coolest.nutcracker.ever.

Good morning, good morning!  I am happy to see that it is 46 degrees here this morning unlike the 25 degrees I woke up to yesterday morning.  Talk about brrr. Sheesh.  Cool, fun fact for all you bbs out there.  Yesterday was my blogs 1 year anniversary! Yippee! It's weird to think I have been boring people with my non-sense postings for a year but lucky you guys because it's true.  How did I spend my day celebrating this ever-so-important milestone you might ask? Christmas shopping of course! Knocked another four people off my list! But, not it's time to begin another year of radom musings for all  of you wonderful people to be subjected to. Enjoy!  Now, super fun news.  Today, it is this adorable girls 6th birthday!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, loving, free spirited niece, Julia!

I love you birthday girl!

Last night Bret and I headed over to some co-workers house for a fun and relaxing Christmas party.  I was very hesitant about going since I am battling some sort of cold, coughing up nastiness sort of thing, but I doped myself up on meds and headed out anyways!  We had a super fun time hanging out with a lot of our co-workers.  Yummy food, I got to play with Miz. Mads and I came home with the coolest white elephant gift EVER.

Meet Alvin everybody! The newest member of the Mathis family.

And yes, he is a rock-n-roll nutcracker.

He rocks!

Now, don't be mistaken.  I didn't unwrap Alvin and got left stuck with him for the rest of the night.  I STOLE Alvin from somebody else.  I wanted this dude.  Seriously, he makes me happy.  And you know, in a world where happiness is limited sometimes due to crazy's out there, we all just need to go after the little things in life that make us smile, yes? Yes!

Happy Christmas!

Yippee!

In other news, look who has been sneaking around the house...

Oh Stan Lee Piper.  How you make my heart smile.

Coming up this week I have just a few little things here and there.  Today I am going to an Arts & Crafts show with my dear friend Traci.  Should be pretty fun.  I am hoping there is a lot of Christmas stuff for sale.  (I have a feeling Bret probably is not).  My 20 page research paper I have been working on for Grad schol is due Wednesday.  As soon as I get that wrapped up and completed I am done for the semester! I have already finished one class, got an A!, so now I am just finishing up this one.  Yippee!  The biggest news however is a week from today I will be in the middle of my first 1/2 marathon e.v.e.r.  This is what I have been training for for the last few months so I hope it goes over well!  My two goals: 1) don't stop running.  Even if my run is the pace of a walk. Don't stop running.  2) finish. don't worry about the time, it's my first one, just finish.  Should be interesting :)  I hope you guys have an excellent Sunday and a wonderful week! Christmas is getting closer!