4 Christmases

I’m not kidding. This year we have 4…just like the movie. I’m prepared to be both entertained and entertaining, and I’m fairly sure we will argue at least once. I was telling him we needed a video camera to capture the events but he didn’t see the humor.

Starting the show is Christmas Eve with his mom & John, Matt & Crystal.

Christmas night with his Nana, and Christmas day with his dad’s family, and Grandma Dorothy.


However, it is a sad year because it’s the first for Chris without his Grandpa. He died a year ago, the same weekend we were engaged. Everyone was in shock last year during the holidays, but this year we’re really feeling the loss. Chris was asked to give the blessing at the meal, and it will be the first time in his life that his Grandpa hasn’t been the one to do it.


The 4th and final Christmas is on the other end of the spectrum...Chris and I will be an Aunt and Uncle in 2009!!! I can finally tell everyone that Rob & Allison are having a baby!

So the last stop is in Ft Worth. The future parents and my parents who are flying in from CA will be rounding it out Heinrich style. I’ve been dying for everyone to know, and am so excited I can’t stand it. By now I have gotten over the fact that even though they live 45 min away, they told Chris & I via ichat (Mac video message) on Election night. I was unaware they were calling to tell us about different results. So now my reaction, complete with a curse word, is preserved forever. Classic. Baby Heinrich will arrive in July, and I can’t wait! Chris is equally as excited. He keeps trying to come up with a cool uncle name.

So from all our families to yours, have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

In our case it was more like jager for the soul, but I digress. A few months back, Celeste and I thought it would be fun to meet in Austin for the weekend. It’s the same distance from Houston and Dallas, yet it seems a world away. When we actually tried to pick dates, the only one that worked was the weekend before Christmas. During the planning we also asked our friend Elizabeth if she wanted to join us.

So, this past weekend the 3 of us took Austin by storm, as if anything less would ever do. In the end, we left rejuvenated and ready to handle this week’s impending holiday stresses, our stomachs aching from laughing so hard and our livers praying for mercy.

Here are a few highlights:
- Drinking coffee and eating breakfast tacos at Joes…when I look up and see at the table behind us none other than COACH TAYLOR (aka Kyle Chandler) from Friday Night Lights. I love him, remember? Well, he is even hotter in person - so sexy. He was just sitting at a table, fitting in, non-famously drinking his coffee and reading the paper. Not one single person bothered him, but I had to get a picture.

- Celeste falling. I know she hates this story, but I love it because it just as easily could have been me, as we both have the gift of grace. We had closed down a bar and were trying to get a cab. Having no luck, we headed to the nearest busy looking corner. I'm booking it, since I’m in short sleeves and the temp had dropped about 20 degrees. Celeste is behind me, and Elizabeth is bringing up the rear. I should mention first that I think 6 jager bombs and 7 beers had been consumed by each of us - yes each – thus we were in prime form. We’re not sure if the jiggy sidewalk or the balance of Celeste was to blame, but all I heard was Elizabeth yell “Celeste, no!!” I turn around to see her completely laid out on the sidewalk, face first. Elizabeth and I, being the wonderful friends that we are, start laughing so hard we can’t even help her. Celeste calmly says “I’m just going to lay here until someone helps me up”. The picture below is of her and the 2 nice gentlemen that did just that.
- Vito. It’s 3:30 am, we closed the bar, and we are starving. Elizabeth needs to use the restroom, so on our way to eat we stop by our hotel so she can use the lobby bathroom. We tell her, “use the lobby bathroom, you don’t have a room key”. Celeste and I, not having to go as badly, drive down into the garage, take the elevator to the lobby and head to the bathroom to retrieve Elizabeth. She’s not there. We go back to the car, then pulled back around to the front figuring we missed her in the process. She wasn’t out front either. Apparently, she went up to our room, realized she didn’t have a key and was dancing around waiting for us…when this guy that was in the hall recognized her distress, and offered for her to use the restroom in his room. She had to go so badly that she did, and then she asked him if he wanted to go get food with us. When we pulled out front to pick her back up, there she was, with him and his name was Vito. We entertained him I'm sure.

