wished that she could have been with us longer.

At the end of the month I interviewed for and accepted a child life position here in Corpus. After months of waiting, it felt so good to be back!


November
In November I started my new job, and we celebrated both of our birthdays {Brandon's and mine}.


On my birthday my parents brought PaPaw down to Corpus. It was the first time he'd been to our house, and it was definitely a day we'll never forget. Since Michelle wasn't able to come that day, she stopped by a week later for a late birthday lunch. I {along with the rest of my family} spent the rest of the month adjusting to my new schedule, and before we knew it we were celebrating Thanksgiving and Brandon's birthday. November seemed to go by so quickly!


December
At the beginning of December I began to see all of the challenges I faced at work. There were days that seemed overwhelming and frustrating, but my family and friends helped me to see the bigger picture. I did the Color Me Rad 5k with my sister in Austin, which turned out to be such a fun weekend. We also celebrated our two year wedding anniversary, and it was the second year in a row that Brandon had to be in Oklahoma for work. {I told him he was going to owe me something really special by the fifth!}


After spending a week at home with what felt like the flu we headed to Yoakum to celebrate Christmas with our families.

The last few days of 2012 were spent at our home in Corpus, relaxing and making the most of our time together, and on the very last day of the year Brandon went in to work and was offered a new position. We were finally finished with the year-and-a-half long training program! What a relief! {On New Year's Eve I also found actual tomatoes growing on my tomato plants. Crazy, right?} We ended 2012 feeling very blessed, and we could not wait to see what 2013 had in store for us next.




~~~~~


Who knew looking back on an entire year of your life would be so therapeutic?




Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Looking Back {on 2012} Part II

May
I loved the month of May. We had something fun to look forward to every weekend. I ran in my first 5k race, which I had been working towards for months. We had a fun weekend in Dallas, a weekend with Jenny and Eric in Austin, and I spent a weekend with some of my best girlfriends in Port Aransas for Courtney's bachelorette party.


Needless to say I did a lot of driving, which gave me plenty of time to think. About marriage, friendship, and Facebook.


June
The month of June felt like a roller coaster. Of emotions. We went from Jace and Laura's wedding to Grandpa's funeral, then from Courtney and Kyle's wedding to my old gym coach's funeral, and at the end of the month Brandon came home from Dallas. Finally. {I'm emotionally exhausted just thinking about it.}


I experienced every emotion possible within a matter of weeks, but through it all I learned that life goes on. In between Grandpa's death and the tragedy that took Coach Larry's life I witnessed two of our best friends marry the people they loved, the people that God had created just for them. Although I experienced life's deepest pain and sorrow, I also experienced joy.


July
July was our first month back home, and we did our best to catch up on all the fun summer activities Corpus had to offer. It felt weird, though, living in our house again. In order for each of us to get through Brandon's training in Dallas we had both gotten into our own routines. We had figured out how to live apart from each other, and when we got back to Corpus we had to figure out how to live together again. It was a an adjustment, but it didn't take long for our house to feel like home again. 

On the 4th of July my family spent the day at Camp Aranzazu with Michelle. We loved being campers for a day, and we'll always remember our first rock climbing experience!


While July was filled with fun memories, being back in Corpus brought back feelings of uncertainty. I wasn't sure where Brandon's job was taking us {location wise}, and I continued to wonder what that meant for me. I continued to search for my purpose in life, and I was thankful for my family who comforted me along the way.

I wrote a letter to myself that ended up being my favorite. It was amazing to look back on a time in my life when my future seemed unclear and be able to see how everything fell into place so perfectly. It made me realize that one day I would look back on everything we had gone through this year, and it would all make sense.


August
Life felt normal again. We were settled back into our house and life seemed to be flowing smoothly. We did a lot of grilling, and we really enjoyed being at home. After a lot of planning and preparation I finally planted my first garden, which consisted of three tomato plants. It was definitely a learning experience!


We experienced another loss this month when Brandon's PawPaw died. It was a tough week for all of us, but it ended with the formation of The Pivo League, which is something we'll all remember!

I also wrote a letter to Grandpa, and I shared my ten secrets and nine loves. My readers learned a lot about me in the month of August!



Stay tuned for part three...


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Tuesday Topics: Catch-Up Edition

Hi, friends! When Tiffany and Lauren announced the new link-up I couldn't wait to join back in! I participated each week during their 10 Day YOU Challenge, and I met so many great bloggers. I know I'm a week late on the new Tuesday Topics, but I'm going to do my best to catch up! I hope you all don't mind if I combine two weeks...



4 Blogs & 5 Resolutions 
{That equals 9, so I'm going with it.}


I like to think of Tiffany and I as blog twins. I remember reading one of her blogs last summer and realizing that we had so much in common, it was almost scary! We hit it off from day one, and it has been so fun having a blog friend I can relate to. {P.S.- She's going to be a mommy soon!}


Emily is my name twin. Not only are we both 'Emily', but we also have the same middle name. Crazy, right? She and her husband are expecting their first baby, and I couldn't be happier for them!



I love reading Lauren's blogs, because she seems so down to earth. She and her husband just bought a new home, and I am anxiously waiting to see all of her home improvement projects!



I've been following Laura for a while now, and each time I read her blog I'm inspired {to be a better Christian and a better photographer!}. 

