New Update for the New Year

Well, it’s been a while since my last post and I feel like nothing has even really happened since then. As a tribute to the beginning of the year I thought I’d post about the last couple months.

October – First, Kirks little brother came home from his mission in the Philippines. I made a sign and Kirk was a little jealous because no one made him a sign when he came home. I had an extra piece of poster board lying around so I made him a sign too.  Since I haven’t had any brothers go on missions yet, I was very excited to go to the airport and be there when he came down the ramp and everything and let me tell you..that just didn't work like I thought it would.  We got to the airport a hour before his plane landed but there was confusion about which terminal his plane was getting into, and we ended up being the last people to arrive at the gate and totally missed Jacob coming down the ramp.  It was a super big fail.

We, for the first time since we started dating, did not go to the corn maze.  We talked about it, and planned on it, but it just never happened.  For Halloween we went to Kirks grandmas house and just handed out candy.  There were a whole 6 trick-or-treaters so it was a super busy night.  I think I ate more candy then anything.. 

November – I survived my first Primary Program as the chorister.  I think know I was more nervous than any of the kids were.  I was kind of running around like crazy trying to make sure I had everything ready, and at one point a member of the stake presidency

(that lucky me, happened to be there that day) looked at me and told me to calm down.  I just couldn't do it.  I dropped my song book once, accidentally skipped a verse, and thanks to me the kids sang that ‘the foolish man built his house upon the rock’.  Boy did that confuse people.. Eventually it was all over, and I’m already dreading this years program.

The Saturday before thanksgiving my moms side of the family had their traditional family thanksgiving dinner.  We took our family Christmas pictures which was always fun.  We had Thanksgiving Day at Kirks parents house and most of Kirks siblings were able to make it which was really awesome.  Kirks sister, her husband, and their daughter (from the bay area) stayed at our house on Thanksgiving night and we were able to spend some time with them.  The boys went golfing and his sister and I did some Black Friday shopping.  It was so nice to be able to spend some time with them since we don’t get out to see them very often. 

December – To Kirks delight, we went to a Broncos game. In Oakland. Crazy right?  We decided right away that we weren't going to risk wearing any Broncos colors. We took the Bart in and were surrounded by Raiders fans the entire time, and much to my dismay Kirk kept talking about how excited he was to see Peyton Manning play live very loudly.  Watching football live is much more entertaining than watching it at home. We made it through the night in one piece, and Kirk now says that going to the football game was his favorite thing we've done together.

 To start off the Christmas season we had Kirks Company Christmas party the first weekend of the month.  I’m always stumped at what to wear to those things, but this year I knew exactly what I was wearing.  I got a color block skirt from Kohls that is just amazing.  The dinner was at a nice Greek restaurant which was different.  They gave us drink tickets, but obviously we don’t drink alcohol but we thought we could still use them to order soda, but it turned out soda was free which was awesome.  We don’t usually get anything but water when we go to eat, so I just had to get something.  That something turned out to be 4 Shirley Temples.  Kirk decided to get one and they had so much sugar in them that he ended up having a total sugar high and kind of bounced around the room the entire night which was entertaining.  For dinner I had ordered the steak and when they brought it out I think my jaw dropped.  It. Was. HUGE.  By huge I mean like 16 ounces.  That is 4 servings of red meat.  Holy smokes.  (His co-workers wife thought I was a vegetarian and asked me if they brought me out the wrong plate.  When I told her no, she replied “good girl”.)


Kirks company did a "Gingerbread House" building contest again this year, and I think they should take the "house" off the name, because no one really does a classic gingerbread house.  This year Kirk decided he wanted to do the Birdsnest from the Beijing Olympics. He really has a knack for picking hard things.  It took us a long time to do, and it was a lot of work.  I was hoping he'd win since he worked so hard on it, but he didn't! His boss told him he "got robbed" and another co-worked said there should be a recount. I told him we should boycott next year.

The outside was made with red vines

The soccer ball is a white gumball, and the players are Teddy Grahams

Kirk, his old roommate Eric, and I attended the wedding reception of a different previous roommate in the bay area.  It was a nice evening and nice company.  At one point I asked Kirk to go find me a piece of cake so like a good husband he did.  I was sitting alone at the table and a little boy who was maybe 6 came up to me and asked me “whats wrong?”  I told him “I’m waiting for cake.  Where is it?  You didn't bring me any?”  He replied that he’d go get me some and that he’d be right back. I figured I’d never see him again, but before I knew it he was back with cake, a fork, and a napkin.  I was quite impressed.  Kirk came back and was confused at how I was already eating cake.  They thought it would be funny to stack all the empty cake plates in front of me.  The little boy came back and saw all the plates and kind looked at me funny.  Eric told him that I’d eaten all 4 plates and this little boys eyes got all big and just goes “Wow….”

The Saturday before Christmas we were able to go to a family Christmas party in Pleasanton, which was always a good time.  I made these Boston Cream Cupcakes and I was so excited and they just really really really didn't work out.  Kirk was super good sport and even sat on Santas lap for a photo. 

Christmas Eve …to start the day off right, I got a new toy.  Kirk and I have been talking for a while about getting a nice camera and we’d been saying we’d get one when I got pregnant that way we could practice with it before the baby came.  Well, since that’s taking so long we didn't really talk about it much anymore.  Around thanksgiving we’d been offered a used Nikon for a pretty unbeatable price, and we knew that the seller took really good care of it so it was pretty much as good as new.  We decided to just go for it, and now I have a new baby.  We had dinner with Kirks family and we were all able to visit and have a nice evening.

Christmas morning we opened presents at home next to our beautiful Christmas tree (that Kirk had a lot more choices in decorating this year.  Well, more choices about how many ornaments went on it).  We had a small Christmas this year, but I got a nook which was exciting.  We had brunch with my moms family, then dinner with my dads family. 

New Years Eve – Kirk decided we were just going to stay home for the night.  We rented the newest Batman movie and had steak and cheese fondue for dinner, and chocolate fondue with fruit for dessert.  I was a little paranoid most of the night about if I was hearing fireworks or gunshots.  Something hit our house at one point of time which did actually freak me out a little. 

Well…that’s the summation of my last 3 months.  Nothing very exciting but that’s been our life lately.