Making the Longhorns Sweat a Little

Do you remember this post? Where I told you all about the Bag? http://www.consideringcampbell.com/2009/05/bag.html 

Well the bag had a mini reunion a couple weekends ago in Dallas. 3 of the guys came down from Nebraska and TJ & Allison (the Hawaii newlyweds) came from their new home in Michigan…all to watch the Huskers break our little hearts. Well, to watch Colt McCoy break our little hearts. (at least we got to see them beat Arizona senseless last night!)

We rolled into Dallas around 10 pm and hung out at BWW (where else?) playing trivia for awhile. Then we moved over to the guys’ hotel room for a rousing game of baggage ball. TJ won. TJ always wins.

Allison & Me---since the last time we took a picture together at BWW, she’s gotten married and become a certified Nurse Practitioner & I’ve gotten knocked up and become a licensed attorney. Oh how things can change in just a matter of months.

Joe (the newest Dad) and TJ (the neurosurgery resident. We use the line “it takes a brain surgeon” around him quite a bit).

Joe’s beautiful wife Jennifer didn’t come because she was home with the first BabyBag, Nathan. Last time you saw Nathan, he looked like this:

See that there in Jenni’s tummy? Yeah. That’s Nathan. He looks a bit different these days.

Nebraska fans infiltrated Chick-Fil-A before the game. You see, we don’t have a Chick-Fil-A back there in Nebraska (unless you work for Mutual of Omaha…they have one in the building but you can’t go in and eat there unless you work there). So all the Nebraskans were getting their Chick-Fil-A fix. When we saw that the Cow was sporting Nebraska colors, we had to get a picture with him.

This is Pete watching a video on John’s iphone. It is the most incredible video I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t heard of the freedom tray, you need to hear about it. And what am I here for if not to inform?

We were all pretty bummed that we didn’t have freedom trays for the tailgate and game.  I bet the longhorn fans had freedom trays…that’s what gave them the winning edge.

Knocked Up: A Nativity Story

On Christmas, we watched The Nativity Story. Have you seen this movie? It was our first time watching it. It is certainly going to become a new Christmas tradition. Yes, there were some parts of it that we really probably pretty inaccurate (oh, hello wiseman showing up right after Jesus is born!) but the story itself was pretty great to see on Christmas day.

This year was a bit different for me. For the first time, I really thought about Mary’s experience. I’m not sure why but I’ve just never really focused on Mary in this story. It was always still about Jesus for me. But really, if it hadn’t been for Mary’s faith and Joseph’s patience and trust, we could be celebrating a very different Christmas story. The Nativity Story really put it into perspective for me. First, she’s tiny. The girl was like 15. That’s insane. I realize that things were done younger in those days…but come on. I’m ten years older than her and not at all ready to become a mother. Here she is, a teenager, and she not only has to become a mother but she has to become the mother to the Savior of the entire world. Oh yeah, and she has to convince her fiancé that she was still a virgin. No big deal.

Watching the movie also made me empathize with her on a purely physical basis. There I was, sitting on my couch, uncomfortable as all get out. I have certainly hit the “I can never get comfortable” phase of the pregnancy. I am rotund, people. It hurts to sit. It hurts to stand. It hurts to lie down. I am just UNCOMFORTABLE. And as I am sitting there shifting my weight, trying to get comfortable on my nice plush couch, I see Mary getting up on a flippin’ donkey about to ride on that little guy for 100 miles to Bethlehem. Seriously? I can’t get comfortable on my couch…and this girl is fixing to take a bumpy camel ride for days and days just to be counted in some census. That, my friends, is crazy talk. But she did it. Because she is so good and faithful—not just to God but to her wonderful, trusting husband.

Okay…I have a confession to make. You see, I had this grandiose vision of blogging about how different my perspective is after experiencing the Christmas season carrying my own sweet little boy. I thought I’d have some poignant words that would make you guys say, “oh yeah.” But I am realizing I don’t. I think that my experience this season was really too personal to put into words. I just can’t seem to think of the right way to describe any of what I felt as I read the familiar story and watched the Nativity Story and listened to the sermons…so I guess I’ll just keep it to myself. I don’t think I could find a way to adequately share it anyway. But I do have to say that I am grateful for the experience I had and so grateful for the insight I gained into this wonderful woman’s experience. Elizabeth was right when she said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” Mary was so good and so blessed. She was such a strong woman and I can only pray to have a fraction of her faith. Too bad it took me getting knocked up to realize it. But…you know what they say: God works in mysterious ways.

