Showering the Babies

Any day now, my little niece(s)/nephew(s) (whatever combination they may be) are due to be born.  Rylen will be officially at multiple full-term on the 8th.  And I am so excited for their arrival.  1) Then we'll know what they are.  2) So I can spoil them rotten.  3)  'Cause I looooove babies!  During November/early December, Rylen had 4, yes, 4 baby showers.  Double the babies = double the parties = double the need for gifts.  I went to 3 out of 4 and took pictures at 2 out of 3, so that's what I'm going to share with you.

Shower #1 - Work Shower - Mid-November
Ready to open presents?!?

 2 little sweaters from me.  One boy/gender neutral and one definitely a little more girly.

The cake... "Look Out World, Here We Come!"

Rylen, please don't kill me...  Look at her little belly.  Makes you wanna rub it doesn't it?

 Group photo!

Shower #2 - Late November

Guests...

Show stealer...

BFFs.  I won't tell you what I told her when we were taking this picture.  Hint though, it's about placement of parts of our anatomy...  'Nuff said!

Rylen is doing so great with her pregnancy!  I'm impressed and inspired!  I do know though, I'm not nearly as anxious as she and Jim are for the arrival of these two!

(Oh, and my gift at the 2nd shower is taking pictures of the babies each month of their first year as well as their 1st birthday).  Although, I'm sure picture taking won't stop there.  :)

7th Annual Oktoberfest

This year was our 7th Annual Oktoberfest.  Seven.  7.  Can you believe that for 7 years we've been making beer and sausage and throwing a party in the back yard?  Remember last year?

The Pre-Oktoberfest Party (Friday prior) consisted of strudel making, sausage stuff, and me making appetizers (these and these) for the birthday party.

Line up the beer steins...

People...

The sausage selection with Art campaigning serving.

Howdy neighbor!  Dale bar tending. 

More people.  My aunt is back in there.  And my pregnant bff too.

Me getting ready to open a bottle of "dry blueberry wine" from Florida.  Don't do it.  Ever.  Stick to the places that know how to make wine.  Like California or Chile or Australia.

Kaitlin enjoying a cream stout.  Check out the new covering over the deck!

Kaitlin, Jenn and me.

What can I say?  I was thirsty!

And the boys played pool.

Standard Stacey/Courtney self photo.

And more pool.  Rack 'em Mitch!

Dad hanging with the boys.

Mom, Jenn, Krista, Laurie, Kaitlin, Whitney, Katie, and me.  Gotta love that long built-in bench!

Me, Stacey, Jenn and Katie.  It's become our new annual picture tradition.

Mom, Bob, and Dad.  Good friends.  Too much beer consumed between the 3 of them.  Where was Annette during this picture...?

 

 And so concludes the very quick brief snap shot of the Oktoberfest.

News flash for 2010... due to the Montague's and the Diliberto's each having a child they're getting rid of marrying off during September/October, Oktoberfest will either be postponed until 2011 or earlier in the summer.

To see the whole Oktoberfest album go here.

Birthday Combo

Guess what?  Yep, that's right.  It's time to reconnect you with what's been going on in my life.  Which means that I'm all caught up with my daily bible reading!  

Is it bad that I have to go back through my pictures to see what I've done, or that I've documented?  Let's see, I told you about Florida, more or less.  Oh!  I think next was George and Anthony's joint birthday shindig!  Such fun!

Pictures?  You wanna see pictures?  You think I took pictures?  Oh, you know me too well.

Birthday Boy #1 George with his lovely girlfriend Devon.  (Can I just point out right now that I did a fine job setting these 2 up.)

Me...taking a shot...with the guys...  I was pretty much trying to prove that I'm tough.  And I am.  I just shouldn't be trying to be tough when it comes to 151.

Birthday Boys opening their foil wrapped gifts.  Anthony thought the foil was great fun!

At one point some of us went outside to sit by the toasty fire.  It was sometime around now that I broke the wine glass I was using and cut my finger.  I just didn't realize until about an hour later that I was injured.  Don't worry, it was just a minor flesh wound that healed nicely.

 Me and 2 studs!  Birthday Boy Anthony and Birthday Boy George.  2 of my very dear friends.

 

 Katie and me.  It's a good pictures, I think.

 

 Darren, Katie, and Jenn (Mrs. Anthony).  They're so goofy!

 

 And I will close this post with the obligatory self-photo.  Cause everyone loves them.  And well, I don't go an outing, party, or trip without taking one.

 

To see more pictures from the birthday bash go here.

NYE Shindig

This lovely couple hosted a NYE Party.
Many people attended. Some even took shots. (Please note, that is about the only alcohol I had all night.)I ate a cookie while reading how to be a "Skinny B*". I know, counterproductive.Stacey and I kept ourselves entertained. 1) With my camera. 2) Hiding things in the stockings that were still hung.Thomas and Katie were there. Katie was the life of the party. I think she even faux flashed me at one point.
Pimp George with his pimp hat.How many more can we squeeze into a self photo?
Cheers to a new year! Ok, so I had a little champagne too. But just a little, I promise.
And that's how I spent my New Year's Eve 2008. Before I know it, it'll be time to ring in 2010.

Oh my. That means I'll be 30. Shoot!!!

It's a QA Christmas...

This past Friday was my department's Christmas party. I convinced my boss to have it at Mundo's, because they're yummy, kick back, and affordable. Not that I was paying for it, but last year we went to The Bistro, just a little more expensive.

I took my camera, and was going to take pictures... But I didn't. Face it, QA - Quality Assurance - is a bunch of lab people, with exception to me. And, well, lab people can be kind of lame. Including the dude that chose to sit next to me, much to my dismay. I think I did a fine job ignoring him best I could without being a jack*.

So there was no dancing on the tables. No shots. Nothing horrible or embarassing happened. It was just a kick-back relaxing evening.

It was still fun. Hey, it was dinner right?

Sausage, Strudel, and Sauerkraut

The tradition of the Oktoberfest. This is how is works. Every year for the past 6 years my family, along with friends, have thrown and annual Oktoberfest. Every year for the past 6 years, the Friday night before the party we've made the sausage and the strudel.

That's right folks. Homemade sausage. And homemade (premade dough) strudel.

Here's the sausage making. It's primarily a guy thing.And, well, I hate to say it, but the women stay in the kitchen and assemble the strudels.
Then we take a little break for dinner and samplings of sausage, strudel, wine and beer.
And then it's back to licking the chocolate off the spoon. I mean, finishing up the strudel and drinking more wine.
And that's a typical pre-Oktoberfet Friday.