Happy 2012 [20 days later]!

Holy moly. Are we 20 days into 2012? Didn't 2012 just start like, yesterday? Sigh.

I hope all of you had a great holiday season! Ours was pretty great, mainly because we got to spend it all together as a family. J was home for my entire Christmas break, which was fantastic. He and I got a lot of quality time in [and i actually got a kiss at midnight on new year's this year, woot], and he and JJ got in a lot of time, too. Wish my dad could've been home, but hopefully this past Christmas was the last one we'll all be apart.

JJ and Daddy at the grandparents'.

I got some great gifts, as always - my iPad I got in July was my big gift, so I really wasn't expecting anything. Got new kitchen stuff from my sister, a ton of new jewelry [yay!] from my parents, some OSU stuff from husband and other random little things that have slipped my mind in the near month since Christmas came and went. We got some snow on the 23rd, but it was gone by Christmas Eve - ah well. After the Christmas Eve blizzard of 2009, I'm over snow. I got my White Christmas [and then some].

New Year's Eve was a lot of fun. This was the first year since before JJ was born that I've gone out and actually done something. J and I went to the Thunder/Suns game [and he got to try and shoot the half court shot for 20 G's! he didn't make it, but he did walk away with a hundred bucks - works for me!], then we went out with some friends to Cafe Nova. Place was stupid packed, but we still had a good time toasting champagne, taking pictures in the free photo booth and just hanging out. And, as I mentioned before, I got my New Year's kiss - which means 2012 is going to be fabulous. :)

Champagne toast to ring in 2012!

Now J's back at training to deploy, and I'm super SUPER busy with work. At the moment, I'm neglecting finishing chores in my apartment to blog, but oh well. I have energy for the first time in nearly two weeks, so I need to take advantage of it. And, since I 1.) never finished the other part of my 2011 countdown and 2.) haven't blogged since 2011, thought it was fine time to update. I wish I had something exciting to share, but I really don't at the moment...work has been super crazy that my free time is spent sleeping or cleaning. I honestly don't remember the beginning of last semester being this nuts - I've been back to work for almost three weeks and am STILL catching up. Craziness.

2012 promises to be a crazy, awesome year for me, J and JJ. We hope to expand our family, possibly make a move and see off/bring back a third of our little family. While 2011 overall was a pretty good year for us, I hope that 2012 is even better. It's already gotten off to a great start, and I hope that great start continues. Now that we're in a new year though, it's time to do some new things. I'm going to change up this blog a little bit and restart my 101 in 1001. I pretty much quit working on it because I lost motivation - and I need a fresh start. So instead of letting it expire in June, I'm going to revamp it to things that are relevant to my life now and restart it. I'm determined to get as much of it knocked out as possible, because I really like the idea. I'm also going to restart my project 365, starting on my birthday. I know that 26 will be a crazy awesome year for me, and I want to capture every moment.

When I first started blogging, I hadn't realized how much it would take to maintain it. Now that my life is balancing out and I understand that blogging is a commitment, I'm going to do better about writing things down. This blog is my way to communicate with those who are curious, those who know me and those who love me - and I want to share my memories with all three groups [and anyone else that will listen]. For those still reading, thanks for sticking around - I promise there will be lots from me in 2012.

Thnks fr th Mmrs 2011 [part one].

I know I've been saying it to myself for most of the year...

...but seriously. Where the heck has the year gone?!

It seems like yesterday I was ringing in 2011, but now it's just about over. It's the last day of the year, and I'm now forcing myself to accept the fact that a new year is upon us and this one is quickly drawing to a close. 2011 has been a year of ups and downs for me, but there have definitely been more awesome moments than sad moments this year. In no particular order, I present 5 of my 10 favorite memories of 2011:

1. Watching my baby boy grow into a toddler. JJ turned 3 earlier this month, and the fact that he's 3 is still blowing my mind. He grew so much this year...from potty training to ditching the pacifier to forming full sentences, it's been a fun year as a mommy. It's been amazing to watch him grow and develop - and to teach him the way of sports. He loves watching basketball and playing with his basketball and soccer goals...yes. This mama is starting her son out early on the sports. I adore that boy more and more every day.

