Friday, January 29, 2010

Snow Cream

Well, here it is - my very first edited video using the Flip. I wanted to put this on Facebook, but it never takes my videos. So, I'm using the trusty ole blog! Please forgive my shoddy editing work. I need some practice with the fading, but this'll do for now. You might notice I was talking quietly...that's because I was worried that the neighbors could hear me! So anyway, enjoy the clip. And don't forget to make your own batch of snow cream the next time it snows in your neck of the woods
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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Extra Christmas Pics

I found these gems on Sean's iPhone - leftover pictures from Christmas. Enjoy!

My Nonnie hosts a Christmas Eve Brunch every year.
This year she served petit fours as part of the dessert buffet.
Notice anything special about this tasty treat?

Sean and me at Dad's place on Christmas Eve


Amanda, Trey and Me




Dad with his kiddos.





Sunday, January 17, 2010

A little bit of nothing much

It's Sunday night, 9:30 p.m. Where has my weekend gone!?!?! I'm sitting here with a glass of red wine, back aching from cleaning all day. I want to take a bath and shave my legs for the first time in a looooong time. Perhaps I'll have time for a quick bath after this blog, and then maybe some knitting.

Not too much has happened around the Carroll household since Christmas and the New Year. Of course, we have Murphy now, and I feel like he takes up most of our time. We've been adjusting to him, and he's been adjusting to us. I think we're getting along quite well! He and Sean have had a few "power struggle" moments where Murphy was behaving very badly. But for the most part, he's a great dog. I LOVE to snuggle with him! He took a nap on my chest yesterday, and it was the sweetest thing ever! You have to understand that I don't have kids, and I've never held a baby for more than .02 seconds, so my new dog really IS the sweetest thing ever to me. We've gotten to a point where we can leave Murphy alone in the house (not in his crate) for a few hours, and he does great! VICTORY! No accidents, and our furniture is not ripped to shreds. When we return, he's just napping in his favorite chair.


Here's Murphy having a good laugh

As you may recall from my last post, Murphy thinks he's a cat. He jumped on to our kitchen counter with one leap...just like a cat. And he stole our dish sponge.

Now on to some non-Murphy related news...our jobs are going well, we're excited about the new year, and everything is pretty status quo. I don't have much to share, but I guess that's a good thing - No drama! We don't make any New Year's resolutions, so I can't give you an update on how we're failing our diets or anything Ike that. I can tell you, however, that we enjoyed a fire outside on Friday night as it was quite warm for January (low 40's). Dad's adorable lady friend took us to dinner and joined us in some fireside chatting. And today, after 9 months of being in our home, we finally bought curtains for the living room. My mom also gave me a quilt that was made by my great grandmother. I think it's just about the neatest thing I've ever owned!



Sean's Notes: I'm excited that our family has gotten bigger. I have a long list of house projects to keep me occupied (possibly a new kitchen!) I made cappuccino tonight, so that's a win for the new year. [I gave him a cappuccino/coffee maker for Christmas. He does a really good job at steaming the milk. I don't think I'll ever try to use that thing. It looks way too complicated.]

Friday, January 1, 2010

And, in closing...

Last night and today we've been busy celebrating the new year - welcome, 2010! Did everyone eat their black eyed peas??? (And just in case you're wondering, I refer to it as twenty-ten. Yes, because it sounds better.) Even though my family suffered a tragedy this year with losing my two maternal grandparents, I can't help but think of 2009 as an overall good year. Sean and I were blessed with many things (like our jobs, a happy marriage, and a new house), and we made tons of good memories (see also: all my previous blog posts). One thing I'm most thankful for this year is being able to spend more time with my brother. Oh, and for my mean boss quitting on my birthday. Woo hoo! What can I say - life is bueno. I'm thankful for everything I have, and I'm looking forward to another good year in twenty-ten.

The week leading up to Christmas I was a nervous wreck because I knew that I was adopting the dog. Then finally, Christmas Day came and I was able to relax and enjoy the festivities. For Christmas we stayed in town, as we usually do, and spent time with our families. All in all, we visited with 38 members of our family in just 2 days. Phew! It was a whirlwind extravaganza filled with lots of laughter, food and presents, of course. Emily was in town for almost 2 weeks, and it was nice to visit with her again. My step-sister Jennifer also came down to Tennessee with her family. We had our traditional Christmas Eve brunch at Nonnie's house, and had a blast playing Name That Tune. Unfortunately, we didn't capture many pictures of the actual festivities. What I do have are the pictures you'll see below - enjoy!


Linda's annual Gingerbread Party with all "the girls."

This was actually December 5, but it's a great way to kick off the holiday season. We spend about 6 hours assembling our gingerbread houses, drinking "Jingle Juice," sharing stories and eating the delicious food that Phillip prepares for us. What a treat!

(Click the picture for a better view of our houses. Then click the back button to continue reading.)

Top row: Mom, me, Amanda, Cristina, Sue and Janice
Bottom: Jensi, Heather, Kelly and our wonderful host Linda
Not pictured: Phillip the chef (a.k.a. Linda's husband)
Another one of my favorite pre-Christmas celebrations is the Dickens of a Christmas event in Downtown Franklin. Sean, Sherri and I spent the afternoon shopping and enjoying the street fair activities. Here are the Dickens-era street performers doing a traditional group dance...


...and Sean and I bumped into Scrooge himself. Bah humbug!

With just 2 weeks to go before Christmas, Sean and I finally sucked it up and bought a Christmas tree. Trust me, it looked way better with the lights down low, the tree lit and the glow from the fireplace.

Christmas morning came with a special treat this year. Murphy joined our family! Sean was totally surprised, but he soon fell in love with the sweet puppy. They're best buds now, and Murphy's favorite napping spot is in Sean's lap.

For Trevor's birthday (12/26) we surprised him with tickets to the Titans Christmas Day Game. Here are the siblings - Trevor, Emily and Sean - tailgating before the game. Damn, it was cold!!! And we lost. But the 4 of us had a great time together.

Here they are freezing in the stands

Twins! Sean and his buddy Murphy both wearing argyle

Murphy thinks he's a cat

We stayed home for New Year's Eve and enjoyed the last dinner of 2009 - steamed lobster. These suckers were delicious. Our friends John and Bethany stopped by to help us ring in the new year. Mostly, they just helped us stay awake. We watched the ball drop and I made midnight breakfast for us. The majority of the first day of 2010 was spent in our PJ's. I made a pot of black eyed peas and cornbread, and Mom, Jimmy and Amanda came over for a visit. I'd say the new year is off to a great start.