Auld Lang Syne

My, my, my...the bloggers that I follow have been a busy bunch these past couple of days. When I took a few days off for Christmas, I came back to see that I only had one post each, if that, to catch up on. I awaken from a Nyquil coma on New Year's Day to find that everyone has been writing, writing, writing! Sheesh! Shouldn't you all be parked at Sonic, ordering double bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate milkshakes and taking 5-hour siestas to make up for the alcohol-persuaded nap of last night? Apparently the draw of packages wrapped in shiny bows are more alluring than blenders of limencello martinis and games of Bandu. So, I shall take a break from your blogging prose (which has kept me from accomplishing anything except a short jaunt to the gym and a lunch of leftover pizza) to give my own summation of the year we just kissed off. And YES, oh faithful ones, Coach is included. Whoah, you all are whores for Coach..but I love it! So without further ado...2009: A Year in Pictures...

This is how January kicked off. It looks like fun...but that's about 2 inches of ice under 2 inches of snow. Cue falling girl in impractical shoes, spinning tires in impractical car, and the sound of cracking...from above. I'll pass, thankyouverymuch.

February: NEAL CAME HOME!! For having the least amount of days, it was the best month all year! And yes, Mommy Dearest actually put this picture of us at the airport on the cake. The picture was taken the day he flew out of Bluegrass Country, headed for Camp Atter-ice for training. The Kentucky Girl in me thinks this cake was a groovy act of celebration...the Chicago girl in me thinks all we needed to complete the look was a double-wide on concrete blocks with a statue of the Virgin Mary in a 1/2 bathtub in the front yard.

March: We attended the Army Chaplains' Strong Bonds retreat for returning soldiers and their spouses. And lucky us! It was held in Hilton Head! So, although it was a whirlwind trip, we did take a couple of hours to hit our favorite spots: Harbour Town, Guiseppe's Pizza and of course Camp Hilton Head. Sidenote: the mysterious disappearance of John and Elizabeth Calvert, owners of the Harbour Town Yacht Basin, and the even more mysterious "suicide" of their accountant rocked the community. The couple was never found but their boat remains moored at Harbour Town, directly behind Neal, actually. And yes, I'm totally a Kardashian.

Oh Keeneland Spring Meet...how we love thee! What a *won*derful way to spend a crisp April day!

Auntie retired in May and we catered...er...caddied...her party. We will caddy any party, as long as an open bar and free food are included. Neal reserves the right to wear a different pair of the 10 plaid pajama bottoms that he owns, though. And yes, both hats are mine. But my shoes are his. We're practically the same person.

This is the only picture I have from my June trip to my sister's in the Sunshine State that does not have the family in it. To protect the identity of Queenie Jeanine (not to be confused with Queenie Jeannie who is not my blood sister, but I deem to be one from another mother anyway) I will post only this. (Although I'm sure none of you are stalkers...but I've seen Dateline...and 20/20..and To Catch a Predator).

Destin in July. No margaritas, only morning sickness. But I did have a great book and GREAT company. Three cheers to the women in my clan. We sure know how to vacation!

August? August was a blur of saltine crackers and ginger ale and crystallized dried ginger and Sprite and white bread. Lots and lots of white bread. Shep was not making life easy but we still managed to take this trip to Philly and Baltimore in early September. Happy 30th to me (yes, again, shut your piehole!) and Happy Anniversary to us. We are so hip...what better way to celebrate than touring every historic ship in the Inner Harbor, feasting at the Reading Terminal Market and getting an all-access pass to the Baltimore Orioles Stadium?? (Not in that order, of course, with the market being in Philly and the other 2 in Baltimore)...

We lost Nolan Shepherd on September 15th and so in October, we went to the Dedication to the Unborn Child, a memorial in my hometown cemetery. When it is completed, there will be a wall of bricks (yep, Shep will have his very own brick) to remember those we lost too soon. Every yin must have a yang so...
Back to Destin for Beach Vacation 09. Less Boost for breakfast, more wine for lunch.

And in the interest of anonymity, this is the only picture from Thanksgiving at Chez Miller that does not show my entire family, engrossed in Wii and slightly intoxicated on the grape. But we bowled and golfed and boxed and played tennis until we were all crippled the next day. Wii: it's not just for tweens anymore...but they do recover a lot faster.

And finally...the one you've all been waiting for...
A girl and her pink Coach fabulousness. And her leopard-print Snuggie. And her pink diamond-encrusted tshirt from Aeropostale. Those eyes are squeezed shut in genuine girl glee. No, it is not the pink patent leather goodness that Coach now offers, but a girl sometimes has to take what she can find at the Silver Sands Outlet (or, more accurately, what Mama Claus is willing to buy from said outlet mall). But it is pink and divine and almost makes me want to trade in all of my purse party D&G knockoffs. Almost.

So, that was a lot of work. And now the girls are walking across my laptop in a defiant act of hunger and there is shrimp to be cooked and mojitos to be drank because..hallelujah...it's only Friday! And I am NOT hungover like everyone else so the thought of alcohol does not repulse me. In fact, I am overdue for a frothy libation!
Happy 2010!
Ally