Happy New Year!

HAPPY

NEW

YEAR

Hoping 2008 is a healthy & happy year for you and your loved ones!

Merry Christmas!

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Happy Holidays

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1443522980

Elf yourself!

Holiday Tour of Homes

Heidi Jo is hosting a Holiday Tour of Homes Extravaganza.

I'd like to share my holiday decor with you.

My Nativity Set

Hayley's Nativity Set

My Miniature Christmas Teapot Sets & Candles

(I collect miniature teapot sets of all kinds.)

My Table Centerpiece

My Purple Poinsettia with Glitter

My Picture Perfect Christmas Tree

(Decorated in purple, silver, and irridescent.)

The "Charlie Brown" Christmas Tree

(Decorated with ornaments from Dean's & my childhood, ornaments I have bought the kids, and ornaments the kids have made.)

The Mouse Countdown Calendar

(This is from my childhood.)

The New "Cool" Stockings

(When we get our fireplace mantel finished, these will hang there.)

(Hayley-pink, Dean-green, Tanner-blue, Me-Purple)

Santa's Milk & Cookies

Christmas Baking is Done!

Christmas baking is finally done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finished up on Saturday with Rosettes. Now, if I could only find friends and family to share my Christmas goodies with.........

Friday evening was Dean's work Christmas party. It involved a good meal, many door prizes to the employees, and karoake. Dean received his bonus and won the table centerpiece (which I will be regifting) and a $50 gift certificate to M*enards. [You may not believe in regifting but if it's something I don't like or need and it was not given to me by a special person, I feel I should be able to give it to someone who will enjoy it.]

Saturday I spent four hours shopping for Christmas gifts. I only have two left to buy, plus a few more stocking stuffers. While shopping, I found purple poinsettias - with glitter!! How COOL!!! My favorite color is purple. I bought two - one for my office and one for home to match my purple sofas, purple decor, and purple decorated Christmas tree! [They came in purple, pink, blue, peach, ivory and red.] I spent three hours wrapping gifts, which I LOVE to do! And got most of the laundry done. Then I spent the evening making Rosettes.

Sunday the kids had to acolyte at church and then I finished up the laundry and caught up on my TV watching on the DVR. The CEO at Dean's work had a manager's Christmas party at his house Sunday evening. There was lots of food and drinks and people - about 30 to 40! It was a full house! Afterwards we all played a few games of Catch Phrase.

So what did you do this weekend? Got all your shopping & gift wrapping done?

Snowed In = Baking Marathon

Saturday at noon the kids and I started our Baking Marathon being it was snowing like crazy outside! We made Candy Cane Snowballs, Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints, Butter Pecan Fudge, Cookie Dough Truffles, & decorated the Sugar Cookies we made last weekend! We finally finished at 8 pm! We were exhausted! Next weekend we'll finish up with Rosettes and then we should be done!

(No, I didn't make these!)

What did you do while you were snowed in?

Thanksgiving Festivities

It seems that when you're approaching a 4-day weekend it looks like a really long time to have off and you'll get a lot accomplished. But when you get to Monday, you ask yourself, where the heck did those four days go!!

WEDNESDAY - I worked until 4:00. Then I had to make two salads for Thanksgiving dinner. My sister, Jodi, came to town to stay overnight. We ran over to Dean's parents to see Dean's brother, his wife and their four kids that had come to town for the holiday.

THURSDAY - Dean, my sister, Dean's parents, and Dean's brother & his wife & daughter participated in the Turkey Day 5k run / 2 mile walk. Dean & his parents walked while everyone else ran. This is the third year that our family has participated in this event. However, it was the 8th annual Turkey Day event. If I could be guaranteed that it will be at least 50 degrees that day, then I would also sign up to walk but I don't see that happening. Therefore, I become the DB - designated babysitter. This year, I watched my own two kids plus Matt who is 7, Charlie who is 4, Nolan who will be 3 in January, and Joe who just turned 2. Wow - I think I was a little out of practice!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Dean's sisters here in town. We hung out there the entire day. There was lots of food, conversation, and games. We had a Guitar Hero contest where the kids paired up everyone to compete against each other! It was lots of fun! (Btw, I beat Dean the first round.)

(Dean's brother, Dave, & his wife, Becky)

(Dean & I)

(Dean & Tanner)

(Tanner & I)

(Dean & Hayley)

FRIDAY - I'm generally a crazy shopper (but not an insane crazy shopper) who is generally out shopping by 6:30. But not this year! I just didn't see anything in the ads that I just had to have yet I felt like I needed to go out because I love to shop!! So I decided to sleep in yet get up in time to make it before the deals ended at 11 am. My dad called me at 9 am just as I was getting ready to leave the house and asked which store I was in. I told him I was still at home; I hadn't left yet. He said, what? Are you sick!? :) I was home by noon. (I may have found better deals in SF but I just don't want to travel that far so I'll just have to be satisfied with W.)

