All Aboard!

My husband's niece, Anna, stayed overnight with us this weekend and it helped to get me a little more in the Christmas spirit. Oh, to be 14 again! She helped the girls make a gingerbread sleigh.

Sydney and Natalie loved having their cousin all to themselves!

I knew they would be sad when she had to go back home so we finally took them on the Mountaineer Express, our version of the Polar Express. They were all set to go to sleep when they pulled back their covers and found their tickets to go see the Christmas lights. I got the idea from Sandy Toes who has an awesome blog. She is such a fun mom and comes up with the greatest ideas! Thanks Sandy Toes. My girls loved every minute of it! Natalie even said it was the best day of her life;)

Here are the boarding tickets. For some reason the picture is sideways. The tickets say: All aboard the Mountaineer Express. This ticket entitles you to one free round trip to see the Christmas lights, one yummy hot chocolate, and a cup of fluffy marshmallows. Please enjoy the ride!

Waiting to board with their tickets.

We go to this neighborhood every year. Every house on one whole street participates. There are lights galore and Santa and Mrs. Clause are there waiting, handing out candy canes. So fun! This year this street is featured in a book called The Best Christmas Decorations in ChicagoLand, by Mary Edse. I tried to take a few pictures but they didn't turn out the greatest.

Look at poor Santa!

This was taken in a different neighborhood. These two house really go crazy! Can't imagine their electric bill!

And because this time of year is all about giving! I'm being generous in sharing MY Rob Pattinson! It just doesn't get any better than that:) Unless one were lucky enough to be that thumb!!

♥Merry Christmas♥

Don't be jealous!!!

Try to control yourself!! Check out that fine specimen in the background!


Behold the leg lamp!

A Christmas Story has been one of my favorite movies since the day I saw it in 1983. And yes I remember that day. We went for my friend Debbie's birthday party:)

Every year about this time we start saying Fragile. A lot. And it must be said in your best Darren McGavin voice!

Two years ago when all of my husband's family was here for Christmas, I was was sent on a scavengers hunt with clues by my sister in law Rita and her husband Tony. In my own house. For every clue I found, another would send me to a different part of the house. From all the way upstairs to all the way back down in the basement. Back and Forth. I was sweating. And it was all caught on video. I think there was something like 17 clues. The last one found was the actual prize winner notification like in the movie and a clue to look on the front porch. It was there that I found the huge wrapped box. Once opened, the box read, "Fragile." The laughter erupted. From everyone except Sydney! She.was.mortified. Especially when her dad claimed the front window as the spot to showcase the lamp. Poor kid was afraid of what the neighbors would think. Even though my husband would love to keep her out in full view year around, she has to say in the basement family room. (Now I'm calling the lamp "she??) I sometimes feel the need to put her away until the next Christmas since she doesn't really fit with my decor. But then I'm reminded of how much joy she brings-like when we had the hunky men from the fire department here. Twice. They saw her beauty too. And shared our sense of humor.

And in case you've forgotten, click here and read #4 for proof of my Christmas Story devotion, or ignorance. Whatever you want to call it:)

May you find some humor in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season:)

Christmas Traditions

It has become a tradition on my husband's side of the family that all the grandkids get together and bake cookies with their Grandma. These pictures each tell a story. This was 2003. Natalie's 1st Christmas.

2004

We try to get them to stand in the same position as they did the year before. I think we average taking about 10 pictures each before we can get them all looking at the camera. Natalie was watching for Grandpa coming down the hall.

When he finally got in the picture she was kissing Louis and Sydney had perfected the head to the shoulder pose:)
No tradition for 2005. Bill's dad had just passed away. The Christmas spirit was hard to find.

2006

2007

The baking process was moved to Bill's sister Rita's house. We usually bake over 700 cookies. Her double oven comes in handy.

2008

I love these pictures. Baking in Rita's remodeled kitchen was such luxury! When we called the kids to get ready for the picture, Bill's 16 yr. old nephew, Louis walked in with nothing but Christmas boxers and a Santa hat. You can see the girls' reaction. Abby is waving her hand in front of her nose as if she could smell his armpits.

Gina and Anna tried to escape.

And the final result. 456 poses later! And well over 700 cookies this year!

My turkey weekend and brush with celebrity

For Thanksgiving we went downstate to be with my family. I always look forward to this holiday, not so much for the big turkey dinner but for the day after when all the girls in the family take off and go shopping. All day. And this year was no different. Alarms were set at the buttcrack of dawn(3am) and we ventured out for the day. 8 women loaded into a 14 passenger van affectionately named, The Big Red Kahuna. Lots of belly laughs, inside jokes, and child-free meals were shared. At the end of the day we got to go see this little girl who is still in the hospital.

Even though she is still recovering from pneumonia she was still her happy self. Nothing seems to get her down. She is such a trooper and gave us lots of smiles and giggles.
We finally made it home around 9pm. What a long day!!The next day I got to meet this handsome man!!!