~~~

Now on to my 2013 goals...

1. Continue to make healthy food choices: Last year one of my goals was to eat more whole, less processed food. I feel like overall I was successful, and I want to continue to make those choices. 

2. Stay active: I feel so much better when I make it a point get out of the house and get my body moving. I want to continue running, and I'd like to find yoga classes that fit into my work schedule. 

3. Stay connected to my friends: In 2012 I lost touch with most of my friends. Sure I saw them at parties and get-togethers, but as far as staying close, staying connected, I sort of let that go. I'm going to make more phone calls, send more texts, and write more emails. Because life is not as much fun when you don't have anyone to share it with. 

4. Continue to read the Bible: I started reading my Bible more towards the end of last year, and it's definitely something I want to keep up. So far, I've just been reading it at night when I happen to think about it. In 2013 I want to make it a more structured part of my day. I want it to be something that I make time for, not something I do when I have the time. 

5. Let the little things go {Brandon is going to love this one}: I tend to get frustrated about little things. Things like clothes being left in the floor and dishes being left in the sink. Somehow I've acquired the mindset that everything has to be sitting perfectly in its place at all times. {I wonder where I get that from, Mom??} Now I'm not saying it's a bad thing, wanting to keep an orderly house, but allowing it to get the best of me is a problem. I'm going to do my best in 2013 to step back, take a deep breath and ask myself, "Is this really worth getting frustrated over?" 

~~~

So that's it! Four awesome blogs and five goals for 2013. I hope you all have a great Tuesday!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Looking Back {on 2012} Part I

For me 2012 was a year of personal growth. As the year began I found myself searching for meaning and purpose in my life. It was a year of challenges, but those challenges eventually turned into triumphs, and as the year came to a close I felt at peace. I had learned to seek happiness for myself, instead of waiting for it to find me. 


January
We celebrated the new year in Texarkana for Britt and Dustin's wedding weekend. It was such a memorable weekend and a wonderful start to 2012. 


At some point in January it became a reality that Brandon actually had to leave for three months, starting at the end of March. I began worrying about what this meant for me. I didn't have anything holding me back in Corpus, but I started to wonder if having a job would make the coming months easier. I looked into possibilities outside of child life, and I considered going into teaching. After weighing all my options I decided against it. I didn't want to jump into something just because I was scared of the challenge ahead. 


February 
I spent the month of February taking advantage of my time with Brandon, since I knew he would be leaving in a matter of weeks. Although we squeezed in as many date nights and fun outings as we could, it still felt like there was cloud of sadness hanging over us. Even though we tried not to think about it, we knew that we were quickly approaching the biggest challenge we had ever faced as a married couple. 

Towards the end of the month I made my first Austin trip of 2012. Shell and I experienced the Campus Candy Store for the first time and attended a Texas Country benefit concert that was close to my heart.



March
I realized I had spent so much time trying to figure out the next step in God's plan that I hadn't even noticed His presence in the present moment. I began to see Him working in my life in ways that I hadn't even considered. I learned to accept the stage I was in, and life seemed fun again. 


We spent a weekend in Yoakum before Brandon started his rig training, and at the end of the month we began our Dallas adventures


April
I did a lot of traveling in April. I was either in Yoakum with my parents, in Austin with Michelle, or in Dallas with Brandon. I had a lot of time to myself, which I spent running, reading, and just thinking about life

