Tag: holidays

Christmas Day FUN!!

After a very nice Christmas Eve, our Christmas Day was a perfect wrap-up to the long holiday weekend. Another Christmas has come and gone… It seems like I blink and it’s over. It was just Thanksgiving and now we are quickly approaching 2013. I was at Publix yesterday and they already had Valentine cards out. We all seriously need to slow down…. Like Blue! He knows how to relax….

 

IMG_4325

 

But now, I want to share our fantastic Christmas Day! After a quiet morning at home with hubby and Blue and Ozzie, we headed over to Nick & Jenna’s for the afternoon and a FANTASTIC dinner. Of course much of the afternoon was all about Autumn, as it should be. I cannot get enough of her silliness and laughter. And the older she gets, the sillier she gets. Having a bad day? Listen to Autumn for a few minutes and you will forget every single problem you are facing. I wish she could follow me everywhere.

Anyhow, little miss Autumn got a pink BB gun for Christmas after showing interest in Nick’s which he recently bought to shoot in the backyard. And before you go all “you’ll shoot your eye out” on them, you have to know that it is safety first. Not to mention Autumn is an ace shot. Water bottles and soda cans were being shot with unbelievable precision – by Autumn. No need to worry about her and boys, that’s for sure.

IMG_4341    IMG_4347

IMG_4348

 

Nick, Jenna, and Jenni also had fun with the BB guns. Not sure why I didn’t shoot it… Oh I know, I was too busy taking pictures! You can’t really tell in this picture, but hubby is holding Autumn’s pink gun.

 

IMG_4342

IMG_4350     IMG_4360

 

There was also swinging and backyard fun. Thank goodness she tolerates all my picture taking and is quite the little poser, both with me and hubby.

IMG_4368   IMG_4389   IMG_4390

IMG_4400   IMG_4522

IMG_4404

 

IMG_4512

 

Then it was time to open presents! Autumn very much loved the My Little Pony set we got her. A girl can never have too many ponies, just ask Autumn.

 

IMG_4407   IMG_4409   IMG_4414

IMG_4418

 

And then there were gifts from Grandmommy and Jenni too. Silly girl asked why everyone likes to give her so many presents and we told her because we love you!!!

 

IMG_4424        IMG_4426

IMG_4429   IMG_4433   IMG_4445

IMG_4436

Scarlett had to get in on the action too… After presents, it was time for Scrabble. If it’s a holiday and we have time, there is a Scrabble game. It’s genetic in this family. Unfortunately this game did not go my way and I kept trying to sell my vowels…

IMG_4452  IMG_4454  IMG_4475

 

For dinner, Nick made a deep fried turkey. If you haven’t had one, you should definitely try one. It is so juicy and tender. So yummy!!

 

IMG_4474

IMG_4477   IMG_4479   IMG_4480

 

While we waited for dinner to be ready, Jenni and I went outside with Autumn so she could ride her new bike and wear her fabulous helmet and cute gloves.

IMG_4483  IMG_4485  IMG_4488

IMG_4493  IMG_4496  IMG_4494

IMG_4499

 

Autumn’s Christmas!

 

Autumn’s bike!

 

I couldn’t let the day pass without a picture of me and my honey… The weather was nice, so we sat out on the patio while the turkey cooked and Autumn played on her swing. And because you can never watch it too much, A Christmas Story was on all day. That movie never gets old.

 

IMG_4502

IMG_4471

15829_10152370105890103_690931801_n

 

Time to eat! Along with the fried turkey, there were also mashed potatoes, rolls, pasta salad, corn, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli casserole. I’m full again just thinking about it. Thank you for the delicious dinner Nick and Jenna!

 

IMG_4508    IMG_4509

IMG_4510

IMG_4551       IMG_4553

IMG_4557 edit

 

After dinner and dessert and we were all stuffed (and discussing how awesome stretchy pants are), we went outside to watch Nick and his new interest, slacklining. Every heard of it? I wanted to try it but I imagined myself throwing out my back and that just would not have been cool.

