2005...a year in review...

December, 2005: J and I make out like bandits at Christmas - mp3 players, emerilware, J's trip to the Browns-Steelers game, a half-day spa for me, a mini-dvd camcorder, and so on and so-forth. The "kids" come with us to Ohio, since we hadn't arranged for a babysitter for Kitty. Howie (mom's dog) is no longer a little snausage (he's finally lost weight). J spent Saturday at the Browns-Steelers game (his Christmas gift from Angie) and Angie got to hang out all day with Katie (yay!)...then Sunday was spent with Angie's family and Monday with Jeremy's. Kristie (J's sister) told us that she's due again - in August (YAY!) and after we returned to my sister's, Suzann called and said that she, too, is preg-o! OLE!!! Jeremy played basketball with "the guys" from his old church on Tuesday night, and we headed back to DC on Wednesday. On Friday, we proceeded to NYC (with the kids, again!) and made a valiant effort at New Year's Eve in Times Square. Unfortunately, all of the cross streets were closed, so we couldn't get over to Broadway once up there. We spent midnight a block away, in front of Radio City Music Hall. We still got to experience the madness, don't you worry, and we have plenty of video footage to prove it. :o) New Year's Day, we headed back to DC. Earlier in the month, J's parents came to visit, I helped my girl Cynthia throw a mini Christmas get-together at her place, and she and I went to the Christmas Tea at CHBC (J and my church).

November, 2005: Jeremy turns 26, and Thanksgiving is spent in Ohio, as usual. I visited Kristy in Florida at her and Jeff's new house at Southwind YL camp for Kristy's birthday...Jeremy went to Ohio and watched the Ohio State game at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe with "the guys" and when he returned, I attempted my first ever batch of lasagna. Nobody got food poisoning, which is a plus :) Aimee and Steve had their baby, and our friends Heather and Tyler get married - ole!!! :) Congrats!!! Karr (our nephew on J's side) turned 2. Angie got pink eye. Ick.

October, 2005: Jeremy and I celebrate our one-year anniversary driving back from Ohio for Kristy's baby shower. J watched the game at his parents' and I missed it...c'st la vie :) Katie Moffitt came out to visit (YAY!) and we learned a valuable lesson about pennies...they are virtually worthless. (Just FYI, although they are legal tender, the company that runs that parking lot for Arlington Cemetary refuses to accept more than 5 at a time...random.)

September, 2005: Labor Day weekend was spent visiting Tony in NYC - just exploring the city. J and I also headed back to Ohio for Aimee and Steve's baby shower. Jeremy tries to tie his shoes like a pregnant lady (with a balloon up his shirt), but doesn't win the game...the girls play the guys in Family Feud and win, and Angie comes in second in the "fill in the blank" game with Nursery Rhymes. We stayed at my sister's house and went out to WalMart and bought Jake his Halloween costume: Darth Vader. We are subsequently woken up the next morning at 4:30am by two kids playing with light sabers (wooooooooonnnnnn) and the heavy-breathing of Darth Vader. I love my nephews :)

August, 2005: J and I went to our first-ever Washington Nationals game (they were playing the Reds, so I got tickets thru the UC Alumni Association) - the Reds won, I believe, but it was a very good game. Speaking of the Reds - I don't know if I can stomach being a fan anymore, after they dealt the heart and soul of the team...Sean Casey. My girl Cynthia turned 2* years old ;o) Jeremy played in part deux of the softball tournament. My girl Zann had a birthday, as well :)

July, 2005: J and I see RASCAL FLATTS in concert @ Nissan Pavilion (YAY!!!!), Jeremy plays in his church softball tournament, which mostly gets rained out. LAUREN AND MIKE GET MARRIED! (What a beautiful wedding!) We drove back to DC from Ohio on the 4th of July, and had friends over to watch the fireworks from our balcony that evening. :) My sister had a birthday, as did my girl Lolo.

June, 2005: I spent the month in Long Beach, California (can't complain!) for work - during which time, I got to see Megan for the first time in ages, AND I got to meet her husband, Rafael, and their little one, Kaylee - so cute! Jeremy and Tony also came to visit, and J and I went to see Brad Paisley in concert - with Reba McIntyre - SO good!!! When Tony visited, we went to a restaurant called La Palapa Del Mar, which was EXCELLENT. I spent a great deal of time on the beach, and Jeremy and I learned the disasters of AirTran Airways (his flight from DC-Atlanta was delayed on Friday, so he missed his connection to LA - and had to arrive the next day...then his flight from LA-Atlanta got diverted to pick up passengers in Texas, was subsequently delayed, and he missed his connection from Atlanta-DC, making him another day late and unable to work the next day. They at first refused to acknowledge anything went wrong, and then finally sent us a $100 coupon for us to use on Air Tran. We won't be using it...or them, ever again - anyone heading to Atlanta, though (as that seems to be the only place their planes can actually manage to get to), let us know - the coupon is yours!) My mom, Katie, Cathy, and my friend Elizabeth all had birthdays :)

May, 2005: I turned 25 and we celebrated by going to Old Ebbitt Grill (very Washingtonian - very yummy!) :) My girls and J and I all also celebrated at Caribbean Breeze with Mojitos (yum). Jenni (J's cousin) graduated, as did Chad (our best man) and Kristen (one of my YL girls). Jake turned 5, and we spent Memorial Day weekend at Rockbridge YL camp hanging with the Northern KY YL folks - J and I did the ropes course together and I managed not to pee my pants on the gigantic swing at the end. :) J and I helped Tony move most of his stuff to NYC to his new apartment, and we had Laur's bridal shower. :) Buckeye had some abcesses that had to be removed and had us really worried for a bit - but she came thru it like a champ. We love our little girl! Megan and Rafael got married :)

April, 2005: Jason turned 2, and Lauren P, Amy Scherr, Rick Scherr, Aimee Brissey, and my brother-in-law Matt all had birthdays. Chris and Kristie came to visit. The Cherry Blossoms came out. J and I went to see Jeremy Camp and Mercy Me in concert (front row!)...they were UH-MAZING! :) Buckeye got spayed. Jeremy went to Talladega (NASCAR race) with his dad, and J's grandpa died.

March, 2005: J's parents came to visit. I went to the CHBC womens' retreat (which was AWESOME. Our speakers were Carolyn Mahaney and Carolyn McCulley. C. Mahaney spoke primarily toward the married women and C. McCulley towards the singles..I SO wish I had heard from McCulley about 5 years ago - what kind of heartache could have been avoided! :) If interested, they both have amazing books - Feminine Appeal by Mahaney and Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? by McCulley. Mahaney's husband, CJ, also has a number of very good books :)

February, 2005: J and I went to the Caedmon's Call concert (really cool! Andrew Peterson opened for them, and the whole thing was at this GREAT old theatre in Frederick, MD). We celebrated Valentine's Day at Maggiano's (AWESOME Italian food) and Tony's brithday was on the 19th. Michelle and Matt came to visit (without the boys!), and Michelle and I went to a newly-married-women's brunch @ a girl from church's house - Michelle wasn't so newly married as I was, but it was a great get together nonetheless :)

January, 2005: J and I get our new Sleep Number bed put together (it's FABULOUS!!!) and I stop having headaches ALL the time - amazing what good sleep will do for you!!! :) Kristy came to visit (ole!!!) and George was inaugurated for a second term (which made this city kinda crazy for a day or two - and the libs crazy for another 4 years...!) :) My buddy Lew came into town (he now lives here) and we had him over for dinner. Life, of course, settled down from our October wedding, and we geared up for another crazy year. :)