week before Christmas

it's the week before Christmas, and all through the house... 

• ray had an interview in virginia for the overseas job.  it went very well.  we are so excited for this opportunity!  we hope to find out soon! 
• kate had a lot of homework and projects due this week (and over the holiday break), basketball games and practice.
• i didn't have much to do but help kate with projects and work.

kate had 2 basketball games this week.  they played antietam and kutztown.  they beat both of them by a lot.  it was so nice to see them play well.

sean and brianna came over for dinner after kate's game.  kate was talking a mile a minute about school and life.  it was so cute.  at one point, she turned to sean and said, so, how is your life?  we also noticed that she is now up to his shoulders.  she was thrilled!!

kate and i finished all her presents for her friends.  we made ornaments out of paperback pages and mini paper bag albums for brittany and hannah.  she's such a thoughtful kid! (even though i get to do a lot of the work!)

we are heading to uncle mark and aunt sherri's for an impromptu family get together.  seth, christina, casey and josh are coming in and mom, dad, kelly, patrick, and olivia will be there also.  i am sure there will be a bit of drinking and card playing...

a great sunday...

kate and i started making ornaments for her to give her friends for Christmas gifts.  she did a great job!

it was so nice to have the time to make a delicious meal for the family.  i made my Nana's ham pot pie.  yummo!!

we brought Titan in because of the cold (he is an outside dog - we keep a heater under his area under the covered porch.)  it's kinda funny... he looks like he's on ice.  he has to get used to the new hardwood floors.   

pure JOY

we celebrated Christmas with our best friends Mike, Michele, Nicole, and Tyler.  Tyler is at the perfect age for surprises... We always get him a Hess truck.  He LOVES them!  This year he has really started getting into sports and Philly sports teams.  He wanted an Eagles' shirt.  We also got the kids ornaments (a tradition we have for our kids): Nicole - a Phillies' ornament; Tyler - a TowMater ornament.

cookie baking and gingerbread decorating

We had a terrific time baking cookies at Kelly's on Saturday.  It started off rough because we thought we left the gingerbread parts at home so Ray drove all the way back home, only to realize we did bring them and they were sitting on the dining room table under the aprons we brought.  UGH!  We then started putting the gingerbread houses together, unsuccessfully...  I wasn't letting the icing dry long enough.  Once I figured that out, we had it made.  While they were drying, we started making cookies.  The girls lasted for a little bit - adding the ingredients, stirring, and licking the beaters.  Kate was a pro with putting eggs in the bowl.  Olivia was hysterical when she was keeping extra chocolate chips when dumping them in the bowl.  She kept a secret stash for herself!  Then they played while we dropped them and put them in the oven.  We made sugar cutout cookies, chocolate chip cookies, lemon cake cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate chip pretzel cookies.  We finally got to decorate the houses.  What a blast!  Our first gingerbread houses.

Kate invited Hannah over on Sunday night to decorate gingerbread houses.  They had so much fun.  She's a sweet kid.

Kate's gingerbread house

Hannah's gingerbread house

Kate had a basketball game vs. Oley on Tuesday.  She played GREAT!!  She was rebounding and making really great plays.  She even had a few baskets.  They won 33-5.

Kate and I went shopping tonight for her Christmas gifts.  We both hate shopping, but we had a great mother/daughter bonding time.  She was so cute with checking to see if certain clothes were in style.  My little girl is growing up!!

Christmas time

I haven't been in much of a Christmas spirit lately... but things are turning around.  The tree is up and decorated (just missing the angel).  I do get a bit nostalgic looking at all the old ornaments that we have gotten the kids over the years.  I can't believe how old the kids have gotten and how fast it has flown by.  Aunt Sherri just gave me fresh greens and holly.  I will put them up tomorrow.  Kate and I just made gingerbread house pieces to decorate at our girls' baking day tomorrow with Mom, Kelly, and Olivia.  Should be a lot of fun!

Kate made the J-Stroke volleyball U13 Jive team.  She is so excited!!  I am thrilled!!  I absolutely love volleyball and I am so happy she loves it too.  The practices start in January and the tournaments start in February.

Kate's been keeping busy with junior high basketball.  They had their first scrimmage yesterday and they looked pretty good for their first time playing together.  There are a few of the same girls playing from last year's travel team.  There are a few who are new and need to get caught up with the existing travel team.

I have started scrapping again and it feels so good to be creative again.  I am making Mom and Olivia mini albums for Christmas.  I have been able to get together with my scrap friends lately and it's been so nice to catch up. 

new stuff...

well, it's been a while!  i have been inspired by ali edwards to start documenting more of my life.  (with my memory the way it is, it will help me remember too!!! :)   i would have loved to have had this information about my grandparents and other relatives, so now is as good a time as any.  i will be taking more pictures...i know, how can i take more pictures... i will be taking more pictures of everyday life and of myself (in my journal of self improvement).  now that i am 40, i am starting to take a look at my life and trying to "get it right".  i want to be a better wife, mother, friend, and person.  what i have realized is that i will not allow people to treat me poorly.  i am still trying to find the fine line between not being friends and just being acquaintances.  i also have to not take things so personally.  people won't change unless they want to... BIG LIFE LESSON! 

we are in the process of trying to relocate to Florida.  anyone who knows me, knows this is a HUGE life changing decision.  i have never lived outside of Berks County, PA!  (well, i actually did before i was 2, but i don't remember it)  i can't wait to start this new journey!  as soon as ray finds a job, we will be putting our house up for sale.  i already have homes in Florida that i like, so that should be no problem.  we have scouted out the schools and soccer programs for kate.  she is excited as well!  she will get to play soccer year round outside.

 i haven't had a chance to scrap as much as i would like... we changed my scraproom into a spare bedroom to prep the house to sell.  most of my supplies are in storage and the rest are on my dining room table right now.  i have a few crops coming up in the next few months that i am REALLY looking forward to!

as part of my new beginning, we decided to go camping (in a tent...).  kate had never been camping before and it's been years since ray and i had gone.  we had a fantastic time!  we found (thanks to michelle) a really cute campground close to home called lake-in-wood camping resort.  kate got to build a fire, fish, hike, roast marshmallows, and sleep in a tent.