press rewind

Today I am pressing the rewind button. Here's a little recap on what when on these past four months . . .

Moving day! At the end of September, we said goodbye to our old rental and roommate. It was so strange standing in an empty house that was once filled with all of our cozy possessions. Can't say I miss the old house though. We are now back on the side of town that we like. I am further away from work, but we are closer to all our friends and favorite eateries.

I took a break from moving to celebrate my friend Tracie's last few weeks as a single lady! Our group was made up of about eight ladies. We dressed up, went to a swanky Italian restaurant, and out dancing afterwards. It was a blast! And that's coming from a girl that isn't a big fan of crowds, or social gatherings in general.

Two weeks later, she celebrated her wedding day!

The wedding was a hoot! So fun. They even had a photo booth!

Mid October, we took a drive to AZ to see Luke Bryan with the dude's parents. He put on such a great performance! Definitely very deserving of the 2014 Artist of the Year award! Lee Brice and Cole Swindel opened for him, and were both equally as great.

The drive to AZ was absolutely awful, and we nearly missed the concert because of really heavy traffic. We did make though, thankfully. The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing and lounging around with the family.

Halloween round 1! This was taken at my company's annual charity golf event.

Halloween round 2! Agnes (from Despicable Me), a cowgirl, and Catwoman. :)

Then there was the day we packed up and went Jeepin'. A little 4-wheeling, and a bit of frosty-weather hiking.

I also said goodbye to my crazy long locks.

After. It's a little hard to tell, but my hairdresser took nearly 6 inches off! He also added a mix of lowlights and highlights.

Oh, how I LOVE the holiday season! Thanksgiving morning was spent in the kitchen. I whipped up my favorite cranberry orange muffins. One regular batch, and one gluten-free, dairy-free batch! The me-friendly version came out so light and flurry, my mind was nearly blown! I've made these muffins for years, and just this year decided to alter the recipe so that I can eat them. I seriously couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

I also made: from-scratch crescent dinner rolls (not me friendly), two batches of stuffing (one regular, one me-friendly), cranberry orange sauce, two pumpkin pies (again, one regular, and one me-friendly), maple sweet potatoes, and a roasted squash/brussel sprout dish.

Day after Turkey day brunch: gluten- and dairy-free cranberry orange muffin with a mimosa. :)

Once Thanksgiving was over, out came the Christmas decorations!

My honey bought me a jersey. Funny how this little piece of clothing makes me feel like a "real fan" now, lol. Oh, and let's not talk about yesterday's Wildcard match up against Baltimore . . .

Each year, my team has a tradition of combining our November and December team outing budgets so that we can have an extra special Christmas dinner. This year it was a semi-fancy Italian restaurant. It's one of those places that doesn't open for dinner until 5:00 pm on the dot. Our outing was from 4 pm to 6 pm, so we hung out in the lounge and had cocktails while passing out our Secret Santa gifts. What a hoot that was!

Our new 2014 ornaments. Since 2008, we pick out at least two new ornaments a year. A his and a hers. I chose the swan this year, but absolutely love his "tea party" pick. Both are so pretty!

The family was a bit scattered this year, so the husband and I celebrated Christmas Eve with friends. Dinner, games, and gift exchanging. :)

Christmas day was so relaxing. We slept in, lounged around and opened the gifts we bought one another. Our friends came over around noon and we made a late brunch, with a spread that consisted of blueberry pancakes (I made my own special batch, sans wheat and dairy), hash browns, and bacon. Even I indulged in a piece that I dipped in maple syrup, and I am not a big fan of bacon at all. It was a breakfast/lunch of champions!

Every year, I enjoy the mix of cute and awkward family holiday pictures. This year, I decided to contribute my own. They were so mad at having to wait before chomping into their candy-cane bones, lol.

And even Dex got a little festive this year!

And this happened. I made my own cocoa with semi-sweet Ghirardelli choco chips, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a cinnamon stick. And of course I had to top it off with a mountain of marshmallows!

I didn't get through all of the "Christmas" movies on my list. I never do, but I did watch all my favorites. Except for It's a Wonderful Life. Small sad face. It's one of my all-time favorites.

Last minute Spazmatics concert. They are rockin' 80s cover band. So fun!

They sure know how to put on a lively show!

And of course, I absolutely had to test out the Nespresso my MIL gave us for Christmas! Coffee heaven indeed!

The Monday after Christmas, we packed up the car and took a road trip to see my family in California.

Reunion! This little cat used to be mine before my family moved to Utah. My grandparents took her in as a temporary arrangement, while my family settled into our new home. She became very attached to my grandparents, and they to her, so she ended up staying for good. And here she is, a 17 year old little kitty! Can you believe it?!

I find my love for hiking slight ironic, since I grew up in farming country, which is flat, flat, flat! Lol!

I don't know what it is about animals, but they gravitate towards me, and I towards them. Here's my newest little friend. Meet Buddy. He showed up on my aunt's front door one day, and decided to stay. I've said it before, and I'll say it again . . . We do not choose our animal friends. They choose us. :)

Our NYE look. Getting ready for a fun night out with my aunt, her fiance, and a group of their friends. Yes, we are two 20 somethings that actually enjoy going out and hanging out with our parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. They can never be too old, or too boring to hang out with. Or maybe we are just middle aged at heart, lol!

Got our party faces on!

My aunt and I. :)

Pre-midnight silliness.

What a night! We rang in the new year at a local-yokel-party at the town's civic center. It was perfect. Not too crowded, but not dead either. There were drink and food tastings, a live band, and lots of dancing! It's funny how my aunt's friends gave us the shifty-eyed, confused look when they found out we were from Vegas. Why would we want to party in farm country when we're from the city of neon lights and endless parties?! Uhmm, because living in Vegas and vacationing in Vegas are two very different things. No, it's not a non-stop party. No, we don't gamble, or live in a casino. We have real jobs, a real house, and sometimes even need to take a vacation from the vacation destination city we live in. And low-key, small town parties are much more our speed. ;)

My grandma. I admire this woman so much!

And my grandpa. The coolest dude you will ever meet!

With the Christmas and NYE holidays behind us, it was time to pack up all of the holiday decor. This part always makes me a little sad. Until next year . . . Oh, and then there's Dexter. He must think he's a Christmas ornament. He kept climbing into the storage tubs as I packed everything up.

This pic is from this morning. With my in-laws in AZ, my SIL and her husband in TX, and one of my BIL in Oregon, it can be tough getting everyone together. The dude's other brother lives in town, but he is young and single, so we don't see him all too much.

In the past week, we've seen his parents twice! They stayed with us the weekend after Christmas, and flew in today for a short business/pleasure visit. So glad we were able to enjoy a late breakfast this morning. :)

Peace. Love. Happiness.
YK