Pink Eye?!...On a 25 year old?!

So I've had this nasty cold, or so I thought, for a week now. I woke up this morning and my left eye was matted shut....eww, gross, I know! I finally decided this was it and I probably should go to the dr. as my ears still hurt and my coughing was not improving and now the eye. I went to the walk-in clinic on the skywalk downtown and got in right away. The nurse practitioner did her normal thing...weight, height, BP, etc...then came to look at my ears, nose, throat, and eye. She couldn't believe I still had my tonsils...me either as they are HUGE even when they're normal...but as I thought, I had a full blown sinus infection. This is the thing that gets me...this sinus infection caused me to get pink eye! I had no idea this was a possibility...until now! What 25 year old gets pink eye? Well I guess this one does!! So I guess when a sinus infection gets that bad and to this point and all the other ways of trying to get rid of the infection are blocked, it can then go to the eye. Eww...gross...again, I know! Ick!! But they put me on some antibiotics and gave me stuff for my eye so I'm sure I'm on the road to recovery. Or let's hope. But the next, and last, thing I'm going to complain about is they gave me an ointment to put on my eye. Do you know how hard it is to get this stuff on the inside lower part of your eye, blink for a while to spread it, then have a nice film over your eye? Not easy!! I'm wondering why I couldn't have just gotten drops...but I guess that would be too easy. Oh well...I'll live! :)

And all this sickness lately has made me lame-o. So I can't wait to be healthy and go out sometime SOON hopefully! Watch out Des Moines...haha!!

The Holidays Re-cap

So it's been a couple of weeks and I've been meaning to get on here sooner...but just now making the time for it. I can't believe it's already Jan. 5th!! Where did the time go? Christmas wasn't even two weeks ago but yet seems like a month ago. I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. I made it back in time to my sis's to go to Christmas Eve mass with them. Mr. Reese was in charge of bringing Baby Jesus up to the altar. The boys did a fabulous job...Aunt Wisa was proud! Here is a picture of me and the nephews before mass.

Jackie and Mark were planning on heading back home Tuesday before Christmas, but the weather didn't make that possible. They were hit with storm on Tuesday AND Wednesday therefore not able to leave until early Christmas morning...we're talking 5 AM early. I didn't envy them at all that day. Milwaukee was pounded with snow in December and they said there was about 2 feet of snow standing when they headed this way....that's quite a bit of snow in my book. But I don't think they mind the snow too much because that means OT for Mark out on the streets plowing. So they made it to Mom & Dad's about 1:30 Christmas Day. Angela, Steve, and the boys and my Uncle Ernie were already there so we ate as soon as they got there. Once again, Mom prepared a wonderful meal...as usual! :) Mom asked for special requests from everyone the week before Christmas and mine was corn and noodle casserole...it's a must for my holidays; but Mr. Reese made a request for Mom's taco salad he so called loved. Sure enough, when it came time to eat, the little stinker wouldn't touch it! Dad and I were thrilled considering we requested a different salad but Reese won and didn't even eat it. What a turd!!

Here's a picture of my sisters, their hubbies, the nephews, and me before the unwrapping of too many gifts!

Mom and Dad, of course, over did it with gifts once again. We all got too much!! We especially enjoy watching the boys tear into their gifts and to see their face when they realized they got. Some of their favorites were a pair of cowboy boots they each got, Mickey Mouse clubhouse for Rylan, and Reese's very own digital camera. I think by the end of the night, we all could sing the tune to the clubhouse set and had our picture taken way too many times! Angela got Steve and the boys a Wii and brought that along. It provided us many hours of entertainment and I can easily declare myself Guitar Hero champion of the Skahill family!! haha!! The game Apples to Apples also provided a lot of comic relief for us. Dad somehow managed to win the first game and I think we all can still him say, "Yes......Yes.....YES!"

Friday was another day of family bonding. Steve and Mark went hunting for awhile, while the rest of us chilled at home. We did a few more games of Apples to Apples and then I knew it was time for me to get out of the house for a while...so I ventured out to a local watering hole and met up with some friends. It was a great time!! And then we woke up on Saturday to have the weather once again change our plans. We were supposed to travel back up to Des Moines to celebrate Christmas on the Skahill side at my uncle and aunt's, Mark & Alyson's, house but an ice storm decided to hit Des Moines that morning and travel was not advised. I'm still bummed we weren't able to make it...dang Iowa winter weather!! So it was another day of R&R and then on Sunday we all had to head back home...and to reality...ugh!

