**WARNING!!!! This entry will be long....cover a few months, and have tons of pics. Read at own risk!!!**
Before we get started, if you'd like to click and see this new entry as of 12/29, click here to see 2 pictures from the highlights of my holiday! I feel so blessed to have found friends and family here among you. I love you!
Let's see...a quick catch up. While I've been on hiatus, I finished my thesis. I got an A- on the rough draft, and was just mailed back the corrected final version where BOTH graders gave it an A. YEAH!!! I have 2 classes left that will be consuming my time - so I may be flighty again, but will finish in late Feb. I'll take them Tues and Thurs from 4:45-10pm. I can't wait to have my life back!!! I can't thank you for your support and positive thoughts....I'm really grateful!
I also have been watching my Rachael grow, moved into a new home, celebrated her 2nd B-day, celebrated Matt's b-day, worked, and tried to do some fun family things in between. To help chronicle, here are a ton of pictures to help!!!
My Fall
One of our trees in the backyard.
Typing away on my laptop in the nice fall weather
Rachael playing in the leaves!
Who is that in the leaves???
When I finished the draft of my thesis and was having it checked, I was at work when a delivery of flowers came in. At first I thought it was for the other teacher, then was so excited to see they were for me. Guess who they were from? Well, my sister/buddy/girlfriend HOLLY!!!!!! :) I never publically thanked her for the below INCREDIBLE flowers. Plus, they lifted my spirits and made all of us happy for almost a MONTH. Talk about AMAZING flowers!!!! Holly - I love you, and don't know what I'd do without you!!
Speaking of Holly, at our first blog party, Holly gave us all makeup from her "biz" and I LOVED my lipstick. Well, apparently - so did sneaky Rachael:
Our Thanksgiving
We had a busy, but wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a big one with family, then Matt, Rach, and I celebrated in our own home...we had so much to be thankful for this year with his job, our new home, new health, wonderful family. Plus, I just had to cook something LOL!!! I had a ton of fun, and it turned out SO WELL!! Even though we have a kooky 40 year old oven that was just big enough to cook a 7 lb turkey! lol. It was such a great memory!!
Matt carving the bird
Rachael showing how we should eat and drink our Thanksgiving meal - hehe
Leaving November - Time for December.
Ah December, one of my favorite months!!! I blogged about it below where I stated how much I love the Nativity, Advent, Christmas, the feeling in the air, the Christmas classics, Parties, etc. I could do without some of the stress, but stress is sometimes what I create, nothing else, so my key is taking it one day at a time so not to regret a THING!!! December was a packed month as we had so many family events, etc. I also love the traditions we can carry on with the next generation and spending time with Rachael and Matt.
Below are some pics of Rachael and I decorating her first (ok, and my first lol) gingerbread house:
Christmas Work Parties
Matt and I had some actual fun work parties to attend. The parties my school gives are always nice and fun, where we can all mingle and take a break from grades and stress. This year (though I can't locate the pic) my principal thought it would be funny to have a snow machine. Snow machine and drinks made for fun pictures HAHAHA! It was funny to have "snow" on a chilly, but non-freezing night! Here are some pics of Matt and I, and one of my best friends and I (she is married to my co-worker and friend, and they are the god-parents of our daughter)
Matt also had a wonderful office party. His company was very generous and had it at a nice place to honor their employees. There were over 300 people there, they had a band, and open bar and 2 champange toasts for the employes here and overseas, and one for their families support. It was nice.
Our REAL fun!!!
Of course - events that I truly treasure are seeing friends who are basically my second family. I mentioned it in my last post. When the possibilities started of some of my FAVORITE people coming to my city where we could see each other made me so excited!!! I counted down the days!!!! then it happened, Holly and Cara and their families came to my house!!!! I was so thrilled. Then, I was graced less than a week later with SANDI. How awesome is my life?
The Sunday visit with Holly and Cara came of course with laughs, jokes (somehow I'm either just a laugh machine, or I just allow myself to become the butt of most jokes - but I'll take it however I can get it), TONS of kids, and the blessing of amazing friends. It was a PACKED day, as I had a semi-surprise visit pre-shower with my old college roommate from CA and our close friends/godparents who visited until Cara's arrival. It was so nice to see her and Tommy again and their family. I have been missing my Dylan, Liah, and Jay! Then the day melded into Holly's visit and it was so amazing to see her and Big A and my girls V and A. I have missed them so!!!! They so tricked us (me!) though. She called to give me a "15 minute warning" they were almost to my house, and I was like "great, no time for a shower - but I can change into some decent clothes" as the doorbell rang. Those liars!!! They called from my driveway!! Oh well, another way to tease Big A with!! Our house saw 6 kids, and 9 adults in the span of that day!! WOW! We did have a BLAST!!!!
