A Night at the Nutcracker

When I was little my sweet grandma , Dramy, Would take my sister and I to see the Nutcracker every Christmas. My Grandmother had been a dancer when she was young and My sister followed in her footsteps and also danced for many years and even performed in the Nutcracker many times. Going to the Ballet was a big deal, we would get all dressed up and and to this day it is one of my best and earliest memories. So when Jon mentioned he could get tickets from his work I was very excited to get the chance to take my girls.


All dressed up for girls night out. I was able to get tickets for my mom and sister and my niece, my sister-in-law and her mom.

We rode the train into the city. It was a very cold night but the girls were troopers.

The girls were very well behaved. They waited patiently for the show to start and the looks on their faces were better then the show on the stage. Brianna especially was so enthusiastic.

I had bought the girls matching dresses for Christmas and they all looked so cute. It was a wonderful evening despite the bad weather and I love spending time with the wonderful women I call family. I hope this is a tradition we can keep up.

The Christmas Post

Christmas Eve is my very most favorite day of the year and this year it was extra fun.

We started or festivities by going sledding.


The kids were cold but I think they had fun.

Uncle Jon and Atty.

Mommy and Carly heading up the hill.

The highlight of the day for Bri was that she spotted a bald eagle is a nearby tree.

Next we headed back to my brother's house for dinner. I love Christmas Eve dinner. We all make our favorite appetizers, so dinner is things like stuffed mushrooms, Lil' smokies, bacon wrapped chestnuts, and dips. We also had chicken noodle soup made by my brother that was delicious.

Then the kids frosted some cookies for Santa.

Then the spoiling began. This year Christmas Eve was extra special because my whole family was together for the first time since my parents divorced 15 years ago. It was great. I just have so much fun with them and laughed so hard I cried.

The girls came in our room the first time at 4am. We had them get back in bed with us and manged to sleep a few more hours. They were so exited to see what they got.

Bri got her Microscope.

They both are very, very spoiled girls. We always say we aren't going to go overboard , but every year we do. They are just so cute we can't help ourselves.

For breakfast we headed to Jon's parents for Swedish pancakes and more presents. Here are the girls and their cousin Courtney.

We had a really great holiday. We are lucky to have great famlies and lots of love.

Santa!

My Aunt Sherrie host our family Christmas party every year. She has an in with Santa so we are lucky enough to get to see him every year. The kids have so much fun.

Bri asked Santa to bring her a microscope.

Carly was so excited when he arrived that she was jumping up and down like she was on a pogo stick. She was so cute with him.

Who cares if they are naughty or nice, they are just too darn cute!

Joy!

It is worth every penny and all the time I spend standing out in the cold to see this look on her face.

Two little dancers

Dance recitals are always very exciting but this year we have two reasons to be exited because Carly got to dance in the recital for the first time.

Miss Brianna in all her 50's fabulousness.

My little ballerina Carly. She was so excited to wear make up and kept asking all day long if it was time to get ready yet.

Bri was so cute to help her sister out. She would practice her dance with her and tell her all about how things would work at the recital.

First up was Brianna with the Jingle Bell rock.

She is such a little performer.

Bri and her class have really improved since last spring. I was very inpressed.

I'm glad to know she has so much fun.

Next was Carly in Once There was a Snowman.

The song was so cute and the girls all knew just how cute they are.

My favorite part of the song. His arm's, are twigs.

The Flash trick step. Her favorite part of the dance.

The other thing Carly was excited for was for her daddy to give her flowers after the performance. They do two shows one right after the other, but at the break in between shows. Carly said to me "Isn't anybody going to give me flowers?" She was so excited when Daddy gave them to her after the 2nd show.

Of course sister got some too. I'm so proud of my sweet little dancers.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth! (and a pony)

She is so stinkin cute, even without teeth! I love that kid.


I'm having more fun than usual decorating and thought I'd show a few pictures of our cute house.

I love our tree. It is fake and we got it our first Christmas after we got married so this is it's 14th Christmas. Somewhere along the way we wrapped the lights on it so they stay on. Every year we say that if some of the lights don't work we will get a new tree, and every year they turn on. Our tree is starting to look a bit like Charlie Brown's tree but I love it anyway. Our decorations are ones we've collected over the years and I make sure to write the year we got them somewhere on them. We usually buy new ones when we are on vacation and we always let the girls pick a new one each year. My favorite part of decorating the tree is remembering the stories that go with each ornament. We have one from my Grandma who passed away 7 years ago and it is nice to remember her every year. My favorite is the story of the star on the top of our tree. When Bri was 3 she thought the tree needed a star. When we got home from the store after getting the star, she walked in the house and said. "We're home tree! And we got you a star." Good times.

We especially love our fireplace and think it looks extra fabulous decorated for the holiday. I made our stockings. The first one I made was for Jon when I was still in high school and he was living in Tennessee. I later replaced the cuff on the stocking and embroidered our names on them. I kept the extra fabric and made one for each of the girls when they came along.

We went to Jon's company party last night. Bri took our picture before we left. I think we still make a pretty good looking couple.

I hope your all enjoying the holidays!

These are my choices?

I feel like my post have been a little on the negative side lately but, I have a bit of a rant.
Jon's company does a pretty nice Christmas party every year. It's one of the few time we get to really dress up and I really enjoy it. So you would think that having lost 60 pounds that it would be fun to shop for a party outfit, But it's not. I'm currently a 16 which is just on the brink of being in the Misses department, but I was extra blessed in the boobs department so the Misses still just doesn't quite do it for me so I'm still stuck shopping in the plus size department. The problem with plus sizes is that they tend to have two styles; old lady clothes or hooker clothes. Why are my only choices either Stretch velvet tops embossed with glitter, or low cut satin and lace that people my size should not be wearing? Usually I have some luck at Lane Bryant but this year is a different story. Is it so much to ask to be able to have a nice flattering shirt with just a bit of bling? I don't even want a dress (which are near impossible to find) this year. I ended up with a shirt from Old Navy. I'm not in love with it but it should look nice at least, and at least Old Navy cloths run big so I can actually fit into something that doesn't have an X in the size.

I promise my next post I will try not to be so ornery.

One day at a time

For about the past month I find myself thinking, "if I can just get through this boutique things will calm down." Then days later thinking again, "if I can just get through donut date (I'm in charge of donut dates at our school which is an activity for the whole school that we do about 8 times a year and about 300 people attend, I ran out of food my first time in charge so I'm pretty stressed out every time I have to do it) life will calm down." Then a few days later I again think, " if I can get this house decorated and this family dinner over with, life will calm down." A few days later I think again, " Just one more boutique this year and things will calm down" I'm currently hoping things will calm down after I finish up the church activity tonight, Only to realize that we have a day of rehearsals for a dance recital , followed by a company party. Then a few days later the actual dance recital, about 10 special orders to be completed before Christmas, family Christmas parties, wrapping, more sewing, and, and, and. So will life ever calm down? Probably not till Dec 26, which is fine. I like to be busy, I wish that the busy could be a little more spread out sometimes. But, I'm starting to get in the Spirit of the season. Decorations, wrapping and continuous Christmas music have helped. My little bossiness is actually doing rather well, which is keeping me busy, but I'm glad that people are liking my stuff and actually want to buy it. I've done several in home Boutiques (if your having one and want me to come I'd live to ;) just tell me the time and place) and they have gone really well. I'm so excited to see my little dancer and watch them with Santa and get together with my family. I'm sure I'm not the only Mom who is just trying to get through the day. I hope you all are enjoying the season and aren't too busy.

He's the best, and a little Christmas fun

My husband thinks it funny that on all the blogs her looks at the wife all ways talks about how their husband is the best. Mine says that too, but the thing is, mine really is the best. I have been with my honey for 16 years now and I often wonder how I manged to find such a great guy at the age of 15. He is the best daddy to our girls and they love him so much. But he is so good to me. I can always count one him. Friday he worked all night (midnight to 5AM) and he still got up at 7 to get the girls ready and help me with something I had to to at the school for PTA. He is a good man. He is such a hard worker and everyone who meets him likes him. Best of all, he loves me. I never doubt how much he loves me, even when I am at my worst he thinks I'm beautiful and he is so patcient with my moods. I am so very lucky to have him.
Happy Birthday Honey!


Now on to a little Christmas fun.

We got our tree up.

Merry Christmas!

Just not feeling it

I'm having a really hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I don't know what is wrong with me, This year has the potential to be one of the best. Even with the extra sewing and stuff I've taken on this year I'm still not terribly stressed out. I have a strict no Christmas music till after Thanksgiving rule and usually by the time it rolls around I'm pretty happy to hear some Christmas tunes but this year they are more annoying than festive. I even had to sing at a church function tonight and still just couldn't quite feel it. We don't have our decorations up yet, we don't usually put them up till Jon's birthday which is this weekend. Hopefully that will help, But I also plan to turn on my favorite Christmas CD (Yo Yo Ma and friends) and wrap some presents. Cuz we need a little Christmas, Right this very minute. Need a little Christmas now!