 

IMG_4559

IMG_4568    IMG_4575   IMG_4578

IMG_4571      IMG_4564

IMG_4580

 

It was such a wonderful day. Good company, good food, and lots of laughter. My kind of day…. On the way home, we saw a beautiful sunset. I thought of Daddy all day long, wishing he was with us, having a hard time believing that this was our third Christmas without him, and seeing this sunset reminded me that he is with us, always.

 

IMG_4585 edit text

 

How did you spend your Christmas? Do you celebrate any special traditions?

Christmas Eve Magic

Merry Christmas everyone! As I type this, A Christmas Story is on TV, I’m drinking a hot soy latte, and thinking about the pumpkin pie bars and pasta salad I still need to make for later.

Last night, we all celebrated Christmas Eve at Joey and Devon’s house, my brother and sister-in-law, with their boys Cooper and Cole. The kiddos were in full playtime mode and the sound of laughter and giggling filled the house. There was food, fun, and presents! It was a very nice night. Funniest moment of the night – when Cole went to tell Simon (the Elf, currently perched on the tree) that Cooper wasn’t being good. Classic!

I took so many photos – and a fun video – so I better get to it!

 

IMG_4174  IMG_4187  IMG_4188

IMG_4195  IMG_4196  IMG_4197

IMG_4180    IMG_4181

20121224_173229   20121224_174636   20121224_174835

20121224_174047

IMG_4199    IMG_4200

IMG_4203   IMG_4204  

IMG_4207   IMG_4208   IMG_4209

IMG_4212   IMG_4217   IMG_4219

IMG_4222    IMG_4223

IMG_4226   IMG_4227

 

Cole (left), Cooper (right), and Autumn!

 

IMG_4232  IMG_4233  IMG_4235

IMG_4236  IMG_4239  IMG_4241

IMG_4243   IMG_4247  IMG_4260

IMG_4245   IMG_4246

IMG_4251  IMG_4252  IMG_4256

IMG_4257  IMG_4258  IMG_4259

 

Today we will have Christmas dinner at Nick and Jenna’s house and give Autumn her gift! Can’t wait to see her face when we give it to her. (hint, ponies!!!!) Today, as always, I am thankful for wonderful family times!

 

Merry Christmas to you all!

Delivering the bikes!

By the end of last weekend, we had 11 bikes with helmets for our special holiday project that hubby and I started back in October. We were so touched by everyone who took part in this, helping to make for some very happy kiddos this Christmas.

 

11 bikes no logo

 

Tuesday morning, hubby loaded them up in his truck so we could delivered them to the Toys for Tots distribution warehouse. They all fit perfectly in the back of the truck.

 

bikes loaded

 

delivery

 

On arrival at the warehouse, we were greeted by several people who were more than happy to help us unload our goodies.

 

toys for totos sign

 

unload 1

 

unload 2

 

Robin, the warehouse manager, took us on a tour after the bikes were unloaded. What a great guy! You could tell how important Toys for Tots was to him…

 

robin

warehouse 1

 

warehouse 2

 

warehouse 3

 

It was wonderful to see all the bikes they had lined up there. My dad would have loved that sight! Our 11 bikes and helmets fit nicely in line with all the others. Do you remember the feeling of getting a bike when you were little? It’s a wonderful thing to be able to pass that on to someone else.

They had games, books, toys, stuffed animals, soccer balls, basketballs, and more. And they were sorting it all out, in preparation for the big day.

It had been our plan to volunteer on distribution day and I was very upset that we could not be a part of that yesterday because of my being sick. After delivering the bikes on Tuesday, I wanted to volunteer more than ever. The important thing, though, is that our bikes made it to their destination and are now in the hands of families in need and will make for a memorable Christmas morning.

Thank you to the following for being a part of this little project of ours – we can’t tell you enough how much your generosity means to us:

  • Karen Okabayashi
  • Angela Gordon-Somers
  • Carol & Ken Lynch
  • Nancy DeTrapani
  • Jenni DeTrapani
  • Cindy Balkema

And, thank you to Jenna and Nick DeTrapani, for purchasing a bike on Friday and dropping it off at the Toys for Tots drop in our name. That makes for 12 bikes in 2012!

