Year in Review!

I thought I would end the year with a quick year in review!  2010 has been a wild and crazy ride.  It was a LONG year and I'm ready to begin 2011.  I like the number 11 better anyway!  My favorite soccer player (Didier Drogba), wears the number well so that makes me happy!  Anyway, we've had a lot of ups and downs and some in-betweens, too!  Here is a list of some highs and lows of the past year!

Some highs:

1.  I started blogging back in February!  I hit 10,000 views several weeks ago (which beat my goal of trying to get 10,000 views in a year)!  WOO HOO!  I am slightly addicted and might need a 12 step program to recover!

2.  Billy got a wonderful job.  He is really happy there and the job is in Louisville!

3.  Blake was baptized.  I still can't believe he's 8!  Time sure does fly!

4.  Lola turned 2!  And she was on TV, too (the Sprout channel birthday card from a previous post)!

5.  Billy, Lola, and I got to sit court side at a Pacers game.  And it.  Was.  Awesome.

6.  My whole little family got to sit in box seats at a U of L game!  GO CARDS!

7.  U of L football went bowling......and won! :)

8.  Blake's soccer team only lost ONE game the whole season!  He is amazing and scored lots and lots of goals!

9.  We got a membership to the zoo and Lola absolutely LOVES it!!!

10.  We took a trip to New York to see my sister, Jess and her family!  We also got to see lots of church sights and venture in to Canada!  Great fun was had by all!

11.  We paid off our car!  YEE HAW!!!

Some lows:

1.  Billy works in Louisville and doesn't live with us in Indy.  That kinda (BIG TIME) stinks.

2.  My lucky U of L earrings lost their luck.

3.  Luca, the dog, is crazier than ever!

4.  Our house is still on the market and nobody has even looked at it.  BOO!!!

5.  Driving back and forth to Kentucky A LOT.  With a dog and two crazy kidlets!

Some in-betweens:

1.  Lola and I spent A LOT of time in the library.  We have to occupy our time and doing that without spending money is always good!

2.  I did a lot of baking.  That was good.  I did a lot of eating what I baked.  That was bad.

3.  We got the Kinect for the XBOX.  It is totally fun but it is listed in the in-betweens because while it is super awesome, the dancing game wears me out!!!

Well, as you can see, most of our past year has been great.  We are truly blessed!  Thank you all for being faithful readers!  I can't wait to blog up 2011!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

LUCKY???? No More........

I have a very special pair of U of L Cardinal earrings.  The team never lost when I was wearing them.  And the one loss they had (to Drexel), I was NOT wearing them.  I considered them to be quite lucky......until today.  I knew if U of L won in the big "dream game" vs. UK, they (the earrings) would truly be awesome.  Now I have come to the realization that my earrings aren't lucky.  And I shouldn't be so superstitious. 

The UL/UK game is one crazy big rivalry.  This was the first year in the KFC Yum! Center and I was sure UL would represent their house.  Instead, UK had a pretty big size advantage and they used it.  UL got shut down.  Our beloved Peyton Siva just couldn't get to the rim....he experienced rejection after rejection after rejection.  It wasn't pretty for us Card fans.  And the worst part of it all?  Well, besides my earrings losing their luck......is the obnoxious gloating we have to deal with from the Wildcat fans.  Blech.

I was watching my niece, Genevieve during the game (because my sister and her husband actually got to GO to the game).  Gen and Lola had a lot of fun!  I taught them the UL fight song!  They can both say, "go cards" and "boo cats" now.  So I'd say it was a fairly productive day!  I still have faith in my team.  They have only lost twice now and I'm sure that wasn't the last!  But through it all, I love my team and I will always yell "GO CARDS" whenever I get the chance! :)

We were deflating the air mattress while watching the game!  I didn't have any U of L gear for Lola (GASP).  And the only thing she had that was clean was this blue outfit (ANOTHER GASP)!!!!

Me, Genevieve, and Lola!  You can kinda see my not-so-lucky earrings in this photo!

