GTKY 12/27 Edi.

2MamazInSeattle · December 2013

Join in the fun! Let's get to know each other a little better!

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?
2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?
3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!
4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?
5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

Bonus: Any PIP is always welcome!

GoaliesWife123 · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave? My favorite gift is the Neil Lane diamond and pearl necklace and earring set my wife surprised me with! The favorite gift I gave was Rocksmith for my wife. She only mentioned she wanted it, but I picked it up for her last minute and she loved it!

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day? I don't have a tradition because my wife usually has to work She is off this new year's day, but I'm not sure we have anything planned right now

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us! I would split it 50/50 with the Humane Society and with any local organization that deals with foster kids or abused children.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs? We tried to stay up with my parents every year. I would love to have a big new year party with my future little one and ring in the new year in an exciting way.

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life? Definitely starting our TTC journey.

PIP: Our furbaby loving her new, homemade toy

trisholio · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?

The favorite gift I received was tickets to a concert, my wife gave them to me. My favorite gift to give was a hand sketched picture of us from our wedding day. I gave it to my wife.

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?

We don't have any traditions or meals that are planned on New Years day. It usually included something with grease and starch because we were hung over from the night before. Those days are long gone now :-)

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!

I would help out local foster parents and make sure they are well taken care of and then I would give a large chunk to a family of missionaries I know in South Africa. They are a married couple with 5 kids and they are amazing people.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?

We usually stayed up with my parents. I don't remember any traditions or specific memories from New Years Eve

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

We became licensed foster parents

We got pregnant

We bought a new car

AmandaG47 · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?
My favorite received is a tie between a necklace with my (in-utero) daughters' initials on it (A for Alexandria and V for Vienna)

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?
We don't really have a traditional meal. This year, probably anything that is easy

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!
Honestly, I would have to do some research first, but probably something health related.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?
Just staying up late with siblings and cousins.

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?
My wife getting pregnant with twin baby girls

Applying to med school-there's a good chance I won't get in this year but it has been a good growing experience

Bonus: Any PIP is always welcome!

The picture is babies' first Santa visit

2MamazInSeattle · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?
I asked for a meditation cushion and J got me a whole meditation set - with a cushion, a pad for under it so your feet don't hurt and two pillows. Super cool! I got her a bunch of stuff but always enjoy finding awesome t-shirts and socks, both of which I was successful at.

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?
I grew up that you always have pork and sauerkraut for good luck. J grew up in the south, where you have black-eyed peas and collards for good luck. So now we have both!

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!
I think it would go this way:
$2,500 to the animal shelter where we got Manny!
$500 to Girls on the Run of Puget Sound, a chapter of this nonprofit I helped start about 10 years ago in Seattle that helps girls' 8-11 with self-esteem through exercise/running, etc.
$2,500 to something with gay youth
$1,000 to KEXP our nonprofit alternative radio station
$1,000 to NPR
$2500 to a nonprofit here that grows organic gardens for the foodbanks

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?
My parents always went out to an early dinner and came back to celebrate with us which we al loved. We were not allowed to drink pop as kids, but my dad would get a flat of the grocery-store brand of flavored pops (like grape, cream soda, orange, lemon lime) - and we we got french onion dip with ruffles! So anytime I have chips and dip I practically still taste grape pop!

For future LO's, I just remember how much I loved that our parents were with us to count down so we will always do that and having special snacks/meals I think is a nice way to set tradition.

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

1. We got married!
2. I got to carry a beautiful little boy to 16w, and while losing him was awful, we loved the crap outta him for the time we had him and since. I feel so lucky for the time he was ours.
3. I paid off our IVF donor egg cycle and am more-or-less debt free! That was HUGE.

Here are me and my 3 sisters on Christmas, posing for a FB shot with the ham my dad sent for Christmas so he could see it! I'm in the blue shirt holding the ham (3rd to the right).

redrockmama · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?

