I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Finally we have some real snow!

I just took this picture this morning and I can't believe how much it's still coming down. It's absolutely beautiful. Kayleigh and I watched them plow the parking lot and it honestly looks like it needs to be done again (that was 45 min ago).

So, Friday was my company Christmas activity day. Can I just say that I absolutely LOVE my office! We have so much fun, and, being in sales it can be quite discouraging at times, but we've been able to keep things lively enough and lighthearted that anyone who gets in a slump doesn't get deeply depressed.

Friday morning started like this:

Wake up and get to work at 8:05 (earliest in a long time)
Eat donuts and milk and hot chocolate and told the schedule for the day, while I hand out little gifts I'd gotten for all my co-workers (see pics of cookies and chinese boxes with Pickle Ornament below)



Around 8:45/9ish we start opening company gifts, but in one of the funnest ways. It's almost like a white-elephant gift exchange, but with added "survivor" rules. Essentially, numbers are drawn from 1-14, 14 being the last to open gifts. The first person opens a gift and we all go in sequential order. The recipients have the option of stealing a previously unwrapped gift or going to the pile and choosing a wrapped one. Honestly, funnest game! You have to realize what kinds of gifts were available. There was an XBOX 360, an iPod 4G Nano, a cookware set, CD players, DVD/DVR recorders, overnight stays to bed and breakfasts, surround sound home theater system, camera, 6 airsoft pistols with ammo, a tool set, a portable dvd player pack, a Kitchenaid...seriously, these are the people I work for.

What number was I? Why, 14 of course! I got the pick of the litter. No one could steal my gift from me. It was awesome. I ended up with the camera.

We were all incredulous to the generosity of the company!

So after we opened gifts, we headed out to buy gifts for a Sub for Santa family we were sponsoring and to do it quickly enough to fit in lunch and make it to our mystery activity on time.

Lunch at Training Table in Provo. It was okay, not to die for delicious, but good.

Then we carpooled (meaning, Eric and John drove) to Soldiers Hollow where we went tubing! It was a blast. At first I was apprehensive about having to get all wet and gross, but really, the tubes have a cover over the bottom so snow doesn't creep up through and sprinkle your backside. The best part? The fact there was a tow rope and we didn't have to hike up the hill to come back down.

It was an awesome day. I came home (at 5) tired and sore (from holding onto the tubes, go figure) and happy it was a Friday.

Here are some other pictures from the last week or so. Kayleigh ended up not using this Victoria's Secret box for its intended purpose. Our makeshift Wiseman.




















And I spent my night while my DH was at work making these. They're YUM!

Christmas bells are ringing

Well, I guess since it's been forever....

Not much has happened in the last couple of weeks. Ryan and I told my sister she has until January 14th to move out. We thought her stay was more temporary than it has been and both of our personalities are too strong to be contained in 1000sq ft. Unfortunately, she got laid off a couple days after we told her that. Things don't seem to be looking good for her right now. Sad, but it's a fact of life.

A week ago I set up our Christmas tree, only to find out that the tree I've used since I lived in Centennial (4 yrs ago, now?) doesn't light up. Ryan was swaying toward a real tree, me toward another fake tree.

Ryan: Are you sure you don't want a live tree? They smell so good and they're just as much work as a fake tree.
Chelsea: Nope, don't want it. Our dog would probably chew the branches and get needles everywhere, plus there's the issue of sap and watering it.
Ryan: Watering it doesn't take much.
Chelsea: True, however, we'd spend $80 on this pre-lit artificial tree this year and $50 on a real tree. If the $80 tree lasts 4 years, we're saving $120 over the course of those years, AND it already has the lights on it and we don't have to worry about buying a Christmas tree stand.

I won.

So we got it the next day and that night I set it up and used our wedding beaded garlands and glass ornaments to decorate it. I'm trying to downsize my Christmas decor (much to my DHs delight) and used only the ornaments that coordinated with this year's tree. The others are either being sold on Craigslist or being given away or taken to DI. If you want anything, let me know before I donate it.

I also downsized my decorating overall. Normally I have 3 or 4 garlands placed throughout the house, but because our condo is actually OURS, I don't want to put holes in the wall. I bought some of those command hooks to hang a few things, but really, I'm ready for new decor.

