Alamo Bowlin'

Saturday we went to the Alamo Bowl with my daddio and step-mom to watch the Texas Longhorns play the Oregon State Beavers. Spoiler alert, we left after halftime. Spoiler alert number two, the most exciting quarter was the last one and the Longhorns won.

Brendon and I aren't really into sports. We'll go to some baseball games every now and then but that's really the extent of it. And even though Brendon goes to UT, I wouldn't say we "bleed burnt orange". I mean, I have zero school spirit and I look awful in orange. We tried real hard to get into this game but it didn't happen. We had fun wandering around the tailgates before the game and the marching bands were cool (inner band nerd!), but when my dad asked if we were ready to roll after halftime to get some grub we said, hell yeah. Honestly, we were mostly just tired. I'm usually in bed around 8:30-9, so this was a wild night for me. Seventy year old woman, I know.

But like I said, we had lots of fun pregaming and overall it was a good time. Just couldn't make it through the whole thing.

I look like I'm twelve. And oh yeah, I got new specs! Used my vision benefits right before the year ended, like a boss.

 MY DAD'S FACE.   

Strangers are always offering to take our pictures, and they always turn out terrible. Next time I'm telling them, NOPE.

Balloons that, I'm assuming, fell down after the game was over. I would have liked to see that!

Even though we punked out, we had a lot of fun hanging out with my dad and Lynne. Lots of laughing lots of goodness. And it was cool being back at the Alamodome. I hadn't been there in years! Remember when the Spurs played there?? I think the last time I was there was for the state marching band competition my sophomore(?) year of high school. I told y'all I was a nerd. The glasses are super appropriate now, eh?

Farewell 2012

OH 2012. What a year you were! You went by SO fast.

I feel like just a week ago I was typing out Farewell 2011 and here we are bidding adieu to 2012. So here it is, a very quick overview of this wonderful year. Of course if you are wishing to delve deeper into my oh so exciting (sarcasm) life in 2012, there are a few (like 145+) posts in 2012 to browse.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY 

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

This year I:

- cut my hair, once

- started running

- traveled to another state

- went on my first business trip

- got a motorcycle license

- bought a motorcycle

- never rode my motorcycle

- played an organized sport (for the first time ever)

- got promoted

- got promoted again

- had good times with good people

- fell in love with Brendon over and over

- baked a lot

- sewed a lot

- worked a lot

- laughed a lot

- learned a lot

- loved a lot

- lived a lot

This year was really good. There were a whole lot of awesome things that went down. It was our first full year in Austin and it feels so much like home now. And I got to spent everyday loving my husband more than the day before, 2012 was the year of falling hard for Brendon. But then again, I guess that's every year. And everyday. (You are allowed to gag, that was pretty mushy)

I learned a lot about my myself this year and I feel pretty good about it. I'm happy. I'm happy with my life and I'm happy with who I am. These past couple years have turned everything topsy turvy and I love it. I love that I never thought I'd be where I am now. I have no idea what 2013 holds for me, and I love that. But whatever 2013 throws at me, I'm going to make sure it's a good year.

Apple pie

I've never made an apple pie before. I actually don't even like apple pie. But the Smitten Kitchen guru had a very promising pie crust recipe I wanted to try and I figured why not, I'll bust out an apple pie for the holidays.

I used this recipe for the filling and this recipe for the crust.

Like I said, I don't really like apple pie, I'm not a huge fan of cooked fruit, so I'm not sure if it was really good or not, but Smitten Kitchen is usually pretty infallible. I made it for our Christmas Eve dinner and my family said it was good, but they could have just said that because they're family. But that crust, y'all. Oh man, it was delicious. Seriously, the puffiest most perfect crust ever. And the hearts were a last minute addition, I thought they were cute!

Make some pies. Make use of this crust recipe!

Christmas Marathon

Christmas was good this year. Real good. Christmas always feels a little like a marathon, but in a good way. We did four little Christmases. First we celebrated Christmas Eve with Brendon's momma and AJ, then we did Christmas morning with my momma, then we headed off to the woods for Christmas with my daddio, step-momma, and step-broseph, and then we had our own little quiet Hogan Christmas in Austin. It's definitely a lot, but it's a lot of goodness.

Are you ready for the photographic evidence? Prepare yourself. These pictures are definitely all snap shots. Anything I've learned over the years about photography went out the window and for the most part I let Brendon be the camera man (which he LOVES, and by loves I mean does not love).

CHRISTMAS EVE:

 

Christmas Eve was super fun. We looked through old pictures, my mom made an amazing dinner, and we had a blast doing a white elephant style gift swap. My mom won the best present (a super sweet hate I picked out, of course). It was a relaxing night and I laughed a whole lot. Unfortunately it ended with me getting all sorts of allergens up my nose and taking a benadryl. And this is what happens when I take benadryl:

Sleepy face.

CHRISTMAS MORNING:

We exchanged gifts and then my mom made our traditional Christmas morning feast of breakfast tacos. Probably my favorite meal, it is always so damn good. And yes, I got hella Pyrex. LOOK AT IT ALL. I haven't been able to find any Pyrex for months and this business is in excellent condition. My mom hit the jackpot! She also got me a new very promising cookbook. Prepare yourselves for the food posts. My mom is the best. She spoiled us rotten.

CHRISTMAS, ROUND TWO:

Christmas at my dads house is always interesting. My stepbrother JJ got coal, my dad got an enema, and I got a toothbrush that sings lady gaga while you brush. Jokes obviously, we're weird. This year my dad gifted Brendon with a very real looking, but fake snake. A few months ago we fed their animals while they were out of town and Brendon could have sworn he heard a snake in the hay barn. We texted my dad about it and he nonchalantly replied, "yeah, been trying to kill it", to which Brendon said, "THANKS FOR THE WARNING!". So, for Christmas, snake in the box. We've been hiding it around the house and scaring each other. Actually it's just been scaring me.

We also scored all kinds of real goodies, and were spoiled once again. We went on a little two mile Christmas run and then the boys had a push up contest. JJ won, homeboy is ripped. Then we had a delish dinner, played outside like some country bumpkins, and Brendon and I beat everyone in a ridiculous board game.

CHRISTMAS, ROUND THREE:

First of all, if you have not seen this video, watch it. Then the first three photos will then make sense.

After heading back up to Austin Brendon and I had a quick little gift exchange with just the two of us (and the cats). I had to wake up at 3:30am for work the next morning (scheduling yourself to open after Christmas? Silly!) so we had to call it an early night. Plus, four Christmases tends to wear you out. I am still recovering. You should see the bags under my eyes, y'all, they're epic. Someday I will sleep.

We had a pretty fantastic Christmas. We have the most wonderful and fun as hell family who spoils us rotten. I love y'all. Thanks for being related to me and being awesome.