50 Random Things

Ten on Tuesday has been postponed a week because Chelsea (the ToT creator) is expecting a new niece and has better things to do than come up with ToT questions. However, my friend Meggie K sent these little babies to me and I thought they were pretty random…just random enough to go on Considering Campbell. I mean really, what’s this blog about if not learning about each other? So…here goes. The questions are all really short so it should be a quick read. By the way, if it was acceptable to post other people’s business on my blog, I’d share Meggie’s answers…I was laughing out loud the entire time I read them.

1. Do you like horseradish? Yes!

2. Who is your favorite person? The Big JC (not the little one I’m married to or the one in my tummy)

3. Do you own a gun? Much to my father’s dismay, no.

4. What flavor of KoolAid was your favorite? The invisible grape! It doesn’t stain your teeth.

5. Do you get nervous before Doctors appointments? Yes.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? They are lame without sauerkraut.

7. Favorite Christmas Movie? Nativity Story & A Christmas Story…and National Lampoon…I love the old aunt.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee. But these days, water or decaf tea.

9. Can you do push ups? I used to be able to. I should try one now…that could make for quite the sight. Maybe I’ll videotape it for you to laugh at when you’re having a rough day.

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My engagement ring. I love it.

11. Favorite Hobby? Is watching TV considered a hobby? Man, I am pathetic.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? No. That question is random.

13. What's your favorite pair of shoes?  My black nine west pumps. I buy a new pair every year.

14. Middle Name? Elizabeth

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? –why is John sitting in the rocking chair in the middle of the living room? –I hope my cousin’s don’t kill each other out there (they are hunting for raccoons outside with air rifles) –I hope John doesn’t actually moon them the next time they flash their flashlights in here.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Decaf tea, decaf coffee, lots of water

17. Current Worry?  That we won’t be able to provide for Jack like I want to.

18. Current Hate right now? not being rich.

19. What is your dream car? Infiniti FX

20. How did you ring in the New Year? At a bowling alley with our friends. It was the first time I’d ever “gone out” on NYE. Normally, my family all stays home and watches movies and stuffs ourselves silly with a different food course every hour.

21. How will you ring in this New Year's?  Seven hours of gluttony. (see #20)

22. Where would you like to go if you could go anywhere? Ann Arbor, Michigan

23. Do you own slippers? Yes. I got lots of slippers for Christmas, in fact.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? No shoes.

25. What kind of sheets do you like to sleep on? 300 thread count or higher. NOT jersey.

26. Can you whistle? No. And I always thought a boy would “teach me” like in the movies. It never happened. When we were dating, I used to tell John that I couldn’t whistle. He never caught on that I was trying to get him to kiss me. Whatever.

27. Favorite Colors? Yellow.

28. What would you be if you could be anything? An actress. I’d have to get good at acting though.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever is in my head. Today was “Yankee Doodle Dandy”

30. Favorite girls name? I think about boy’s names much more often these days.

31. Favorite Boys Name? Jack :)

32. What's in your pocket right now? I don't have any pockets.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? John saying, “I’m gonna moon them next time they flash that light in our window”

34. Best childhood game? Cooties!!!!!!

35. Worst injury you ever had as a child?  See #2 in this post: http://www.consideringcampbell.com/2009/10/reasons-i-love-my-baby-sister-bridget.html

38. Who is your loudest friend? Kainani Collins, fo' sho'.

39. How many pets do you have? 2: Truman the Dog and Lou Ferrigno the Parakeet

40. Does someone have a crush on you? I hope my husband does.

41. What is your favorite book? The Bible, but that goes without saying. I really like Catcher in the Rye. I really like anything by Chris Van Allsburg---the Sweetest Fig is the best!

42. What is your favorite candy? Sour stuff. Anything sour. I used to love those Altoids Sours but I don’t think they make them anymore because I can never find them. Meggie K used to give me the mango ones for random presents. I love them. I love her for giving them to me. I do not love that I can no longer acquire them.

43. Favorite Sports team? Spurs and the Huskers

44. Where was your first kiss?  In Jason Olson’s basement.

45. Have you been in love before?  Yes.

46. Favorite vacation?  Our honeymoon. Nothing like free everything and absolutely no obligations or plans.

47. What would you change in your life right now?  Nothing I can change so no point in thinking about it really. Although it would be nice to have a more regular job with more security for the future.

