CHRISTMAS IN INDIANA

Christmas this year was bittersweet for my family. We are all missing my grandpa and feeling his absence. On the other hand, I got to spend some good quality time with a couple of friends, as well as my family on Christmas day. We had a great time hanging out, playing games, and just being with each other. Mom made a fantastic Christmas dinner too. Christmas night it began to snow! It was so peaceful...watching the cold white stuff cover everything. I had hoped for a white Xmas, and it happened!
We thought we were flying back on Tuesday afternoon, but our airplane had some kind of mechanical problem. So our flight was canceled and Randy and I ended up staying all night in Indianapolis in a hotel the airline chose. We went downtown Indy, ate dessert and had drinks in a rotating restaurant in one of the hotel high rises. Talk about romantic! The next morning, we flew out of Indy at 6 am (3 am California time), had a layover in Atlanta GA, then in Austin TX, and FINALLY we made it into LA at 1:30pm Wednesday. I ended up coming down with the same cold Randy had for the past week, so I called into work sick on Wednesday night and we both fell asleep by 8 pm. Whew! What a Christmas vacation! Click on the pic above to see more!

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!

To my dear family and friends:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Since I have to work most of this week before we take off to Indiana on Friday, I just wanted to spread some cheer. Click on the above pic for our California Christmas pictures. Look for Indiana Christmas pics after we return!

Hope you have a wonderful, safe, and blessed Christmas!

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Follow the links to new pics of our sleepover with Levi and Conrad, Thanksgiving celebration, or Randy's last softball game of the season.

Can I just say how excited I am that the Christmas season is FINALLY here?!?!?!
Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Randy Has a Point

After I made a typical "midwestern" grammatical error tonight, and after Randy got finished correcting me, I asked him, "Oh gosh- what will our kids be like?".
His reply?
"They probably won't be able to stand themselves."

World's Highest Website

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It's a sad, sad day at our house

Randy, Nick, and Andy took off work tomorrow so that they could sit all night long outside Target, so that when the store opens tomorrow they would be able to each buy a brand spankin' new Playstation 3. I went by Target today around 12 noon, and already there's a line of about 20 people waiting to buy the 12 the store was selling. I went to KMart then, and the electronics guy told me that they were supposed to get 2 but he had just received a call that none would be coming. He did have some advice, though- he said he had just talked to someone at Sam's Club and they had theirs in stock already, and the line outside the store wasn't long at all. So, off I went to Sams and low and behold- 2 people were in line! I was excited- I called Randy and he was excited too- but all hope faded fast as the first guy in line told me that the manager had just come out and said that they only have one to sell- maybe another will come overnight. That's one. A single solitary Playstation. That means one of the guys in a line of two will be able to get one. What a crock of you-know-what. I went home and called every store in Ventura County that would possibly get some in, and most of them said they were getting 2 or 3 but had lines atleast 20 people long. Fryes' manager said that store was getting 20 consoles, but 40 people were already in line. I even called stores in Indiana where my sister lives, her best friend lives, and my parents live (three separate towns). Same story there- 20 people for every 1-2 consoles. I'm holding out hope that my step-dad's friend who is a manager at Target will be able to get one for him. But, as the old saying goes, I won't be counting my eggs until they're hatched.

Sorry Randy. I tried. I think we should just boycott Sony for good. Corporate jerks (that's the nicest thing that can be said about them).

Grandpa's Memorial Service

Randy and I got back from Indiana yesterday. Grandpa's memorial service was filled with laughter, tears, and lots of family and friends. It was beautiful. Click on the pic above to see a visual of the weekend.

A new fun thing to do and waste time with!!!!!

YEAH!!!! Randy and I received a VERY special gift from Andy and his wife Angie, our neighbors and one of Randy's best friends: A NINTENDO DS!!!! Woo hoo. We are both really excited. Good thing our parents taught us how to share.

Grandpa is gone...

...but will never be forgotten.

I know I will see him again.

