Shop 'til you drop...

...or until your hiney hurts from shopping online. I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping...since the family drew names this year it's been a lot easier with a few less gifts. The nieces and nephews are all taken care of and I really like their gifts...hope they do too!!

I hope you are getting all of your shopping done AND that you are enjoying this festive time of year. We got our first snow up here and it's been very cold. It's definitely Christmas!!

Love to all,
Jenni

My Little Tree of Christmas Love...

I am officially full of the Christmas Spirit!! I am almost finished putting up all my decorations and the house is so inviting and warm. My tree isn't as grand as some, but I love it. It's perfect for me and the kitties. Here are a few pics of my cozy Sunday evening at home!

My OU ornament!Can't forget Spongebob!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good: It's Friday. The weather is sunny with a high of 45 degrees. Edmond is all aglow with beautiful Christmas lights and the holiday spirit can be felt everywhere in my wonderful town. Mom is selling candy and goodies during Dicken's Weekend in downtown Edmond and I am her Little Helper! Another 'good' is the Big XII game tomorrow--I will be cheering my Sooners on to victory!!

The Bad: It's Friday. I have a Biology final exam on Saturday morning at 9:00 am. There will be no sleeping late tomorrow, no staying up tonight being lazy and watching movies or my plethora of DVR choices. I've made A's on every exam in this class and there is no reason not to ace this final. So I will continue my studies tonight.

The Ugly: Next Thursday is my Differential Equations final exam. And even though I have pulled miraculously through this semester, I am dreading it. My previous three exam grades (and I cringe as I make this public) are as follows in order from exam 1 to 3: C, A, B. I've been all over the spectrum but I'm pretty sure I'm maintaining a B average at the moment. So this final exam could go either way. If I can keep that B average I will be VERY pleased to say the least. And DE will be OVER!!

Thanksgiving '08: A Recap

I had such a good time over the Thanksgiving holiday. We went to my brother's house in Tejas and it was great to see everyone. The kids were hilarious and adorable as usual! I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful family--there is a lot of love there! It was one of the best times...

Here are some pics:

Our first stop in town was Build-A-Bear. Here are my niece Sydney and my nephew Brandon, perusing the loot in the store.Here is my other niece, Samantha, with her cutie bear, Rainbow.

My brother and my sis-in-law. They are both disgustingly fit and good-looking. Here they are eating an apple. An APPLE! Where are the sausage balls? Cheese dip??

How cute is this?? Sam helping Aunt Jenni make cupcakes!

My peanut, all grown up! Here is Brandon ice skating. We had such fun out there!

Here are two of my favorite things: Sydney and Alex the cat!

Two beautiful ladies...Grandma Ruby and Mom!

3.1 or 13.1? Hmmm....

I am thinking about training for the Oklahoma City Memorial Half-Marathon. I am already signed up for the 5K, but what if I really try to prepare for the half? I have a LONG way to go training-wise (I'm sitting here eating Teddy Grahams). But I always wanted to run a half-marathon, and even if I am not ready by race-time (April 26) at least I will have made some progress for the 2010 race!

I've downloaded some really great training plans and I've got a lot of time especially with final exams being over next week. I am not totally accustomed to running in this Oklahoma wind and it's going to start getting very cold very soon. But I can give it a try, right? I'll keep you (my many, many fans) posted on my (if any) progress. Yay for me!

Here, Kitty, Kitty!

You ever notice how when you pour food into a cat’s bowl they come running? No matter where they are in the house, when they hear that food hit the bowl they make a beeline for the feast.

Funny thing…

At my office we keep a big bowl up front filled with candy all year. Sometimes Jane will put those peppermint patty things in there and sometimes, it’s peanut M&Ms. I noticed something interesting the other day … when Jane poured a fresh bag of peanut M&Ms into the glass bowl, it made the “tink” sound like cat food in a bowl. The men came out of their offices like cats to a feeding frenzy. I’m not even sure they realized they were doing it, but man it sure was funny.

All I could picture were the men running to the bowl for their treat…kept me laughing all afternoon.

Heading South...