Though I was caught very unprepared in the entertaining department - silly me - (wine-screw anyone? Forget decorating with wine bottles...we have to drink them too! Especially that rare Costa Rican wine from 1997...BAHAHAHAHAH) we had a GREAT, GREAT time!!!! I have plenty of pics to prove the fun, especially with our beautiful, beautiful children....I even caught the famous pic mentioned in Cara's Liahism post about "am I skinnier now than you last saw me V?" Those girls are BEST friends, and A and Dylan, Jay, and Rach are just too cute together. I personally loved having our husbands together. a few times I just had to look around the room and just take it all in. Was this really happening?
The Now Famous Liah asking V as they used my weights "Am I smaller than the last time?" heheheheh!!!
It was an amazing visit!!! Here are the blogging beauties again:
From Left to right - "Kermit the Becca" (hi Big A! you know A, I think "Big A" stands for Big @$$ - what do you think?), Holly, and Cara. What a GREAT day! (Love you Big A!!)
My SECOND great event of the week was Sandi's visit! She was able to come down on Tuesday of my break to spend a few hours, and it was nice. Sandi showed up nice and early, and I felt like such a loser to make her wait while I finished getting ready - but as always, she was totally gracious and made herself at home!
Sandi was able to take a ton more pictures than I could, so I can't wait for her entry, but we had a wonderful time getting caught up over ice water (yes, I suck at entertaining), pictures, and stories. Rachael napped most of her visit, but when she woke up - she and Sandi became fast friends! I think Sandi got some funny pics of her waking up to this strange woman though lol!
I had such a wonderful time. I love hearing about Sandi's family, church, and interests. It was nice to have some peace and quiet to catch up in too, after the holiday's bustling.
We had to take our own "group" photos - but this one turned out great, and I'm so glad to have a picture with such a great friend.
Here is Sandi outside with Rachael before Sandi had to leave. It was a great afternoon!
I'm such a blessed woman to have such friends! I love you girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last 3 Events of December to date....
If you have read this far - GOD BLESS YOU!!!!! I only have 3 other big events left to journal to caught up - visiting the "Pink Pig" with my sister, niece, mom, and Rach, vsiting the GA Aquarium, and of course CHRISTmas!!!!
Pink Pig
The Pink Pig is a Rich's Department Store tradition from back in the 40s (now a Macy's tradition). The tradition is continued today with the piggies being changed from hanging train cars, to regular track cars. Even though you wait in line for up to an hour or so for a less than 4 minute ride (2 loops around this pink piggy land) - it is worth it when you see your little one's face. I really did not get into it, even seening Holly's girls on it, until my own was sitting next to me all excited. Plus 1$ from every ticket went to our Children's hospital. GREAT!!!! So, if you enjoy pink, or even pigs - or cute kids - settle in for your free ride:
(In these pics you'll see Rach, my niece, my mom, and my sister)
The GA Aquarium 
Ok - this place is AMAZING!!!! It is HUGE!!!! One tank alone holds more than 80 million gallons of water, and is longer than 2 football fields (curves around). The tank window is the biggest in the world, and was built in the foundation before the walls were. This tank (made for the whale sharks - not really sharks or whales - but the world's biggest "fish") is huge enough to hold schools of thousands of fish, rays, and species. There is theater seating if you just want to stare and gaze into this one tank, it is like looking in the ocean. The tank also has an underwater tunnel you can travel to view the fish and animals. There are 5 other sections with hundreds of huge tanks in the whole aquarium, and the aquarium is now the largest in the world. There is a stunning beluga whale home and they are INCREDIBLE, so peaceful, curious, and beautiful, pengins, etc. Tanks are over your head, under your feet - it is amazing enginneering.
What was more amazing than all that was our little one's face as she watched everything. I think I took more pics of her than the fish!
Here is an example of Rach staring into the HUGE tank with all the fish and the whale sharks. Total amazement...Download rach_whale_shark.MOV
In the line to get in, Rach took a nap.
Tank where you can "pet" rays and little sharks.
The under"sea" tunnel.