JJ and I in January 2011...

...and JJ in November 2011. Big kid!

2. Going to Vegas with my sister. My sister has had this thing lately with taking trips for her birthday [she already has plans to go to DisneyWorld for her 25th, and we spent her 23rd birthday in Dallas and went to Medieval Times]. For her 24th, she decided to go to Vegas - and I definitely said I was going. Not even having my gallbladder removed four days before the trip would stop me from going. This was my third trip to Vegas, and it was by far my most fun - went with a great group of girls, had lots of yummy drinks, and I didn't pay to get into a single club. I can't wait to go back!

Made a new friend at Caesar's Palace. :)

Me and the girls, starting the trip off right - limo ride to the hotel!

3. Reconnecting with family. My paternal grandfather passed away in March, and my family decided to go to the funeral. My dad spent nearly 24 hours flying home from Afghanistan, then we drove 24 hours [straight] to North Carolina to be with my family. We almost didn't go, but I'm so, so glad we did. Before the trip, I hadn't seen my dad's side of the family in more than 10 years - and to reconnect with them was fantastic. Even though I spent my 25th birthday at my grandfather's wake, being with my family was incredible. I hope to visit in 2012.

My wonderful Aunt Glo, me and sis.

Pretty girls! Cousins Chernessa and Tiffany [plus baby!] with JJ, sis and me

4. Spending time with my husband. I adore my husband - more than I can put into words. But I haven't spent a lot of time with him this year because of deployment schedules and us living in separate cities [for now]. I did, however, get to spend more than just 48 hours with him three times this year - Colorado in March [the Springs is freakin' beautiful]; here in August when he came to help me out after surgery; and right now. He came home on the 23rd and is here for two more days. I'll miss him when he leaves, but I cherish the time we've had this year and know we'll have more of it in 2012 when he's back from deployment. I love you J.

Hubs and I on 12.30.11. After 7 years, 2.5 years of marriage and a little boy, we're still going strong.

5. OSU football season. Yes - a couple of sporting events will make my list, starting with this year's football season. Now, I've been an OSU fan since I started there in 2004 - and I've always faithfully stood by their side, through thick and thin, since the 2004 season. I can honestly say, though, that I never saw this season coming. I thought last year would be as good as it got for awhile - boy was I wrong. OSU finished 11-1, won their first Big 12 championship, beat OU for the first time since I was in high school, and they had their highest BCS rank ever AND will play in their first BCS game ever. While I'm still a little bitter about the national championship snub, this year will forever go down as the best ever. So proud of my Cowboys!

Sis and I at the OSU/KState game in November. Proud OSU grads baby!

Bedlam aftermath: storming the field. That night was EPIC.

It's nearly 3am now  - and husband keeps tossing and turning, which means my typing is waking him up - so I should head to bed and finish this in the morning. As you can see, 2011 was full of memories and fun times...my final five will be up soon. :)

My holiday bylaws.

Man. Is it seriously the holiday season already? Christmas is like, 12 days away, and the year is quickly coming to a close. I'll do one of those "this is what happened in 2011 that made it awesome and not-so-awesome" posts after Christmas, but for now, we'll focus on Christmas.

My best friend and I were talking today about random holiday ramblings [our failure as wives - and women - because we can't wrap presents, how we don't know what to get our husbands etc.], and during that conversation, I came up with a list of holiday bylaws. Now, I'm not saying you have to follow these - they're my own that I made up, after all [and if you're listening to anything i say and am taking it seriously, i'm seriously impressed]. I do, however, ask that you consider them as you read my made-up list of bylaws for the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's season, in no particular order:

1. It’s OK to cuss out one present while wrapping gifts - two if you're really feeling like things aren't going your way. If you do that to a third, you might want to consider paying someone to wrap for you.

