Days 15-20

I decided I'd do five days at a time. It's easier for me that way; plus, less is more!

Day Fifteen
Best Packaging of 2009
Yankees wrapping paper

This goes without saying. Ammon did an amazing job in getting the Yankees' website to giftwrap my presents.

Second Place: I made these Oreo truffles for my visiting teaching ladies in December and had decorated them with sprinkles and then put them in clear wrap and tied a red ribbon. I thought they turned out so cute.
Honorable Mention: Ammon's birthday tags

Day Sixteen
Best Purchase of 2009.
Your Baby Can Read

This actually was best tea of 2009, but since I've never even had anything but herbal tea and I don't even like that, I changed it to best purchase. The very beginning of 2009, we ordered Your Baby Can Read for Matthew. At the time, it was $200 and we thought that was a lot. But, I came to learn that it was the BEST investment. Matthew is ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THEM. I can't even explain. He cries when the movies get over and carries the cards and movie cases around with him. He has become so much more aware of animals and I really think this is one reason he pays attention so well when I talk to him about church things. It came with about 25 books that he loves as well and I couldn't think of a better way to spend $200. It will be good for any other kid(s) that come after him too!

Second Place: Matthew's "highchair" which he uses three times a day.
Honorable Mention: Either my food processor, my Livestrong Nikes or Ammon's Lucky jeans.

Day Seventeen
Best Word or Phrase of 2009.
OH WOW.

I can't think of any other word for 09 than WOW. It was Gavin's first word and now Matthew says it pretty much thirty-five times an hour. "OH WOW!" Look at the dog, oh wow. Look at the airplane. Oh Wow. You wanna watch your movie, (shakes his head--his way of nodding and saying yes) "oh wow." Oh WOW everything.

Day Eighteen
Best Place to Shop in 2009.
Massnutrition.com

WOW this website is amazing! We have always ordered all of our workout/recovery shakes/protein/bars/etc. from bodybuilding.com. Then, I researched some more and found massnutrition.com. They literally are like at least ten bucks cheaper on whey protein. I couldn't believe it. On one order, we literally would have paid 96 bucks more if we would have ordered the exact same thing from bodybuilding.com. We have given those folks a lot of money in the past little while.

Second Place: Target. Of course. And Sloan got this new Target right by her that I went to three times in one week when I was there in October. I love it.
Honorable Mention: Old Navy. I'm cheap. I don't know if that comes with being a mom or if it has to do with the money problems we've had in the past, but either way, I like Old Navy. I like their prices and I think their clothes are really cute for little boys. I have some stuff, but since I don't do much shopping for me, it's a good place for boys. Plus, if you find things on sale, you can get a shirt for 2 bucks.

Day Nineteen
Best Car Ride of 2009.
Cross country car ride from Vegas to Kentucky, April.

This was such an interesting time let me tell you. We left Vegas following behind people and 98% of the time, we went at least 5 under the speed limit. We stopped about every 2 hours so one guy could pee, get food, etc. And then, we had to sleep in a hotel every night. It wasn't until we got to Oklahoma that we went in another train. We followed another guy and I can't even tell you how much better it was. We went about 8 over the speed limit and stopped about twice a day. We got to see some interesting things...the Arch, some crazy religious things, the ghetto part of Texas, the flat yellow of Oklahoma, the green green green of Tennessee and into Kentucky and got to pass through I think it was nine states in a little over three days. It was fun under the circumstances!

Second Place: Our trip to Kirtland from Cincinnati because we left early early in the am and got to church about five minutes before it started.
Honorable Mention: The car trip to conference with my mom, dad and Matthew was fun. I liked going to Utah and it was VERY different going with just my mom and dad. Usually it is Chris or someone else, but it was fun.

Day Twenty
Favorite New Person in 2009.

I can't believe all the new people I met last year. Not only did we meet a great new ward last January, but we moved and got to meet a whole other ward in April, plus all the people we've met on base and that I've got to meet from Ammon's unit. I'll just name a few. Teri Castillo has been such a good friend this last year. She really has been my sanity while being here. I have really grown to like my presidency. I have learned so much from them. I learned how to be a better mom, a better wife and a better Latter-day Saint. I have grown to like pretty much all of the other drill sergeants. I like my cardio-salsa class and the people I've grown close to. I like Sloan's friend Tabby who is like our other sister...at least that is what people tell us when we are all together. The best thing about being a military family is that you get to meet so many new people and it REALLY puts you out of your comfort zone. It is so nice.