Out with the old

In with the new...2009! Not to sound generic but yet another year has gone by. Where does the time go? I truly find that the older I get the faster that time is going by. 2008 treated us very well, having it's ups and downs of course. We're extremely fortunate to be able to do all the things that we want to do in life. We get to travel, have wonderful family, wonderful friends, a great home, great jobs, go new places, see new things, and are truly happy. That's all that I wish for 2009 (and one more thing) is to continue that happiness.

Tonight we'll be ringing in the new year with good music, great friends, drinks, and amazing food :) Life is good! I'll be starting the new year with a lovely big New Year's breakfast we'll be making, followed by a memorial service for my co-worker who passed on Christmas Eve. Instead of being sad about the loss of a co-worker I'm going to be positive and know she is truly no longer suffering. Let's start this year off right!

Happy New Year everyone!! I hope the year truly brings you all of your wishes :)

Holiday rewind

We had a great Christmas. It looks like we've had a present explosion upstairs, and we're very grateful. Usually on Christmas we run all over Maryland, but this year we actually cut out 4 hours of driving time and were able to stay local all day!! Woo Hoo!! Santa was very good to both Scott and I (and even the dogs).

I've also had off way more than usual too, which has been lovely. With nursing, it's kind of rare to get the schedule off that I just had. So from Christmas Eve through today has been such a nice holiday break. Back to work tomorrow though, blah. Oh well I can't complain really, because I'm off Tuesday (request) and we have no cases scheduled for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day! And then back to work on Friday. Scott has off until January 5th, I'm Jealous! We've been doing lots of fun things during our break too...Scott downloaded on our Wii the classic Mario Brothers games and we've been going to town playing the old school games! It's been a blast!! We've also hung out with friends, went to our favorite bar, hung out with family, shopped, ate like it's going out of style, and just enjoying hanging out. I love the holidays and am sad that they are soon coming close to an end. Oh well, I'm hoping for a snowey winter so that will get me back into the spirit of things.

On that note our annual summer party we've decided the theme will be "Christmas in July" fun fun!! Happy Holidays!!

In Memory

Unfortunately on this Christmas Eve I received a phone call while out to lunch with Scott that my dear co-worker Alice passed away. We went and saw her yesterday in the hospital and my heart told me it was near. I'm deeply saddened today that she lost her battle with lung cancer after fighting since August. My thoughts are with her family during this time, and it being the holidays I think makes it even worse. We'll miss you Alice :(

Ahhh

This is a sigh of relief. We are definitely off work tomorrow (Christmas Eve) which is so great! It wasn't official yet because we had to wait to see if any patients and or cases would be posted. But no, so HOORAY!!!!! Dad and I finished his shopping last night and had a really nice dinner like we do every year this time. I finished Scott officiallylast night too, as I had to buy him one last thing :) I even finished wrapping last night too! Although I have to say I am usually done all this by now, but that's ok it's done right?!

Tonight Scott and I finally had the chance to go out and get coffees and check out the Christmas lights. It was so nice, and we even took the dogs with us to make it a full family affair ;) I'm so excited to be off work tomorrow! I can't remember the last time I had off on Christmas Eve! I'm extremely grateful it's fallen this way for us, and that so many of our doctors have taken vacations this week, which means we get the time off too. Woo Hoo!

Tomorrow includes, coffee, wrapping up any loose ends or anything I may have forgotten about, a Christmas Eve lunch (Scott and I used to do annually when I wasn't a nurse) so that's cool, party @ my cousin's at night, and finish helping Scott remodel the bathroom.

For the next 5 days off (wow I can't believe I have 5 days off!!) I plan on doing some shopping, relaxing, making some new recipes, baking, doing nothing at my lovely leisure, and enjoying this lovely holiday season. Scott has off until January 5th...lucky! :) The one thing I do need to do is make my Christmas home made peanut butter cups that I make every year. Again for some reason time has slipped away from me for the first time this year ever and I didn't get them done. Oh well, I'll have them ready on Monday so at least I still fall into the holiday time frame :)

Paybacks!