My sister and her husband got us a cool wing decoration thing...what I loved about it was that one one wing they wrote our CA wedding date and the other our UT wedding date. They wrote some other really touching stuff too. It was great to feel so supported and loved. My bro in law said he was more happy that we got married than he was about Christmas.

Favorite gift we gave was a photo album we made for my mom. We printed off a ton of pictures from the past 5+ years. She loved it and cried and cried. We are doing the same thing for my dad and stepmom, but haven't given it to them yet.

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?

We haven't ever had a traditional New Year's Day meal or celebration of any kind. We are spending New Years with my dad and step mom and stepsib's. We've done all sorts of fun things in the past, sushi, christmas pudding, lots of appetizers, I'm sure this year will be low key, but I will probably call and get a meal request from my stepmom and make that.

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!

This is a tough one. I work and have worked and done various consulting for many nonprofits so I have seen the good and the bad. I would definitely due some research before I gave a substantial amount to any organization. With that said, I would give $3,000 to our local LGBT community endowment fund, another $3,000 to a local arts org for youth, and $4,000 to my organization.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?

We usually spent it at home with our best friend's family and/or cousins. We usually had some sort of dinner and made sundae's, banged pots and pans, watched fireworks and had a big sleepover with the kids.

We will likely do something similar with our kiddos

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

1. Bought our first house

2. Got pregnant

3. Got legally married in Utah (I still can't get over this one)

PIP: my wifey filling out our marriage application, while we waited in the incredibly long line.

aslmander · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave? I got a nook!! super stoked about it! my favorite gift i gave was to my little cousin Nora who is 3, i got her a big Sophia the first puzzle that we got to do together!

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day? In the past its been what ever cures a hangover:p this year we are just relaxing and not going too crazy so im not sure what our menu is yet!

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us! Animal shelter for cure, any youth organization that gives kids oppertunities for after school activities free of charge (cant think of anything specific at the moment)

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs? My sisters and i always stayed up watchign movies and then watched the ball drop with sparkling cider

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life? 1. Moved in with the love of my life. 2. Got a new job 3. got promoted at that job

Took the doggies to look at christmas lights:p

StacyLH24 · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?

My favorite gift I received was a lamp from my Mom. The base is a fake rock and it has a bull moose on it (complete with what we think is squirrel fur) with logs and fake grass. The post for the light and lampshade is wood. It will go in our living room for now, and maybe into the nursery in the future.

My favorite gift I gave is one that I made. I took empty wine bottles, glued glass stones (clear, light blue, dark blue and light green) to them and then put white lights in them. I made four total.

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?

Every New Year's Day my Mom makes pork and sauerkraut. This year will be no different.

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!

I would give money to our local Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program (where I used to work). I would also give money to our local Child Advocacy Center, to the SPCA, to the emergency fund at Dept of Aging (where I work now) and to the local LGBT group that C and I helped start.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?

My Mom would always make dinner and snacks and we would watch movies until the ball dropped. C and I have never discussed it, but I imagine we'll do something similar.

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

Starting TTC, having my surgery so that it might actually have a chance at working now, and going on our vacation to California.

Bonus: Any PIP is always welcome! - No PIPs lately because I don't have anything exciting or new. I will post a picture of the new lamp probably next Thursday.

ball.and.chain · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?

My wife got me a digital SLR camera. I've wanted one for a while, but I particularly wanted one to document our baby's life when it arrives. I have a camera in my phone that is just fine for every day, but I wanted something better for the baby. I didn't think I'd get ever get around to getting one, though -- they aren't cheap. My wife got a really good deal on it and I'm super excited to start using it (probably will be mostly pictures of the cat for now)!

I gave my wife a Kindle Fire. It wasn't a very creative gift -- she'd been asking for it -- but I knew how much she wanted it and is enjoying using it, and that makes me happy.

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?

We don't have a traditional NYD meal. This year we are attending a LOTR marathon at a friend's house, complete with an all-day hobbit buffet (as in food hobbits would eat, not hobbits for food). I've never actually seen any of the movies (I know, I know), so I'm looking forward to it.