48. What is a skill you wish you possessed?  I wish I was more athletic, I wish I was more patient, I wish I was better at catching onto things the first go round, I wish I was a better phone-talker…

49. Making a resolution for 2010?  Nah. I never keep them anyway. Maybe I’ll try for the umpteenth time to limit my salt intake. That never really works though.

50. What are your goals for the New Year? Be better.

Christmas!

This was a strange Christmas for us…our first Christmas as Texans. It was the first Christmas John has ever spent without his family (I had that experience for the first time the year we were married). I’m sure it was a bummer for him as much as it was a bummer for me that first year. I hope that my family made him feel as at home as his did for me.

It was also John’s first experience with Texas weather on Christmas. While Omaha was being pounded with 10 inches of snow, I was walking around in my PJs with little shorts and a top (a top which, I must say, Jack is protruding out of. The PJs will be super cute after I have my body back to myself though). For the record: Yes, it would have been neat to have a white Christmas. No, it would not have been neat to have it last a second past Christmas. I much prefer our scenario down here. All over facebook, people are talking about STILL not being able to leave their driveways. NO THANK YOU!

Anyway, this was apparently the Christmas of outfitting our kitchen. I am not sure what we did to deserve all these goodies but I need to keep doing it!

My mother in law got me this book:

John and I are planning to make Jack’s food rather than buy the little jars of Gerber or whatever. This is for two reasons: 1) it’s healthier for him 2) it’s cheaper for us. Have I ever mentioned that we are very budgeted? We are. So the idea of sticking a few carrots in the magic bullet for $0.25 is better to me than spending a buck on the same thing for premade baby food. Anyway, this book is pretty helpful because it’s all about what babies can/can’t should/shouldn’t eat at certain stages of their life.

Keeping in line with the kitchen theme, John’s sister sent me a gourmet sea salt variety pack. I can now choose my salt depending on my mood. Am I feeling smoky? Grey? Hawaiian? Pink? Well, don’t worry…we have a salt for that.

I also got one of these little babies:

I am horrible at baking. I have no idea what I am going to do with it. But I know that no kitchen should be without one and I am tickled pink (or yellow as the case may be) that I have one!!!!!

We got the coolest pitcher in the world too:

It’s called a gurgle pot. It does what the name implies:

John got a food processor. We had one but it broke about a year and a half ago so now we are limited to our magic bullet. While the bullet is a rockstar at smoothies and other small things, it doesn’t help much when John is making one of his giant batches of salsa. This little puppy, however, should help out just fine:

The final piece on our Kitchen Christmas is something that I have wanted for years. YEARS, I tell you.

I don’t even have words. I love it. I love it’s little pods and it’s little blue light and its little water holder. I love how fast it brews up a cup of joe or tea or cocoa. I love it, I tell you, LOVE IT!

I have no idea how this became the Kitchen Christmas but I’m glad it did. My sister, Browyn, heard we had a kitchen Christmas and got very excited. She thought we'd gotten a dishwasher. You see, Browyn is moving into the guest house (and kicking us out! RUDE!) in the summer and she was hoping to get a dishwasher in here before she moved in. Sorry Browyn, not gonna happen. But the kitchen does look swell with all my new appliances. I’ll take pictures so that you can try and make it look as nice when you move in.

We got some swell other gifts too that did not fit into the Kitchen Christmas theme. We were (and are) beyond blessed this year. I am still shocked at all the goodies we got.  This was, far and away, the most generous Christmas we’ve ever had.

One thing in particular that didn’t fit into the Christmas theme was a book my dad got my son…an autographed copy (complete with a certificate of authenticity) of the Conservative Manifesto. Jack is still in my womb, mind you. Apparently Dad wanted to get him started early on leaning to the right. John’s dad is already putting the shipping label on the Obama biography.  I think between his two Grandpas (and between his mom and his dad), Jack is going to be very politically confused.

John and I ended Christmas by lying in bed and reading the Christmas Story in Luke. I certainly didn’t give God the glory He deserved on Christmas day (I don’t think it’s humanly possible to give Him the glory He deserves) but I am glad we ended it by remembering what all our wonderful gifts symbolized: the greatest gift of all. Here a little baby is born in a filthy, disgusting cave surrounded by stable animals and wrapped in old clothes. His first act of ministry in this world was to essentially say that He was here for all of us; that He was not some superior King who would reign from a throne. He was a King who would and does reign right where we need Him to be.