2. Dec. 13 [which is today!] is National Hot Cocoa Day. Take advantage [and, if it fits your fancy, spike it with a little somethin’ extra].

3. NO CHRISTMAS MUSIC BEFORE THANKSGIVING. Show Thanksgiving some respect yo.

4. Do not leave your decorations up past the end of January. That includes outdoor Christmas lights. No matter where you live, they are not meant to be left up all year. You got them up there; now stop being lazy and take them down.

5. Before you take your family Christmas photo, please refer to Awkward Family Photos. That will tell you what NOT to do. Or just think of it this way: if you're going to look back on it a day, 10 days, 10 years from now and wonder what the eff you were thinking...don't do it.

Just one example - many more on the site. Don't.Do.It.

6. Wrap your gifts please. This is literally the one time a year you have to wrap gifts [most people I know just stick birthday gifts in gift bags, so even that important of a day doesn’t get proper wrap respect]...so whether you pay someone or do it yourself, wrap it. Wrap it good.

7. If you’re going to do holiday baking, be sure not to overindulge. It’s so easy to take a cookie dough spoonful here, a scone there, a cupcake here, a sugar cookie there...and then you wonder why you’ve gained 10 pounds by the time it’s all said and done. Just watch it.

8. When people ask you what you want for Christmas, TELL THEM. Or at least point them in the direction of your Amazon wish list. Otherwise, don’t bitch when you shrug your shoulders and they get you Spongebob shot glasses. Or one of those singing fish plaques.

9. It’s perfectly acceptable to watch Christmas movies meant for those 10 and younger - you never outgrow those [think: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman]. What’s not acceptable is kids watching Christmas movies meant for adults - they're definitely too young for that [think: Bad Santa and A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas].

This will never get old - and is safe for all ages. Some other holidays movies...not so much.

10. On the same token of the gift giving, listen to people when they tell you what they want. More likely than not, they really want that gift. You could be exiled to the doghouse/naughty list/bad friend list if you don’t. Fair warning.

11. Don’t try to be all cute and wear cheerleading shorts with some Ugg boots and a college hoodie when its 30 degrees below zero outside. Put some clothes on. Frostbite is not worth trying to impress someone.

12. College football bowl season lands during the holidays. Cut your favorite college football fan some slack and let them watch some bowl games. Even if it’s the Crispy Chicken Wrap Bowl, let ‘em go - this is the last of college football until September. That’s a long time - trust me.

Couldn't resist reppin' my school, who's Fiesta Bowl bound. I WILL be watching. Try and stop me.

 
13. Don’t set New Year’s resolutions if you’re going to give up on them on January 2nd. At least make a half-ass attempt at them before throwing them in the trash.

14. Have a DD if you’re going to go out and party hard on New Year’s Eve. You don’t want to ring in 2012 in a jail cell with people who might try to sleep with you or eat you, do you?

15. Don't be a Grinch, Scrooge or whatever [out loud, at least]. It's the holiday season, and a majority of people actually enjoy this time of year. If you don't, keep your mouth shut and put on a smile so you don't ruin their holiday spirit. And attend their holiday parties - at least you'll get food and decent company [hopefully].

Don't be this guy.

That's all I've got for the holiday bylaws for now...I reserve the right to add more randomness to this list as I see fit. Happy Holidays all!

To my son. My 3-year-old son.

To my 3-year-old little man:

Are you really 3? Like, really? I feel like just yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital, and now, you're in the middle of your toddler years. Good heavens.

This past year has been incredible. You have changed so much that the person you are now is a complete 180 from the person you were a year ago. I think this year has been the biggest change for you that I've seen in your short time on this planet, and it's been so much fun to witness.

