Here comes Susie Claus

Today I bought pajama pants for my brother-in-law.
I'm not worried that he'll find out because he never ever reads this and if anyone tells him about his gift they are Christmas-hating Grinches and should be called out as such.

The pajama pants are important because they are the first Christmas purchase that has actually felt Christmasy.

Hallelujah!

Every year I try to find a gift for everyone in my family, but it is looking to just be a bit too much for me this year. I have 3 brothers, 3 sisters, 3 brothers-in-law, 3 sisters, my parents, my grandma, 17 nieces/nephews, and two little fetuses on my shopping list. (And thats before I even start thinking about getting things for my friends.)

That is 32 people! That is a lot of people!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. My love language is gift giving. This is my time of year. I love finding gifts for people!
But because I'm not getting a gift for everyone this year it has been really hard to get into the Christmas mood. Tree is up, music is playing, but something was missing. I haven't wrapped a single gift so far this year.

Instead of drawing names for gifts this year we have a sibling to whom we've been assigned to write a note. Gah! I'm not a love letter writer. I can't express myself well through writing! The very idea of having to write an appreciation letter to my brother-in-law stresses me out! Gah! ...hence the pajama pants.

2010 Christmas Wishlist

     

I'm sure more will be added...

Oooo, I want that

Torrid is having a 50% off Clearance sale right now and I WANT IT ALL
Unfortunately I don't have any money :( and it pains me.

$19.99
 Green bubble dress

$21.49
Cranberry maxi dress

I know, right?! How darling is that collar/neckline?!

Black secretary dress
$25.49

I tried this dress on in the store a few days ago. It is...wow. (It was in black, which is not on clearance, unfortunately.)

Aqua bandage dress
$19.99

Purple Snakeskin gladiator heels
$14.99

Black lace-trimmed jacket
$19.99



As usual, pictures link to the ordering page. Uh...because I like early Christmas gifts? (bwahaha)

Year 2008, summed up

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Got in a car accident. Went on a cruise. Modeled swimwear in a fashion show (bwahaha)



2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I usually make the same ones and break them January 2nd. I'll do it again this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My big sister Deborah had her little boy, Asher, in September

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Great-Aunt Vee

5. What countries did you visit?
Mexico

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A cosmetology license, a bit more financial wiggle room

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Dates? Like a date? I didn't date in 2008. (Huh, sounds like something I should be chanting rather than typing.) Calendar dates? January 6th - car accident, blizzard. September 9th - Asher's birthday.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Completing another year of school. Cleaning my bedroom on January 23rd.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Finances. Keeping my bedroom clean.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I fall down a lot...

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I don't really buy anything cool...Oh! Oh! The power cables for my Nintendo and SNES. I can kick Bowser's trash once again. (yeah, I know, I'm a nerd.)



12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My awesome family in general. My classmates who gave me $90 the day all my cash was stolen.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The people who stole my purse in April and my cash in December!!! Hands off; No touchie. And the cop who gave me a ticket after that guy hit George. :'(

14. Where did most of your money go?
Gas, food, utilities, insurance

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our Disney cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta



16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
All I Wanna Do - Sugarland, Katy Perry's stuff

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Much happier. I have a job, friends, and am almost done with school!
b) thinner or fatter?
Up and down, up and down. Down about six lbs.
c) richer or poorer?
In more debt. Yipee

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleep, spend time with family

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying, stressing, procrastinating

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Woke up with my family, took a headache nap, hung out with family, etc

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Hahaha

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Chuck, Pushing Daisies, House

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Uh...nope

24. What was the best book you read?
I didn't really read much this year...some fiction about a forensic scientist in the 1800s, the Twilight saga, a few Janet Evanovichs.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Luke Bryan, I suppose? Ok, so I just find him really attractive.



26. What did you want and get?
Lots of various things

27. What did you want and not get?
Sleep, a day off

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Oh heavens, I love movies. How about a general list of movies released this year that I enjoyed?
Cloverfield
Untraceable
Be Kind Rewind
Run, Fat boy, Run
Leatherheads
Iron Man
Indiana Jones
The Dark Knight
Tropic Thunder
Eagle Eye
Quantum of Solace

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 24. I went to breakfast with my sister, bro-in-law, nephew, and friends Ryan and Zack. Then Zacky, Ryan, and I hung out all day.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less stress? More sleep?

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Monochromatic (I have to wear solid black to school, which is 5 days a week, so I wear a lot of black)

32. What kept you sane?
TV shows on DVD and bubble baths

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Craig Ferguson, Zachary Levi



34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Barackolli vs. McPain ...not really "stirred", just annoyed in general

35. Who did you miss?
My family and friends in Utah (and, uh, Idaho)

36. Who was the best new person you met?
My friends at work, Ashley, Jackie, Annyong

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
You'll get through it. and Don't take the crazy man's fridge.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"Too many mutha uckas uckin with my shi (my transaction/weekly statement/balance shi)" - Flight of the Conchords
hahahaha, just kidding.

