"I got a mystery package today........"

So I got a text from the hubby today that I got a box from American Greetings Photoworks? Ok......I didn't order any pictures...............Even though I need to from Christmas and that's on my to-do list! It's actually a cutting board with these fabulous pictures of my family!!!! So there is NO enclosure.
No note. Just says "3rd party billing"........
So obviously it's one of my awesome friends that reads my blog because I don't post new pics on facebook and I'm sure Nicole doesn't have any of her brother on her facebook page. So.........I determined someone took them off of my blog???????????
And how do I properly THANK the person if I don't know who it is??????
What a wonderful, thoughtful gift. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
So who ever sent it THANK YOU.......and if there was supposed to be an enclosure.....there wasn't! hahahahhahahaa
So nice to come home from work to such a lovely gift.......................thanks friend...........

"holy mother-of-purple..."

I guess when you are the daughter of a hair stylist you can choose that you want purple in your hair!
And you mother is willing to do it.
It's very VIOLET.... (she claims it's kinda blue). Photographs a little blue-ish. But trust me......it's purple!
Either way.............she can rock it! Very bold and edgy........
It's just the front not all over. And it was a lot of work....had to take out the red we put in it LAST time..........and a fresh hair cut....but I got to spend 3 hours with my daughter and we laughed alot.
She has been begging me for a month to do this. I finally had some time (well......not really, since we left the salon at 9:00 pm last night!) But if purple hair is the worst thing I have to worry about with my 15 year old...........I'm in pretty good shape! (and I'm praying it doesnt fade to an ugly ciolor in the next 2 weeks!)

"Happy New Year (Eve)....."

Well~we finally showered and are headed out to celebrate for New Years Eve! Happy New Year! (make good choices....hahhahahaaaaa)

"O Holy Night....Christmas 2010"

Wow..........another Christmas come and gone.
So much work. So much time. So much money. Decorating. Cooking. Dishes........
But good memories are worth it all.
I hosted ALOT of the festivities! Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my house. Lots of family. But my kids and hubby and I love to be home so thats the price you pay to make it happen!Tyler wanted to open presents so bad. He was checking them all out waiting for everyone to get to our house! He knew what some of them were just by the box. And he found one in the attic earlier in the month when I sent him up for some Christmas decorations. I FORGOT it was up there! And I can't lie so I had to fess up and admit when he asked that it was his..........

Oh mom............NO MORE PICTURES..........hahaaa.....they know I'm going to take LOTS!

So my sister Donna and I had this "grand plan" that the kids would LOVE to frost sugar cookies on Christmas Eve.............just like we used to when we were younger. So we begged our mom to make them....................I think I heard 11 dozen cookies????? Well............these kids look all happy and merry. They each frosted 2 cookies, where done with it and moved on..........

So Donna and I had to frost ALL of them by ourselves! They just didn't get the joy out of it that we used to! But we had fun. Our hubby's made fun of us. It is like when your kids want a puppy. They promise to walk it, feed it, take care of it. That lasts a couple of days and then the job is all yours!!!!!

We had a lot of shinanaganns...........These kids were wild. But funny and hilarious. One of the best Christmas Eve's I've had in a long time.

My sister Donna and hubby Mark and her kids Gunner and Drake came. Her mother in law. My inlaws. My kids. The boy. We had a great time. Laughing. Drinking wine. Eating. Frosting cookies!!!( and eating cookies!) And opening gifts.

Me and my sis!

The bar is very important when you have 48 straight hours of guests!!!!!!!

They look all sweet and innocent!!

The pizza bar was great!

I enjoyed the kids alot. Even though they are older we still had lots of fun.

We busted those cookies out FAST!!!!!!! And ate lots..............I have a food hangover today.........

We all get new jammies on Christmas eve.

And of coarse mom is still up at midnight doing last minute Santa gifts and stockings!

Their awesome quilts that I enlisted my sister Donna into making for the kids "santa gifts". They turned out amazing! LOVE IT! Kids did too.......

I finally had to wake Nicole up at 10:00 am on Christmas morning. Tyler was very tired of waiting! And we had company coming at noon and still needed to shower and open gifts. Christmas day I had another crew over. Grandma and Grandpa Mac. KayDee, Brandi and Colton. Gma and Gpa Mary. The boy. My hubby and kids.

Grandpa Mary wasn't feeling good so he slept thru the entire Christmas.........................missed it all.......

Christmas day after I got the kitchen all cleaned up, my sister KayDee and her family were going out to my aunts house in Lebanon. My house was clearing out. Nicole went to the boys house, and my boys were playing with their games. So I tagged along too. We had so much fun. Got home late and maybe a little tipsy and finally was all partied out! Today I took down some decorations. Put Christmas dishes away. Made a really healthy dinner and watched movies with Nicole. Hoping to get the tree down tonight. Another year is coming to a close. Hope 2011 is a happy, healthy one.........................

"this time next week"

This time next week we will probably be done opening all the presents already.
I think (hope) I'm done shopping and wrapping???? I just stopped doing both so I guess I'm done!
We missed Storybook Land this year! Too busy working and kids were busy with school and sports. Too many obligations!! This picture was from 2007. We can pretend we saw santa this year. Today I am running kids where they need to go and then I'm going to a friends to make pecan pie................

and oreo truffles............Two of my favorites! Need to make space in my freezer!

My tree is beautiful..................except that all my BRAND NEW OUT OF THE BOX lights are not working! None of them. So my tree is sad and dim. Makes me sad. I love to sit and look at my tree in the dark (in my spare time!) I guess if that's the worst thing that happens over the holidays.....I'm in pretty good shape! (and all the needles are falling off......whatever).

I still need to brave Costco and Trader Joes sometime this week. That scares me..and gives me some anxiety! You would have thought that I took some time off this week?????? NO! What the hell was I thinking? How do I think I'm getting all this stuff done? And I'm hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at MY HOUSE! I think I may be getting an ulcer..............

The last 2 nights I have spent about 6 1/2 hours sitting on the bleachers at Nicole's basketball games. She has been playing AWESOME! And they are winning!

Last night she had a stellar game on JV and was asked to dress down for Varsity! Very exciting since she is only a sophmore. She played the last 4 minutes of the varsity game and did great. Those bigger, older girls are very strong, intense and intimidating. When I saw her go check in to go in, she looked SCARED! I was a little nervous because she played point guard! No pressure. Just has to dribble the ball down the court, not turn it over, call and run the play all while being guarded by a big girl with a huge tattoo! These girls were from Portland and pretty rough. She held her own and did great. What a great experience for her. She was excited!

(these pics were from last year. Haven't had time to get out the camera to take pics yet this year).

"salon christmas party 2010"

Fondue Party!! My favorite!!!
We had our salon christmas party last weekend at Andrea's again.
So much fun. I love these girls. Nicole had a basketball game that night so I went to that and was a little late too the party. Heather hadn't left yet either so I went and picked her up!

We only wrestled over a couple of the gifts. hahhaaa

Heather and I always take the silliest pictures. I didn't post most of them cause I can't. haaahahahaa....And I still have some silly ones from last year. We alway are ridiculous......

Teresa and I are always silly when we get together too. Funny because we all work together all day long and very rarely get to visit. So it was nice to have NO CLIENTS and some good eats and drinks and just hang out with the girls.

We have three new girls at the salon. So now we have more silly!

Becky (red) is hilarious. Her station is next to mine. She cracks me up. Every single day.