It is time for a celebration! Why? Because I have the pleasure of writing my first Thursday Rundown of 2017. Here we go…

A Winner – I want to congratulate Sidney for her skill and discipline at the casino. Last week, we went with my parents to Northern Quest, a resort casino just outside of Spokane. Sid played the slots and saw some success. The best part? She cashed out while still ahead! She took home an extra $16 in her pocket and it paid for our dinner after we landed in Charleston on Sunday night.

Sidney winning money at the slot machine at Northern Quest.

Meat Eater – One of the best parts about celebrating two Christmases is eating two prime rib dinners. We ate it with Sidney’s family on Christmas day and then we ate it with my family when we observed our Christmas celebration on Dec. 28. Sid’s family served the meat with baked potatoes and my mom served it with lasagna. Both meals were delicious.

The prime rib on the left is from Sidney’s family celebration and the prime rib on the right is from my family’s celebrationn

Dinner On Me – When the dust settled on our Christmas celebrations, it became obvious that Sidney and I made out like bandits on gift cards, especially of the restaurant variety. In the near future, we will be eating at Five Guys, Outback, Chick-Fil-A, and Buffalo Wild Wings. In addition, my brother gave us a card that is good for the Darden Restaurants. Brands that fall under this family include Longhorn, Olive Garden, the Yard House, and a few other places I have never heard of. And, because it technically does serve food, can I lump in Target as a restaurant? Sid got gift cards to her favorite store from both her parents and my parents.

Oreo Truffles – As much as it pains me to admit this, the Oreo truffles I ate over the holiday break blew the Pop-Tart truffles I made out of the water. Sidney, my brother, and my sister (notice how they left me out) combined to make the truffles and they turned out absolutely delicious. They dipped some in milk chocolate and some in white chocolate. If you want an easy, fun, and yummy treat idea, go with Oreo truffles.

My siblings and wife combined to make these delicious Oreo truffles.

Baby Update – As you can probably imagine, our future baby daughter reeled in some serious loot over the holiday season. I think she now has a wardrobe bigger than her parents combined. Both of our families were very generous and thoughtful. Tomorrow, Sidney will turn 27 weeks. Then, on Saturday, it will mark exactly three months until our baby is due.

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Hope your first week of 2017 is going great. My mind is starting to shift to the big College Football Playoff championship game on Monday night. Go Tigers! Don’t Blink.