I had been looking forward to New Year's Eve for quite a few weeks and was not happy at all when I woke up on Tuesday with a sore throat. I went home early from work on Tuesday, hoping some extra ZZZ's would help kick the sore throat, hurting ears, cough, etc. before it got worse....to no avail. I managed to go back to work for a few hours on Wednesday though I could have easily stayed home but I HATE using PTO for being sick. Since I wasn't feel well at all, it was a pretty low key NYE....low key, but fun! I hung out with my two good friends, Jen and Sarah, and had a night full of good eats, Wii, and Phase Ten. I think I have them convinced we're going all out next year!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year's. My major resolution is getting back on the "plan" from last year and to hopefully lose a good 30 lbs!! I managed to do it last year (but the Holidays weren't so nice this year...) so I can do it again this year, right?! Let's hope! And this will help me get back in shape for the upcoming 5K's I'm determined to do this year. There are a few other resolutions I have but they're not as big as this one and I figured if I told you all about that one...I would have to stick with it, right?! :)

So here's hoping that 2009 is a healthy, wonderful, and blessed year for you! Cheers!

Martha's long lost daughter?!

Yes you read the title right...that's how I felt on Sunday...was I really Martha's long lost daughter? haha!!

I had quite a productive weekend. I finished up my shopping (all but two very small things) on Saturday. I braved the blizzard like winds and the dropping temps but besides freezing it wasn't too bad as I think most decided to stay in due to the weather. It's such a good feeling to when you finish your shopping...at least it is for me...probably more than a relieve than anything else. I kinda wanted to go out on Saturday but since it literally was below zero (and that's not the windchill!) I figured staying in was a better idea...not to mention how much money I spent on shopping! But it is Christmas and I LOVE giving.

So I was up by 9:30 on Sunday...shocking, I know...to start my day of baking! I think I shocked my mom when I called her at 11:00 and already had my snack mix in the oven. I really did bake all day...with a small little nap in the afternoon...it was exhausting! :) But when I was done I had a caramel snack mix, peanut butter crispy clusters, oreo balls, and chocolate covered pretzel rods. I had to take a picture of two of my amazing cooking and proof to show the family!

And I wasn't done for the day. I then decided it was no better time than then to wrap my gifts so I did all my wrapping from 8-10 that night. So really, I did kind of feel like Martha Jr! :)

I won't lie, the snow is pretty right now and it'll be nice to have a 'White Christmas' but I'm not real fond of these storms that are delaying everyone's travel plans...especially when it affects my sister and brother-in-law from coming today like they were supposed to. They got quite a bit of snow today and Mark got the privilege to plow all day and make the streets of West Allis a little safer, and they are to get another 4-6 inches tomorrow. Not music to mine or my family's ears. I threw out the idea that they should head home tonight when I talked to Jacks around 8:00 but really that's probably not the best idea when they've both been working all day. I just want them home for Christmas, dang it! So keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow's storm will somehow miss them and they can travel home safely.

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I'm very excited to spend some quality time with those I love and hope you are able to also. And please travel safely for those that are traveling.

Christmas Card 2008

So I've decided to try this blog-thing out and start by doing it with my Christmas card for the year. I thought this would be a good way to go green and also be able to share some pictures of the events from this past year. I hope you enjoy...so here goes! *Disclaimer: Please remember I am young and like to have fun and this is the time to do it...so please don't be offended to the reference of alcohol in this note! :)

Once again, it's hard to believe it's this time of year again...but I love it!! I love the Christmas season and all that it brings with it...the spirit, giving, baking, decorations, gathering of family and friends, and celebrating the birth of Jesus. But as the year winds down, it's time to reflect back on all the wonderful times that I had in 2008.

The first two months of the year are a little hard to remember, to be honest with you. I really don't think a lot happened because it either snowed every week or was too dang cold to do anything! My cousins, Jeff and Jamie, did have a beautiful baby boy, Bennett, in January who I have grown quite fond of and got to spend lots of quality time in May with...more on that later!

I found out in late February that I was receiving a promotion at Principal. I got promoted to a Business Analyst II and was quite excited about this wonderful news. I found this out two days before we were to go out and celebrate my 25th birthday, so this called for more reason to celebrate. My roommate, Jamie, also received a promotion (and no they weren't just giving them to everyone!) so we made quite a party out of it! Lots of friends and some family came out to celebrate and we started the night out at the Hessen Haus with a boot! We then moved the party to People's to see one of my favorite groups, Pianopalooza, who I think were sick of saying, "Happy Birthday Lisa" by the end of the night. But hey, you only turn 25 once! :)



March was also the start to a bunch of concerts I would attend throughout the year. My sister, Angela, and her two friends, and I went to Omaha to see Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban who were both absolutely amazing!! I've decided Carrie has quite the life...she's amazingly beautiful and has just as beautiful of a voice...what a life!! In mid-March I got to see Lifehouse at the Val Air Ballroom. Concerts there are great because it's a small venue and pretty much wherever you are, you are still close to the band.

