Sunday, December 30, 2012

Christmas in Kansas!

 Why was our Christmas in Kansas so great this year?! 

Tractors! 
As soon as you see the green tractors, you know you're in Kansas.
Nothing runs like a Deere.

Music!
We sang carols to Phyllis at her nursing home.
We also joined in the ward choir at church.

Pizza!
Christmas Eve pizza is a family fave.

 

Family Games. 

Christmas morning and gift giving!
Christmas is so much FUN with baby dolls, xylophones, fire trucks, trains and gum. 




When I bought our plane tickets for this trip several months ago, I wanted to fly back on the weekend, but it was more expensive and Aaron and I both needed to get back for work. Turns out the snow storms happening around the US caused our plane to be cancelled Thursday evening so United rescheduled us for the next available flight - Saturday morning. That's right - we got to spend more time at home and we were beyond thrilled!! 

The grand-kids sure love papa and grandma Donna. 
 




Is it Christmas 2014 yet? Hopefully we'll able to be together again in two years. :) 

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Party Time


What a weekend! Aaron and I attended three Christmas parties over the weekend. Phew…


 Friday night was the Security Forces’ Holiday Party at the Holiday Inn in D.C.
It was fun to finally put a face with a name when I met the people from Aaron’s flight that he talks about.

Luckily I found something to wear an hour before the party started. I left work right at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and ran to the H&M that’s around the corner from my office. Sale rack = success.

With over $10,000 in prizes, we were a little depressed that our tickets weren’t selected in the raffle. (“Good thing my party is tomorrow night,” I said to Aaron. “We’re sure to have better luck!”)

Saturday evening was our ward Christmas party and everything turned out according to plan. We (the RS Presidency) were in charge of the event and everyone seemed to have an enjoyable evening. We started setting up at 3:30 p.m. and the party started at 6:00. I played a couple of Christmas piano duets with a friend and I didn’t want to stop! I just love everything about Christmas music. (Sorry no pics!)

The second after the duet ended, Aaron and I ran to my work Holiday party at the Grand Hyatt in D.C. (Sorry again, no pics. But, I wore the same dress that I wore on Friday night so you’re not missing anything exciting, well, except Aaron is in handsome shirt and tie combo.)

After we had mingled with my co-workers and Aaron met everyone, it was time for the raffle drawling.
The prizes?
2-round trip tickets to anywhere in the U.S. and then the MCs would add in, “This time, the tickets can also be used for a flight to Hawaii… to Europe…to the Caribbean.” They gave out about 15 sets of tickets.
The winning numbers included 762913, 762914, 762915…Guess what number I had? 762912.

One. Number. Off. I should have spent 2 extra minutes in the bathroom when we arrived at the party!!! #betterlucknexttime

In other news, as of December 11, I’m officially 29! It was fun day celebrated with a little CafĂ© Rio for dinner with Aaron’s parents. I felt so loved hearing from so many family members and friends via cards, text messages, FB posts, e-mails and voice messages. Thanks, guys!



 Christmas is next week! I can’t even wait for the partying to continue.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Spontaneous trip to NYC.


I've always wanted to visit New York! During my internship in D.C. back in 2005, I was THIS close to heading up to the big city with other interns I met that summer at the PR firm. Something just didn’t feel right about going to a party city with a group of immature 21-year-olds. Who knows what would have happened. So I canceled last minute.

Aaron also was THIS close to going to NY during High School, but that fizzled out.

I’m glad the almost-this-close trips didn’t happen for Aaron or me because we had a fun weekend exploring a new city together!

You won’t believe all that we were able to see and do in just a short weekend. I’ll prove it.  












         







 We loved NY! And with just a short 4 hour bus ride away, we’re already talking about what we want to do next time we head north. Oh, I failed to get a pic of all the NYPD cars and vans roaming the streets. Aaron decided he wants to be a cop in NY. I mean, I loved NY, but I don’t know if I loved it enough to move there so my husband can work in the police department.
 Don’t forget, tomorrow is my twin sister’s birthday!! ;)


Sunday, December 2, 2012

My favorite month is here!

It's December! It's Christmas time!!

Aaron and I went to the temple on Friday night and enjoyed a view of this as we walked up to the temple. 

