Christmas 2008

Well, there have been quite a bit of festivities going on this Christmas season. It has been so busy, it's kind of overwhelming to blog about it all now. There is so much, so I will just have to summarize, and maybe post a few pictures.

It all started on Wednesday the 16th of December. Anthony's mom, sister, sister's beau, and niece flew in to Rochester to start that side of the family's Christmas. We had a lot of fun eating and laughing and visiting for a few days before we had the "official Christmas" on the 20th. We hosted it here, so 14 people eating and laughing and opening gifts in our house. It was so wonderful. We always thought our house was so big until we filled it, it got small quick, especially the kitchen. It was a lot of fun though. Great family, great food, and great fun! His family left on Monday the 22nd. We did Christmas eve with Anthony's brother and family, and Anthony's dad. More great food. I think I ate my weight in fudge and cookies. Oh My Goodness! We got to watch the kids open their presents. It was a lot of fun. I love watching them tear into their presents, and then listen to their witty comments on how cool or not so cool their presents are. They sure were spoiled this year. Christmas eve we came home and had to do our "newlywed Christmas" because Anthony was working days :o( So we set up the video camera (thanks Lenae!), I know, CHEESE, and went to opening our presents. Anthony spoiled me of course. He always does. He is so good to me. Christmas morning we saved one present for eachother because I still wanted to open something together on our first wed Christmas, but since he had to leave for work at 6:30, it had to be quick. So he went off to work and I just layed around for a bit. When he got home we went to my Grandma's house in the B-lo. We had a quick Christmas there, where thanks to a loving family member who gave us the Flu for Christmas, we spent the rest of our weekend in bed so sick.

So, that's the holiday in a nutshell. I will try to attach a few pics to show the time we had with family. I need to get better at keeping up on this so I dont' have so much at one time to post!

Hope all your Christmas' were wonder-filled. The greatest gift of all came in the form of a baby. Lying in a manger. Wow. Just remember that gift all year round.

I win!

Tonight was the 4th annual P4K Christmas party. It was a fantastic time. After months of planning, and literally days of shopping for it, it was a blast. We had dinner catered from Taste of Texas, and after we had a wreath decorating contest. Then it was yummy snacks, a cozy fire, and games all around. After clean up, it was a 14 hour day with P4K. Fun, but definately exhausting. Here are some pics from the night...and before you ask, yes, Becca and I are wearing matching outfits. We do every year for the Christmas party, she always wears green, and I always wear red.

















The pictures don't even do justice to all the festive fun we had, but I can try!

I am not as quick at posting as some...;o)

This past friday, Anthony and had our first tradition as a married couple of decorating our home for Christmas. We had a few decorations already (and by we I mean me), and we went out and bought a few new ones to complete the Christmas "touch". We decorated the house while listening to Christmas music til almost 2am. While we were outside wrapping the columns on our porch in red ribbon and hanging giant red and silver ornaments, we looked across the street and our neighbors were out setting up their Christmas decorations as well. We thought we were the only crazy ones decorating into the wee hours of the night! Here are a few pictures of the decorations:


Our Nativity set


Our basket of cinnamon pinecones


Our balcony in the foyer


Our stairway



Our front porch/door

And last but not least, the front door...



Now I know this is getting a little long, but I would like to share one more part of our Christmas decor...my most favorite part..the Christmas tree! We went and got our tree last night, and decorated it tonight. I am so excited to have a real tree, it's been so long. I had so much fun picking out just the right one, setting it up, trimming it, and then putting the finishing touches on it. Here are some pictures of it:










And just for kicks...



May your holiday season be a blessed one, from our family to yours!

Since my life just "is" right now...

1. What is your occupation right now?

Daycare program director, and wife

2. What color are your socks right now?

white, it's one of those days

3. What are you listening to right now?

the hum of the refrigerator

4. What was the last thing that you ate?

kix cereal

5. Can you drive a stick shift?

nope, never even tried before

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

hmmm, i have no idea, i think sara

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?

I love her to death!

