Top 10 Highlights from the Holidays

I would love to have photo's accompany this post but for some reason, my new iPhone camera and my work computer hate each other. Half of the photos I download are turned sideways and I can't figure out how to flip them. It's very frustrating and means I either have to post from my phone (which is easier now that I have the Blogger app but still a pain in the) or from my laptop (which I keep at home so I don't have to lug it around) or I have to post sideways photos (and no one wants that). Any words of advice for fixing this problem?

(I really don't want to save each picture to a photo editing program. Nor do I want to buy a new camera that gets a long with my phone.)

Anyway, back to the top 10 list. I might get around to posting photos some day but for now, you're stuck with just text.

1. Of course the highlight of the holidays is being with family and friends. Blah, blah, blah. You all know that in a it-goes-without-saying sorta way. I still gotta mention it though. We saw nearly all my aunts and uncles and cousins. Actually after some calculation, I can confirm that I visited with 92% of my family (including the Kubat's but not the Polack's extended family.) Not bad.

1a. I got to hold baby Quinn for like a whole hour. Maybe less but he is so sweet and cute and precious and beautiful so any amount of Quinn time is fabulous.

1b. The week after Christmas, my niece and nephew and my older brother stayed with us for a few days. Uncle Bill and Girlfriend Tracy came for dinner one night too. They brought poppycock for the kids. (I love to say Poppycock.)

1c. We spent New Year's with some of our Lafayette friends and I got to wear a costume which always means an automatic good time in my book.

2. I received a SodaStream for Christmas and it has slowly climbed to the top of the best-present-I-received-this-year list.

2a. I received a kickass winter coat and some pretty awesome sweaters and scarves that are also on my best-present-I-received-this-year list. So are the gift cards and cash. I feel like I scored this year.

2b. I also love my Gallogly calendar from Aunt Carolyn. She included a lot of photos from the past so I get all weepy, nostalgia when I look through it.

3. The Polack (with a little help from me) painted a large portion of the white walls in our house. We still have a long way to go but the hard part (the stairwell and foyer) is finished.

3b. While we had the scaffolding that we rented (that's a story in itself), we hung the two extra globes for the foyer lighting fixture. We love it even more.

4. Work was really quiet last week so I got a lot done and I only worked half days so I felt like I was on semi-vacation.

5. I read a whole book. It was the new Jennifer Weiner that was a last minute rental after I breezed past the 7 day express section of the library.

6. The Polack and I watched the Girl Who Kicked a Hornet's Nest (the Swedish version) and the Girl With a Dragon Tattoo (the American version) and we also had an impromptu date at 9Irish Brothers.

7. I felt extra special for having yesterday off work while the poor Polack had to work. I accomplished a lot in terms of cleaning and errand running and friend visiting so that was nice. The boys got much needed hair cuts. (I wish I would have taken them before Christmas but we were too busy.)

7b. Side story, Nicklas got an upgraded haircut because the establishment is new to Bloomington. So his cut included a hot towel, a shampoo with scalp massage, and a shoulder/neck massage. HE. LOVED. IT. It was the first time he'd had some pampering like that and he was so excited afterward.

8. Quilt camp is in 9 days. I have my projects planned out and I want to be organized for this camp. I have so much I want to accomplish.

(I know this wasn't a holiday happening but I'm exciting about the upcoming event so I felt compelled to include it.)

9. I signed Nicklas up to be in Thoroughly Modern Millie and I signed Seeger up for Saturday art classes at IU.

9a. I also decided to probably take my mom up on her offer to maybe go to Florida with her during the boys' spring break. Except that it coincides with the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament so Nicklas would rather stay in Indiana than go to the beach. We haven't officially decided anything yet but it's weird to think of Seeger but not Nicklas going with mom and I.

10. I spent a few hours almost catching up with Kourtney and Kim Take New York. It's not that I like the Kardashian's (actually I like Khloe) or that I believe the show falls in to reality tv. It's pretty obvious that the story lines are developed and the characters sorta act them out. But I'm entertained by the show and I waiting to see how they spin this whole Kris Humphries thing. (That guy didn't know what he was getting himself in to.)

10a. I also watched the entire season so far of Up All Night. I love G.O.B. Will Arnett so I've been wanting to see this show for a while. NBC has the whole first season online so it's well worth the investment to catch up.