Late Updates!

I haven't blogged in a little more than a month - so we'll just go for a photo dump!  It's been a pretty plain month though.  The weather has been fairly warm, though we did get a little bit of ice once.  I immediately hopped online and bought a set of YakTrax for Eric and me, so he doesn't fall while working and I don't fall on Squish.  Currently, Mom and Alan are in Mexico and Ashley is on her way home.  Eric is house sitting for them, and I can't wait to have him back at home next week!

A shot of our 2011 Christmas tree.  We never decorated it, but I used it to hold all of our Christmas cards and the Rainbow fish that Kelli and Tracy made for me!

 I had Cameron, Caleb, and Colin over for a fun night while Paul, Deb, Brian, Jen, and Eric wrapped up the winter mini-tour at Old Chicago.  We had a great time!

We house sat for Papa while he was in Michigan visiting the Murray's.  Addy came along so we didn't have to leave her home alone.  By the end of our time there, Addy and Frisco were coexisting fairly nicely! 

New Year's Eve at the Green's, in Smithville.  We played "Truth Be Told", which isn't nearly as fun with people who aren't as close with one another. 

Ready for 2012! 

Eric's champagne and my sparkling juice! 

Cheers!  It's Squish's year!!! 

Addy on the drive home from Papa's house. 

After holiday break, Kelli and I discovered that we had another person moved into our office!  It was a bit stressful to happen with no notice.  But we have since rearranged our office and it's all worked out! I actually think I like the new configuration a lot better.

Eric and I spent a nice chunk of savings and Christmas money on a new computer.  Brian helped Eric choose all of the parts and build it, I set up our wireless headphones on the TV and the computer, and now all we need is a wireless keyboard and mouse so we can use it on the TV. 

Mom got Alan a helium shark for Christmas - here it is peeking out of Alan's car. 

Alan was an instant pro at using the remote control to maneuver it around the house. 

 

He used it to intimidate the dogs.

 Such a cool toy!

Ashley bought me a dress preservation service before the wedding.  Since then, my dress and the kit have been tucked away in our closet...oops.  So two weeks ago I tried the dress on (and it still fit!) and packed it away! 

So sad to see my dress go, but it will be clean and in a preservation box when it comes home.

Christmas 2011

Similar to Thanksgiving, scheduling for Christmas worked out wonderfully this year!  Eric worked until 3pm on Christmas Eve, then we went to the pageant and service at St. Thomas, and spent the evening with Eric's mom's family.  Today we started out with the Green immediate family in the morning, my immediate family in the afternoon and evening, and wrapped up with Eric's dad's extended family tonight.

The pageant at church was really cute, the kids who did solos have great voices.  Then at the VanBooven Christmas, we presented Paul with his present from everyone - a 40" Emerson LCD TV.  Eric got a KU hat from his grandparents, some new shirts (including a KU plaid shirt!) from the White's, and a Mr. Beer refill kit from the Wells'; I got some craft scissors and a photo album from his grandparents, a laptop desk from the White's, and a Vera Bradley purse from the Wells'.  Jen's kids had a blast playing games and messing with their new toys, and everyone enjoyed the snacks and time together.

This morning I started off by opening my birthday present at Paul and Debs - a Jayhawk pillow pet and a great stamp set that I'll use for Squish's birth announcements!  Then Deb made her french toast for breakfast and opened our stockings while we ate.  Deb is excited that Shannon is finally 21 because now she can add mini bottles of alcohol, hilarious! I got tickets to the New Theatre Restaurant from Eric, a new bath pillow from Shannon, and a wall mounted photo frame jewelry box from Paul and Deb; Eric got motorcycle gloves from Shannon, wireless TV headphones from me, a Mr. Beer kit from Paul & Deb, and some money to buy bottles for his beer - Paul and Deb also got us a crate to keep in my trunk to carry everything in and our own copy of Quirkle!!

When we got back to Mom and Alan's house, we started right in on gifts because Kris and Ashley were antsy from waiting for our arrival!  We were really excited to give Ashley a corkboard and pins (the same thing we got for Shannon), Kris an Achmed (Jeff Dunham) Snuggie, Alan a flying Duck Hunt game, and Mom her microwave slippers.  Then I got Logos the board game, Eric got Truth Be Told (a game similar in concept to Balderdash, but answering questions about other players), Squish got a perfect high chair and we each got a Barnes and Noble Nook Simple Touch!  Luckily the Nook's took awhile to charge, or we never would have moved on to stockings and lunch! Then our family actually spent time together playing our new games and watching Cowboys vs. Aliens, whoa!

Finally, we drove out to the Green's Christmas gathering to visit with even more family!  We arrived after a lot of people had left, but we still got to hang out with Paul, Deb, Shannon, Phil, Edie, Grant, Steven, Pete, and probably some other people too.

