It's the most...

... wonderful time... of the year!!!

i don't know about you, but i LOVE this time of year!!

beginning with thanksgiving and ending with the new year...

this time of year screams 'family'!!

and it couldn't get much better this year, with mom and dad so much closer!

they came up for thanksgiving - for the entire week

and they'll be coming up for christmas!

this year, i am thankful for:

my husband

my family

my friends

my home

my job

and for these things, i am thankful to:

our amazing God in heaven above

without Him, these things wouldn't be possible

in Him, all things are possible

a few big things happened this year:

donal lost his bank job

donal got his dream job

mom and dad moved back to texas

donal...

27 weeks down... 4 weeks to go

in 4 short weeks, donal will be graduating

after graduation, he will be a police officer

a POLICE OFFICER

i couldn't be more proud of him...

each year at this time, i take a good long look at my life

and am reminded each time

that i am truly blessed.

Billion $ Project

last week, i took a tour of the insanely-expensive-awesomeness that is called...

the new Cowboys Stadium!!

the tour started by sitting in the stands to have a nice, long look around...

but mostly, i spent that time drooling over the size of the biggest tv in the world!!

the tv extends from the 20 yard line to the 20 yard line... and is 7 stories high!

there are even 2 elevators in that huge thing!

there are HUGE sliding doors on opposite sides... the picture below shows one side.

these doors have to be opened at the EXACT same time...

if they aren't opened at the EXACT same time, the pressure will shatter all of the glass in the stadium.

the roof also opens... see the shadows of the guys working up there?

 next stop, we got to see the view from...

 this is the view from one of the suites...

also from this view, you can see jerry's personal suite...

it is just below the 2nd row of seats - in the picture, it looks like a thick black line - which is actually the windows...

his suite... extends from goal line to goal line!

this is the view through the other sliding doors... you can see six flags, rangers stadium, and downtown dallas

from that same spot, i turned around to take this picture looking long-ways through the stadium

since they were doing maintenance on the stadium, they had rolled up the terf.

that white speaker hanging from the ceiling... its the length of a semi-truck

and of course, what would the tour be without a stop in the cowboys locker room!

the lockers of my two favorite players...

and we did get a tour of the cheerleaders locker room too... not cool enough on the inside though to get pictures posted here.

although, the hallway entering their locker room was floor-to-ceiling mirrors... not surprising...

all in all, the tour was awesome!

for only $17, i learned a lot about the stadium that you'd never know just going to a game.

my family and friends (thanks steph!) will be at the new stadium soon...

texas tech vs. baylor - november 28th

WRECK 'EM TECH!!!

& GO COWBOYS!!!

Long Overdue... Australia & New Zealand

an amazing trip. a once-in-a-lifetime trip. a trip i will never forget.

family vacation with the naughton family of 4. here are my favorite pics...

AUSTRALIA

day #1 - calling donal to tell him we'd made it!

this was the house our australia family had rented for us



sydney opera house





dad and i

sydney harbor bridge

dad, mom, me, uncle bob

we climbed it!

lookin' like a true tourist

i had to make sure he knew i loved him still... even while on the other side of the world

my brother finally arrived and was soaking it all in...

dad and i

where's waldo dad?!

kangaroo with a baby in its pouch

wallaby

from tower overlooking canberra

NEW ZEALAND

swimming with the dolphins

i'm out in front... mikey is behind me, to my left

at the sheep show in rotorua

blue lake

sacred green lake

from tower overlooking aukland

just before leaving for the airport to head home... calling donal to say 'i can't wait!'

just a few days after returning home, i got engaged!!!

like i said... a trip i will never forget!

Close by...

Me and my pops

Another... closer but not as good (of me)

I just wanted to share that I am absolutely LOVING how close much closer my parents live!

Georgia vs. Texas... 3 hour flight vs. 45 min flight... 14 hour drive vs. 4 hour drive...

And by no means am I complaining when I say - they aren't close enough yet!

I was able to decide, very last minute, to go see them this past weekend. I got up early - like before dawn early - on Saturday and made the drive so I was there to sit down and eat breakfast with mom!

We went out and about...

ate dinner...

relaxed...

went to church on Sunday morning...

had lunch...

relaxed...

and then I drove back home! I did get stuck in a horrible traffic jam on my way home but Kobi was with me to keep me company... Kobi - our hairy son...

Kobi does so good in the car too.

I have no idea what made him that way but I don't complain!

He just sleeps.

The entire way.

Wherever we go and however long we are in the car.

Anyway, I believe I have seen mom and dad more in the last 2 months than I did in the last 3 years while they were in Georgia! I love it! Mom works from home so she has a bit more flexibility on travel than dad does so I still see her more, but still, better once a month than twice a year!

I don't know what I'd do without my parents. I am fond of the idea of living like the Barone's - from Everybody Loves Raymond - with my parents living right across the street...

Notice I said 'I am fond of the IDEA'...

If it were real life... okay, okay... maybe not so much!

I love you more, mom and dad! I really do!