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!

I'm not sure exactly how I'd split it up, but definitely some to the shelter where we got our cat, some to my alma mater, some to a food bank, some to a local sustainable agriculture/youth leadership/hunger relief organization that I support, some to a local organization I used to volunteer for that helps urban kids prepare for college, some to a local home that houses LGBT kids who were kicked out by their parents, and maybe something healthcare related.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?

I remember my parents used to have one couple they were friends with over every year. They would have dinner and stay up until midnight; we ate dinner earlier and went to bed earlier. I don't remember doing anything special with my parents -- it just didn't feel like a kid's holiday to me. We're not big on NYE as adults, so I don't think we'll likely do much with our kids either.

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

1. Prozac
2. Trip to Charleston
3. So-far-sticky pregnancy

shelly2314 · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? My fav. gift...that's hard. I really appreciate everything I received and am really blessed. What was your favorite gift you gave? My fav gift I gave was the sushi vinylmation for my wife!
2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day? Don't really have traditional meal. M and I are going for sushi and then coming back to our house to hang out with a few friends.
3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us! I would give to our animal shelter...it is a cause close to our hearts.
4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs? My childhood didn't really have a tradition. We would go out to my great-uncle's house sometimes or just stay home.
5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life? My life is pretty sweet so that is difficult to narrow down to 3. Ummm1. Saved 6 animals and found them homes...I love doing things like this. 2. My wife, even though I had her before this, I am grateful that we have what we do and have continued to grow as a couple. 3. Winning the lottery and getting pregnant (WELL, THE YEAR ISN'T OVER YET lol)(A girl can dream)

Bonus: Any PIP is always welcome! These are two of the pups we rescued and spent $$$ to nurse them back to health. Their names are Tango and Cash and they are now LARGE, healthy, happy pups with a great home TOGETHER!

maryoosa · December 2013

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?

I got 5 Alex and Ani bracelets. I gave lots of good stuff- but my favorite were the handprint snowmen Christmas ornaments me and DS made.

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?
We usually do a mish-mash of things- potluck- lasagna, kielbasa etc.

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!

Hmmmm-- I'd give $1,000 to my adoption agency, $5,000 to Habitat for Humanity, $2,000 to my alma mater, and $2,000 to the foundation at the institution where I'm faculty.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?
Usually with one or both of my grandmother's. We used to run outside and bang on pots and pans at midnight. Probably will keep that tradition up.

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

We adopted our DS. That sums it up.

ball.and.chain · December 2013

PIP 1 - ornament of baby Cora in stocking from @2MamazinSeattle (can we give her LGBT bumpie of the year award???)

Definitely!

Also, Hawaii! Awesome! And that third picture is killing me.

Jazibel · December 2013

1. Best gift received was our gym
Membership followed by a super cute gift basket that included Tazo decaf chai tea!!! So excited - I didn't know decaf chai existed. Best present I gave would be the handmade seeing kits with little needle books of hand felted wool. They we're well received :-)

2. Growing up we ate black eyes peas and greens on NY day - I'll probably make them this year too :-)

3. I'd give $1,000 to the NorCal weim rescue organization. $3,000 to a local lgbt youth organization, $5,000 to the Bay Area rescue mission which has a shelter for homeless women and their kids. I organized various events and fundraisers at the company I worked for before K was born to benefit BARM.

4. We (my brother & I) used to stay up watching Sound of Music or The Wizard of Oz eating snacks and hanging out with our parents. I'm not sure what traditions we'll come up with - I'd live to involve other families with kids too and celebrate together.

5. This was a big year for us, it'll be hard to pick just 3 things...

1. Moving to Roatan in May and buying a house there.
2. Getting Pregnant with baby #2
3. EV landing an awesome job at a great company
3a. Getting legally married yesterday!!

