Christmas 2009

I have a big family and it just keeps on getting bigger and bigger each year!  Our Christmas family tradition has almost always been to make it to my maternal Grandparent's house somehow.  Even when we lived overseas we would 95% of the time make it to San Antonio for the holidays.  Santa sure had a wonderful way of tracking us, because he always make it to the right house.  Christmas this year felt and was really big. Big in food, family and fun!  All of my mom's brothers and sisters and all of my cousins were able to make it the my Mama and Popo's house, even my in-laws-to-be were there! YAY! The only family missing was my brother's family, who spent their holidays in Chicago this year. 

Christmas Eve was spent making tamales for most of the day.  It was so much fun, this was the first time in about 10 years I have been part of a Tamalada, and the first time ever my mom's side of the family made tamales.

Contreras Tamalada 2009!

Teamwork!!!

Some of our finished products.

 We had a really good time, and a bunch of family came to help out.  I think over all we made about 20 dozen tamales.  Once we left the day after Christmas, there were 3 dozen left!!!   After the tamale making, we hung out with family, played games and played outside.

Dave, Sarah and I "hanging out" outside on Christmas Eve.

Sarah and Dave playing Just Dance on Wii.

Mom & Sarah dancing.  Mom was a pro after awhile even though Sarah has professional training. 

Dad, Adan and Dave during our Battle of the Sexes game.

The men's team, aka The Dream Team during Battle of the Sexes.

My cousin, Kinnidi Marie, trying to play Wii, too!

Sarah trying her first tamale, ever. She needs to get out more.

We (my immediate family) also opened most of our gifts that we were giving to one another, which is sort of a tradition in our family. This tradition really throws Dave off because growing up he wasn't able to/didn't want to open a single gift before Christmas morning.  He has been a sport though!  My dad and I are also the WORST secret keepers when it comes to gifts, so it's better to open them early before we ruin the surprise.  OH! And we danced & dance!  My mom bought Sarah a new Wii game called Just Dance, and it was so much fun (that what those two pictures above of Mom, Sarah & Dave looking like crazy people).  We must have danced for a couple of hours, so much so that I was sore the next day.   I loved it.

Christmas Day was wonderful! Aside from getting a flat tire on the Jeep, everything went off without a hitch. Dave and I started out our day with a little jog and then we all went to visit my paternal Grandparents.  We were not able to make it to my other side of the family's Christmas, unfortunately, because there was just so much going on.   Dave's Mom & Dad joined us at my Mama & Popo's house.  I loved that we were still able to spend Christmas day with the Copelands, and with my parents as well.  There was a gift exchange, a white elephant game, Just Dance on the Wii, lots and lots of eating, and talking.  

Annette, Dave, Reese and I on Christmas Day in San Antonio

Dave, Dad, Mom, Sarah & I on Christmas day at Mama & Popo's house.

Our traditional Left-Right White Elephant type game.  Our family circle has really gotten bigger.

My little family.  We were trying out Popo's Christmas gift.

The only ones left in the Jimenez household. Haha.

My niece, Ava, in her Christmas outfit in Chicago.  Precious baby!

Christmas always comes and goes way too fast, but I was excited about how everything turned out.  We really had a great time.   Christmas night, Dave and I spent at Mama and Popo's one more night because we needed to get the flat tire fixed.  We finally found a shop right by the house that wouldn't charge an arm and a leg to plug 3 holes.  We then spent the rest of the day running wedding related errands with my Grandma, Sarah and Mom.  Mom finally bought her wedding dress!!!!  I was sweating it!  She kept saying, "oh, I'll find something, don't worry"....but we were just 14 days away and she still did not have a dress. Luckily, the 3rd dress she tried on was perfect! 

We finally got back to our house Saturday evening, and spent the rest of our weekend literally doing nothing other than house chores, and catching up on our Netflix movies.  We did pick up some firelogs and had a nice fire going almost all day on Sunday. 

Ohhh, our fireplac ablaze!

Thor also enjoying the fire.

Next up, Christmas with the Copelands!  Jeani, Mike and Reese come into town on January 1st and we will be having a Christmas meal at Annette & Reese's home.  I'm beyond excited about finally getting to meet Dave's brother and sister in law, and especially his nephew!  They have been living overseas and have  been able to come to the states and spend Christmas with Jeani's family and be here for the wedding, as well. 

