We like to party all the time

Last week I had three Christmas parties with my gal pals.  My bestie R's mom calls all of  R's  friends gal pals so we all started calling each other gal pals.  I was so blessed to have three gal pal gatherings last week.  Ava also had her  annual cookie party.

Monday my book club had a dinner and a grab bag at a restaurant.  It was so fun to catch up with these girls.

 

I got the cutest drink dispenser at this party, which I have already used at Ava's cookie party.  

 

Ava was out of school Thursday and Friday so she had her annual cookie party during the day on Thursday.  We kept it super small this year-she only had 5 friends come.  As usual I made cookies before and the girls decorated them at the party.  We had plenty of colored icing and sprinkles for them to decorate with.

 

 

 

Thursday night I had a gift exchange with my dear friends.   We decided to do a favorite things exchange and we each brought our favorite things as gifts.  The limit for each gift was $30 and we brought 4 so everyone could take one home.  We had the best night! It was at bestie S's house and she decorated it so cute.

She had a hot chocolate bar which we all loved.

Here we all are.  These girls mean so much to me and I'm so so thankful for them.

 

I love books so I gave  them a book on organizing and a more fun book on wine :-)

 

We also got cozy blankets, soft PJ's,flowers, a ring,  and all the fixings for Bloody Mary's.

 

Friday morning I went to my neighbor H's for our annual peanut butter ball making day.  H and R joined us for a fun morning!

 

I brought gingerbread houses for the kids.  They were a big hit.

 

Friday night my friend V had a cocktail party.  She is the hostess with the mostest and everything is decorated so beautifully.

 

 

She had a fun mix of people and we had a great time!  

 

 

We had a busy and fun week before Christmas.

Xoxo 

Christmas 2016

Our dear friends L and S had us over for Christmas Eve.  It was a great night!  They made a delicious ham dinner and the kids did a gift exchange.  We all spent a lot of time talking, laughing and eating which is exactly how we like to spend holidays :-)

It's been a bittersweet Christmas because Brock stayed in Arizona.  We talked to him a few times over the weekend which was great and BIG news late last week he got accepted to Arizona State for the spring semester so he's pumped about that.  He is so happy there and I'm happy that he's happy but as a Mom It's hard having him 2000 miles from home.

Every year  I like to get a picture of our family in front of the tree.  L and S had  beautiful tree and I love the multicolored lights they used on their tree.  I know a lot of people like white lights but I'm a huge fan of multicolored lights!  

 

A lot of Ava's friends were at the party which was so fun for her.   In her gift exchange she got a gift certificate to Lush which she loved!

I made L a monogrammed tray that she loved.  I love it too and I might have to make one for myself this week!

 

Here are the Moms after a night of Christmas fun.  It was a great night and a fun new tradition for us!  

 

 
 After the party Ava and I went to 10pm church to meet some friends and neighbors to worship together.  It was a beautiful service.

Here are the girls after church.  It was almost midnight but the girls were all smiles because it was almost Christmas :-)

 

Christmas morning we woke up around 8:30 and opened presents at home.

 

After opening presents here we went to Grandma Jan's for brunch and more presents.

Grandma Jan decorated her cactus plant as her Christmas tree this year. It was so cute!

 

I brought a shrimp platter and stuff to make Bloody Mary's.  Both were delicious and perfect for brunch. 

 

 

Grandma Jan won the award for best present this year.  She got Ava an Apple Watch.  Ava was SO thrilled!  She loves it.

 

 

Someone was tired after brunch-ha ha!

 

My friend P went to NYC today and saw our tree.  She said it was beautiful but SO busy and crazy. I love the picture she sent.  I have 100's of tree pictures to go through this week.  I want to make us a photo book with all of our tree pics.

 

I hope you had an amazing Christmas with your loved ones.

Xoxo

Craft night!

Last Friday night Rachael and I had our monthly craft night.   This month we made wooden signs. As always it was a great night.  Rachael was sick as a dog all day with a migraine so she sent her husband Michael to help me.  He was a big help!    

