Top 2

Top 2 Favorite Christmas Memories

1) To this day, I don't think my mom knows this but growing up I would always make it my mission to find the "hidden" X-mas presents. "Santa" was pretty predictable year after year so they were usually found deep in my parents closet & I would "sneak a peek" at what was to be wrapped under the tree...every year. Sorry mom :( On Christmas morning there were a few surprises so I wasn't always able to see all the gifts! I also used to pick one gift under the tree not from Santa & would slit the tape open to see what it was & would ever so carefully tape it back up. LOL - definitely naughty was I :)

2) Growing up we made alot of holiday traditions & they have continued on all throughout the years. My siblings & I have grown to "expect" these traditions & when they change, it is not accepted well by any of us.

It all starts with Christmas Eve. We usually go to the evening service, then head over to my grandparents house where my aunts, uncles & cousins would gather for a late meal & gift opening. Every year we all sat in the very same spot & my aunt Denise would hand out the presents....always! Then after the gift opening, we would have homemade vanilla ice cream with strawberries along with many other desserts! It is always a treat that everyone looks forward to on X-mas Eve!

On Christmas morning, my siblings would wake everyone up at the crack of dawn & we would gather around the tree & open our presents. After the gifts were all opened, we grabbed our stockings to see what was stuffed in them. Then my mom would make everyone a fabulous breakfast & later in the afternoon everyone headed to a movie & when we returned home mom was making yet another fabulous meal for dinner.

38 years old & we still stick to these traditions every time I go home for the holidays. I hope to instill these kinds of traditions with my children & provide them with many pleasant memories as I have throughout the years.

Lunch & Gifts

I met my girlfriends Deb & HK for lunch today at Mia Ranchito's for our annual gift exchange! It is always a good time with these girls - especially when presents are involved :) I got a Yankee candle & warm, fuzzy socks from Deb & a cute pic of me & HK, scarf, & tons of candy from HK. It was a great lunch date with some holiday flare & wonderful friends!

X-mas Party #3

Christmas party #3 involved a Progressive Dinner-type gathering with our neighbors in the cul-de-sac. This is the 4th year that we have been doing this & a good time is always had by all. Shane unfortunately missed out on this year's festivities as he was headed up to WI for the weekend to pick up a camper shell for his truck. More on that later...

We started out at Dave & Gael's house where cocktails were provided & an appetizer was served.
Everyone mingled, ate, & had a cocktail & after an hour was up, we made our way over to the next house - Brian & Julie's - where there was soup being served.

There was Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon Schnapps & Eggnog Martini's being served along with Taco Soup & our neighbors Tom & Laine brought over a Beer Cheese soup. Everything was so very good & hit the spot on a chilly night!

As we were all mingling, a Santa hat was brought out for everyone to wear! Now it's not just any Santa hat - this one has a little button on it that you push & the hat goes crazy bouncing back & forth to music. It was a hit at the party & everyone took turns wearing it - first Gael, then Julie & then me :)Next stop was the Taylor house. I had made several "heavy" appetizers which included: shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, meatballs, boneless chix wings & a meat/cheese tray. I figured since everyone would be drinking, that it might be a good idea if we fill up on some food with "substance" which seemed to be enjoyed by all.

Another hour had gone by & we were moving on to Mike & Linda's for cigars & martini's. The men moved outside to enjoy their cigars while Linda was stirrin' & a shakin' chocolate martini's for the ladies.While we were sippin' on Choco-Tini's & Black Santa's we also did our White Elephant gift exchange. There were many laughs as the gifts were being opened up & even quite a bit of "stealing" went on amongst the neighbors. The gifts usually consist of grabbing something random from around the house & putting it in a Xmas bag to be exchanged. Some of the gifts are pretty interesting to say the least.

Next place we were headed was over to Susie's for desserts & more cocktails. She had some yummy sweets for us to try: Cranberry Orange cookies, gooey chocolate bars, pumpkin dip & sweet liquors. After we indulged in the treats, we all gathered around the fireplace for a game of "What's Your's Like" which had us all trying to think & ponder the answer to the clue as well as many laughs from the group. We played & drank well into the evening & by midnight everyone decided to call it a night.

It turned out to be yet another successful holiday party in the cul-de-sac & much fun was had by all! As this year comes to a close, I think back these last 11 months & feel so blessed to have such wonderful neighbors. Not only are they our neighbors, but we consider all of them to be close friends & am thankful for all of their friendships. We look forward to what 2011 has to offer with these wonderful people!3 parties down - 1 more to go! Happy Holidays to you all :)

Rock Chalk Christmas 2010

Now this is someone with some serious Christmas & KU spirit:



For those that live in the KC area & want to make the drive, you can see this house at 4530 Larissa Drive in Lawrence, KS. For more information go here

Top 2

Top 2 Favorite Games (board, card, video etc)

1) Mexican Train Dominoes - this is a game that is played every holiday &/or get-together by my family. After dinner, we usually gather around the kitchen table & bring out the dominoes game. It is always a great way to bring the family together - even the little ones for what always ends up being a lot of fun.2) Pictionary - we have played this game often at our "Game Night" gatherings over the years. It is always fun watching grown adults try to draw their version of the subject - especially after having a few drinks :)

Sick :(

This thing has invaded my body. I have been fighting it for the last week & it finally has taken over & gotten the best of me.

