Thursday, December 31, 2009

Farewell 2009!

2009 was a pretty good year for us! Here is a breakdown of the past year’s posts:

January – we rang in the New Year down in Eugene at my best friend’s family farm; I started a new job; we dealt with a minor car accident; our friends, James & Michelle, came over from Bend for a visit; and we got a long awaited wedding present from Sam’s dad – a handmade dresser!

February – we used a gift card from the wedding to go out for an early Valentine’s date; Sam & I passed a cold back and forth; and more guests came over – this time in the form of Kelly & Brittany.

March – I found myself visiting my best friend up in Portland; I got a free gift card to Macy’s in the mail; Buster became a little more famous; and I went to Bend for Michelle’s baby shower!

April – we refinanced our year old home; I went back over to Bend for another baby shower and time with my mom; and Sam and I joined a gym.

May – Levi Heater was born (refer back to March, when I went to his baby shower); my mom & I threw a luncheon for one of my childhood friends; Sam turned 27 and we had both families over to our house for a joint birthday/Mother’s Day party; we worked on the curb appeal of our house; and another visit to see friends in Portland.

June – my BIL, Matt, graduated from the University of Oregon; and we celebrated our (1st!!!) anniversary!

July – we spent 4th of July in Sandy with Sam’s family; we went to Bend for a wedding & my birthday weekend; the Grables came down for a belated birthday party for me; and Sam & I took a trip to the coast as an anniversary trip!

August – I met a new friend from the Internet (and we actually went to the same small college and never met!); I completed my first project on my NEW sewing machine (a birthday present from Sam); and we went to the coast again, but this time with the whole Grable family.

September – I opened my own Etsy shop, featuring iPhone sleeves; I attended a women’s conference at George Fox with my MIL, SIL, and BIL’s girlfriend; and I got news that I would need thousands of dollars worth of dental work.

October – I wrote about my siblings; I reflected on my life-changing car accident that happened 5 years ago; I went to Bend again to help my mom with a fundraiser; the Grables got together for their second annual pumpkin carving day; and I had my first (of many) gum surgeries.

November – I went up to Washington for a baby shower; I got a little crafty with my clothing; went to Bend for the Thanksgiving weekend; and went through gum surgery #2.

December – we attended two beautiful concerts that Krista, my BIL’s girlfriend, was singing in; Christmas was celebrated with the in-laws; and I knocked out my third gum surgery.

I have enjoyed blogging this year and can’t wait to continue in 2010! There might be some minor changes, but everything should look about the same. See you next year!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas Top Five

Instead of outlining our entire Christmas, I opted to share my Top Five.

5. Finding out my BIL reads my blog and bought my Christmas present from one of my Wednesday Wish List Items!


4. Seeing my step-brother for the first time since Sam & I's wedding (in June of 2008) !

Tom & Meaghan - December 2009

3. Hearing news that my mom's wish to move to California will be coming true in 2010!


2. Sharing the holidays with my wonderful in-laws!

The Kids - December 2009

1. Knowing the Reason for the Season!

Friday, December 25, 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

Christmas Time is Here!

Sam and I had our very own Christmas celebration last weekend because we will be at the in-law's for Christmas Day. It was simple, quiet, and just the two of us, which was a nice treat for the both of us. We followed up the evening with some homemade cinnamon rolls & a Christmas classic: ELF! Overall, a great (pre-) Christmas!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Last Minute Idea: For the Traveler

My brother’s girlfriend has always been an easy person for me to shop for. Last Christmas, I bought a scrabble tile necklace with a mini cooper on it, as that is the car she currently zips around in. For her birthday, I found a cute jute clutch that I could totally see her carrying around. This Christmas was no different. Since my brother was invited to spend the holidays with his girlfriend & her family in Europe (yes, you heard me right - so jealous!) , I thought to myself, “I should find something that she could use on her trip!” and then off my mind went on various ideas. Until I finally settled on this:

(photo)

A passport cover from meghandesigns. I love Amy Butler’s fabric and how the colors stand out (in case you misplaced your passport while you were traveling) . I really hope she likes & uses this gift. I know ifI was traveling around Europe, I would love it!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Working Closet

Over a year ago, I stumbled upon The Working Closet on Flickr. The premise of the group is to see what others are wearing day to day, whether they work in an office or stay home.