Doug Wilson from Trading Spaces(TLC) recently bought and renovated a restaraunt in my hometown. I have been waiting patiently to get back home in hopes to catch a glimpse of him around town. I was so excited to see he was at the restaurant the night we went. He was so friendly, walking around to all the tables talking to people. He even helped himself to the girls' french fries. Sydney wasn't the only one who was a little star struck;) Thanks to a little liquid courage in the form of an awesome pomegranet martini and some Blue Moon, I got up the nerve to go talk to him. He's very friendly and down to earth. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the restaraunt but I didn't want him to think I was stalking him;) You truly would have to see before pictures to appreciate what he's done with it. Supposedly there is going to be a show documenting it.

I had to add this picture when I discovered the silly girl in the background:)

The girls had a table all to themselves.

My cousin Molly who is hoping to get a job there while she is going to school. Pays to know the right people;)

Thanks mom for playing photographer and not embarrasing me too much!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

A quote from Marcie: "You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early pilgrims were thankful for what happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by "Thanksgiving,' Charlie Brown."

♥Enjoy your families♥

My little pilgrim

Today Natalie's kindergarten class had a Thanksgiving play. Given how she hid behind the girl in front of her during the Grandparent's day celebration, I was a little worried she would have another case of stage fright. Not today. Yay! She stood in front of all the parents and grandparents and said her lines and played her part as a pilgrim. What a cute teepee they made!

For snack they had a cornucopia full of treats.

I also got an award today from Jamie at Right At Home . I am proud to call her my bloggy friend♥ Make sure you check out the really great gift ideas she just recently posted.

Along with this award, I am to list 6 things that I am grateful for.
1. my happy and healthy family
2. my sense of humor that gets me through life
3. Twilight AND Robert Pattinson(yummy eye candy)
4. my reliable car that will safely get me to my family's home for Thanksgiving
5. the drop in gas prices so that I may travel with a little less worry
6. my friends near and far in real life and the blog world
Thanks Jamie!

Sunday Baker giveaway

It's time for another Sunday Baker giveaway. This week she has chosen this tote set from Simply Notes and Totes. How cute is this?! Wouldn't you just love to have it?! Well, as much as I would love for you to have it, I really would like it for myself! Just being honest♥ The contest ends Tuesday, November 25th at 8pm.

On another note, my cousin's daughter, Alicen is back in the hospital with pneumonia. She went into the hospital on Friday because her feeding tube came out. While there they discovered she has pneumonia again. If you could please pray for her or if you are not the praying type, please keep her in your thoughts. We are heading back home for the Thanksgiving and I would love more than anything to get to see her!! And her mommy too! Hi Turkey:)

Thanksgiving through the years

I had every intention of posting about all the things I am thankful for. Since I don't like pictureless posts, I started looking for some Thanksgiving pictures from years past to add. While looking at these it made me think of all the milestones and life events that happened around these times. The hardest to think about was Thanksgiving 2005. My grandpa Ralph had cancer and had not been doing well. It was nice to spend the holiday with him and my grandma. At the same time Bill's dad was also suffering from cancer and had taken a turn for the worst while we were out of town. He passed away just days later and my grandpa Ralph passed away in March. As life reminds us though, through all the bad times there are good times. We had lots of those too♥

Natalie's First Thanksgiving 2003



















2004 Celebrating Alicen being home and healthy!

2005 Grandpa Ralph's last Thanksgiving

What a difference a year makes for Alicen!

2006 At the condo in Wisconsin

No pictures of 2007?? Trying to upload these pictures and getting the print to go where I want it reminds me to never use the "left or right" uploading features again. I know when I hit publish that these pictures are going to be all willy nilly! And that will drive the perfectionist part of me crazy!!!! Happy week before Thanksgiving:)

The weekend

The stomach bug has hit the girls' school. Sydney ended up with it Friday night but thankfully it was very short lived. We stayed in our pj's all day Saturday. She was fine but I was just paranoid there was more to come or that Natalie was going to end up with it. Kind of like waiting for the other shoe to fall! It didn't. We all needed out of the house by this afternoon so we met a few friends at the theater to see High School Musical 3. Is it wrong to be a grown woman and have impure thoughts of Zac Efron?!?! Yeah, don't answer that! I think I already know;)Sunday Baker is having another great giveaway! Go check her out. Not only does she have some great recipes to offer but she has searched and found some great Etsy store items. Perfect stocking stuffers for little girly girls:) Don't waste any time, the giveaway ends tonight!

Thanks again for all of your kind words!

Life

When life hands you lemons

make lemonade.

Or one of these!
Life has handed us quite a few lemons that past couple of months and it's finally catching up with me. I've been optimistic. I've been positive. I've been happy-go-lucky. Not anymore. I have become sour and bitter like those lemons. I "know" the right things to say, the way I "should" feel, the way I "should" react but I just can't get there. My husband has still not found a worthwhile job. For the first time in nine years I need to get a job. The holidays are here and I just cannot get in the spirit. We have opted out of gift exchanges with our families so we can make sure our girls have a good Christmas. I'm sad. It's not just the gift giving. It's the whole big picture. I know I should just put on my big girl panties(and Lord knows they are getting big enough) and deal with it and I eventually will but I'm just not at that place right now!