What is it you ask?

Why this pretty, prickly colorful ball is the Rhinovirus. AKA: the common cold & it got me good.

Day 1 - Friday: Denial - It’s the end of the day & I feel wiped out. I can’t remember doing much of anything, the tired feeling indicates otherwise so I assume I must have done lots of things, had a productive day, & that is why I don’t have any energy. I stop by the store after work to get some OJ, extra Vitamin C & cough drops & end up going to bed early - I am NOT getting sick!

Day 2 - Saturday: Anger - I wake up & my throat is a bit raw from the nasal drip all night long. I struggle to get out of bed & find the energy to get going. My morning coffee & granola bar do not taste as expected. I am adamant that this will not slow me down so I get my day started & rush out the door. Lots of errands to run & a Christmas party in the evening! By the end of the day, my throat is now a bit scratchy. I repeat to myself “I REFUSE TO GET SICK!” & pop another Vitamin C tablet into my mouth. Dinner is not very appealing as it has no taste & I find myself getting irritated with the hubby & the furry children when they suggest I might be coming down with something. Off to the Christmas party I go...scratchy throat & all!

Day 3 - Sunday: Bargaining - I wake up with a completely congested nose & sound like a frog when I try to croak out my morning greetings to the furries. I stagger into the bathroom & just stand there. I figure a hot shower will make me feel better – I CAN beat this. I start to list my symptoms & look into the medicine cabinet to find I am out of Tylenol & cough medicine. DAMN! I need drugs! They will cure this & make me feel better! Later that day I stop at the pharmacy. I need some serious cold medicine to help defeat these symptoms. I leave with a bottle of NyQuil, Robitussin Cough & Cold, Sudafed, Tylenol, DayQuil & almost $30 poorer.

Day 4 - Monday: Depression - The next day, I wake with a dry, hacking cough. My nose is still congested so every time I cough, my head feels like it will explode. The NyQuil has fogged my brain. I add Tylenol to my morning breakfast along with the DayQuil which makes my morning juice taste bitter & my blessed coffee now resembles tar. Just then I feel a sneeze coming on & even before the big event, I know how much it is going to hurt. I brace for impact but it doesn't help. The sneeze comes & it is painful. My equilibrium is gone & quick movement is not wise. I walk slowly to the bathroom & let my hot shower last a good long time. At work, I am miserable. I can’t focus nor can I quit coughing. Everyone tells me to go home. At 1:30pm I finally give in.

Acceptance: I am sick. I have a cold. There, I’ve said it. I get home & take a long hot shower before going to bed – hours ahead of schedule. Organized on the bedside table, I plan out my night –Robitussin with Tylenol; the NyQuil ready when I inevitably wake up in the middle of the night; I don't skip the NyQuil as I have already decided at 2am that I will be staying home tomorrow; consume mega doses of Vitamin C, along with Tylenol & DayQuil with the morning juice & granola bar but I skip the coffee; then right back to bed. This will be my routine for the next couple of days. Then I will start to find my way out to the other side of this miserable experience.

Today is Wednesday & having been off of work for the last 2 days I am slowly starting to feel better but this non-productive cough is what's going to kill me. No amount of Robitussin or Hall's cough drops helps & I feel like I have done 200 sit-ups....hourly for the last 2 days!

Ugh - it sucks being sick....

X-mas Party #2

This evening was Christmas party #2 which was our annual Cath Lab party hosted by my gracious co-worker Lori & her husband. They own a gorgeous Tudor home in Overland Park & it was decked out in beautiful holiday decor consisting of reds & golds with evergreen garland & poinsettias everywhere! I think I counted 16 poinsettias on the main floor alone.

The fire was roaring in the fireplace & the holiday music was playing all around. It was gorgeous & smelled heavenly with all her holiday candles burning everywhere. The food was over the top, the company friendly & warm & the entertainment oh-so fun. I was on-call for the evening so I couldn't get too crazy but I did manage to have a little bit of fun :)
There was a little of this:

And a little bit of a conga line:

And some holiday karaoke:

And a group photo:

My dear friend Stetson (whom I have talked about here & here & here) & his wife Janice were present & he ended up joining in the karaoke by serenading us all with a holiday song! He also brought his fabulous chocolate cake to share! YUM! He is SO very talented!