My favorite gift this year is actually looking pregnant! 

 The pageant at St. Thomas was really adorable!

Rebecca and Caleb

Shannon, Paul, Stephanie, Grandpa and Grandma VB 

 Scott, Eric, Deb, and Diann

Super hero men!

The gifts that we brought to each of our families! 

 Our Christmas card this year

My birthday presents!

Eric's new headphones!

Day 340: The End of the 2010-2011 School Year (and Tornadoes!)

It's finally over, I spent my second year teaching in a new school, and now I'm off to another school next year. That means packing up all of my stuff and hauling it over.  I could have the district move it, but I'd rather they don't mess with my stuff.

After I was finished with my work day, Eric and I did a little shopping.  I read on Facebook that Georgeanna Layton is collecting donations for the relief effort in Joplin, and Eric heard on the radio that donations to the Red Cross are more helpful because they can get items at a lower price, or it can go toward things like the cost of shelter.  So we decided to support from both angles - mostly because I really felt a need to give things and I didn't think money alone would feel like I had helped enough.

 As I was bringing carts out to my car, I felt a little like Harry Potter pushing his train cart.

It was a bittersweet moment turning in my keys at Prairie Park.  I'm so sad to be finished there, but it is all in the name of moving forward.

The last two things removed from my office - our wedding "Save the Date" picture that I keep on my monitor, and a fortune that says "The coming month shall bring you much happiness".



Our $20 bought a case of Ramen, cookies, cups, salt, trash bags, soup, veggies, beans, toilet paper, mac and cheese, bananas, and gum.  I know that $2 could have been better spent - but with everything the people in Joplin are living through right now, I thought cookies and gum were trivial niceties that could be appreciated.



This whole tub is full of fleece blankets that Grammy had boxed up - and we also added an old TV/radio that will only be useful as a radio, a box of corn flakes, and a box of grits.  It's really not a lot, but I'm glad we are able to help in some form. 



And as a surprising dose of karma - as I was sorting through the fleece blankets, I found our family stockings!  They have been missing for 2 years, and it turns out that Grammy had them boxed up in storage!

Day 194: Let the Good Times Roll

Christmas break is awesome because Eric and I have gotten to spend multiple days together!  Usually when he has a day off we just get the evening together, because it only happens on weekdays.  We woke up early to watch Jack, the kiddo I nanny for over the summer.  We brought Frisco with us and left him at Papa's house during the day so we could let him out and go play with him while we were in Olathe.  Eric and I are really impressed with Jack's progress - he is able to make the /n/ sound and is much more clear when he says "thank you".  Plus, he's just an incredibly happy guy! 

Our friend Rob works at the Palazzo 16, so we took Alison, Zach, and Jack to see Tangled for super cheap!  We did a little shopping and then went to Mom and Alan's house and played with Andrew for awhile before taking Jack home.  We also got massages and a sauna treatment while we were in Olathe - a Groupon gift from Mom, thanks!

Later that evening we went out to Steven and Leslie's apartment in Kansas City.  All of us went out to Taco Bueno for dinner and saw one of the giant spotlights in the parking lot with a sign next to it that said something to the effect of "huge furniture discount sale!"  We fell in love as soon as we walked in the doors - a nice looking night stand that is actually tall enough for our super tall bed, for $29 each!  Not wanting to impulse buy, we walked around to see what else they had and found that everything else in the store averaged a price of $300+.  So we snatched up two of their nightstands and hauled them back to the apartment before we had dinner.  One fit in the trunk (with the lid open), and one took up 3/4 of the backseat (so Eric and I squished into the last 1/4). 

We had a really good time at dinner, caught up on a lot of overdue conversation and jokes ("how d'ya like me now, bitch!").  When we got back to the apartment we spent the night playing all sorts of good PS3 Move games, most notably one that turns the TV screen into a paint pad and you can draw all sorts of things on it - all while the background is the video image of you standing in front of the TV.  We were planning on spending the night, but we really just wanted to sleep in a comfy bed instead of a couch.  So at around 2:30 am, we drove back to Olathe to pick up Frisco and got back to Eudora around 4am. 

Silly boys!

Day 189: Christmas!

We slept on the couches at Mom and Alan's house and left for breakfast at Paul & Deb's house in the morning.  Deb made her famous french toast and homemade syrup for us, followed by the traditional stockings and "I don't want this/I want more of this, want to trade?".  We gave Shannon a water filtering pitcher, Brian a mini waterproof keychain lighter, and Jen a frog statue and frog charm.  Eric got a thermal shirt, we got the SNL Board Game, Lego Harry Potter for Wii, a giant skillet and lid, and Fallout New Vegas.  Woo!

