2 Days Until Christmas & It's Freezing Cold Here!

It is so bitter cold here! We had a big ice storm on Friday and all the trees are still covered in ice. T took these pretty pics on Friday morning. Usually the ice thaws out the next day or 2, but it is Tuesday and everything is still icy.

We got more snow this afternoon. I drove home in a wintery wonderland. It took just an additional 15 min to get home, not that bad.


Ethan is having such fun changing all our advent countdown calendars. He got the 'old school' santa beard countdown at aftercare. I so remember creating the cotton-ball beard in 1st grade. So great & he loves it. I gave him a baggy of cotton balls and he just simply uses his glue stick and sticks it on the correct date.


I needed something for the wall above our sofa for Christmas. Everything I had was too small and to put it in a grouping they all didn't match, you know?

My mom brought home some garlands from my grandma for me so I thought I'd design something to go with a decorated wreath I already had. I added red & green sparkly balls, white lights and ended up with this...

I really love it! And it only cost me $7!! 2 packages of bulbs 1/2 off at Meijer for $5 and $2 for white lights.

I also like that it is pretty without the lights on in the daylight.

It fits the space so much better now, the wreath looked pityful alone.

Today is my parent's 41st Anniversary.

We have T's parents Christmas tomorrow on Christmas Eve.

It is a fun hors' douvre mini meal. I bring my cookies and our taco dip. We will have shrimp cocktail, meatballs, lil weiners in crossants, crackers, cheese, veggies and more goodies I'm forgetting.

We drew names for the first time for this get together. We are also having the grab bag/yankee Christmas thing. I hope they all remember to do it!

Visit to Santa - A Christmas Story exhibit

I was so excited to see an ad in the paper about A Christmas Story coming home. There was an exhibit at LCCVB in Hammond.

Yesterday was the last day for Santa. It said it was a replica of Santa's mountain as in the movie. Well, it was half scale and about 5 ft mountain. But there was a slide and it did fall into cottony snow! photos were only $5, too!

Trent took video of Ethan going down the slide. He was happy that he could tell Santa what he wanted this year.

Pixos Studio

Legos

Rhino Rampage

Wii (thanks to T's student trainer for bringing that in and getting him hooked on it!)

The exhibit had previously been in Macy's New York store windows. They were all animated and really neat.

Then I made them pose by the leg lamp at the gift shop...

It was super cold on Sunday and still is today. Yesterday was -3!! And we were out in it all!

I had played bells in our church's Cantata. Our church lost power so we were all in our coats. Not really bad. The power came back on halfway through 2nd service, just as the choir sang "Joy to the World"

Our power went off like 6-7 times on Sunday, but came right back on within 5 seconds. Such a horribly cold day to be without heat & power!

I have most of my cookies made. I want to do 2 more sets tonight. I have most of my wrapping complete, too! I had to trek out to Walmart for a gc today. Such a mistake! I knew it would be bad.

10 days until Christmas

Trying not to feel stressed over everything. I just found my mother's gift, so that has allowed me to relax some. And my dad's gift came in the mail today, so excited about it!

I took some holiday pics of Ethan for the annual calendar for his Ga.

So cute! She has bought him all those Build-A-Bears! Yeah, 5 now and I think she got him the new moose for Christmas, too! He loves them so.

I'm having fun on Facebook, finding old friends from high school & college. T doesn't care to sign up, I emailed his brother to get him to sign up. I've had a couple people ask about him, so told him he needed to get on there!

I'm hoping for a stress-free work week. Or at least anything better than last week!!

I got started on wrapping presents last night, so maybe about half done. I need to start on my cookies this week. I need to at least get the cake balls done for Ethan's teacher.

Watched Survivor finale last night with E. I haven't watched it for years. I think I only watched the first 2 seasons! Ethan watched it with me every week, too! He has been rooting for Sugar for several weeks. I have liked Bob & Sugar. So happy that Bob won. I thought E would cry if Sugar didn't win, but he said he was rooting for Bob, too. I made him go to bed during the reunion show, it was like 10pm!

Tomorrow is our Girls Holiday Lunch at work. We are going to try some place new this year. Should be fun & I'm going to try to take pics this year.

Thanksgiving wishes

I'm behind on my posting.

We had a nice Thanksgiving. Made it to both sets of parents.

