Hmmmmmmm........

ok. so my new years resolution is to blog more. lose weight. make this year even better than the next. take lots of pictures. and get ready for what's coming next in the raymond house.

so i'm starting fresh.

sorta.

to start fresh i've got to catch you all up.

well last time i blogged was right before thanksgiving. sooo we can start there.

thanksgiving was pretty cool. patrick's dad was down from washington and it was nice having his family around for the holiday's. his sister came and visited and that was awesome! i love having her around.

also in november we went down to scottsdale to visit patrick's other set of parents (long story).  it was great! i loved it down there. arizona is awesome! it totally reminded me of what it was like having barry and taffee around (parents). i miss them so much. we had some great game nights.

next came december.

that came with a bang. on december 2 i had surgery. i HAD a pilonidal cyst (it's gone now). if you really wanna know what that is google it. anyway, it was miserable. absolutely miserable. patrick was so awesome. he waited on me hand and foot. seriously he was amazing, but it didn't stop the discomfort and pain. well, it's feeling better now. slowly but surely it's healing. it took 1 week to sit and 4 weeks to sleep on my back. yuck.

well christmas came next and it was awesome! so relaxing. so peaceful. so wonderful. we opened gifts. we ate. we hung out. we played games. we tried to get food christmas night and absolutely nothing was open. good for the employes but bad for the francos. patrick got a macbook and he loves it. he got more cool things but that was the main gift. i got my new bedding and glee! seriously. i got the glee season 1 volume 1 and watched it all by new years. even though i had already seen all them it as nicer to have a refresher. :)

new years eve was crazy! that's all i'm gonna say about that.

patrick actually started school. i know. awesome. we're really excited. he's doing really well and is doing awesome. he's not 100% sure what he wants to major in but he's seriously leaning toward marketing. a marketing degree and his cosmetology license might be a good combination. right now we're just focusing on his generals.

i got promoted. it's awesome. i have only been at my job for 5 months or so and to get promoted this quick is big. i'm not one to brag but it's nice tooting my horn every once in awhile.  i love my job and i haven't been able to say that for a long time. i move into my new office on friday and i'm so so excited.

i also got "promoted" at church. i was in the nursery for the last year and now i teach the sunbeams. i basically just moved up with my class. well half the class at least. i got the youngest 6 kids which just so happens to be all girls. crazy. i've never seen so many 3 year old girls just wanna chit chat that whole time.

if i think of anything else, i'll let you know. :)  pictures will come also.

oh yeah. GO VIKINGS!

Christmas was...

GREAT! But doesn't everyone say that. Well, It was for us. It probably was the smoothest Christmas we've had so far, ever, in our career of being together. We got up opened the "us" gifts and stocking stuffers. Then we loaded up the car and went down to Patrick's mom house. There we had some breakfast and opened the Raymond-Becker gifts. After that we headed up to the Franco Residence and opened gifts with my family. After a bit of relaxing, we headed up to Grandma's house (my mom's mom) and opened gifts with all those peeps. We left there pretty quick and went home. Home Sweet Home. It was awesome!

We both got a whole lot of gifts even though we probably spent the least this christmas. There just really wasn't that big gift we both wanted so we got a lot of littler things. I got a curling iron (I needed one), lots of games, a great book called A Train to Potevka, an iPod speaker-dock thingy (amazing!), pearl earrings/necklace/bracelet set, a scentsy warmer, a nice chunk of money for curtains (finally) and a bunch more that I can't remember right now. Patrick got lots of tools, an Iron Gym, a trip to Nicaragua, huge snow boots, a couple of movies, games too, and a bunch more I can't remember. Oh! And we both got clothes. Much needed clothes. Lilly got a new collar (like always...), a bone and a new rope. The bone is pretty much gone. She's already ripped it to shreds and chewed up the pieces.

All in all we had an amazing Christmas. I'm sorry there's no pictures but trust me...

Me + Morning = Bad Idea!

In honor of Mother Nature....

8 Crazy Nights!!

Did anyone really see that movie?? I didn't. Ha! So, Rach tagged me... and these are my crazy 8's!