Two exciting things happened in April....my nephew, Rylan, turned 3 and I saw Bon Jovi in Des Moines with my two cousins, Kristin and Jennifer. It's hard to believe Ry-Ry is 3 (3 1/2 now!) and turning into quite the little man. It's hard to see them grow up especially since little boys tend to not like kisses from their aunt as much! But, luckily, with Ry I still get good squeezes from him. Bon Jovi was PHENOMENAL!! I'm pretty sure us three girls were in awe the whole time. And we had excellent seats!! Oh yeah, I also attended my first Barnstormer's game (arena fb) which was a lot of fun and plan on going to a few again this year. Here's a few pics from Ry's birthday and of my roommates and I at the game.

May was quite a busy month as there seemed to be something going on every weekend. I started off the month by going with my cousin's to Cedar Falls for Jodi's wedding to help out with little Bennett. It was a great time and Bennett and I got a lot of snuggle time together.


I went home to celebrate Mother's Day with my wonderful Mom and the following weekend I was able to meet Mark and Jackie in Iowa City for a weekend. It had been since New Year's since I had seen them so it was really nice to be able to meet and spend the weekend with them.

I also had a "1st" for me in May. I participated in the Dam to Dam 5K which was my first and hopefully not my last 5K. I won't share my time but I was proud of myself for accomplishing this as most of you know I've never been much of a runner. I had a time set that I wanted to beat and ended up beating it by more than 5 minutes! I hope and plan to do more this year though. After the race, I had signed up for charity pub crawl "Crawl for the Cure"...nothing like dehydrating yourself and then replenishing with...beer! But hey, it was for a good cause! Here's a few pictures of Jamie and I after the race and then Jamie, her sister, and I during the 'crawl'.

June was the beginning of a very busy summer. I started out the month by going to Nashville for 5 days to the CMA Festival. One of my best friends and her husband now live in Nashville so it was also to see her too. It was very HOT down there but we had a fabulous time and I saw SPECTACULAR performers...Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Sugarland just to name a few!! I took many many pictures but will only share a few...plus there are some you probably don't want to see because hey, it was hot so you had to drink!! I got back to Des Moines just in time for the floods. That was interesting and since I work on the 29th floor, we had very good views to watch the rivers rising and see where it was flooding. We were even able to see how Saylorville flooded all the way from downtown...needless to say, we were caught at the windows a lot during those days. I was able to make it home and spend some time with my wonderful Dad on Father's Day and that's when I was able to snag the picture of the boys and I...it's one of my favorites!

July was a terrific month for me! It went by way too fast...but I think that is due to being so busy. I won't talk about everything but I will have many pictures for all the highlights of the month. It started off with Mark and Jackie being home over the 4th of July. We had a wonderful time with them back and were able to do a lot such as celebrate Reese's 5th, play in the alumni golf tournament, and attend the Heritage Day's street dance. You will see Reese big present his Dad thought he needed...his very own 4-wheeler. He was stunned at first and I don't think it really settled in it was his for a little while. He was a little timid to ride it by himself right away, so Jackie and I took the opportunity to give the boys a ride on it. Let me tell ya, that little thing has some get-up-and-go to it!! Rylan is already wondering when he gets his. We got to see lots of friends and family we hadn't seen for awhile at the street dance...so it was nice to get caught up with all them.

I got to go back down to the Lake of the Ozarks with my best friend Mel and her family. I hadn't been able to go down the past few years due to work and a broken foot last year...so it was nice to get back down there. I'm pretty sure I could live down there though...it's so relaxing and care-free...doesn't seem to be a worry in the world while I'm down there. I had an awesome time down there and I'm ready for it to be summer again now. Another "1st" (and probably last...so don't freak out Dad!) happened while I was down there. I decided it was a perfect time to get a tattoo. For those of you that know me well, you know I've been wanting one for quite some time. So Mel and I headed to the "parlor" after dinner our last night there and I had an idea of what I wanted but after looking through the pictures they had...I knew right away what I was going to get. I LOVE it and don't regret it at all. I've gotten many compliments on it too, actually. So here's a few pictures of our trip to the Lake and my 'ink'.

I found myself awfully busy in August as well....imagine that! Are you starting to see a trend that I like to keep busy? :) August means the State Fair is going on in Des Moines!! I made it out there the first two nights. The first night we got to see Lady Antebellum on a free stage. They are now on my list of favorites...and their CD is amazing!! Can you also see the trend of how much I enjoy music? A LOT!! I then got the offer to canoeing with my old co-workers from ISU. When I worked up there, we started a tradition of doing an "outing" of caneoing down a river in Boone. And like the last time, their goal was to get their current and "old" student workers drunk...they did a job well done. Sorry you will not see pictures of me from later that day. Jerry and Mary were blessed with a visit from me that day, though...haha!! I ended up very, very sore the next few days after and had bruises all over my body...I even have pictures of those...but won't share them either...and you should thank me! :) I also got to go cheer on the Cyclones to their 1st victory of the year. It's really too bad they didn't have more than two of those this year. But you know I will always be a Cyclone no matter awful or good they are! Go STATE! Oh and I almost forgot...Mom, Dad, Angela, Steve, the boys, and I all wen to Adventureland too. The boys loved it and we all had a good time. Wow...that really was a busy month!!