The First Freeze

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Everyone loves the first major freeze of the year. A million car accidents, the 2 hour drive into work, the school closings, and in my case...every employee calling me to see if they can leave early or come in late. Well, those might be the negative aspects of the frozen roads.

I love that for just a day or two it feels like the Christmas season. I can see my breath in the morning, have hot chocolate to warm up my hands, and drive around to see the holiday lights at night.

Tree Time

With Christmas around the corner it was time for a tree last weekend. We debated over fake vs. real for a while and eventually agreed that for our first “married” tree we wanted a real one. I was nervous about this little adventure because we all remember the last time we tried this (see #2). It almost ended a relationship. With only 3 married months under our belt I didn’t want this to be the beginning of a very long year.
I have to say, it was actually a great experience. We walked the tree lot for a while, and selected a few we liked, narrowed it to one and took the slip to the tree guy. In total it took about 30 min, no arguing, no crying….but that was only step one.


Once the tree was loaded we headed home, got it in a stand and trimmed the bottom. Again…peace on earth at the Gaines house. I think the only, and very brief, issue of the day was colored vs. white lights. I told him he could have colored, even offered to run and get them at the store. I’m working on compromise because we all know I love the white lights. He thought about it and decided white would be alright.
We also decided we needed some shared ornaments, ones that were new for us both to add to the ones we brought along. So we did some searching and now have an Eiffel tower (Paris honeymoon), a golf ball (Chris), and a cowboy boot (me becoming Texan). So we mixed the old and the new, added the lights…and voila. Here is our beautiful tree.

Attention Jersey Nation

* Disclaimer: Some of you won’t like me after reading this, however, the following was not written about anyone I know, might have passed in the hall, am related to, or went to high school with. This is merely a general statement regarding my personal opinion on a certain item of clothing. That is all. I plead for people to relax and have a laugh.

This is a slight rant about a particular high-grade, polyester, ill-fitting item that I have an issue with: Sports Jerseys.



A jersey is very expensive, and generally unflattering. I understand at an actual game. I endorse it at an at an actual game. I don't feel the same about wearing it out as a general item of clothing. I saw one being worn in Target on a non-game day, and at church on Sunday. Someone was even wearing a Redskins jersey at the Cowboys/Seahawks game. What?



I love the teams I follow. I have ball caps, t-shirts, and a few sweatshirts. I feel that wearing one of those items is a little more age appropriate, not to mention cheaper. One has to admit it's kind of bizarre for grown adults to declare their love of an athlete in the form of embroydery. Let’s not even get into the personalized jerseys, or those worn tucked in.



Here is what I would consider a few exceptions:

1) Under 18 years old. Come on we all remember high school.
2) A hot chick. Even then let’s not forget the Jessica Simpson pink jersey issue.
3) Anyone Mentally challenged.
4) Mother of the actual player.

Go ahead, tell me I'm not a true fan, or that I don't understand the team spirit of a jersey wearing fan. You're probably right on both, but it's just my opinion so keep on keeping on.

Cowboy Thanksgiving

We shunned our families and had our first Thanksgiving solo this year, deciding to spend it at the Cowboys game. I have to say that having a very dear friend that works for the team occasionally has its perks. She gave us her season tickets because she needed to be on the sidelines (not fair).If you know her, you can see her below.


The game is a tradition, and with this being the last year at Texas Stadium, we didn’t want to miss it. The crowd was insane



We grabbed a Fletcher’s corny dog on our way into the stadium and settled in. We had great seats, and were able to get some fun pictures.







I think the question in many minds that day was: the Jonas Brothers for a halftime show? Really?



I think most of the fans would have been fine with just about anyone else, but not all the 12 year old girls! I don't even think they were at the game until the end of the 2nd qtr when they started to funnel into the sidelines.



In all the game was very exciting, and other than my boyfriend DeMarcus leaving the game with an injury.


It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.