2011 Highlights

Well the original plan was to do a month by month recap of 2011.  However, as I was looking through my pictures of the last year, I came to the realization that the first half of it was pretty boring and uneventful.  It mostly consisted of work.  I was at the Home for the Handicapped and while I enjoyed the actual job, I did not enjoy the hours.  Between having class two nights a week and working four nights a week, my social life left much to be desired.  So instead I'll just do highlights of the year.

The first one I'm not sure can be considered a highlight since it involved a lot of destruction, but it definitely left an impact on me.  Going down to Athens after the tornado outbreak and driving through my old neighborhood left me standing in awe of the power of God.  From both the nature side of things and the stories I heard of how he protected so many people.

A weekend trip to southern Illinois with my mom's side of the family for my cousin's wedding was a lot of fun:)

Girl's Camp is always a highlight of my year.  This year I was able to co-counsel with my good friend Katie and we were dubbed the "Pure Fashion" cabin although both of us are more comfortable in jeans and t-shirts rather than anything too fashionable.

The month of July I got to spend in Morelia, Mexico, trying to learn some Spanish.  The people I met and the things I got to do gave me an experience I will not soon forget.

Soon after getting home from Mexico (and Phoenix and Denver), Cassie and me headed out to the east coast for a much anticipated vacation.  Visiting old friends, making new friends, spending a day in Boston, a day at the Rhode Island beach and driving A LOT.

The majority of my Fall season was spent working at the grain elevator.  And yes, it is a highlight:)  Lots of long but fun hours.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were of course filled with family and friends. 

Angie is not choking her son.  She's merely trying to get him to look at the camera.

The year ended with my niece's first birthday party.  When she was born last December, there were a few things causing concern for her health but God healed her completely and she is happy and healthy as can be!  Don't let the chubby cheeks fool you though; she's really just a little peanut, only in the 15th percentile.  But such a sweet peanut!

Here's to another year!

JUGS

Our annual JUGS night was tonight:)  Just Us Girls Shopping for those who are wondering.  Although the shopping has pretty much gone by the wayside and has turned into just eating out.  But JUGE just doesn't have the same feel.  My aunt and all the neices have done it for about 20 years now.  So, tonight there were going to be 8 of us.  Then one got sick.  So Bev decided to stay home with her.  Then another decided since they weren't going, she was just going to go home.  But the rest of us were all geared up to go so we still did.  It was a bummer that it didn't happen like it was supposed to but we still had fun.  And at one point in our supper, the waiter came to our table with a message saying that Bev had called the restaurant and bought us 2 desserts to share between us!  Those clean plates you see in the picture?  It took us about 1 minute to devour the molten chocolate lava cake that had been occupying them.

Maybe next year we'll all be together again:)

Good Friends And A Fan Club

Whenever Erin D makes a lengthy trip back to the states, we usually try to do something together with us two and her cousin/my friend Lisa.  Monday night we met at Olive Garden (yum) for supper.  It was there that I invited them to come to our Christmas program we were having at church on Wednesday.  They asked if they could hold up signs cheering me on while I was singing.  There were so many people there that I never got to see them after the program but....

(picture is at the restaurant)

when I got out to my car later that night I found it decorated with these signs:)  Now, they were sitting way up in the back of the balcony so they could have actually gotten away with holding them up but it's a good thing they didn't.  I would have busted my gut and never been able to sing!  But it was really funny to see these on my car.  Those two never cease to make me laugh and brighten my day:)

Thursday I found out Mark and Bekah were up from Athens and would be in Bloomington for lunch on Friday so we arranged to meet at FlatTop Grill. (another yum)  It was really fun, but so crowded and busy that my lunch break ended up being almost 2 hours.  And I even left the restaurant a lot earlier than they did!  But oh so worth it. 

My dad has been in Haiti since last Thursday and he's coming home tonight.  He hasn't been gone any longer than he usually is but I guess since it's Christmas time it seems longer.  I'm ready for him to be home.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Happenings Of Late

FIESTA TIME!!!

It was good to see Jarrin again and get together for her birthday the night before Thanksgiving..... complete with a pinata (yes, I know the "n" needs a squiggly, I just don't know how to do it on here). 

Aeschleman Thanksgiving- having a little bit of fun with the candy corn, playing games, watching the kiddos all run around and even getting an airplane ride!  I haven't done that since I was a wee one:)

Somewhere in there was a game night where I left my camera in the car and didn't get any pictures.  Then a group of us went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  We split up for supper and once we were at the concert it wasn't good picture taking environment so I only got this one from the restaurant.  It was a good time though.  The music gets a little loud but I had neon pink earplugs so all was well.  Two different drivers in our clan got stopped that night- both for having a headlight out.  It was kind of comical:)

Good times, good times.

My family served lunch at church today, now I'm off to practice singing for the church Christmas program and then we have all church caroling tonight.  No Sunday afternoon nap for me today!