Happy New Year!

Did you ring in the New Year in style? Brad and I, along with Heather, Alex, and Amber partied like rock country stars on New Year's Eve. We bundled up, decked ourselves in festive hats, and spent the evening with 50,000 other party animals on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville.

 

The girls getting ready for the evening

 

Brad and me on the bus heading downtown.

 

We found our way to the front of the crowd near the concert stage!

Heather and I huddled together to keep warm!

Bradley and Alex sporting their fancy hats.

In Music City, naturally it's a music note that drops during the countdown.

Kissing (in the cold rain) at midnight to welcome 2013!

What a way to ring in the New Year! I think it's so fun sharing experiences with tons of other people, and it's even better to share them with people I love. We had a blast listening to the bands all night and then joining in the raucous of the crowd by blaring our noisemakers through the streets of the city. Some day, we're going to go to New York City and watch the real ball drop in Times Square with millions of other people. It'll be the ultimate party, and it is going to happen, eventually.

12 cubed

[pic via]

Well, here it is, everybody. The final counting holiday of this kind for a century. We won't have one like this again until January 1, 3001, so this is the last time to celebrate the month, date, and year falling together in perfect unison within our life times. Hope you make the most of it!

Happy Veterans Day 2012

Happy Election Day!

[pic via]

I voted, did you?

What a privilege it is to live in a country that allows us, regular ol' citizens, to elect our leaders. Regardless of the outcome, it is always an honor to take part in the democratic process, and I try not to take it for granted. Have you taken advantage of this opportunity to help determine our nation's future?

Happy Counting Day!

[image source]

Yahoo! I love celebrating counting days every year!

 

They're like secret little holidays that people forget to acknowledge! Well, not this girl! (Not this year!) Because not only are they rare, but there's a limited supply of them! We're already in the double-digit counting days, so we don't have long before they are expired for good within my lifetime. What a sad counting-less future 2015 holds.

 

So, today, don't forget to honor what a special, sneaky, smart date it is! You won't get many more opportunities. Have fun counting!

Happy Father's Day

I've always loved and appreciated my dad very much, but after the events of the last few months, I'm even more grateful for him than I was before! So, in honor of this special day, I'd like to post my absolute favorite picture of my dad and me as he walked me down the aisle on my wedding day.

I love you, Daddy! I'm so glad I get to be your (favorite) only daughter! Thank you for everything that you've always been to me! I can't express how glad I am that you're in my life. I love you very much, and I hope you have a fabulously Happy Father's Day! Mwa!!

Happy Veterans Day

All 1's

I love counting days, but there's just something even more special about today. On this eleventh day of this eleventh month of this eleventh year of the century, we aren't really counting at all. That's what makes it so special! Never again in my lifetime (or any of yours), will every number be the same. This only happens once every hundred years. We better celebrate while we can!

PS. Imagine what those folks 900 years ago thought! They were the only lucky ones in history to have all eight numbers in the date be identical. 11/11/1111. I seriously can't even wrap my mind around such an awesome day!

Pirate Paaarrrrrty!

Yo, ho, ho! Hill Ridge loves it some themed Halloween parties! This year, the Jordans hosted a pirate party for all of our scallywag friends and foes!

Since Kris was in charge, legit invitations were created and distributed in prep for the event.

Once Halloween was upon us, his house was transformed into a blimey tavern for us buckos, complete with hand painted signs, creepy skulls, fish nets, and cobwebs covering every surface.

No party is complete without some yummy grub! We feasted on soups and chili before we indulged in some buccaneer treats - pirate, mummy, and pumpkin cake pops, cannonballs (buckeyes), gold nuggets (cheese cubes), and fish of the sea (goldfish) were some of the biggest hits.

Of course, we all had to take turns at the photo booth.

Kris, Emily, and Layla

Charles, Emily, Charlie and Liv (in Emmy's tummy)

Wes and Stacey (He's a Samali pirate.)

Bret and Jessica

Walt, Cristin, and Harper

Steve and Zoia

Aaron and Tara (He was another Samali pirate.)

And shiver me timbers! Look at these sweet little pirate lasses!

