My apologies.....a little Christmas oops

My apologies to those of you who received a broken Christmas card in the mail from us. I know I have no control over the mail once it is in the hands of the USPS.
I thought it would be a fun and different idea to make a Christmas card ornament this year. I had tons of used cd's from old work programs so started very early covering the cd's for the cards.
Then the dilemmas began. Needed larger envelopes. Needed more postage. Didn't make enough. But anyways, out the door they went.
So, if you did receive a broken one. Just toss the cd and hopefully the picture part stayed in tact.
The photo was taken in Key West Florida.
Next year, I will so something that will not break. Promise.

Daily thought ~ Pass the Cheer

A hug is a great gift — one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange.
— Anonymous

Made it through last week

Whew. Made it through last week with one hitch. I got the stomach flu! Wednesday morning I wasn't feeling so good and sure enough...... Around 10:30 it hit me. I spent the next 2 days in bed. Friday I was up but very tired and worked for part of the day.
Saturday I started getting some energy back and we did make it to Nathan's 2nd birthday party and then to the Kawata's for their annual Christmas Party. By then I was so tired but made it for a few hours at the party and actually ate some food.
Sunday was a long, but fun day. Evelyn and I baked just about all day long. Started with Pioneer Woman's breakfast puff's. Oh yum! Click on her link on the side of my blog (or maybe I did figure it out here) and then we made her everything cookies and then our own sugar roll out and gingerbread cookies.
I was exhausted from baking all day. But it was fun. Next weekend is even more fun when we decorate the cookies.
I did get out most of the cards ( trying to finish up tonight) and have to make sure I have all my gifts.
Feeling almost back to normal but now feeling the Christmas Crunch. Parent/Teacher conference this week and 1/2 school days and then no school on Friday. Whoo-Hoo! Doing the happy dance at 11:30 Friday when my work day ends and we head to the movies to see The Chipmunks Christmas.
Have a great week everyone!!

The year in review

I am just a tad tardy getting this out, but for those of you who have received our cards, and those of you just stopping by, here is our year in review....... It's gone by fast and I can't include everything or it would be too long, so enjoy the highlights.

We had a fabulous trip to Florida in July. We flew to Tampa and spent some time in Naples, the Everglades, Key Largo and Key West. The majority of the time we were in Key Largo. We enjoyed an airboat ride through the mangrove trees in the Everglades, snorkeling, riding wave runners, swimming, watching sunsets, fishing and just having a great relaxing family time. The picture in our card was taken in Key West at the Southern most tip of the US.

Greg is now 9 and in 3rd grade at Serra Catholic school. In the Spring Greg played baseball and was on the Padres. His team was the single A champs and Greg was MVP of the championship game. Greg has become a great 3rd base player and nothing gets past him. He has a dead on throw to first base getting most of the runners out. Greg is looking forward to playing baseball again this Spring.
Greg played his first year of Pop Warner football and was on the Jr. Mighty Mights of the Saddle Back Valley Bears. Greg was a running back on offense and scored 10 touch downs this season. He scored 3 touch downs in the last 5 minutes of one game. Greg will be playing in a short winter soccer league starting in January.

Evelyn is 11 and in 5th grade at Serra Catholic. She is getting so tall and beautiful. She recently cut off 10" of her hair to donate to an organization who makes wigs for children. She now has a cute shoulder length hair do. Evelyn played soccer the Fall and was on a super team. They finished 3rd place in the play offs. She is becoming a strong defender playing mid field and loves soccer. Evelyn has fallen in love with horse back riding. She is taking riding lessons and is a quick learner and looks like a natural on a horse. She has her sights on competing in horse shows and owning her own horse one day.

Tom's company was recently purchased by Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) in Pittsburgh, PA. He has made several trips to Pittsburgh in the last few months and has experienced some cold snowy days in PA. Tom is active in the Knights at church. Tom and Evelyn are in a great father/daughter group, Adventure Princesses, a YMCA program. They go camping or on some activity every month. Tom and Greg went to Washington in October with friends to see their beloved Rams play the Seahawks. Tom and Greg are huge Rams fans.

Me, Naomi, still work at home which gives me time to keep up the family blog, volunteer at the kids school and be home when the kids are home from school to run them to and from practice or activities. I have been the team scorekeeper for the last 2 baseball seasons and looking forward to doing it again next season. I am still very much into my scrapbooking and love to get a night out with the girls when I can. I have recently started a group with 3 other friends where we plan and host scrapbooking weekends and day crops. (http://www.crops2remember.com/) I also enjoy my monthly book club meetings.

Our dog Kaydee has become quite the landscaper. She digs after the gophers in the back yard and has caught a few of those pesky things. She even brought one inside for me one day. That was fun! Our 2 birds, Roxy and Hip Hop (fka Burp) continue to chat away saying not much at all and drive the dog crazy.

Keep checking in for updates on what's going on with us. We love to hear from you too.

We wish you all a Happy and Blessed Christmas and New Years!

It's a crazy week!

Monday ~ book club dinner (it was great, Salt Creek Grill in San Juan great dinner with great friends , but then I got a stomach ache and couldn't finish my dinner and forgot to bring the rest home with me)

Tuesday ~ physical therapy for my wrist, Kids school Christmas program and have to be there at 6:30

Wednesday ~ Greg has an ortho appointment after school, Tom and I have a dinner

Thursday ~ dr. apt for my wrist, Evelyn' s soccer team bowling party

Friday ~ riding lessons if it does not rain

Saturday ~ 2 parties

Sunday ~ baking and a party

Yikes. I have to finish up cards too and get some pressies in the mail (way over due) and finish making some pressies. Yikes. Well, Thursday night will finish cards and wrap pressies that need to be mailed, and need to finish up making some pressies,

I know this really has no importance to most of you, but I needed to see this for myself in writing. I'm starting to feel the Christmas crunch. But my shopping is done!! Just finish baking which we love to do! Then have a cookie decorating party which we love to do also!

Have a great week!!

It's a crazy week!

It's Elf time again..........

Click on the link to see our elfs again. And make sure your volume is up.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1280436518

Enjoy :)

Bonfire, Rain, Santa, Boat Parade

Saturday evening we decided to brave this cold winter weather (finally!!) and head to Lake Mission Viejo for the annual boat parade. I have always wanted to do this and we have never been able to get over there. So, we loaded the care with blankets and chairs, got our warmest coats, gloves, scarves and hats and headed to the Lake.


Brrr. It was cold. It was not very crowded as it was freezing and had been raining. We huddled by the huge bon fire on the beach. It was in this big pit dug in the sand and guarded by the life guards. Would have been great for roasting marshmallows :)

We then got ourselves some hot chocolate and cookies and waited for the stage show. The stage was too wet earlier. But then it started to rain! We didn't have umbrellas so just pulled our hoods over our heads. We ventured to the club house for the crafts fair. I was thinking it was where the kids could make crafts, but it was people selling theirs. We just browsed, mainly to stay out of the rain.

Greg announced that he was starving! and could not wait for dinner. Said he really wanted a candy cane. Well, if you want a candy cane, then you need to go see Santa. The kids did not want to see Santa earlier. By now it had stopped raining so we walked over to see Santa and, wow, no line this time!

Kids got their candy canes which would hopefully last through the boat show and hold them till dinner. We found a spot at the railing and waited for the boat parade to start. There were maybe 10 to 12 boats in the parade, all decked out in lights. They start at the dock and go past the North Beach and then zig zag their way across the lake and back. We watched on zig and then headed off to dinner

And here is my favorite boat. All the boats were the party boats and a few were lighted up to look like bigger boats. Like this one. I could not get very good photos of the boats as it was dark.

Christmas humor

It's a little small but reads: Right in the middle of the produce isle, Frosty gets caught picking his nose.

Compliments of my Dad, dd

Father Daughter Dance

Today Tom and Evelyn are at the Paradise Hotel at Downtown Disney for the annual Adventure Princess Father/Daughter dance. They are in the best Adventure Princess (AP) group. This is a YMCA group which was known as Indian Princesses. They have a meeting every month, monthly camping trips or outings. Their circle is the Eagles.


So, this morning I convince Evely to wear her hair down, rather than in her signature pony tail with clips and a head band. She has the cutest hair cut and I try to convince her that she needs to wear it down more. Evelyn also picked out the cutest dress. Now, she is not a dress wearer. Prefers jeans and tennis shoes or her warm fuzzy boots. After looking through many many cute dresses and skirts and trying on half of what we looked at she finally decided on one. And I was lucky to find her a cute sweater to go with it from another store.


