Merry Christmas Eve Eve

Wednesday morning started with Lyla waking me up at 2:00 AM saying her stomach hurt.  We ran downstairs & she threw up. 

We didn't really go back to sleep after that. I was so torn on what to do. I didn't want to send her to school sick. But it was the day of her Christmas party & she was so excited!  They were getting dismissed at noon. I decided to take the day off of work so I could take her & she wouldn't have to ride the bus or spend the afternoon at daycare. 

They made these fun shirts at school a couple weeks ago for all the kids to wear to the party!  I thought they were so cute!

After we got home she slept all afternoon until I woke her up to get ready for our nail appointment that I had made before she got sick. It was a great way to get her out of the house so Gary could build some Santa stuff & we could have girl time!

Tacos, Santa, Fried Dough & the Tooth Fairy

That just about sums up our weekend!

Lyla really wanted tacos for dinner Friday so I took her to Taco Bell where she ate three tacos all on her own while I watched in awe!

Saturday morning the fire department came with Santa on the fire truck. It's one of my favorite traditions where we live!  First the trucks come up the street with their sirens on to let everyone know then they loop back and Santa visits with the kids & gives them all treat bags. He was really early this year so us & all our neighbors ended up outside in our pjs!  And to make it extra special Saturday morning there was a little bit of snow on the ground!  

We came in & got dressed then Lyla & I headed over to Amanda's. We accidentally timed it just right & got there right before Santa in their neighborhood!  So Lyla got two treats!

 

Saturday evening was Maria's annual fried dough party. It's always a blast & this year was no different. 

This morning Lyla got up early & was having a rough morning. She slept on her neck wrong & her loose tooth was really bothering her. So we were just taking it easy. About 10:30 I let her have some fruit snacks. The next thing I know Lyla says my tooth came out!  Sure enough it did!  I think it scared her at first but then she was so relieved & excited!  I think she was anxious not knowing when she would lose that first tooth & if it would hurt. 

Now we have put it under her pillow & we are waiting on the tooth fairy to come!

Fa La La La La

Christmas season is in full swing and I've got the stress to prove it! 

 

Even though we said we were going to wait, we put up our Christmas decorations over Thanksgiving weekend.  It was a lot for one weekend, but I'm glad we went ahead and did it.  This way we can enjoy them all month long. 

 

Last year we got a "real" Christmas tree.  And we had all intentions of doing it again this year.  And then we were at Lowes trying to pick one.... and we decided to throw in the towel.  We went to Walmart and bought a new artificial one.  Its a really nice one though! 

Its kind of huge.... 

 

We added some new things to our outside decorations this year too!

And of course Lyla has her purple & pink tree up in her room.  She found just the right star for the top this year.

The first weekend of December we had Becca's birthday and Gary's birthday.  Plus Christmas shopping and all the normal weekend stuff.  It was a really busy/fun weekend!  So busy we failed to take any pictures though! 

This past weekend I had my work party Friday night.  Ash came down and met me after and we went to check out Market Square and the Ice Rink. 

Saturday morning we got up and went to Washington to do the Santa trolley.  Carter got to come this year too!

Saturday evening the three of us went to Kennywood for their Holiday Lights display.  It was really fun!  And the fact that it was unseasonably warm this weekend made it even nicer.

This is what happens when you ask a stranger/teenage girl to take a picture for you... she decapitated the snowman...  Oh well.

 

Gary and I were SO EXCITED that Rick Sebak was the celebrity guest reading Twas the Night Before Christmas!  He is our favorite local celebrity!  If you don't know who he is, you need to watch some of his Pittsburgh documentaries.  He could talk about anything and I would find it fascinating!

 

So its December 14th.... 11 more days until Christmas.  I'm totally not ready.  Lyla is totally over the top excited...  Fingers crossed it all comes together!

Thanksgiving 2015

Another busy thanksgiving weekend come & gone. We had beautiful weather this year which is always helpful with all the traveling we do!  

This year we started off by going to mom and dad's Wednesday night so we woke up there Thursday. We watched the parade & I tried to help mom a little with dinner.  Ok, fine .... I peeled potatoes... Whatever. Then Em, Gerald, Carter and Diana came for dinner. After dinner we went to visit Aunt Linda. Then we slept at mom's again. 

Friday morning I met Erin for breakfast. It was so nice getting to spend some time together just us. We don't get to do that too often anymore. 

Later Friday afternoon we headed to West Virginia to Aunt Patti & Uncle Delmus's house. Lisa, Tommy & Madison were also there. It was really great getting to visit with them. We don't see them nearly as often as I wish we did. 

We headed home late Friday night. Saturday & Sunday we did our usual weekend chores as well as putting up all the Christmas decorations!  It's been a busy weekend, I'm not really ready to head back to work tomorrow!