"Beauty school drop out, no graduation day for you. Beauty school drop out, missed your midterms and flunked shampoo."
I didn't drop out, but had a heckuva time wanting to be there for several months. (The instructor makes a huge difference!)

sigh of relief

I am home. I am in Utah for Christmas with my family.



my nieces Abigail and Caroline frolic in the snow

universal wishes and disney dreams

It is almost Christmas. And by almost I mean stores are already setting up their Christmas tree ornament aisles, and therefore I am PUMPED for Christmas already. You see, I have not seen my whole family since the first week of June, and I won't see them until Christmas. June to December is a freakishly long time...or seems that way to me.

I am one lucky Auntie because I have 15 of the sweetest, most darling nieces and nephews ever. And I love spending time with them.


Caroline, Emma Kate, and I are going on a roadtrip to California in five years. They will be 15 and 13-years-old (which is absolute crazy talk because theres no way I will be almost 30! ok, so I guess there is a way...its called being born in the mid 80s, but still...I'm convinced I'm still 17.)
I figure five years away is close enough to plan it out now, and far enough away that I could possibly save a little bit of mula before then. (Ya know, if I can do enough slave labor to make a dent in my $24,000.00 tab.)

We are either going to Disneyland or Universal Studios. I'm leaning more toward Universal, because of their ages. But who knows, maybe they'll still love Princesses when they're teenagers, haha.
I would love to take all of my nieces, at least the older ones, but am afraid to. (I'd hate to turn into a chaperone rather than a fun Auntie.) Thats a lot of precious cargo on my shoulders!

(Asher is looking less newborn and more like a baby now, so cute!)

Ala Cuisine!

We are just starting our IRON CHEF: FAMILY

Our secret ingredient turned out to be BANANAS. Which is sad, because I find bananas to be disgusting. We have baby bananas, red bananas, plantains, baby food, dried banana chips, etc.

Surprisingly enough, I was not the one person who proclaimed this all to be "so stupid" and refuse to participate. That honor goes to my oldest brother, Aaron. He was moved from our team to being a judge.

I have been self-appointed as the recipe collector for my team. http://www.bananarecipes.us/

My team is in the upstairs kitchen. It consists of Elizabeth, Jayar, Aaron B, Heidi, and me.

The team in the downstairs kitchen consists of Richard, Suzanne, Clarke, Aliesha, and Meridith. Meridith has her laptop and is being the recipe collector.


We are making Bananas Foster-stuffed french toast, bacon wrapped scallops with banana sauce? I think. and some other stuff...

I'm not sure yet because we are still in the "PREPARATION" segment.

I'm done.

After a week of aggravating jaw pain, very little sleep, and having to be sweet at all moments, I have snapped. I am done.

I need a few hours where I am not daughter, sister, or auntie. I need to get away from nagging, touching, and demanding.
I need to get away from what's mine is everyone elses for the taking.

I need to get away from annoying signs shoved in my face that read "We are never speaking to Auntie Susie again until she gives us punch." just because I invite Emma Kate have one of my sodas.

And if another person calls me ornery, crabby, grumpy, or tired, I may succumb to physical violence. I'm not crabby, I've just hit my patience quota.

Merry Christmas! aka "We're spending their inheritance, but thats okay!" -Mom

This Christmas has been a lot of fun. Because the cruise next summer is our gift, Santa was skipping our house this year. I was a titch bummed about it at first because, come on!, what was I going to do Christmas morning? sit around and do nothing.

But it turned out to be a really fun holiday season. I was completely focused on what I was giving to my family members. And Santa did come afterall!



Mr. and Mrs. Claus gave me a nightgown, a spindle of CD-Rs, a Go Fish game, a box of Whatchamacallits, and a DVD and instructional booklet on playing guitar. (I've been meaning to pull out my gorgeous black acoustic guitar and attempt to learn.)

Meridith gave me The Princess Bride




The Honeyman gave me a Transformers Mr. Potato Head Optimash Prime (which is totally going next to my Ugly Doll and Giant Microbes. I am so the easiest person to shop for.)



Richard and Suzanne gave me an iPod speaker pillow as well as a darling homemade apron and the family cookbook they worked their behinds off to make.



Clarke had my name this year, he gave me a huge makeup kit and my own URL. (Hahaha, how well does that describe me?!)




(Clarke's message to me on my new website. [as seen on his iPhone] Click to enlarge.)

Today was a blast, and tomorrow will only get better! Deborah and Elizabeth and their respective families are coming up from Nevada!!! THWEEEEEEEEET! I'm pumped.

Scoop me up a mess of that chocolate swirl/Don't be stingy, I'm a growing girl

Left: Susannah, Right: Meridith (duh.)

