24 on the 24th!

Today is my golden birthday!!! Pictures to follow :)

SOLD :)

When Greg and I moved to Tyler we rented our house while we were still living in California (before we actually moved to Texas) so we never actually saw the house (only in pictures) until we got here. When we showed up at the house we were very surprised to find that our house did not come with a refrigerator! What's up with that?! I've never rented a house without a refrigerator, that's just standard...right? Anyway, I went straight to Sears and purchased a very nice and fairly inexpensive plain white Kenmore refrigerator.

Well now it is time to move AGAIN, we already rented another house in Chicago and this one does come with a refrigerator (a very nice one). So I've been trying to sell the one I bought for the last few weeks on Craigslist. I love Craigslist! A very nice family came to look at it last week and told me they wanted to buy it! I was so excited! I told the family that we wanted to hold onto the refrigerator until December 22nd because we needed it in the house until we were ready to move. This was not a problem for the family. Then, they called two days later and said it wasn't going to fit in their laundry room and they didn't want to buy it anymore. AHHH!!! I was so annoyed...and stuck with this stupid refrigerator!

This morning I got a call from a cute little old lady named Barbara. She just moved here and her son was going to buy her a refrigerator for her new house. They just came over to check out the fridge and I could tell this little old lady was so excited! I wish I could have taken a picture of her. Her son gave me a deposit to hold the fridge and they're going to be back to pick it up on the 22nd! Hooray!!!! I'm so relieved and Greg is really glad he doesn't have to haul the fridge all the way to Chicago! That would have been a nightmare.

SOLD!!!!!!!!!

Traditions

This will be my second Christmas with the Polheber family and I have to say it is difficult finding a balance between our families during the holidays. With my dad and brother in Mesa and Greg's family in Tucson sometimes it feels like the holiday is spent on the I-10 somewhere in between! Not to mention my mom is all the way in Santa Barbara...that visit isn't going to happen this year.

We feel very lucky to have such loving families that want to spend time with us but seeing everyone isn't always easy. I'm going home to Mesa a couple days before Greg so I can hang out with my dad and brother for my birthday (Christmas Eve), then it's off to Tucson.

The Polhebers have this fun tradition where all the adults draw names and then have to make a gift for the person they drew. We draw names on Christmas and then have all year to make the gift.

I started working on my gift about a month ago and just finished last week. The holidays are always so busy and I definitely didn't have time to make an extravagant gift but I think it turned out pretty good.

I decoupaged the face of this clock with a bunch of family photos and then use some metallic brads to make the hours on the clock. I wish I had more time to do projects like this!!!

Holiday Fun

Greg and I spent Thanksgiving day in Mesa with my family this year. The Polhebers came up from Tucson the day after for a nice dinner and we were so lucky to be able to spend time with both families. Kamran and his girlfriend Ashley

My cousin and her adorable little girl Ava

Me and my Aunt Mina, my aunt has been battling cancer for the last year and a half. She is such a strong woman and I am so thankful to have her in my life.

Greg's sister Renee and Kamran's new little buddy Harry
This picture was just taken last night at Greg's company Christmas party. Greg and I have both been really sick but we toughed it out for some delicious food and a night out on the town. Everything was really beautiful and I don't think you can tell that we're both drugged up on antibiotics and cough medicine!

P.S. Are you feelin my new hair? These are the shortest bangs I've ever had!

Camping Awesomeness

Last weekend Greg and I took the dogs camping in the Angelina National Forest here in East Texas. The last time we went camping outside of Houston, it turned out to be a miserable experience (rain, bugs, RVs, muddy dogs...etc.). Thankfully, this time was had an awesome weekend!

The weather was a little cold, but I prefer cold weather because there were no bugs! We got a beautiful camp site right off the lake and there was hardly anyone else there!

Once it got dark we put the dogs to bed in the tent. Greg and I roasted marshmallows, had some hot chocolate, and then...as I was gazing up at the beautiful stars...

Amelia: Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh...(screaming)

Greg: WHAT?! Amelia what's wrong?!?!

Amelia: I'll show you what's wrong (grabs lantern)

GIANT SPIDER THE SIZE OF MY FIST DANGLING OVER MY HEAD!

Greg: (Not very impressed) Next time you have to tell me what's going on...I thought you saw an axe murder or a bear in the woods!

As if this nasty spider was no big deal! Thankfully, Greg squashed this disgusting hairy beast a few moments later. Still, all night I had the creepy crawlies!

It got REALLY cold that night and even the poor puppies were shivering...

Sydney ended up sleeping IN Greg's sleeping bag and poor Sadie had to keep warm under some extra blankets.

Still, the overall experience was so much fun and I think Greg and I will go camping again...just not while we're living in Chicago!

Late Halloween Pics

Sorry I'm posting these so late. Greg and I didn't take many pics on Halloween but here are a couple so you can see our costumes!

Greg met another Indian at the costume party

I know this is not the best picture, but it is the only one! I was an eskimo :)

Bath Time

Last night we decided the dogs were really starting to stink and it was time for a bath. We've had to bathe them more and more frequently here in Texas because they get so dirty out in the yard. Sadie loves to lye in the grass on squirrel patrol all day and we can't keep Sydney from digging these giant manholes all over the yard...it's a little like a war zone.

As you can see, Sydney isn't really thrilled about taking a bath.

She needs a little help from Greg.

See...it's not so bad!

Sadie, in her old age, is a seasoned bather. She understands that baths are inevitable and usually jumps right in the tub as soon as she sees me whip out the doggy shampoo! She is such a good girl:)