We spent the week before staining wood and cutting the stencils and vinyl for the signs.  Our plan was to have each participant make one with vinyl and one using a stencil.  However people LOVED the vinyl and hated the stencil so if we do this again we will just do vinyl because the vinyl was so much easier.  

Instead of brown wrapping paper we used Christmas wrapping paper for the table this  month.  It was so festive when people came in.  

 

People were SO creative with their signs.  Everyone was different but they each turned out so perfect!

 

 

I love monograms and I loved when a few of the ladies did monograms on their boards. 

 

We had two mother daughter pairs this month which was really sweet.

 

I was happy our friend Marisa came.  She is so crafty!

 

Here's our big group picture!  Even my helper Michael got on this one!

 

It was a great night!  Next month we are making wine cork boards and mini planters.

Xoxo

Our weekend

Last weekend was a fun one for us!

I started out by meeting two former students for appetizers right after work.  These two graduated last year and I was thrilled when they said they were going to be in town.  It was great catching up with them!

 

Friday night Ava had a basketball game.  I always love watching her play basketball.  

 

Ava and her friend Anne.  Anne is an exchange student from Denmark and she'll be living with us for three months starting next month. Aren't they cute together?  I think we are going to have a great three months with Anne.

 

I love getting pics of people seeing our tree.  My friend Liz sent me this pic over the weekend.  We are hoping to get down to NYC one more time to see it.  

 

Saturday night we saw the Nutcracker.  Ava was in the Nutcracker for a few years when she did ballet.   We always love going to see it and it really gets us in the Christmas spirit.

 

 

Here's our group after we watched the show.  It was a great night!  

 

Sunday we went to brunch to celebrate Rachael's birthday. I planned it for her and I'm so happy so many of our friends could go! 

 

That was our weekend.  One more week until Christmas.  I can't wait.

Xoxo 

Weekend fun!!!

Hello friends.... I love December!  There are always so many fun events and parties this month.  I can't believe we fit all of this into one weekend but we did it!  I love weekends full of fun.  

Thursday night two friends and their husbands did a fundraiser at their law office for family services.  They raised $35,000!!!  It was a great night and many people in our community will have a Merry Christmas because of them.  

 

Friday night Ava had a basketball game. Thankfully G was there and my friend L took pics.  She did great and scored 6 points.  

 

I couldn't go because I hosted our monthly craft night.  Our December craft was a huge success!  Here is one of the signs  one of the ladies made.  I am doing a full post on our craft night tomorrow.  R and I have been planning our 2017 craft nights.  We have lots of good ones coming up next year.  

 

Saturday afternoon we went to the Rotary Christmas party.  Ava has been going through the interview and selection process to be an rotary exchange student.  Saturday we went to find out where she will be next year and we leaned she is going to the Czech Republic/Slovakia.  She is so excited!  She leaves next August and she will spend the next 8 months learning the languages of both countries (they are similar but not the same).  We are so proud of her!!!! 

 

 Saturday night I went solo to our friends annual Christmas party.  (Graig was reffing-story of my life in the winter-ha ha!)  M and B always have the best parties!  This one was no exception.  They had a photo booth and we did a naughty or nice Christmas gift exchange-so fun!! 

 

 

 

Sunday morning Ava and I got up early to go to the Otesaga for breakfast with Santa.  We went with R and her boys.  It was lovely morning.  

The kids look miserable here but I promise they had a great time-ha!

 

The decorations are always so pretty at the Otesaga.  

 

Ava took a selfie with Santa.  Both of my kids have seen this same Santa for years in Cooperstown.  He is the best!  

 

 Saturday afternoon I had to work a bit.  I'm the advisor for the College's leadership honor society and we had our yearly induction ceremony.  We have 62 new members.   

Here are the officers before the ceremony.

 

Right after the ceremony Ava and I went to see our community theater's  production of the The Wizard of Oz. We knew so many people in the play so it was fun to watch.  

 

To round out our fun weekend Ava and I went to a sing along at a local bar/restaurant with some friends.  We went to this last year and we had a blast!  So many people were there and everyone was in the Christmas spirit.  We had a fabulous time!  

 

 

I hope you had a great weekend!

Xoxo