I went shopping with Meridith today. It was all fine and dandy until she decided we should stop in GAP so she could try things on. Oh heavens.

Meridith is two inches shorter than me and about 70 ok 95 FINE! 115 lbs lighter, haha.

She picked up a darling brown and blue peacoat and tried it on. Lovely. I said, "You know I hate you, right?" When she took off the coat I told her I was going to try it on. She reached in the rack for a one a few sizes larger. I said, "Nope, I'm trying on yours--the Extra Small." ...I got one arm in and the other to my elbow, with my arm pinned behind my back. Handcuffs, basically.

Because I am living my fashion life vicariously through my little sister, I handed her a few things I wanted her to try on. With her pile and my pile in hand, Meridith headed for the fitting rooms. I asked her if she wanted me to sit outside, but she replied that she didn't mind, if I wasn't uncomfortable. I told her I wasn't uncomfortable at all, I just may yell obscenities at her.

Each item of clothing looked darling, of course. But the Extra Small would be snug if it shrunk, and they didn't have a Small, so she didn't buy anything. And that is why I am never shopping with my little sister again.



It would be one thing if Mer were some waif, but she isn't. That chick takes down a whole pizza by herself in one sitting.

Susannah: "Oh heavens, both of your thighs together is one of mine."
Meridith: "But you have other things...like a great fashion sense."
Susannah: "Oh don't play the She's Got A Great Personality card!"

What a ham

After my brother hugged me he smelled my hair...

Aaron: "Mmmmm, mmmmmm. You smell like pork."
Susannah: "Haha, I just took the ham out of the oven."
Aaron: "Mmmmmm. Now thats cologne."
Susannah: "It's how I attract men."
Aaron: "It worked for me."
Susannah: "Hahahaha."
Aaron: "Though I don't know how well it worked for you, for attracting a 36-year-old, married, father of four."
Susannah: "Yeah, well that whole related-by-blood thing doesn't help much either."

---

Susannah: "You're like a ham connoisseur."
Aaron: "I like to eat ham. They don't like me. I'm on the Pork's Most Wanted list."

Painful ramblings

My face is HUGE. Ryan started calling me Puff Daddy.

I woke up at 6:45, went back to bed around 7:15. I woke up at 10:30, went back to bed around 11:ish, I woke up at 4:45 and my jaw is ACHING.

Now I am supposed to go to my family Christmas dinner with my aunts and uncles. Oh joy.

The lights

Driving through the lights:



*music*
Susannah: "Is it freaking out because I don't have my seat belt on again? Relax."
Honeyman: "Jesus doesn't match, but thats OK."
Susannah: "Haha, yeah, Jesus looks a little odd on that one. Hehe, and next to Jesus we have the extreme skiier! Yes, yes, hehe."

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

This is what I woke up to today. Happy December!

Manatees: the ocean's speed bumps

On Thanksgiving my parents announced that they are taking everyone (my six siblings, my five siblings-in-law, eight nieces, six nephews, and me) on a cruise next summer through the Mexican Riviera.
We're all excited. Especially because Caroline and Abby will be rooming with Meridith and me, and I'm pretty sure we are going to party (after Mer goes to bed, that is ;) )

Mom: "However, they won't let you go on the cruise if you are six months pregnant."
Sus: "Come on, it's in seven months, just hold off."
Aaron: "Susannah's giving marital advice now?"


Thursday night I was sitting on the couch, watching Peter Pan with my nephew Brayden, when suddenly my sister Elizabeth ran in talking about how I had to go jump on the scale. What the? No thanks, not on Thanksgiving night! She explained that everyone (well, 11 of them) weighed in and we are all going to compete to see who can drop the most pounds before our cruise. So I did it.


One of the things I enjoyed about going to Hawaii with everyone is that as a conglomerate we are not small, toned, and tan. Quite the opposite. Sure there are those stand outs (can you feel the glare, Meridith?) but in general we are a squishy glow-in-the-dark people. And I love it! Its great to be like "I hate my thighs, you hate your pallor, lets go to the beach!"

I've been put in the position of recording everyones monthly weigh-in. Woot!

It will be interesting to see how things pan out. Clarke is a fiend of something; competition, perhaps. He immediately started having egg white omelets for breakfast, and has lost somewhere around four or six pounds. I, however, have proclaimed popcorn a food group (its next to Diet Coke on the pyramid) and have only lost two.

I don't care who wins or how the rankings end up as long as I am smaller than my three brothers and my dad. (At the moment I'm smaller than three of those four.)
The twelve of us weigh 2,627 lbs. I think we'd better not get in any elevators together.

Thanksgiving Eve

I have nineteen thousand immediate family members. You may not believe me, but its true.

Or it just feels that way sometimes.

Tomorrow EVERY SINGLE ONE of my siblings, their spouses, and their kids will be at my parents house. I am beyond excited. I love the chaos.

Tonight just a few of us are together... it feels so empty.