Spent the evening with the Gardners – we get together every so often to play games and eat together. We had a ton of glass-bottled beverages between the two families… and Jason couldn’t help himself. We were slap-happy by the time he got to writing out sheet music for us, so we had a blast.

First, the official band photo (yes, that’s a crown on my head – Autumn insisted I wear it, even after she took off her princess duds):

Woodruff Place Baptist Church Jug Band

Then, watch the video on Facebook. (You’ll probably need to be my friend.)

It’s the two-year anniversary of the Lebowski Podcast!� Read this press release, then watch The Big Lebowski and subscribe to the podcast.� You won’t regret it.� =)

Friends Chalupa and Liz have achieved something spectacular here, folks.� They’ve taken their love of film and talking about film and done something truly amazing.� They’ve gone from chatting with schoolmates in a small living room to recording an “internationally-known” internet broadcast reaching thousands.

This podcast is intelligent and entertaining.� While it’s, at it’s very simplest, a group of people talking about a movie, it’s also an interesting, well-planned, and thought-provoking series of discussions and interviews covering many topics: feminism, religion, philosophy, film, current events… The list goes on.

So, here’s a shout-out to Ben and Liz – well done, kids.� Keep it coming!

Signed,
A Fan Since the First Episode

…who missed Leah tonight?

James, Bethany, David, and I, of course!

Me and my D out with friends.

This is one of my favorite things about city life – there’s always somewhere to go. We all have “places” – there’s a “place” for this group of friends, and a “place” for that group – because humans like patterns, familiarity. But there’s always something new to try. I really enjoy the variety and the ability to discover something new any time we’re out. Life is so much less interesting in small towns. =)

My favorite 2-year-old. �Ever, except for Leah. That is, when she was 2.

Ahem. Anyway, I love this face – I said, “Smile, Autumn!” – and this was what she gave me.

Happy new year! I think there might not be a much better way to spend New Year’s Eve than with family (especially church family) and friends. We went to two parties this year, and got to spend time with a bonus friend – Evelyn!

Meet Evelyn, Bethany’s cousin; she’s�vogue-ing with Bethany and me:

New Year’s is my birthday (I’m 28 this year). �I always forget because it’s so quiet after New Year’s Eve. �So I’m always surprised when I get tons of phone calls from family and friends – especially when, like this year, I’m working or busy instead of staying home like most folks. �It’s nice that my loved ones remember – even when I don’t – that this isn’t just another day. �It’s the one day in the year I don’t mind talking incessantly on the phone. �=)

There are always a million things I want to do with myself when a new year dawns – many resolutions I’ll never follow through on. (How about THAT grammar, Leah?) �This year, I decided to write out the list of things I’d like to do but will never accomplish, so you can all be as disappointed in me as I will be in myself. �=) �Here’s what I’m not going to resolve to do, but will nonetheless eagerly attempt (at least for the next few days):

• Stop biting my nails. �(FYI: I’ve been resolving�on�and failing this since I was 10.)
• Lose weight. �(Again, every year, I say “THIS is the year.”)
• Exercise. �(Directly related to the above, and the main reason I never acheive that goal.)
• Spend regular and significant time with my sisters. �(We’ve drifted as we’ve been far apart geographically.)
• Read my Bible every day. �(That’s EVERY day. �No sick or tired or no-time days.)
• Take more pictures, and more meaningful pictures, with my awesome camera.
• Do something with my pictures – scrapbook, post, frame and hang, etc.
• Keep my house clean – not just clean, but Lorene Woodrum clean.
• Keep a plant alive for a full year. �(I keep a dead-for-three-years poinsettia around to remind me not to attempt this.)
• Think less about myself and more about the people around me – that means being a better wife, a better daughter, a better sister, a better friend.
• Keep in touch better with people I love (to the tune of at least�emailing, if not sending cards and real letters).
• Remember and acknowledge birthdays.
• Start learning to play the flute and the guitar. �(I have both – I just need to actually learn to play.)

Sarah was my friend in high school – she was a year ahead of my in school, and did things like field band and color guard with me. I was there for her 16th birthday party, just before things got really bad for her. I haven’t kept in touch, but I’m glad to see how well she’s doing. Read this article!

Here are some random (and I’m not kidding when I say random) photos from the few days it’s been since I blogged. (sorry, no fun stories this time)

David got a few things done around the house. He fixed the trash can. It’s one of those with a pedal, and the pedal hasn’t been lifting the lid. It’s been like this for a month or so, and I was STILL stepping on that pedal. He finally fixed it for me and it works like a dream. Yeah, coat hangers and electrical tape:

He also mowed. It was time:

We’re trying to teach Jake to fetch (consistently). He’s got the idea – we throw, he retrieves – but he gets tired of it after two throws. On the third, he settles down to chew whatever it is we’ve thrown:

We went to Elayne’s second wedding (to the same guy). They were married quickly and rather privately in March because his visa was expiring and he didn’t want to leave her to go back to Colombia. They had their [already planned] and big wedding this past weekend. Elayne and her dad:

On the way home, the clouds were crazy interesting:

And… the ongoing saga of the bathrooms. So, here’s what the paint looked like when we moved in (it’s HORRIBLE):

And here’s David mixing paint just before we painted the room a solid, non-barf-inducing color: