Happy New Year

What a great year 2008 was. There was lots of laughing, crying, singing, dancing, loving and more! 2009 can only get better. Nothing is better then starting the year off with a vacation! As most of you might know, my birthday is on the 14th and this year at Disneyland, you can get into the park for free on your birthday. What's a better way to spend your birthday?!? So I'm heading to California with my hubby, two of my best friends (Steph and my sis Liz) and my other really good friend, Mark! Yes, there's 5 which is an odd number but we're odd people. We're going to drive and stop in Vegas to eat at one of my favorite restaurants then onto Anaheim. We're doing three days in Disneyland, one day in Universal then driving to San Diego and doing one day at the Zoo and one day at SeaWorld. What a fun birthday!!! I want to tell my friends thanks so much for coming on this trip with me and I hope I don't make you annoyed with my birthday.

I hope this year is full of more time with friends and family with more laughs and fun!!

A Christmas Carol

One goal that I made this year is I wanted to read Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." I have seen many different versions. There's Muppets Christmas Carol, Mickey's Christmas Carol, A Christmas Carol starting George C. Scott, Scrooge a musical version of it ("Thank you very much, Thank you very much, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me...") and many other versions on The Simpons, Sesame Street and other T.V. shows. I've also seen stage versions. Rodgers Memorial puts on a great production that I was able to see a couple of years ago. One of my favorite stage versions is the Hale Centre Theatre version. I must admit that the first time I ever saw it was when I was in it in 1998 (I think that was the year) (the first version at the new building). It was such a wonderful experience. You really feel the true spirit of Christmas. This year I was able to see the production as well. It was sooooo good. Mrs. Crachett and Tiny Tim stole my heart. They both did such a wonderful job! It was great to see two wonderful people play such amazing characters. Tiny Tim taken with my cell phone. Not great quality. It doesn't show how cute he really is.

Well, back to the beginning, I have seen all of these versions of A Christmas Carol but have never read it. So this year, I'm reading it. It's not long at all. Everything has been so hectic and busy that I haven't had time to finish it though. I'm just at the first spirit's visit. Even though I'm not very far into it, I can see why this book is so important. We get so caught up each year on getting presents for everyone and attending every Christmas party we can and getting in line to see Santa that we sometimes forget the real meaning of Christmas. Christ was born on the earth to show and share the love of our Heavenly Father to all mankind. Every day he did something to help someone else. He blessed, he loved, he taught, he sacraficed. The best way to show Christmas love is by following his wonderful and loving example. As Scrooges nephew said, "There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round - apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that - as good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of peole below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And, therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

May our Heather Father bless you and yours during this wonderful season throughout the year and the years to come. As Tiny Time says, "God Bless Us Everyone!"

My Boyfriend

No, I'm not talking about Hutch. :) heehee!! But I'm talking about my Hollywood crush. I think it's healthy for people to have a Hollywood crush. Mine is Vincent D'Onofrio.

Now please don't think less of me for the below story. I would like to preface this with he's not just my crush because I think he's good looking. He's an incredible actor and from what I've seen in interviews, he's very down to earth. I would love to someday have the opportunity to work with him either on TV or movies.

Well, he co-owns a rib restaurant called Rib City on about 9400 south and 2000 east. I will admit that I haven't been yet because of my busy schedule but everyone I've talked to said it's really good. His restaurant was doing something for charity so he was on radio talking about it. I've been listening to that station lately so I can listen to Christmas music. I heard him talking on the radio when I was getting on the freeway heading to work (for those of you who don't know, I work in the same building as the station) and I screamed "he's at my building!!!" So I hurried to work as fast as I can (stupid traffic). I hurried to my office unloaded my stuff, grabbed my friend Rebecca, made her grab her camera and we were off to stalk. I help manage the building so I have access to everywhere but I didn't want to abuse my privilege so I talked to the security guard and asked if he saw him leave out the front entrance. He hadn't. So I talked to a friend of mine from the station and he said he'd go and see if he was still in the studio. He wasn't. He had already left the building. Sad. He was going to be at his restaurant that afternoon signing autographs but I couldn't go because I only have an hour lunch break and it would take longer to get there and back. I was sad. One of my vendors, who has become a good friend of mine, knows that I adore Vincent D'Onofrio. He came into my office today and gave me a big envelope. I open it and what's inside...An 8x10 photo of Vincen D'Onofrio, AUTOGRAPHED WITH MY NAME ON IT TOO!! It says "To Candice" and it's spelled correctly!!! And then his autograph. I gasped and screamed and haven't stopped smiling. My vendor's mother works at the store next door and he got his mom to go to the restaurant, wait in line and get his autograph for me. Isn't that awesome!!! It really made my day!!! He really went above and beyound.

Un-Private

I noticed that when I went private, not very many people read my blog. And what's the point of a blog if your friends/family are not reading it to see what's going on. So we'll see how long this goes. I might change the names of people to be a bit more protective.

007 Yummy!

I just saw my first Daniel Craig movie. Yum!! Mind you, not my first James Bond movie, I've seen almost all of them. Love me some James Bond! I might have to admit that I think Daniel Craig might take Sean Connery's place as favorite James Bond. I loved Casino Royale! I can't believe it has taken me so long to see it! Now I can't wait to see Quantum, more Daniel Craig!

Congrats Tif!!!

I would like to congratulate my wonderful sister-in-law Tifany. She got engaged last night to Yannick Mulumba in Boston. Hutch and I are both very happy for you and excited that you found such a wonderful guy.
They will be getting married next year, probably near the end of the summer.

What Happened To November?

I noticed that I didn't blog much in November. It's not that nothing happened, I just didn't blog. I also have pictures I wanted to put in my blog that are still on my camera.

Let's see what happened in November...(pictures to follow later):

Got new carpet in the front room and hallway. Yeah!!! It really made the house feel more like a home. It's so soft and pretty.

Into the Woods closed. ITW was such a fun show! I learned so much from everyone in the show. And the cast was sooooo frackin talented. I think I could do that show a lot longer if I didn't have a full time job during the day. But I don't miss the wig and heavy costume. :) heehee!!

I had Scrap-o-paluza over the weekend. Stephanie and I get together to scrap book all Thanksgiving weekend. This year was fun. I wish we were able to spend more time together but my show made it fun. We also didn't scrapbook at all this weekend.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We went to Hutch's sister's house for dinner. It was all of Hutch's siblings (exept one) and their families. Aunt Becky, Uncle Vondell and Hutch's cousins, Ashley and Chelsea. There were others too but what's the point in naming everyone when you most likely don't know all of them. Their family tradition is to play bingo. Everyone brings two white elephant gifts and those are the prizes. We have some really creative people in our family. I do have to say that I love and adore my sister-in-law Kelly. I can't really share what happened that increased my love for Kelly but she's awesome! I also love that she welcomed me to the family the first day I met her. She's awesome!

I also got my new laptop! Yeah!! I'm writing this post from my new laptop.

So not too much happened in November but I'm also sick and can't think clearly so maybe more happened then what I have listed. :) heehee!!