HAPPY 2010

I know I've been slacking a little lately and I have some posts I need to catch up on, but wanted to send one last message for 2010.  It has been a great year - full of happy memories, amazing trips across the country, fabulous times with friends and family and falling in love with Mr. KU.  I've truly cherished this entire year and cannot wait until 2011.  I hope you all have a very fun and safe New Year's Eve.  Make the most of it! 

And don't worry -  I will post about my NYE celebration, the bridal shower I hosted for my best friend (which had a hiccup or two, but worked out fine). 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Recap

This was truly a very blessed Christmas!  I was able to spend the holidays with all of my families which was really nice!  Christmas Eve started out with a dentist appointment, where unfortunately I have a small cavity forming - GREAT!  That will be fixed in a month...

But then MR. KU and I traveled to Strong City, KS to spend Christmas Eve with his family.  We hung out with his entire family, watched the kids (ages 1 1/2 to 16) open presents, ate great food all day long, went to church and then came back and the adults were able to open presents.  It was great to be able to spend the day with his family!

Then on Christmas morning, we got up early, drove to my dad's house for brunch, presents, movies and cards.  Late in the afternoon we drove to my mom's house where we opened presents, drank some more, had dinner (homemade Lasagna!!!) and played more cards. 

All in all, it was a great Christmas, I got a lot of cool gifts, money and the joy of being able to spend the time with my family.  This next week is going to be a little crazy - I'm preparing to host a Pampered Chef Bridal Shower for my friend Miss Atlanta who is getting married next August....a little shopping, dinner with friends who live out of town, and NYE.  But I now have a new Point and Shoot camera, so don't worry there will be more pictures on my blog.  (Thanks to my mom for the Christmas Present).

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and enjoy the New Year!  Probably one more post for the 2010 year! 

Bells will be ringing....

WE are one week away from my favorite night of the entire year!  Christmas Eve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love the sound of the piano at church playing my favorite Christmas songs, all the candles lit as the congregation sings Silent Night and walking out of church and going home to read "A Night Before Christmas".  (And Yes, my 25 year old sister and I still trade off reading pages of the book every single year.) 

This year will be a little different; I may have to "read" the book over the phone instead.  MR. KU and I will be spending Christmas Eve at his family's house and then driving up to spend Christmas Day with my family.  It will be a little different, I'm actually kinda sad but really excited on the other hand.  It is all about starting new traditions and being able to experience his family's traditions.  If you can't tell by now, I have strong feelings about traditions and being true to what you believe.  Below are some of my favorite family traditions:

1.) Opening all presents on Christmas Day, none of Christmas Eve

2.) Reading a Night Before Christmas every year (and no, we do not put cookies out for Santa)

3.) Sleeping in the same room as my sister on Christmas Eve, we always have a "sleep over".  We used to sleep in sleeping bags in one of our rooms, we have now moved to our beds

4.) Lighting the candles in church as everyone sings Silent Night

5.) Coming out of late night service and it is past midnight so its Christmas Day!

6.) Putting the "ugly Santa" on the Christmas Tree -- it is the ugliest ornament, but it cracks us up and we love it.

7.) Watching Christmas movies in our PJ's

8.) Breakfast casserole on Christmas morning

9.) Snow on Christmas (this one is a little hard to have happen every year)

10.) My new tradition - of spending Christmas with Mr. KU!!!

What are some of your family traditions??

TGIF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never thought Friday would come this week!  It has just been a very long week, there really isn't any other way to describe it.  It was our Line Review at work - which means we have people in from the field and we have all day long/all week long meetings to show them the new line of shoes for every department.  It's very stressful and there is a lot of prep work that goes into it - I'm just really glad that it is finally over!  

I'm very excited for this weekend though!  Mr. KU and I will be doing some Christmas shopping on Saturday after we sleep in till who knows when!  I'm OK with getting up around noon!  I can't think of the last time that I did that and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it!  Also on Saturday night we have our annual Casino Christmas Party with our friends from work.  Everyone gets fake money and there is a Black Jack table, Ru-let table and they have mocked up a Craps table.  It is pretty fun.  I lost all of my "money" at the craps table last year.  It's in Lawrence which is nice and close to home, but is always such a grand 'ol time!  I can't wait!

We also sent out our Christmas cards today -- I will not post what it looks like b/c some of my readers will be receiving them and I don't want to ruin the surprise!  

I'm getting into the Christmas spirit!  I am now only listening to Christmas music on Pandora while I'm at work.  It is keeping me in the Christmas spirit even though my job does not put me in a happy mood most days....somehow I still actually enjoy what I do - it is just a very high stress environment most of the time.

HAVE A FABULOUS WEEKEND!

Well...it was the last wedding of the season this past weekend - but don't worry, Mr. KU and I already have about 4 scheduled for 2011.  Saturday was the wedding of my good friend Beth who I went to Kstate with and John, her friend from high school but they actually started dating a couple years after college!  It was absolutely beautiful and they make such a wonderful couple.  I was very honored to be apart of their special day and was a bridesmaid in their wedding.  Not much to say except it was a fantastic weekend, with great friends and family (also kinda ready for my special day, but that will come when the time is right)  :) 

Here are a few pics of the wedding ( my camera also died, so I don't have all the pics of the night ).

Hair & makeup at Beth's parents' house

The bride getting her hair done

Lish & Liz waiting at the church

More bridesmaids with the bride



The groomsmen on the trolley after the wedding



The new Mr. & Mrs. Kearney

Mr. KU & I

GIANT CAKE!

View of the KC Plaza at the reception

First Dance

HOPE YOU HAD A FANTASTIC WEEKEND!

Total Slacker

Sorry - I've been slacking - I'm totally exhausted and feel like I'm getting sick so I've been in bed every night by about 8:30pm.  And its the prep week at work before our line review meetings which happen every quarter at work so that has been a little hectic as well.  So I'll give you a quick run down of the happenings since Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was great!  My grandma was in town from Florida/New Jersey.  It was so great to see her, it had been almost a year!  It was also nice to be able to spend time with both Mr. KU's family as well.  We were able to have 2 Thanksgiving dinners!  I definitely ate way too much food.  Here are a few pics of the Holidays:

Cheers to family!

He's just so darn cute!!

MaDee (my grandma) and I

My sister and I on Thanskgiving

I have some other good news --  I GOT A PROMOTION!!!!  It is finally official, even though I have known for 2 weeks, but I couldn't say anything!  Its been killing me!  My new job is entitled "Merchandise Planner of Accessories in Latin America".  The cool thing is that I get to travel 3 times a year- I'm soo pumped!!!  It is an entire new business and entire new country to even think about!  I'm a little nervous but totally excited!  I can't wait!

This coming weekend I'm a bridesmaid in my friend Beth's Wedding.  Pictures will be posted don't worry.  I will be much better at keeping my blog updated!