Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

These are pictures from Christmas eve. There aren't many I was sick that night. Every year my mother's side of the family gets together on Christmas eve. This we were at my aunt Melissa's house. She's more a sister, we are close in age. She and her husband recently moved back to PA from Circleville, OH(home of the Pumpkin Show).

So dinner every year is Italian. We had spaghetti and meatballs, veggie lasagna, salads and garlic bread. There is eating, drinking, and opening gifts!

Melissa is a music panio teacher and she also plays the cello. I decided to be artistic with these shots.

 

 

This is their tree.

This is Mittens, one of their 3 cats.

Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!

Christmas time!!!

I spent the 7th-14th of December decorating the house. The outside took longer since everytime I had a chance to go out it would rain, sleet, or snow. I took to many pictures so I made a collage of highlights.

Post Op!

Oliver survived his surgery! We have to keep him from jumping(easier said than done with a cat) and give him an antibiotic every day for seven days. This upset his stomach, poor kitty!

He's a little out of it.

Stitches! Yuke!

He started to bite at his stitches.

Sleepy time!

Oliver's operation

We dropped Oliver off at the vet last night. His knee surgery is scheduled for today. I'll update later today.

I'm so far behind my holiday schedule. I'm still decorating the house and haven't even started the tree! Since I started this new job, granted it's part time, my schedule is all out of wack. So by the end of the weekend I hope to be caught up, cross your finger!

Just a quick post

I just wanted to put up this fab magazine cover of the new first lady. I love it! I can wait to see what she wears to the inauguration balls.

Christmas present

So I thought I would take a picture of my little bro for my Dad and Stepmom for christmas. It is more difficult than I tought to take a decent picture. Tyler seems have other posses in mind. I thought this one was pretty good. Mark and I are going with Jen and her family to get our X-mas trees. I'm hoping to bring Tyler and get her to take the picture!!!

New Toy

I downloaded the new Picasa and I can now make collages!

So I decided to make one of all my favorite kitty pics.

New purchase

I was out antiquing the other day and came across this antique tool box. I had to have it, it is the green in my kitchen and it was a steal. Not sure yet how I'm going to decorate it for everyday, but for Christmas I'm going to use greens and varying size pillar candles. I think I'll glitter the candles!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish all my blogger buddies a great Thanksgiving!!

Finalized Chrismas Baking List

Every year I make nearly 1500 cookies and other treats! I just finished with my list this year. I always stay with the traditional and try a different one each year. I have 2 news ones this year, chocolate biscotti and white chocolate and macadamia nut cookie.

Christmas Baking list

Chocolate chip cookies
Sugar cookies
Peanut butter cookies
Oatmeal cookies
Russian teacakes
Snicker doodles
Jam thumbprints
Peanut butter blossoms
White chocolate and macadamia nut cookies
Chocolate biscotti
Anise biscotti

Peppermint bark
Fudge

Banana bread
Pumpkin bread

New Job!

So a few weeks ago my BFF was talking about how swamped she has been with her business, I think I've mentioned she is a photography, and she was thinking about hiring someone. I told her to hire me. Well now I'm her "studio manager". It's not a full time job, I still can do my sewing projects and work at the fabric store whenever they need me.

It's been so much fun! We do our work, chit-chat and cook lunch. Some nights my husband comes over after work and we have dinner.

This is a picture she took of me that she posted on her blog(http://www.jenniferbretonphotography.com/blog) after I started.

Prop 8 is Hate!

I think this was one of Keith's best "special comment", just wanted to share.

Sunday Dinner~Chicken!!

Last week my local grocery store had whole chickens on sale for .99/pound! Being inspired by Martha's show about cutting up a whole chicken and Louis from Gestures cutting up his chicken, I bought 3! So this Sunday I decided to just do a basic roasted chicken. I like to use butter, salt, pepper, garlic and herb de provance on the outside. I stuffed it with lemons, onions, and garlic.

So next Sunday I will make an attempt to cut up a whole chicken. With the amount of cooking I've done this is one thing I've never tried!

Musical Family

My cousin recently posted video covering a Better then Ezra cover. He writes his on music as well.

POOR OLIVER!!!

We had an exciting Wednesday night. One of the little kitties knocked a plate onto the floor which schattered into a million pieces and in turn scared the bejesus out of Oliver and he went running like a bat out of hell. About 10 minutes after cleaning up the mess I notice he was limping and kind of dragging his leg. So thinking he broke his leg, into action Mark and I went. I put him in the carrier and Mark called the Vet. Well, I'm glad to say he didn't break his leg:). He did tear some ligaments and tweaked his knee cap, who know cats had knee caps.

YES WE DID!!!

Awesome crowd!

The first family!

Mr.President

USA!

40 Years in the making!

Words can't be expressed

I loved waking up this morning!

PHINALLY!!!

A Must See!

That's Right!!!

Obama: "We Don't Throw the First Punch, But We'll Throw the Last"

Keating 5...must see!

Monthly Family Dinner

We have this family tradition we get together once or twice a month for a big family dinner. We also revolve it around a family member's birthday to celebrate this as well. With us all being so busy and not living right around the corner it's a good chance to reconnect with everyone.

So October two of my cousins have birthdays, Mariah turns 10 and Crystal turns 26. Even with the crisp weather outside we had a cookout, hotdogs & hamburgers. It was great not to cold to sit outside but cool enough for a sweater or sweatshirt.

Silliness usally gets the best of us and a few of us decided to do a pyramid!

I like this observation...

Leah McElrath Renna: Joe's Tears: the Political Power of Paternal Love:
Joe Biden did more for the equality of the sexes with his honest display of paternal emotion during the vice presidential debate than Sarah Palin's presence on the executive ticket has or will ever do.

Fall!!!

Living in the out skirts of the Philadelphia area there are some regional favorites; hoagies, TastyKakes, cheesesteaks, & the Eagles! The sweetzels spiced wafer is one of my all time favorite fall staples! They are very spicey, sweet, and crunchy. They are great with milk or cider. I'm unusually glad that I have an allergy to wheat or I would eat the entire box, so a couple here and there is enough for me.

Got some apples from Mark's Uncle's orchard, I think I'll my some applesauce.

Cuteness Alert!

Mark and I were driving down the highway tonight and there was a billboard for pet adoption and he told me not to get a ideas. I told him were good with the number of cats for now, but get ready for a puppy! Maybe some chicken, donkeys, or cows too!

Starbuck is very sassy and incharge. She likes to sleep under our ottoman. Not sure what she'll do when she gets bigger.

Boomer is sweet and a little doppy. She can't sleep alone.

Oliver has seem to get in touch with his inner kitten! He likes to run around with the little ones every so often.