I also attempted to sew our own stockings using a pattern found on familyfun.com, but it didn't turn out quite so well. And I broke the little needle on the sewing machine in the process.

I'm excited for Christmas. Even though Ryan and I decided not to get each other gifts this year because we got a gigantic tv already, Santa is going to bring us gifts in our stockings. Ryan doesn't know it yet, but I found a movie he's wanted forever on Amazon on VHS (who uses those anymore) and I hope he's as excited to get it as I am to give it to him...ahem, I mean Santa to give it to him.

I'll post pictures of our pretty tree later. It reminds me of a pretty glittery frosted cake...but better.

Less than 2 weeks!

Waking Up at Midnight

So, it came, it went, and in the madness, I conquered.

I didn't really go to bed on Thanksgiving Day based on the line of crazy people we saw lined up at Best Buy at 1pm that afternoon. If we wanted that TV we'd been lusting after, it looked like my plan of 1am wasn't going to cut it....and it's a good thing I modified my thinking.

I got to the parking lot at midnight, maybe midnight thirty, after picking up a 24 oz cup of hot chocolate...first of all...the hot chocolate...bad idea. I have to go to the bathroom often enough already and drinking 24 oz at midnight with an estimated 5 hours of no bathroom...clearly I wasn't in my right mind. I was in my war mind.

So after alternately turning on the car/heater and staying under blankets for 3 hours and reading a book by the glow of the parking lot light, I saw a rush of people through the rearview mirror heading for the front door and I made a bolt out of the car with two fleece blankets, my debit card, and my phone....all the while my dear husband slept warm in our comfy bed at home... :)

After waiting what seemed an eternity, the Best Buy boys and girls started asking people what vouchers they wanted, starting from the front of the line and heading back to me, the 150th-ish person.

I made small talk with the people around me for an hour, wishing I'd not worn sandals in the 20-degree and hoped I wasn't standing in line for nothing.

Around 4:15am they finally got to me and asked if anyone was there for LCD tv's...heck yes I am!

So I got the voucher with the guarantee of the tv if paid for before 9am, letting me go home and visit the bathroom and warm up next to my sleeping husband and not have to worry about dashing with the other crazies when the doors opened in an hour.

What a great morning. I think I'll do it again next year...kids or no.

One Year Anniversary.....and Black Friday

OH! On Saturday was the anniversary of when we decided to get married! November 11th. 11/11...what a fun memory. Knowing I'd designed a ring I wanted, he was snooping on my computer last year around this time to figure out what it looked like and how quickly he could get it made...but he wasn't too successful and we ended up going to a few jewelers before we found the best deal and highest quality. Look how cute and in love we are!

I am SO excited this year for the Thanksgiving Day and Day After sales. Ryan and I are wanting to get a new TV for our Christmas gift this year and we hope we can snag a schnazzy big number for a little moo-lah.

Because we're sneaky sneaky, we found out about who will have what we want! I hope no one else plans on going to Circuit City that day, because I'll beat you down for my place in line...no..seriously. That's the #1 priority and then the other awesome deals will be at Target and Walmart. Although, Best Buy is selling some boxed DVD sets for around $15.

My lovely husband just got a cold and isn't doing too hot. I feel so bad for him when he's sick. He's such a trooper and goes to work and carries on as before, just hopelessly miserable.

Holidays!...and a crabby lobster

I absolutely love the holiday season. Like, LOVE it. It's just so sad that Ryan doesn't share the sentiment. I hope to change that one day. Maybe once we have kids and he can see how magical it can be for them to become wrapped up in cute sweaters and go Trick-or-Treating and carve pumpkins and eat turkey and share what they are thankful for...maybe THEN he'll start to love it as much as I do.

Until then...

Ryan had to work on Halloween so I was home with Kayleigh and Tara was in town visiting. We ordered pizza (Watkins tradition on Halloween and Christmas Eve) and handed out candy to the..oh, maybe 5 kids that knocked on the door.

Our poor little dog has to suffer and be like a kid..yes, I am pathetic...I put our puppy in a costume...

I vowed I'd never be one of those people, as did Ryan, but the poor guy shivers and needs coats...the costume was just a step too far.

He demolished the leg pieces already but we have the head part still. He's supposed to be a lobster...it's rather pathetic


And this was about 3 minutes after we put it on him...it didn't last too long...