It's a COLD Thursday!!

Hunter made this at home with Grandma Wednesday night while she was babysitting. His school has a large Art Folder that the kids get to take turns taking home. It has construction paper, scissors, glue, packing peanuts, tissue paper, doilies and stickers to make something. Then, you fill out an index card, explaining what you made and they display it in his class. He wanted to name his turtle Rudolph. Isn't he cute? I LOVE they do that. He was so proud of him!

This is Hunter, playing at the park Sunday. He had his warm, insulated suit that his Maw Maw and Paw Paw gave him for Christmas. It had rained and then, cleared up. SO, we wiped the play area off and let him run. He had a ball!! I LOVE to see that sweet little face with a warm hat on!

This has been a great week. I've had to run around a little more than I had wanted but I'm happy to say I have an appointment with my Mickey Mouse flannel pj's tonite. I'll glad to be home. I might work on my computer and check out some details for our Disney trip this December. We're hoping to reserve our condo in the next week or two. It's supposed to be BITTER cold here today and maybe a little snow this morning. I'm sure, nothing of it but I hope it's more than they expect! I'm getting off a little early this afternoon and getting an eye exam. I also get to pick out a new pair of glasses. I'm looking for something a little trendy this time. Mike and Hunter said they'd stop by to help me. Mike likes when I stop by to help him when he got his. I love that!

I had my OB appointment yesterday and scheduled my 20 week ultrasound. It's two weeks from yesterday but right in the morning. The technician only works Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings but I'm going to have to reschedule it I know. Mike and Hunter want to both be there and I don't want to go back to work. I KNOW I'll be so excited!! She found the heartbeat instantly..as soon as she put her tool on my tummy. The baby has a nice strong heartbeat...and fast. Maybe like a little girls????

She said everything was great, except I still have a bladder infection but I'm still on a antibiotic that will help it. I've only gained THREE pounds! It's amazing because I DEFINITELY have a round tummy now!

We went to a class at the Oyster Point office of CHKD last night. It's called Positive Discipline and it was great. We've been trying to stay calm with Hunter lately and not fuss or raise our voice. We don't have to too much but I hate doing it at all. Since we've been staying calm, he has been too. No temper tantrums, no stress, no problems. It's WONDERFUL! We are really enjoying our time together. He's been on his best behavior too at school and daycare. Life is great!!

But I learned there's a lot of kids just like him. They're kids, toddlers and they're not always going to be great. That's OK. We'll take the good and the bad. I love him so much and I love learning new things. That's what life is all about. It's not about having a perfect child or perfect life and I don't think I'd want it that way if I had the choice.

Hope you all have a great Thursday! I'm off to get ready for work and PRAY FOR SNOW:)

It's Happy Hump Day!

YES! We're over the hump! I'm off this morning to my OB/GYN appointment for another baby checkup. I get to schedule my 20 week Ultrasound, which is 2 weeks from this past Monday...WOO HOO! Can't wait to find out what my little pumpkin is. All I know is she's growing like a weed. I think I got bigger overnight. I had to get some new pants last night and 2 tanks for underneath some tops. Is this looking like another humongous baby..LOL...Just kidding!

We were at the mall anyway last night so Mike could pick out some new glasses. His broke but weren't available anymore. He has a great warranty for them so he was able to pick out a new pair at no extra cost. Hunter has been SO good at school and daycare so we let him ride a couple times on the rides outside the shop. Of course, he loved the motorcycle the best, just like his dad.

Mike really wants a motorcycle in a couple years so he's started saving in another account . He's hoping to take the class next month and keep his license for a couple years before getting a bike, since it cuts down on Insurance Prices the longer you've had your license. Only if he lets me ride too!

We, also ate at the mall and stopped by for coffee with some friends afterwards. And they STILL had Pumpkin Spice so I was LOVING life:)

Tonite, we're going to a Parenting class at CHKD in Newport News. We have some friends who took a couple classes and thought they were great. This one is Positive Discipline from 7-8:30. Grandma and Grandad are coming over to keep Hunter so he can be in bed at his usual time. It's his turn to have the Art Notebook from school so they'll have something new to play with. He's all excited!!

