Trees and Such (warning, lots of pics)

Finally, ALL of my trees are up.  Didn't over do the decorations too much this year.  Love this time of year, can't believe it is here again.

Here are some pics of the tress and my favorite ornaments.  The most favorites are the ones that my mother gave me (or should I say, I asked for and of she gave me).  They older than me and I do remember them going on our trees while growing up.  Decorating the tree has always been my favorite thing to do (not that #5 or hubby have any interest in it, but that's ok, I love doing it by myself).  If my mom wants her tree up this year, I will do that too!

Main tree in living room 

foyer tree

family room tree

basement, ALL sports tree

little tree in foyer above closet

MOST favorite old ornament.  Reminds me of "Suzie Snowflake"

old piano ornament.  I played the piano as a child, that's why I got this one.

Alice in Wonderland

Some of my "new" favorite ornaments:

#5's first X-mas

One of many Longaberger ornaments

Scarlet O'hara (my hero/heroine)

My Barbie ornament collection

(good thing there are no little girls in this house, or else I'd have an entire pink Barbie tree, along with the sports tree)

Friends

Just a cute pic of me, hubby and good friends at B's birthday party.  As you can tell, B is a little one, 2, that's why we have the Toy Story hats on.  Can't believe we got my husband to put one one.  That's cuz M (in purple) made him do it, not me.

Birthday Boy!

Thankful (warning, long post, I just started rambling and couldn't stop)

So, I haven't posted in a while.   Don't know why, I guess not just much going on now.  Although with the holidays coming, I've been busy making Christmas cards and other holiday goodies.

This time of year everyone is talking about what they are thankful for.  There are so many things I do have to be thankful for.  My family:  my husband who works very hard at EVERYTHING he does.  #5 for being (besides husband) the love of my life, even if he doesn't know it or care, being a teenager and all.  I'm not thankful for the teenage angst and attitude, but am thankful for when he says something smart, responsible, witty, funny, and sensible.  I am thankful for the times we do just talk and laugh and hang out.  I love that he sometimes keeps me in check, like, telling me not to us my cell phone (ok, camera too) while driving and that when I get a text in the car, he texts back for me (which is usually from MB).

I am thankful for having the best parents anyone can have.  Thankful that I am 45 years old and have had them with me and healthy and ALWAYS there when we need them.  Thankful that #5 has the relationship he has with them.  Thankful for my brother and sister, but not thankful that we are not as close as I would like to be.  Thankful that I grew up with grandparents and great-grandparents in my life.  And lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, and extend family.  I guess you can't help that when you are 100% Italian.

Thankful for the few close REAL friends I have.  MB of course and the friendship with the H family that we've had for all these years, and that they are truly my family too.

I am partly NOT thankful for not having a job, but also thankful for it too.  I've said before, I always had the working mother guilt when #5 was little, but now that he is in high school, I think I am thankful for being around now instead of then.  I am thankful for the fact that I have a very good chance of getting called back to the district and if that does happen, I will be thankful to have had this time home.

So, I hope everyone has something in their lives to be thankful for, be it big or small and know that everything happens for reason and we should all be thankful the things in our lives.

So here are some of my Christmas projects:

paper cones I'm going to fill with goodies for Thanksgiving

just framed an ornament.  did the same for fall with pumpkins and just changed the back (same frame)

made this with mini cones glued together

and, just a few of my favorite cards I've made:

AND NOT TO FORGET ABOUT THE TURKEY (or the forgotten holiday at #5 calls it):

I actually have a few turkey decorations

My House

Well, yesterday brought with it the last chapter to the transformation of our house.  We got a new door and storm door and I LOVE it!  I feel like the house is not only complete, but almost like having a new house.  Done with projects, at least for a while now, and am VERY happy with everything we did!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE SIDE WINDOW!

Side window from the inside, looks just as great as the outside

Back of my house

You Can't Fix Stupid

Funny for the day......... #5 was sent to the Dean's office today. He was NOT in trouble, but long story short, the dean asked him, "don't you have a sister here?' #5, being an only child, said 'no". The dean then proceded to ask "ARE YOU SURE?" He said it took all he had not to make a smart-ass remark (good job son). He should have said, "I don't know, let me call and ask my dad." My new saying......"You Can't Fix STUPID"