Last day of 2008 ... Hello 2009!

I can't believe TODAY is the last day of 2008 ... where has the year gone? This year has definately been a year of change for Phil and I. We spent the beginning half of the year in seperate states, we then moved ... twice (first the uhaul then back up for the truck), spent our first summer in Florida out by the pool, got our first HD TV, made new friends, two new jobs ... yeah I'd say it was a full year. We took a summer vacation to the keys, but really this was a year of saving up for the next to years of some travel. I think its nice to "reflect" back on the year ... in January my last weekend in brrr...lanta ... we watched GWU play some tennis against GA Tech ...

We had some good snow in Atlanta and Levi's first snow :)

Phil moved to Florida in June after 5 months of weekend visits. I had a job at a construction company and then quit after 2 months, only to find a better and much more enjoyable job in June, where I am still currently at and loving :) We took a long weekend vacation to the Keys in July
I traveled to San Francisco for my first work conference in September. I had always wanted to go to San Francisco and I'm glad I can say I've went!
I ran my first 5K in a LONG time ... the North Palm Beach Ghost Run where I won my age division even after not reaching my own personal goal ... whew it was hot that morning!

Levi found a new best friend in one of our neighbors new puppies Cody. They now enjoy many fun days of playing at each others houses and are the best of buddies. Phil and I have become friends and its nice to have good neighbors and good play buddies for your dog :)

Our first christmas card in Florida ...

2009!

I have quite a few things planned for 2009 ... two of the trips are for conferences with my job. One to Monterrey Mexico in the end of April.

Los Angeles in October ...And a family trip to Holland sometimes in May *we hope* :) I'm learning dutch with Rosetta stone and I hope to be able to speak, write, and listen top notch by the time our trip comes around!

2008 was a very nice year. I'm happy to be home in West Palm. I have no complaints. I have a great husband, my family closeby, a nice house with a yard for levi, I love my job, my car runs great, gas prices went down, I got a new laptop for Christmas :) I'm a lucky girl!

The COOLEST Cupcakes ever ..

I like to think of myself as a creative person, however when I came accross this picture today I was serioulsy impressed! These are actually cupcakes ... really! As soon as I saw this along with the recipe on how to make them I admit I thought about rushing over to Walmart to get the ingredients ... but then reality set in ... its christmas eve, walmart and the roads are probably still packed, my kitchen is spotless (thanks to the cleaning it got tuesday) and well I'd be the only one eating the cupcakes. So road rage, waiting in line, cooking, cleaning, and then the extra 5 pounds I opted no. Merry Christmas eve! And if you want to find out how to make these totally awesome cupcakes check them out here: http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/12/snow-globe-coca-cola-cupcakes.html

Busy Busy Bees ...

It's like this every year around the holidays ... Christmas shopping, holiday parties, dinner, and then everyday life like cleaning, grocery shopping, and laundry. By the time Monday comes around I'm exhausted! Today I am officially done with Christmas Shopping. There are 2 more things that should be arriving in the mail, but they just require wrapping so we're good. This weekend was filled with Holiday parties. First, my office party on Friday night which was 8 of us going to dinner, then out dancing at city place. It was so much fun and def. topped the Travel Incorporated parties we had in Atlanta! Saturday was spent running around for some last minute gifts, and then that night was Phil's work party. A lot more laid back them mine and we stayed for a few hours and then left at a very decent time to get home and get to bed. Today was another relaxing Sunday. It was so nice this morning, I can't believe its 4 days until Christmas! I ran in my shorts and then went swimming with Levi after ... the pool was a bit on the cold side but refreshing after a hot run! Watching the dolphin/kansas city game where its 15 below makes me feel very thankful for living in south florida! I only have to work Monday & Tuesday this week, then a 5 day weekend and next week just 3 days and a 4 day weekend. So the next two weeks should be pretty nice. I'm getting excited about Christmas =) Phil's family will be here to continue the Christmas spirit on Friday ... yes 2 Christmas's :) And what's a post without pictures ... even though I have been slacking this weekend on pictures and these are from last weekend .... oops!

Christmas Card Picture 2008 =)

Congratulations Blair & Tyler!

Congratulations to one of my very best friends Blair who is now an officially married woman! Blair and Tyler were married today in Palm Beach and last night Phil and I got to see them at their rehearsal dinner (which was great=) ) Have a great time on your cruise and I know you two are going to have such a happy life together! Can't wait till you move back to Florida!

Life Update ... I've been slacking!

