This Will Be Our Year

This year marks the third annual New Years Eve party in Kountze. The first year, 2010 into 2011 was a raucous one. Dan and I had been in the house for about 6 days. Every extended and close family member in the area came over and rocked the house. People were sleeping everywhere. No one had blankets, there were hardly any beds. I slept on the floor with a jacket. It was rough and not well thought out. But it was a huge success as far as parties go.  

The next year, 2011 into 2012 was better stocked with beds and food but I have a feeling a few people were gun shy to return, haha. Totally fair. 

THIS YEAR...this year is going to be even better. Dan and I have been getting ready for this sucker all year. We have put a lot of energy into fixing up our home and prepping for the influx of guests. We cannot wait to host everyone to ring in the new year!! I was thinking that after Dan's surgery (Dan got a bo-bo) and Christmas that we would be dreading this whole thing we signed up for...WRONG, DEAD WRONG. We are so ready to go it isn't even funny!! We are so super duper excited. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that is it at our home. We get to be the hosts and have an opportunity to spend family time on our turf. That is very precious to us. 

Here is my inspiration brag board for this year:

Need to do Food. This is happening. 

Healthy spinach dip? Yes please.

I have the recipe for these feats of wonderment. 

Decor. This is also happening, minus the creepy kid.

Already done: This phrase is cut out in hot pink and strung across a ribbon in the house. 

Need to do: I would really, really like to have huge balloons and I bought black, white, and gold tissue paper to make the fringe...we shall see. Those balloons are expensive though and I don't think I have the space in either of our vehicles to transport the amount I want home. Boo. 

Not doin' it: The guys will be glad I am NOT making them do this again like I made them do for the rehearsal dinner. It was funny though. Good stories from that one. They took the boat in the bed of the truck to fill it with ice. they got back to the house and had to use their beastly strength to wrastle it out if the truck. I was certain my groom-to-be was going to break his back or a groomsmen was going to lose a finger. All's well that ended well on that one. 

Did that, (check): I have ribbons strung across my house already...gold, and several prints in green on twine rope. It's a party all Christmas season at my place. Lemme tell ya. 

Check that too: Blessing string is already strung around the ceiling with the names of family and friends. 

Need to do: Must. Make. Cookie. Tower. Cake. 

Need to do: I need to make these cut out numbers for a great photo op!!!

Done did it: We put lights up on the house, on the ranch style gate entrance to the property, and on the opening to the door of the barn. We look like a Candy Cane Lane for grown ups :) 

WANT: Imagine these beauties floating in my soggy, mossy, algae infested pond for the party. They're just balloons with a glow stick in them. I hope it isn't windy.

In my dreams: I would like to have these...but I may wait for the year after I win the lottery. These are a bit pricey. That will be the same year I hire a photographer to document it. lol Never gunna happen. 

Gotta Do It: So I wont use mason jars; I don't have enough and I'm not sure they will be wind proof enough anyway...but we will have white paper bags that we will fill with sand and candles to line the path to and from the barn so people have a safe path to travel...avoiding fire ant hills; holes in the ground; and have decent, non trip worthy topography.

Lawd Have Mercy: Decorating the barn is a whole other type of scenario; like putting lipstick on a pig.  The barn is where I suppose half the night will be spent around. Through the opening you see in this picture we plan to have a mini Aggie Bonfire raging. 

Work in progress: This phrase is cut out in hot pink. I want to have a mini bar out there so I'll have Dan clear space on a few of his tool boxes for me to set it up. One birthday I got Dan a retired stop light so I'll have that plugged in and pulling people in like a moth to a flame. I also impulse bought a battery powered mini string of blue lights. so I'll make that work in there somehow.

Goals: I only have one goal and that's one BIG Group Picture!!! Katie, this one is gunna require your camera and remote. I need you.

That's all I want. The rest will fall into place. I can't wait to have the party go down. I'll take tons of pictures of how it all turned out and hopefully a group picture to brag with :)

To the family that won't be able to attend, I promise it won't be any fun without you. It sure won't be the same. And you can take that to the bank, JACK!

Christmas and Recovery

What a year this has been!!! Our 2012 calender is chock full of memorable moments. Weddings to attend; including our own, vacations to enjoy; and birthdays to celebrate. 

Well last week the trips and hits kept coming. Late Friday evening Dan was prepped and sent into surgery to remove his gallbladder. He had been battling attacks for several weeks so when it was decided that it had to be taken out we were both a bit relieved to know there was a solution. We scheduled it quickly and got to it. Here he is, chipper as ever, prior to the big event. 

Dan's mom came and shared in the fun. We sat in the pre-op space freezing our rear ends off. Dan was on hour twenty of fasting. Joan and I were starving as well but decided to wait until he went back with the doctors before we ever would eat in front of him. Poor thing. 

The surgery went pretty fast but we caught the shift change and had to wait hours before we could see him. We met him in his hospital room for an overnight stay. He was in and out of sleep, mostly out. Unfortunately he didn't even say any drug induced silly stuff. Huge bummer. 

The Surgeon was so great explaining that everything went well. They could tell his gallbladder had been messed up for quite some time and that everything else looked good. Thanks to everyone who prayed for him along the way!!

On the door jam for his room they set up this magnet. I believe it means that if he slips his eye will pop out like a sick goldfish. I am happy to report we avoided all tripping hazards the entire stay. His eyes are normal. 

