Game Night, Every Night

Dave and I sat down last night played 12 rounds of Yahtzee! 12 ROUNDS!!!! That's the equivalent of 2.5 hours of Yahtzee. We bought the game this weekends at Rite Aid for $5 thinking that it might be a fun and cheap game to bring to parties, as it is easy and everyone already knows how to play. Little did we know that we would be playing it nightly and it would be immediately added to our queue of games:)

I have seriously adore that Dave and I play a LOT of games. Instead of watching TV or doing something that engages us separately, we love playing games together. I would say that 5 out of seven nights include at least one or more rounds of Cribbage and we have now incorporated Gin-Rummy (Grandpa Dick style!), Yahtzee & Sequence to our regular line up. We throw on some Christmas music and let the games begin!!!

End of the Week Thoughts

Saw New Moon last night with two of my best girls and it was great! A bit cheesy at times, but you all know how I love a teen movie. Interestingly enough, New Moon was my least favorite book of the series, but I really enjoyed the film! While at the movies I managed to burn my pant leg and loose my new Lululemon headband. Really?

Our laptop had a rough week when it decided to break down and have a hard drive crisis. After much unnecessary time at Apple, we called to see what the trouble was and apparently they felt like being angels that day because they were giving us a free, upgraded hard drive and free installation! I was a bit suspicious, so when Dave picked it up he asked, "Why for free?" They said hardly anything acting very archaic, but when and he looked at the receipt it had 3 repairs on it. He inquired again, and they explained that they broke the keyboard, mouse pad, and face plate when trying to access the hard drive. Oopps! Either way, we are very lucky because it would have been $500 and it was free:)

Went shopping yesterday to find a cute Christmas party top and my search started at Free People, one of my most favorite stores to find unique and funky stuff. I don't know if I have been poor for too long, gained weight, or out-grown them, but nothing struck my fancy and I didn't even appreciate the pushy, size -0, overly styled, commission-fevered, pseudo-models coming at me from every direction. I immediately left and went to my happy place, J. Crew. I found just what I was looking for in exactly 47 seconds and left on my merry way. I must be growing up:)

Dave and I have been having too much fun spraying this liquid cat nip all over our living room and watching the Animal Planet episode that follows. I feel like the kitties are expecting it now and I can just imagine their thoughts, "Okay, they finished dinner and after dishes you know they are gonna get the sprayer out. How ridiculous are they treating us like we are mud wrestlers and cheering us on. Get a life humans!" Although I agree completely, they are so cute and Fluff is getting really assertive.

Went to a jeweler yesterday to take in Grammy's ring. It's a beautiful ring including 2 round peridot stones stacked vertically. They are in a very old setting and I think it was either Grammy's, or older because the band is HUGE. I know she had large fingers like I do, but I remember Mom and Annie saying that our great-grandmother had incredibly large hands and this ring had a larger band than Grammy's other rings. Oh well, that's not the point. The band had snapped and it was really dirty, so I got it repaired and cleaned! I just love it:)

It has been a prep for the holidays week for me. I got a new round of Christmas CD's from Costco, and this might be my best purchase of holiday music to date. Also, I got my fall/Thanksgiving decorations out, I finished all 60 of my Christmas cards, wrapped all of my presents, and I'm finishing up details of my Christmas craft! I love that it wont be chaos before Christmas trying to get it all done!

I finally made my first purchase with Grammy's money. My new Canon camera is in the mail as I write and I couldn't be more excited to take some photos with my Grammy. When we cleared out her house, she had boxes, upon boxes, of photos. She kept every photo, every card, ever program from piano to graduations, I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. It made me feel so loved and so special that I vowed that I would start to take pictures and save the important things that require saving. For instance, maybe I would get rid of the jeans that I fit into during high school and give up the dream of revisiting them and replace the space they are taking up with say, Mr and Mrs. Smith's wedding photos, Grammy's box of treasures, etc. Get my point?

I talked to my internship site and I start January 11th! I am beyond thrilled and I cant wait to be a part of something bigger and learning via practical application. I will finally have clients, and cannot express in words what that means to me. I can finally help in the best way I know how.