One of the young whale sharks. This guy is about 15 feet long, but when he is an adult can be longer AND be the size of a GREYHOUND BUS. YIKES!!! Good thing he only likes to suck plankton!!
Rachael enjoying a school of fish.
"Smile - God Loves You"
Rachael's captivated face, taking it all in.
A school of Rays....it was like gazing at birds....amazing.
In some of the below pics, you'll see us from "inside" the tank or enclosure - they had places where you could get inside to get closer looks and cute pics!
A beautiful Beluga Whale
An attempt at a movie clip with the Belugas Download pretty_beluga.MOV
Now - close encounters with Penguins!
An attempt at inserting a short movie file of Rachael meeting the penguins Download meeting_penquins.MOV
It was a wonderful afternoon and evening at the
aquarium!! It is amazing!!!!
Our Wonderful Christmas!!!
We had a truly wonderful Christmas. It's been a few years since I really felt such love from our family gathering. It was wonderful, and like Nino - still continuing! We spent Christmas Eve (after playing at Mass - Matt and I played at the candlelight vigil and did "O Holy Night" together, and I felt such a connection to God and Matt at that moment. I hope the song touched others as well, I think the Spirit used me to play) and Christmas day at my sister's house, and our girls could spend the morning playing together.
Then, when my brother and his family got into town, we spent more Christmas fun at my sister's house (and our's too - but the pics reflect my sister's home - and boy is she a lover of Christmas, her beautiful home is made up like a Norman Rockwell painting - amazing!). Rachael got to wear her new outfits from family (plus some crazy Ugh Boots sp?) and some wonderful items Holly might recognize (no doubt from all the pics in this entry lol), and her 3 toys from Santa. She also got smothered in gifts from her family. We all had a blessed Christmas and still are! My brother and his family leave tomorrow.
Oh - when you see some pics of Matt and I in matching PJ's - well, they were a gift from my mom to us. Yes, cute matching PJs we put on just for her, and for lots of teasing from the family. But you know...I think we make a cute couple just the same ;)
That last picture from our Christmas present giving is of my 82 year old father (awesome guy!!). Well, here, in this pic he was unwrapping a gift from my brother and my SIL and started cracking up and laughing when he saw the box my SIL used to contain his gift. It became the joke of the day! He was like "WOW....This is fantastic, I can't wait to open it, hey look Amma (my mom) this could be more for you." He really led the joke on it, and it was hysterical! I hope you can read the lid ;)
And from my family to yours......
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reading up on this VERY long post....I just had to get it done, pics and all - because I owe it to myself to record this stuff, and I've also missed sharing it!!! I know I'll be busy again till the end of Feb, but I hope I record things better than before!!! I appreciate the ability and you all so much. If you made it this far - you ROCK!!!!!!!!!! Wow.
We are so blessed with amazing families!!!! Thank you for inviting me into your lives when I can check up on you. I've been lurking a ton lately....Sue I'm thinking of you, Nino - love your pics lately, Jen, Kelly, Cara, Holly, Sandi, Shelly, Kate, April, Stephanie...everyone I'm leaving off....I love you ladies, and appreciate you.
Have a great day, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Anyone have any plans to celebrate? We are hosting our 6th annual New Years Party. We provide the house and some food and games, and friends bring their choice of drinks to share, games, champange, movies, laughs, PJ's, pillows, kids...etc. It is a BLAST!!! We're expecting our out of town friends and their kids tomorrow (Friday) who are coming, and then about 6 people above that for the party - it should be fun! Wish you could all join us! Then, we all have passes to the aquarium on the 1st with all the kids at 11am. I can't wait. I love having those I love - family and friends - around me. What a great season this has been!!!
God Bless you all!!! Love you!!
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Ok - just had to try and add this clip as a funny. All season, we've been working on telling Rachael about Jesus, and the Holy Family, and she has a nativity she can play with and enjoy Baby Jesus. Well, obviously our teaching has paid off. We recently hung our crucifix by the front door, and she says "Baby Jesus" all excited, and we say yes, but he's a grown up now. He grew up for us to save us (but she still sees him as a baby).
Anyways, the other night she was playing with her new doll from Christmas, and she was being cute, so I got it on film, and this was what happened: Download baby_jesus.MOV
I have to warn that I get repetitive with my questioning because it was so funny to us, and cute, and we were making sure we heard correctly....tehe! Enjoy!
***Too tired to have proofread....I'll correct any later, please forgive me!!***
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