4 legged friend . . .

who thinks she is human!!

Let’s dance.

She is such a great dog.  The kids let her climb into bed with them at night and she curls up beside them. 

Wildlights 2010 – Food Drive

It’s been a while since we have enjoyed the Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo for various reasons – cost, distance, and crowds.  Well, this year we piled into the car and supported the Columbus Zoo’s partnership with Columbus Parent Magazine food drive for Mid Ohio Food Bank.  What an awesome way to support the community and provide something needed while getting to enjoy an evening mesmerized by the beautiful lights. 

We arrived early enough to avoid the traffic on Sawmill Rd – which actually prevented my in-laws from getting there last year, to find a reasonable parking space, and to enjoy the lights and exhibits before the zoo was packed.  Sure we arrived before dark, but that gave us the opportunity to visit several of the indoor animal exhibits and make our way to the middle of the zoo.  So, when the crowd had arrived and we were ready to leave, we could enjoy the lights as we made our way – weaving in and out of congestion - to the front gate. 

When we arrived there were lights lit but not all of them were on until 5:00 p.m. when Wildlights officially start.  These new LED lights were bright, vibrant, and beautiful to look at. 

 

Our first stop was the polar bear exhibit, but you would have thought you were looking at brown bears. 

I was amazed at the height of these various bears. 

Mackenzie found her favorite.

After visiting the polar bears in North America, we headed over to Asia Quest so we could see the new snake – Hannah, the late Fluffy’s daughter. 

She definitely is not as big as her mother, she still had plenty of room in her enclosure.

Then we headed to see the tigers because Odie so wanted to see the lions and tigers.  We did get to see the tigers up close because they were snuggled together in a corner at the glass.  Odie was excited to see them.

This was as close as we could get to the lions.  They had the lions blocked/closed off – I guess they don’t like the cold.

Then we made our way to Shores to see the aquarium and the manatees. 

It was really cool because the manatees and other aquatic animals in their tank swam really close to the glass and Odie got so excited to see them, too.

The lights were beautiful and the light show at the pond was nice too.  I am so glad we made time to go.

Birthday happenings

This post is well overdue . . . Zack celebrated his 13th birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Yes, we celebrated it earlier, but we still like to make the actual day all about him.  He had presents from my side of the family still to open too.

He had his birthday meal – all foods he requested – which included chicken, creamed spinach, stuffing, and mashed potatoes and gravy.  This year I didn’t make him a cake – he’s not really a cake eater, but LOVES pumpkin pie so I made him a pumpkin pie.  I did end up buying a cake at the store just for those of us that wanted cake not pie.

I wanted to catch his expression when he opened his card from Mackenzie.  Now, she didn’t pick it out, but Kassi did with Mackenzie in mind.  It was a HUGE hit – he laughed so hard.

A last minute gift from us was one of his latest favorite movies to watch, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.’

He made a wish list on Target.com and my mom was able to shop online and ship it directly to us.  What an easy way to shop!  He was excited to get some new Legos.

I think all in all, it was pretty painless – at least for me – for him becoming a teenager.  I believe he feels the same way. 

Slumber Spectacular

Kassi had some friends over for an overnight & I was delighted with all these girls as they included Mackenzie and Zack in their activities. 

After picking up the girls, we headed home and they got situated and made themselves at home for the evening.  We made homemade pizzas – which I was happy when they liked it, even requesting the recipes for the dough & sauce and then they hung out.

They all had fun playing Apples to Apples.  Zack had a great time gaming on the Wii with them. 

And the girls even enjoyed some time in the music room strumming their guitars and playing on the keyboard.

I hope they had a good time even though I highly recommended that they go to bed and not stay up all night.  They were definitely a pleasure to have over and are more than welcome anytime.

Merry Christmas!!

First Christmas . . .

So wish we could see this little one – there’s just something special about a baby’s first Christmas. 

I am so excited to see him in this adorable Mickey Mouse, My 1st Christmas sleeper.  Probably because I found it last year on the clearance rack, go it so dirt cheap that I bought two different sizes so he would hopefully be able to wear one. I remember the kids saying to me, “What if he doesn’t like Mickey?”  My response to them, “It doesn’t matter because his auntie does & I am buying it.”  Guess what . . . he LOVES Mickey!!!

Merry Christmas, Thomas

& Thomas’ parents!!

Christmas Eve Tradition

On Christmas Eve, after our return from church the kids open their gifts from my family.  Since we don’t get to see my family over the holidays, my mom ships our goodies and then they sit under the tree tormenting the kids (so I’ve been told).  But they know because it is our tradition that they will get to open them on Christmas Eve.

We had already each opened a gift from them the day the package arrived.  My mom had selected ornaments for us as she always does, but this year she gave us permission to open them early to display on our ‘tree away from home tree’ so we could enjoy them this year.

But after church, the unwrapping began . . .

Mackenzie found a gift card in her new Vera Bradley wallet.  She was so excited about her new VB things and of course her new Littlest Pet Shop animals.

Zack was chomping at the bit to construct his new Legos sets.

Kassi got some new stylish things and some new VB things too.

Kassi also had a gift from her Godmother, Auntie Tiff.  She found some really cool things at Forever 21 – I guess Kassi has a new fav store to check out!

Kassi showing off her new fashions.  She really enjoyed her gifts Grandma & Auntie Tiff!  I was delighted to see her face light up with all her gifts this year – a great accomplishment with any teenage girl!! 

