just a kiss

Warning: the following post contains images of lip to lip contact, if that type of connection makes you squirm then do not read this post. You have been warned. ;)

So it's New Years Eve, and among all the resolutions people are making and shortly be breaking, there is something else that comes to mind when this day approaches. "who am i going to kiss?" I'm not sure when or how New Years kisses became a thing, but I do know that most people have it on their bucket lists. ha. And you better believe i did too.

My first New Years Eve with Phill, was nothing like we had planned. We ended up "baby-sitting" his little brother Kaileb, but we were determined to still attempt to make it special/romantic. We built a fire in his back yard, and we all said movie quotes and had to guess where it came from. Snow was falling in giant flakes all round us, we had s'mores, and hot dogs (in that order) and really had an grand 'ole time ringing in 2010.  The clock struck 12 and then and there Phill and I had our first New Years kiss.



2009-2010



When December 31st rolled around the next year, Phill had been out on his mission for about a month.  So obviously no real New Years kiss took place, but i thought it would be fun if he had some sort of a kiss for New Years.  So i sent him a giant chocolate kiss with pictures of us pasted on all sides of the box, Wha-la our 2010-2011 New Years kiss.

Now, faster than i ever thought possible, it's time to ring in 2012! Every year my family has a candle light dinner on New Years Eve, we have steak and crab, and get out our fancy dishes.  This year is no exception.  Traditions are big with me, and so you better believe i didn't leave Phill "kiss-less" this New Years Eve! haha I found this idea on Pinterest, and knew i was going to use it for New Years. I sent him an example of his part of the picture and told him to send it back to me asap, it took two tries but then we finally got one that would work. All along he was pretty curious about "what the devil that picture was for" i took my part of the picture and put them together, sent it to him and ta-da here we have our 2011-2012 New Years kiss!

Phill will be home to usher in 2013 with me, and what a great year that will be!

 I hope you all have a great New Years Eve, and New Year!

Uno Mas

Now that Christmas has gone as quickly as it came, it's time to wrap up the season with one more post about my actual Christmas Day. (because it was a good one!) The day began with 9 o'clock church with my family, (minus mom, who was sweetly taking care of my Grandma) then back home for our traditional sausage sandwiches for breakfast! Yum! I don't know where or when that tradition started, but i have yet to have a Christmas morning without them, and I'll be darned if i ever actually do!
Next came the parade of presents, and I'll admit i was quite spoiled this year! (as i am every year, really) I am so excited to try out all my new cake pop making supplies! As the present opening progressed i began to feel a little queasy, my palms were sweaty and my stomach was doing back flips....i was getting more and more nervous. For what you ask? Well, it just so happens that along with Christmas comes another tradition, the 2nd time a year a missionary is allowed to call home...Phill was calling:) but not just calling i knew he'd be skyping! yikes! We kept opening and i kept getting more and more sick.  I took a break from the presents to get get myself all ready to "see" Phill. The siblings in my family all gave each other our gifts for one another after i got ready.  Kaitlin gave me a present that really calmed my nerves, observe:

Kaitlin handed me my carefully wrapped present, and instructed me to open it cautiously...i opened the package to find a box of donuts! Now i LOVE donuts don't get me wrong, but i have also recently lost 12 pounds so a  box of donuts seemed a little bit like sabotage! I then began to read the writing around the rim of the box lid...

Of course i instantly recognized the quote,(click HERE to listen) but the fact that i couldn't put the pieces together shows how nervous i was...i was instructed to open the box...so i did.



  

I opened it up and noticed a zip lock bag chillin' below the donuts...i carefully extracted said bag and opened it up. i scanned the papers that were in the bag but i still couldn't put it together to save my life! then suddenly it dawned on me/i saw the name on the paper. It was tickets to Brian Regan, my all time favorite comedian! Home run Kait, home run!



Rick, Kira, and Kait expertly created "sprink-smich" donuts for effect. They're great.

Well, that was a brilliant distraction, but now it was time to head to the Brandley's to talk to Phill. By the time i reached their house my hands were shaking violently...can you imagine how messed up i am going to be when he actually comes home! i will probably pass out! As you may or may not know, Phill has 8 siblings and 4 of those siblings have spouses so it takes a long time for my turn. I like to go after all his siblings because i feel like they have more rights to him than i do. I waited, and waited, tried to distract myself, and act calm. I sat in while his younger sisters talked to him, and then it was my turn...i sat in front of the screen and just like that it was like he was actually sitting right by me. We talked, laughed, and told stories about our crazy lives. I could have talked to him all day, Josh (Phill's oldest brother) kept popping his head in to tell me how much time i had left, before i knew it Phill's parents walked in to take their turn, and i thought and then said, "CRAP! i haven't even told you that i loved you once, I'm awful!" His parents laughed, but man it was a little awkward to express my feelings right then and there in front of them, but it was okay, i told him i loved him, and then walked out.  Usually i am giddy after his phone calls, but skype is different. I walked out of the room and into the hallway, Josh held out his arms and there i went and then came the tears...Louis (another brother) joined in. They were so great to not mock the water works! The Brandleys are absolutely amazing! I am so thankful that they let me steal some of their time with Phill.
So that was Christmas...oh wait i forgot to show you what Phill got me for Christmas, it is awesome!



This my friends is going to be my absolute sanity in the coming year! He, the amazing adorable Phill, made this "Weekly Reminder Book" which literally has something to remind me of him for every week next year! He's a keeper! It's adorable, i haven't looked ahead or anything, but my family all have right in front of me! (rude) but they are impressed and so am i!

Next Christmas we'll be together!

Hallelujah!

Merry and Bright

Christmas Day is just hours away! (unintentional rhyme) And like everyone else I've been Christmasing all December long, with the exception of finals week , in which the only Yule Tide tradition i participated in was the banging of my head on my desk to the rhythm of Jingle Bells during study sessions.
I tried my best to get my Christmas shopping done early this year. I really hate shopping so getting it over and done with as quickly is possible is how i usually plan on shopping, and then end up going on Christmas Eve to find presents. Luckily for me, i chose to do the 12 days of Christmas for Phill this year, which forced me to be early in my shopping and sending, which also meant shorter lines at the Post-office (shorter as in an hour long wait as opposed to the typical two).  Writing about shopping is about as boring as doing it, so....moving on!

Christmas is a time for traditions, one of my absolutely favorite traditions has been going on for as long as i can remember.  Every Christmas Eve all the kids in my family would smash into my brothers' room to sleep for the night.  Once we had all settled in with our new jammies on, my mom would sit down anywhere she could find a place and read the Polar Express.  This has become one of my all time favorite books, and i completely intend on reading it to my children (that is if Grandma doesn't read it to them first).  Everything about that book is beautiful, the pictures, the story, and the message:  to believe in something!

There is more to Christmas than believing in Santa or his reindeer...it's about believing in the good of the world, the goodness of people that often gets shadowed by all the evil that takes place.  Without our sweet Savior Jesus Christ, we wouldn't have any goodness to celebrate. He is the reason for celebrating, he is joy!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

And a Incredible 2012....i know i will ;)

i'm one of those...

Ever since Indy came into my life, i have slowly been transforming into "one of those people" you know dog people. (not that there is anything wrong with that) I have always loved dogs, but something about Indy, i am a little obsessed! I love this dog so much, seriously i just can't get enough of her...well except for when she is driving me crazy, but she's a baby and they'll do that. haha

Indy at 9 weeks old

4 months

6 months