Happy New Year's Eve 2008

I can hardly believe that 2008 has just about passed us by! I've been reading all of the "looks" back at the year, and some of them feel so recent while others I read and think "that was THIS year???"

We usually try to plan something kind of big for New Year's, thanks to all of the pressure to do something really really cool on New Year's Eve, but this year, we decided to take it easy and attend a small gathering at a friend's place. Though I should evidently feel lame about this, I'm really looking forward to it.

2008 was a great year for us as we celebrated our first year of marriage, went to Europe and did so many other exciting things, including pursuing my interest in photography. On my photoblog I highlighted all of my favorite portraits from this past year, so check it out!

Happy New Year's Eve to everyone - I'm looking so forward to what the next year holds for me!

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

I hope everyone's Christmas was as wonderful as ours! We hit up the usual Christmas Eve children's Mass at Christ the King with my family and then had dinner at my parents' house before jetting to Buffalo for another Christmas Eve service with Evan's family. Then we went to Evan's parents' house for dessert and opening presents!

Garrett, almost 2, was really into presents this year and it was fun to watch him. The only present he wasn't too sure about was Elmo slippers that Alayna got him. It must have been the big monster eyes or something, but Garrett backed away with a terrified look on his face the second he opened them. He was not impressed when we all started laughing.

He did get an Elmer Fudd jacket that he proudly wore on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...


Evie liked her new hat!!

On Christmas Day we spent the later afternoon and evening with Evan's mom's side which included an adult gift exchange game that we do every year. Evan and I ended up with exactly what we wanted, so we were happy :) We came home with an Illini cup and cooler set and a game of "hillbilly golf" as Evan calls it.

Earlier in the day, we went to my parents' house with my mom's side and it was bustling as well....

The whole gang

Me with my new coat!

My cousin's son Hagen

Evan and I with the wine my cousins gave us. They are two of our favorite wines from the wine tasting night we did at CTK...

Now I'm off to enjoy the rest of my break!! I love this time of year...

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Hope everyone enjoys this wonderful day to celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Christmas Quiz

The true cold has finally hit. The cold that is so cold it takes your breath away the moment you step outside. The cold that freezes the tiny amounts of moisture in your nose within a few seconds.

I usually hate that cold, but this year it's a little refreshing. (That sentiment will last about until the day after Christmas).

We've been thrown right into the craziness of Christmas season, along with everyone else these days. We held our Second Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party on Friday night, and it was even more of a success than last year. We attended Evan's holiday work party on Saturday, and at UIS, we have our campus-wide party and Chancellor's holiday luncheon this week.

I'm really looking forward to this week, and especially next since I have the whole week of Christmas off! So in the spirit of the holidays, I decided to complete this "holiday quiz" that I found on another blog...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Real or artificial tree? nothing but REAL for this girl!

3. When do you put up the tree? The Sunday after Thanksgiving - the Westlake family Christmas decorating day!

4. When do you take the tree down? Ummm after Christmas?

5. Do you like eggnog? No

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I can't remember a specific, absolute favorite, but the karaoke machine we got when I was maybe 7 sticks out in my mind...

7. Hardest person to buy for? This year, my brother and Evan's younger sister

8. Easiest person to buy for? For me, Evan, because I just buy him boring stuff that he needs.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we registered for it for our wedding! It's the Willow Tree Angel set, and I love it!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail! I love getting mail, so I will always mail ours.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? none

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Right around Thanksgiving, usually after. This year, I went out on Black Friday, I'm really re-thinking that choice for next year though.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember. My family usually all makes lists and tells each other what we want though.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? CHEESY POTATOES! My whole family fights over who gets the last bite every year.

15. Lights on the tree? Fo sho! Color lights in our house.

16. Favorite Christmas song? I have tons! I start listening to Christmas music in July! The top of the list includes Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas, N'Sync's Merry Christmas Happy Holidays, the First Noel and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay in the area since pretty much all of our family is here. We go to Christmas Eve mass with my parents and then out to dinner. Then we go to Evan's parents' church with his family and back to their house for dessert and presents. On Christmas Day, we eat with my family and do presents, and then go to his grandpa's for more food and presents!

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Can't everyone?

19. Angel or star on top of tree? We don't have an actual topper so we have a "filler" topper - a musical bear angel ornament. It's slightly strange.

20. Presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Both! Growing up, we were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve that was always an ornament. Now we do presents with Evan's immediate family on Christmas Eve too.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The rudeness of some people while shopping, and the traffic.

22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love Santas and snowmen. I love red and blue Christmas stuff too. I have a bajillion favorite ornaments!

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? CHEESY POTATOES! Didn't we already cover this?

24.What do you want for Christmas this year? A Canon 5D Mark II :) Just kidding. No, actually I'm serious about that. But I don't know if Santa will think I've been good enough... I'd really just like some stuff for the house and some new clothes. I'm an easy one to please!

Merry Christmas!

A love letter

Dear Debit Card Number Stealer in Chicago,

Nice try. I'm flattered that you wanted to share our account with us, I really am. But we actually work hard to earn that money, and we just can't be giving it away at this point in time.

Thanks to the diligence of our beloved Illinois National Bank, you only got away with one $10 Toys R Us purchase. Too bad, so sad. Enjoy the cheap toy.

I hope you were left to pay for those multiple charges you tried to make after our card was cut off. Paying for something yourself - it's really a novel idea. You should try it sometime.

Happy Holidays,
The Westlakes

I Can Haz Bath?*

Note: please disregard the hideous yellow bath tub. We still haven't given the 1960s their tub back yet...
(*If you, like my husband, had no idea what this meant, go here)

Tis the Season

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday weekend! We spent time with countless friends and family, ate WAY too much, shopped a little and got our whole house decorated for Christmas!

I braved the crowds on Black Friday for the second year, and even with my calm attitude and having all the time in the world to wait in lines, I was a little irritated at the general public's lack of intelligence and manners. I hit up both Walmart and Kohl's with no more trouble than a long line at Kohl's. It was totally worth it for the sales though.

I then attempted to go to the mall, which was a huge Failure. There were literally NO parking spots, and when the people at Walmart were behaved better than the people at the mall, I knew it was time to head home.

We had three Thanksgiving meals this year, and I don't know if I have ever eaten so much in two straight days. On Thursday, we went to my parents' house with my mom's side, then to Evan's grandpa's house with his mom's side. On Friday night, we went to Evan's parents' house with his dad's side. Lots of family time and lots of eating!

Saturday was a lazy day, which was nice because we had some time to lay around and watch SHG play for, and WIN, the state championship game! It was fun to see.

Sunday was our annual Family Christmas Decorating Day. We got our tree at Lowe's and spent several hours decorating the house and the tree. I seriously LOVE Christmas. Also, I had never before seen Christmas Vacation ( I know, I know, weird right?), so we borrowed the movie from some friends and watched that last night.

At first, I was thinking 'what IS this? this is not funny!' but when Aunt Bethany made an appearance, the movie started to get more entertaining for me, and I have to admit when she began singing the Star Spangled Banner at the end, I was cracking up.

Anyway, I'll leave you with some photos of the newly festive Westlake homestead...

(All the women on my mom's side of the family collect these Santas and now I'm obsessed. I'm up to eight now - EIGHT!)