Bwah ha ha...nothing put me in the Christmas spirit like getting my brother-in-law back at pranks he has pulled on me for 10 years. Let me explain, in Scott's family the siblings and in-laws all draw names of a "secret santa", and everyone buys for the kids. It works out really well, and ends up being a lot of fun, since we literally can never figure out who has us until that day. So every year for the past 3 years I have drawn my brother-in-law Henry. Now...Henry has tourmented me, bullied me (in a good way), made fun of me, ragged on me (you get the picture) for TEN YEARS at EVERY SINGLE family function, or chance that he gets. And me being me, joke back with him, but he always seems to one up me! So back to the part where I drawn his name every year pretty much. In past years Scott's family always tells me If I draw Henry I should really do something to get him back. And let's face it, I never do. The holidays come flying up on me, I get busy, and lack my creativity for a good prank (unlike him). UNTIL THIS YEAR!!!

Scott helped me figure out just what we were going to do and we came up with this. We wrapped 5 boxes inside of boxes with the last one being absolutely huge. Outside of each box was a piece of paper explaining why Henry deserved to be tortured at the family Christmas party. Mind you, he has done infinite things to me, so I picked the top 5. The final box which contained his presents was wrapped in an entire roll of duct tape, and I secretly asked all the men in Scott's family if I could borrow their pocket knives "For a quick minute" just so Henry would have none to use. That's right, I was on my game big time! Below are some pictures of how it all turned out, HILARIOUS if I say so myself :)

The boxes talk about pranks such as...Turning off our hot water and trying to blind me, Laughing at me for falling in a giant mud puddle skiing, numerous camping mis-haps, saran wrapping my toilet etc....

Paybacks are hell ;) Merry Christmas!!!!

He took the joke well, so here's my victory picture!

Saran wrapping my toilet box

The nothing but duct tape box, reminding him of why he had this coming!

The skiing and hot water mishaps box

Little Henry trying to help his father with duct tape

The shock of what he was in for!!!!

Holiday stress and craziness

I'm exhausted. I've been in charge and working pretty much 10 hour days everyday. I've had something to do every night after work and on the weekends for a couple of weeks strait now. This time of year is my absolute favorite, and the busy stuff is really a good thing, but It's just wearing me out a little bit. I'd love to just come home and relax after a long day. It's all good stress really, I'm just beat.

Last night was our work Holiday party, I would say Christmas but I work for a primarily Jewish practice ;) It was really nice as it is every year, and we got a holiday bonus too :) Always nice and always appreciated. I'm extremely grateful for my job and I absolutely love the doctors I work for as well as my co-workers. It's weird I'm actually kind of sad that our holiday party is over. My group of co-workers and I do stuff all the time, but as a huge group including the doctors, is only about twice a year. I really look forward to our holiday party and it's already gone :( Dumb to be sad I know but it's just how I feel.

Tonight is shopping with dad, tomorrow is Sabatino's in Baltimore for our small work Christmas party, Friday out w/ Scott to do some nice holiday traditional stuff that we do :), Saturday is our family Christmas party with Scott's family all day, and Sunday.....Nothing! (I hope) but coffee, wrapping, and relaxing! :)

I know I'm sounding like a complainer, but I'm not really...again it's just that lovely holiday craziness which I do love, and will actually miss when it's over. Weird huh? I feel like a hypocrite. I'm just tired

Busy Busy

The weekend has already come and gone. We had a very busy weekend too! Friday night went out with some family to go look at Christmas lights like we do every year. It's a tradition I look forward to greatly. We start off by getting coffees, then hit our favorite neighborhoods all around and check out the lights while listening to Christmas music.

Saturday was equally busy. We had a 1st birthday day party for a family member, then a holiday party at night. Both were fun and it was nice to hang out with the family and do the holiday thing. Today we went over the Thompson's for brunch, and it was great!!! We laughed, ate, and drank mimosas. Does it get any better?? LOL

My only gripe is that the Ravens lost :( Oh well.

This week is equally, if not more busy than last week! Monday, Christmas shopping with Scott, Tuesday work party in Pikesville, Wednesday shopping with Dad, Thursday another work party, Friday....well hopefully I'm still sane by then! Happy Holidays!!

Insanity

This week has been absolutely crazy as in busy! Absolute non stop running from Monday through today. The running continues now through Sunday. I'm so happy and grateful for all the parties, get togethers, Christmas shopping, and fun that is happening right now, but I think my body hates me for exhausting it so badly.

Check

Yes it's official, I am done my HUGE photo scanning project! Wow, I'm so happy to have been able to complete such a major task in my grandfathers memory. I am honored that he asked me to do this, and I am honored to have it finished as I had wanted.

