Goodbye 2008...Hello 2009!

Ok. So I know I am a little late and it has been forever since I have posted an update. The end of the year was crazy! So I will do my best to bring everyone up to speed on what has been happening...

I stuck around a few days after work was finished before Christmas so that I could go to my friend Nicki's brother's wedding (that's a mouthful!) He got married in Fort Worth, so Laura and I drove out to be there. It was so great to see Nicki and to be there with her and her family. I am so blessed to have such sweet friends, so blessed to still be able to keep in contact despite  the fact we are in different cities and different stages in our lives. Here is a picture of the 3 of us at the wedding:

After the wedding, I headed home for Christmas. It was so great to be home. It was a little surreal, but good to spend time with family. It was a busy week, full of activities. One of my Christmas presents was that my parents paid for me to get my hair cut and highlighted. I decided that it was time for a change and that I should chop my hair off. So I cut 8 inches! I LOVE my new haircut- it's so much easier and lighter.

While at home, I was able to hang out with Lauren, which was so great and long overdue. I had missed seeing her the last time I was in town because I got sick. We went to dinner and then to a movie. We decided to check out what the craze was about the movie Twilight. LOL. Oh my gosh. I wasted my money (sorry if I am offending anyone). It was probably one of the most ridiculous movies I have seen in a long time. Lauren and I laughed through the whole thing. It was definitely entertaining to be in a theatre full of young teens. I am pretty sure it was not meant to be a comedy, but when the main character (who is a vampire, btw) says things like, "You're like a drug to me. Like my own personal brand of heroine," you can't help but crack up. Despite the ridiculous movie, it was fun to see Lauren and catch up with her.

The strange thing about the holiday was that the drama was not what I expected. I expect drama on my mom's side of the family. But there was none! We spent Christmas Eve over at my grandmother's house, playing cards and complaining about how my aunt and cousin stole all of the tamales and pan de polvo and how we barely had enough for Christmas. Haha. We drew names again this year and exchanged gifts, and we also introduced the "re-gift" white elephant gift exchange. I hadn't laughed so hard in my life. My gift wasn't so bad (I got a can of Christmas candy), but there was a Cinderella in her pumpkin centerpiece, a Tweety Bird cell phone lounger, and an owl with an eye-patch ornament floating around. It was so fun! We went to midnight mass with my grandmother, and overall it was a great Christmas with that side of the family. The drama was on my dad's side, which is not expected. There is never drama on that side. We had Christmas at our house, and it was just strange for things to not be normal with that side of the family.

Because things were crazy with extended family, my parents, brother, and I didn't celebrate our Christmas until that night. While Christmas was small this year (on my end), I do have to say that I am super proud of the gift I gave my mom this year. She has been wanting a Christmas centerpiece for a couple of years now, but they are fairly expensive. So I decided to undertake the project of making one for her. And I LOVED how it turned out! And my mom liked it too. My dad said I should make several and sell them...could be lucrative. Haha. It's a little hard to see because of my mom's tablecloth, but hopefully you can get the idea.

The day after Christmas, I headed back to Dallas for our last program at work- Mental Toughness for Pageantry. It was hosted at the Grand Hyatt DFW, which is the most amazing hotel I have stayed at in a long time. The hotel is beautiful, and the staff was phenomenal. Richelle and I didn't really know what to do with ourselves, because there was always someone there asking if we needed anything, asking how they could help. We're not used to that...we are usually running around doing things on our own, having to seek out people if we need something. So this was a treat! And not only were they helpful with the program, they were awesome at taking care of us. I discovered that the DFW airport is a Pepsi-only airport (boo!) and I wasn't able to find Dr Pepper. A major issue. But the hotel staff found out that is what I like to drink and every day I had my own ice bucket full of Dr Peppers! The program was wonderful- everything ran smoothly and the girls really seemed to enjoy themselves. It was fun to meet several current titleholders, and we are convinced that the next Miss USA and/or Miss America is coming from our group :) Here is a picture of Richelle and I, then a group shot:

In case you are wondering, I did make a few New Year's resolutions, but I made them before January 1st in an effort to diminish the likelihood of failure. When I have a little more time, I will share those. Happy New Year!