Lola and Gen playing on the mattress where Blake slept!

Blake all decked out in Card wear!

Lola and Genevieve playing a friendly game of foosball!

Wick's!

Of course I couldn't finish out the year without a high school get together at my favorite pizza place EVER.  Yeah.  Like EVER.  I've been searching near and far to find a pizza place to beat Wick's.  So far my search has been in vain.  The best pizza in all the land lies in Louisville.  And I ate there a couple days ago!  It was great to see of my very dear friends from high school!  We try to get together pretty frequently but some of these people, I hadn't seen in years!  We had a great time! :)

My wonderful friend (who was in town from South Carolina) Jamie.

Me and Jennifer (With Kirk in the background)!

Me and Kristy!

The whole gang!

Me, Kristy, and Susan with our big pizza box in front of us!

Doing the see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil!

SLUGGER!

Another thing I love in Louisville is the Slugger Museum.  I haven't been in many years so we all headed out today for some family (minus Billy, who was working) fun!  Thank heavens Lola got in free because most of her entertainment came from pushing the stroller around (instead of sitting in it).  Although I can say she was VERY well behaved on the guided 30 minute tour! 

My imaginary boyfriend (it's okay.....Billy knows all about him), Derek Jeter is signed with Louisville Slugger so I got to see his bat and the bat they made for his mom for Mother's Day last year.  That was pretty sweet!

Blake had tons of fun and even got to practice his batting in the cage.  Unfortunately, they couldn't slow the speed from 45mph so Blake didn't have any hits but he had fun anyway!

Thank you, Papa 'Tucky for a WONDERFUL day! :)

Blake, Lola, Adam, and Connor!

My cute dad, Blake, Genevieve, Brandon and Jess in the dugout!

Me and Adam in the dugout!

Blake, wearing his "protective" gloves while holding a bat that belonged to Johnny Bench!

This is how I roll.....with BABE RUTH!  Oh yeah!!

Blake and his good pal, Ken Griffey Jr.

Jeter's bat but the signature is messed up because of the camera flash.  I'm not a photographer so don't judge me!

Another view of Derek's (yes, we're on a first name basis) bat!

Blake trying to kiss the bat!

Lola finally got out of her stroller and wouldn't get back in!  Oh the joy!

Lola and Genevieve coloring at the museum!

Our dear friends, Chloe and Tiffany!

Adam and cute Connor!

This is the best photo I could take of Blake in the batting cage!

Lola and Brandon in the kiddie area.  She had fun, fun, fun!

Connor showing us how it's done!

Connor sitting in the gigantic mitt!

Connor and Adam in the mitt!

My favorite photo of Connor!  He is such a cutie!

Blake enjoyed climbing on the mitt and posing for pictures!

My dad, Lola, Blake, and I!

Peek-a-Blake!

Lola was starting to get fussy!

Jess and Blake!

Tumbleweed!

I have LOTS of favorite restaurants in Louisville that I don't have in Indiana.  So I eat a lot when I come back for a week at a time!  ;)  My sister and I worked in a pharmacy many years ago and we were lucky enough to meet up with a few former co-workers (and some of my very favorite people)!  We had a great time catching up and I got to eat my favorite food.  You can't go wrong with that, right?

Pam and her lovely daughter, Brandi!

Me, Glenn, and Jess!

Jess and Glenn.

Me with Pam and Brandi!

Tiny Bubbles!

Seriously tiny bubbles because I forgot the bubble bath for Lola.  YIKES!  She is currently obsessed with bubbles and would spend all day (I'm fairly certain) in the bath if I would allow it (I totally don't).  Because I forgot the actual bubble bath, I had to squeeze bubbles into the tub from her washcloth.  Awesome.  Anyway, since her cousin, Genevieve, is here visiting from New York, we had to put them in the giant bathtub again!  And once again, they had a great time!  Those two girls are such cuties!  They are having a blast together while we are all visiting Kentucky (and the good people who live here)! :)

Pay no mind to the slightly disturbing (toy) bath baby floating in the background!!