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30 December, 2011

Top Eleven of 2011

This has been a very big year for our little blog, growing by leaps and bounds.  I'd like to share with you our top eleven blog post of the year.

Eleven
After two and a half years of hard work, we paid off our cars, student loans and credit card debt, and saved up three to six months of living expenses.


Ten
Thanks to many tweeting mamas, my confessions on the challenges of being a new mom became one of my most popular posts over night.

Nine
In celebration of our three year engagement anniversary, I posted this link on Facebook and soon had lots of family and friends re-living our special day.


Eight
Our week long trip to this tiny island of the cost of Puerto Rico afforded us the opportunity to fly in a 10 person plane and to cross "swimming in a bio bay" off the list of 1000 Places to See Before You Die


Seven
My family and close friends hosted this amazing party for us and baby Buergler


Six
The story of why we live in an apartment. My first post to make it big, and precursor to our Debt Free story.


Five
Anything with the label "pregnancy"
Follow the story from the day we found out we were pregnant through Evie's birth story


Four
The recipe for Mini Oreo Cheesecakes


Three

Two
The party favors for the Jungle Shower!



One
 My trip to the Mormon Temple as a Catholic
This post is still generating a lot of hits because it's linked on mormon.org and on several personal blogs.




Looking forward to an amazing 2012!  We can't wait to share it with you :)

26 December, 2011

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas...It's the Best Time of the Year!

Living in the same city as our families comes with many, many blessings.  And a lot of holiday get togethers.  With many of our friends slowly moving away from their families in Atlanta, the holidays are also a time to visit with friends who have returned "home" for the week.

Having a new baby has gotten us out of a few holiday obligations, but they have been replaced with visiting lots of friends who are in town.  We can't forget all the regularly schedule family traditions.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas we had a blast keeping up with old friends, and visiting with family.

The excitement began two weeks ago when Joey and Crystal were in town for Joey's family's Christmas. They brought us breakfast and spent a few hours loving on Evie. (Photos courtesy of their blog)



That night was the Gingerperson Party and the rest of the week was quiet other than play dates and doctors appointments.

Last weekend began the craziness that is the week before Christmas. Friday night we were supposed to be  in four places at once.  I narrowed it down to two, and only ended up at one...my maternal grandparents for our traditional Christmas dinner.

My grandparents set tables around the house with the Christmas china, the crystal, and silver. We get all dressed up, and have a delicious catered dinner.  After dinner we sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and open our stockings from my grandparents.




Then on Saturday Eric's friend Chris, who lives in Boston came to visit.  Chris used to manage a very high end beer bar, so Eric decided our visit with Chris would take place at Red Hare Brewery, a new microbrewery here in Atlanta.  Eric's been a few times, but this would be Evie and I's first visit.  Yes, we took a six week old on a brewery tour. Oh, and men + Ergo + baby = chick magnet.


Following the brewery tour we headed to Taco Mac (where else?) to visit with Eric's friend Katherine and her boyfriend.  They were in town from Nashville for her family's Christmas.  Kat gave Evie her first Saint Mary's t-shirt. Whoo!

Sunday we went to Mass at our parish where we had dinner with the youth group before they went caroling. Aren't Andrew and Eric adorable?  The boys were dressed so similarly and Lucy and Evie have matching carseats!


Monday night my aunt hosted a ladies cookie exchange party to replace our family baking day. Eric's mom and sister came, too!
Wednesday I went back to work for a few hours - granted me a paid ten day Christmas vacation, instead of extending my maternity leave thus using more of my vacation/sick days.  Win. Win.  

That night was Eric's office party at a lovely hotel.  We ate and drank to our hearts content, until I felt that awful feeling of the flu striking.  Body ache. Fever. Chills. Headache. Ugh.  He drove me home early and tucked me in bed before continuing the night of merriment at The Fred where Sean, Rosemary, Sam and Katie were celebrating Christmas with a few drinks. Thankfully Evie was at my parents for the night.

Thursday I had to meet my mom at her school to pick up Evie.  I was feeling so much better!  I visited with a few of her friends and then Evie and I went home to finish wrapping gifts. We enjoyed a quite night at home in anticipation of the Christmas weekend ahead of us.  We entertained ourselves by dressing Evie in completely matching attire...

What did we do for fun before kids? haha

Friday Rosemary came over to visit and to play with Evie.  That night was Eric's old neighborhood's annual Christmas Eve-Eve party.  All the families have known each other for 25+ years, so it's like a family reunion when we see them.  It was great for them to meet Evie and to visit with everyone.


Whew.  It was an exhausting 2+ weeks but it was so great to visit with friends!

20 December, 2011

Evie: Six Weeks


For whatever reason six weeks seems to be a big milestone for babies.  From what I hear if you make it this far, things start to get better...and then again at three months.  We'll see if these rumors hold true!

I head to the midwife tomorrow for my six week check up.  Certainly hope I recovered well.  I am feeling pretty good, especially on the days I remember to take all my vitamins, especially the vitamin D.

Can you believe our baby girl has been with us that long?

(Or that she scratched her face so hard last night that it was bleeding?! Poor thing!)




17 December, 2011

Evie's First Play Date

A few days ago we went over to our friend Alyshia's to visit for the afternoon.  Evie and I packed up, and my co-worker/friend, Mandi and I drove over to the other side of Atlanta to spend time catching up with our friend.

Her kids were napping most of the time we were there so we didn't get to see too much of them, but just as we were getting ready to leave Greg and Maria work up.  They were very skeptical of Evie.  I am pretty certain they were afraid she was going to stay with them. Poor things.  They were clinging to their mommy for dear life.

Once they realized Evie was not staying, but in fact, going home with me, they were rather helpful in getting her packed up to go home.






Thanks for the kisses, Greg.  Do I hear wedding bells?

16 December, 2011

Fifth Annual Decorate a Ginger Person in Your Likeness

It's that time of year again!  Sam hosted his annual Decorate a Ginger Person in Your Likeness Christmas Party.  Even though I've only been to four of the five, it's a tradition that we work the rest of our holiday schedule around.


As each year passes, our gingers get a little more detailed.


Katie

 Buergler Family

My uncle and aunt

Sam and Katie

Eric

The rest of the gingers







Evie and her Godmother, and Katie with her Godmother!


Merry Christmas!



A Belated Thanksgiving Post

 Evie was due just four days before Thanksgiving.  I made my dad promise that if we were in the hospital for Thanksgiving he would bring me a real turkey dinner so that my holiday wouldn't consist of green jello and mystery meat.

Fortunately Evie was born two weeks before her due date.

Though still extremely tired and cranky (me, not Evie) we ventured to my parents to visit with family, enjoy a tasty dinner, and celebrate our thankfulness.

As usual, my mother outdid herself with the tablescape

And we all chipped in for an appetizer lunch
(If you look carefully in the top left corner of this picture you can see the pot holders we made my dad a few years ago. He swears those are the best kind and our childhood ones finally bit the dust. Anyway...)

And our dinner was delicious, of course.

Desserts

What's Thanksgiving without the squishy cranberry "sauce" in a can, complete with the can lines on it?

Evie and Zach at "the kids table"

Okay, maybe dinner was too good.
What is going on in the background of this picture?


We had fun letting the little kids play



 While the big kids played


Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving, too!