So yeah, we got a plethora of wonderful gifts this year for Christmas…but there’s one that stood out in particular.

Oh, Christmas Tree!!!

I think it’s interesting the wide array of Christmas trees out there. Tonight my mom was telling me about someone she knows who has a Christmas Palm Tree…that lead me to start thinking about all the other Christmas trees. When Allison and I lived together, we had a tree straight out of Better Homes and Gardens. It was perfect (thanks to my perfect roommate) with matching ornaments, pretty garland and ribbon, and perfect lights.

That’s not our tree. Ours was blue and silver ornaments and ribbon…but you get the idea. It was perfect!Perfect, I tell you. John and I have a tree that is…perfectly imperfect.

Honestly, I don’t think that we have any real ornaments. That’s not true. We do have a few. My friend Jeanette always gets me ornaments as Christmas presents. And we have a few “first Christmas” ornaments from when we got married. But for the most part, our Christmas tree consists of lots and lots of ornaments that John and I made when we were young. I’m talking really young. I’m talking our hands were this big young:

That hand is about 3 inches, just FYI.

I’m talking, I thought this was high quality artwork young (if only you could see her face better…giant eyes…huge nose, big mouth).

This is an “ornament” I made when I was a little one. It’s my manger scene. That yellow figure is Jesus. There’s a little lamb at his feet. Apparently Joseph and Mary are identical except Joseph has a beard (or is vomiting. I can’t tell which)

What Christmas tree would be complete without an ice cream cone ornament? And yes, that base is a real ice cream cone. How has that survived all these years?

As if we could go an entire holiday season without looking at a can of soup ornament paying homage to our last name.

John’s got a couple St. Louis Cardinals players just hanging out on the good old tree. I hate them. I think they are tacky. Then he reminds me of two things: 1) Our entire tree is tacky, and 2) I have these all over the tree:

Barbie ornaments. Ever since I was a little girl, my Grandma Miller would give me a Barbie Christmas ornament for every holiday, birthday, etc. I loved it because Bridget and I would “play Barbies” throughout the whole Christmas season (mom never let me hang them on the tree. She apparently thought 20 barbies was overdoing it). My Grandma was a shopper…one of those ladies who had gifts ready for people years before they were to be given. She died after John and I had been dating for a year or so. The Christmas before I got married, this ornament was under the tree for me with a note (in my Grandma’s handwriting) that said: “To Molly when she gets married”

Creepy to get a gift from your Grandma from beyond the grave but neat that my family kept it for me and gave it to me like Grandma would have wanted.

John apparently thinks 20 Barbies on the tree is overdoing it too so I only choose my 5 favorites. Yeah, they are tacky…but they have some nice memories to them.So I told you about my friend, Jeanette. A few years ago, she gave me this attorney ornament. I always secretly feared that putting it up before I was actually an attorney would somehow jinx me. It was a pretty neat feeling to put it up this year knowing that it was totally, 100% legit.

So there ya have it. Our random tree.

My sister (Browyn) and her husband decided that when they got married, they would buy the tackiest ornaments they could find and only put them up on their tree. We once bought them an ornament with a santa in boxer shorts skydiving…we had to after Truman came over to their house and knocked down their tree, breaking their one single normal ornament that they bought for their first Christmas together. They now want to get a Christmas Palm Tree:

It makes me wonder what kind of tree you guys have? Is it a perfect one like Allison & mine? Is it random and childish like the Campbell tree? Is it tacky like Browyn’s? I truly want to know. I think your Christmas tree says alot about you…

On second thought, if yours is filled with chainsaw and knife ornaments, keep it to yourself…

It’s Official.

Last week, Molly was officially sworn into the Texas Bar.

It was a culmination of years and years of school and thousands and thousands of dollars (if you did not know, law school is expensive).  Needless to say, we’re all pretty excited around the Campbell house for Molly’s great achievement.

Shortly after the bar results came out, she had the chance to travel to Austin to be sworn in with every other person who passed the bar.  That wasn’t cool enough though (actually Molly would have had to go by herself because her parents were out of town and I had to work, so she didn’t want to).  Her Dad pulled some strings and got the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives to swear her into the Texas Bar.  Ummm… pretty cool.