Now it's time for me to reflect on the project and the many things I saw, learned, and enjoyed from watching my Pop's life from a child until shortly before his passing. Pop I know you're happy too! Here's to you and a fabulously completed project just in time for Christmas!

Productivity

We've had a great 4 day weekend together. Shopping on Thursday, painting and "midnight madness" on Friday, painted all day again Saturday, best friend hung out too, and today am finishing all my painting, laundry, and working around the house. It's been so so great having a 4 day week. We've even watched 2 Christmas movies over this mini break, "Christmas vacation" and "Home Alone." It's been awesome. Today we went to Home Depot to get some paint (go figure ;) and pick out the stuff that we want to remodel the upstairs bathroom. Nice! We'll probably do the bathroom in January, and then the BIG project of redoing the entire kitchen after that, probably around March! WOO HOO!

Tomorrow's back to work for a whole 5 day week. Man...what's that about! ;) LOL

Leisure

Scott and I took off work yesterday and today (in addition to the weekend we already have off). It's been just wonderful so far! Yesterday we ran a million and one errands and just had fun with eachother all day. Yesterday we went to:
Starbucks-latte's
Michaels-picture frames w/ ribbon which i've been looking for FOREVER!
Verizon-got the new blackberry woo hoo!
Lunch @ 5 guys-nothing like an awesome cheeseburger!
Best Buy-just browsing
Toys R Us- just browsing
Claires-got some sale jewelry
Hallmark
Target-finally got the toaster we've needed for a year, and a new coffee grinder since we killed ours last weekend accidentally by grinding whole cloves in it. oops.
Payless-got a pair of boots for Christmas, and Scott got some dress shoes
Cigar shop- got Scott a cigar cutter for Christmas.

Last night we watched "Christmas Vacation" it was awesome. I haven't seen it in years, and it was on sale at Target..bonus! I made a huge bowl of queso and chips. Yum. It was definitely a great day.

Today I've been figuring out the new blackberry, and we've been painting our last wall in the upstairs. Looks great too, I'm so excited! Wow I never realized how I NEVER take off work, unless I'm sick or something. It's absolutely awesome to take off just because!

And.......it's not even the weekend yet!! Woo hoo!! Tonight we're off to old Ellicott City for midnight madness, can't wait!

Friday Fill Ins

1. Snow rules and I hope we FINALLY get some this winter!!

2. I'm looking forward to Christmas!!

3.Scott is the best husband ever!

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is FRIENDS!

5. I'm done with Christmas shopping except for a couple small things.

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is shop, listen to Christmas music, look @ lights, bake cookies, be around friends and family.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Ellicott City's midnight madness, tomorrow my plans include finishing painting and Sunday, I want to relax and do whatever I feel like doing.

Thursday 13

Thirteen Things about My 4 days off.Scott and I took today and tomorrow off together just because we never take off work :) So here's some things I'd like to do during our 4 day weekend. 1. Get Starbucks...Pumpkin spice latte yummy :)2. Go to the verizon store and check out the blackberry since i'm due for an upgrade3. Wonder around the mall just because I'm not at work woo hoo! (Although I really do love my job it's nice to take off just because which I never do)4. Go Christmas shopping, and have Scott show me stuff he wants for Christmas5. Go to Ellicott City's midnight madness tomorrow night and walk Main St. and enjoy it's Christmas decorations and old time feeling.6. Stay up late because I don't have to get up @ 04307. Tape the wall upstairs and finish painting it8. Go to Home Depot and pick out our stuff to finish the upstairs bathroom9. Happy hour with friends tomorrow night10. RELAX and perhaps do nothing :)11. Finish my scanning/photo project, since my deadline is Christmas Day!12. Bake some more cookies and listen to Christmas music all day long 13. Work on my recipe book that I keep, i need to add a ton of recipes that i've recently made.

Ouch

So my hip and leg have been hurting on and off for a bit now. It's gone from just pain, to burning, to numbness and tingling. Oh joy. Maybe it's from being on my feet ALL the time, being on my feet so much from Thanksgiving, Cookie Day etc. Who knows but it's a pain (literally) and i'm losing my patience. So I went to the chiropractor today, looks like a pinched nerve. :( Awesome. I have to go back to the Chiro tomorrow too...we'll see, this hurts and is not fun, especially being a nurse who's on my feet all day long.....