After Evy's shower we blow dried her hair in preparation to curl it. She really didn't like the way it turned out. I thought it was cute. I am kind of a spaz when it comes to doing hair. So we used a curling iron and curled the ends. I was hoping they would flip up and some actually did. I knew the curls would not stay in very long as Evelyn has very thick and straight hair. Doesn't hold a curl very long, like mine.

Evelyn insisted on pulling part of it back and had to do it all herself. "I don't need your help, I can do it" Ok, got it. So I tried to keep my distance and hunt down clips and head bands (she leaves them everywhere!!) Found enough and after many takes, she finally got it how she liked it.


Boy does she look pretty :) All dressed up with her dad on they way to a very fun dance. Wish I could go and peek from behind the Christmas tree.

So, here is Tom and Evelyn all ready to go. Yep, they were running a little late but I managed to stop them by the tree to get a few pictures.

And here is the bathroom after they left. Is this a sign of what's to come?

Well, at least we had practice for the school Christmas program. That's on Tuesday and we know what to do or not do with the hair. Thankfully Evelyn will get 3 wears out of this dress...today, Christmas program and Christmas Eve.

Greg and I had some time together this afternoon as well. We went to Best Buy and then to Home Depot. He really wanted to look at the NFL team paint and has dreams of transforming his room into a Rams theme room.

While Greg played with the neighbors I got some cooking done. Will post that later. Smells yummy right now. And got the cards almost done too, phew.

The Florist Dentist

To start with, another episode of "Quotes from the backseat"
The other day Julie tells me Greg said he was going to "the florist dentist. "
She asks, "where you get flowers?"
Greg "No, the florist dentist does things to your teeth, like braces and other stuff"
Julie, "Oh, the orthodontist"
Greg "Yes, I have to get braces or a retainer or something for my teeth"
(We carpool with Julie and this happened on one of her driving days.

Yesterday Greg did have an appointment with an orthodontist. Besides the permanent teeth growing in front of the baby teeth, and and overbite there is a lot more happening in that mouth of his than I was aware of.

We go back next week for x rays to find out exactly what needs to be done, get molds taken of his mouth and get him fitted for this appliance that I can not remember the name of. It's like a retainer, goes on the top of his mouth and spreads out his jaw a little each day for the next 3 years. This is stage 1 of the braces process. Oh yikes! This appliance gets installed the day after Christmas. Figured it was good timing as Greg will get used to wearing it during a break from school.

By the time I left the office, my head was spinning and pounding and I just could not think straight. So much to take in at one time. At least they sent me home with a nice brochure with all the info we need to know now so I can take my time to read it over before next week.

And a good note is that the very nice orthodontist says that Evelyn's teeth look nice and straight! Phew! Thankfully no braces are needed for her ~ at this time. Now if she (and Greg) would just remember to brush their teeth and this also means using toothpaste and the toothbrush bristles actually touching their teeth.

Pass the Cheer

I just love Starbucks.
My day did not start out so good today ~ my fault, I was up too late last night working and overslept this morning and had to dash to get us all out the door close to being on time.

Skipping all the details, I ended up at Starbucks.......Oh Starbucks.........take me away! My mind was racing and was someplace else. I was starving and needed instant gratification and the pastries were calling my name... My turn. "I would like a blueberry muffy please and a........." pause on my part and the friendly lady behind the counter. "I really mean a blueberry muffin." Now this got us all laughing. I was able to make it through the rest of my order, just fine..... "venti non fat chai latte, extra hot please." Yum. Tasted great with my blueberry muffy.

This time of year I love to read the Pass the Cheer on my cups. Here is today's:

Hold the door for somebody laden with packages. Serve hot chocolate and coffee to passing carolers. Pay the toll for the car behind you. Or do something nice for somebody you don't even know. When you pass the cheer through little moments like this, you create warmth that outshines the brightest holiday lights.

In all the hustle and bustle this time of the years, it's easy to loose track of the true meaning of Christmas. So remember to pass the cheer: a smile, kind word, thank you, kind gesture like holding open a door. The possibilities are endless.

I like to think I passed on some cheer today by making someone laugh by my goofiness. We both had a good laugh. ~ Enjoy your day!!