Us right after your 2nd birthday - Dec. 2010

And us right before your 3rd birthday...Thanksgiving 2011

I know you may not be able to tell, but you have grown so much in between those two pictures. I think the last stats I have from your last doctor's visit is 33 pounds...no clue on the height, but I know you're more than 36 inches tall [Mommy should get a measurement, eh?]. You're so big!!

You are definitely your mother's son. Mainly because that's all I really watch, you love sports - especially basketball. You're a very big OKC Thunder fan and love wearing your Kevin Durant jersey and pajamas. However, you will watch any basketball game that's on, which is awesome. You loved going to OSU football games, but you started getting freaked out by the crowds after the second game of the season, so you mainly watched them at home with me or Grandma. Next year, though - I bet you'll want to watch. You're also a big fan of your basketball goal that you're getting ready to outgrow. Don't worry - Santa may bring you a new one this year. :)

You are a very big Elmo fan - we watch the same Elmo's World DVD [hands/ears/feet] multiple times a day...we've watched it so much that you know the songs, some of the words and where Elmo counts. You can count to ten easily and, on some days, will count to 15 without skipping a number. We're still working on 16-20, but we'll get there.

You're a big, big fan of music and dancing. You get that from your aunty and grandpa, that's for sure. Some of your favorite songs include Itsey Bitsey Spider, Patty Cake, the ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and a couple of Hawaiian songs that your grandma has taught you. When a song with a good beat comes on, you start bopping around, no matter where we are. You have some incredible rhythm!

The Terrible Two's weren't terrible, but you definitely had an independent spirit [still do!]. You have a way of doing things and want to do everything by yourself [you're so much like your mommy in this respect that it's scary]. You are definitely a routine kiddo, also like your mommy. You love helping Mommy clean up, especially by helping vacuum and start the laundry. You also like helping me "fold clothes" [which basically means that you move everything from the dryer to the basket, then you dump the basket on the floor so you can sit in it] and put up dishes. Such a big, big helper!

We're still working on fully getting you potty trained, but I think we're getting there. You never like to sit still for long and are always moving around. You still like sitting in your high chair, even though you graduated to your own table and chairs months ago. You're a fan of art - you love to draw on the whiteboard your grandparents have for you at their house, and you enjoy coloring and writing on things with regular ink pens. You also like Play Doh, but you try to eat it - so we don't play with that as much as before. :)

Technology is a friend of yours. You love playing with my iPhone and turning on/off my laptop and iPad [you're so smart that you know the code to unlock my phone and your grandma's phone!]. You have a VTech eReader that you use every single day - you love the Elmo and Dora the Explorer cartridges, but you have others that you play with, too. You may be too smart for technology before too long - maybe you'll work with computers or something? That'd be awesome. :)

Your are using more and more words everyday, which is exciting. You're putting together full sentences and expressing yourself more, which makes this mommy super happy. But, you also love to mimic things and copy words - guess that's the best way to learn, right? You're very good at mimicking. :)

I can't believe all of these little paragraphs - and then some - make up the person that is you. You are such an amazing son, and I would never trade you for the world. I wish I could put into words just how incredible you are, but I can't. I am thankful for every moment, every giggle, every kiss that I get with you, and I'll never take it for granted. I'll always be your no. 1 fan, and I'll always be there as long as you need me. I love you so much baby bear. Happy 3rd Birthday.

We Will Remember. Always Remember.

**note: feelings expressed here are my own and are in no way a reflection on OSU's feelings -- my own thoughts**

The fact that I am actually writing a blog like this just blows my mind right now. I never thought it would happen again.

This morning, I got a text message from a good friend who's an OSU grad. He asked if I'd heard about Coach Budke. With all the scandals going on in the NCAA right now, my mind thought for a split second that he might've gotten dinged for something, so I did an Internet search. Nothing came up. Then I went to NewsOK.com and was greeted with a breaking news headline that summed it all up: Coach Budke and Assistant Coach Miranda Serna were killed in a plane crash last night. I wanted to throw up when I read that.

