December 2011

Sayonara, 2011

December 31, 2011

Happy New Year’s Eve! Even though my Northwestern Wildcats lost to the Texas A&M Aggies (final score 33-22, with an attempted 4th quarter comeback), we are still all smiles in Arizona on the last day of 2011. The delicious blueberry Belgian waffles made by Mama Bender might have something to do with it. But beyond [...]

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‘Tis the Season

December 29, 2011

What a week! Between the gorgeous Arizona weather and quality time with family, I am one happy girl. Bobby and I arrived on the 23rd, and it has been a whirlwind ever since. The festivities began just before sunset on Christmas Eve, when Bobby, Papa Bender, Eric and I ventured out for a scenic mountain [...]

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Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2011

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday from the “Bender” family! We’ve been eating, baking and golfing up a storm today. More to come, but until then… GO PACKERS!!!!!!! (I can’t wait to wear this hat back in Chicago.) Abrazos,

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The Ghosts Of Christmases Past

December 22, 2011

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the kind comments and thoughts on my rejection letter post. Your feedback, as always, brought a huge smile to my face, and I am so glad I decided to be open and honest about how I was feeling with all of you. I am practically bouncing from heel [...]

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My First Rejection Letter

December 20, 2011

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it…Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” ~ Mark Jenkins Source It was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Thank you so much [...]

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Do You Sniff The Pages?

December 19, 2011

I have been sharing the below post through every social media platform available to me today. It’s a very sweet read, and those of you who love the way books can take you to imaginary worlds and back, all while causing you to think about life in new ways, will get a kick out of [...]

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The Birthday Girl Named Lauren

December 18, 2011

When your night includes a surprise ride on the Holiday Train, you know you did something right. Yesterday was all about my friend Lauren, who turns the big 2-5 this weekend. Today, in fact! I met up with Lauren and our friend Kelli in the late afternoon to do a bit of pre-celebrating in the [...]

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New York, New York: Part Three

December 16, 2011

Hard to believe this is my final NYC recap. Has it really been more than a week since we arrived there? Part One Part Two Thanks for all the great recommendations on Broadway shows. We’re ready to schedule our return trip! The four of us – Sam, Alex, Bobby and I – woke up on [...]

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