The Entertainment for our Dinner Party!

What a LOVELY evening spent with Forrest & Justine and Shawn & Jaime! Good friends, good food and GREAT entertainment. Manny came with his parents tonight (the small dog trying to mount our BIG Bailey). :-) They played all night & even had some play time outside in the snow. Of course, they begged for some treats and were prepared for any scraps that might fall from the table but the picture above was the scene for most of the night. Bailey tried to reciprocate but wasn't as graceful...considering his size. A good time was had by all. I even got to feel Miss Rylee move around inside Jaime's belly!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VERY exciting. :-) It's only a matter of time before we know her in person! :-) Thanks guys for coming and for the wonderful time!

"Tacky Tourist"

My first experience with "tacky tourist" gift giving (T.T.G.G.) was quite hysterical. I knew NOTHING about T.T.G.G. and as I'm opening Christmas gifts from Gerry's sister the first year I married him, I kept trying to be excited about some really crappy looking things. I kept thinking, "Man, I thought Geniza had good taste". It wasn't until I noticed Gerry giggling and I asked why, that I was told that I was a victim of T.T.G.G.!!!!!!!!!! Everyone (including Gerry's father) in the family gets really creative in finding things AND we always leave the price tag on the item....for the good laugh.

So this year, I get this BIG box from Wes & Kathleen that is wrapped so nicely (I should have known) and I'm so excited about opening it. Well, to my unbelieving eyes, it's a Motorized Pink Flamingo. It's right leg and neck move. PRICELESS! Let's not overlook the Cactus Candle Holder (that I think Maureen will shortly receive). The bottle of Tabu came from my husband....I said, "Why Tabu"? He said, "That's the perfume you told me you wanted". I said, "Uh, no, the perfume was from Este Lauder...my grandmother wouldn't even wear this". He started to laugh and I'm already giggling. So, even Gerry tries to get tricky with me on this too! This all adds a new layer of fun to opening Christmas packages and keeps me laughing every year! Thanks guys!!!!!!!!!! Now your talent is posted world wide!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love our Christmas Tree this year...even if it's sporting colored lights! Gerry & I have to take turns....one year, he gets colored and alternating, I get to put on white lights. It is a good compromise that was made our first year as husband and wife. Every year, I think he's going to forget----NOT!!!!!!!

Bailey LOVES Christmas. We even wrap gifts for him under the tree that he opens all by himself! This year, not only did he want to open HIS but he decided I needed a little help....














He managed to help me with quite a few. It's almost as fun as watching Gabby open presents and wanting to help! He's our "little baby" & we love him dearly!

This was Christmas at my mother's this morning. As always, my mother has gone ABOVE and BEYOND. I walked away with some fabulous treasures! CAN WE SAY "SPOILED"??? One of the more thoughtful gifts this year was the "Service" Flag that mom & dad got Gerry. My sister-in-law Maureen is the Lt. Colonel in the United States Airforce, serving in Iraq for the next six months. We miss her and keep her in our thougths & prayers.

Of course, Christmas would not be complete without this sweet little face. She thought that the massage chair that my mother bought my father, was a chair made for her. It's small and easy for her to get onto and she claimed that it was her chair. Might I add that she LOVED one of my gifts the best....(sorry Kari)....as the "favorite" auntie, I'm not surprised. :-)

To all our family and friends, MERRY CHRISTMAS, we love you and wish you peace and love in the new year!

Dinner Party, down!!!!!!

I LOVE entertaining and have SOOOO much fun decorating the table for dinner guests! We had a small gathering last night and the prime rib we served was FANTASTIC!!!! Of course, the prime rib MAY have been better if Jeff & Debbie were on time but to cut them some slack, they squeezed us in between their family Christmas parties! THANKS GUYS!!!!! It was a cozy evening spent in front of the fire place & then eventually---the kitchen (isn't that where all parties end up?). Another party down and a few more to go. The funny part about the evening was that Debbie couldn't BELIEVE how nicely decorated the house was. I looked at her and said, "Uh, if it makes you feel any better, I just put away Halloween decorations and managed to make the house look festive". She's said, "When I walked in and saw the house and the decorations and your perfect hair, I wondered how you managed it". I told her, "Procrastination"!!! We laughed. My house is far from perfect but when push comes to shove, I produce major results! :-) MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS! :-)

First Christmas party down & many more to go!

THANKS Nick & Julee for such a fabulous time!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Although we were VERY late (sorry)! Somewhere along the way, I determined that we did not need to be at the Christmas party until 6:30. Well, the breakdown was that I had confused our office party with Nick & Julee's party (both scheduled on the same night). I thought I had plenty of time to run errands & make my appetizer. It wasn't until Justine called to say she was running late, that I happened to notice the time on the invitation (5:00p.m.)! I gasped and called Julee and explained what had happened. Our friends wondered what had happened to us. By the time we arrived, everyone had a few cocktails, so there were not many remarks on our tardiness! :-) We had a fun time and the kicker of the night.....I was not successful using my manipulative tactics to get my original Yankee Swap gift back....you're a strong man Bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No "Muffin(s)" in the Oven...

Thanks to all of you (friends, family, doctors) for all your support and love. We are not pregnant! :-( We are feeling a little discouraged and get that it just wasn't meant to be. "Not meant to be" has been the story of our lives for years now. I will share that I have had a reoccuring dream over the last week. The dream is that a woman comes to me at work (maybe it's because that's where I spend too much of my life) and hands me a baby. I cannot see her face and do not know who she is but I'm putting my cards on the notion that it is Gg telling me not to give up when really, that's what I feel like doing. Part of me just wants to throw in the towel and say, "God, just lay it out there....what purpose do we have as parents"? So, that's our news for now. We love all of you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you have been such a contribution to us in our journey to be parents. For now, we still own the title of "Uncle" & "Auntie"!!!!! :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CUTIE PATOOTIES!!!!

A birthday celebration for these two little cutie patooties!!!!!!!! I was honored to be able to enjoy the afternoon celebrating another year of growth (Thanks Les!). They both got portable CD players. PRICELESS watching them walking around singing and listening to their new music! :-) Of course Leslie entertained all of the adults with mimosa's which was quite a treat! She also had quite a spread for brunch & two different cakes for the twins! Such a great time. Seeing the kids opening their presents and their expressions and comments....I wouldn't want to have been doing anything else!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUYS! Auntie loves you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!