Oh Christmas Tree

Becoming a DeGasser meant adopting new traditions...one of my favorites is cutting down our tree each year. Usually we have to trek through the snow to find our "perfect tree" (which I have come to realize really doesn't exsist in the wild and if you think you are going to find it, you'll be there ALL DAY LONG...that doesn't mean we haven't found some really nice ones though). This year the experience was totally different because there was no snow and so little when we did come across it. It was kind of weird hiking around in our jeans and hoodies for a tree instead of being all bundled up, but it was still a lot of fun! It did take us longer than usual to find our trees but we ended up with some real beauties!


Of course I had to post a few pictures of my darling niece and nephew...

Our New Hobby

Brian hunts, I take pictures. That's how it's been for the past 3 years. I feel naked without my camera at events and I love taking pictures. I'm no photographer and I don't have the greatest camera but I love documenting our life with pictures. Brian doesn't really love my hobby and especially doesn't love being photographed (so I take pictures of the dog). I've wanted a nice camera for quite some time now and Brian used to tease me about it just meaning me taking more pictures than I already do. I don't know what "turned" him but he started to get excited about photography in the last few months and thought a new camera wasn't such a bad idea. I guess you could say he realized you could "shoot" animals with more than just a bow or rifle. So we did some shopping and finally bought us a nice camera. The other day we both came home from work early and went for the camera because we thought the clouds looked neat...litte did we know we were racing each other home for the camera (Brian won). Now Brian goes for drives and takes the camera to photograph wildlife and I think it's great! I love that we share the same hobby! We take turns sharing with each other photo tricks or new things we learned how to do on the camera. We have LOADS to learn and I can't wait! Here are some of the pictures Brian recently took. I think he's a pretty good "shot!"




Until we can really figure out this camera, I'm sure most of our photo taking will be with the good ole point and shoot (I still carry that manual around!). Can't wait to learn all the tricks though and really start taking pictures!

TAG

I got tagged! So here goes nothin'!

8 Things

T.V. Shows:
(in no particular order)
1. Designed To Sell
2. C.S.I. (Latley my dreams have been pretty weird though so I think I need to give it a break for a bit)
3. Dirty Jobs
4. Greys Anatomy
5. Friday Night Lights
6. TODAY Show (It's a morning ritual. Matt & Meredith keep me up to date on the "latest")
7. So You Think You Can Dance/American Idol
8. Prison Break (Thanks to Brian. I think it's about time for it end though. Those guys can only run for so many seasons)

What I did Yesterday:
1. Woke up
2. Showered and dressed
3. Ate hot cereal
4. Went to church & felt the spirit
5. Stayed after for YW meeting
6. Went home and made a snack
7. Visited the in-laws
8. Came home and lounged before going to bed
(lazy Sunday)

Places Love to Eat:
1. Maddox (YUMMY rolls)
2. Olive Garden - ALL You Can Eat Lunch...Love the SOUPS!
3. Juniper Take Out
4. The Petersen's (I had to copy Jes here, ther'snothing quite like your mom's home cooking)
5. Chilis
6. P.F. Changs
7. Old Grist Mill
8. Rumbi's

Looking Forward To:
1. Becoming a mom - Dec. 3 we find out if it's a boy or girl
2. Turkey dinner with family
3. Dec. 8, a day off to shop with my mom
4. Camping this summer
5. Hunting season to end (but I'm starting to wonder if it really ever ends)
6. Christmas traditions
7. The day someone buys our truck
8. 2009 and all that awaits us

Wish List:
1. Healthy baby
2. Very large Christmas bonus (ya right, it's a wish though)
3. Own a house without a mortgage
4. Go back to Hawaii one day
5. All my freckles and moles would vanish
6. Eat all I want and never gain weight
7. New computer
8. Free lazik eye surgery

haLLoWeEN

I don't know about the rest of you but over the years I've gone through spurts of liking or not really liking Halloween and the whole dressing up ordeal. It was so fun and "cool" when I was a lot younger to dress up and go trick-or-treating with friends and for a few years in college we dressed up and just walked around neighborhoods scaring people. Then there were a few years when carving pumpkins and going to a corn maze was the extent of my Halloween celebrating. And I'd go to the ward party but never dress up cause I just felt stupid. Well, times have changed and so has my attitude and enthusiasm about Halloween...I really enjoy it! I pretty much owe it all to my dear friend and previous roommie, Jes! She LOVES Halloween and when you live with someone who loves it you can't very well not love it too! I remember one year we went to the mall and forked out the cash for some great pirate and gypsy costumes - that's where it all began. I LOVE dressing up now and I plan my costume a year in advance! I also love working on Halloween because I GET to dress up ALL DAY! The businesses downtown do a little trick-or-treat thing and I get to pass out candy all day and see all the fun costumes too(of course I take notes for next years costume). I felt so special this year because a darling little girl wanted her picture taken with me! I felt like I was in Disneyland playing a character (Hmmmm that's a job I might consider one day). Anyway, I love Halloween! I love the fun decoration, I love the candy of course, I love the costumes, I love the night itself! Thanks Jes! (and I mean that sincerely)

P.S. Sorry the pictures aren't that great, Brian went hunting on Halloween so I had to take the pictures myself.

Finally...Washington, D.C

I've had these pictures on my computer for some time now, just waiting for blogger to let me post. It hasn't liked my pictures for some reason. Anyway, last month I went with my good friend Jes to Washington, D.C. and we had a really great time. She was there for work but made PLENTY of time for fun!

A few of the days we would meet up during Jes' lunch or inbetween her session but we did have ONE FULL DAY to explore and we sure made the most of it! I don't know how many miles we covered but we walked and walked and walked! We were able to see so many monumnets and places, it was really moving. One of my favorite monuments is the WW2 monument. It was so beautiful and so powerful. I loved that it had water too!


We tried to arrange a tour of the White House while we were there but unfortunately weren't able to do that. We did, however, get to tour the capitol! I noticed while in D.C. there is so much symbolism to everything, as well as history. I loved learning! Here we are with our headseats (below) enjoying our tour of our nations capitol!

We flew in on a Tuesday night and left on Saturday morning and still didn't get to see half of all we could! We were able to check off most of the things we wanted to see though such as Arlington Cemetary, most of the monuments, some of the Smithsonian Museums...and we even took the Metro one night to Colonial Alexandria for a Ghost Tour! That was a fun place to be! There were so many shops and neat places to eat! Like I said, we didn't even see half of the area! Guess we'll have to go back! Next time I'll bring more bandaids for blisters though!

Daisy's New Shirt

Daisy got a new shirt and has been dying to show it off!



Turn around Daisy so everyone can see...



No, we aren't getting another dog...we are having a baby in April!!!
YIPPEE! We couldn't be more excited! I'm 15 weeks and feeling great! Only 25 more to go!