We got SNOW FLURRIES yesterday!! We NEVER see snow here but it sure was pretty falling. Tonite, we may get a little more but no accumulation or anything to it. I just want ONE GOOD SNOW, but unfortunately, I live in the wrong area. Unless I move to the Mountains, which would be awesome, I guess I won't see any more. A girl can dream....

I'm getting ready to iron my clothes and vacuum the house before I get Hunter up and moving!! Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!!

Too Tired To Blog...

I had a full weekend but for the most part, it was WONDERFUL..
Friday started off a little rocky but we made it through some tears and then some smiles...
Saturday, Mike went to DC with his best friend for a Motorcycle Show; and YES, he does want one now, LOL, just kidding! He actually got some pictures of two bikes he really likes but knows that now is not the time for one. But someday...He's talked about it for years:)

Hunter Man and I went to Hot Dog King with my best friend and brother, Jeff. He got some Spiderman candy and a tattoo....he thought he was something else. Then, we visited Nanny and Pop and went to the park for some play time before his nap. I just love seeing him run and play. He giggled profusely!!

I was going to run in Michael's to get a Cricut cartridge and he was asleep by the time I got there. I, carefully, carried him in on my shoulder and was out within 5 minutes; Hunter STILL asleep. I was impressed!

My dad stopped by the house a little later while he was asleep so I could run to the store. I got enough groceries for healthy snacks, drinks, a large pot of Chili and Salad fixings. We LOVE salads! It was nice having dinner ready for Mike when he got home.

Sunday, we went to Church, came home for a short nap, visited our Granny and Paw Paw, Maw Maw and Paw Paw, played at the park for a while and home again. Before Hunter went to bed, we made a cake with him since he was TERRIFIC most of the weekend. We really had some great time together! I'll post some pictures Monday night of him at the park.

My house is ALMOST completely clean. I just have to run a vacume over it Monday night, dust and work on Hunter's room this week. (his summer clothes and ones that don't fit anymore have to go in the attic, as well as some older toys and then picking up a little) I've got a couple boxes to go to the Thrift store and some paperwork that needs to be shredded. In the next couple weeks, (when we find out the sex of our baby) we're moving Hunter's room into the other bedroom, currently our office and starting our baby nursery in his old room. We're also getting ready to finish our bathroom remodel...YA! I love the New Year, new beginnings, new changes.

Looking forward to my week. Monday morning, going first thing to my ENT Doctor for a yearly checkup on my nose. (I have a hole in my Septum caused by Nasal Sprays that has to be checked once a year) Tuesday, I have an eye appointment after work to get a checkup and new glasses and Wednesday, is my baby appointment. I get to schedule my 20 week Ultrasound for the end of the month...YAHOO! I'll be 20 weeks January 28Th but I may have to reschedule because of a conflict at work. (I hope not)

Next Monday, we're off for the Martin Luther King Holiday and I'm NOT Cleaning. I want to have everything done and work on my scrapbooks. We were talking about going away together somewhere but I think we're going to do some things around here. If it's nice, we're planning to go to the Zoo one day. Mike is off next Thursday and I'm off next Friday since our Daycare is closed. That should be fun!!

Please keep my grandmother in your prayers still. She has Pneumonia and they haven't been able to release her because she has kept her fever up. Hopefully, she will be able to go back to the Nursing home soon. She's in her 90's but you'd never know it. She also has Alzheimer's but is so Optimistic. She just laughs when she can't remember some things. Thanks for the prayers!

I hope you all have a great week! I'm off to bed now:)

Thank God Tomorrow's Thursday...

WOWSERS, this week is flying by. And Thank Goodness, because I'm looking forward to the weekend. Lunch with a friend Saturday and dropping some boxes off at the Thrift Store. Making a large pot of Chili and staying home to crop. That's about it. I may need to stop by the hospital and see my grandmother. She's in a Nursing Home and fell last night out of bed. Her eyes were dilated when they woke her this morning and she was unresponsive, as well as some chest pains. They sent her to the ER, where she's been ever since and decided to keep her, at least one night. She has some heavy, labored breathing and Pneumonia. She was happy to see me, which is a great sign since she suffers from Alzheimer's. She usually recognizes me right away but sometimes at night, is not as sharp as early in the morning. We've always been very close so I was anxious to see her. She's always so optimistic. I LOVE that about her. If you don't mind, please keep her in your prayers. She's 90 and very sick. Thanks so much! Hope everyone has a great Thursday. I'm off to bed. Good Night!!

