Christmas... in no particular order...

with zero words...

It's True.

I can hardly contain my excitement.

Meet Me in St. Louis

So I have decided that I have the BEST friends in the world. When I think of them my heart swells to 3x's it's normal size.

Megan (who I haven't seen since my wedding), Zay, and I met up at my house Friday night. We braved the cold and traveled to St. Louis on Saturday to meet up with the rest of the crew at Joy, Ashley, and Michelle's place. They live right off of Delmar in an adorable old house (you know the kind with high ceilings and hardwood floors, YUM).

We had an incredible dinner, a white elephant gift exchange (hilarity ensued of course), and we may or may not have had a "belly sliding" contest on the hardwood floors. Ashley may or may not have dominated and I may or may not have been pathetic. But most of all we talked, A LOT, got caught up on each others lives and reminisced.

These women are successful, beautiful, genuine, and most of all women of God that motivate me to love my Savior. Thanks for a fantastic weekend ladies!

No Thanks Officer, I don't need your help

Today I started to fishtail on the very icy First Street on a quick trip home over my lunch hour. I said to myself, “Shannon don’t slam on your brakes, don’t slam on my brakes,” so I lightly tapped them, hoping I would be able to get the car back into my control. Apparently this caused the same effect. I spun around and before I knew it, I was headed straight for a telephone pole. I ended up backwards in a ditch with my tail end up in a field and my nose in the bank. I missed the telephone pole by mere inches, thank God!

I gave myself a second, looked around, and began to assess the situation. Here I am on a country road all by myself. It wasn’t like when I was young and I could call my dad with his big red truck and he would come and save me without wasting a minute (or I could call a handful of uncles, cousin, or grandparents for that matter) Everyone had a big truck at home. (That is why Lesley and Kris’s December wedding, even in the midst of a snow storm, went off without a hitch. All but a handful of guests were able to make it, all because of those fab 4x4s).

Anyway, since my little 5 speed died in the course of the mishap I turned the engine back on, then thought better of it and turned it back off. I pulled up the emergency brake and got out of the car. The already loose exhaust pipe was covered in snow and grass, but no additional damage done, I think. I cleaned it out and stood there in boots and gloves, trying to get a hold of my prince charming who would surely leave work and come and rescue me. So what if he works 45 minutes away (on a good day). I would wait.

I was embarrassed and upset, not to the point of tears, but I was frustrated. At home the only people who would have come to help me were the people who loved me, and no one else would EVER have to know. AND I was determined to NOT have to call a tow truck. Since Matt does work 45 minutes away, there really wasn’t much for him to do (sue me because I was mad at him anyway). He asked if I thought I could get out by myself and I said,” if someone could push the front of the car and I put it in reverse, I know I could get out.” So he called our friend Neil who said he could be there in 15 minutes.

While I waited 3 or 4 people, some in big 4x4’s, stopped to ask if I was ok. Although the gesture was nice none of them actually got out of their cars and I don’t think they intended to. I said to them “yes I am ok” and “if someone could just push the car for me, I think I could get up into the field and then get out that way.” Every single one of them said, “no… your definitely NOT going to be able to do that. You’ll have to call a tow truck.” I was annoyed but climbed back in the warm car and waited on Neil.

That is when it happened. I saw flashing lights about a half mile up the road. As the cop pulled up I thought “great, now I am going to get a ticket… but at least he can help me push my car up into the field.” I jump out of the car like an eager kitten awaiting a ball of yarn. But what does my super hero do? He just sits there, (and I am not talking 30 seconds, I am talking at LEAST a few minutes). I am standing out in the freezing cold and he is just sitting there in his warm car looking at me like “haha, you’re stuck.” I may have whispered a few choice words under my breath and pretended to call someone on my cell phone (just so the eager kitten in me didn’t look so pathetic). He eventually did get out the car and came over to me and said, “why don’t you come sit in my car and we can talk about what happened.” Dun dun dun… ticket time. After he took my name and license plate information I just assumed he was going to ask me how fast I was going (which was under 30 by the way). To my surprise he didn’t and I began to explain that I really thought that I could get the car out myself. He looked at me like I was stupid and said “no you’re not going to be able to get it out like that, I will call a tow truck for you. Do you have any preferences.” All I could see was dollar signs. A ticket and a tow truck. This is just not my day. “Please get here Neil, PLEASE!!!”

A few minutes later, Neil pulls up (the only hero I could trust). I, for the 100^th time in a half an hour, explained the pushing/backing up idea. Neil went along with it (FINALLY someone listened to me). With the cops blessing we went over to the car and he pushed with all of his might (on a bum ankle mind you). The whole time the cop sat in his car.

We ended up getting the car out with the use of Neils floor mats from his car, with zero help from the policeman. I think I owe Neil some new floor mats and some sugar-free treats.

Thankfully, I wasn't hurt and there doesn't seem to be any damage to the car. I also didn't get a ticket and I didn't have to call a tow truck thanks to Neil. I have decided that maybe the police have a policy against helping people, or maybe they just don't want to get their pants wet. Who knows...

Anyway... to that cop out there, who ever you are...thanks for nothing.

Homemade fries and scrapbooking

Burgers, homemade fries, chocolate milkshakes and vintage plates... that, my friends, is where it's at. Especially spending it with my lover.
Want to make homemade fries? Just bake sliced potatoes brushed with olive oil, season salt and garlic powder. YUM! By the way, have you tried the Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Syrup? Being an advocate for all things dark chocolate, I suggest you try it. It does turn your milk a very funky color but the deliciousness is worth it.Not too long ago I was looking through pictures of Matt and I's engagement and all that went along with it (showers, bachelor party, etc.) So, I decided to put them together in a scrapbook (Hey better late than never, right?). I am so excited that it is getting finished. I love the way it's coming together. Here's a little sneak peak.

The Missing, The Found.

For months I had wondered where my large jelly roll pan had gone. I searched through the pantry and in the skinny cupboard by the oven, I even searched through the muffin tins and in our black buffet. It was nowhere to be found.

Now if any of you own a jelly roll pan you know that it is only used for very specific dishes. Most recipes call for a 9x13 pan, not this long, skinny, flat one. Thanks to my mother however, a staple dessert in my house is Texas Sheet Cake which calls for this particular pan. Up until now I never really needed it but as I was preparing for our covenant group to come over I was at my wits end trying to think where I possibly could have stowed it.

In a last ditch effort I called Matt at work and the following conversation ensued:

Me: have you seen my Texas sheet cake pan?
after a slight pause....
Matt: have you checked in the drawer under the oven? he asks quizzically.
Me: Um... we don't have a drawer under the oven.
Matt: Uh... yes we do.
Me: No, that is part of the oven, it's the broiler.
Matt: Um, what's a broiler?
Me: You know its part of the oven... it is where we make garlic bread.
Another long pause...
Matt: uh oh, you might want to check there.


When I got home, low and behold all kind of things were in my broiler drawer underneath the oven: my jellyroll pan, my cast iron skillet, some muffin tins, a cookie sheet. I felt like I got half of my kitchen back.

I guess that's what I get for having a helpful husband who does the dishes.
I love you Matty!!