(Ok, so I need to stop and save on this one because I'm having spacing issues when I add pictures...so I will start another one to finish up the year. Maybe that's a sign it's too long. Sorry if I'm boring you! :) )

Christmas Card 2008 cont'd

Thanks for "staying tuned" and continuing on my blast through the past...er, past year I mean! :)

September was the start of the wedding season. I and the other bridesmaids threw a bridal shower for one of my best friends, Amanda, the first week of September. She had a great turnout and it just made us all even more excited for her and Brandon's upcoming nuptials. I have included a picture of the lovely bride and her bridesmaids from the shower. Since I was home, I got to snag some more pics of the nephews...which I try to do any chance I can get...even though it's not usually the easiest thing to get done. (Notice Ry's face...what a character!) Also that weekend we celebrated cousin Matt and Michelle's birthdays. All the Des Moines area cousins were able to get together and say a little toast to the birthday couple! The following weekend I attended my good friends, Ashley and Travis's, wedding. I had one weekend "off" and then most of the Skahill family was able to get together and honor my Grandpa in the Memory Walk for Alzheimer's. This was the first year our family had done this and we were able to raise over $3100! I was so very proud of everyone and we all know there are some bright blue Irish eyes smiling down on us. That same weekend we prepared Amanda for her "last night out" and had a very memorable night.

October seemed to go by just as fast as the prior months since there seemed to be something going on every weekend. Amanda and Brandon got married on the 11th and it was a beautiful day and ceremony. I was very honored to be a part of their special day and will always remember it. The next weekend, cousins Jeff and Jamie were in town for and I was able to meet up with them to watch the ISU vs. NE game. On the 25th, we celebrated the marriage of my cousin Chris and welcomed Trina into the family. We also had another addition to our family that week when my cousins Brian and Brenda added another boy, Teegan, to their clan. Here are are a few shots of all the weddings, receptions, gatherings, etc.

November started off preparing for the next wedding. Another one of my close friends, Erin, was getting married on Nov. 22 so we threw her bridal shower and bachelorette party the first weekend in November. It was a wonderful time and I'm pretty sure none of us have laughed so hard than we did playing the plunger/toilet paper game!! Good times...and it's really not as easy as it looks! :) I had a couple weeks off before Erin's big day and it was here before I knew it. It was a very fun weekend...her and Clayton had a great group of friends and we've all decided to start getting together more often. I think a trip to Apple River this summer is in the works...which I'm already looking forward to! After Erin's wedding, I only had to go back to work for two days then Mom, Dad, and I left for our annual Thanksgiving trip to Milwaukee. We always leave Tuesday afternoon/evening and go to the Dubuque area and stay the night then get up and hit the awesome outlet mall between Madison and Milwaukee. And it never fails, we always find great deals there. By the end of that shopping excursion, we had Dad thinking they should have bought a new Explorer than Escape! My aunt and uncle, cousins and their twins, also made the trek up to Milwaukee Thanksgiving day. It was great to be abe to get together as we never can seem to be able to do it that enough. While in Milwaukee, Jackie and Mom convinced me I could get up early and go shopping on Black Friday. As shocking as it may seem, we did shop from 6 to noon that morning...and it wasn't that pretty towards the end! And the I saved the best news for last...Jackie and Mark finally announced to everyone that they were expecting their little baby Makinen in the end of May. I had known since the beginning of October...and it was killing me not to tell everyone!! I, and the rest of the family, are so excited for them and can't wait to meet the newest addition to our family. Reese and Ry are pretty excited to get a new baby cousin too. Reese's suggestions on names were Thelma, Shaggy, and Scooby...this of course came right after watching Scooby Doo! *So Jackie is probably going to kill me for putting the picture to the right on here! She wasn't in the picture taking mood so being the nice sis I am, I decided to be goofy with her. It makes me laugh every time!!

So now here is the middle of December already, and I'm still not done Christmas shopping! I swear every year I won't put it off but yet I still do...you'd think I'd learn! Mark and Jackie will be home for over Christmas this year, so Angela, Steve, and the boys will all be at Mom and Dad's Christmas day and spend the day together. I'm looking forward to having us all home together as it only happens about twice a year. I hope you enjoyed (and I didn't bore you too much) my Christmas letter. I'm not sure how often I will keep up with the blog but you're welcome to check in anytime. And please let me know if you any of you have blogs as well.

I hope this finds you all healthy, warm, and enjoying the Christmas spirit. May you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope I'm blessed to see some of you over the Holidays as well.

God Bless,

Lisa