a look back at 2017

After doing 5 blog posts in 5 hours... why not knock this out, too?! :)

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?
BUY OUR DREAM HOUSE IN OUR DREAM NEIGHBORHOOD, get full custody of our little ones (!), take Emily to high school, go to a parent-teaching conference, go to New Orleans, watch Meggie graduate from Toni & Guy and start a job at a place she really likes, take in a family friend for a few months, start indulging ALOT, work with a nutritionist, stop working out and NOT FEELING BAD ABOUT MYSELF (because life happens and that's OK!), Instagram Stories, haha?.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Um, not really! The social study and family court proceedings really took over our life/sanity/spare time, so... don't think I did anything I put on my list for last year! ;) Honestly, I'm don't want to make resolutions except try to make my life easier (through recurring calendar events and notifications to trigger my brain) and enable myself to be better whenever the opportunity presents itself. The only thing I really want to commit to is going to the mall once a month because it genuinely makes me feel better. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, TONYA (little Eliam!), Katilin (Lincoln!), and Maryam's daughter-in-law (Baby Sofia).

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.

5. What countries/states did you visit?
Just the USA! New Orleans (with mom and R) and Ruidoso (with the family!). Then we did a Staycation in October which was FANTASTIC.

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
I want my commissions to outweigh my base salary! And I want to start working out again once school ends (and I won't have to get Sadie up at 6:15 every morning). 

7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 1st - we closed on our house!!!
July 13th -  the final custody papers were signed. :)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Paying off my physical therapy bills, getting custody of the littles, revamping my makeup/wardrobe routine (like really!), joining the board of Together Richardson! And I got really close to my goal of gettin $50k in premium on month... all the way up to $47k! And I am generally being so much easier on myself and self-aware in the most helpful ways (apologizing right away for stuff, etc.).

9. What was your biggest failure?
I hate driving and so the first thing I think of is anything car-related (which is nothing major or my fault but... I hate car stuff!). And not really a failure, but I had to go to the emergency room after Thanksgiving because my throat was really swollen and it all turned out to be... allergies! I'm developing allergies! $800+ lesson, fun times! I was also a mess getting the kids settled in school and honestly should have taken some time off for that to help my sanity but... c'est la vie! Lesson learned!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got mono for the first time in May, which was miserable, I had multiple anxiety attacks after the social study was done (of all things... just my body letting go of the stress, I guess!), and then learned I had allergies (NOT STREP) as mentioned above.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A daily SPF sunscreen, lots of new make-up, a nutritionist plan, and mom got us a Rooma for Christmas!

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

- R3 for forever being so sweet and appreciative of how we take care of him. (Giving us hugs, telling us, "Thank you so much for taking such good care of me! I'm exactly where I need to be." *cries all the tears*)

- Meghan for moving out into an apartment on her own and getting it all done!

- Sadie and Emily for adjusting so well to their new schools.

- Mom and Richard being angels all the fucking time.

- Brittany for being the best work-wife ever.

... I could keep going because all my friends and family members are super adorable and wonderful.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled?
TRUMP. YET AGAIN.

14. Where did most of your money go? 
Buying a house, our family attorney, car shit, really dope food and clooothes.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Watching "Insecure" and "Broad City" every week, Sadie getting her own room once Meghan moved out, weekends alone with my husband, FENTY HIGHLIGHTER, Hilary/Zach  coming into town for Christmas and spending the night with us!

16. What song will always remind you of 2017? 
Vince Staples x Big Fish, Dawn Richards x Sands, Solange x Cranes in the Sky, Years & Years x Desire, ABRA x I Guess, Mi Gente (Beyonce remix), Lady Gaga x Dancing in Circles, NERD/Rihanna x Lemon

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: 
(a) happier or sadder? Happier! Prouder! More Chill!
(b) thinner or fatter? STRONGER.
(c) richer or poorer? Richer! #bossbabe

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Gone to the mall more regularly (SOUL FOOD, NOT ASHAMED)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? 
Feel bad for self-medicating because MY LIFE IS STRESSFUL and I have a brain that will just not shut down sometimes.