Then we met the relatives at the movie theatre to watch The Be*e Movie. It is a really cute movie. I suggest you see it! The kids and adults all enjoyed it! Then we spent the day at Dean's parents, had pizza for supper and went to the Holiday Lighted Parade.

The cousins wanted to have a girls sleepover and a boys sleepover. I got the boys! Which actually ended up being only one boy coming because the other one was too naughty and the other was kinda young (4).

SATURDAY - Hayley and I went shopping for 2 1/2 hours. I did not plan on this. She was looking for a Christmas tree for her room. She's been wanting one for a couple years now and I told her that would be a great item to spend some of her birthday money on as this is something she will keep for many years. Then we dug out all the Christmas decor and started decorating.

SUNDAY - I started my Christmas baking! I rolled out Sugar Cookies which we'll decorate tomorrow. We made Peanut Butter Mice, Pretzel Rods dipped in homemade caramel and candy coating, Caramels, and Million Dollar Fudge. Plus I got 7 loads of laundry done!

MONDAY - We're all starting to come down with colds that the out-of-town guests seemed to have brought and shared with us! :(

Hope your Thanksgiving was great!

WOW! Can you believe Christmas is only a month away???

Happy Turkey Day!

Hope you all have a GREAT and THANKFUL Thanksgiving!

The Light at the End of My Tunnel

I woke up to this yesterday morning!! YUCK!!!


I've been feeling a little stressed lately so earlier this week I decided I was taking a trip to SF on Saturday! That will definitely cheer me up!! It was the light at the end of my tunnel. I was so excited about going I could hardly wait! Now, I do go to SF quite often but this time I decided I was leaving the kids AND the hubby home! I thought about asking a friend to go with me and decided no - I wanted to be by myself and only worry about me and where I want to go.

I was in the bathroom and had opened the blinds and saw snow! I yelled, "Are you kidding me?!" My hubby downstairs just laughed because he knew exactly what I was referring to! See, I'm a wimp when it comes to driving in rain, snow, ice, wind, or the dark! I prefer bright sunny days! But I decided to suck it up because darn it, I was going to SF!

I got going about 9:30 am and just as I was getting on the interstate saw three cars and a police car on the shoulder of the on-ramp. I couldn't see any damage to the vehicles but I did notice tracks in the snow from the overpass all the way down the big hill to the on-ramp where the four vehicles were sitting. Then I got even more nervous but I wasn't turning around. According to 511, I only had to go about 15 miles and then I'd be out of the yucky weather. So I, and the cars around me, all drove 60-65 mph for about 25 miles before we finally saw dry road! Yay!!

I had a nice long list of things to get but it didn't go so well. They were out of stuff and I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I wanted new Christmas decorations for the tree in a purple / burgundy color and a white tree skirt. Plus I was looking for another artificial tree for downstairs but didn't find one that I just had to have. And the crowds were awful!!! I should have known better!

But I did come home with 12 new shirts, 2 pairs of dress boots, and some decorations for my office!!

I ended up running out of time and spent an hour driving in the dark!! But luckily I had no encounters with deer or anything else!

In the evening, Hayley had a birthday party at a hotel and Tanner went to movie night at the church so Dean and I had a date!!! Drinks and munchies at Minerva*s.

Today, Tanner & Hayley had to acolyte at church for the first time! It was so cute to watch them perform their duties!

Still Busy!

Just thought I'd drop by and let you know I'm still here!

I had hoped that after the birthday month everything would start settling down but that hasn't been the case.

For Halloween, I decorated a bunch of mini pumpkin cakes (pictures to be posted soon). The kids went trick-or-treating uptown and then around the neighborhood. The kids like to hurry up and get back so they can hand out candy. In M, our neighborhood was super busy with kids and we handed out a TON of candy. We thought the same would be true in this new development we're in, in W but no, WE WERE WRONG! We had A LOT of leftover candy. Add that to all the candy the kids collected and I think we're set until next year!

Friday evening Dean & I had a little time to ourselves (aka without kids). My boss had a double celebration - her husband's 40th birthday party and the christening of their new shed. The party was held in the shed which was supposedly heated but it sure didn't feel like it! And I was even drinking hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps!

Hayley is finally having her birthday sleepover on Friday. She invited five girls - don't know how many are coming yet. Just found out today that one of the girls she invited is having her birthday party sleepover this Friday, also, and they each invited three of the same girls!! So it might be a small sleepover but that's ok! Should be fun but can't wait for it to over!! And the sleepover means I'll be decorating ANOTHER cake on Thursday. This time a pink electric guitar for her RockStar birthday party.

Saturday we are going to the town play with Dean's parents and Dean's sister and her family. Should be a fun family event.

Then I'm hoping to RELAX! Thank goodness it's a three-day weekend!