8. How old are you today?

28

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?

basketball, or football

10. What is your favorite drink?

sun tea, unsweetened

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?

once, in college, i like the color of my hair, and i don't care to keep up with the maintenance.

12. i totally erased on accident and have no clue what it is, so oops!

13. What is the last movie you watched?

You've Got Mail, I love that movie, and it's just the right season to watch it!

14. Favorite day of the year?

thanksgiving

15. How do you vent anger?

I tend to let it build up until the littlest thing makes me just wanna scream, then i punch my bed really hard, curse, and walk away

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?

I don't remember, my bike probably. We played outside a LOT and my bike was my horse and our 14 acre yard was my farm.

17. What is your favorite season?

fall!!!

18. Cherries or Blueberries?

well, since i'm allergic to cherries, blueberries it is!

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?

I would love it

20. Who is the most likely to respond?

whomever has time

21. Who is least likely to respond?

whomever doesn't have time

22. Living arrangements?

just me and my husband and our dog

23. When was the last time you cried?

I don't remember, probably the last time my husband worked nights, i hate going to bed alone!

24. What is on the floor of your closet?

laundry basket, some totes, and probably my husbands jeans

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?

yeah, it's in my blog, not sending this out

26. What did you do last night?

went to brockport idol to see anthony's cousin perform

27. What are you most afraid of?

losing my husband

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?

spicy

29. Favorite dog breed?

currently the one i own, mutt

30. Favorite day of the week?

whatever day i get to stay home and spend with my husband. our days off don't match up together very often

31. How many states have you lived in?

1

32. Diamonds or pearls?

pearls

33. What is your favorite flower?

gerber daisies

I stole this...

Tag your Hubby is it.....

1) Where did you meet? On MySpace, yup, said I never would and God messed my plan right up!

2) How long did you date before you got married? 9 months dating, 9 months engaged (me too!!)

3) How long have you been married? 6 months at the end of November

4) What is your favorite feature of his? his arms

5) What is your favorite quality of his? he had this incredibly way of knowing we can make it through anything, and he pushes and encourages me through every day, good or bad, he knows that we can rise above. He is such a strong person.

6) Does he have a nickname for you? yeah

7) What is his favorite food? spaghetti and meatballs (homeade)

8) What is his favorite sport? He doesn't really have one. He is an equal opportunity fan :o)

9) When and where was your first kiss? In December of 2006. I don't remember the exact day, I just know we were watching the movie "Jack Frost". He leaned over and asked me if he could kiss me. I actually told him "no". Then later on, I turned around and gave him a big kiss. Surprised him.

10) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? drive around the city, or walk around the city in the warm weather, or play scrabble. We LOVE scrabble!

11) Do you have any children? not yet

12) Does he have a hidden talent? he loves dancing!

13) How old is he? 35 1/2

14) Who said "I love you" first? I did, in sign language at the airport on the way back to Rochester from Florida

15) What is his favorite type of music? Old School Rap

16) What do you admire the most about him? there is too much to list, he is a hard worker, never gives up, pushes through anything, has a great outlook on life, is a godly man, is bold, is very protective of those he loves, is loyal, the list goes on and on and on...

17) Do you think he will read this? only if i show him. he's not that computer savy. :o)

What a fabulous weekend!

I had a most fantastic weekend this weekend, despite my being sick. I took Friday off to spend with my husband, since lately he has been working across the weekends and our time off isn't matching up. So he planned this whole day together for us. First, we got to sleep in, bliss! Then he took me to this Italian restaurant in the city - Rocky's - it's only open for lunch Monday through Friday. It was fabulous food. We then took a walk on Park Ave. One of my favorite things to do. When we returned home, we set up the garage and played Scrabble outside, my absolute favorite game!!! We ended our nice day with a date out for coffee at my new favorite coffee shop, One Way Cafe in Spencerport. We sat and played different games while we drank our coffee and chatted. I LOVE games, in case you haven't noticed. This was just the start to my most fabulous weekend.