20. How did you spend Christmas? 
With friends and family. :)

21. Did you fall in love in 2017? 
#BLACKGIRLMAGIC (Ava Duvernay, Issa Rae, Ruth Negga, etc.) and Jen Hatmaker.

22. What was your favourite TV program?
Insecure, Broad City, KUWTK, Great British Baking Show!, Master of None.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Ugh, I really don't like that Trump is our FUCKING PRESIDENT. :/ (STILL TRUE FROM LAST YEAR)

24. What was the best book you read?

I read alot of online articles in my downtime which was a nice change of pace!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Insecure playlists on Spotify,

26. What did you want and get?
THE BABIES. And a "more organized brain," thank goodness. :)

27. What did you want and not get?
Some contracts from work, haha, but not much. (same from last year, haha)

28. What was your favorite film of this year? 
SO MANY GOOD MOVIES I enjoyed this year. Get Out, The Big Sick, Ladybird, Wonder Woman, Logan, The Shape of Water, Blade Runner 2049, Logan Lucky.

29. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 
All the great comedy specials I watched! Dave Chapelle, Judd Apatow, Craig Ferguson, Tiffany Haddish, Michelle Wolfe, Judah Frielander.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
First part of the year: bold and colorful... second part of the year: luxe neutrals with glam minimal make-up.

31. What kept you sane?
Having fresh hair from morning washings, using the timer feature on our washing machine, calling Hilary and making therapist appointments when I really needed to, scrolling through Instagram to look at artists, fashionistas and ballerinas. ;)

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jon Hamm as I rewatched the last few seasons of Mad Men, haha. Hugh Jackman in Logan because he reminds me so much of Richard, I swear to God. The girls on Great British Baking Show because they are PRECIOUS.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Muslim "Ban," #MeToo and #TakeAKnee

34. Who did you miss? 
The ladies who left our office (Colleen, Kim, Cameron)

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017. 
"You are enough."

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I GET IT HOW I LIVE IT, I LIVE IT HOW I GET IT.

december: part 3 - second christmas! (with littles)

We finally picked the littles up on Thursday (AFTER 13 DAYS AWAY) and took them to Braum's... with Juju! Juju was meeting a friend for lunch the next day in Dallas, so she came on Thursday and spent a few nights on our side of town. TRULY THE BEST.

Ordering ice-cream!

Juju with her spiced-cake sundae... which was so tasty!

R being adorable, Emmy being intimate with her ice cream cone, lolz.

The next night, on Friday, we finally did second Christmas! There's a big video of it on my hard-drive, but the kids made out like bandits, as per usual. Spotify premium and iPhone 6s's for everyone! Sadie got a new laptop! Emily got earring and A-kon monies! R3 got all of his gaming delights! It was alot of fun. (And then I immediately took my ass to AT&T to activate the phones because I love/hate myself, haha).

Sadie spent the night at Juju's hotel room the remaining 2 nights she was here. There were a few trips to Starbucks and Sonic (for bacon cheeseburgers) thanks to Sadie's recommendation (and/or insistence, haha). 

Saturday was a full day, too! I went shopping at Northpark by myself (#blest) and Juju hung out with the kids at home (she trimmed all the girls' nails which is SUCH A LIFESAVER, THANKS MOM) while R started working on the most epic Second Christmas Dinner. Steak! Fish! Crab! The blue cheese/balsamic mashies! DECADENCE GALORE.

Enjoying the fruits of his labor. :)

Sadie in a food coma, because we're training her right, haha.

(That's a toothpickie in her mouth, haha)

Sadie had a school assignment to put on a full clarinet performance for all of us an delivered ALL THE WAY. I have a full video of it on my hard-drive, and it's such a treat. :)

For whatever reason, Emily was into making "anime villian poses" when the concert was complete so... here those are! ;)

After their second night in the hotel together. They are such good bed-fellers! :) 

Richard watching some football before heading to work to close out the period and looking so darn cute, just eee! :)

christmas eve & christmas day!!!

This year for Christmas, the littles were at their mom's so we had more of an adult-style Christmas. Mom came over on Christmas Eve and she and Meggie went to Darrah's after we did prezzies (Richard and I went to go see Del and Terri). We had a glorious Christmas feast once we got to D's (I LOVE STUFFING AND GREEN BEANS, OMGAH) and opened prezzies. Afterwards, mom came back to our house to spend the night (!) so she, R and I could wake up and do Christmas morning together. It was so chill and fun!

