Christmas TX style

This Christmas was spent with my family in Texas as Gabe and I rotate holidays each year.  It was a true blessing to spend a good chunk with so much of my extended family as majority reside in Dallas, with my grandparents being driving distance :)

Excited to make it to Dallas with no problems flying standy on SWA

**Thank you Momma for your flight benefits.  We appreciate it SOO much.

Gabe, the Brooke clan, and Griffin

Happy girl with Gracelynn Gayle

Christian (12) is incredible at keeping GB entertained.

Gracelynn is teething, but never once made a peep!

Paw Paw with one of his great grandbabies

The men cooking up some deer sausage from Daniel's kill :)

My beautiful Aunt Debbie

Jojo (my brother) and his sweet bride 

Pa can get GB to eat anything ... green beans, check!

Cutest thing ever, Paw Paw had been HO HO HO'ing with his Santa hat on, and Griffin said "Pa come down the chimney!"  LOL.

He's thinking, Ohh man more pictures.  Loves his Uncle Gabe!

A man I admire more than he'll ever know.

It's CHRISTMAS!!!!  

So cute with their pajamas - Move to Seattle please!

Yay for Momma and her new iPad, I'm super jealous!

The real party begins with the Cornells, Lugars, Brookes, and the Smiths!!

Granny Gayle making her biscuits and gravy, loved by us all.

Grandmother Joy in town from Oklahoma

Precious -- Sharp as ever and thankful for it!

So special to have BOTH of my grandmothers in town at once!  Thank you, thank you, for traveling to Dallas   as I am so thankful for you two.

Gabe went MIA and walked up to him reading to GB.  

I can't wait till he is a dad ;)  tickles my heart!

GG - My role model in life, always smiling and never complains.

Framer for sure ... 

One day I hope to have a kid on each of our hips!!!!!!

Gracelynn's first jewelry from Ninnie (my mom)

After looking at all of my photos, I realized I go camera crazy when my niece and nephew are around.  Have to catch up with documenting since I'm not there all the time :(

Arrie, thank you for being so flexible with doing Santa at mom and dads and for our slumber parties.  It's exactly what I needed as our time together is truly so valuable.  Xoxo  

 

The highlight of this Christmas was watching home videos.  My dad spent a gazillion hours transferring old VHS to DVDs and it was a perfect ending to every evening with memories from growing up.

Hope your holiday season was filled with family, friends, and loved ones.

Merriest Christmas

From our family to yours!!!

Crossfit vs. Zumba?

This is too funny because of all the Crossfit lingo we learn to love!

I post a lot about Crossfit because 
that's what I love and part of my everyday!!!


*By no means am I making fun of Zumba by posting this as many people I know enjoy it!  When it comes to fitness, I am a huge believer in doing what you love!  Obviously, this is going to vary from person to person.  Take it with a grain of salt.

Jingle Bell Run 2010

For the second year in a row, Pfizer partnered with the Arthritis Foundation as a proud sponsor of the Jingle Bell Run.  It was the 26th annual run/walk in downtown Seattle, and my work colleagues and besties arrived bright and early to participate in all the fun!

We were encouraged to dress in holiday costumes ... 

so festive socks it was!  Thanks Target!

It was a beautiful down-pour kind of day, and rained the entire day.

We looked like drowned RATS!

Although, running in the rain was fun and for a great cause to bring awareness to arthritis!

_______________________

Speaking of working out ... I started my crossfit workout with a 800m sprint and crashed and burned on the gravel/cement as I weaved from the road to the sidewalk, and I do mean COMPLETELY flung forward and fell, almost on my face, but caught my fall thankfully with my right hand.

This little sucker STILL isn't healed and is an opened wound a week later.  Next time, I will get a DNF (did not finish) next to my name on the white board because the fall within the first minutes and continuing with burpees didn't help the injury.  It this has been really difficult trying to keep it clean and covered, so heal faster.  Sadly, I am pretty sure four layers of skin were shed from the palm of my hand.

It's beginning ....

To look a-lot like CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Online-Shopper

I woke up Monday to my sister-in-law's Facebook message:

Arrie: Just finished all of my Christmas shopping online! 

Love "Cyber Monday!"

It gave me anxiety just reading it .... 

1.  Completed her shopping??

2.  Did it all online??

3.  Cyber Monday??

*I texted her immediately asking what I was missing out on.  I wanted to know exactly what she bought to see if I needed any of it too!  Haha, I can't miss out on a good deal now, so I started just browsing the web.  

Thanks to online shopping and my diligent efforts from the couch, I have created a Christmas list that is obviously one of a married lady who wants practical things for the house!!  Like new home bar furniture :)

Santa, if you're reading this would you please happily bring me this 

Nantucket 3-piece Breakfast Set!

Top Golf w/ fam is the BEST!!

I finally got to experience the hype of Top Golf over Thanksgiving!

Only three locations in the US, if you live in Alexandria, Chicago, or Dallas ... you must check it out if you haven't already.  It's a golf range that has computerized microchips in every ball that track your shots accuracy and distance while awarding points by hitting targets ranging from 20 - 250 yards away.  So, it's competitive AND fun for golfers or people like myself who have never even HIT a ball from a tee!!!!!

Brothers together again!

4 plus hours of hitting balls, blisters, laughter, and competitiveness!

My sweet mother-in-law and sister-in-law

My handsome blue-eyed guy

And if there was a photo to sum up our holiday together ... 

It would be this one!  Lots and lots of fun

Thanksgiving with the Smith's was delightful, of course!!!  I am so very thankful for all the quality time we had as it doesn't happen as often as often as we would like with us all living in separate states.  

The holiday was so special thanks to Ryan and April for hosting us all, 

and Mark and Robin for always being supportive parents!

WA, TX, and TN are just too dang far :)