Even more cool?  My son was indirectly sworn in to.  I’m pretty sure he was “Repeating After Me” inside the womb…

Therefore, I am now proud to say that both my wife and my son are members of the Texas Bar Association.  It’s pretty awesome.  Jack’s first trial is next week. (By the way, I keep telling Molly that the little name tag on her belly isn’t necessary… but she doesn’t listen, so what can you do?!?)

After the swearing in, we headed downtown to eat in the Tower of the Americas. 

I was still pretty excited for Jack, so I had to give him a little kiss…you know how Molly feels about kissing the belly photos.

  We ate at the top of that thing and looked down on Christmas San Antonio..

It was pretty cool.  Though the highlight of the evening up there for Molly was that she finally got to ditch her string of fake pearls.

Her parents bought her a real strand to say congratulations…

Bridget even tested them to make sure they were really real…

They were.  That led Bridget to ask when she got a present…  Her Mom said when she accomplished something.  That’s when the night turned from cool… to just a tad bit awkward.

Ten on Tuesday

1. When do you put up and take down your Christmas decorations?
Put up: Thanksgiving day or the day after.
Take Down: whenever I get around to it. They don’t stay up much past Epiphany though.

2. What do you do to simplify the holiday season?
This holiday season, I just pretended like it wasn’t happening. So I didn’t send out Christmas cards, I didn’t really buy presents, it just kinda…appeared: hey look! Christmas is 3 days away!!! Hey look, only the Jesus present is under our tree!!! Oops.

3. What do you do to remind yourself and your family what the Christmas season is all about?
We always have one present under the tree that is the biggest and prettiest of them all. There’s nothing in the box but it’s to remind us of the best gift that was ever given on Christmas. It doesn’t keep us as focused on Christ as he deserves (especially this time of year) but I think it’s something that will hopefully always keep us at least a bit more grounded on the real reason we’re celebrating.

4. How do you spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve: hang out with family, watch A Christmas Story, ask dad repeatedly when it’s time to eat, eat fondue, open one present, go to midnight service.
Christmas Day: John and I wake up and have our own Christmas together and spend the first few hours of the morning just the two of us. For the past few years, we went over to his family’s house and opened presents and had brunch.  Then we’d go over to my aunt’s house and open more presents and have dinner. Then we’d go back over to his parents’ and John and his dad would watch old movies and I’d fall asleep on the couch. This year, we’ll wake up and open whatever presents we have…which won’t be much because of #2 above. Then we’ll go over to my parent’s house and open presents. It’ll be our first Christmas together with my parents so that will be neat.  Then it’s deep fried turkey and french fries for dinner!!! One of my favorite meals of the entire year.

5. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
Probably Fondue on Christmas Eve. It’s something we’ve been doing as long as I can remember…John and I implemented it as our own Christmas Eve tradition and I love it. Our first year together we had my friend Martha over for fondue. Then our second year we had our friends Shiloh and Dimiter. Last year it was my sister and her husband and my dear friend Jeanette. It’s just such a fun dinner and I love having family and friends over for it. It’s been a long time since I’ve done it with my parents and I’m looking forward to it this year!

6.  Did you do the whole Santa thing growing up? What do you like/not like about continuing the tradition?
As in Santa bringing me presents? Yes. We always had a few presents from him on Christmas. I kid you not, I believed in Santa Claus until I was 12 years old. I also played with Barbies until then.  I also french kissed a boy at that age. Does anyone else think this is wrong? Girls who believe in Santa Clause and play with Barbies should not be french kissing. It’s just wrong. (as an aside, I was really young for my grade so I was in 8th grade when I was 12. Just throwing that out there to make myself feel a little better…but it didn’t. It just reminded me that a kid who was just 1 year away from High School believed in Santa.)
Anyway, I think it’ll be neat to see Jack’s excitement about Santa but I also think it’ll be hard to get him to focus on Jesus instead of the big hairy man in the red velvet jumpsuit. As a 3 year old, a man who brings you presents is more exciting than a man who died and rose from the grave to save his life. Kinda hard for a 3 year old to register the latter…


7. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
I don’t really like cookies. My mother in law makes this Christmas bread though…we lovingly refer to it as “Pam’s Kick Ass Bread”. It is like heaven in a loaf. This is the first year I haven’t had any. I’m very depressed about it. (Pam, I know you read this blog and if you decide you want to send me some bread, I will not be opposed to it).

8. How do you take your egg nog?
Poured down the sink.

9. What is your favorite Christmas carol and why?
Oh Holy Night….oh man, or We Three Kings….that last verse about Myrrh….it’s intense.