We couldn't end the evening without a giant group shot in front of the house amidst the spooky fog machine and giant skull & crossbones.

I love dressing up and being silly with best friends! Halloween is even more fun as an adult than it is as a kid. It's not all about trick-or-treating and swapping candy with your brothers. Who knew? ...not to imply that there wasn't trunk-or-treating or swapping candy with friends, though, even as a grownup!

What'd you dress up as this year? Did you go to a party and/or trick or treating? Enjoy the candy!

[Complete Pirate Party photo album]

2011's 4th of July Weekend

It took us an entire weekend to celebrate America's 235th birthday! It began on Friday night when the Hill Ridge Crew (minus EmJ, plus the newlyweds Alex and Amber) came to our house for a cookout and redneck fireworks. That's what Independence Day is all about, y'all. Well, that and independence...

Saturday, Brad and I spent the afternoon at Cheekwood with Alex and Amber (A²), enjoying the beautiful gardens and the incredible, historic mansion.

When the fourth came around, A² and Brad and I dressed up in our most patriotic (read: tackiest) ensembles and made our second annual trip to Nashville's Hot Chicken Festival, "the only thing hotter than the 4th of July." My mouth is a big wimp, so the only thing I feasted upon was the free watermelon. Ah, summer... (PS. Doesn't that dog on my shirt look just like Chester?! Love it!)

This year, we decided to semi-avoid the massive down-town crowd for the city's fireworks display, so we camped out on the opposite side of the river. We only had to temporarily penetrate the chaos when we crossed the bridge to get some greasy delicious vendor food for dinner.

The boys played frisbee as we waited for the sun to go down, and the girls practiced blowing bubbles with our grape Bubblicious. We pretty much mastered the art by nightfall.

I have to admit, even though we had a pretty decent view of the fireworks and could hear the symphony's live broadcast over the car's radio, my heart was a little sad to not be right on the river like we were last year. It just wasn't the same. I couldn't feel the booms in my chest, and we couldn't see all of the ground display, and worst of all, we looked like dorks when we cheered out loud by ourselves. It was definitely nice to not be as sunburned, since we didn't have to claim our territory on the riverfront all day, but I'm not sure we'll miss out like that again. If we're going to watch the big show, we need to be in the big crowd. That's all I'm saying. Lesson learned.

The 4th of July is always one of my favorite holidays, because it's just so laid back. It's all about hanging out with your favorite people and reflecting on the blessings we receive as citizens of this great nation. Our country's freedom is something that I don't know that I fully appreciate, since it's all I've ever known. But I try, especially on the anniversary of our gain of independence, to not take it for granted.

However, there's another type of freedom that is even better, and that's the freedom we have in Christ. I can't think of political freedom without also considering my spiritual freedom. God is so good.

Kickball Wars

Brad and I participated in a pretty brutal game of kickball on Memorial Day. The teams were definitely hard core.

My team dubbed ourselves The Cicadas, since we were everywhere and unstoppable. Baby Harper was our secret weapon.

The temperature was literally 100 degrees, and we were all roasting in the midday sun. It felt like the game lasted roughly 3 years and consisted of approximately 75 innings, but I think it was actually only 11 innings by the end of it. We called it a truce with a tied score of  2 to 2. (The minimal runs simply demonstrate the extreme  pro-ness of our defenses.)

Take a minute to enjoy our totally legit basekickball cards.

Yeah, I told you we were pretty hard core.

We had a really great time playing and goofing around with our friends, and the constant consumption of watermelon helped us survive the blazing sun. Also, I'm proud to notify you all that I never Charlie Browned the ball, and I even made it safely to base, twice! (Once, even to second!) You better believe I did a mighty fine victory dance to celebrate.

However, if you're wondering, yes, I am very sore after such athletic activities. This ole body just ain't used to all that running and kicking. And furthermore, yes, Brad and I are both sunburnt. I at least put on some sunscreen. Brad, on the other hand, decided to be macho and declined the protective lotion. (Read: is lobster red.)

I'm anxious to hear about your Memorial Day festivities. Did you have a great extended weekend? Enjoy some time outside? Increase your watermelon consumption by 100%? Or other things even more awesome?