How in the world does this happen to this university TWICE? We had to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the men's basketball plane crash earlier this year, and that was hard enough. But to have to do this all over again...it's just unfathomable.

I know that today will hit some more than others, especially the families of those we lost, the girls they coached and the university staff who knew them best. But today, all of us are mourning. OSU is a big family, and we're a close one. When something like this happens, we have to bond together and vow to never forget the memories and spirits of those that we lost, whether we knew them well or just in passing. The fact that a plane crash has taken the lives of OSU people we love and know twice in a decade is just too weird to comprehend.

Today has been a sad, solemn day on campus. People have given each other looks of sadness when one person mentions something about the crash. I was at an event this morning, and I heard people whispering about it and shaking their heads, not believing this happened again. I watched the press conference where President Hargis nearly broke down at the microphone. I've read the articles, seen the Tweets and Facebook messages, gotten the texts and emails about it. There are no words to describe the incredible sense of loss that the OSU community as a whole feels right now - and I know it will take awhile for everything to get back to as normal as it possible can. I just hope that nothing like this ever, ever happens to this university ever again.

We Will Remember. Always Remember.

What I'm thankful for...the not-so-traditional version.

So, we all know it's November. We all know that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. That means that people are doing their "What I'm thankful for" lists - and the standards are on it: good health, roof over their heads etc. One of my friends on FB came up with an alternate list of things she's thankful for that aren't the "traditional" ones - and I love it. So now, I'm going to try and find things I'm thankful for that don't normally fall on that list. Today's the 10th, so 10 shall be forthcoming:

1. [Sometimes drunken] nights with friends post-college graduation. Now that my friends are all older and have full-time jobs, we can't see each other as often. But when we do, we make it count. We hang out before and get caught up, hit the club and dance after a couple of rounds of shots. I think that our nights out have been more epic since college, which I thought would never happen. I thought that once I graduated from college, my fun nights out were done. Nice to know that's not the case.

2. Sleeping in/taking naps. Ever since I became a mom, sleep has been a precious commodity in my house. I've spent more days with my son than without - and while I adore my son more than anyone in my life, mama needs her sleep. So when he spends weekends with Grandma [my mom], I can almost guarantee I'm not going to do anything but sleep. It's awesome.

3. Las Vegas. That's my new favorite vacation spot - someplace I never could've gone to before I turned 21, that's for sure. I've been three times, and each time has been more and more fun. I plan on going again next year, and I'm sure it'll be one to remember.

4. Oklahoma State University, my alma mater. This university has been my home for almost a decade now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I had a great time here, got a wonderful education, and the spirit here is like no other. From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew I belonged - almost eight years later, it still feels that way. It'll never, ever get old.

5. My engagement ring. J knew two things when we started talking about getting married: the ring had to be silver, and the diamond had to be square. It didn't matter the size, as long as it those two criteria. I will never forget my initial [mental] reaction when I quit blubbering and got a good look at the ring in the box: Holy freaking cow. This is incredible. Then, I proceeded to cry again, because it was more than just a pretty ring - it was a symbol of our future together [feel free to gag here if you wish]. We got engaged four years ago on Thanksgiving - and I still love it, and I still love him.

6. Heels. So what if I'm nearly 5'10"? I don't care. Heels are fun, heels are cute, and I wear them whenever I can. It's a good thing I have a big foot and crappy knees, because I'd probably wear them more if both weren't the case.

7. Wineries. I've found some fantastic wines through local wineries, and they've opened my palate to diverse tastes. I love it.

8. Gilmore Girls. God I miss that show. Once a year, I usually watch all the seasons in succession - I'm on season three right now. I could probably get through the next three before Christmas and finish the last of them during Christmas break.

9. Coffee. It's probably a good thing I didn't have a love of it when I was in college, because college would've been more full of sugar and late nights than they already were.

10. Coupons. Ever since I really started sticking with couponing and saving, it's been awesome. To pay little for things I actually need is like one big game - I hope J is prepared for it when I move.