10. When was the last time you had a white Christmas?
Last year was a white Christmas in Nebraska. Very similar to the 70 degree weather we’re expecting here in San Antonio this year.




As an aside: I love Megan more than words can describe. She’s beautiful and wonderful and humble and I think everyone should just know that. Just sayin’. 

The Amazing Race

My sister Browyn says that Bridget and John have an unhealthy relationship. She says that no brother-in-law and sister-in-law should get along so well. Perhaps she’s right…most people wouldn’t sign up to hang out with their sibling-in-law for 3 months straight. Bridget and John, however, apparently think this is a splendid idea.

You see, Bridget and John are signing up for the Amazing Race. They think that they have a very unique relationship because most in-laws don’t get along that well (especially ones of different genders). They think that’ll give them an edge over other applicants. I think the fact that they act like 10 year old boys when they get together is what will give them that “uniqueness” that the casting people may be looking for. They have alot (yeah Browyn, that’s right. I spelled “alot” as one word. Whatcha gonna do about it?) in common. They like the same shows, they like the same movies, they are both immature, they both like to make jokes about hating each other. It’s really a very healthy friendship.

This is Bridget and John fighting. I’m not sure how it started…Bridget was over watching “Extreme Christmas Decorations” and the next thing I know, I hear yelling and I come in and they are literally fighting like 12 year old boys at a sleepover. I decided to pull out the video camera because why not?

John decided to step things up by using an umbrella to fight. Needless to say, the umbrella is now in 3 pieces and in the dumpster. The thing is, this is normal for them. NORMAL. How is it normal that a 27 year old and a 22 year old fight with umbrellas and blankets?

 

Bridget is a member of the paranormal investigators association (AKA Ghosthunters). She says that all those little spots on the pictures means we have a ton of ghosts in our house. Well that’s not unsettling at all…

Anyway, Bridget and John have decided to enter the Amazing Race. They want to take the spin of “look we’re so unique because we’re brother-in-law and sister-in-law and we’re practically best friends.” But they are afraid people are going to think they have a “creepy close” relationship and people are going think Bridget has a secret crush on John.  Don’t worry. She doesn’t. John doesn’t have enough tattoos or other body alterations for her.

They just get along so well because they are both horribly immature for their age. Going out with the two of them is like being a mother…constantly telling them to behave. I have a feeling Jack is going to really enjoy hanging out with them. He’ll probably despise me constantly telling them all to settle down. At that point, Bridget will probably hand him a pixie stick under the table and all will be right with the world.

(by the way, as I was writing this blog post, Bridget and John were outside. Bridget just ran in our house and locked the door. I asked her, “where’s John?” and she just started laughing. John used his house key to get in and she was VERY disappointed when he got in. Then they started talking about how lame it was the the Teen Cribs marathon was over. See? They are 12 years old.)

The Most Random Message Ever

When we were in Nebraska, John noticed that he had a missed call from my little sister Bridget. This was the message:

“John, so I’m just driving home and I was driving under a bridge and there’s this guy walking over the bridge and he’s just holding his side and I’m like ‘oh, he’s probably been shot or something’ and then I’m like ‘no he hasn’t. that’s just weird.’ and then I looked and he hadn’t been shot but isn’t that weird that like nothing really big going on right now? there’s no alien invasions that are saying they are coming in peace but actually have sinister motives and there’s not like…been a blackout where everyone thought that for the past two minutes—like there’s no like, anything like that that’s happened. Isn’t that so weird? That everything’s so normal? There’s nothing—there’s nothing really big that’s happened. Like in those shows. Just wait. Something’s gonna happen. I can feel it…Or maybe I just want something to happen. Like not anything scary, like aliens trying to kill us because that’s scary. Even though I’d totally be part of the resistance because I’m not okay with aliens trying to kill me and my family. Um….but…umm…you’re calling me right now but I need to finish this message…Um, I’d be part of the resistance but at the same time, I’d be really scared to be part of the resistance because I’d probably totally get killed. But then I’m like well maybe I’d have my concealed carry by then…except I don’t know where to kill them to make them die…like that one guy, he got stabbed where the heart would be and they were like, ‘oh good thing you weren’t human or you’d be dead.’ Like how do you kill them then? You know? If he didn’t die then how do you kill them?

