Let's say it all together now....Happpy New Year and Welcome to 2008!!!




Happy New Year to all of you!!!! Can you believe that it is already 2008? (Gary and I were laughing last night at how we can still remember being seven or eight-years-old and calculating how old we'd be in the year 2000. And here we are, still alive and kicking in 2008.)

I always look forward to the new year with a lot of anticipation and excitement. I am a glass-half-full person, so I always assume that THIS will be the year. This will be the year that is even better than the year before (although, I have to say that 2007 was a pretty great year so it might be hard to beat!). There is always so much to look forward to; so many memories to make; so much love and fun and good times to share with friends and family (and all of you, of course!)

So...this post is my chance to officially wish you a WONDERFUL 2008!! May it be a blessed year for you and yours!

And now...how about a few more pictures from yesterday evening? We had a wonderful time--we said several times to each other, "I had such a nice time!" and vowed to do dates more often--and didn't we look pretty cute together? (I wore my fun new red satin shirt, which I just loved! AND...I had grey-free hair and had actually also painted my fingernails! lol)

We headed first to Landry's Seafood for dinner and had a wonderful, totally moan-worthy time (if my food is good, trust me when I say that I actually moan. Gary can get quite embarrassed! lol)

I had the most incredible stuffed shrimp embrochette (pretty sure that was the name for it). Grilled jumbo shrimp filled with a crabmeat and jalapeno stuffing, wrapped in bacon. It seriously had to be about the best shrimp I've ever eaten! Then I totally helped Gary eat his tilapia pontchatrain (wasn't that nice of him?), which was also incredibly delicious. I had to take like a thirty minute break to even make it through the second half of my plate. Gary just sat there and laughed at me, since it took me over an hour to get through my food.

Or perhaps he was laughing at me because I also proceeded to drink two of these (which was really one too many, but what can I say? It was New Year's Eve, so Hooray for Mai tais!)...


Then I actually had room and ate this incredible creme brulee. (Actually, I DIDN'T have any room at all...I was stuffed...but creme brulee is my favorite so how could I possibly resist? After all, I don't start watching what I eat until tomorrow. Right? Tell me I'm right!)


Then we enjoyed THIS show. The Transiberian Orchestra. It was fabulous, filled with amazing musicians and songs, Really magical...


The concert was still rocking when we took a break to count down to the new year and have balloons and confetti stream out from all directions. A new year's kiss, and then another hour almost of music. Such a fun time!

And now, how about a quick Random Tuesday post to celebrate the new year? Here are some fun questions to get your brain moving and make your reminisce about the year that has passed. (You know the drill: share in my comments section or post on your own blog and let us know it's there!)

* What was your favorite trip in 2007? I have to say that I LOVED our trip to the beach, although it was filled with a bit too much softball and not enough pina colada-drinking. But we spent most of our time at the St. Andrew's State Park Beach, which was a new find for us and we just loved the way the beach was laid out. So relaxing and the girls loved it! (I also loved mine and Gary's trip to the winery for our anniversary. Very nice!). Of course, McKenna would probably vote for her trip to Europe (I know I would have if I had gone! lol)

* What was your biggest challenge in 2007? Probably the biggest was Gary having another mini stroke back at the beginning of the year. The older we get, the more I realize that health problems will start being more of an issue than ever before. And it was very hard for me to see Gary lying in a hospital bed again. But, everything is fine and he's going strong! Also a challenge was Delaney's move to middle school from elementary school. She has done great, though (straight A's throughout her entire first semester), and has adjusted perfectly. It's still been a challenge for me, though, to see her evolve into a teenager. Yikes!

* What do you remember laughing about so hard that you cried (or snorted, or whatever) in 2007? When you live with a three-year-old, life is full of a lot of laughter! And probably the funniest was when she decided to tell everyone one day at the ballpark about how her entire family had superpowers. You all remember that story, right? Apparently, she had decided that I could fly and Gary had super strength and Delaney could ran fast and McKenna could super-twirl flags. I remember just laughing and laughing as she recounted that story all day! (Close behind that one would be the night that my two girlfriends and I went out for Mexican food and margaritas. We got to laughing so hard that I literally was lying down in the booth in tears! )

* What was your favorite movie and/or tv show in 2007? I cannot say enough about "Lost"--it was my favorite show of the year, despite what so many people said about it lagging behind in developments. I stuck with it the whole season and it all came together in the best season finale of the year (if not ever!). And, thank goodness gracious, it returns on the 31st! yay!!! We didn't go see many movies this past year, but my favorites probably had to be Harry Potter 5 and Hairspray!

* What did you learn in 2007? An old standard, but one that I have to remind myself almost everyday--Let go and let God. I can worry way too much about a situation, but guess what? When I ask God to help me through it, what a surprise? He's there for me everytime. I gotta give some of myself up and quit holding on so tight to things.

* What was any other favorite, random memory from 2007? Hmmm....lots of great ones! Halloween was a blast this year; watching Delaney play ball; watching McKenna flourish at color guard, while also enjoying our high school football team do so great; nights out with the gal pals; July 4th at the lake; reading a lot of great books; going to Bama games (and watching so many of the other memorable sports events of the year); getting to know all of you via your wonderful blogs; and now my new, great memories of New Year's with Gary. Just a lot of great, great memories!

So...have at it and post your own list! Can't wait to hear from you and visit your blogs!

And also...remember to comment now and often (ha!). This evening--after we return from seeing "National Treasure 2"; yay!!--I will draw a random name for my RAK winner!

And one more time...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!