Then following the New Year...dumdumdum, the WEDDING.  Whew.  I get knots in my tummy everytime I realize it really is just around the corner.  Not because I am nervous in anyway to get married, or anything like that.  It's more about the realization that there is so much to be done before the wedding.  I know deep down that everything will work out as it is meant to, but I love being prepared.  It's my A-type personality.  I was told by multiple family members over Christmas to just relax and it will all work out.  To most people that may seem rude, to be told to relax.  I welcome it.  I sometimes just need the reminder to CHILL OUT. lol.

However, my favorite quote, the one I have tried to live by: 

"The will to succeed, means nothing without the will to prepare." - Juma Ikangaa

This quote has kept me going many times when I have wanted to quit.  Like studying during college and for my masters, when I was working as a waitress, when running my first marathon, or even now at work when I don't give an important project my 100% effort.   This quote has also helped me stay on my toes about this wedding jazz!  Plus, this quote allows me to rationalize for my neurotic tendancies. :)

Year in Retrospect

I'm writing this entry a little prematurely, but I have noticed that more and more friends and family members are sending out their Yearly Newsletters & Christmas cards, so I am in the spirit. This will be our last holiday season as an unmarried couple and in the midst of finishing up wedding related tasks, I will not be doing Christmas cards this year. Gasp! I am looking forward to being able to send cards and a Newsletter out next year as The Copelands, so I did not want to ruin the novelty of that.


I do not think that 2009 could have been a better year. I really feel as though I will look back at this year, and realize how pivotal it was in my life. Of course, this year has not been with out trials and tribulations. The economy has been dismal at best, but we are fortunate to live in Austin, one of the cities that has been least affected by the recession. Saying that, Dave and I started out the year, January 1st, 2009 at 12p.m. having to face the news that he was laid off from his position as a restaurant manager in Elgin, Texas. Wow, ouch....The layoff had been somewhat predicted by Dave, he knew it was coming, but wow, on the 1st, REALLY? The good news of that day was that I was off and we were able to spend it together. As a recent graduate from Texas State with his masters, Dave knew this was a position he had outgrown. It was a blessing in disguise to be pushed out of the door with a reasonable severance package. He now had all of the time in the world to find a new job. And he did. A wonderful job that has allowed him to sort of use his degree in Legal Studies. He is now working as an Engineering Specialist (he hates when I tell people his title because he says it's misleading) for the Railroad Commission of the State of Texas in the damage prevention division. Best part of this job? We work 1.5 miles away from one another in downtown Austin. It makes life convenient sometimes.

I began the year of 2009 very determined. I would graduate this semester. I was 3 credits away from completing my Masters of Liberal Arts degree in Legal Studies. All I had left to completely was my Applied Research Paper...this was the largest academic obstacle I have ever had to overcome. First of all, I'm not a great writer, second, I don't enjoy writing, third, Dave had just graduated and I was dragging my feet finishing my own paper. So I wrote, and I wrote and I wrote. I turned in multiple drafts to my advisor, and I pulled multiple overnighters after ignoring my paper over the weekend and feeling guilty about it come Monday. I finished the paper in April 2009, sat in front of a review board challenging my paper in early May 2009, and walked the stage May 15, 5 days after Dave and I got engaged. I have been at my job as a paralegal for the entire year of 2009. Life as a paralegal in a boutique law firm has provided me a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice all the things I studied getting my masters.

We witnessed a best-friend get married, we ran our first 10K together, we had a couple of garage sales together, we moved into our first house together, we went through Dave's career change together, we went through two surgeries on our dogs together, we had countless family get togethers side by side, we made the decision to spend the rest of our lives with one another, we've planned a wedding...mostly together :o), we traveled together, we went deep-sea fishing together.

