What a year!!

As 2009 comes to a close, I can't help but be slightly glad. This year has been hard although have to remember there was good things about this year too... In chronological order, here are the highlights & lowlights of two thousand and nine:

January: began my final semester of college taking 21 credits (whew!)
February: celebrated a year anniversary with Kory.
February: Took the LSAT (worst 4 hours of my life).
March: Met Kory's family (well, some of it) during springbreak vacation in OR.
April: Competed in Hooters 1st Annual Swimsuit Competition.
May: Graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelors in Communication.
May: Ended a friendship and moved to my first apartment alone.
May: Kory leaves for the summer.
June: Grandpa suffered a stroke.
July: By surprise, I had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.
August: Turned another year older.
September: Kory moves back to MT and into my one bedroom apartment.
September: Vacation in Vegas with Kory and see Britney Spears in concert.
October: Got braces, hate them.
November: Threw a baby shower with 30 guests, had a financial break down.
December: Have another health scare with ovary.
December: Grandpa has another stroke.

This year has been full of ups and downs, I am ready to move on towards 2010...overall I feel this year has made me stronger and more independent.

I {heart} Christmas

What a beautiful Christmas I had!!! I got to go home (to Kalispell, MT) and spend the holidays with my wonderful family and Kory. My grandparents were able to be in Montana for the holidays which meant turkey dinner and bingo!!!!!!!!!! My favorite part of the holiday was hearing Kory sing in church and see his excited face early Christmas morning (he was the first one up and ran upstairs immediately to start the unwrapping of gifts)...I think thats why I love him :)
Now, I have to go back to work...gross!

Memories & Traditions

I got to go 'home' to Kalispell and see my wonderful family on my days off. Here (in random order) are the things that made my mini-vacation unforgettable...

The car ride to Kalispell with my Dad listening to Tiger Woods gossip on XM radio

Nickle Charlies comfort food

Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer

Cuddling all night with Kitty

Laughing till my gut hurt with Jay & Mom

Continuing the tradition of decorating the tree with Mom

Bringing over ornaments to Grandma's to decorate her little tree

Drinking wine with Mom and Grandma and toasting to 'strong Dean women'

Embarrassing Sabrina at Barleys by singing 'Happy Birthday' to her

Visiting Grandpa at the hospital and watching his therapy

Watching 'Oprah's Christmas Special' with a sleepy mom

Making Great Grandma's Gum Drop Bread with Grandma

Having a long telephone conversations with Kory that brings us closer even when we are towns apart

Eating burgers with Kory and Dad at Montana Club (perfect ending)

I cant wait to come home for Christmas! 10 days....

Oh Christmas Tree!

Okay, so the tree Bill brought me wasn't the biggest, fullest tree on the mountain but it was cute in that "A Charlie Brown Christmas" type of way. It had a small amount of flimsy and spaced out branches, it was skinny and a little lop-sided but I was determined to full fill it's "Christmas tree destiny".

The Christmas tree destiny is based on a Christmas play I did in the 2nd grade. The play was called "The Little Tree's Christmas Gift" and was about a little pine tree in a Christmas tree lot for sale. All the Christmas trees have been sold except three. Picking up the Little Tree, the shop owner says, "This little tree is too scraggly, it will never sell. We might have to sell it for firewood." Of course, this makes the Little Tree feel very sad inside. The other trees made fun of his size and on Christmas Eve, he was the only tree left... until Santa comes to the rescue to full fill Little Tree's christmas destiny. He is brought to the North Pole and adorned with lights and ornaments!

Kory and I went to Walmart and got a few decorations (of course very small and light ones). We decorated the tree as best as we could and I have to say it looks pretty cute :) and smells great in our little apartment!!!!

Uncle Bill

Bill Larsen ("Uncle Bill") is a regular at my work. He is an older man, a widower I believe, and the sweetest guy I know. He comes in a couple times a week for a few beers and always brings CANDY! He picks different kinds up at the pharmacy and puts them in a cute cocktail glass so we can come munch on some sweets! He knows all of our favorite types of candies and always makes sure to save you the last piece of your favorite candy (Mine is Doves Dark Chocolate). He also makes sure he brings candy that matches the season, so he brings in candy corn durig Halloween and Peppermint Hershey's Kisses for Christmas :)

Mostly why I am bringing up Bill is because on Friday he brought in a beautiful pine tree for us girls to decorate. Bill and a few of us girls strung the lights, hung ornaments and tinsel. Bill left for a while and brought back candy canes to hang on the tree. He made sure that every girl working got to put one on...with his desgression on where it would look best of course ;) It was cute! Well, Bill came back everyday this weekend to make sure the tree was being watered and that the decorations where holding up (and he brough candy-YUM!). He also swept the pine needles and tinsel from the floor everyday.

This morning Bill came in to check on the tree. I poured him a beer and asked him if he had a tree at home. That got us on the topic of christmas trees. I told him I wouldn't put one up this year because our tree (artificial) is in storage in another town and since I dont have a permit to cut a real one I decided not to bother, especially since our apartment is quite crowded as it is. Bill was shocked at this. He told me that it wouldnt be christmas without a tree and that I should reconsider. He paid for his beer, topped off the cocktail glass with some dark chocolate and left. Later this afternoon, just as I was about to get off shift, Bill came in with a little pine tree, the perfect size. He attached a piece of paper with my name on it and hung a candy cane on on one of it's sparse branches. It was absolutely adorable. I asked him where he got it and he told me that he drove to Idaho to cut it down :) I took the tree home tonight and put it in my apartment, I cannot wait to decorate it tomorrow!

Bill's holiday spirit and his passion for the christmas tree warmed my heart. From now on I will always have a tree in my house for christmas, whether it is a tiny pine tree from Idaho, or a big artificial one from the storage :) I will post photos of it decorated soon!

Insomnia is nothing to lose sleep over

Thoughts keep racing---------racing through my mind
They say it's anxiety, too much caffeine, sleeping in
Kory snores and rolls over, takes all the sheets
The party below me continues on
The parking lot lights shine through the blinds
And the midnight train sings a loud lullaby
Mitch changes positions in his kennel
Kory mumbles something in his slumber and throws his arm on top of me
what a cuddler...
The wall clock suddenly seems to be giving off noisy ticks I never noticed before
The heater beside me kicks on and blows hot air in my already 85 degree room
Drunken laughter and banter in the hot tub echos across the complex
Cars fly over the speed bump located outside my front door
My phone vibrates on the dresser
Turn on the TV, watch some informercials. 'P90X' 'Extenze' 'My Baby Can Read'
I eventually find my way back to bed and start to sleep lightly
five hours later Kory is shaking the bed saying:
"Wake up!", "Geeze, all you ever do is sleep", and "You are going to sleep away the day".