I'll continue to update this list as we go through November. What's on your thankful list?

The sports side of me comes out.

Pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but...I love sports. I wasn't always this way, but I kinda fell onto the sports bandwagon when I started college. Well, senior year of high school - my high school's football team was awesome that year [state runners-up], and that got me interested in learning more about it. I grew up on basketball but now have a passion for several different sports.

Anyway. This calendar year has been a freaking incredible sports year for me:

1. Dallas Mavericks won the NBA championship. I don't care what anyone says about me having to pick one team over another or blah blah blah - I've been a Mavs fan since 2000, and I've stuck by their side [even after the meltdown of '06 that I'd rather not discuss]. When they won it all in June, I screamed like a schoolgirl. It's about.damn.time.

2. The Thunder played an incredible year of basketball. It's been so fun to watch such a young team rise so quickly. I hate that the NBA lockout is going on right now, because the Thunder were ON IT last season. I just hope that momentum continues after basketball resumes [whenever that will be].

3. This fall has been fantastic for OSU sports. Our women's soccer program finished the year with only one loss [in the Big 12 tournament; still got a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament though, their highest seed ever], our cross country team is kicking butt [again], and football...oh heavens football. No. 2 in the BCS? Are you freaking kidding me?

4. My high school's football team is killin' the game again. I hope to see them play this weekend - haven't been to a game in ages, but gotta rep the Mac [even after nearly eight years have passed since the last football season of my high school career].

I wish I could add the Boston Red Sox to that list, but uh...they suffered a monumental collapse back in September and are currently revamping their club. Maybe next year fellas. And, once Sid the Kid hits the ice again [I hope he does this season], I can hopefully add the Pens to the incredible sports year list, too.

As a sports fan, I have my own opinions about the things going on in the sports world. Since I just feel like talking about sports tonight [and promise to catch up on life soon, since it's been nearly two months since my last blog post], I'm going to throw some opinions out there and then peace out.

1. This whole Penn State thing is a hot freaking mess. I'm not sure if the university should've been so quick to fire Joe Paterno after he seemingly did what he was supposed to [report the incident to higher authorities]. But there's so much still coming out about the case that it's hard to pick a side, I guess. Bottom line is, there are young men out there who were sexually violated by a man who used to work for that program. That fact alone disgusts me, and the fact that he got away with it for so long is appalling. If that EVER happened to my son, hell would be raised on SO many different levels - I don't care who the hell you are. NO ONE is untouchable if you touch my son inappropriately.

2. This NBA lockout needs to end. Pronto. I can't believe the players got 57 percent of the revenue under the last CBA - and I can't believe the owners thought it'd be a good idea to give them 10 percent less than that as a threat. The whole situation is a confusing, legal mess, but bottom line is this: the fans want basketball. Don't pull an NHL, cancel an entire season and then spend years coming back. Get something hammered out so I can spend New Year's Eve in the Chesapeake Arena, kay?

3. The Red Sox collapse is depressing - but needed to happen. A shake-up is good every now and then, and I think the team needed a shake-up. It'll be interesting to see how they regroup next season.

4. I'm so glad the NFL came together and made an agreement. I missed football in the offseason, and be able to watch games on Sundays make my life complete. Oh, not to mention fantasy football. Now I just need to find a team to fully support instead of just hopping around the league...and no. Dallas Cowboys are NOT an option.

5. Dear OSU Cowboys: you have made this season one I will NEVER forget. It's been an incredible ride, and there's three games to go. No matter the outcome, it's been freaking awesome. I think about that no. 2 BCS ranking and get chills. I can't put into words how proud I am of my alma mater right now. Loves it.

I hope that eventually I can blog about the NBA coming back. Until that day comes, sports may take a back burner for a little bit. But, I just had to get this out in the blogger world. For those who aren't sports lovers like me but read it anyway, you rock. :)