 

jingle bikes fb cover EDIT 3

 

To learn more….

 

Do you have charities you donate to during the holidays?

Friend Makin’ Mondays: Christmas Questions

 

 

 

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.comso we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Christmas Questions

1. How will you celebrate the holidays this year?  At my brother and sister-in-law, Nick and Jenna’s house with their daughter Autumn. We always enjoy time at their house. My mom and sister will also be there.

 

2. What’s the weather currently like where you live?  Not at all Christmas-like. It’s been 80-ish and humid. I hope it changes. It was so nice for Thanksgiving and then it warmed up.

 

3. Do you decorate your home for the holidays? If so, share a picture please!  Oh yes. The tree goes up the weekend of Thanksgiving and I have many ornaments and decorations that I love.

 

IMG_3598 edit

 

IMG_3572

 

IMG_3595

 

IMG_3594

 

IMG_3577

 

4. What is your favorite Christmas movie?  Elf and The Christmas Story are super high on the list, but I also love classics like White Christmas and Holiday Inn. Love Actually is also wonderful.

 

5. What is your favorite Christmas songs?  This is a hard question! It might be better to say which ones I don’t like… My favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night, it’s so beautiful. I am currently in love with my Michael Buble Christmas CD and I love all Christmas songs by Harry Connick Jr.. Really, I could listen to the swingin’ Christmas station on Pandora all day long  – Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, and more….

 

6. Do you have an advent calendar?  I do not! But I think it’s a fun idea.

 

7. Do you prefer color lights or white lights?  For our tree, I love white. For big Christmas displays, I love white, blue, and all colors. I am a sucker for Christmas lights.

 

8. What is your favorite food to eat over the holidays?  All things sweet.

 

9. Do you display a live tree, or do you prefer fake trees?  We have a fake tree, pre-lit. It’s the way to go. Super easy and the lights are better than I could ever do if I put them on. Although, I will always have fond memories of the year we bought a live tree and hubby put the whole bottle of Christmas tree preservative in the water. That was THE greenest tree ever and it probably would have survived the whole year had we not gotten rid of it.

 

10. What would you need to make your holiday perfect this yearHubby and my boys are all I need for Christmas, but I also do treasure the extra family time we have. I wish more than anything my dad could be with us for his favorite time of year, but I know he is with us.

 

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments! Happy Monday!!!!!

Wild Wonderland {Yelp’s A Zoo!}

Last night, hubby and I went to the Yelp Elite event at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo for Wild Wonderland. After running an errand in Tampa earlier and having dinner at PDQ in Carrollwood, we arrived at the zoo early. Given all the people arriving, though, and the line already forming at the entrance, I was okay with being early. When we checked in at the Yelp table, Brett joked that he thinks I won the trifecta for being the first to check in at the last three Yelp events. Ha, true. Certainly not intentional, but I do like to be early when I go places. Bad quality? Good quality? I don’t know….

 

IMG_3950

 

IMG_3952

 

All week, I has lured by talk of reindeer, penguins, and Florida flurries… not to mention Christmas lights. Always a sucker for Christmas lights. We saw them all, and then some. This was a wonderful event for kiddos, and there were kiddos everywhere having a great time! My favorite were the reindeer and penguins and no surprise, the Christmas lights.

Here is the link to my review on Yelp. And now, I’m going to let my pictures do the talking…. Enjoy!!

 

IMG_3953

 

IMG_3955

 

IMG_3960        IMG_3961

IMG_3962      IMG_3964

 

IMG_3966        IMG_3968

 

IMG_3971      IMG_3972

IMG_3974      IMG_3975

IMG_3976      IMG_3978

IMG_3981      IMG_3993

IMG_4010      IMG_4014

 

IMG_4009

IMG_4017

  IMG_4025    IMG_4027

IMG_4026        IMG_4028

IMG_4029      IMG_4031

IMG_4033      IMG_4034

 

IMG_4035

 

IMG_4036        IMG_4037

 

IMG_4038

 

 

Wild Wonderland is running select nights in December. When was the last time you went to the zoo?