I thought I was going to play laser tag

I am going to have to break the usual format for the sake of the story.

Because when things are too good you just don't want to leave any out.

January 13 (that's Friday the 13th)

These are my parents and Andy's parents dining together in Richmond. Right before or after this photo was taken I had a conversation with my mom on my way home from work.

She was "eating a bowl of soup at home".

This is my hand after I: stared dumbfounded and confused (because I thought he was joking); finally said yes (because this time he wasn't); and laughed a lot (because I was so happy).

This is my mom (at the restaurant still) on the phone with me as I tell her the news.

This is in my dining room about 10 minutes after Andy and I popped a bottle of prosecco to celebrate. My reaction was "WHAT?!?!?", followed by many hugs and a few tears.

These are the flowers that arrived shortly thereafter. Because a ring and my parents aren't enough. Geeze Louise, this guy's good.

Here we are at dinner at one of our favorite restaurants with a lot of our favorite people.

Back at home after dinner, we let the celebration continue for a little while longer.

January 14

Wake up call is apparently at 4:30 am. Why, I have no idea (still don't really), but would like to chock it up to being too excited to sleep any more.

So Andy painted the sunroom floor and I made a cake.

Insert surprise barbecue lunch. No photos were taken and no barbecue was eaten (by me). There were surprise guests also. Like four of our buddies from college who drove down from Northern VA and Jeta, who came down from New York via North Carolina.

After lunch, we went surprise bowling. (These are the college dudes.)

This will be our league portrait if we ever need one.

Jeta broke 100, which was her goal!

We each chose a letter to stand under and replicate....

Back at the house, people were starting to arrive for a giant surprise potluck party.

Jeta and I decorated the cake I had made in the morning. (Later an L was added to make "Landydia".)

And then we hung out with lots of surprise friends and family.

Finally, the night was ending and I had to say good-bye to my parents.

January 15

After driving 2.5 hours, we arrive in Raleigh for this guys baptism. We made it barely in time.

Mimi, Matthew, and Mappy were there also.

The new little christian got his first Bible from Auntie Godmother Mimi.

When we got back to Tuc's house, Jeta had a dance party in the driveway to Outkast's "Roses".

After lounging for a bit and making a grocery store run, it was baby dinner time.

Tucker did double duty.

The kiddos went to bed and we played games with the giant straws that Jeta got at the grocery store. Like, Brad drank his whiskey from across the room.

And we drank our beers while holding them at belly-button height. (Please notice my t-shirt. It is a birthday gift from Jeta and Loni that I just received and I love it. There are glasses and sunglasses all over it.)

After we had a delicious dinner, we started to fall asleep.

January 16

The next morning (Monday) was baby time. Asher took off his clothes. Mappy and Asher shared. And Mappy (okay, her real name is Margaret Alice) sat with her mom.

On the drive back to Richmond, Andy and I got Chik Fil-A for breakfast because it wasn't Sunday. (Sorry you missed it, Del.) Don't judge. It was good.

A minute after we walked in the door, our friends Jeben and Lauren came by for a visit and we all took a walk around the botanical garden.

Then we took a nap, ate dinner and washed dishes from Saturday night's party,

and went to bed.

Holy cow that was one incredible weekend.

January 17

I wore this sweater today because it felt like what was happening inside me.

Then I got a flat tire on the way home from work and it didn't even ruin my day in the least bit.

The end.

I can't not say thank you to everyone who kept the best secret of my life a surprise and to everyone who celebrated with us.

From near and afar.

Much love is being felt and being sent out.

the week things were normal

January 7

Sam and Meg's

The 70 degree January day was nothing I was going to complain about. I'll take drinking outside any day.

January 8

Shell station

Sister and I purchased 31 lotto tickets to go in our thank-you cards for everyone who participated in making Mom's Christmas present possible. I really hope at least one person got a winner.

January 9

Kitchen table

I tested out the whoopie pie pan that Sister got me for Christmas. It made them giant and not exactly the right shape, but they tasted good! In the future I will use the pan as the "Reasonable-sized Cupcake Pan".

January 10

Carver's Living Room

Baxter, begging to be played with.

January 11

Office

The beginning of my biggest knitting project yet: a sweater for Andy. Two rows down, 10,000 (or something like that) to go!

January 12

WF Parking Lot

I can't resist a good moon. Especially after being indoors for the majority of the day.

2012, you're okay by me

December 31

Dining Room

Our New Year's Eve "Party" turned raucous when I got out the photo rod.

January 1

Belle Isle

A beautiful day started our new year so we spent some time outside, with friends, searching for driftwood.

January 2

Belle Isle

Again, what?! Yes, I did not have work so I went back to spend more time exploring and photo-ing by myself. I have more photos here and I like some of them also.

January 3

Kitchen

Z's tiny teeth. For the record, she likes to be held at an angle where her head is lower than her body.

January 4

Golf Course

NASA reports called for the Quadrantid meteor shower in the wee hours of the morning. We set out all our blankets and sleeping bags, hats, gloves, and coats and let the alarm wake us at 2:30. Our timing might have been off (we read mixed viewing reviews so had our best guess) and each saw one meteor. It was a clear, beautiful night though and I still had a good time because I was in my sleeping bag outside.

January 5

Office

Each year I put my change in my kitty bank and at the end, I roll it and put it in my savings. I am so getting rich.

January 6

Office

Green smoothie for dinner. I also had the last piece of carrot cake.

Happy Birthday Jesus. It's Holiday Time!

December 23

Living Room

We celebrated Christmas with Andy's family early, mostly to accommodate Andy's working on Christmas day, but also my out-of-town schedule. Elisabeth gave us lots of finger puppets!

December 24

Little Rock

Mom and Dad's Living Room

Our goofy faces match our goofy pajamas. (Note: I love Christmas Eve traditions.)

December 25

Mom and Dad's Living Room

I also love present reactions (2010, 2009), like this one from my mom. Why is she so excited? you ask. Because behind that cheap poster frame are 32 lottery tickets from 32 different states. The second picture is also a reaction, but this time to her first scratcher (and incidentally her first winner). A big $4 from New Jersey!

December 26

The Capital Bar and Grill

Roller drinking and eating in Little Rock. There really is nothing that compares to getting together with your oldest friends. (Let me explain the pole in the foreground. Early in the day, we celebrated Christmas with my dad's family and did a "Silly Santa" exchange. I think I was the lucky picker with this extendable pole that attaches to your camera so you can take the winningest self photos ever. In public. It's call the xshot for anyone who is interested. And you all should be.)

December 27

Memphis Airport

That's where I flew in and out of. And thank goodness for it because otherwise I never would have seen this Elvis mosaic. (Or had a great two-hour car ride with my cousin.)

December 28

Lewis Ginter

The best part of the Garden Fest of Lights was this tiny carrier pigeon and these bunnies that play soccer and skateboard.

December 29

Living Room

Z's Christmas present from my mom. A santa costume "for cat's only". That's what the package said. Thank you for clarifying.

December 30

Dining Room Table

The inaugural game on our new (and very beautiful) Scrabble board. Nobody say anything about the word that is not an acceptable Scrabble word. Andy's word, my fault for not challenging. For the record, I smoked him.

The entire Christmas is [click] here.