Finally....

FINALLY, I got my laptop cord! We checked around a couple places and finally, got a Universal cord. $80, for a POWER CORD! How crazy is that?? But, I'm just happy I can post my pictures again. These are of my new Scrapbook corner in my den. I got a new 6 foot long table and a couple organizers. It's not huge but it's the space I have and it works. I played around with my Cricut this past weekend a little bit and found it was such a great space. I made a mess, but I knew where everything was and I was able to clean up in a matter of minutes. Mike actually helped me clean up the room and rearrange everything. But since that NASTY Sinus Infection hit me this past weekend, I didn't have a lot of time to play. Maybe I'll try this weekend.....Sigh.....
I also got a new paper organizer that fits right beside my chair by the steps. Michael's had it for 50% off so I thought it was awesome. It's metal with wheels on the bottom and has a cover to keep the dust off. (although, I don't like moving it on the carpet and is better off standing still) It's great! I still have the accordion style carrier for paper when I go to the crops.


I got the Mickey and Friends Cartridge at Michael's since they had them on sale too. I made a quick card for a friend for her birthday and made Hunter some Mickey Mouse characters. One is bent because he carried it ALL over the house:) He loved them!

I finally got my car back tonite and it's perfect! Glad to have it back. It's running great, clean and smellin' good!

Well, I can hardly keep my eyes open so hope everyone has a great Hump Day..Goodnight!

Can I Just Scream?

Well, I was GOING to post pictures of my new Scrap Area in my den that Mike and I worked on last weekend. (the weekend of New Year's) But it seems that my card reader isn't working...and I can't find the proper size USB cord to hook my camera up. Can I please scream? It's bad enough I'm still waiting for the cord to come in for my laptop and I'm using our Desktop, which is pretty much, Mike's computer. His space...his domain. I also made several cards and played around with my new Cricut, which I love. But I guess, I'll have to post later when Mike can help me find my cord...UGH!

Don't you get tired of things NOT going your way? My Durango had to go to the shop for a Four Wheel Drive Alignment this past weekend. Well, it was pretty bad when it went in but they spend several hours on it. They said that they got it almost where it needed to be but if I brought it back the next day, they'd get it perfect. (There was a long line of people waiting so we were fine with that) SO, we take it the next day and when we pick it up, it's WORSE that it was when we took it in originally. It's back in the shop today and they're having the big boss look at it. Hopefully, it will be right now. I'm just DIEING to go camping when it gets warm but want to make sure my SUV is running smoothly before pulling the trailer behind.

I was supposed to go to a crop at my Church this past Saturday but woke up around 3 A.M. with a NASTY Sinus Headache. I went to my local Patient First as soon as I got up and he said it was a really bad Sinus Infection. (my first since my surgery almost 3 years ago) He gave me an antibiotic and a Nasal Spray and I was on my way. I'm feeling better but I think I hit rock bottom before the recovery started. I just wanted to scrap SO bad. Mike worked on all the cars, giving them a new oil change and washing them. Hunter was great but had no intentions of taking a nap. I broke down in tears, just of sleep deprivation but went to my parent's house a little later and got some GOOD sleep. Poor Hunter....I hated to cry in front of him but was in so much pain. He said he'd make me ALL better and brought me his boo boo frog from the freezer for my face and head. What a sweetie. Then I cried for feeling bad for crying in front of him...LOL!

I think I'm OK now. My house is fairly clean. I need to do the last bit of laundry tonite but so excited to be HOME tonite. Last night, we dropped the Durango off for the last time, hopefully. I'm better now that I have VENTED. I'm waiting for my Cricut goodies to come in the mail any day this week so I have something to look forward to over the weekend. I'm reclaiming my Saturday to do what I wanted to do last week...SCRAP, WATCH MOVIES, STAY HOME:)

I hope everyone has a great day. I'm off to get my little Man ready for school. Take care and enjoy the day. It's going to be in the 80's today!! At this rate, I'll NEVER get snow:(

Happy Birthday To You....

This is my best friend, Robin and TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!! So, today's post is all about her. I had some pictures I had to post but I'll be sure to do that tomorrow since TODAY is for her.

Hope your birthday is as special as you are....Have a GREAT day, Girlie!!

Congrats, Mike!

This is Mike, my wonderful husband, after finishing his 2ND Half Marathon this past October.

Today, he found out that he passed his Professional Engineering Exam (P.E.) this past October also. To say I'm proud of him would be a HUGE understatement. He's worked so hard. He wen to school for over ten years, got two Associates Degrees, a Bachelors Degree, passed his Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (F.E.) a couple years ago and NOW, is a Licensed, Professional Engineer! He passed both tests on the first try, which is hard to do. He's so smart, he's brilliant and he's such a wonderful person. Can you tell I'm in love? OK, enough bragging. I'll stop now. I'm just so proud of him. He sets a goal and he doesn't stop until he's accomplished it. But as he says, He can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. We give God all the glory. There's been a lot of prayers going up for this one. He's finally finished, for a while anyway. Thank you to all our friends and family who have been praying for him. We love ya!! Now, it's time to party. We're hoping to go out this weekend or soon with some friends and really CELEBRATE! He deserves the recognition!

It was a great day. First, we find out that Mike passed his test. Then, Hunter had a great day at school, which is always a good thing and just icing on the cake for the day. We also got a call about our SUV that is currently, in the shop. We thought for sure we'd be spending our savings account to fix it. It's been making a horrible sound when I go to slow down and then, the wheel makes jerky movements to one side. Mike was underneath it a couple days ago and couldn't figure it out. He can tell a lot of things but if it's something technical, like four wheel drive involved, it needs to go to the Pros. The Dealership we bought it from has always been wonderful. We've had one major repair and it didn't cost much at all there. We had a recall that we took in to have fixed and it cost us nothing. Well, today they called and said I was VERY lucky that the front left wheel didn't fall off on me. (where the noise was coming from) Evidently, some of the bolts holding the suspension together there were hardly on. They said had they come loose, the wheel would have been off and my car would be sitting on the ground. They said all they did was tighten up the bolts and we owed them NOTHING. They did say I needed a four wheel drive alignment but their machine was down so I'd have to take it somewhere else. Praise the Lord. We're really trying to save more money and cut down on our spending. SO, to be looking at under $100 for the repair sounds good to me. (for the alignment I have to get) It sounds like my SUV really had angels surrounding it for me to be free from harm.

Now, if my LAPTOP would be that cooperative, we'd be in business. My power cord went bad and I've had to order another one from Best Buy. I'm on our desktop, which seems completely wrong for me, since I'm used to my laptop. I love sitting in my comfy pj's on my comfy bed, watching the News or TV, while working on my laptop computer. We get spoiled, don't we????

Life isn't half as bad as it seems sometimes. We had friends over who moved several months back to Wisconsin. They had been our wonderful neighbors and they're still, our wonderful friends. We also had our other neighbor over from two doors down and it was really a fun night.

Now, I'm off to bed and getting ready for my Friday, the last day of the week.

Hoping to clean up on Saturday morning and work in my scrap corner for the rest of the day. (unless we go out Saturday night to celebrate) If I venture out, I may get some paint colors for my bathroom. We're planning to paint it soon and can't wait to get started..

Oh, here comes those Resolutions for the New Year; painting, remodeling, SCRAPPING, SCRAPPING, SCRAPPING!

Have a wonderful Friday and Weekend. God Bless:)

*OH* My mom is having some Dental Surgery Friday that can be pretty painful. Please keep her in your prayers, if you would. She's not fond of pain (Her words, not mine) so I'm sure she'd appreciate the thoughts. Thanks!!

Twas The Night Before Christmas

These are just a few of the pictures from Christmas Eve. I had to work until 2 but right after, we went to see our Granny, PaPa and Aunt Ellen to celebrate Christmas. It was a great time and Hunter always is happy to see them. He loves to play around with Ellen. He was showing her his Daddy's IPOD that had his movie playing on it. He also loves to wear PaPa's hat and ride Ellen's rocking horse. What a silly boy but gotta love that smile:)

Our family came over shortly after so that we could enjoy some yummy snacks and let the kids play a little together. They had a lot of fun. You could hear them all over the house but it was happy, wonderful squeals of excitement. Hunter's cousin, DNK read The Story of Christmas and Twas the Night Before Christmas beautifully. Hunter and Baby K sat by in Mike's lap and listened. It really got us in the mood to go home and go to sleep, in hopes that Santa would visit!

Maw Maw sits with her Grandbabies

After everyone left, we went outside and threw the Reindeer food that Aunt Lou Eye brought us. It was magical, look how it sparkles!!

Hunter is modeling his new pj's. We always give him new pajamas to wear Christmas EveDo you think he's EXCITED?

And one question...why do they make children's pajamas SO tight? I know they say they are supposed to fit snug since it is a fire precaution but good gosh! These are 5T and I had to break the elastic on the sleeves JUST so he could get his arms in. OK, my rant is over now...

Thank GOD it's Friday!

I'm hoping to get a little cleaning done this weekend and then do some scrapping. I worked on Laundry last night and was so tired, I didn't get to play with my new Cricut. I've been doing a little bit every night so at least it's less I have to do over the weekend. I think we may take our Christmas tree down Sunday. That way, we can get our house back in order and I can enjoy the New Year Celebrations at home. I'm dieing to play with my new toy. In fact, today, I'm ordering the Storage Tote and 2 New Cartridges. (and getting one free with the promotion going on with Cricut before 12/31) I hope to have them before my crop next weekend at church.

Well, I'm going to get ready for work. I'm going in early to help clean up after having carpet installed last night. Hope everyone has a great Friday!!

Christmas Sunday

These are just some of the pictures from Sunday. All the kids sang several songs in "Big Church". It was so pretty and they also rang hand bells. They all looked so nice, in their Christmas dress up clothes.

Brittany sang a beautiful solo....she's growing up so fast and Hunter still adores her!! After their performance, they went downstairs and ate birthday cake for Jesus. They got lots of great presents and had a great party. Hunter looked like he was ready for a nap for sure afterwards!

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday....We're over the hump and I'm ready for the weekend!!

Merry Christmas!!

I'm a day late but I hope EVERYONE had a very Merry Christmas!

It was a great day! We got up around 6, got ready and opened presents (Mike and I only) about 7. We got Hunter up about 7:15, before the grandparents, great grandparents and Unce Jeff came over and saw him get his presents. Then, we went to Grandma and Grandads, Nanny and Pop's, Uncle Marvin's and MaMa and PawPaw's. It was so much fun. What an awesome day. We came home and Mike worked on the computer for information on his new GPS unit. I cleaned up the Living Room and arranged everything nicely around the tree. It's tradition and I do it every year but because we had a huge train table on one side, it made it a little interesting to say the LEAST:) I got a Cricut machine and I'm in LOVE! We went back to Grandma and Grandad's after a couple hours so we could see our Nanny Puckette . She's in a Nursing Home but we got to visit with her and have dinner. She was in a great mood, as usual and we had a really nice time. By the time we got home, it was after 8 and Mike gave Hunter a bath. I didn't have the heart to put him to bed his normal time, since he really hadn't had a lot of time to play with his new toys. He got to stay up and play and laughed profusely!! We have to work the rest of the week so Grandma and Grandad are watching him this week. I hope to clean up the Christmas tree stuff this weekend and start working on organizing my scrap area. I've only had a short time to play with my new toy and I'm DIEING to start catching up on my scrapping. That machine is SO cool! My husband is awesome for getting it for me and so is my MIL since she told him all about it. You guys are the best:) (nothing personal because I'm grateful for EVERYONE else too:) LOL!

I'm headed out to get ready but I hope everyone has a great day. If you're shopping, be careful.. I imagine it'll be packed and today, it's cold and rainy here.

This is a picture of my tree, after cleaning under it. We got so much great stuff!! (The boxes on the right are our stocking stuffers, so our beagle, Bailey won't get into them)

I had to make a Thank You card and made this one in about 5 minutes, using my new Cricut. I wanted to stay up all night and play!! But went to bed, thinking about what's on my Wish List!!

Well, I hope everyone has a GREAT day, no matter what you do!!

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Just thought I'd post some SERIOUSLY late pictures of our Christmas tree and decorations. (I need to post one late of the outside) I can't believe it's Christmas Eve! WOW...how the time flies. I'm as ready as I'm going to get. We've already got some open presents already under the tree. They're from coworkers, friends and our Church friends. I love arranging everything nicely under the tree, even after Christmas. That's the first thing I do when I get home Christmas Day is arrange everything pretty according to who it belongs to. Well, I'm off to work. I'll post more later when I get home. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!!

My Work Christmas Party

Just some pictures of all the fun we had at our Christmas party Saturday night. It was a blast...We look forward to it every year. I get to catch up with lots of good friends and their loved ones. I danced until my feet REALLY hurt....so in this last picture, Kim and I are saying, "NO MORE DANCING"

We got to do this CD skit, where it's our head on other bodies and it looks like we're dancing. It's pretty cool...and Lynn and I won $25 gift certificates for the company in Va. Beach. I looked all morning for dresses with my best friend and ended up liking the one I already had the most. Go figure. BUT, I did have some great time with my girl and got to enjoy a yummy lunch at Jason's Deli.

Sunday, we worked around the house and recovered. My legs and knees were killing me but I know it was some awesome exercise!!

Anyway, I'm exhausted. I was out at Steak and Ale last night for my 8Th Wedding Anniversary and tonite, I wrapped a ton of presents and got Hunter all ready for school. Tomorrow, he's in a Christmas Chapel at School and then I'm going shopping for a couple hours. I've got my list and I'm READY to get done. Then, Tran Siberian Orchestra tomorrow night. (after Jason's Deli again for Dinner....YA!) CAN'T WAIT!!

HOW is it that my days off tend to be SO hectic?? It's that time of the year. Well, have a great night!!

**UPDATE** I'm out the door at a little after 9. Can't wait to see my little man at 11:30. Have a great Thursday!!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is my 8th Wedding Anniversary and I couldn't be happier. I have the best husband! He's, truely my best friend and I couldn't imagine life without him. He's funny, smart, sexy, a little crazy at times and supportive in so many ways!

Mike, I hope you have a wonderful day and thank you for making my life so wonderful. I love you SO much!

(this is us at our Christmas party this past weekend)

The Countdown is ON!

Only 3 more days until we go see Tran Siberian Orchestra!! This is probably the 9th or 10th year in a row that we've been...We LOVE them...So I leave you with some of their work. (We rested Sunday after our Christmas Party was the night before. We're pretty tired but got alot done around the house so I'll post pictures later here and on MySpace tonite!! ) Have a great week!

LONG Weekend

I found this on Cheryl's blog and thought it was pretty cute! If you're reading this, TAG, you're it. I want to see your responses!!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly wrapping paper but depends on the gift/shape/size if I use a bag.
2. Real or artificial tree? REAL! I ADORE the smell of a fresh cut tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? Either Thanksgiving weekend or the weekend after.
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Eve or Day
5. Do you like eggnog? It's OK
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A Doll made by my mom and a bed that my dad made for her..so special!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, I have a couple. One that I loved and a Veggie Tale one for Hunter. I think it's important he understand the TRUE meaning of Christmas.
8. Hardest person to buy for? parents; they are the most UN materialistic people I know. They have everything and could care less about gifts for themselves.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Hunter, he is so appreciative and loves everything.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't remember. I've always loved everything anyone buys for me.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail a mass of them to friends and family at Christmas but email cards throughout the year to my closest friends.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Around Thanksgiving.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cheese Balls, Date Nut Balls and Rice Krispy Treats
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? Once upon a Christmas, by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We travel around different family member homes but stay pretty close to our hometown
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yep:)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A beautiful angel my Manager gave me years ago
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas Morning!!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Rude People and how so many forget what Christmas is all about.
23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? white lights, ribbon, beads, gold and burgundy balls and special ornaments that were mostly given to us or each other.
24. What do/did you leave for Santa? Milk and Cookies

What a great weekend it's been! Friday night, we went to Holly Dazzle at our local City Center and saw the most awesome Fireworks show. It kept looking like the Grand Finale and it kept going! We got stuck in traffic on the way home and then got up early Saturday to go have breakfast with Santa. It was so much fun. They had a huge buffet and Santa came to every table. Hunter got a TON of toys and we got a free travel cooler. I can't believe how much stuff they gave away. We also got free drinks and ice cream in the mall for later. We did some serious Christmas shopping and then headed home for a nap. Mike raked the leaves before we went out to get our Christmas tree and we all went to bed early so we'd be well rested for Church today. The tree is in the stand but not decorated yet. We like it to "settle" one night so it's nice and full. This one looks perfect because it's not huge but a nice slimmer tree. The smell it gives off is out of this world! I LOVE IT!

We've cleaned a little this afternoon but rested before we go out again. My Uncle is having us over for dinner and to help him with his tree. It's tradition and we have a great time. I guess we'll work on our tree tonite. It's been nice to rest. I know what we don't finish today, we will tomorrow. We're also working on printing invitations for our Family Dinner and our Open House that I need to mail tomorrow. Busy Busy Busy!

Tonite is supposed to be a really good episode of "Brothers and Sisters" so I'm saving the little bit of dusting in our bedroom until then..LOL:)

I'll post pictures later. I'm going to pack some stuff up and move on out. I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL week and enjoy the Season!! God Bless!

Smiles:)

Hunter was modeling his sun visor this weekend that he had found. What a smile!! He loved it, wore it the entire weekend. I joked with him that he looked like a McDonald's employee so he ran around and asked us did we want fries with that. It's such a fun time since he's just staring to catch on his talking and saying full sentences. We can all tell a big difference sine he started Speech. I just love his smiles...He hams up for the camera. NOW, hopefully he will do this good this weekend if we try to get Christmas pictures done for our cards. I know we're doing all our decorating Saturday and I can't wait!! I thought I'd be able to go to Grand Illumination but it looks like we'll be over my Uncle's house. He likes to have the family over to help him decorate and we're doing that Sunday afternoon. No problem, since I have alot more planned for the weekend.

I'm headed to bed. I didn't go to my meeting tonite. I've been having Dizzy spells, where I feel pretty light headed. It might be normal pregnancy stuff but it's different and my sugar isn't the culprit this time. I passed out at Church on Sunday but I thought it was due to it being warm in our Sanctuary. I just blacked out and it was pretty scary. I go to the doctor Thursday morning for my 1 hour Sugar test and then a regular baby appointment. I'm anxious to see what's going on. I'm about to fall asleep on this keyboard and I've got another busy day (and early morning) Hunter is going to my grandparents and they're taking him to school since I'll be in my appointment. I'm not sure which one is more excited. They're going to have McDonald's pancakes together in the morning for Breakfast. YUMMY! Well, Good Nite!

Beyond Blessed

WOW...what a wonderful week it's been. It started off with our Thanksgiving. We went to see our Granny and Papa before going to my SIL's house and my grandparents. They just didn't want to go out so we took Thanksgiving to them. Mike cooked a huge, 20 pound turkey for us and to share. We also took homemade mashed potatoes, Cornbread stuffing, homemade rolls, fruit salad, and a cheese ball and crackers. Our aunt takes such awesome care of them every day and for one day (and the days they have leftovers) we wanted her to be able to have it easy. (We even brought her the paper plates to eat off..LOL) They mean the world to us and it was so nice for them to be able to have a special Thanksgiving too.

We went to my SIL's next, where she had a beautiful table full of food and lots of leftovers to take with us. The kids got to play outside, since it was in the 70's and then we got a picture outside. If you're wondering, YES, we are around a leather couch. The guys carried it out for us all so that we'd have it for the picture. It was beautiful out and the leaves are just now changing to a beautiful array of colors. I thought the picture turned out great and us taking it was really fun!

