If you want to remain anonymous....

while playing one of those restaurant games,

don't make this your user name:

while you are dressed in full fan gear like this.... 

Most people will be able to put 2 and 2 together.

Christmas Memories: Instagram Edition

Hi there.  I am back and sharing a {boring} re-cap.

To move things along quickly, I thought collages would be prudent.

Before we headed down to the Sunshine State to visit our kin we had a little Frat Pack celebration at home.  The boys wanted to go to a Brazilian steak house.

You know the type, where copious amounts of meat are brought around on spits to your table.

I know, gross, right?

I got the salad bar, thankyouverymuch.

Anyhoo, at least the boys dressed up and looked fantastic.

Even though I got a bit misty-eyed at the photo.

There is no denying...they are little men for sure.

{p.s. boo for my pre-lit tree}

Off to sweatyville Florida we headed.  We entertained ourselves with tic tac teeth and stops at Cracker Barrel.  I took a photo of that darling mug but did not purchase.  Once it was posted to Instagram and a few people said they loved it, I regretted not making the purchase.

{Does that kind of thing happen to you?}

Ah, but there was to be a return trip heading back to North Carolina.

That mug is now safely tucked in my cabinet.

We hung out at my parents home.

(that first photo is from the Church where my oldest received his First Communion)

The cousins played ipad monopoly and munched gummy worms.

This inspired "real" monopoly.

I took a pass.  I am not a game person.

My husband helped sort out some computer problems.

He even called Apple and pretended to be my Dad.

We were slap happy from the heat at this point and this provided us with gut wrenching laughter.

Looking back, was it really that funny?

Ah, Florida.  Even if it was quite warm, it sure is pretty, right?

{Baby Jesus from Mom's Nativity}

Christmas Eve Mass at the Church where Tim and I tied the knot.

But we can go a bit farther back with history at this Church...

Tim {a cradle Catholic} got first reconciliation, first communion and was confirmed here!

Me too....although for me, I was 30 years old when all that happened.

Christmas Day.  My Dad, my boys and their cousins,

my cute sister and her husband and again, the Frat Pack times two.

Christmas night {top half}.

Toot Toot and a little Christmas miracle on her lap.

{that is Buddy, my brother-in-law's dog who has outlived his vet's prediction}

Tim and I attempting to get a self portrait.

{lower half of collage}

Home Sweet Home.

We have been enjoying cooler weather + fire pit s'mores.

And, that is all she wrote.

P.S. after going back and re-reading this post,

epic fail on the "quick" re-cap.

My apologies.

Pardon the Interruption

I know I am on a blog break,

but this has to be said.

The Predicament just came up to me and said,

"I am thinking about surprising the boys and downloading the movie Jacka$$."

{cue vinyl record scratch}

Wha??????

And here I had visions of sugarplums dancing in my head.

I was picturing us all sipping hot cocoa, eating freshly baked cookies and gathered around A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Do you see what I am dealing with here?

Oy.

Do freshly baked snickerdoodles even go with Jacka$$?

Me thinks not.

Code 3 explained.

Wouldn't you know we had a Groundhog Day of sorts here.

I bribed my children again with the promise of Chipotle

{okay, I kind of have a thing for the veggie salad}

if they'd accompany me to the craft store to return an item I purchased when we were there the last time.

We are all three standing by the register waiting for the cashier to process the return

when suddenly,

she leans into the mike and says...

CODE 3.

Oh, my gosh, we were laughing.

The cashier looked peeved.

I asked her, 

"What is a code 3?"

After giving me a not so Christmas-y look she tells me it means a manager has to approve the return.

So there ya go.

In other news, 

it is time for my annual blog break.

I plan to soak up this last week of Advent and celebrate the birth of a very 

special Baby.

Merry Christmas, dear readers.

XOXO

The Frat Pack + Me

Paranoia will destroy ya

Last week P.J. had a day off from school.  He accompanied me to a craft store!

I know, right?

{disclaimer:  I bribed him with Chipotle}

He went off to look for a fancy glass case for a special football and I was checking out other assorted goodies.

Then I got the following text....

I cracked up!  Apparently he needs to spend more time in craft stores.

"Code 3" probably just meant something like,

Gertie, can you help someone with a yarn selection?

or

Helga, what aisle are the googly eyes on?

I was seriously laughing out loud that my boy thought there might be some kind of craft emergency.

But as I sit here typing this morning I can't figure out if it is hysterically funny

or

really sad.

When I was a teen Columbine hadn't happened.

9/11 hadn't happened.

Virginia Tech hadn't happened.

What do you think?

If you are the praying type, how about a prayer for today's teenagers.

May we all be instruments of peace, of love, and of compassion.

Mother Teresa

Here's what's been happening in our neck of the woods...