I just love this place. 





Ohhh. Don't forget tonight is the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Watch it here.

Enjoy!! 

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Happy Everything!

So much has happened in just a few short weeks since my last blog post!
Hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Our ward had a service project on base where we prepared a Thanksgiving dinner for families that have deployed family members or who are staying at the Fisher House. (It's like the Ronald McDonald House.) We had extra food so we were able to deliver a warm dinner to the gate guards working that evening. When I asked these guys if I could take a pic, they insisted that Aaron joined in too.  


The event turned out so well that the ward is wanting to make the service project a tradition! 


 Next, Aaron and I love having the missionaries over to eat. Maybe it's because we love talking about our missions so much! We always have a great time with the Elders as we reminisce and share stories about our time in Argentina and Thailand. Aaron whipped up some tin foil dinners that were amazing! 


Birthday. Birthday. Birthday. 


I'm sad to say that this is the only pic I have from our Thanksgiving feast with the Volks. It's so fun having family close. We enjoyed a delicious dinner followed by games and football. I volunteered to make a pie. (Don't ask me why. I don't even like eating pie so I don't even like baking pie, but I felt like pie was a domestic side dish I should volunteer to take to my in-laws. I decided on a key lime pie and I couldn't find any key lime yogurt. Soooo.....as I was in a panic Wednesday night at the grocery store, Aaron suggested just buying a pie, but I felt like there is some unwritten rule that I can't show up to my first Thanksgiving with my in-laws with a store bought pie. I opted for a chocolate pudding pie instead. Y'know, like mixing together two packets of pudding and putting it into a graham cracker crust? It was delish. You would have been jealous. :) 


The partying continued with Aaron's big birthday on Saturday!!


I delivered 50 homemade cupcakes to Aaron's work at 4:21 a.m. 


Saturday evening we had dinner with Aaron's parents at my new favorites BBQ place ever. I want to go back soon. Like this weekend.  



 And finally, we babysat this little lady for a week. It was fun. Kind of. As much as Aaron loves, loves, loves having a dog, I just don't know if I'll ever be able to have a dog in my house. 

I'm still cleaning up dog hair. Everywhere. 


I hope you're as excited for December as we are!! 
Birthdays, family, Christmas, vacation, Kansas... it's going to be a big month. 


Monday, November 12, 2012

Veteran's Day

Veteran’s Day has a new meaning to me this year. In the past, I’ve always said I was grateful for the men and women protecting our country - and I really did mean it.

But this year.
It’s different.

For the first time in my life, when I say I’m grateful for the men and women currently in the military protecting our country, I’m including my husband in the mix - something I’ve never experienced before.

I always get a little chocked up when I think about him being deployed one day.

Do you know that song “American Solder” by Toby Keith? It was playing on the radio a few months ago as I commuted to work. I’ve heard that song a hundred times before, but I started crying as I listened to the words:

I'm just trying to be a father
Raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother
Everything to everyone
Up and at 'em, bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success
From my head down to my boots

I don't do it for the money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway
Providing for our future's my responsibility
Yeah I'm real good under pressure
Being all that I can be

And I can't call in sick on Mondays
When the weekends been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays
And sometimes all night long

You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey, I'm true down to the core
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh, and I don't want to die for you
But if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor
'Cause freedom don't come free

I'm an American soldier, an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand
When Liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front line
Sleep in peace tonight
American soldier, I'm an American soldier

So, this Veteran’s Day when I say I’m grateful for the men and women serving our country, I’m especially grateful for my American Soldier.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Happy Election Day!

It was a bright, sunny morning this morning as I walked to work. Did you know I work a couple of blocks from the Capitol building as well as a couple of blocks from the White House? I wonder which president will be my new neighbor. 


Aaron and I did vote last week. I actually waited three hours in line. Crazy, right? (I voted the Saturday before the storm so there were a lot of people trying to get their vote in before the storm hit. It was inspiring actually to see so many people getting out to vote.) We'll be asleep tonight before the final votes are in, but we'll check in first thing in the morning to see who wins this big election. 

Next:  

Our weekend included a wedding reception...
Megan flew out for the wedding! 


My date.


We love having family close! 


Sleep tight!