New Year's Eve Flashback!

More fun to flashback on previous New Year's Eve than to tell you that I'm home this year nursing my poor foot -- though it is is feeling so much better already!! 

Love me some good meds! ;)



Happy New Year -- 2009



Usually, we go to our local Children's Museum for Make Believe Midnight with my friend, coworker and blogging buddy, Jodee.  Since there are usually about 600-700 people/kids there, the probability that someone would step on my foot is pretty high, so we opted to stay home this year. Jodee bailed too and she will, no doubt, tell you all about her New Year's Eve on her blog in the coming days.

So, without further chatter, photos from 2009.  We were having noodles at the restaurant next door before the festivities!!



Maddy and Carson -- 2009



Happy New Year!!

Birthday Update, Christmas Update and Foot Update!

Hello friends --Just a quick update as I am recovering again from foot surgery!!  Whoa -- can I tell you how happy I am that I have only two feet (as opposed to three or four)  -- so am done with this agony once rightie heals!  Let's do some bullet points today, as pain meds are making me just a tad loopy and definitely sleepy!
 

Cboo and Maddy with a fave gift!



• Miss Maddy turned 10 a few days before Christmas!  We went out to dinner at her fave place and she ate her fave dinner -- chicken tenders and fries!  So cute, she had her uniform on from school.  The servers thought I was a little crazy for pulling out the camera.  What??  Have they never heard of the mamarazzi???



• And then it was time for Christmas!   Connor (Cboo), Philip, Catherine and the most adorable Janie and Walt joined us  It was so much fun!  Maddy assisted in gift-giving and was such a good little hostess -- helping Janie and Walt with their gifts.  It was loads of fun!

• And so after all the fun activities of December, I ended the month having surgery on my right foot (as whined about above).  I can't wait for it to feel better!  I never thought I was a wimp, but oh my, foot pain affects your whole body and not in a good way.  It will, no doubt, feel better each day and more powerful pain meds will surely help, right?!

Happy New Year to All!

Merry Merry Christmas!

Sending our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

to each and every one of you!

Celebration on the Avenue!

Every year, our street, well actually, it is a fancy-pants Avenue, has a holiday cocktail party (adults only, please).  We all wait and wait and wait for some sucker sweet neighbor to volunteer to host.  This year, it was me and Mr. Tennis.  I figured that the house was decorated early due to the home tour (wait, I forgot to tell you all about this --the newspapers totally got my  name wrong in every single article and called me Kathy repeatedly -- so I got no credit for that event).  Ok, now that I've vented about that again, back to the neighborhood party!   Since we were hosting, we got to pick the date, time, etc.

  So, guess what -- I scheduled it on a day I had a hair appointment so as to avoid the frizzy and frazzled look that is my trademark!! :)  Sometimes it is all about me, after all!! HA HA HA -- are you all laughing?  I hope so --I'm trying to be funny, here!



How sweet -- I stuck some gifts in my side cabinet -- have I been reading too many  holiday decorating blogs??



The evening before the party when I was prepping and cooking some delicious items, my oven started to smoke -- and I'm not talking cigarettes here!  I'm talking Smoke Alarm!   I figured it was a fluke and after I wiped it out (after letting it cool off, of course) and airing out the entire house, I thought it would be fine in the morning.  Nope, barely had it turned back on to make those yummy Hershey Kiss cookies and the thing started smoking again!!!!!!  Do you believe my luck???  Well, cookies are not the only thing I know how to make - stop looking so surprised!!  I whipped up some fudge -- oh my word -- so delicious!  And I didn't turn on that naughty oven again! All other food items were microwaved!   It really turned out ok as neighbors brought food too, so there was plenty to eat!

Connor (Mr. Bar Owner) suggested having hot toddy's along with wine and beer.  Since he is young and hip, we went with that idea.   The wine and beer were very, very popular.  Hot toddy's were delightful, but the wine and . . .



A few of the empty wine bottles!





beer appeared to be the drink of choice!



That box is full of empties!



So many neighbors came by -- we do live on a fun block avenue!  It was especially nice to meet some of the newest neighbors -- sweet young couples (one of those couples promised to host next year though they may not remember that promise), and it was a fun, fun time! 

So much fun that I neglected getting any photos of moi with party guests. 

 However, here is one of me at the end of the evening nursing a hot toddy! 

 This was very late, so please excuse the tired look! 

You'll have to take my word that I looked much better earlier and even had lipstick on!!! Woot!



My sweet younger sister was simultaneously partying, but sadly (for me)
 she was at a party in Florida, not Nebraska!

She did manage to get some photos (she was having a really good hair day too). 

 So, here's a photo of her with some cute docs in her hub's group. 
Adorable!
Isn't her hair gorgeous?  She really has the best smile!



Adorable Amy and friends



You'd think I would be partied out, but the very next day, we had Miss Maddy's birthday party! 