Or there could be a flash forward. But that caused all sorts of drama because there were those people like killing themselves because they knew they were going to die anyway…so that’s kind of dangerous. I hope that if I did have a flash forward it’d be happy flash forward and it wouldn’t be like me cheating on my husband but then again I’m not married so that wouldn’t happen…and I hope it wouldn’t be something like someone’s drowning me in a pool of water…I hope it’d be something happy like…maybe I’m eating a lollipop? Like one of those really big ones that they sell at disneyworld that are like really huge and they have like swirls, you know? and they have mickey mouse’s face on them and it takes you a really long—(GASP)—or you know those big jawbreakers!?!? like giant jawbreakers that’s like the size of your hand? I used to buy those all the time. I hope that in my flash forward, I’d be eating one of those giant jawbreakers or a really large um…sucker…like one of those mickey mouse—Molly once bought me one of those mickey mouse lollipops for my birthday once because I went through a phase where I bought those all the time…so I hope I’d be doing something like that. And I really hope that you wouldn’t be like…cheating—or I really hope that you wouldn’t be, um, drinking, um…and about to get shot up by people wearing masks with star tattoos. (GASP) I could be shooting you!!! I HAVE A STAR TATTOO!!! I hope my flash forward isn’t me killing you and your flash forward isn’t me killing you.  (GASP) You dying. (GASP) Oh, I hope that’s not it! Oooooooooooooooo.”

WOW.

Bridget Loves Bellies

Between me and Browyn, there was an abundance of pregnant bellies at the McCartney Nebraska Holiday extravaganza.

Me, Browyn, and Bridget

Bridget had some ideas of pictures that she wanted to take with her nephews. This is what resulted.

Bridget is a strange one…

But so is Browyn. You see, Bridget has awesome hair. Her hair does anything she wants it to do. Curly? Done. Straight? Done. Bumpit lookalike? Done. She definitely has the best hair in the family. Poor Browyn was bald until she was 4 or 5. Her hair growth never quite caught up with her and she’s got really thin locks. You’d never really notice except that she is really self-conscious about it. So prior to every picture, she has to “give herself body” and she runs her fingers through her hair to get it to look like there’s more than there is. Then she looks like an idiot. Exhibit A:

Luckily, the second picture turned out better. My brother and sister:

And I can’t very well do an entire blog post with every sibling except the oldest. Meghan with me and Jack.

McCartney Holidays!

A few weeks ago, we went back to Nebraska for a very short visit with family. My parents have a loft in the Old Market and we spent most of the time moving in and getting everything squared away for our first family night in the Nebraska home.

I spent one of those days babysitting that little angel. Perhaps you remember him? The cute “money you could save by switching to Geico” kid? Yeah, he’s my awesome nephew. He’s gonna teach Jack dirty jokes and to do things like fist bump. I haven’t been to Nebraska since he was born so this was my first time meeting him in real life (skype just doesn’t cut it). When I met him, my brother asked me if the baby in my stomach jumped like when Mary and John the Baptist’s mom hung out. Just for the record, Jack was kicking the whole time I was hanging out with Liam. He’s stoked to hang out with his cousin.

I love this kid. (so what do you think? Do I look good holding a little boy?)

So after everything got all moved in, Dad got to cooking. I sat back and took pictures. It’s my way of helping.

My mom bought those little party cracker things that you pull on and there’s a little present with a crown and joke. We all had a very nice time with our crowns. Especially me…in case you couldn’t tell. Shawn (Meghan’s husband) just looks bored. Browyn is a pregnant woman after my own heart…she doesn’t care about pictures…she just cares about grabbing that last piece of garlic bread.

Meghan and John both look like they are VERY upset with me for being so happy.

This is John telling his joke. See that little red keychain hanging from his hand? That’s his present..it’s a little magnifying glass. Everyone else threw away their little presents (whistles, cars, etc.) or just left them at the house. John brought his back to Texas. He’s a regular old detective so he needs one…obviously.

Browyn and Austin decided to take a family picture. She was NOT happy with Austin’s lack of seriousness in the first attempt. John and I decided that since we were wearing crowns, any pictures taken of us needed to be very stately. I think we succeeded.  Once John’s crown came off, we decided stately poses were no longer required.

It was wonderful to have all the family together. That happens very rarely now that 1/2 of us live in Texas and the other 1/2 live in Nebraska. Between work schedules and spending the holidays with our in-laws (which sometimes requires traveling away from both NE and TX), it’s hard to get everyone together in one place. Hopefully, this was the first of many gatherings at the Nebraska McCartney casa.