We also celebrated my PaPaw's 90th birthday, and we felt so blessed to have him in our lives. 


April was also the beginning of Courtney and Kyle's wedding festivities. My maid of honor duties included a day in College Station for Courtney's bridal portraitsa day I will never forget.



Stay tuned for parts two and three...


Friday, January 4, 2013

Friday's Letters

{Christmas Eve 2012. Follow me on Instagram: @emrenken}

Dear Christmas, Why did you have to come and go so quickly? I really wish we could celebrate you more than once a year. Dear Brandon, I am so proud of you. Thank you for working so hard for our family. Dear Michelle, I hope you are enjoying your trip to Florida. I can't wait to hear all about it! Dear groceries, Can you please start showing up at our house on your own? I really don't like having to go pick you up every week. Dear Princess, Please stop waking me up at seven o' clock in the morning. I work late now, remember? Dear yoga, I need you back in my life. ASAP. Dear Mom and Dad, I'm excited about your visit today! I hope you don't mind that our house is kind of a mess. Dear running shoes, I promise I'll put you on sometime this weekend. December was kind of crazy, but you and I will be best friends again soon. Dear Instagram, Why did it take us so long to find each other? Dear life, Please slow down a bit. You're going by way to fast.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Christmas 2012

This holiday season was one of my favorites. We were able to step away from our lives here in Corpus and spend a few days with our families. It almost felt as though time stood still, like the world stopped for a brief moment and allowed us to just be.

I wrote my last post while we were at Brandon's mom and dad's house, and we spent the day with them visiting and watching football. Brandon's aunt and uncle from Georgetown were in Yoakum for the day, and it just happened to be the weekend of the Pivo League playoffs. My brother-in-law, Kendall, won first.

We opened gifts that evening, and I told everyone that the gifts from us meant even more this year, because Brandon did the shopping. {I was sick the week before, remember?} I was excited to receive several serving pieces that match our china set, and Brandon loved opening his new yard equipment. It was a relaxing day, and we really enjoyed visiting and catching up with everyone.


{My favorite ornaments on my mother-in-law's tree: Brandon's baby ornaments,
our wedding favor ornaments, Bride and Groom, and Texas Santa}

That night we went to my parents' house and watched Pitch Perfect with my family and a few of Michelle's friends. {It's almost embarrassing how many times I've seen that movie.}

On Christmas Eve we went to Mass, and we were able to wish a few of our friends "Merry Christmas" afterwards.

{Before Mass}

That evening we went to Brandon's aunt and uncle's house to celebrate with the entire Renken family. We don't get the chance to see some of them very often, so we enjoyed our visit.

Christmas morning we woke up at my parents' and started opening gifts right away, just like when we were kids. We gave my mom and dad a Keurig, and we gave my sister a cute camera strap for her new Canon T3i. Our favorites were the cornhole boards that my dad built for Brandon and the coasters that Michelle made me. My mom also got me an apron that has vegetables printed all over it. The card said "If you can't grow your vegetables, at least you can wear them." Good one, Mom!


{My Coasters: Hey Cupcake, 6th Street, Maudie's, Austin Skyline,
Michelle, Bevo, The University of Texas Tower, Capitol of Texas. Perfect!!}

The rest of the day was spent playing cornhole, trying on our new clothes, relaxing and visiting with PaPaw.

{Shell with her new camera, Princess's Christmas treats,
My vegetable apron, Our first game of cornhole}

{PaPaw working on his new puzzle book}

That evening we played a family game of Catch Phrase that had us laughing so hard our stomachs hurt. Hey Michelle, "Ohh I want my money back." Haha... Christmas day ended with a pot of my mom's tortilla soup and a good movie.


~ I think Michelle may have been right when she predicted Christmas 2012 to be the best Christmas ever.