You've GOT to be kidding me

They are calling for even more snow this Friday through Saturday.  Right now, between 12-20+ inches are being predicted depending on the weather site you look at but look at this storm that is on it's way...

...it is the size of Texas!

And, we are all boxed up so I think we are going to be bored.  It might be a good time to take some pictures!

So Much SNOW!

We have been getting a LOT of snow in our area this winter.  Usually, we get a lot of ice and minimal snow.  I don't know what is going on with the weather....but I LOVE it! 

Last night it snowed about 5 or 6 inches.  It was a really wet snow cause it wasn't really that cold out. 

Which led to really pretty snow on the trees!  This picture is of outside my office window at work.  It doesn't do it justice at all because it's on my crappy camera but you get somewhat of an idea as to how pretty the trees look.  It almost makes the McDonald's across the street look pretty.

New Years Eve 2009

New Years Eve 2009 we planned on going to one of Steve (and my) friend's New Years Party that he was hosting.  He had the party at a room that he rented out in a building where they hold a lot of wedding receptions, parties, etc...so it was really pretty.

We paid a flat rate and it included open bar, beer pong, music, the VA Tech game and a HUGE buffet dinner.

Honestly, looking at the Evite ahead of time, I knew I wouldn't know many people that were going but we had a good time anyway. 

Below are some pictures from the night.  Since we didn't know many people, there aren't too many pictures and a lot of them are of Steve and I so bear with me...

***Sidenote: These were taken with my digital point and shoot since I wouldn't EVER bring my big black beauty, the DSLR, out on a night like this.  something was wrong with my camera (and still is) so the pictures are very poor quality.***

Steve and I soon after we arrived

Jamie and Kiser, AKA two of the few people that we knew there

Dave, Drew and Steve

Khalid and Steve

The host of the party, me and Melodi

The beer pong table....GREAT idea!

The Tech game projected on the wall near the dancefloor

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas 2009 in Raleigh, NC

Traditionally, Steve and I go to Raleigh, NC for Christmas.  We usually spend a few days there and come back for work the next week depending on what day Christmas falls.  This year, Christmas was on a Friday (score!) so I could take only 2 days off of work, be down in Raleigh for Chris' birthday (the 23rd) and come home on Saturday and still have a day of "recovery" before going back to work on Monday. 

We got down to Raleigh at about 12ish and met for our new traditional happy hour at McCormick and Schmick's before we headed over to my mom's new house to check it out and then over to Kim's to get ready for Chris' friend's party. 

Christmas Eve is the night that we open all of the "adults" presents and then Carliegh and Olivia open their's on Christmas morning after Santa comes.  It was a good time, I'll let the pictures explain the rest...WARNING: It's kind of picture over load. 

Poor Taylor is getting so old.  She apparently didn't want her picture taken and stuck her tongue out at me.

Calreigh and Olivia being goofy

I demanded Carliegh let me take a good one...or, I just caught her when she wasn't paying attention.

Kim doing dishes.  Carleigh took this one actually.  She became obsessed with my camera.  She has good taste.

Taylor and I chilling before we left for the party.

I love this picture.  We don't get a lot of sibling pictures taken and I think this is a good one...even though my roots are screaming out for attention.  I'm getting that taken care of soon.  Just not soon enough.

A view of part of the spread at the party.  They had Chick-Fil-A chicken tenders.  Sooooo yum!

A good one of Steve and Kim.

Chris and all the guys

And, Chris and the girls

Chris' birthday cake.  My favorite part of this picture is that they used a tea light for the candle.  Minor details..

The next day Chris and I cooked Christmas dinner. 

There was a crazy elf that made an appearance after a few glasses of wine.

So, we finally sat down to a nice big family Christmas Dinner...only a certain 5 year old had Rice Krispies.

And, to prove Doug was there...

After dinner, some people cleaned and those who wanted to get out of cleaning....danced!

And, danced...

After cleaning, the kids were put to bed, we grabbed the wine and headed to the sitting room area to open presents

Steve got these AWESOME glasses.

They say "Dennis" and have the Redskins logo engraved.  Very cool.

We got my mom a gift card tree with all kinds of gift cards so she can use them to buy stuff for her new house.

What are the odds of two people getting someone a toaster oven?  And, how high are the odds taht it would be the EXACT same toaster oven?  Pretty high apparently.

The next morning, Santa had come and gone.

We spent the night before until the wee hours putting this salon together.  At least Olivia could have clean and blow dried hair finally.

We made Carleigh play us a tune on the violin.  It's the smallest violin I've ever seen.

We baked cookies in their Easy Bake Oven

And, finally, we brought my mom her tv to her house.  This actually happened on Christmas Eve Day but it's being posted last.  We loaded it up in the Tahoe and headed over.

She was quite surprised I think.

No where to put it quite yet but I think she was happy with it.

Meanwhile. I taught the little munchkins how to do googly eyes.  One of them kind of got it...

The other, not so much.  Haha!

And, I was a jungle gym almost the whole weekend.  And, loved it.

It was a great weekend and I figured it was about time I posted about it.   More to come on New Years soon!  Merry Christmas 2009!

Putting Lights Up

So, the day I got my camera Steve put up lights around our deck.  He did a fantastic job and I got to test out night pictures with my new camera!  I am new at this camera so these pictures aren't quite up to par with what the camera is capable of but I will hopefully get better with time.

Decorating the Charlie Brown Tree & My PRESENT!

When I was in Fredericksburg this weekend, Kim and I went to Costco and I came across these non-breakable ornaments. They are AWESOME! And, so pretty in person.

So, in order for me to open my present from Steve, I told him that we needed to at least put up the shabby looking Christmas tree that we have used for the past three or four years. This tree came from when Steve was a "bachelor" and I have not wanted to buy a nicer tree until we are in a more permanent place.

You put it together in sections and through the years, more and more "needles" have fallen off and it looks shabbier and shabbier by the year...

It's our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree...


Lights are always a challenge but I don't mind doing them. I can't wrap my head around why we ran out of white lights but we had THOUSANDS of colored lights??? I don't even like colored lights!

Our finished product! Not too bad! (Notice my presents under the tree!!)

Onyx had to pose with the tree also. We make her EVERY year.

Shaking it!

So excited!!! Finally!

I LOVE IT!!!


Now, stay tuned for some better quality pictures.