I immediately loved this idea because there are many days that I feel like I have no inspiration and then I remember an outfit that was posted and I begin to put something together out of the items in my own closet.

Not only is the group great for ideas, but they also provide feedback/praises on your outfit, if you choose to post it. And trust me when I say the praises are a daily self esteem booster!

For example, last Friday I had come up with an outfit in my head that required one accessory that I was still trying to figure out. I decided to go for it and I told myself I could always remove said accessory if I felt uncomfortable.

Here is the outfit:

The ladies who commented had nothing but nice things to say (which in turn gave me more confidence when seeing people at work)! I wanted to reach through the computer and hug each one of them, it meant that much to me!

And this isn't a one time occurance. They have commented on many other outfits, whether they like the color, style, or want to know where they can get something like that for themselves. It is pretty great for everyone involved!

So if you are looking for a place to find both ideas and feedback on your daily outfits, check out this group. They won't dissappoint!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Thankgiving Trip

Our (much needed) vacation began on Tuesday at noon, when we both arrived home to pack the car and head out of town.

Buster & I

We headed up to the in-law’s house to drop off the pups and accept a much appreciated ride to the airport en route to Bend! And before I get questions, yes it
felt weird telling people we were going to spend the money to fly instead of just getting in a car & driving the 3 hours it normally takes. However, if you’ve ever driven over a mountain pass in a snow flurry, I’d hope you’d understand why I might opt to fly. Plus, my mom had airline miles to spare. Spoiled? Maybe. Stress free? Definitely!

Sidenote: I love to fly! I’ve been flying since I was five and about 90% of the flights have been sans parents/parental supervision. There is something about being in a plane that sort of relaxes me and puts me at peace. If I could, I’d fly everywhere!

So here is our breakdown of the week:

Tuesday night: After a (short) 40 minute flight, we were greeted at the Bend/Redmond Airport by my mom. We proceeded to her house for a chili dinner & TV at home.

Wednesday: Sam & I thought we’d be proactive in working off some of the upcoming weight we might gain at Thanksgiving dinner, so we went to the gym. Unfortunately, we had to pay a guest fee ($7/each) and decided against going a second or third time while we were there. We also hit
the grocery store, which wasn’t as bad as expected the day before a national food holiday. We got in & out quite quickly. And then we spent another night in, enjoying the company and relaxation.

Thursday: My mom made plans to go have us go to a family friend’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, which freed up the day to do as we pleased. We watched the Thanksgiving Day parade and some football. In between commercials, my awesome husband helped me make these:

Oreo Turkeys

Our afternoon plans consisted of seeing The Blindside and finishing up our required dishes to bring to dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner (yes, a day in itself) : One word: Food! There was so much to eat; you almost didn’t know where to begin. All the families that came contributed at least one dish to the meal and between 5 families, every dish was pretty much represented! We ate & ate & ate and then ended the night watching the end of the Texas/Texas A&M game and having our Christmas card picture taken.

Family Picture

Friday: I didn’t think I would do it, but my mom & I got up at 4:30am to do the whole Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza. I can’t say I am a die-hard though, because some people (my brother being one of them) were up before 3am to start shopping. I did manage to find some good deals and knock a few Christmas presents off my list to give. Following shopping, the Heaters came over to hang out with us. We made a stop at our (Michelle & I’s) previous workplace to say hello and then headed out for coffee. They introduced us to a new coffee shop in downtown Bend that is quite trendy. It was fun to catch up and play with Levi. He’s getting to an age where he does more than just eat & sleep. (No baby fever here, but it’s fun to play with someone else’s)

Saturday: I had a coffee date with a high school friend and we ended up talking for almost 2 hours. Following coffee, Sam & I went out to eat, while my mom had a previous planned lunch date. Then we headed back to my mom’s and packed up. The rest of the afternoon was spent soaking up all the rest we could before we headed back. Our plane left at 7:30pm and before we knew it we were over the mountain again being picked up by Sam’s parents.

Sunday: We went to church and then came home for a (mini) Thanksgiving lunch. Then we packed up the dogs & headed home once again. The rest of the day was spent doing laundry & catching up on our DVR.

Now that the Holiday season is truly upon us, I am really excited! I love time spent with family & friends and the love that seams to radiate this time of year.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!