Conrad and Nick's Birthday Party

I know that I'm a little late getting these up, but this is really the first time I've had to download pics since I've been back from Indiana. I really had a good time at the party, despite what was going on in my own family life in Indiana. Thank you to everyone at the party for cheering me up, praying for my family, and thank you to Melanie for spending the day with me and taking me to the airport. You all rock and I'm so blessed to have great family and friends like you. :-)

Enjoy the pics!

"Little Miss Sunshine"...

...is an excellent movie! Randy and I went and saw it tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. There were sad parts (Randy even cried once) and absolutely hilarious parts. Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear and the rest of the cast were brilliant. We give it four thumbs up!

The best part of the movie was that some of it was filmed at Ventura's very own Crowne Plaza Hotel and the pier. Everyone in the theatre, including us, were surprised and started laughing when it started showing the hotel and surrounding areas. I didn't know that they had filmed here- why wasn't I notified???!?!?!

Go see it if you can put up with some swearing. Or wait until it hits ABC Family, fully edited, in 5 years. It'll still be a great movie then too.

My chances of twins are looking even better!

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Can you say Misplaced Priorities?!?!?

Ok- here comes one of my rantings.

Why in hell did New Orleans (and/or Louisiana government, and/or the NFL, and whomever else) spend $185,000,000 to clean up, remodel, and reopen a stadium when half the population remaining there and left homeless from Hurricane Katrina is still living in substandard housing (if they are even that lucky)???? Shouldn't the government be spending all those millions of dollars on something worthwhile, such as scraping bacteria and mold off the streets, rebuilding/remodeling hospitals and the healthcare system in New Orleans, and, well anything else besides an entertainment complex?!?!?!? What is wrong with this picture????!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like a justifiable answer please. Not just "if you build it, they will come" or "It's good for city morale". What a crock of s*#@!

Ok ranting has commenced.

Patients Say the Darndest Things

Conversation I had today with a patient:
Me: "Hi- I'm Kristi"
Patient: "How do you spell your name?"
Me: "K-R-I-S-T-I"
Patient: "Oh! That's how my friend spells her name. Only she's skinny."

Happy International World Peace Day

Peace out, brothers and sisters. Put flowers in your hair, paint smiles and peace signs on your VW vans, and hold hands while singing Koom-bye-yah today. Pretend that all God's children are celebrating.

Next time we have a party,

I want these!

HAPPY 30th ANNIVERSARY, RANDY AND JACQUIE!!!!

Since today, September 18th, is their anniversary, this post is dedicated to two of the most loving people I know- my husbands parents, Randy and Jacquie. You both are loved by everyone and I am so grateful that I married into such a wonderful family.

This past weekend, we threw Randy and Jacquie a surprise 30th anniversary party. It was a giant feat to attempt, since usually we can't put anything past them. No one spoiled the secret, however, invitations were sent, and the party was on. After a long dinner in Ojai, we showed up at the Bang's house and SURPRISE!!!! Randy and Jacquie were surrounded by people who love them and have shared their life and love with them over the past 30 years.

Go see the pictures!

Something to make you....

...appreciate what you have....

Where is WD-40 when you need it?

I hate getting the cart at the grocery store with the bum wheel. The incessent squeal while shopping is like driving around town with your car horn stuck.

Yes, that was me at Vons on Thompson at 10 this morning, just in case you heard me rearing the corner if the frozen foods section.

Lord of the Rings

After failing miserably at watching LOTR a few years back (I fell asleep both times), Randy and I finally watched the triology over this past week, finishing up late last night with "Return of the King". I really liked the movies' plots, but at the end I just wished they'd all stop fighting and get over it. I didn't want to see any more orcs get their heads smashed off, and I was tired of Frodo and his attitude. Sam had to have a lot of patience to put up with a whiny, lazy brat like Frodo. I just wanted the hobbits to get back to the Shire, Gollum to be dead, and for Liv Tyler to hook up with Stridor (and for Eowyn to back off of him- he's taken!!!!). Don't get me wrong- I liked the movies, but they were way too long I think. Plus, the only thing I keep on asking is why couldn't Gandolph's special eagle friend just take Frodo to the volcano and let him throw the ring off in the first place? I've never read the books, but is Frodo portrayed as an idiot as much as he is in the film?