Saturday morning my bestie Kelly and her son came up to spend the night. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling the greatest and wasn't much entertainment, so we stayed in all day. We played plenty of games, watched movies, played more games, and laughed the calories away...boy did I need that after all the eating I did this weekend! Becca came over and joined us. The three of us together are a deadly combination, the sarcasm is thick, and the one liners many. Sunday morning my husband got up and made us all breakfast and it was delicious. We went our separate ways and the weekend wound down. So sad to see Kelly and her son go, but I know there will be another weekend soon. Our traditional Christmas extravaganza of shopping will commence!

Until next time...I love you girls, and this weekend will be hard to beat!

Old Friends

This past Sunday, a great friend from college and her family came over for dinner and a visit. I haven't seen thier daughter in 2 years, and I haven't seen Suzi and her husband since a brief glance on my wedding. It was so nice to sit and catch up, and it was so much fun to see thier now almost 3 year old daughter laugh and play. I only have a couple of pictures from that day, but they are super cute, so I thought I would share them. Unfortunately, I don't have one of Suzi and I on that day yet. I'll add it when I get it.

Here's Makayla playing around with the toys. She is gorgeous!Here's our dog's new best friend. He made himself right at home on Jerry's lap! Jerry loved it!

We enjoyed our short, but much needed visit. Can't wait to do it again sometime! Love you guys!

Oh Fall!

It's no secret that fall is my favorite season. It is just so beautiful. Here are some pics from our trip to the southerntier last weekend. It was a little bit of heaven!

The couple we traveled so far to see! Tash and Jae

And the cutest little (big) girl in the southerntier, Jaina!

Excuse my mouth full of food! This is on the horse drawn carriage ride.

The view from the ski lifts, I think that is us from a distance.

One of the gorgeous buildings at this resort.

Just a little harvest decor!

Another lodge at this resort.

This was my most favorite view. Breathtaking!

Aren't the colors just gorgeous!?

I love this man!

It's Friday

I know I said my next post would have pictures from our trip last saturday, but I just haven't had time to put them on my computer just yet. The camera is actually still sitting on my end table in my great room. My husband is working nights this weekend, so I know I will have time to do it this weekend. I always welcome things to keep me busy while he is working nights.

Tonight my husband and I are going to dinner and a movie. We got a gift card to our favorite restaurant - Delmonico's- when we let Obeo take photo's of our home. So, we really only have to pay for our movie, which is great! We are going to see Fireproof with Kirk Cameron. He is Anthony's favorite. I am excited to see the movie. It's about firemen and their lives, so I am sure I will relate to it someway. I love dates with my husband. We try to go once a week, but it doesn't always happen with our schedules.

Saturday I am going home to my mom's for birthday dinner for my sister-in-law. She turned 27 on Wednesday. I can't wait to see my family, and especially my nephew. Lately, he has no interest in Aunt Heather when Uncle Tony is around. He is enthralled with him and being a fireman. When I call to talk to him, he always asks for Uncle Tony, and refuses to talk to me. My brother even lied and told him I was a firewoman. Nope. Didn't fool him. He only will talk to firemen. Brat! He is so funny though. The other day he called to tell us that mommy set the grill on fire, and Uncle Tony needed to quick come and put it out. Apparently, she was cooking sausage and the grease dripped down and cause some flames to grow bigger. Elijah thought the grill caught on fire and quickly yelled "call Uncle Tony quick!" So cute. Though apparently he's disowned me. Maybe Saturday while I am there without the famous uncle, I will actually get some love. Here's a pic of the two buddies, joined at the hip:

Here's a few of Elijah in his hero fireman getup:

Ok, I am done for now. Hope to get some pictures up here on Sunday of our trip to Jamestown. Have a great Friday everyone!

so 3 months might be a little long...

Ok, so it's been a really long time since I've blogged. Every time I think to write about something, my pictures are on another computer, or I just don't have the ambition, or creativity to be able to sit down and write so it makes sense. Lots has been going on since I last wrote. Summer is now over, but that is more than ok with me. I LOVE the fall. It's my favorite season. I love the cool days, the changing of the leaves, the back to school feeling. Every year around this time I get the itch to return to school and get my masters. Good thing it's just an itch! I quickly remember that I barely have enough "me" time as it is, and with homework and classes, I would kiss that time goodbye. so I itch it and move on.