Like, seriously!? Side note: this fish did not make it to Christmas Even dinner at Darrah's because we both forgot to bring it, but! He made it Christmas evening anyway and it was the most delicious shit I've ever eaten in my life. We sat on the couch and ate it right off the baking sheet and I was a better person after we were through. ;) 

JUJU THE FORK.

Richard with his "bag of (candy and plushie) dicks" 

OK, so serious, Richard made the most epic Christmas breakfasts in the history of Christmas breakfasts. Chocolate chip waffles! Scramby eggs! Bacon! Potatoes O'Brien! Complete with morning alcohol! YUM YUM YUM. 

Playing with BB8!

Even though we're backlit as hell, I like this picture. :)

EATING THE ALSDKJFLKJ FISH.

Feelin' my new jammies!

I mean, obviously. :)

Not pictured: 

- Meghan walking around on her SUPER STILTS, courtesy of Juju.

- The best "mom gifts" ever: a bra bag to wash bras in the laundry, a bra carrier for traveling and a dashboard duster for my car, haha!

- The gorgeous snow-globe D got for me, and the "Chip" mug (Beauty and the Beast!) that Meggie got for me!!!

- Richard and I watching "Bad Santa" Christmas Eve and laughing so so much. :)

- Going to see Del and her being so adorable! "Why does Richard have all those tattoos on his arms?" "Because it makes it easier for him to not go missing, duh!" "Well that's a nice way of looking at it!"

- Pamplemosas, the name designated for my version of mimosas: grapefruit juice, champagne and sparkling strawberry-flavored water, haha.

- Having December 26th off and sleeping until noon, watching KUWTK in the living room before R came home. :)

december, part 2! (without littles)

A Sunday with CJ at his new downtown apartment!

On the rooftop of his new place... I wanted to get a selfie with Pegasas in the background... and you can barely see it, haha.

It's been so chilly which is JUST SO DARN LOVELY.

Existenial Puppy is very important to me (and requires video since a photo just doesn't capture the turtleneck well, haha)

R stumbled upon a mashed potato recipe with BLUE CHEESE AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND HOW DID I MARRY THIS GUY?! 

Me, a professional wine drinker. ;)

The picture I used for my gift, haha (I'm sure I posted this before but worth repeating, obvs.)

HILARY VISIT, EEEE! We picked her and Zach up from the airport and 10pm on Friday and they spent the night. It was... just the best. :)

Some of my recent make-up acquisitions thanks to my bonus gift card and HILARY BEING AN ANGEL. 

Making dinner for Hilary, Zach + Betsy and James who came to pick them up!

Very artistic, obvs.

Why document buttered bread? WHY NOT.

Our gingerbread hoose! I had a wild hair to pick one up on the way to the airport, considering the last time we made a gingerbread train was 10 freaking years ago, what the heck. :)

Lobster mac n' cheese, cauliflower and toasty breads!

I like this one because James looks annoyed at me taking all the pictures, haha.

The honestly reminds me of a Renaissance painting, hahaha.

Getting ready for Debbie and Aaron's party after the Collins Crew left... whew!

ASHLEE WAS HERE.

Not pictured:

- Shopping for my own Christmas gifts this year (jammie upgrades and gorgeous green coat, thanks to Hilary's suggestion, all from J. Crew) because some Christmases you just have to make things easy and exciting and that's ok. 

- Going to see The Shape of Water on a TUESDAY, WHAT IS (kid-free) LIFE

- Watching Broad City, Tiffany Haddish and Michelle Wolfe with Hilary while we lounge and make our gingie-bread hoose :)

- In a true 2017 role-refersal... all the boys (Zach, Richard and James) in the kitchen with R cooking while the ladies (me, Hilary and Betsy) watch "I Will Never Be Your Woman" in the living room, teehee

- Learning I need to plan ahead on what I would like to do when the kids aren't here for more than a weekend because changes like that are weird!

And after the cut is a million more pictures of Hilary and I because I never get to see her or be in pictures with her and we looked adorable in all of them so I WANNA KEEP THEM FOREVER. :)