Trent made the pumpkin mousse pie for me Thurs. morning and let me sleep.

So nice of him. Almost unusually nice.

Ethan got to wear his Feathers that he had been wearing in kindergarten class. They got an added feather when they did something helpful at home.

At Trumps I set the timer on my camera for a group shot. Need to use that more often!

Aunt Dorthy didn't make it, didn't feel well. She is 92 and lives by herself!

Ethan ate his food pretty good. He liked the dark meat or 'brown meat' better though, like his momma. I love love love Thanksgiving dinner! I got tons of leftovers and had this meal like 3 more times over the weekend!

We made it to my parent's house around 4:30pm and brought the pumpkin mousse pie. I had a piece there. So yummy!

We brought our Seinfeld dvd game and played it in teams. Conards were there this year. So teams were T& Me, Jennif & Dad, Adam & Kathy. Yeah, it was close but T & I won! J got all huffy about it, too.

Last Week flew by

I had a nice relaxing birthday. They got me up early to give me my presents, T had to work early on Sat. Ethan knew I wanted Taylor Swift's new cd, so he was excited for me to open his present. T also threw in Sugarland!

I had hinted that I would love a real ipod, specifically the cool purple one.

He had it inscribed, so I didn't get it until Monday. I love it so! The new Ipod Nano 8gb.

Later we went late lunch at my new fav Mexican place.

Yesterday I got gas for $1.77/gal!! How awesome is that?

We don't have to travel out of town this year for Thanksgiving. First time staying here in many years. My grandparents are not in their new place yet. Grandma is still recovering from her hip replacement and Grandpa is moving to a nursing home for a few weeks.

We are going to T's parents first and then my parents later for dessert.

I'm making 3 things:

Green Bean Casserole

Corn Pudding Casserole

Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake

I have all the ingredients for everything, got it all today. Meijer was so crowded, I wanted to avoid crowds at the store I would expect in the next 2 days!

I went to Toys R Us last Friday with my sister. We got most of the toys we needed. I avoid that store in Dec. I can't handle it! They didn't have the DS game I wanted to get Amanda, though. I'm checking Target tomorrow.

I'm working thru Wed. this week. T gets to chaperone Ethan's field trip to the circus on Wed. He better take a lot of pics!

Last weekend recap

Last Sat. we raked our whole yard. I think it took T & I about 2.5 hours! So happy that it got done. T had already raked some 2 other previous times without me.

Ashton of course had to keep laying down in bad spots...

Of course there are more leaves there now, but not as bad as it was. Hopefully, just 1 more time of getting them all raked.

Then on Sunday we went to see Madagascar 2. T actually suggested it!

Ethan really liked it. He stayed awake and paid attention, too! We got him his own little popcorn and drink, again. He really was a fan of the first one-so much that is was the them to his 3 birthday. He loved the I Like to Move It song back then.

It is really rainy and over cast today. Add to that I had to go back to the dentist! My dr wanted to change a silver filling to a white one. It had stained my tooth, a blueish tint! It was a back molar that you really couldn't see when I smiled, but still got it done. It was only $25 and they said it would take only 45 min. Well, it took 1 hr & 40 min. I really hate going to the dentist. Plus, I was in a room without a tv and was so bored waiting. Right now, I'm still numb but my tooth is white and nice.

Tomorrow I'm going shopping with my mom, she is getting me a new coat for my birthday, hopefully. Not sure what all my birthday plans are yet. Just hang with the fam.

A New President

I was glued to the tv last night. Plus, I was on T's laptop constantly refreshing the map of Indiana. I was waiting to see if it would turn blue. And it did, this morning!

I was so touched as the new first family walked on the stage.

This artwork I love, it is awesome...

I just found this online...Obama escorting his daughter trick or treating in Chicago! How precious!

What a historical night...glad I saw it at least on tv!

Election Day, Did you vote?

Trent's mom was working at where we vote and called and said the lines were the shortest she had seen all morning. I was planning on going between 8:30 & 9, we got there at 8:45am.

We only waited about 30 minutes, too! Ethan hung out at the precinct that Ga was working at. A girl I graduated with was behind and we chatted and it really passed the time.

Indiana doesn't give out those cool I voted stickers. Or Lake County doesn't.

But I found one online!

I think T cancelled my vote out. I can't get a straight answer from him!