Dashing Through the Snow....

...or mostly stuck in snow, but whatever. :)

Some Christmas-esque photos!

The "A" team from work...aka the lovely ladies that make the magic happen at our large meetings. This pic includes in random order: Public Affairs (me. duh), VP, HR, Event Planner, Assistants and Learning & Development. :) Holiday lunch=awesomesauce. :)

On Christmas Eve, the snow was starting to fall when I opted to load up the pup, presents, and my stuff and head to mom's around 3:30ish. I thought it would just be convenient to get there early and let Eric pick me up at mom's in order to head to his fam's Christmas Eve his aunt and uncle's casa in Owasso. Little did I know it would be the best move I ever made b/c with the snow that came in, I didn't make it back to my apt til Sunday! Whoaemgee!

Despite the crazysauce weather, I'm really glad we made it to his fam's Christmas Eve out in Owasso (for non Tulsans, Owasso is a new suburb of Tulsa...like 10 min by hwy outside of town). I had a really good time hanging with his fam, laughing, eating some yummy food and having that "big Christmas" feel that mom and I don't really get since there's just two of us. :) Everyone all gathered around the big tree and opened presents from each other and it was just really freaking cute. It was my first time out there with Eric b/c we hadn't really been serious a long time around Christmas last year. I just felt really included and it meant a lot..and I honestly had a lot of fun! *smiles* As we were eating, we saw some lightning (whoa) and heard thunder and we looked outside to admire how the annoying sleet had turned to fluffy, pretty snow...not really ever thinking about how cuhrazysauce it was getting outside. I mean..Tulsa rarely gets enough snow to really do anything, so yeah.

As we left around 8:30ish, I made Eric's brother take a photo of us on our awesome white Christmas Eve! Lookie how happy.. aww... And then we tried to leave. For like over an hour we tried to leave. Let's just say I'm really glad I got the yay-happy-snow photo above before we tried to drive anywhere.. haha..

We got stuck soooo badly. Eric and I were in one SUV and the rest of his fam was in another. All of us=stuck in the neighborhood. Eric, his bro, his dad, his uncle, his cousins, all had to push the suvs! We finally opted to just push them backwards back to his aunt and uncles house (seen below pulling into their drive) and evaluate from there...would be stay the night there? Would we try it again? We opted to give it another go and made it (note: "stabletrack" is not your friend on snow. It applies the brakes. Lesson learned: turn it off. haha). Along the highway drive home, it was like freaking Armageddon with cars abandoned in the middle.of.the.highway! It was berzerk! With Eric's mom driving Eric and me...and his dad in another car taking his grandparents home, we opted to head for his parents house. It's a straight shot down the highway (unlike my mom's which would have been quite out of the way). Thankfully, his dad was able to pick up a 4 wheel drive Avalanche (he's in the car business) and got me home on Christmas Eve around midnight to wake up Christmas morning at mom's... I think mom was totally cool with wherever I ended up staying, but I could tell she was concerned I wouldnt make it home for Christmas day with the weather, so I was really thankful Eric's dad was able to get me there. :)

Annnnnd Christmas morning, this is what we had! (Here's my mom's old beagle doggie, Beau) :)
Gracie looked like she was swimming in it! She HATED it at first but then would run face first into it and roll around like a crazy dog! haha! :) This is her darting for the door in full on dog panic b/c she had no idea what the snow was...
A drift up to my knees!
Self timer in the backyard.. attempt one... mom, me, and the dogs. I look like I'm squatting in the snow or something. Not okay.
Take two-the wind blew the branch the camera tripod was on, so a leetle crooked, but still cute :)
Mom and me in the den.. ho ho ho! (When you're snowed in with me, you end up with a photoshoot). This is a time where I was cool to not have 20 people in my house for Christmas b/c snowed in with mom, movies and wine is much more fun than a cramped house with lots and lots of peeps, I bet! :) (imagining some of my larger-familied-friends having a breakdown :/)
At Avatar with 3D glasses and a fur hood (no idea about the hood, but he looks kinda scary-eskimo).
I wanted a photo with the glasses, too. We can admit that's why this photo happened. Sunday night, Christmas with Eric at his place FINALLY! Had hot tea, watched a movie (500 Days of Summer) and opened gifts! :) Self timer...
Haute.
One of my fav things Eric got me..and a fav gift period-a blown up photo on canvas from our trip to St. Lucia!!! I heart this guy... :)

And a funny side note... In the photo, my sarong was bunchy around my booty so Eric photoshopped the sarong! LOL! I was like "You photoshopped my ass?! That's amazing!" haha! We laughed. Hard. Here's the actual photo (pre photoshopped) :)

I heart bows. And random, but you might have noticed the scarf in 3/4 of the photos. (Read: I looked back at the pics and thought "oops." haha) Yes, I really did wear it that much.. partly b/c I was FREEZING and had limited attire during the unanticipated blizzard of 09 and also partly b/c I.freaking.love.it. My coworker got it for me from Gap for Christmas!! It's plaid (awesome), warm (awesome), super long (awesome) and has fringe (AWESOME).

Despite being snowed in and jazz, it was a great Christmas!! Had a blast with mom and some (likely needed) bonding, saw some great movies, got to hang with Eric and his family as well as my friend, Lauren, and and got some great r&r. :) I really have a lot to be thankful for and feel very blessed. It sounds like most of you had great Christmases as well and I'm so glad to hear it! I hope everyone is gearing up for a fabulous 2010! I cannot BELIEVE it's the end of 09! Good gawd.

Oooooooh and today, I had a hair appt and darkened it a little! Ifreakingloveit! My stylist is awesome, but she knows me oh so well so when I say I wanna go brunette, she tilts her head like "really?" haha.. (I usually immediately want to go blonde again). But, we compromised today and added a different color brown..and more of it...than we usually do, so maybe add even more next time! Whatcha think?!

Sorry for the complete and utter randomness.... Hope you had a great Tuesday!