And next up, a Santa party at another house on the Avenue on Thursday!!   



Almost 10!

On Tuesday, my little Miss Maddy turns 10!  Every year, I think that "this year and this age" is really the best (and, of course, it is).  Some of my favorite things about you lately, my sweetie-pie, are . . .

• You are a hard working student, always wanting to do your best.  Makes me so proud!
• You do your homework right away after school and we study for tests together.
• You love animals -- dogs, cats, horses.
• You love to watch movies and we often call Fridays -- home movie nights!  Recent fave - Home Alone -- the original!
• You enjoy hearing about how I sang to you (Farmer in the Dell - for hours on end) when you were a baby to get you to sleep!
• You say everyday -"No offense Muffy, but you really have dragon breath in the morning."
• You often wonder what Muffy is thinking and what she would say if she could talk.  You want answers, so I come up with whatever I think Muffy would say.
• You and Dad like to run errands together and plot ways to bug me!!
• Donut holes on Saturday mornings are a must have!
• You love hanging out with your friends.  You especially love that your friend across the street has a Corgi who is BFF with Muffy!
• You love getting together with Philip, Catherine and the kiddos and Connor. 
• You have so much fun playing with little Janie and Walt.
• You often say "no offense, but . . . "  Kills me every time!
• You love to sing along to music in the car and don't even mind if I do too!
• Your favorite meal would include chicken nuggets or popcorn chicken or chicken legs and chips.
• You are thoughtful and sensitive.
• You still like to play with stuffed animals.
• You love DisneyWorld and Mickey Mouse.
• You dislike Mondays -- in order to make Mondays manageable, we call them polka-dot Mondays and you wear a polka-dot hair bow on Mondays and Mondays only.
• You have the most beautiful dark eyes, black hair and big smile.
• You want me in to come in school to pick you up instead of waiting in the car.
• You still like to hold hands.
• You are the very best daughter ever!
• You are a blessing in our lives and we thank God for you every single day.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Christmas 2003 Revisited!

Just found this photo from Miss Maddy's first Christmas at home with us.  

She turned 2 just before Christmas in 2003.

Couldn't you just pinch and/or smooch those cheeks!!

 Little Miss Adorable with her big brothers

 (who may kill me for posting this picture)! 

Sorry guys, but I think you two are pretty cute too!

  

Dear Santa . . .

Dear Santa:  Last weekend when we saw you at the mall, my Mom and I were so excited that the line was not very long.  I hadn't had a chance to chat with you yet this year!  As we got closer and closer, my Mom mentioned that it looked like you had a weird outfit on.   Well really, I didn't think it was that strange as my dad (Mr. Tennis) often wears mock-turtlenecks.  But, I did think the color was a little different.  I mean, no offense Santa, but a purple colored mock-t doesn't really look very good with bright red Santa pants!  Was Mrs. Claus not around this morning to give you fashion advice? 

I could tell that my Mom was starting to freak out wonder how the photo would look with you in that purple mock-t!  Luckily, she asked the photo lady to ask if you wouldn't mind, to please put on your Santa jacket for the photo.  I know it was warm and you were probably roasting with little kids sitting on your lap all day, but you must admit, you look a lot better with your Santa jacket than a purple mock-t!  It made my Mom so happy, and you know that it's the little things that Mom's appreciate the most.  Thanks Santa, you're the best!

Love,

Maddy

P.S.  If it's not too much trouble, please don't forget that electric scooter for me and new chew toy for my dog, Muffy!

Weekend Update!

Well, I did it . . . I jinxed our lovely fall weather. 

 Yep, since I mentioned how nice it had been in my last post and re-posted photos from the 

 2009 Christmas blizzard, history repeated itself and the weatherman's predictions were actually right on target! 

Friday night, Mr. Tennis, Maddy and I attended a festive Christmas concert.  Do you remember Mandisa from American Idol?  She and Matthew West put on an incredibly beautiful Christmas concert. 

Loved it!

We were hoping to rake leaves and do power shopping on Saturday, but that's when we got hit by the triple header -- sleet, ice and snow!  It was so beautiful -- but cars were slipping and sliding, especially at intersections!  Not the most confident driver in good conditions, my big red Jeep and I slowly made our way home from the mall and only went out again on foot!

A dog needs a walk even when it snows! 

Gotta love our sweet little Scottie.

Hello December!

Why, hello December!

Is it just me or does it seem like school just started . . .

how can it possibly be December already?

2009 Christmas blizzard!

We've had incredible fall weather and have been enjoying every single minute of that because we know that this is what follows and promises to be here soon!

Christmas 2009 revisisted

So many things to do and look forward to in December

Christmas concerts

Looking at the holiday lights

Baking cookies

Wrapping gifts

4th graders singing at church

Spending time with family

Celebrating Miss Maddy's 10th birthday

and, of course,

celebrating Christmas - the birth of Jesus.

Let the fun begin!