The hand wash warning sign said, "STOP, collaborate and listen, wash your hands."

Dan got to go home Saturday afternoon. He gingerly walked around the house a few times then passed out. Sunday he was feeling a little worse for wear but was well enough that I packed him up, stuck him in the Mazda and drove to Houston for our "TWO CHRISTMASES"!!! Please enjoy the little clip below. We spent Christmas Eve with the Fike's then Christmas Day with the Woofenhoffen's (Wamhoff's). We are truly blessed to be able to see both sides of the family for the holidays!! 

While at the Fike's, Lily actually saw a cat when we pointed it out and she chased it up a tree!! She is SO fierce. That cat had to watch out or it might have been loved to death by Lily. And Tia was so on top of it too. 

Here are just a few pictures from Christmas eve. 

Ari enjoyed the bejeweled bottle of firewater we got her. 

Lily got a squeaky toy from Santa  That girl just loves to make noise. I'll have you know that half the stuffing was out by the next morning. Check out Tia admiring from close by. 

 Lily was a nut. She just loved going from person to person the whole evening. To calm her down I let her stare at a bag of her treats. Every so often I would give her one to encourage the patience. 

Mamaw gave mom a gloriously gaudy tiger shirt. Someone shouted, "It's a picture of Lily's mom"! Lily went over to confirm that yes, it very well could be a picture of her tiger mother. 

Lily loves her Gran-gran. She did her slow army crawl into his lap several times that evening. 

THEN...Dad got a huge tiger beach towel and someone shouted, "It's lily's Tiger Father!!" I do believe my dad did a Darth Vader voice, "Lily, I am your father". 

My Mom got Tiger eyes from my Aunt Michelle and Uncle Brandon. It took her approximately two seconds to bring it to her face as seen below. 

Christmas day we spent at the Wamhoff's. We had a great time together! We ate like kings and watched a slide show that Katie put together from our trip back in November. I did not cry though I thought about it.

The wind was howling the whole day!!! Our phones kept getting storm alerts and tornado watches and wind advisories. I left my phone on silent the rest of the day and recorded the day with just my mind. I don't have to share everything. Of which I am sure you are thankful :) 

I hope you had a great Christmas full of family and warm fuzzy memories! Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thank you for my big, huge, crazy family!!

My Brother's Wedding

Dan and I were lucky enough to spend time celebrating my brother Branden's wedding to a beautiful young lady, Jessica. We are so lucky to have her in the family! Below are some pictures from the trip. 

Classic instagram photo basically projecting, "look, I'm in a plane! You cannot deny that I am world traveler".

We got there a wee bit early so to waste time before check in we wandered the cold, deserted, original strip. There was a bar called La Bayou with some girls in Mardi Gras float costumes standing out front. I had half a mind to ask the girls if I could switch outfits with them. 

Dan's new diet restrictions encourage us to eat Asian cuisine more frequently than not. So we went for some...SUSHI!!! Always a treat.

The day of the wedding, Branden and Jess had lunch with us. They seemed so relaxed and excited for the ceremony. It was a real treat to be with them before it. Heading back to the hotel, mom asked Branden to coach Ari on her first gambling experience. They played Blackjack and he helped her come out a winner. Though he did say she made a risky move he wouldn't have made but explained that it helped both of them beat the dealer. Way to go team!

Mom and I made them reenact their cashier pay out. Kodak Moment.

Later we were on a mission to get chap stick. The silver robot man on the street needs to shop at Walgreens too.

The Fike's after the wedding

The happy couple!!! This is right before they cut the cake. 

After the wedding and dinner a group of us went to check out the old strip light show. 

We eventually made our way to the new strip and wandered around for HOURS!!

The next day's adventures included the Shark Tank at the Mandalay Bay

Bellagio

The gardens at the Bellagio with polar bears made of carnations. High Five.

Fam-jam

Ari and I at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar

The only picture I got from a Cirque show before the attendants yelled at me that I was busted big time. No pictures allowed.  

I think this is the Cosmopolitan. Beautiful atrium with sparkly amazing-ness. We ate at Holstein's, a fancy burger joint, with pictures of creepy japanime cows everywhere. Dan ate rabbit food, aka his fifteenth salad of the week. 

The view from my parents hotel at the VDARA, not the Aria. I made this mistake earlier. Dan and I were headed to meet them one morning and I walked us all the way up to room 7034 (I'll never forget that number) in the Vdara, banged on the door and no one let me in. I called my dad and he opened his door, we were not there, and the door we were in front of never opened. Wrong hotel. Huge mistake in Vegas because then you get to walk 2 miles to make up for my mistake. I was miserable.

Once in the correct room I took a picture of their view. When looking out of our hotel room at the Golden Nugget it took me two days to notice the mountains. I'm a little short sighted, turns out. 

The fountains at the Bellagio

It was the NF Rodeo that week and we were so thankful. It felt like home seeing everyone in wranglers and boots. Dan got asked on multiple occasions if he was part of the rodeo. To which we both took turns responding, "no, we just dress like this".

Cesar dressed for the rodeo

The Canal Shoppes at the Venetian.

My dad using the tiny smart phone screen and being cute with his hoodie. 

Needless to say we were all over the place. It's hard not to want to be everywhere in a city like that. Dan and I had a great time with the family. I am so proud of my big brother! He has a great future with Jess. Can't wait to see them next!!!