Best Buds

It was a whirlwind 2 1/2 weeks with my brother & Luci here from Colorado...I hadn't seen her since she was two, and she's four now. I was worried how her & Reese would get along, if they would at all. To my surprise, they were attached at the hip just seconds after she arrived. From sun up, to sun down, those two were doing everything together; Playing, running, eating, watching movies, bathroom breaks, baths....you name it, they had to do it together.

Robbie and Luci left this morning about 3am and I'm hoping Reese doesn't feel too down. He's had a live-in playmate for the last couple weeks. He woke up this morning and said "Mama where Woosy?" (As my heart breaks in half for him.)

It was definitely an eye-opener as far as having more kids. There were times where I found myself thinking HELL FREAKING NO...NO MORE FOR ME! But there were also times where I thought HMM...MAYBE REESE NEEDS SOMEONE TO PLAY WITH SOMEDAY....

This Christmas was one of the best.....and worst. Most of you know that my dad has throat cancer. Christmas just made that all the more suckier. He cant taste anything, cant eat, can hardly drink, and sleeps close to half the day. My family is known for their cooking and parties and fun, and my dad couldn't really take part in any of that...and it just really freaking sucked to watch.

Other than the cancer thing, this was an amazing Christmas. The kids got everything they wanted an more...WAY more. I didnt tell Justin I wanted anything and for the first time in the history of us, he picked presents out for me all by himself, and did a pretty great job if I do say so myself :)

I used some of my Christmas bonus and bought us two Disneyland Annual Passes which I FULLY intend on using numerous times throughout this next year.

I'm now ready to kick the new year into gear and get off my ass and start exercising. I really need to lose about 40-50 lbs, and I'm hoping to lose at least 30 by my wedding in June. I refuse to look like a heffer in my dress.

So there you have it: Our Christmas in a nutshell. I hope everyone had as good a time as we did, and I hope you guys all have an even better new year.

And with that, I leave you this:

Merry Christmas!

From the whole family!

Joyful!

I am extremely excited for two reasons....okay maybe three or more. But the first, is because my ONLY niece, Miss Luci, will be here on Saturday. In three days. I. Cant. Wait. I haven't spent Christmas with her since she was one, and she just turned four in October...This Christmas will be amazing to say the least.

Second, is because my brother will also be here not only for Christmas, but for Reese's birthday too. We're 10 years apart, so when I was growing up, he was gone for most of my birthdays because he was in the Air Force traveling to God knows where, so this actually means alot to me.

Third, this is the first year that Reese and Luci will spend Christmas together. I already have SO many things planned, its ridiculous. Lights at CALM, holiday pictures, Haggin Oaks lights, going to see Santa at the mall...and the list goes on.
I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!




Here's a peek of the last Christmas I spent with Lu:

Disneyland!

This past weekend, we headed to the Happiest Place on Earth! DISNEYLAND! Justin and I drove my car down with Reese, and my parents followed in their truck. I can't explain how happy I was watching my son's face as he saw all his favorite characters and ride rides. The first ride of the day was the Dumbo ride with daddy...he was super excited! He got to meet Pluto and Goofy, and got to see Jack Skellinton (one of his favorites). His eyes lit up when he saw Buzz Lightyear in the Christmas Parade....he was so happy. It was definitely a weekend full of memories, and we can't wait to go back next year! (Which will be on a WEEKDAY by the way!)

Christmas wishes

I love this time of year. When I was a teenager, I loved it because it meant getting new CD's, clothes, and purses. When I was a kid it meant getting new Barbies, dollhouses, and bikes. I love it now, because I get to see the look on my son's face when he wakes up to a room filled with new things....its amazing. On Christmas Eve, we put everything together, slap on the stickers, and stick in the batteries. I bitch and complain about how tired I am, but its all worth it in the morning. I get to see the happiest little boy on the planet.

Its going to be even better this year, because Reese is going to be 2 and my 4 year old niece Luci will be here, which is double the fun.

Reese likes Tonka cars/trucks, Toy Story everything, Mickey Mouse & Friends, and anything that makes noise. Luci is into Zhu Zhu Pets, Coraline, Disney Princesses, and dress up kits. Needless to say, we've got all bases covered, and these kids are going to have a great Christmas!

'Tis the season!

So, my dad has made it through week one of chemo & radiation, hooray! He hasn't felt sick or nauseous yet, which is great. We're headed to Disneyland two days after Thanksgiving, so we're all hoping he still feels pretty good by then.

This weekend we're breaking out the Christmas decorations, becuase I just absolutely cannot stand to wait one more week to decorate. I feel very Christmasy this year, mostly because my brother, sister-in-law & niece will be here for the first time in 3 years. I absolutely adore her, and cant wait to spend some much needed time with her!

I'm not sure if we'll be doing our annual Black Friday shopping this year...my super crazy-pro-black-friday aunt has moved out of state, so it wont be the same. We always head out around 4am, grab some Starbucks, and get in line. She usually ends up getting in a fight with someone, which is awesome. And I'm not being sarcastic, it really IS awesome, not to mention pretty funny. Last year, we were at the Valley Plaza trying to find a handicapped parking space, because she had her new handicapped sign for her car. We FINALLY found one, right in the front, and this van full of Mexicans pulled right in JUST before we could. She actually rolled down her window and asked them if they were really handicapped. Oh shit. One of the girls got all ghetto-fabulous on her, and started cussing her out and whatnot....We finally convinced my aunt to just find another spot as opposed to calling the handicapped police on them. GOOD TIMES!

So, without that crazy handicapped mexican yelling-at'er aunt, what fun is Black Friday shopping? That, and I'm almost finished with all my shopping anyway.

This commercial TOTALLY reminds me of YOU Aunt Nita! :) Love you!

Planning.

I feel like my head is spinning....We're about to get into the Holidays, Reese's 2nd birthday, and my fiancee's birthday. Once its all over, its usually time to relax, but not this holiday season- Because once we wrap up on all the holidays its time to kick this wedding thing into overdrive. January means we have six months for planning, fittings, buying and planning....Not to mention losing a few pounds (hopefully).

I think I've been driving my bridesmaids crazy trying to find the perfect dresses for them. Their bodies are ALL different. Seriously. I have a super-tall slim, super-short with huge boobs, short and skinny, and everything in between. I want my girls to look super sexy too, so its only natural that I put alot of effort into their dress as well. After months of looking and searching, I stumbled upon this:

http://www.henkaa.com/convertible-dresses/sakura/#



These. dresses. are. AMAZING.

There is seriously about 40 different ways to wear it, so when I tell my girls "You can totally wear this again!" I'm NOT lying, like every other bride.

Here's a pic of just a few examples of the many ways to wear this super-versatile dress!