Rooms With a View

WE'RE BACK~

from The Great Wolf Lodge. We had an AMAZING time. We are very tired so this is all for today! I promise to be back tomorrow with a few (or many) photos from our trip.

SMORES~

We traditionally make smores on Christmas Eve. Since it was raining that day we had to put it off until Sunday. Here are some photos!

Patrick and Vinny.

Vinny.

Vinny taking a picture with her new camera.

Yummy!

Patrick's friend Katie.

Mitchell.

Patrick, Katie, & Vinny.

Katie and Vinny.

Mitchell & part of Charlie.

Patrick, Katie, Vinny & Mitchell.

Patrick, Katie, Vinny & Mitchell.

I hope you are having a Great New Years Day!

CHRISTMAS MORNING 2009~

Without further ado, here are a few too many photos from Christmas morning...

Santa was here...

and here.

Here they come.

Stockings first. Chocolate for breakfast is allowed on Christmas.

Patrick and Mitchell received new cars for Christmas. They are a little small but they still loved them. Click on the photo to get a close-up of Patrick's face.

Purple boots for Vinny.

Patrick and Mitchell and their new cameras.

Vinny and her new penguin watch.

Patrick receives the World Records book every year.

Vinny made Charlie a book of quotes.

A book for Patrick from his Secret Santa, Mitchell.

A new shirt for Mitchell.

A Yahtzee game from his Secret Santa, Dad.

What is in this big bag?

A big penguin!!!

Santa brought me a puppy that laughs as he rolls around on the ground.

A black sweater.

Wii Music!

The boys excited over Wii Nitro Need for Speed.

Santa brought the family Guestures, a really fun game.

Wii Just Dance for the family. More fun than I have had in a long time.

Vinny gave Patrick some bottle tops.

Bathroom humor book.

The kids opening their BIG GIFT!

Realizing what the gift is. In the box was three swim suits, a brochure, a stuffed wolf and a photo of Vinny and her best friend Sam.

We are taking them to The Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, NC for three days over New Years. Vinny's best friend Sam, her mom and dad are joining us. Vinny has not seen Sam for a little over a year.

Vinny & Daddy dancing to Just Dance! We spent the day dancing, playing Wii Music and Wii Need for Speed. It was a GREAT day and a great Christmas!

CHRISTMAS EVE 2009~

We started our Christmas Eve celebration with church at 6:30. We traditionally roast marshmallows and make smores but due to rain we had to postpone that tradition. Here we go with some photos...

The kids get new jammies every Christmas Eve...

Patrick and his Tabasco jammies.

Mitchell got Spongebob!

Vinny got the softest pants ever~

My boys~

My amazing kids...

Getting silly...

and sillier...

and sillier...

And the silliest!

After the pajama photo shoot we played a little Wii bowling. I actually rolled a 300!!!

Mitchell...

Vinny.

Patrick.

The last tradition of our Christmas Eve is the reading of "Twas The Night Before Christmas".

Patrick is getting a little bored.

That is it for Christmas Eve! Thanks for stopping by!

FUN TIMES WITH RELATIVES & A BIRTHDAY GIRL~

Charlie's sister Christy and her husband Joel come for a visit last week. We had SO MUCH FUN! They left us on Monday and we are in major withdrawals. The kids had a great time getting to know their Aunt and Uncle better and they enjoyed being spoiled by them. This is a first for my kids since my family is so far away and have their own grandkids to spoil. It was nice to see them being spoiled for once. Here are some photos from our week together.

Vinny opening gifts on her birthday!

Aunt Christy and Uncle Joel gave her a Cookie Monster hat and the new Chris Allen CD.

Patrick and Mitchell gave their sister a new Gymnastics leotard.

Uncle Joel and Aunt Christy.

The Chris Allen CD.

Mitchell.

Patrick.

A new camera from Mom & Dad.

I only had 10 candles so Patrick is holding a lighter for # 11.

Make a wish!

After cake we all watched our beloved Saints fall to the Cowboys. Christy and Joel brought us all Saints shirts.

Watching the game.

While they were here we ate a lot, shopped a lot and did some of this...

Christy taking a little nap. We had so much fun. I wish I had taken more photos. We were just too busy having fun. We did go bowling one night and I will share those photos after Christmas. Tonight is Christmas Eve! I hope you all have a blessed holiday.

THE RECITAL

Patrick has been taking private voice lessons through Converse College this fall. On Monday, his teacher held a winter recital. Fortunatley, Charlie's sister Christie and her husband Joel were here to join us. Here are a couple of photos from the event and the video of Patrick's performance. The song is in Italian so don't bother trying to figure out what he is singing.

Mitchell, Vinny, Christie, & Joel.

Patrick before the recital started.

LOOK WHAT I DID~

Have you ever decided that you wanted to make a change and that change must happen right away? I decided I was in need of a change last week and this is what I did...

Eight inches gone!

 

This is a before shot...

This was taken on November 21st, 2009.

In case you are wondering, that is my natural curl. Patrick actually asked me if I had it curled. So, why did I decide to do this drastic cut? Well, two reasons; one, I was tired of it and two...

5 years ago I injured this wrist and cut about 10 inches off of my hair. I kept it short really short for the next year since I had a second surgery the following year. Then I slowly grew it back out. Now I have injured the same hand. I have torn a tendon and am trying to avoid surgery. I am wearing this fun brace called a "boxer brace. This is the other side...

It is very uncomfortable! I only have to wear it for a month and if it works great! If it does not, then it is going to have to be repaired.

My sister in law Christy and her husband Joel arrive today for a week long visit! I cannot wait! I hope you are having a great Monday.

30 YEARS & HOLIDAY POOL~

Thirty years ago today, this beautiful woman passed away...

This is my mother.

Me and my mom. It is hard to believe that she has been gone for 30 years. How is it that after so many years I can still miss her so much?

A new tradition that we started after moving to South Carolina is having a pool tournament after the tree is completed. This year I let the kids take some photos. So, if you make it to the end of this post, you must really love me.

I love this photo!

I am not sure why there are no photos of Mitchell. He did take the majority of these photos but he also took second in the tournament behind Charlie. So, I know I took some of him. They were probably too blurry. Sorry Mitchell.

BOWLING~

Instead of braving the crowds on Black Friday, we went bowling! Our good friend Waller went with us and we had a great time. Here are some blurry photos for your enjoyment.

Patrick won both of the games that we played.

Mitchell did great the first game. He fell apart in the second game.

Charlie, Vinny and Patrick. Patrick texts more than he speaks.

Vinny did okay the first game and did great the second game.

Charlie did well in both games taking 2nd and 3rd.

Waller was a consistent third and fourth.

This is me! Yes, I even bowled. I was terrible in the first game and took second in the second game! Not bad for someone who walks with a cane.

Mitchell.

Patrick & Mitchell.

It was a really fun afternoon and much cheaper than going shopping. We were all a little stiff the next day so we played some Wii bowling.

TOO FULL TO DO MUCH ELSE~

After Thanksgiving dinner we were all a little too full to do much more than sit and watch TV. Vinny had made spent some time before dinner creating some Thanksgiving Art...

Gotta love sidewalk chalk.

So, after dinner and dessert we watched Meet the Robinson's, Cars, Monsters vs Aliens and The Fast and the Furious.

Mitchell aka Jasper.

Patrick aka Edward Norton.

Vinny aka Ariel.

The best part of my day involved two phone calls. The first from my brother Jim and the second was from my brother Pat and his wife Debbie. Thanks for the calls guys, it really made my day.

That is it for Thanksgiving. 

Today is Charlie's Grandson Michael's birthday! Happy Birthday Michael. 

This photo was taken two years ago but I just love it! I hope you had a great day Michael!

It is also this beautiful ladies birthday..

This is my niece Chelsea with her husband Mike. Happy Birthday Chelsea!