The festivities began with Jennifer’s care package that arrived mid-week. Then there was birthday krispy kremes and amazing pink roses from Matt followed by lunch with Matt, Jason, Tara, Daniel, Stacey, Travis, Nattalie and Michael at Monells. If that wasn’t enough, we met up with Jennifer and Jonathan at Stoney River for another amazing meal and unexpected presents (that I love love love!) I was so full from eating my way through the day that I didn’t even have a piece of my Hello Kitty cake Matt bought for me!

Saturday we started the day off with an early lunch with Mike & Faye, their buddies from Michigan and Dave at Sportsman’s Lodge. My parents made the drive over from Knoxville that afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day hanging out at the house with them before going out for another meal at Sperry’s. After all that food, we headed back to the house for my mom’s famous carrot cake and my kitty cake.

Sunday we said goodbye to my parents and spent the rest of the day rubbing our swollen tummies, napping and laughing. I have to say, although I wasn’t ready to be another year older, I have to remember what my dad always says: it’s a gift to have another year of life. I have so many people and things to be thankful for and it’s always good to be reminded how lucky I am. I love you all!

Our holidays were wonderful!Everything started out with Steve, Rebecca and Nate staying the weekend before Christmas with us. She had surprised Steve with tickets to the Titans / Steelers game and we did Christmas and spent some time with my parents as well. Nate loved the trike Matt and I bought him – just see below:

Matt and I tried to start some Christmas traditions this year, which included some funky oyster stew (he loved it, I discovered I wasn’t a fan), opening presents on Christmas Eve (a first for us both) and watching our favorite movie “Love Actually”. We spend Christmas Day with Mike,  Faye and Dave – and I have to say it was the best Christmas I have had in a long time! While we were dating, we were either traveling or seperated, so it was really nice to stay in town with family, amazing food and lots of laughs.  I always tell Matt how lucky I am to have such amazing in-laws – Mike, Faye, Jennifer and Jack – you are the best!!

Matt bought me a Nintendo DS for Christmas which I have been obsessed with since I opened it. I have no idea what I used to waste my time doing before I got it! My favorite games are the Iron Chef America game Dave got me for Christmas and a suite of different games I got with a Best Buy gift card. I love playing cards – and it has some of my favorites like Rummy, Hearts, Spit, Spades…but no Euchre (which I learned with Jennifer and Grandma Jayne one Thanksgiving).

We spent New Year’s Eve at the Music City bowl where Vandy beat Boston College. It was a great game but it was COLD! I never get cold, so you know it was freezing for me to say so We came home to thaw out and went to be around 10:00pm – couldn’t stay up to ring in the new year!

Now we are in Fayetteville GA where Matt is working the week at the hospital (where my nephew Nate was born) and I am working a little and visiting with Rebecca and Nate, who is the cutest, smartest 2 year old the world has ever seen – of course he gets it from his parents!

Hope everyone is having a good new year so far!

Kaboodle is a fun shopping community where people recommend and discover new things. To use Kaboodle, add products from anywhere on the web to your list with our easy-to-use browser buttons. You can create a list on any topic ranging from decorating a room to creating a wish list to picking the perfect outfit. You can also browse other people’s lists to see what cool things others are adding to Kaboodle. To learn more see the Get Started page, or jump right in by downloading the Kaboodle buttons.

I see this application as being really helpful for people with kids – especially for the aunts, uncles and grandparents of the kids who are always wondering what to buy them…and it would be SUPER for our parents to make one of thes too I also love it because as I am using the “Add To Kaboodle” button, it takes me to my Kaboodle page, but then right back to where I was online (ie. Target, Williams-Sonoma etc).

Matt and I started our lists this weekend – just in time for the holidays

Matt’s: http://www.kaboodle.com/sjryan/matts-list.html
Sarah’s: http://www.kaboodle.com/sjryan/sarahs-list.html

First, Matt is now 32. We are finally the same age, which thrills me to no end….no more “you’re age” comments from my husband!

Second, we just got back from an amazing trip to Atlanta with Jon and Jennifer to see my favorite band of all time – New Kids on the Block. I honestly had the best time of my life at that concert and it was better than I could have ever imagined! The only downer was realizing it was exactly *20* years since the last NKOTB concert I attended. It was so fun to see a sold-out arena full of girls my age – all reliving our past and enjoying the present with the 5 guys we have loved for what seems like out entire lives. I sang every word to every song, I screamed until my voice went out, and I danced with Jennifer like we were 15 years old.

The funniest thing about the concert was during one song, Jordan came out in a white unbuttoned shirt and was standing on this really tall platform (yes there was a wind machines). This girl in front of us started screaming…and screaming…and jumping up and down (she was very excited), then she threw up everywhere! I couldn’t stop laughing and still giggle to myself anytime I think about it!

I didn’t take my camera with me for 2 reasons. (1) The tickets said “no cameras” and being 32, you follow instructions and (2) I wanted to take it all in and not waste a second fiddling with the settings on a camera.  The only time I regretted this was when they performed a few songs in the section right behind us. Of course I left Jen and pushed my way through to get as close as possible. And yes, like I did 20 years ago, when there was silent moment I screamed my love for my favorite guy Jon and he actually winked at me. I was so close I could have jumped the stage but I didnt want to make a scene

I did however take my first little home movie on the car ride there – it’s completely boring, but it reminds me of how much fun we were having:

Tonight we are off to my friend Michael’s house for a Halloween party and then off to Knoxville tomorrow for the weekend.

More to come…

Although I am not a big fan of having my photo taken with a celebrity, I did break down and let them take one of me with her.

On another fun note, we had our end of summer get-together at work week before last at a Nashville Sounds game. It ended up just being a night of eating and gossiping…oblivious to the game. Here are a few photos:

I love the fact that my boss comes in a cut-off tank top that says “Just Relax”.

Not much going on this week – Matt is in San Antonio until Wednesday and back to LA next week. My Dad’s birthday is coming up and I can’t wait to head to Knoxville for a nice visit home!

Hope everyone is doing well!

On top of being hot – I feel like a crabby monster because I can’t seem to sleep. Maybe it’s work – maybe it’s missing Matt…who knows! Hopefully I can catch up over the weekend.

Not much else to report – but I will try to think up something later!