For about the last 4 and a half weeks my husband has been in a lot of pain in his upper back, neck area. After many chiropractic adjustments, and a few visits to the dr, he finally got an MRI last week. We went in to see the dr. yesterday morning. It turns out he has disc degenerative disease. It sounds worse than it is. Apparently, 80% of Americans have it, it just isn't painful to everyone. Well, he now has to go to physical therapy and learn how to minimize flare ups. Hopefully, he can return to work in the next few weeks. Good thing for firemen, they get as much paid time off as they need when they are injured!

I have been busy decorating and putting some finishing touches on the house the past few months. We are almost finished with everything on the first floor, and just have a few things we want to do to the rooms on the second floor. This winter we will be working on the basement, carpet, electrical outlets, drywall, and paint. We aren't totally finishing it just yet, but since drywall and electrical won't be too expensive, we figured we might as well do it now so the kids have somewhere to play.

You can go to faber homes website and look on the virtual tours, and if you type in either our address or the type of house (marcell), you can see some of our decor. the clock on the wall we made, and the tapestry over the couch we made. I am working on the decor over my kitchen cabinets. I just finished the plates, now I am waiting to find the perfect strand of cranberry beads to loop in my glass vase I bought. I can't wait for the finished product. http://http//homesite.obeo.com/viewer/default.aspx?tourid=497118&refURL=http://www.faberhomes.com/index.cfm?method=OurCommunities.ModelDetail&CommunityID=2&modelID=39&InventoryHomesID=0&locale=en-US (try this)

Last but not least, we are going to our great friend's house on saturday down in the southerntier. Jaina is already 3 months old, and I can't believe I haven't seen her in over 6 weeks! We are going to spend the day at Peek 'n Peak Resort. They have a fall festival going on and we will get to ride the ski lift to look at the fall foulage, and ride in horse drawn buggy rides. I am so excited I can't even stand it. I feel like this week is dragging I am so elated about Saturday. Can you tell how much I love the fall now?!

Ok, so now that this has been all over the place, I am done. I will try to post pics of our trip on Saturday as soon as I can. Hope everyone is enjoying this season. I know I am!

Ghost Town

This week at work has pretty much sucked. There are little to no children here, Becca and Lydia are both off (the source of my continuous amusement and laughter here at work), so life around here is pretty boring. The phones aren't even ringing! There's an eerie silence in the halls, and it's pretty quiet in the daycare even. I always thought this was a pointless week to be open. We should close, and get it automatically paid for. Great idea Heather!

So, any suggestion as to what to do when you are so bored at work you could almost cross the line to insanity?

Long Time Coming...

Our Honeymoon...

We went to Siesta Key for our honeymoon. It was gorgeous down there. It's off of the Gulf Coast near Sarasota FL. We loved it so much, we want to make it a tradition to return every year. Maybe not the same time every year, but we want to make it down there every year.

Without stating the obvious, our honeymoon consisted of us sleeping in until around 11am each morning. Waking up and making our own breakfast in our condo. Getting into our bathing suits, lathering up with SPF 50 sunscreen, and heading to the beach. We would lay at the beach until around 4 every day, return to the condo, shower and get ready for dinner, then head up to Rt. 41 and find a restaurant that looked good and enticed us. We ate THE best food ever on our honeymoon. My mouth still waters when I think of the dinner we ate at Sharky's one night. It was on Venice beach. I say anyone who goes to Sarasota, HAS to fine Venice Beach and eat there. You will never be the same....steak, crab legs, fresh vegatable, mashed potatoes, corn bread...mmmmm, I am so hungry right now! Anyways, after dinner we would site see a little on the different islands, return to our pretty much private beach, set up our blanket and watch the sun set. We would walk along the shore and just enjoyed the beauty that God creates EVERY single night. It was amazing. We ended our nights with some homeade ice cream from a shop near our condo and then head to bed. It was so delightful. If I could relive any moments in my life over, it would be the ones from my vows to the end of my honeymoon. They felt like they were right from a fairytale! Here are some pics from our honeymoon: