Blessed

Each year at Christmas we work hard to remind ourselves just how lucky we are. This year especially, in light of the economy, and eventhough Dan was one of thousands to lose his job just days before Christmas, we were reminded yet again, just how truly blessed we are...We're all healthy and happy and we have a beautiful home and many excesses and are lucky enough to live in America...We take none of it for granted because we are truly thankful.

Thank you Santa!!!

Katie's Rose Petal Cottage set

Katie and her dad enjoy the Elmo Live doll

Megan shows off her first cell phone

Lauren gets her own IPOD and docking station

Lauren's 6th Birthday

Our middle child celebrated her 6th birthday on 12/16...this amazing daughter of ours is so independent, smart, optomistic, beautiful and strong. So much so, that I often stare at her with wonder and awe.

Highlights of this special day: decorating cupcakes for school, Barbie cruise ship, Santa cake and her very own video camera!!

Happy birthday sweet Lauren!!

Nebraska Chocolate Balls

Made only once a year, Nebraska Chocolate Balls are one of my many fond holiday memories from childhood. Each year my aunt, mom and I would bake dozens of different types of cookies to box up and give as gifts to friends and family. Of all the cookies, these were the most labor intensive (reason enough for why they were only made once a year), but they are oh so yummy!!

Recipe:

1 lb Powdered Sugar

2 Cups Chunky Peanut Butter

1 Stick Margarine

3 1/2 Cups Rice Krispies

Mix all ingredients thoroughly with fingers and roll into walnut sized balls. Chill overnight.

In a double boiler, melt a 12 oz. package of chocolate chips, along with a small amount of cooking wax to ensure hardening and glossy finish to the chocolate. Dip each ball into the chocolate mixture and then drop onto a cookie sheet to cool and harden.

2008 Hyatt Girl's Holiday Photo Shoot

Warmest Wishes for a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Deck the Halls

It was my aunt Frances' tradition that I carried on, to have the kids each have a box of their own in which I place ornaments they've made or that I've bought specifically for them through the years. It's a box full of memories that each will eventually be able to take with them when they move away and start decorating their own tree. And each year without fail, it is the most anticipated moment when we can go through each girl's box to ooh and aah over their individual collection.

Of course, once they've hung their own ornaments (seemingly all on the same branch, smack dab in the center of the tree) they lose interest in the rest and proceed to play and touch everything while we attempt to keep our patience and finish the decorating.

Once everything is cleaned up and put away and only after all of the lights in the house have been turned off, do we allow the switch to be thrown and the perfectly lit and beautifully decorated tree to shine!

It's a wonderful time of the year and the strongest reminder of the importance of traditions. After all, it's the basis for some of the girl's strongest and fondest childhood memories.

Hooked

My friend Sue picked me up this morning at 4:15am to initiate me to all that is Black Friday. Now, I'm traditionally an early shopper and this year was no exception. The bulk of my shopping was done and wrapped. On my list was just stocking stuffers and a good deal of "just looking".

When we arrived at Walmart we were approx. 100 people back from the front door and by the time those doors opened, hundreds of other brave soles stood behind us. It was 20 something degrees and we were chilly, but the adrenaline rush when it was "go time" was so invigorating!! The running, the grabbing, the crowds, it was so much fun!

I'll admit to a few impulse purchases but like "the fish that got away", you should have seen the GREAT deals!!!

Yeah, I'm totally hooked!!!

Truly Thankful

I have a happy family that I love and I'm assured every day that they love me. We are healthy and at peace. I have friends that I lean on as much as they lean on me. I live in a community where I volunteer to the best of my ability and never go out without seeing at least one familiar face and the benefit of it pays me back ten fold. I love my life.

I do sometimes have my bad days, but overall I'm happy because the good is always better than the bad. So today, I'm truly thankful that I am happy.

I hope you too are happy and had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Katelyn's 2nd Birthday

Elmo and frosting...addictions of a two year old!


Katie loves her babies! She wheels them around in strollers and shopping carts (Thanks Grammie and Papa), tucks them into her basinet, feeds them, hugs them, throws them and wakes up calling for them!!

Snuggling with Grammy and Gramps!

Our sweet baby Katelyn is not a baby anymore. It's a mixed emotion for us, since we're happy and relieved to be leaving the all encompassing baby stage, but sad that it was our last baby, last chance to smell that baby smell and dream of what may be...or at least until grandkids!

Halloween 2008

Halloween was very relaxed this year. Dinner with good friends and just enough trick-or-treating to fill the girl's buckets, but not the dreaded pillow cases they threaten to carry! A Pirate, Dorothy and Bat Girl...walk into a bar... (insert punchline here)
Check out the ruby slippers on this halloween cutie!

This pictures says it all...childhood joy!!

Pumpkin Festival...it's like going home

This year, we decided to follow the crowds and attend Keene's Pumpkin Festival. For Dan and I, visiting Keene, NH is like going home. It's where we met some 18 (gasp) years ago, fell in love and began our life together. It's where Dan's mom is buried and where some of our fondest memories of adolescence are planted.





For our girls, it's the home of the PUMPKINS...and boy are there a lot of pumpkins...22,586 this year to be exact!

The sheer number of lit jack-o-lanterns is always an amazing sight!

Making our little contribution

Katie enjoyed touching the pumpkins, chasing balloons and warm pumpkin pie!

Lauren enjoyed carving her own pumpkin, face painting and fried dough!

Megan enjoyed the thrill of scoring us a seat in a coveted restaurant amongst the appalling crowds, jumping in the HUGE bounce house and fried onion rings!

Right of Passage

Without our prompting and with lots of bravery, Lauren declared that she was ready for her ears to be pierced...right up until 30 seconds prior, when she totally freaked out and started calling the whole thing off. Then Daddy let her sit on his lap and Mommy held her hands while they pierced one ear and then the other. Not a tear was shed.



She is totally thrilled, and the icing on the cake is the little "kit" of ear cleaner and cotton balls that she must use 3 times every day.

Yankee Candle Factory

To anyone who has even been to the Yankee Candle Factory in Deerfield, MA, need I say more? This place is phenominal!! Room, after room, after room of goodies, half of which are not candles or candle related. Santa's workshop (a.k.a. a HUGE toy/candy store), ranks highest on the list for the girls, as did the horse drawn hay ride!

This was taken in the Nutcracker Castle which even had a waterfall!

It snows (soapy suds) in this room every 4 minutes!!

In addition to making your own scented jar candles and dipping fun shaped candles, they had hand dipping for the kids...this was a big hit with Megan and Lauren!!

What a great day!!

Lauren's Turn

Hot Tub anyone?
Bunny Ears
Lounging in Papa's pool

Lauren and her daddy
Being Chosen to feed and give commands to Dolphins
Lifelong childhood memory
Lauren and her grandparents
Toes in the ocean

Like big sister Megan before her, Lauren was able to get her chance to go on a special father/daughter trip to Florida to visit Papa and Grammie Diane. I've never seen nor heard (for hours, no, days, mind you) her so excited!! I suppose it's just the kind of one on one attention a middle child craves.

Throughout the trip, Dan would text me pictures of all they were doing whether it be swimming, boating, visiting forts, feeding dolphins or arts and crafts with Grammie. Dan said she had the time of her life, but boy did it wipe her out...she slept for what seemed like days upon her return, albeit with a huge smile on her face and the warm glow of sun on her skin.

Thank you Grammie and Papa for the wonderful memories...It's now Katelyn's turn to anxiously await her time for this special trip!