Here is my long awaited life update! I'll blame it on the holidays and the fact that my job (which I still love very much) keeps me so very busy! Last year I found myself shopping online on my breaks at work and I really never had to run around to the stores, but this year I think I've hit every store in the greater Palm Beach County! Christmas snuck up on me this year ... that's for sure! Well let's start back at Thanksgiving which now seems like ages ago. We had a nice family Thanksgiving, although Phil went back up to Brrr...lanta ... i mean Atlanta for his parent's famous turkey and turkey gravy. So the above picture is the 4 of us at the new larger table which we didn't need this year! Ever since Phil and I moved down my parents have gotten larger furniture for the extended family, then this thanksgiving was the smallest one we've had in a few years!

I enjoyed my week at home with my parents ... I managed to take some of my all time favorite Breezy pictures! This is around 4:30, apparently the last hour of daylight is what photographer's refer to as golden light. It's not harsh like it is during the day and its more golden as the sun is setting. What can I say I love me sun flare in my pictures. I just want to blow this one up to a life size wall mural for my non-existant horse room!

The 3 buddies also enjoyed having Levi and Safin at the house for a week. Although they were all limping by the time he left and needed a week to recover!

Here are my two co-workers and I at our "thanksgiving lunch". I think that is one of the main things I enjoy most about my job, #1 our office is a house so we have a full kitchen. I often have more snacks here at the office than at my own house! We all baked something and had a nice thanksgiving lunch, complete with wine and clips of Jess's wedding video! hahaha... I also have other work news, I got a promotion, well a title promotion. I am now Director of Membership, which is definately more important sounding than executive assistant. I like the sound of it :) Although no monetary raise came with it, for me its still a start and just a beginning for a job I have really grown to love and remain passionate about!

That's all my life updates for now! Phil and I are off tonight to one of my very best friends, Blair at her rehearsal dinner! She's getting married tomorrow at a small family only ceremony in Palm Beach and I'm hoping she has some amazing South Florida warm winter weather :) I'm so so happy for her! My mom is too as today she referred to her as her "other daughter" ... can't wait to tell her that tonight!

Sneak Peaks ...

Ready for Christmas!

Erin's Pecan Pies :)

Yum ... why do the holidays always taste so good! It might have been the ingredients staring me right in the face everytime I walk into Publix or the fact that all my favorite cooking blogs have had new recipes and pictures, but its that time of the year again and I had the itch to bake a pie ... a pecan pie. I had NEVER ever had pie before last year, yes it's true I must have been deprived. Last year at this time I was up in Atlanta sitting in my good friend Erin's office chatting about none other than cooking and our favorite foods. Somehow we got to the topic of pie and I mentioned I didn't like pie, but eh I had really never had any home made pie. The very next day I had a nice slice of home made pecan pie on a plate in front of me ... my life has never been the same. Okay Okay ... not that dramatic but wow I didn't know what I was missing! Last year I attempted to make them myself, I did alright and this year I tried again and did a little better. I figure once a year I make them and if I improve each year then maybe by the time I'm 40 they'll be perfect :) Anyways, big thanks to Erin for introducing me to the deliciousness of Pecan Pie ... I do wish we could devour these together!!!

2 More From Clean Up :)

Productive Weekend ...

Before ...

After ...
Next Week ...

Old Friends are Best Friends ...

Thursday night I got to have dinner with two of my very best friends! Brandy and Amber drove down from North Carolina and were on their way to Miami to catch a cruise to the Bahamas for 3 days. I'm so happy that I got to see them if only for an hour or so while we enjoyed dinner. We got caught up on each others lives and other people's lives we still chat with. It still amazes me how no matter how long time goes bye that we don't hang out the second we do its as if we never left college. We still laugh at the same jokes and make fun of the same tendencies we did back in college, and those stories & memories may be altered a bit over the years but they still end the same way ... with laughter.
I've learned first hand that true friends, the friends that would do anything for you, the ones that are there for you at the best and worst times of your life are so few and far between in this world, I'm so grateful to have not one but two true friends in Brandy and Amber. I consider myself very lucky that I have 4 true friends in this world, looking back on my childhood I would have given just about anything to have one. Let's just say finding a true friend in middle school was like finding a needle in a haystack. Sure enough I have one true friend from highschool days and we didn't even go to highschool, it was our dedication to PGA park runs over the many years that we became good friends. She is the kind of friend where no matter how long we don't talk, I could see her tomorrow and it would be like we had never gone a day without a conversation. The other 3 true friends I have I made in college, and I truly believe that college molds you into the person you are today. It's the first time many of us are away from the calm and shelter of our families and you have to rely on the friends you make to sort of get you through the day. College was tough (academically, physically demanding being a student athlete), I was always homesick, north carolina was always cold, and well it was tough. I found some amazing friends during those times and looking back on the path I chose I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!!!

I love you always and miss you every day!!!

GA-FL Try #8 ...