Next, we went to my grandparents, where we ate another wonderful meal. Lots of food, yummy collards, homemade soup, and a picture around the tree before we left. They keep up their tree in the Living room every year so we thought it was a great backdrop for us to use. Our Aunt Wanda was here from South Carolina and we were thrilled to have her here with us.

Friday, Mike had to work and we slept in! Hunter usually gets up around 7 and the first thing he says is "It's a pretty Day!" He's so sweet ....he even says it on rainy days but we always say that EVERY day is a gift from God, no matter what the weather. Well, he got up and I told him we were sleeping in. So, in Mom's bed he went and we didn't get up until 10!! There was NO Black Friday shopping for me. I usually spend the night at Best Buy to get some Electronic Goodies with my husband. But this year, I just didn't have it in me. I'd like to get a new laptop since mine has been acting up but it'll have to wait until next year. I don't even know if I'd stalk Best Buy again, since you really have to be out there by about 3 PM on Thanksgiving Day in order to get a good seat. By 7 PM, they were wrapped around the building ....NO THANKS! We did walk around Kohl's for over an hour but just to see some Christmas decorations and the Toy department. The lines were crazy so we headed home and took a late afternoon nap.

Saturday, We went out and raked leaves. Actually, Mike raked leaves and I offered to help but he said it was OK. He thought it was too strenuous for me, being pregnant. I DID make it out to take some pictures of Hunter playing. The colors of the trees and leaves were awesome! Hunter had a blast, as Mike would make a huge pile of leaves and then, throw in the middle. I got more pictures I'll post later. That night, we went to the Yankee Candle Factory to see Santa and all the Christmas decorations. Hunter loved it..his giggles were priceless.

Sunday, we went to Church and then came home and rested. We cleaned up a little later and watched some movies with Hunter man. A day of rest...just what it should be.

This weekend, we're planning to go to Holly Dazzle Friday night to see all the Christmas decorations and do some fun kids stuff with Hunter. It ends with a large Fireworks show. Sunday is Grand Illumination in Williamsburg with a large fireworks show also and festivities. I LOVE seeing all the beautiful decorations through Colonial Williamsburg too. We'll be getting our tree and decorating all over the house on Saturday. I can't wait!!

I'm super excited about the Holiday season. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. For the most part, it's because of the TRUE meaning of Christmas. What would our world do without Jesus? He's so good to our family and we owe him our life. We're trying hard to really focus on the Reason for the Season this year. I could care less about the gifts. Mike and I are doing small gifts this year and it doesn't even matter to me. I have EVERYTHING a girl could want. My Guys are amazing!!

I just want to spend time with them and enjoy all the festivities. Our calendar is getting full with Christmas dinners and we're planning an Open House for all our friends now too. We got married at Christmas time and I think it's so romantic. We also went to Disney World for our Honeymoon and I don't think I'll EVER go another month but December. We went last year and we're planning next year's trip now. My parents are going again with us, as we'll have an infant with us next year. (Yes, we're crazy but happy) We don't have a lot of extra money but I'm so thankful for our Careers and that we always have enough for what we need. We struggle sometimes (who doesn't?) but it just makes us realize what's important.

We've had a great couple days of fun together. We've watched a handful of Christmas movies, made cookies, and just laughed uncontrollably.

I've got to get to bed now. I have an 8:oo A.M. meeting Downtown tomorrow and Thursday, an 8:00 A.M. Sugar Test...UGH! I HATE them, but have to have it since they believe this pregnancy may be higher risk with my Hypoglycemia. It's proven to be playing Havoc but hopefully, it will level out soon. Tomorrow night should be another busy one. I have my Photo Fun Club Meet Up meeting at a local coffee shop and then have some pictures to order for my parents. I also need to start working on my Christmas Dinner Invites.

Good Night and enjoy the season. I'm extremely sappy tonite...I guess that's what I get for listening to all the Christmas tunes on my IPOD for the last couple weeks. What a beautiful time of the year!