Loose-ends: I have pimple on above my lip that makes me want to drink heavily to ease the pain, I'm not, but I want to, I only have 3 more weeks of class and I can hardly contain myself, I get to see Annie this next week, I deiced to stop biting my finger nails last week and they look pretty good, I have seen SO many ads for great Christmas movies and I'm pretty jazzed pick our holiday show this week, and I got a new candle that I love and want to keep burning all day long!

Have a great weekend to all and a special shout out to EP, as always, but especially now, you and your Mamma are in my thoughts. Positive vibes are being sent your way...

Date Crasher

I forgot how much funnier things are around my sister.

On Friday night, I was going to take Dave on a surprise dinner at his favorite, Benihana. I called Mrs. Smith to see if she had the coupon card, and she gladly invited herself to join. Yes please! So, we got to the restaurant and the server added a high chair to our table where the Misses and I, in unison, rolled our eyes and began imagining a loud, crying, ugly baby, ugh. Anyway, this is when I remembered why I just LOVE being with my sister. Everything is funnier. Not just a little funnier, but cross your legs and hope you don't wet yourself funny. Dave was a great sport, joining when necessary, and letting us pick off his plate.

In all, this was one of the best nights I have had in a while. I laughed the entire time! I want to do this every month, and hopefully Smith can join us the next time! Thanks for crashing my date night sister, we had a blast!

Sunday Morning Funny

I laughed out loud! Well done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZFxDlq3DpY

Right?

Where I Came From

When I was in my first psychology class back at LBCC, the only thing I can recall is when my professor talked about how family members are more willing to like, forgive, need, and stay interested in family that looks like them. I find this to be insulting and wrong, but I have heard it over and over again in courses since. But I wonder, would I like my sister so much if she didn't look just like me? Of course!!!!!

I started to wonder about who I am a combination of. I dissected my personality and dissected my physical features in hopes to find that I was an equal combination of both my mom and dad. When I started pulling at things, I discovered that I don't reflect a combination of them, rather a combination of those around me. This is exactly when I found out that my calling in therapy would be in family systems! Either way, I got to know those family members that held portions of my very being in order to understand myself more clearly. What I found was hard and ugly but okay and settling.

I have my mom's face. I see her when I smile, I see her in my eyes, and in my hair. I will have her chest and I have her knack for always wanting more; more people, more food, and more fun!

I have my dad's hands. I sweat like him and I have the same brow lines. I have his anger and quick response. I have his adventurous spirit and his need for drama.

I have my Annie's judgement. I have her patience and ability to be alone. I have her cheek bones and we have the same nose (or used to!) I have her passion for school and her love of travel and literature.

I have grandpa's nose and I have his cheek bones. We both tuck our thumbs into our fists when our hands are completely relaxed and don't

know why. I remind him of my mom and he calls me Lori more than Taylor. I love it.

My grammy and I have the same guilt trip capabilities. I have her love for flowers and art. We have the same matter-of-fact demeanor. We share the need to tell the ones we love that we love them dearly, all the time.

Here is where I am stuck, I don't know what features of my other grandparents make up parts of me. I don't know them well enough anymore, and sadly, I forget what it was like before the great divide. I feel like I am missing parts of me. That parts of who I am are unidentifiable. Here is what brought be back today...

Grandpa called me. He's in AZ on his own and telling me exuberantly about what he fills his days with. He asks me about the Seahawks and tells me to call him after the Sunday game so we can "talk about their offense." He tells me about how he is eating only Top Ramen but tomorrow he is going to the grocery sore because it's Senior Day and he get 10% off. He tells me that he's cleaning the house and is a better house wife than I'll ever be (I agree!). He tells

me about how much he loves his enchiladas with "gummy cheese Taylor, that the key!" and to get extra sauce on the side. (He loves sauces just like the rest of us) He tells me about how he wishes I were there to share the heat and ample amount of garlic. He tells me that Dave better marry me soon, but he understands that I'm some "hippy that doesn't need marriage." He tells me that things are "fine" between him and grandma. That she's gone, but its because she is sending time with Ron, but again, "we're fine, TJ." Then he tells me he loves me 4 times and that he'll call me on Sunday.

I can't imagine anything happening to Grandpa. I wish so much that I was there with him, playing cards, eating too much garlic and Mexican food, and walking everywhere. Life with him would be glorious as he is more fun than most people I know. What I don't understand, is why he is alone? It breaks my heart, because I think he knows, that I know very well what is going on.