Then we left to take Frisco on a walk and go to my family's Christmas.  Ashley traded me some Wenberg (Pilsbury) cinnamon rolls for some of Deb's french toast.  Then Alison came over and we gave her and Rob the makings for Mexican Chicken Casserole, and a pack of markers for Zach.  Alan woke up from his post-24-hour-shift-nap and Sarah arrived, then the Wenberg festivities began!  We also did stockings, with new embroidered stockings that Ashley found and Mom bought.  There we got a light up PS3 controller, KU shirt, some liquor, and a "First Christmas Together" ornament.  Eric's favorite gift of all was a stocking stuffer... orange silly putty.

This was all followed by our fourth Christmas in the past 24 hours - dinner at Victor and Jennifer's.  We had a really good time talking to some family that we don't get to see often.  Overall, we successfully went to 4 Christmases without any fighting over where we were going, and had a good time with family at all of them!  The best part was Christmas #5, going home and cuddling with our kitties.

Merry Christmas again! 

Brian & Jen (Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of Shannon and Cody or Paul and Deb, oops!) 

Getting comfy on the couch. 

Oh look!  I did get one with Shannon & Cody!   

Sarah & Andrew at the Wenberg Christmas. 

Zach and his markers. 

Andrew with Uncle Eric's mini bottle of booze, still sealed of course! 

Andrew really loved all of the Nerf darts flying around! 

The Wenberg Family - 2010 

The Wenberg-Green Nerf War 

Look!  Mom and Alan were at Christmas too! 

Andrew fed himself lunch in his new booster seat.  He really loved the fork and spoon, but this picture was just too funny!

Day 188: Christmas Eve

Eric still had work today, so I stayed home and did some chores...some of which may or may not have included the Wii...  I actually made sure that all of our gifts were wrapped and sorted by which Christmas party they were going to, and made our Captain Crunch/Marshmallow/Peanut/Almond Bark treats.

After Eric got home, we loaded up the car with food, gifts, clothes, and Frisco.  Frisco got dropped off at Papa's house so he would be close enough for us to let him out frequently while we were visiting family over the next day and a half.  Then we headed out to the Van Booven family Christmas.  Attendees included Ken & Karen, Granny & Tony, Paul & Deb, Brian & Jen, Shannon & Cody, Scott & Diann, Alex, Rebecca, and Stephanie.  We had a really good dinner and got some cool gifts - including scrapbook paper, a poker set, frames, a shirt, a Christmas decoration, wine, and a gift card.  Thanks everyone!

We gave all of the family there a print of the photo that includes all of the Van Booven family, which was taken at our wedding.  We also gave Deb the wedding scrapbook that we've been working on for since Mother's Day last year.  Eric managed to NOT share the cold that's been tormenting him for the past day or two.  Success!

Then we left for the St. Thomas 10 pm "Midnight" Mass.  It started off with a lot of carols played and sang by some talented individuals.  Mom, Kris, and Ashley were there with us, and they brought Andrew.  He wasn't as impressed with the music and Mom, Kris, and Andrew ended up leaving early.

Merry Christmas from The Green's!

Grandma & Grampa Van Booven opening their gifts.

Day 184: Six Months Later

I can't believe we've been married for six months already!  But I must say, we're both glad to be through with the wedding planning!  We were even blessed with a whole day together - which is rare because I work week days and Eric works and goes to school nearly every day of the week.  The day started off by waking up at 6:45 am to drive out to Olathe to babysit my cousins, Emma and Zayne.  I had fun playing Just Dance 2 and Sing It with Emma while Eric played Lego Harry Potter.  Zayne got home from a sleepover later in the morning and we all went out for lunch at Wendy's and to see "Mastermind" at the Palazzo 16 Theater.  When we got back home, I played New Super Mario Bros. Wii with Zayne while Emma watched Eric play some more Lego Harry Potter.

We almost took a nap when we got home, but ended up hanging around the house playing Wii & PS3 until we left to go to Lawrence for the date portion of the night.  We finished up our last Christmas shopping and went to dinner at Peking Taste.  Mmm, Chinese food!  Then we toured the Christmas light displays of Lawrence.  Zachary Stoltenberg set up a display that is timed to 20 minutes of Christmas music, and the KU Rock Chalk Chant.  It was really fun driving through the neighborhoods of Lawrence and listening to Christmas music!

This neighborhood has lights strewn in geometric patterns and the lights go over the street too.

Zachary Stoltenberg's Christmas light display.  So very cool - check out his videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/zstoltenberg

This is the other house in Lawrence that times their light show to music.  

Mass. St. lights up beautifully at Christmas!