Life 2.1

All of my days have been a bit off (I kept thinking Thursday last week was Friday–that was a big let down) so here is the belated Get Meaningful Monday…

• I am so excited for Ted’s baseball team. I love that they got to experience the celebration of winning conference and that their season is continuing in the Regionals (first round on the way to the College World Series in Omaha)
• My cousin’s 18th birthday was Sunday night. It was a very fun party and I always love all of the action and celebration that takes place when my family and family friends get together
• I’m going to watch my brother play in the first round of the post season this weekend. Ah-mazing. This is the stuff that was discussed around our dinner table when we were little. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we went to the College World Series…?” I can assure you, it’s pretty damn cool that he and his teammates get to experience it.

No Comments | In: Get Meaningful, Sports, because, have you met me? | tags: baseball, College World Series, family, Get Meaningful, USF Dons. | #

My favorite family tradition is Christmas Eve. I don’t think I can remember a time when my parents didn’t host it. It works out super well that my grandmothers were really good friends in high school so all my aunts and uncles grew up together. And since my mom is the oldest of 7 and my dad is the oldest of 6, there are a lot of aunts and uncles. Now that they all have kids, Christmas Eve is the one time when I get to see everyone (for the most part) at once. I love it. I love our full house and the fact that we are so big in numbers that we can’t have a traditional sit down dinner because there are just too darn many of us. I think Christmas Eve is just fabulous. And quite frankly, more fun than Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve is my house also holds a special place because I experienced life without it last year thanksalotDallasairport and I have to tell you. Spending it with my large family is way better than spending it with a drunk girl dressed as a reindeer cursing-sobbing-passed out at the gate.

Anyway, this year, I offered to take on a majority of the food prep off my mother’s hands. It’s a lot of work to clean the house and cook the food, despite edible contributions from all of my family members, and I would rather cook than clean any day of the week.

So on Christmas Eve morning, I woke up and headed to the grocery store. I was cruising through produce by 7:15am. Yikes.

A cartfull later, I was on my way home to prepare the aforementioned groceries. G² came over around 10 and I made him a breakfast burrito, then quickly began on everything else. There was a lot. Meatballs, homemade hummus, a veggie tray with homemade dip, an antipasto platter with lots of cheeses, meats, olives and the like, a cake, aioli for the crab cakes…I was cooking all.day.long.

I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but holy hell Batman! Christmas Eve is a lot of work! I hopped in the shower at 3:45 and with just an hour to get my hair and makeup done, I pulled the cinnamon coffee cake out of the oven and finished up the baked brie. Then loaded everything in my car. The trunk was full of all of my dishes, dips, veggies and spreads and I drove oh-so-slowly to my parents’ house. I backed into the driveway for easy unloading access and set everything on the neatly designed table my mom had ready.

Pretty!

It was crazy. I was exhausted. I had no idea how much work went into Christmas Eve. Seriously. And I don’t even have kids who would need to go to sleep so Santa could come! As in, kids who would be of an excitable age at which they wouldn’t readily fall asleep on Christmas Eve, therefore not allowing Santa to begin putting together their toys, delaying the inevitable sleep for the jolly old soul.

I seriously don’t know how my mother has done it all these years. I’m exhausted again just thinking about it.

On the flip side, I made it into pictures this year, as opposed to last year, when I was trying to see if I could ball myself up small enough to get comfortable enough to sleep in an airport terminal. Woot! Here’s a smattering of photos that will have to do until I can snag the ones my mom took and add them to my shutterfly account. (Click to enlarge.)

No Comments | In: Social Adventures | tags: Christmas Eve, family, holidays, party. | #

I had planned to do this post waaay earlier today but alas, I got sidetracked with work.

At any rate, I thought that, with it being Father’s Day and all (at least for another 4 minutes, according to my clock) I should take a moment to share the fact that I have a pretty cool dad.

This may or may not be apparent to those that know me, but I’m definitely a Daddy’s Girl. Whoever marries me is going to have pretty big shoes to fill because my dad is the best man I know. I could go on and list all the positive qualities and things he has brought to my life but instead, I will share the Christmas present I made for him two years ago. **Please ignore my large glasses that consume much of my face and my braces. That double whammy killed me.**

Dad

And since I score a Big Fat Fail for my Mother’s Day post, it should be noted that my mom is pretty cool too. Ever so often she will ask me if I look back and think I had a good childhood. I usually roll my eyes and assure her that aside from being served an excessive amount of pork tenderloin for dinner (apparently it’s cheap and tasty and feeds the masses, which in my family, goes a long way.) I did. But I really do think I did. I live(d) with both my parents under the same roof, they gave me freedoms and guidance when it was needed and discipline when the time was right. They instilled values in me that they felt would ensure my success in life, which, aside from the whole being 27 and living back in their house thing, I think took pretty well. So even though today (for another few seconds) is Father’s Day, I’m pretty dang lucky to have BOTH my parents in my corner.

Mom

After coaching my softball team one fall season when I was about 12, my dad made a point to write letters to each member of the team, jotting down all of their talents and what positive attributes they brought to the team. In my letter, he wrote that he was glad “I was on his team forever.”

I’m glad my mom and dad are on the ones on my team forever.

I’ll even let Dad wear #10.

3 Comments | In: Thoughts & Ponderings | tags: family, Father's Day, Mother's Day. | #

I can’t believe I forgot to post this pic of me and (most of) my cousins (click to enlarge):

We definitely outgrew the staircase

1 Comment | In: Social Adventures, Thoughts & Ponderings | tags: cousins, family. | #

Since I have started my new gig, my holiday schedule is still in question…as in I don’t know if I will be able to get time off to come back to CA for the holidays. So, in order to make sure I didn’t miss out on too much family time, my mom and dad threw me a homecoming dinner with all of my family in which my dad grilled my favorite: the infamous butter and garlic tri-tip. I got to see all my cousins (minus seven of them who couldn’t attend for various reasons) and spend time with all my aunts and uncles along with my grandparents…it has been a while since I’ve had a chance to do all that!

And the party took place in our new ready-for-the-Better-Homes-and-Gardens-photoshoot backyard! I wish I had photos of the old yard so everyone could see the transformation but the new pics will have to do:

Grandma Joan brought Auntie Irene’s macaroni salad which was awesome since I get cravings for it from time to time and when I make it, it just doesn’t taste the same…G-Sal brought a snackin’ cake, of which I ate two pieces. (Hey, in my family, you gotta get while the getting’ is good!) and my mom really outdid herself on the spread. I wish I woulda gotten a shot of the table with the all the food on it but we all swarmed and I wasn’t about to miss out on the tri-tip for a picture of it!

It was really nice afternoon and I was so grateful to be able to see everyone before I headed back to my southern world. I did get some shots (naturally) of the party and if anyone has some that they would like to send me (insert puppy dog eyes here) I would gladly accept them via email…mine are all uploaded on shutterfly and are ready for viewing here

After all, I can’t ever have enough scrapbook material!

No Comments | In: Social Adventures | tags: family. | #