12 DAYS of Christmas:

...day..7 and .. 6?

(what did you expect, I miss the first few days..and then I'm going to be all perfect and remember every single day there-after? Pffft. ha. I'm just keepin' it real)

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Christmas memories...

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Well, what I really wanted was to find a picture of our very first Christmas married, because boy would I love to remember where we were then...but I guess we were too poor for film(ummm,film...what's that???) for our now antiquated camera because I couldn't find ONE picture. So it will have to suffice for me to try describing the few tidbits I can dig up out of my rusty (oh and it is RUSTY- so horrible I have been inclined to wonder if I have early Alzheimer's) memory.

Let me begin by describing out first apartment. A loooong time ago. ok, it was 12 years ago. It was a rectangle. And BROWN. Very brown. In fact, it might even be termed-mid century mod if we were to resurrect it now...but in more of a horrifying Denny's restaurant-like way(unless, of course you love Denny's decor, then it was in an AWESOME Denny's-like way. But I digress.). But I can't lay claim or any glory on those fabulous metal and pleather chairs at our Formica dining table for two, as we rented our first apartment FURNISHED. Oh yes.(You should've see the sofa.WOW.)

And when I say a RECTANGLE, I mean it! You walked in on the short side of the rectangle. Then,from there,if you kept the one (or was it two? I forget.)door open, you'd see straight through to the back wall's half-window that was partially underground and you could watch people's feet as they walked by on the sidewalk out front. That was our little special bed-time vista. We rented all that and MORE (like that glorious YEAR ROUND heated pool, that actually wasn't heated except for the fact that in the winter they blew up this huge balloon tarp-thingy over it with hot steamy air blowing by a LOUD FAN inside. So steamy that after you zipped-yes zipped- your way into this relaxing tropical escape you couldn't see two inches in front of your face. I digress again. Sorry.) for a mere $450 a month in Provo, Utah. (oddly enough, I will remember the price of everything I will ever buy in my life, I swear.)

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Oh, the memories. Anyway.. Our first tree was real, I think, and I of course made my ornaments out of silver and gold ribbons I got at Macfrugals, as well as the grapes I got of the same colors. of course everything I remember is about the decorating. I remember nothing else. And that's that. But it would have been nice to at least take ONE picture, for history's sake, right?

Here's more recent memories (with PICTURES!)

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Here's a golden one. I am here trying (once again)to ski. My hair was a darker red here, and I was ANGRY for most of this whole time. Although my makeup looks flawless..my SKILLS are NOT. I snowball rolled, twist-fell, and cried (literally)for much of this jolly-snow day.

Lori- MEMORIES!!! This was a special (ok- downright hilarious) memory. My MIL gave me and my SIL a special argyle pink matching sweater for Christmas. And this pic was NOT POSED. And I daresay... I will never tell what happened to the sweater.

This was the Christmas after our miscarriage that November. It was our first pregnancy. I was pregnant with Lena the very next month!


Lena's SNOW Discoveries!!!


Here we are with Lena at a Sledding Hill in Utah with Mark's family! We spent a lot of Christmases in Utah....but after the one where we lost all power in his parents house for three days after getting snowed in with like 5 feet of snow... I think scarred us for life. We only go to Utah in the Summer now. =)

So this was our Southern Christmas at our home of a short 2 years in Texas. I think I am feeding Lena Like a puppy to keep her happy. (this is how cheesy I am-I bought that hat with a matching suede Ralph Lauren bag from Lord and Taylor in Virginia in anticipation of moving down to Texas. I had to get my "western" look on.)