Catch Up...

Well... it has been a while.

Pre-Christmas trips, parties, birthdays, Christmas, New Years, Baptisms, etc...etc...etc...

Here is what we have been up to...

In December I threw a few little luncheons for friends, visiting teachers, etc... It was my gift to them- it was so much fun.

I also hosted Caylor's company Christmas party. It is always great to entertain on someone else's dime. It is a lot of work, but a really fun thing to do!
I had 4 different tables... this year I added a little red and green ( wow... how bizarre to add red and green to Christmas tables)

Christmas morning was all that. The sleigh was once again dumped here... I think next year will be the year we cut back. It was a great day...very relaxing and then we went to Tonia & Mike Jardine's for dinner. They are such good friends... we just love them!

My photos were out of order, but we'll just roll with it...

Before Christmas we made gingerbread houses... this is one of the first years we have done it and I think it is going to be a new tradition. Meg's was really cute and Jackson had the gingerbread man falling off the roof with lights around his legs. I love individuality!

On December 21 we were in St. George for family parties... we had a special guest...

The real Santa was able to drop by and get the kids' orders.

Santa stayed, had a coke, answered ANY question ANY guest had. He told the kids that he doesn't use magic... just technology that isn't known yet. He is so darling! Really makes everyone still BELIEVE!

Mitch wasn't even too old to sit on Santa's knee...

Meg was totally amazed and asked the question... "Alot of the kids in my class say that you aren't real and don't bring presents... that their mom and dad do it... what about that?" Santa's answer was perfect... he said, " They're right... if they don't believe I WON'T bring ANY presents!"

Jacks wanted to know about the reindeer and flying... Santa had it covered and I think Jackson kindof started thinking he might be telling the truth...

After Christmas I had a big birthday... I am desperately clinging on to the 30's.... Only 1 year left! This picture was taken by Caylor the night of my birthday....we all look a little white trash! I said for my birthday all I wanted was Zeponie pizza and to be able to go in and work on finishing my project 365 UNINTERRUPTED! And that was what I got.. it was so nice to not have to referee or even listend to what was going on at my house. And... I got so much work done... it was a great day!

Mitch got a tattoo in honor of my birthday. He is such a great kid! Thank goodness it was just a pretend one... what is going to happen when the pretend ones don't cut it anymore?

On my actual birthday I had lunch with my neighborhood friends... such a great time!

The day after I got to celebrate AGAIN with Tonia and the Syracuse babes!

We had lunch and then saw the movie NINE!

A-MAY-ZING!

Great food, company, & entertainment... who could ask for anything more?

Then... Viv & Ted and Brandy & Ryan all travelled up for Meg's baptism.

They came up a few days early... we all rang in the New Year in style...

BUBBLY!

We believe in starting young... Jace, my nephew, is 3 and was jazzed to drink "CHAMPWAYNE"!

It was really sparkling cider...
Meg is in a strange get-up doing the dramatic drink pose.

She is a little diva!

After all that boozing... we turned to religion.. just kidding...

On January 2nd Meggie got baptized.

Alot of our family was here... my parents and sister, Caylor's parents and brother, friends, neighbors... it was a really great day!

We had a great party... lots of food, friends, family, and fun!

Monday the Christmas dream had to end and we all had to return to the real world. Meg wore a cute new outfit she got for Christmas. She wanted me to write a note to her teacher telling her that Meg needed to be able to wear her hat all day at school. I think she wanted me to cite the reason as a fashion emergency. I didn't write the note, but I think she looked so dang cute nobody made her take off her hat the entire day. See fashion can bring people together... it was a fashion emergency!

With the kids back in school I had no choice but to take down all the Christmas decorations.

This is kindof a weird picture of Caylor wrapping one of my Christmas tree pieces. Needless to say he doesn't love putting up OR taking down the tree.

Whew! This was a long post... I have had a busy month! That was why I didn't blog much, but it is a new year...decade and I have a few things to say... so I think I will get back into the blogging spirit! I will read and get caught up and be back in this blogosphere. Yesterday I blogged that my friend Margie had begun her own paper line. I had over 130 hits ( I know mostly from her site, because she linked back to mine...) and only 1 comment... YIKES! Not such great numbers...

I am happy to be back...see you soon!