Ketchup - Holiday Edition

I wish I had a grand story to tell but I don't. So here are tidbits of whats been going on.

1. I am down 18 lbs., but honestly I am totally slacking off. I need to get back on the wagon.
2. Mom made tamales and I have a crapload of them sitting in my freezer... yet I am on a diet.
3. My bf and I did stocking this year b/c we did our big ticket items a month ago. I will smell good for the rest of my life. He got me a lot of smelly stuff plus some jewelery.
4. For those that are wondering what I got. I got a Wii! I need Wii Friends for Mario Kart if there are any of you out there. Oh and I want to do a Mii Parade.
5. I've been slow on my reading so I am still on American Wife.
6. Work has been slow. I don't talk about it much here but the company is all over the news or was in the last couple of months and it is affecting me directly. Everyone tells me I am lucky to still have a job.
   
7. Reason #5012 that my bf rocks: I am not much of a holidays person but my bf surprised me earlier in the month with my first ornament for my tree. This is the first time I have bought a tree for my own house on my own since I have lived with my parents.
8. Does anyone else watch infomercials late at night and want to buy the product. I really want the Cricut Cutter but I can't justify the price tag. Oh well there is still next Christmas.
9. My closet is full of clothes which is good... too bad not all of them fit.
10. I hate to say this but with most of the girls gone from my office with the lay-offs it feels kinda lonley.
    
11. LJ's mom sent me the church's cook book. I've just learned 1001 things to do with ground beef.
12. Am I the only one who has started planning their imaginary wedding with the bf that they have down to the guest list except there is no ring on the finger? Is that just me? Don't tell me I am crazy.
13. Speaking of crazy... some girl called LJ on christmas day at almost 10pm at night. I was like WTF? I was like who is that and why is she calling you so late? He didn't take the call. Said its just a friend that he made when he first moved down here, but he hasn't talked to her in forever. Still feels weird some girl calling my man.
    
14. Met LJ's fake grandma and family who lives nearby. They are pretty cool. Lot's of food. Mmm. Turkey.
    

Starting to feel a lot like Christmas....

Last year was the first year I had really celebrated Christmas in a long time. My family hasn't hosted Christmas since about when I moved away from home. Since then I never really did Christmas tree's or any other kind of celebrating save the office holiday party.

So far this year I have gone to see the christmas lights, sent out some Christmas Cards and actually have a real live tree in my house. Honestly, I think all this Christmas cheer has to do with LJ's love for the holidays. Before I was always the grinch and never wanted to participate in anything holiday related. I know that this year we will be going to Christmas Mass which I am pretty excited about. I will also be making home-made spiked eggnog for our christmas potluck.

When we were in the Northwest we went to Advent services at LJ's families church. They had just built this new church b/c the last one was too small. It was a beautiful church that was massive! It was a great service and the priest made it feel like it was a 2 drink minimum and the bad thing was that instead of completely focusing on the service **sorry God!** I was thinking "I could totally get married here!" Before anybody gets any bright ideas. No there was no engagement.

So I am actually looking forward to having a festive holiday this year. Everything may not be perfect in the world but we should at least enjoy some of the few happy moments we do have.

Thanksgiving in the woods - better late than never!

This year for LJ's birthday I actually planned ahead. I bought him tickets to go see his family for a week in the potato state. Compared to last year's fiasco of a 6 hours before the flight I figured this should be easy breezy.

First off when you have way too much time to think of stuff to bring you end up bringing everything but the kitchen sink *even though I considered it*. The flights weren't actually 2 bad. Well, except on the way back when I didnt realize we were supposed to make 2 stops during the flight. I actually brought a nice coat with me this time so I wouldn't freeze my keester off. It was so nice that while I was running across the street on some shopping venture some ladies yelled out to me ask me where I got it from.

You know you are loved when everyone knows that you are eating healthy even through one of the unhealthiest days of the year and they make the whole Thanksgiving dinner out of Cooking Light Magazine." LJ's grandpa almost had a heart attack over the idea but everyone enjoyed the meal. As light as it may have been it was pretty tasty. I had been bugging LJ to take me to Canada since we were already so close but that didnt happen. This ended up being a working vacation for both of us. Not with my real job but with helping the family. We at least got to see everyone in the family.

LJ's sister and I actually got to bond a good chunk of the time I was there. Everyone has made her out to be a super villan but once you get to know her she's not bad. She's a nice girl that has just made a few mistakes. Not saying she has necessarily learned from all her mistakes but she is really young and honestly at her age I hadn't either. So who am I to judge? In all this bonding time with LJ's sis and her mom I tried to get some dirt that I hadn't heard before. Either they were being nice and not selling him down the river or there really is no dirt. The only comment that LJ's sister made was that LJ was adament about not getting into a serious relationship until he was completely financially established *not in the middle of his start-up company*, yet they know he is serious and ready to settle down with me. There must also be some level of trust b/c other information was shared with me about other people in relation to the family that I probably wouldn't have heard otherwise.

Oh did I forget to mention that I went to my first Black Friday sales. Actually not as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Doesn't help that I didnt go to bed till 11pm to get up at 2am. That's what happens when you are out in the sticks. Last but not least I did not gain any weight over the week I was on vacay including thanksgiving and a prime rib dinner. I count that as a success.