(Pic of EV & I getting legally married yesterday - 9.5 years after our wedding ceremony). :-)

ATXmommas · December 2013

1. Z did a great job shopping for me this year, but I have two favorites. First, we get each other an ornament each year that reflects the past year. The ornament she picked is so super cute -

When we lost our first son, we were given a bereavement box at the hospital that included a James Avery heart pendant. I've spent most of the last year and a half with this heart around my neck. Z bought a small pendant with Ash's birthstone that I can wear with my heart. Just love it.

My favorite gift that we gave were homemade coasters for my parents - each coaster has a picture of one of their grandchildren on it. We printed the pics in black and white and I think they turned out pretty amazing. When my mom received the package, she called us crying. Wish I had a picture of them.

2. Southerner here, so black eyed peas and collards. I've been making a vegan version the past couple years that I plan to make this year too. Link to recipe (the sauce totally makes this recipe):
www.theppk.com/2012/12/hoppin-john-bowl-with-red-hot-tahini/

3. I would probably split between the local animal shelter, women's shelter, children's advocacy center, and a LGBT nonprofit.

4. I don't recall any specific NYE traditions from growing up - other than fireworks were usually in the picture. Haven't thought much about how we'll spend it with our children. I imagine this year will be spent with LO on the boob.

5. Getting pregnant, having a healthy pregnancy and birth, and parenting our little one. All baby related, but nothing else happened to me that lights a cane to those three things.

Finally, a family pic:

shelly2314 · December 2013

@ATXmommas....I LOVE the ornament and pendant!

JGY · December 2013

Now that I'm back, I should have done the GTKY's in order. Oops, oh well. Here goes:

1. What was your favorite Christmas gift you received this year? What was your favorite gift you gave?

S got me the automatic car starter that I was complaining about needing (MN has been just FROZEN this year and with getting the little guy in and out of the car with no usable garage, I was really missing it). That was awesome. She even got it installed before I got back from our NY trip!

I cashed in some major hotel points and got a Vitamix blender for S. She'd been wanting one and I figured we won't be doing too much pleasure traveling for a while. So I put those points to good use.

2. What is your traditional New Year's Day meal? Or, what are you having this New Year's Day?

Our friends host an NY's Day Brunch every year, and they always have an awesome egg strata. That with a Mimosa will be heaven for me!

3. If you had $10,000 to give to charity, what causes/charities would you choose? Split it up for us!

I'd like to give $1k/each ($4k total) to the schools that I attended. I'm so bad about making those donations every year and I really should because I was given great opportunities by each one.

$1k would go to VocalPoint which is a choir that I sing with every winter. They choose a different charity partner each year and then design, prepare, and perform a program to raise money for that charity partner. It's an awesomely challenging and rewarding experience.

$1k would go to People, Inc. which does outreach and support of the homeless in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

$1k to Open Arms which delivers nutritionally appropriate meals to people battling terminal illness (began with those struggling with HIV/AIDS and has branched out to reach those with cancers and other illnesses as well).

$1k to Minnesota Public Radio.

$1k to one of the many amazing animal shelters or rescue organizations here in MN.

$1k to have in reserve for the great charity groups that come door knocking in my neighborhood, for my neighborhood organization itself, and for political races that I see as being critical in the next election cycle.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve as a child? Any traditions/plans with your existing/future LOs?

My family would always go to the same friends' apartment in a fancy building near Central Park. I would get to watch TV most of the evening, which was a huge treat. I'm not sure what traditions we might start with Gabe. I'll have to think about that for a while. I guess this year I'd like to start a tradition of having him NOT be awake at midnight!

5. Reflecting on 2013, what were the best 1-3 things that happened in your life?

1. Gabe (obviously)

2. Switching jobs (though this would also go down in my "Worsts" category too)

3. Getting to spend time with family members as they rotated through shifts of helping us during/after my maternity leave.

JGY · December 2013

Forgot my bonus PIP:

In NYC most apartment buildings have X-Mas trees in the lobby. We visited a friend and saw this particularly nice one. Gabe was fascinated by the ornaments.

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GTKY 12/27 Edi.

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