8 of my Favorite Books:

1. Twilight (these each get their own slots!!)
2. New Moon
3. Eclipse
4. Breaking Dawn (if anyone couldn't have guessed that then... ha!)
5. THE ENTIRE HARRY POTTER SERIES (I've read them all multiple times :D)
6. Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Bible
7. The Count of Monte Cristo
8. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (.... I'm a reader....)

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:

1. Went to work.... alone :(
2. Checked everyone's blog :)
3. Went to Market Street Grill for lunch with Jami :D
4. Drove home from work.... alone.
5. Went to a wedding
6. Went to the dollar store (I love that place)
7. Went out on a date with the hubby (CHINESE FOOD... MMMM!!)
8. Read "The Hobbit" in bed while Patrick read his "Wired" magazine, and Lilly slept on my lap.

8 Things To Look Forward To:

1. Christmas!
2. Swedish massage from Breathe Day Spa on the day after Christmas
3. New Puppy coming soon!
4. 2009
5. Starting our family ;)
6. Nicaragua home getting finished next year
7. Dinner tonight with all my girlfriends!!
8. Mishayla's surprise.... I'm gonna be an aunt-ish!

8 Things On My Wish List:

1. Lose weight
2. BMW x5.... :D (Anyone need a car?? FOR SALE!)
3. Master's in Accounting
4. Get my house painted and decorated
5. Become a master chef... or just learn how to cook (either one)
6. Get Patrick's salon up and going
7. Have children
8. Maybe getting a washer and dryer... maybe... well... nah!

8 Things I Love About Winter:

1. Christmas... duh!
2. Snow!
3. Christmas music, actually it's my favorite! Make music your favorite!
4. .... Christmas movies ....
5. Story of Christmas
6. The Forgotten Carols
7. oh yeah! ...... MY BIRTHDAY!!
8. snuggling with Patrick and Lilly on the couch wrapped up in a warm blanket by the Christmas tree!! MMMM!!

8 To Tag:

1. Mishayla
2. Angie
3. Katie P.
4. Katie B.
5. Victoria
6. Beverly
7. Elise
8. Joni
9. Celeste
10. Sara
11. Cortnie
12. Silvia
13. Oooppsss!!! I went over board... like always!

Dear Santa...

This year has been crazy, but BOY have I been a good GIRL a little OCD, but that's totally OK! Wink, Wink! I wanted to fill you in on everything that has been happening to prove to you I've been good! SO...

I volunteered at Ellie's debate tournament being a judge. It was completely out of my element (being the Choir Geek that I was in high school) but it was so much fun! I actually really really enjoyed it until I realized I couldn't debate myself. Now, I know that's not the point of the judge. If I wanted to get involved I should have done something about it in high school, but seriously!! I was sitting in a room with a bunch of kids listening to them speak. Half of what they were saying was FALSE and they other half was STUPID! I just wanted to have my turn to give a speech and let them know where it's at! HA! Well, I definitely let them have it on paper but it's just not the same. I love these debate tournaments. It gives Ellie and I a chance to hang out and do something together and it's an invigorating activity! Some of these kids are really smart and impressive and others.... well.... :D

So, Christmas is coming and Beki's getting fat! Ha! Seriously!! There are treats EVERYWHERE!!! It's so hard to resist the temptation! Right now, at my work, there are 2 HUGE boxes of bread goodies from Great Harvest, a basket of cookies from Ms. Field's Cookies, and another barrell of... some weird stuff (I can resist that), and then everyday someone brings in more goodies that are homemade. Seriously, guys! STOP!! I can't handle it anymore. But that doesn't mean we're not in the Christmas Spirit! See we put up our tree last week!!

BEFORE:

DURING:

Lilly helping.... kinda...

ALMOST DONE:

DONE:

(kinda, we didn't get the rest of the ornaments up for another week or so. :D)

See Santa!!! We've been good! Slow, but good!! Braxton's brithday was also this month. It's crazy that he's ONE!!!! I forgot to take my camera to his brithday party but it was so much fun. He's starting to walk and it's so funny to see him try.

He's getting so big! I can't wait till I have kids of my own to watch grow up! Then Braxton will have cousins!! Anyway, Christmas is just around the corner, so don't forget about us cuz you know we won't forget about you! We're the ones on the corner with no lights outside and a crazy dog!

Your FRIEND,

Beki Jo