Jay & I received another awesome gift from my family.  Over the years, Jay & I have received some wonderful things from my parents.  We even have several beautiful village pieces that we have received – which we look forward to each year - that we love displaying especially during the holidays. 

Well, Jay & I were discussing, planning, and trying to figure out how to financially finagle a way to get together – either meeting in IA at my folks or having him come to OH.  It is just way too expensive to fly him from ND to OH, but it is more reasonable for him to drive to Omaha and fly from there.  So, we started checking airfares and we decided it would be more economical for him to drive to my parents & fly to OH than for the kids & I to drive and meet him at my parents and only get to spend a few days together.  So, I broke the bad news to my mom that we would not be making the trip to their house.

Shortly after talking with her, she phoned me back and told me that her and dad were trying to figure out what to get Jay & I this year and they had an idea.

Thanks to my parents and their wonderful Christmas gift, a plane ticket to see Jay only cost us a few bucks.  So, the count down begins . . . our –mine that is - present will arrive in mid-January in the form of a father, a husband, and a friend.  He will be the only one that gets to see my family, but we are truly thankful for their gift because now the kids & I will be able to see him again and spend a full week together. 

Thank you so much, Mom & Dad!!  This is the greatest gift we could have received this year.  Love to you both!!

Santa surprise

A little bit of Christmas.  It really hasn’t felt much like Christmas since we are not together as a whole family.  Jay had suggested yesterday that we have our Christmas after church – easy for him to say since he is in ND and I had to prep everything.  Christmas is NOT my thing!  Jay loves wrapping the gifts, placing them under the tree, and setting everything up – me I just take care of buying and I watch him work. 

It was suggested that maybe Jay didn’t want to get up at 4:30 a.m. to be a part of Christmas morn.  You see, we do have a rule about Christmas morning . . . the kids are not allowed to wake us up before 5:30 a.m.  Well, this year that was a little tricky considering the kids & I are in the Eastern time zone and Jay is in the Central time zone.  So, to wake me at 5:30 meant he would be getting a wake up call at 4:30.

Anyway, somehow it happened.  Santa made a stop at our home while we were gone to church.  We had the pleasure of going to church in Adamsville – an hour drive, but well worth it - and seeing many of our friends.  When we arrived home, I made homemade hot chocolate and the next thing I know Mackenzie came up from the basement to inform me that SANTA had come. WHAT?!  How’s that?  So, of course the kids began to hunt the house looking for their dad, thinking some how the best gift of all was here.

Well . . . NO dad and NO definite explanation of how those presents got under there, other than there really is a SANTA.  And with that we spent time as a family celebrating.

Love how it looks like there is way more under that tiny little tree than there really was!!  It did look quite bare until we started putting gifts from the grandparents from afar and for the cousins under it, and since it sits on a table/desk the presents look like they’re overflowing from underneath when they’re really not.  BUT it looked pretty. 

We Skyped Dad in and he gathered the gifts we had sent him.  While I sorted presents, he opened his first gift from Mackenzie.

Kassi with her dad & her Santa stash.

If you notice, the kids’ gifts are wrapped in their own paper.  One of our family traditions is going out with the kids and letting them pick out a roll of wrapping paper for their Santa gifts.  That roll is then placed under the tree on Christmas Eve for Santa to use.  We placed those rolls there early yesterday morning & they were still there when we left for church.

Mackenzie was excited to get started.  This year we started with her and she got to open all her gifts instead of one at a time. 

She was excited about this ornament because she LOVEs ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas’ movie.

Littlest Pet shop . . . need I say more?

Zack’s favorite thing – lighthouses . . .

and anything Bengals!!!

Kassi was so excited to get her new kicks!!

And what girl wouldn’t love to have this?  I’m not really sure what it is!

Jay’s turn – he opened his gift from Zack.  The kids were set up in a circle in our living area and we put my laptop on top of one of my cake turners. Then we would turn Jay to watch whomever was opening presents and then after that person opened their gifts, Jay would open his gift from them.  He got simple things – a Shawn the Sheep DVD from Mackenzie, an OSU gnome from Kassi, a Mickey Mouse tie from Zack, and a Dallas Cowboys pie server from me, sorry I couldn’t send a pie. 

Jay even sent a gift to me.

What a lovely Jim Shore figurine – LOOK, it’s a snowman MICKEY MOUSE my favorite.  I love Jim Shore!  I also got a long flannel nightgown and a homemade gift from the baby.

Traditionally on Christmas Eve, the kids open their presents from Grandma Linda & Grandpa Tom and then the two from us.  Well, as I said, Santa came early and buried those gifts.  So, we started with the Santa gifts and then found the gifts from us. 

More shoes for the teenage girl!

More lighthouses for the teenage boy!

And another ornament for Mackenzie from her second favorite movie ‘The Corpse Bride.’  Another tradition of ours is they kids get an ornament from us each year.  Between the ones they’ve accumulated from us & my mom, they will definitely have enough to hang on their own trees when they are on their own.

 

A little disclaimer . . .

All in all, it was a nice evening and the game plan was to sleep in.  However, I am drafting this bright and early on Christmas morning.  Unfortunately, Zack woke me over an hour ago because he doesn’t feel well.  Go figure, sick on Christmas running a 103.3 temperature.