Book Review: Knit Two

So, due to our 2-month book club hiatus to spend on the busy holiday season, the time I usually invest on daily reading has decreased dramatically--but I have finally made my way from cover to cover in a book!
On July 30th, I posted a (very glowing, I'm sure) book review for The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. One of the gifts I received from my Secret Pal this year was the sequel to this book called Knit Two . I was very excited--because I was unaware that she had written a sequel--but I didn't know how much I would like it since [SPOILER ALERT!] the main character died in the first book! Knit Two turned out to be good--the relationships with the women that the main character, who died, in the first book helped to develop--were still strong and each was dealing with her own issues. There were A LOT of story lines that went on throughout the book and a reader has to keep the mind sharp to keep up with them all--too many characters for my taste. The book was good, though, and I would read a third if it came out, but that may be due to principle--I have to finish a series once I begin it!

Lopez Christmas ~2008~

Wow...this past week has gone by in a blur! The Lopez Christmas was fun and family filled--and lucky for you, all of the important details are listed below! It all started the Thursday before school got out and Jadyn's class did a Christmas Program in their pajamas! Lots of fun songs and the kids were oh-so very cute!!!
Here is Jadyn singing in the group:

Here is Jadyn and her favorite cousin, Riley, who came all the way from his house to see her program:

Then there were a few days filled with last minute shopping and, as I like to call it, the calm before the Christmas storm!!! Christmas for our family started on Christmas Eve when we went to Andy's dad's house for a hearty meal and some presents! We finished the evening off with Jadyn reading The Night Before Christmas to all of us!
Here is a picture of Jadyn opening one of her gifts:

The next morning, Andy, Jadyn and I got up early and opened the gifts Santa left under the tree.
Jadyn got a pair of Converse from Santa Clause:

At 9:30 a.m., we headed over to my parents house for Swedish pancakes, Hot Cocoa and more presents!
Jadyn got another pair of Converse from my parents:

After a few hours of quality time with my parents, it was time to pick Ethan up--Hooray!!! Ethan came back to our house to open his gifts and then we were off to Andy's cousin's house for an extended family gathering.
The Kids:

Andy and Me:

After the family gathering, we headed over to Andrea and Kevin's house for more quality family time and presents!

Wow! What a crazy busy couple of days...and it isn't over yet!!! Stephanie and Daniel arrived late on Christmas Day, so we were unable to spend the holiday with them, so we made our own Christmas on the 26th. Stephanie and I went out for massages and shopping...and then we all ended up over at my parents house for another hearty meal and our final round of presents! I'm sad that I didn't take any pictures, but we had a lot of fun and we topped the evening off with Seinfeld Scene-It (I won--don't let anyone tell you differently!) and then with Disney Channel Scene-It (Again, I won). It was so fun to spend so much time with our family--we truly enjoy their company so much!! Next Stop: New Years!!!

OKC Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavs

Last night, Andy and I were fortunate enough to attend our second Oklahoma City Thunder game--this time against the Cleveland Cavs (Celebrity Alert: LeBron James, described on the news this morning as being one of the best basketball players IN THE WORLD). We attended the game with the usual suspects: Kevin, Andrea, Jeff & Kaitlyn (and little Aidan, too!). This game wasn't as exciting as our previous game for the fact that Oklahoma City was behind nearly the entire game and the margin grew wider towards the end...plus I was so exhausted from our busy weekend! After the game, Kevin, Andrea, Andy and I went to go see the musical light-show in Bethany--and if you haven't seen that one already, you should totally stop by! About six or seven houses IN A ROW, with Christmas lights that dance to music. Love it!!
Below is a picture of LeBron (because I'm a Celebutard). He is in the lower right hand side, on the corner of the court. The one MAJOR flaw that I am having with the IPhone is the lack of a zoom button--but it's my only complaint thus far!!!

Roll the Dough - *HO HO HO*

Christmas Cookies, Christmas Cookies - Everywhere I look, Christmas Cookies!!! Every year I get a little something for my bosses and co-workers for Christmas and this year it comes from the heart--and hours upon hours of work! My mother in law came over on Sunday afternoon to teach me (and help me!) bake Christmas cookies from scratch. We spent six hours together in my kitchen mixing, cutting, baking and decorating (the icing is made from scratch, too!) and we still weren't done with all of the cookies! Last night, she came over to help complete the task and eight (total) hours and 77 cookies later, we were finished!!! Below is a picture of a few of the final product (stop drooling!)...and those are just what is in the kitchen--the dining room table is covered as well!!

Eight of My Favorite Things

One of my friends posted a blog about a few of her favorite things (like Oprah's List!) and I'm totally stealing this idea with a list of a few of MY favorite things!!!
My first favorite thing is Twisted Peppermint hand soap by Bath and Body Works. I love the way my hands feel and smell after I use this Christmas time specialty--plus it comes in a cute little bottle with peppermint stripes!!

My second favorite thing is a gift from my Secret Pal this year: Rosebud Salve. I've gone 28 years and had no idea what I was missing out on (since this company has apparently been around since 1908). I find myself applying this stuff every hour and my lips have never been softer! One place to find this stuff is at Sephora. I love you, Rosebud Salve!!

