Women Who Eat Chocolate

making cookies on the 22nd... food at our family Christmas Eve....we do only appetizers! singing for Grandma Stutzman at Walnut Hills.....she's 94! the kids anticipating their gifts on Christmas morning... Hunter and his new gaming chair...he hasn't got off of it since he got it! Selena crying as she realized that yes...she really did get a blue Ipod! Belle and her Manchester United soccer jersey.....she couldn't believe it!

Yeah, I'm def not 18 anymore. I stayed up last night reading "Pillars of the Earth" until the wee hours and I'm paying for it! I had to work this morning, and I knew better than to stay up, but I did because it's getting so good! All I want to do now is go home and finish it.....it's like a 1000 pages long. It's rainy, so that means a good day to stay in and read. Yesterday we went to see a movie. We saw I Am Legend---awesome movie--go see it. Will Smith def knows how to put on a good movie, and this one totally surprises you. It's not what you think, and those are the best kind. It was nice going out just us as a family. We ate at the mall (duh--it was the day after Christmas!), Belle spent her Pac-Sun gift card, went to the theater, played alot of arcade games, then settled in to be entertained for two hours. I always hate it when movies are over..... :( It was a good day though. We went through Starbucks and McDonald's on the way home, an...

Christmas is almost here! All gifts are wrapped and under the tree.....appetizer ingredients have been bought and are ready to be put together for Christmas Eve....everything is ready. But are we? Have we lost ourselves in our rush to the season? Are we only worried about ourselves and what we have to do....mired in our own daily existence, unable to see past the fog of what's wrong in our lives? I've tried to do my best. It's been so hard since we lost so much in the fire. I've tried to be positive, and keep my best side showing. I've never tried to feel sorry for myself, but project an attitude of "we can get this thing done"......... When you're young, you don't see the wrong in what you do and say, or in the people around you. When you get older, you begin to see your faults and see cracks in the facades of people you always thought were right about everything. In essence, you mature and realize people are human. It's hard tho...

I finally took some pics of the house. George and I were out there last night until almost 9:30 painting and doing some other things. On Friday we have our family Christmas house tour. We go around to all of our houses checking out each other's decorations. Technically, I'm not decorated for the tour except for my star, but they wanted to see it anyway! Most of these pictures are of the kitchen. Rhonda, if you're trying to figure out how it's laid out, look at the second picture down. It's looking in from the living room to the kitchen. And the really hot looking guy is just someone who's been showing up to work until 10:30 pm every night. The only payment he requires is a backrub after he's done......I say that's pretty cheap labor!

I love snow...you all know it. I'm the one who waits for it every year. I'm the one who dodges the glazed over stares of people who think I'm crazy.....I DON'T CARE! I am waiting deliciously for the Nor'Easter to blow in on Saturday evening (after my Christmas banquet at Uncle Primo's of course!). They're forecasting over a foot of snow. I've been to Wal-Mart, and Movie Gallery. My cupboard is stocked.....bread, milk, cereal, and movies. I'm ready for the wild winds to howl and cover my world with the soft white splendor that is snow..... Bring it on.....while you're wishing you would've gone out and bought that last gallon of milk, I'll be baking cookies and watching Pirates of the Caribbean III. Hmmmmm.......I hope Dick Goddard isn't wrong..... cuz then I'll be the one with the all the food and nothing to show for it! hahahahaha

I love my island light! I stood there yesterday and watched it hanging from it's silver chain, gleaming silver and glass and I was happy. My bones are sore this morning though from all the trimming I did yesterday. I trimmed paint on all the windows, trim and doorways in the bedroom, kitchen, and living room. I realized, again, how much I hate painting--and how much I love that my husband is a professional painter. That doesn't stop him, however, from making me paint. I want to paint, so we can move in, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! I'd much rather be scouring junk stores for the perfect desk, bed, or architectural salvage to hang. Sigh. I had a moment of despair when I realized I would be painting this trim again, and that's not even counting the trim up the steps and into the upstairs bedrooms! Help! Painting with George, though, is a trip. We had 94.1 on who only is playing Christmas songs right now. He walks around singing these Christmas songs in the...

The hardwood floors in my house are in!!!!! George finished installing them last night and they look so nice! :):):) That's all I needed to say!

SNOW DAY! First snow day of the season.......right now it's 6:53 am, and the snow is gently falling outside. The roads are snow-covered and my kids are still sleeping. I can hear them snoring softly, sleeping all the better because they know that school is off. There is something about sleeping in on a snow day. It just seems like you get better rest. George got up with me at 5:30 this morning to listen to the radio for the cancellations. We made coffee (Dunkin Donuts coffee!), and just sat here to enjoy the morning. He worked at the house last night until almost 10:30, and I got mad at him because I told him he's killing himself. Then I told him I was sorry because I know he just wants to finish the house. So, he's upstairs blowdrying his hair, and when he's done we're going to drink more coffee. He just needs to sit a little bit and regain himself. Not regain his strength, but regain himself. He's been really working hard to finish a big house in ...

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Granted, it includes picking out color combinations for six rooms and a hallway, but I can see it! The downstairs is nearly finished, and next week they will be working on finishing the upstairs. Our contractor Mark, said he'll be working all next week---that means everyday all day! Yes. Our heating is finally done so it's nice and toasty in there too. Thank you God for giving me patience! I heard this morning that snow was forecast for this weekend. I always celebrate when I here there's snow coming. I know there were a few flakes flying around here earlier this week, but nothing substantial. There's something about that first snowfall. That first flake that drops gently down to nestle on the ground. I could sit and stare at snow for hours. The more it blows the happier I am! Think me crazy, but I don't care. There's something simple and beautiful in the way the flakes pile up into a soft blanket of white. It soften...