Me & my co-worker Renee getting a "self-portrait" shot:A great time was had by all & it ended up being a really enjoyable evening. At least it was up until I walked outside to go home & was greeted by a blizzard with 40+ mile/hour wind gusts! Made for a really fun trip home - NOT!

Two X-mas parties down....two more to go!

Down-time

We had some down-time today at work so we all decided to decorate our department for the Christmas holiday. Not sure who's idea it was for me to stand on the gurney to hang ornaments from the ceiling but I "took one for the team" & we got them all hung. It's a good thing I got good balance! Darcy was in charge of cutting out the snowflakes as well as painting them on all the patient bay's.

Marlo (L), Peggy (R) & Kitty (center) decorated our little ol' Charlie Brown X-mas tree & the waiting room.

It all looked so festive by the time we were done! Now we just need to fill up the candy dishes & can say our department is officially ready for the holidays!

Top 2

Top 2 Favorite Christmas Ornaments

1) Kansas Jayhawk - I got this stained glass Jayhawk ornament for my husband back when we were dating. I didn't know much about KU pre-marriage but for the last 11 years I have become a huge fan & now this has become one of my favorite ornaments. It looks so pretty all lit up in front of the X-mas lights.

2) Lenox ornament: First Year in New Home - We got this as a gift when we moved into our 1st home together which was November 2003. It always makes me smile when I see it amongst all the ornaments & it brings back so many wonderful memories of our 1st year in our home.

X-mas Party #1

Our neighbors Ken & Keri hosted the 2nd Annual Jackson Christmas Party this evening & it was yet another fun & successful event! There was a plethera of dee-lish food, plenty of beverages to go around & many laughs shared by all.

We did the White Elephant gift exchange again this year purchasing gifts only from the "As Seen on TV" collection. There was some great gifts opened up & lots of "stealing" went on which made it even more fun! I ended up getting the Neck Slimmer. It is a device used to tighten the face & neck muscles for a reduced-slimmer neckline. There were many laughs from the crowd but I think secretly they were all a bit jealous that after using my gift, I will have a much slimmer looking jaw & neck line :)

Like last year, there was a prize for the BEST gift & Melissa walked away for the 2nd year in a row with the prize. As to not offend anyone, I can't post a picture of the actual gift but I can tell you it was something similiar to a leopard print Snuggie & was to be worn on a certain male body part. Do I need to explain any further??? It was hilarious to say the least...

Group photo of the girls

Me, Melissa & Erin

The girls practicing taking "self portraits" - after about 5 tries we got this one :)

After most of the crowd left, the remaining few of us decided to go to our favorite local dive bar - the Hideout. When we got there the place was packed with Spring Hill's finest so it made for great people watching. We had fun playing darts, dancing & socializing with the locals. We closed the place down & considered it another successful visit as much fun was had by all!

Me & Keri before leaving the Hideout - way too much to drink & way past our bedtime!

Thank you Jackson's for another fun event! Looking forward to another one next year :)

Contest

If you look to the left of my blog you will see a picture of Santa holding my nephew Tanner & he is NOT a happy camper. This picture makes me LOL & so I found it appropriate to enter it into the Scared of Santa contest on our local Fox 4 News website - with my sisters' permission of course.

Now here is where I need y'alls help. It is kind of a pain in the butt to vote - AT FIRST - but after that it is quite simple. So PLEASE - I am pleading with you all to help a sista out & do some voting. The prize for winning is a $300 gift card to Price Chopper & a $200 gift card to a local automotive shop here in the Kansas City area.

Here is how you can place your vote:

1) Click on the picture to the left

2) Click on the registration tab

3) Fill out the info & submit

4) An email will be sent to you to confirm registration.

5) Open the email & click on the confirmation link. This will open a new window to the Fox 4 website.

6) Log in, click on page 4, find the picture that is title Scared of Santa (has my name taylorh522/city under it) & click on the vote button

7) type out the word scramble & click on "save vote"

That is it. Like I said, kind of a pain at first but an easy process. Voting will continue until Jan 2nd & you can place votes EVERY hour so be sure to bookmark the page & come back & vote often. You shouldn't have to keep logging in each time which makes it easy. Just repeat steps 6 & 7 everytime you vote.

Thank you very much to you all for your help! Hoping with your support I can win :)

Luminary Walk

This evening I met up with the neighborhood crew for the Holiday Luminary Walk at the Overland Park Arboretum. Shane had to work so he unfortunately missed out on a fun outing :(

We all met at the front gate & spent the next hour strolling down candlelit trails, through the gardens & woods, around the ponds checking out all the light displays while enjoying a cup of hot Louisburg Cider. It ended up being 48 degrees with no breeze so it was a perfect night for a walk through the lighted gardens with good friends.

Here are a few pics from the evening courtesy of my neighbor Melissa:

This was so much fun & such a great way to get into the holiday spirit! I so enjoyed being a part of this outing with our friends & am hoping we can do it again next year - with the hubby included!