I look back at 2009 and realize how lucky I am to have Dave in my life. It's like we just fit together. I'm blessed that my family has really accepted him as one of their own, they all love him, and the feeling is mutual. I'm blessed that Dave's family has just as equally welcomed me with opened arms. I'm looking forward to meeting more of Dave's family in 2010 and at our wedding. I'm blessed that I went from having the best support team ever growing up, my mom and dad, to my future husband who has been just as supportive, if not even more, of everything I want to accomplish in this life. Life seems limitless when you have a cheerleading by your side. I look forward to growing our little family unit. I look forward to the challenges we face as a couple, and the opportunity we will have to make decisions together to reach each of our life goals. I look forward to leaning on Dave for support, and being there for him to lean on for support.

I don't usually have New Year's resolutions, other than the generic, "I will get in better shape and eat healthier."  I really try and do that year round. Key word: try.  However, over the next year there are things I would like to work on.  First of all, I would like to try and live in the moment more. I still want to plan ahead and I love daydreaming and talking about the future, but often, I overlook the awesome right now moments. The times when we are just together with people that we love, usually not doing anything special.

I want to try and relax more. I don't mean like sitting and watching T.V. kind of relaxing. I mean, not worrying about things that are out of my control. I resolve to be less fixated on things out of my control, especially if it's midnight on a Monday and what I'm fixated on isn't for weeks away. (If you know me, you understand this aspect of my personality.)

I want to get closer to God. I've drifted from where I use to be religiously and I want to get back. I'm lucky that even though Dave and I believe differently, we are accepting of each other's beliefs. I want to read the Bible more this year.

I would like to live more simply. I don't need a lot to be happy and sometimes I surround myself with things that are unnecessary. I'm not very materialistic for the most part, but while planning our wedding I've ousted myself to be fairly high-maintenance.

I want to complete our first half-marathon together!! We have been training for quite a few months, and it can get overwhelming at times, but we've given ourselves lots of time to get in shape. We are running on February 14, 2010, which is like icing on the cake. I'm looking forward to registering us for the race as Mr. & Mrs. Copeland.

Christmas is just around the corner, and then I feel like we will be non-stop until January 18th, 2010 when we return from our honeymoon. It's going to be a whirlwind and I can't wait!!! I'm going to try and start practicing living in the moment...once it all begins.  For now I'm still in major planning and scheduling mode!

Wedding HoopLa

Thanksgiving was wonderful! This is the first time ever that I did not spend the holiday with my family, but at the same time I did spend it with my family. My new family. It was a Copeland Thanksgiving, and it will be a Jimenez Christmas, with the Copelands as well, in San Antonio. I know that sharing the holidays is important, I just wished that Thanksgiving & Christmas were two days each so Dave and I could see everyone. Then I also realize that we are very fortunate to live so close to both of our sides of the family!


We weren't going to decorate for Christmas this year, at least that was what I had kinda submitted to. Every additional ounce of our budget has gone towards wedding expense, and with Dave’s new job transition his regular paychecks won't take effect until Jan 1. Needless to say, our budget has been very tight for November and December. That is okay though, we are rich in many more ways than money. Health, family, God, employment, love, each other, roof over our head.

Low and behold though, Dave got an itch to get our Christmas decorations out! He got the tree down from the attic last night, and I pulled out what little decorations we do have and plan on finishing that up tonight, and then picking up a few little things that strikes up my fancy this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend.... it’s going to be very busy for me! Bridal portraits on Saturday and Bridal Shower on Sunday! Wooohooo, and I have to drive to San Antonio both days, so that is the part I'm not looking forward to. My veil is in San Antonio and I need it for my portraits in Austin on Saturday, and then my Shower is in San Antonio Sunday afternoon. So lots of running around and lots of business to take care of! On top of that, I still have not found what I want to wear to my bridal shower...so some shopping must also occur tonight! Oh, and we bought my wedding jewelry tonight. LOVELY. Love it. It is a sapphire pendant earring and necklace set. It matches the dominant wedding color perfectly...& it is also my something blue!!! Something old = mom's veil, something new = wedding dress, something borrowed = ?, something blue = wedding jewelry.

Everything really seems to be falling into place.  We really need to do our Christmas shopping for our families, niece & nephew and wrapping gifts, ect.  I'm pretty sure I know what I would like to get Dave, but he knows what that is already so I still want to find something to surprise him with.

It is suppose to snow today here in Austin....but we all know how that goes!