Hayley Year-in-Review

We're continuing our unintentional tradition of creating a digital year-in-review holiday card rather than sending a printed card to everyone on our address list.

Maybe one day we'll get better about doing that. 

Probably not.

Best wishes to you and yours in the 2016!

Gentle Jasper Joins the Family

Be careful when you answer truthfully. It may lead to unexpected results.

For example, when we applied to adopt Oliver, the application asked us what type of cat we were looking for. We answered "A Blue Russian or a Siamese, male with a great personality." So when we went to meet Oliver (and take him home), his foster mom brought along Oliver's foster brother - an adorable male Siamese.

He was getting over a respiratory infection, so she wasn't ready for him to be adopted. And we were only wanting to adopt one kitten.

But he was SO CUTE.

It took about one day for us to regret not taking him home. I called her the next day and asked her if we could adopt him, too. 

And that's how sweet, adorable, cute-as-can-be Jasper came to live with us.

He's SO CUTE. 

I mean...that face.

Everyone who sees him says that they want to eat him. Common phrases that Jasper hears are "You are so sweet!" and "I could eat that ear!" and "I want to bake him in a cake!" and "I could make a muffin from him!" and "That face!"

We understand. We tell him that, too. In fact, his nickname is Muffin, because we'd love to bake him in a muffin and eat him.

He's lucky we don't when he's naughty and tries to steal food while I'm eating it. 

Or get in the way while I'm trying to cook.

Or get in the way when I'm trying to clean (dishes and the litterbox!).

Or attacks his dad's shoes when he's trying to tie them.

Or goes crazy and plays on, over, under and around the furniture (within a 10 second span).

But he and Oliver love each other.

And honestly, despite the naughtiness at times, he has the sweetest, most gentle personality. He's our love muffin.

Welcome to the family, Jasper. We needed you.

Fall Back Friday To That Wedding from One Month and Three Days Ago

The baby sister got married last month. Now all of the Alloway girls are Alloway-middle-named girls and have a guy to drag along to family events.

Good times.

Speaking of good times...as the oldest sister I was both matron of honor and the official whatever-sister-needs-you-to-do jack of all trades.

Tami asked me to make signs:

Lots and lots of signs:

And just when I thought I was done...more signs:

And the wedding toast.

And keep track of the groom's wedding band. This was surprisingly more challenging than I expected it to be (no worries, Tami - Josh got it when it was necessary, right?).

I was also an official bridal party squad member. Since the ceremony was at a country venue, the squad had plenty of gnat-fighting, careful insect repellent application and one tense moment of swatting at a mud dauber that hitched a ride down the aisle on the back of the wedding dress. Some bugs don't know how to give a bride her moment.

But the bride was lovely.

And so was the ceremony.

And so was the reception. You can not go wrong with lots of fairy lights.

And CAKE. Made my the same person who made my wedding cake because she's the best and our families have known each other for literal-ever. (She and my mom worked together before I was born.)

We successfully made my mom cry at least once.

And Tami successfully made my dad dance with her. (Well done!)

Somehow I managed to get the garter installed correctly while the rest of the world went on without a care in the world.

I taught my nephew how to slow dance. He's all ready for his First Real School Dance now. You're welcome, middlest sister.

The selfie queen niece and I scored an updated pic.

I hung out with my lovely bestie friend, Stacie.

And caught up with my Kenyan brother, Njari, whom I don't see nearly often enough.

Then we wished the newlyweds a happily ever after with the best Alloway family tradition - sparklers lit using blow torches. 

Good times, indeed - even though Kelly and best friend John hit a big-as-a-bobcat (not an exaggeration) raccoon later that night while heading to Texas for a marathon and ended up 1) Waking the wives at 1:30 am to let them know that the car was broken down on the side of the road, 2) Waking the Texas mother at 1:45 am to ask her for a ride - and she promptly hopped in the car and drove an hour in the wrong direction to get them (hey...it was 1:45 am!) and 3) Running a decent race time despite the lack of sleep.

And that just made it an even more memorable weekend.

Book Making

A couple of years ago, my grandmother gave me a digital copy of a book she'd worked on for a number of years, tracing her family history.

Yet this was no dry genealogy book nor was it a series of mere stories. For years, Grandma and Grandpa had painstakingly researched our family roots. She then crafted those findings into a very enjoyable narrative.

When she handed the files to me, she said "Do what you want with this."

What I wanted to do was to do her writing justice.

So I worked with an online book publisher to print her work as a hardbound book, complete with a custom dust jacket. My baby sister, holder of a majority of the family photos, did some sleuthing and scanning for me to pick the right images.

I've had the book complete for some time, but waited until Christmas to give it to her.

I hope she loves it as much as I loved making it for her. My part of the project was so much smaller than the work she put into writing it.

We Have Two

When our niece was here for her summer visit, she accompanied me on several errands around town.

(After all, the aunt needed to take advantage of mid-week shopping opportunities!)

One of those stops was at the pet store to stock up while food and litter were on sale. At the register, the clerk handed us a sample package of a gourmet cat treat - the sort of thing Ben and Bridget dream about but will never get.

Our niece looked at the treat package, then looked at the clerk and said:

But we have two cats.

Needless to say, Ben and Bridget think A is the best niece ever.

Best Surprise Gift EVER

There was a package waiting in the mailbox when I got home last night.

After I ripped off the outside, I found a little gift card:

What was in the package you wonder?

Only the BEST SURPRISE GIFT EVER.

Ever.

EVER.

(And proof that my dad reads my blog and has a great sense of humor.)

In case you're wondering, both Kelly and I can attest that the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Smiling Smart Phone does in fact make you laugh (loudly) and smile (a lot).

Kelly hopes that it helps me learn not to drop my actual iPhone as well.

Staycation Time

So our niece, A, came to stay with us for a week - her first-ever flight, her first-ever long week away from family, her first-ever time to stay alone with us.

Good times.

Really - it was good times. We only had one bout of homesickness, no preteen meltdowns and a remarkably sunny attitude from both niece and aunt despite incredibly hot and humid weather.

We did all sorts of things around town, like get photobombed by a giraffe at the Dallas Zoo:

Ordered our own customized-pizzas:

Played around with new hairstyles:

Rode the trolley:

Got a 500-foot view of the city (that one was a little scary):

Got pedicures (and manicures!):

Helped Papa Holiday feed the catfish:

Got a princess-for-a-day makeover:

Had nail art done - twice!

And went swimming - lots and lots of swimming.

But my favorite part of A's trip happened this week - long after she'd returned home.

She sent me an IM, saying:

I hope you will be as fun as you were this time next time.

I hope so too, sweetheart.