Pardon the bad photos.

I try not to get too close.

I don't handle the Florence Nightingale role well.

Just being honest.

I prefer to think I am making it easier on their future wives.  The bar has not been set very high in terms of coddling people with fevers and colds.

So, yeah...

That's what has been happening in our neck of the woods.

What's been happening in yours?

Sunday.

Finally, the lights are fixed.  I may have been a bit naggy.

Have I mentioned my new-to-me discovery?

Silk Nog.

With a splash of toasted marshmallow vodka.

And for a little balance, a "behind the scenes" of that bowl of chili.

It's that time of year again.

Through my kitchen window.

The evening ended with a crackling fire + roasted marshmallows.

It was a fine Sunday, indeed.

9 on the 10th

Well, I almost got there.  Technically I did take 10 but one was a self portrait and I am feeling a bit shy this morning.

Anyhoo, back to the day.

I woke up really wanting a bagel with lox + cream cheese.

Yum.

This is a familiar scene, isn't it?

This is well documented and someday I will be so glad I have all these jam session photos.

Awwww.

She's got a bit of fuzz on her nose, even.

My little tree in the kitchen.  Makes me happy.

Our tree that the mini Predicament put up is still not lighting properly and has nary an ornament on it.

It's bugging me.  But this sweet little tree just makes me smile.

Our Advent wreath that I just put together this week.

Such simple joy...

reading with a hot cup of my all time favorite tea.

And I decided to get all artsy and lay it out on a file folder.

No one in the Frat Pack even batted an eye as I put this little vignette together and then stood on a stool to take a photo.  

Oh my, this was a good salad.

Spinach, carrots, orange bell pepper, beets, avocado + maytag blue.

Edamame.  Yum.

Holly, if you are reading, this photo is for you ;-)

On the way home from guitar practice.

From the passenger seat.  Gotta stay safe, my friends.

Check out more 10 on the 10th here:

Something seemed familiar....

Remember this photo from yesterday....

As I sat and stared at it, a bell kept ringing in my brain.

Then I remembered the Christmas photo that can't be topped....

The more things change,

the more they stay the same.

Can I get an amen?

Good morning.

Would you believe I have even more photos from our Biltmore day?

I do.  I decided to press my luck and try and get some shots with my sons or perhaps even (gasp!) a brothers shot.

The Predicament had wandered off, so I handed my camera to my offspring.

Let's take a look...

Okay, so far so good.  Not great, but it'll do, donkey.

{I always have to say, donkey after I say it'll do or that'll do.  Do you know what movie that is from?}

How about my other boy...

Oh my gosh.  When will this phase end?

In all fairness I was trying to plant one on his cheek.

In public.

It's how I deal with teenage angst.  I don't recommend this method.

Clearly, not working.

So, being a glutton for punishment I tried for the rare brother shot.

Oh my gosh....look who is actually smiling and look who is ruining the shot!

It is a roller coaster ride.  That is life with teenagers.

Whiplash, I tell ya.

Look, the big brother is even trying to help me out.

Probably because he wants the camera out of his face.

And then....

then.....

Pay dirt!

I have decided to skip Christmas cards this year,

but if I was sending them,

well,

this would be it.

One day they are going to love this photo, 

dontcha think?

Chit Chat.

I have more Biltmore photos, but really nothing more to say about our time there.

But I hate to let photos go to waste, so how about some chit chat that has absolutely nothing to do with the photos?  Are you okay with that?

Good, because I lugged along the DSLR and an extra lens.

Today I had to go get my mammo.  You ladies of a certain age know what I am talking about, right?

I daresay that yearly visit is more humiliating than the other lady visit.

You see, I think it is downright cruel to make you stand there topless, and they won't let you wear deodorant to the appointment.

Do they realize we may be in the hot flash season of our life?  Oh, and the girl that was man-handling my bosom was about 22.

I was mortified as I stood there sweating all over the machine.

And to top it off I suddenly got a tickle in my throat and about coughed myself to death, all whilst sweating bullets with nary a stitch of fabric on my upper half.

The 22 year old, fully clothed nurse just stared at me while I tried to mouth the word....

waterrrrrrr, please.

Let's switch gears, shall we?  The mini-Predicament put up our tree.  God love him.

It is pre-lit.  However, every other section of lights aren't working.  Boo.

Did I tell you I am skipping cards this year?  It is liberating, I tell you.

I love my Kindle, even though I didn't think I would.

But here's the glitch.  I have probably read the equivalent of 47 books, what with all the free samples I have read.

Did you know I have never seen the movie, Elf in it's entirety? 

This may be my year.

Oh, I have been having hot chocolate made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

It is the berries, let me tell ya.

{Janie, that was for you!}

You still with me?

Awww, that's why I love ya.