My third favorite thing, which really should have been first, but I'm already partway through my list and don't want to delete anything, is the Apple IPhone. I love it, I love it, I love it!!! I never wanted one and did not see the fascination in them until we went out with Andrea, who got one for Mother's Day. She showed us so many cool things that the phone did, plus she let me play with it, and I fell in love. Our courtship is still going strong.

My fourth favorite thing is perfume by Ann Taylor called 'Possibilities'. The scent is fragrant, but light! I wear it every day, and I go through three bottles a year. This is mommy's special perfume!

My fifth favorite thing is the Victoria's Secret Pink line. I love the bright, girly colors and the comfort of lounge clothes! They are tres chic and I would wear them every day if I could. Well, I pretty much do!


My sixth favorite thing is Seven Jeans for All Man Kind. It is always very hard for me to find a pair of jeans that fits well and usually depressing for me to go jean-shopping. Thanks to Andrea (once again) for telling me that a great place to find good jeans is Gils in Nichols Hills, I was able to find my new favorite pair of jeans ever (and most expensive pair, but I plan on wearing them to scraps!) I love you Seven!

My seventh favorite things is a new tv show: Kath & Kim (this does not replace my love for Ghost Hunters!). At first, this show seemed uber-lame to me, but my DVR kept recording it, so one day when I was bored, I watched it and it is now my new favorite show on Must See TV! I used to HATE Selma Blair, but I love her now…I love this show. It makes me happy!!! Also, this is the only show on television where I do NOT fast forward through the opening credits--they are so fun!!

My eighth (and last for this particular list) favorite thing(s) is Hostess Cupcakes. I can literally eat a box in one sitting - which I contribute to my rotund waistline!!! Who doesn't like the bite of something sweet with frosting in the middle? A crazy person, that's who! Hostess Cupcakes - I love every bite of you!!!

Fa La La La La...

The exterior of our casa is ready for Santa's visit!!! Andy spent hours and hours perfecting his lighting scheme--and the final product can be viewed below! The first night that Andy went out there, Kevin came over to assist and it was FREEZING cold, the only light guiding them was the moon and stars. (On a side note, this was a really great night because Riley took some wonderful first steps, going back and forth across our front room!) Andy spent two more nights and practically all day Sunday finishing the lights--and boy did he do a FANTABULOUS job.

Christmas in my Office

So, as you can see, I have decorated my office for Christmas:

This morning I got to work and instead of my requested 60" Plasma TV, I had a little treat in my stocking, surely delivered by one of Santa's Elves:

Here is what was inside, I guess I've been a Bad Girl:


Ha! This was great! It took a couple of tries to find the culprit--but I found the little elf! Her name is Amanda and she TOTALLY made my Wednesday rock!! (play on words...coal, rock, get it??)

Paris Hilton BFF Winner Crowned!

Last night was the Finale of Paris Hilton: My New BFF--and guess what guess what?!? Britney was the winner of this show (please see previous post about this show, in which Jadyn and I really wanted Britney to win!) The the other final contestant, Vanessa, was a super-stalker. Serious. Britney is so pretty and funny and witty and awesome, Paris definitely made the right choice. Now...whether or not they will be BFF4Life is debatable--whether they will be BFF, or even friends in a year is debatable--but the show was definitely fun!!! Here is a picture of Britney and Paris: New BFF (for a season, at least!!)

This picture was taken from www.parisbff.mtv.com, so if you would like to read more about this show or see more pictures and videos, check out their awesome site!

Happy Birthday Senor Frog!

Yesterday was not only Britney Spears' birthday--but it was Andy's father's birthday as well! It is always a treat getting together with him and his extended family--and last night was no exception! We had dinner at a small Mexican restaurant in Edmond called El Parian (very YUM!) and our group engulfed the entire main room! Mexican Food + Family...what more could a Lopez want in life?? Happy Birthday, Andres! We love you So much and appreciate everything you do for us. We hope your day was extra EXTRA special!! xoxo
Andres the Birthday Boy:

Andres with Jadyn and Ethan:

Andres and Goofy Jadyn:

Oh Christmas Tree...!

Over the weekend, Ethan and Jadyn woke up early to put the tree up. This is the first year in which I did not take control of the project - I let them both do it all by themselves! (This was a very hard gesture for me!) As you can see, Ethan is in his pajamas, but Jadyn passed out the night before (which was the OU/OSU game) in her clothes...so that is why she is all dressed--hair undone!
Hard at Work:

Final Product:

Now Santa needs to come and fill the empty space beneath the tree!!

Happy Birthday, Anna!!!

On November 28th we celebrated the birthday of a wonderful person, Andy's mother! Without Anna, our small Lopez clan would not exist!! We hope that you had the best birthday ever and we love you very much!!! (P.S. to all of you blog stalkers: This is the woman who makes the most AMAZING cakes! Alias: AK Bakes!)
Anna and her newest grandson, Riley:

Turkey Day!!!

Thanksgiving for the Lopez/Correa Family was great this year. We have so many things to be thankful for that we take for granted--having a holiday where family can get together to celebrate is wonderful. This year, everyone gathered at my parents house, bringing their own homemade specialty, and we gobbled until the sun went down! After dinner, friends came over and it was time to play games: Catchphrase and Buzz--what a fantastic time, and a very full house! Below are a few pictures from the day. Nothing too exciting!
Jadyn and Ethan:

Table One (the 'grown up' table):

Table Two (the 'kid' table):