Mom, Dad and I are packing up the car, making 96-year-old Grandma Ruby comfortable and headed to Texas! We are celebrating Turkey Day this year at my brother's house in The Woodlands. The ride down there will be relatively quiet, but as soon as we set foot in that house all Heck will break loose!! My nieces and nephew will be wild and fun, football will be on 24/7, boardgames and poker chips will make an appearance and the house will smell of fattening goodness. I can't wait!! Thank goodness I have gotten over my yucky bacterial ear/throat infection and am feeling so much better. Jeffrey, Susan, Brandon, Sydney, Samantha and Alex--here we come!!

There is nothing quite like spending holidays seasons with those you love (AND we actually like each other, too!)

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!! Go Aggies, go Sooners!

xo

Jen

Woe is Me.

A bacterial ear/throat infection hit me like a brick last Thursday. I am finally back at work today, although I am totally spaced out. I'm on a major antibiotic (and by major I mean it's a heavy dosage AND it's a big ole horse pill). I really hope the congestion clears up before our trip down to Texas on Wednesday. I can't hear, smell or taste anything. My world has been filled with nothing but Ricola cough drops, orange juice and Nyquil. My nose is incredibly sore from the blowing and the running...what a pity party (sniffle, cough). My mom is just the sweetest thing ever, taking me to the doctor and picking up my prescription. She came over again on Saturday to check up on me too. Thanks, Mommy! But I am on the mend and feeling much better today than last week.

Avoid The Crud at all costs, people! Wash your hands, eat an orange and get plenty of sleep!

The Phlegm Monster,

Useless Trivia of the Day...

* Goldfish have the attention span of about 3 seconds.

* Daddy longlegs are not spiders and do not bite.

* Women eat more hotdogs than men do.

* American car horns beep in the tone of F.

* Cows are among the gassiest animals on earth.


Happy Wednesday!

My Fixer Elixir

A glass of wine DOES solve everything...

My Greek friend, Ianthe, introduced me to Riesling wine about 5 years ago. I've since tasted a variety of the sweet German wines and they are for sure my favorite. I particulary enjoy Liebfraumilch (German for "Beloved lady's milk" or something like that) but I couldn't find a good pic of the bottle. The best Liebfraumilch by far is Schmitt Sohne.

"Liebfraumilch is a fine blended wine utilizing four different types of grapes grown in the Rhein region. Liebfraumilch is the most popular style of wine from Germany and is always a quality wine."

I also like Blue Nun German wines (pictured above). A lot of people don't care for the sweetness of German wine, but I *heart* it. Yum...me likes my wine! :)

Cheers,

Letting go of the past...

I've reached an amazing milestone in my personal life...I finally opened up a few pockets from my past and emptied them. There were parts of my past that were bogging me down for many years, and it can be very hard to let go and move on. But with the strength and independence I have gained the last year or two, I am stronger than I have ever been before. Old wounds have healed and faded away. I learned a lot from those wounds and they have made me all the wiser. A strong sense of self, prayer, the support of loved ones and friends--these all make my everyday life possible.
Spreading my wings and flying high

Studs.

These guys knock my socks off...and last night was no exception. The Eagles performed at the 42nd Annual CMA Awards. I particularly enjoyed the fact that they all wore suits and ties for the performance!! It was great. Dude, the Eagles rock!

So here is some Eagles trivia for any fans:

Which California hotel was featured on the cover of the Eagles' classic 1976 album, Hotel California?

Tending to the Family Tree...

Since moving to Oklahoma in 2006, I have more than ever started to embrace my roots. The more history I can learn about Oklahoma the better. For my birthday this year, mom and dad bought me 3 books on the history of Oklahoma. I am reading one now about Oklahoma place names and it's really neat stuff. I've also been researching our family tree. With a lot of help from my extended Okie family, old photo albums and the internet, I have compiled names, events and even physical records of genealogy. It's very exciting! My ultimate goal of this search is to determine whether I have proof of Cherokee heritage. My paternal side of the family is positive that my great-great grandmother was of Cherokee decent (we do not know for sure if she was full-blooded Cherokee).

I am very proud of my roots and where I come from in this world!

More as it develops...

Change is good...

...no matter the outcome. Get your vote on, America!!

The Aftermath.

What in the world am I supposed to do with all this??????

Now that's what I call leftovers! Bring on the cavities...

Happy All Saints' Day,