You Can't Top That

Warning: This blog contains episodes of ceramic frontal nudity!

This is the star on the top of our tree. Pretty run-of-the-mill considering that we have a parrot, a cactus, and a shamrock on our tree. You were probably expecting something a little bit more, I don't know, interesting from us.


Especially considering where we come from. This is the fantastic star on top of the Sitter family tree. I, for one, like the wire. It's very nice. It seems there's been some confusion as to who made it and why it holds such a sacred place on top of the tree. At any rate, it's still less racy than what I grew up with.


There is no star on the top of this tree. There has been a naked redhead on the top of the Henneman (my mother's side of the family...surprise, surprise) tree for as long as I can remember. This picture doesn't do her justice (or, if I had one that did, I'd suddenly find myself rated X). She's a stunner.



As I've told Ryan, if silliness is genetic, our kids are doomed. We've got it coming from all sides!

Chef Ryan and the Panini Press

By the time Ryan and I actually get married, I think we'll have one of the best equipped residential kitchens in the world. I had a head start on my own, but we're racking up the fabulous kitchen tools left and right.


We got a lot of help this Christmas. Here we have the first non-quesadilla product from our new panini press. You'll notice that Ryan couldn't wait 30 seconds for me to grab the camera before he took a bite.


Chef Ryan, always equipped with a glass of wine, wields his silicone pastry brush with his usual manly flair. He's smiling because you don't know what the secret ingredient is.



Another beautiful team effort...broiled chicken, bacon, cheddar jack cheese and tomato...this time without the bite! Ryan made this one, but made me cut it diagonally. Bellissima!

Boys Will Be Boys

Ahhh. The Sitter men. There's something sweet about how they have to see who can beat each other the hardest when they hug. Brotherly love at its finest.


A proud moment for Sue, I'm sure. Who knew that Grandma Sitter's gifts for the girls in the family would be so well received by the other half of each couple (the half with much less hair to dry)? Or that Ryan looks so hot in pink?


Three generations of Sitter men. I can only hope that Ryan will look as good as Santa Gil 40 years from now.

Thinking Outside the Box

Ryan is spoiled rotten.

Anyone who knows us or reads me is already aware of this. What you might not realize is how spoiled I am.

This Christmas is a perfect example. In addition to stunning sapphire jewelry that goes very nicely with another famous sapphire ring and gorgeous, hand-turned, hardwood crochet hooks (coming soon to a Whichcraft near you) I also got a beautiful handmade jewelry box (a collaborative effort from the better part of the family). Ignore me in this picture and just look at how pretty the box is.


It's not finished yet, but it's already amazing. Mahogany, rosewood, walnut...and gorgeous.


I never realized how special it is to get something handmade, because I'm usually the one doing the making. It feels pretty great to give someone you love something you made especially for them. I guess now I know how awesome it is to get something that someone who loves you made with their own hands.


Not to mention it's a HUGE step up from the Fossil watch tin that my jewelry is currently in. Ryan has made a little fun of that.

Gracie is Distraught

Gracie misses Ryan soooo much that she hardly knows what to do with herself.

The weather's been bad enough that without her trusty co-pilot she hasn't been able to fly. So she's hanging out in the bathroom sink, waiting for his return!

Ryan is a Bad Liar

I realized the other day that now you all know how we met, but most of you don't know the story of how Ryan actually popped the question. It's hard to make something you've been discussing for a couple of weeks much of a surprise, but he managed it somehow.

I found the ring during one of my occasional searches for antique jewelry. I never buy anything, but I love antiques, especially jewelry. I saw the ring and it stopped me dead in my tracks. We'd been talking about this for awhile. Ryan was trying to get a feel for what I liked. I showed him the ring, mentioning that while he obviously didn't have to get it, it was the sort of thing I could see myself wearing for the next 70 years or so.

He ended up getting it, but you knew that already.

