2010? Bring it.

Since today is January 1, I thought you might all be interested in what was for dinner.


Looks pretty gourmet, right?

Wrong. It was frozen a couple minutes ago. I haven't started my ride with Tyler yet because Ryan is out of town and he's probably the only one around here who will appreciate my efforts. When he gets back I'm starting for real. Monday night.

Speaking of Ryan, I thought I would post a picture of what he brought home for me on our anniversary. Can't beat Roses and McDonald's. That, ladies and gentlemen, is true love.

Before I start on the Christmas update, let me just inform you that a couple days before the holidays, there was a 54 degree difference from inside my house to outside. Now do you understand when I say it feels like Old Man Winter punches you in the face when you walk outside? It's COLD!!

Christmas was eventful as always, full of family and friends. It always seems to sneak up on me and then when I've gotten everything ready, it's over. Just like that. Christmas feels more and more anticlimactic every year. Maybe this is me getting old. This was also the first year I haven't had to wake the kids up. I think my back being out of sorts and being drugged up had something to do with it, but it was certainly refreshing to wake up at 8am and see Katie and Luke already scanning all the loot. Emily was still sleeping like always. The best part of Christmas in my opinion, is seeing the kids in the middle of the magic with the sparkle in their eyes. I love it.

Once again I managed to get the perfect present for Ryan. Well, almost.

Last year I got him his old '72 Chevy back. A little history: Ryan's dad bought an old truck and restored it. He gave it to Ryan and he drove it until we out-grew it as a family. It was really hard for him to get rid of it.

The friend he sold it to called me to see if Ryan was interested in buying it back because he now too outgrew it with his young family. I jumped on this opportunity and secretly bought it and hid it until Christmas. He had no idea! Ryan likes to pretend every year that he knows what I got him, I think in some way he's trying to get me to admit what I got, but it never works. Silly Ryan. He was so surprised, to say the least. His dad even high-fived me because it was the best present ever.

That brings us to this year. Ryan has a "Man Room". He claimed the bonus room above the garage as a no-girls-moms-ok room. The other day I was getting my hair did and was explaining to my amazing hairdresser (who is also named Ryan) that we got a TV for the man room and couldn't wait to get the pool table and lazy-boy chairs to complete the room. He said he had a pool table that I could have if I just came and got it and that was that. The price was right and Ryan's brother agreed to help me sneak it into the "Man Room". Long story short, it didn't work out and Ryan ended up going to help his brother get it...early Christmas present. But that's okay.

Ryan usually works up until a couple days before Christmas so he always has to do last-minute shopping to surprise me. This year he must have heard me talk about my needing some supplies for my cooking and he got me this:


Now I can cook like all the other professionals!

I'm gonna let you in on a secret. Ryan is the worst at hiding presents (I love you Ryan!). He get's an "A" for effort. On Christmas eve we were getting everything ready before bed and I went out to my car to grab something. There sitting on the stairs was the food processor. Then I told him I needed the stockings that were upstairs. When I got there, hiding behind the boxes was the food processor again! Everywhere I looked it was there! I swear I wasn't looking Ryan. The ipod touch was a surprise though. It wasn't jumping out at me anywhere.

All in all it was a good week. New Year's Eve was fun and now we're gonna relax and get back to schedule. And soon, we'll eat some yummy food too....