Since there was no one around to pick it up, it was being held at the post office. The post office in Fairview closes at five. It was about a quarter to five and Ryan was at Union Station. I got a text shortly after that saying he didn't make it (I still have the text, because I'm a girl and we're allowed to keep things like that). I wondered about this...Did he text me because he knew he couldn't lie convincingly? I'd had kind of a crappy day. It was the first day back to school for teachers and I was tired. I didn't really feel good and now I was trying really hard not to be disappointed.

When Ryan got to my house, he did a great job of convincing me he really hadn't gotten there (I'll have to get him to tell the harrowing tale of how that actually happened) and was obviously trying to cheer me up. We decided to go to the yacht club for dinner. He made a big deal about sitting out on the deck, but he usually does so I didn't think much of it. We had dinner, it was gorgeous, the sun was setting over the lake.

We ordered chocolate cake for dessert. No matter how hard he tries to convince you otherwise, know that Ryan LOVES chocolate cake. We shared a slice on our first date, too. He was denying how much he loves chocolate cake when I told him what a bad liar he was.

And he smirked.

That's the only word for what he did. I knew then that something was up. He reached behind him and pulled out a pretty red box (which is in the hutch...because I'm a girl and we're allowed to keep things like that, too) that had been tucked into the back of his shirt because the box was too big for his pocket and he was worried about losing the ring if he put it in his pocket loose. He got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him.

And I dropped a forkful of chocolate cake on my pants. Oh, and I said yes.

But you knew that already.

Oh, Chistmas Tree

For those of you who don't read my crafty blog, but like to see Ryan drinking wine in a stocking cap...

On Black Friday (because we're crazy), we went to Lowe's and bought a Christmas tree. A fake, not pre-lit, "Grenada pine," made in China, fabulous, wonderful tree. I haven't put a tree up for the last couple of years because the cats try to climb them. I haven't been excited about Christmas for a couple of years now. I'm excited about this Christmas.


While we assembled said tree, we had a bit of an audience. They think we're stupid. They know that trees belong outside.



Here's Ryan posing in front of his "job well done." Nobody fluffs fake pine branches like my man. The funny part of this picture is the hat. It really is that cold in my house!


Ginger helps out by making sure that the tree smells good and tastes right. She gave it the thumbs up (even though she doesn't have any) and we proceeded to decorate.



The finished product...It's been up for a day and the girls have only knocked four ornaments off and tried to eat a couple branches. Let's just say we're waiting to put up any of the really breakable ornaments. Those of you who decorate your trees with distinct and uniform color schemes should probably not look too closely at the tree. You might have some kind of seizure. I'd feel bad about that.

Gracie is Angry

Since Ryan is allergic to cats, I shut the door to keep them off the bed when he's home. The girls are used to having the run of the house and they get a little testy about this.

Gracie gets especially angry. She lies in wait on top of the bookshelf in the morning. She also creates elaborate lies about big ferocious doggies trying to eat her or being boiled in oil (you have to speak cat to understand all of this...Ryan usually translates). She coordinates attacks with the other cats. They are usually swarming around the door, waiting to attack in the morning.

They miss Ryan, too.

Sunday Stroll

I was bored on Sunday so I took a stroll by...



BUM BUM BAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

THE SECRET NUCLEAR BUNKER. Shhh!!!!!

I should say the infamous SECRET NUCLEAR BUNKER, revealed to the American public for the first time by Lynnsey's blockbuster expose blog during the summer of 2007. Notice the cunning and guile employed by the British in locating their Secret Nuclear Bunker in a Leisure Complex where no Commi Pinko would dare tread, nor Bolshevik think to sniff er...eh nor illiterate Soviet spy could locate on an Ordanance Survey map. Simply bloody BRILLIANT! That's why the sun never set on the British Empire and the US never closed its English air bases ;-)

I love this country!!!

Craftiness

I'm putting the crafty stuff in it's place! Don't worry! I'll still be here. I have too much time on my hands and there's nothing good on TV.

For those of you who like the crafty stuff...go here. Whichcraft Get frequent updates on how I spend my time when I should be grading things and doing homework!