Christmas 2014

I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone...Even with how busy we were, I really feel like we soaked in every minute of the season.  I don't think there is a Christmas movie we haven't watched!  I have thoroughly enjoyed every movie, song, craft, goodies and cocktails to the fullest!  I also would have to say that we really enjoyed our nightly devotionals with the girls too.  I have a great book called The ADVENTure of Christmas.  Each devotional talks about a different Christmas tradition and how we can relate it to Christ's birth.  It's really quite interesting, and the girls look forward to it. We also read a few sentences every night from Mathew that talks about Jesus' birth.  We may not be a weekly church going family, but we try to incorporate family devotions every night.

We did lots of entertaining this year, which I love!  We were supposed to have Brad's family over for Christmas Eve, but mousey had gotten a stomach bug last weekend, and with our nephew having heart surgery a couple weeks ago, we decided not to take a chance and spread the germs, so we had it at his mom and dads.  It all worked out!

Christmas Eve morning was a bit of a disaster...I could not find the gift I had gotten Brad from the girls.  I STILL cannot figure out where I hid that damn thing...So naturally I was in tears.  THEN, Brad proceeds to tell me that he cannot remember where he put Emma's big gift from Santa, a phone.  UGH!  We spent about 3 hours searching for that, and thankfully found it!  Stressful, I tell ya...

We headed over to the farm at around 1:00.  I brought my sweet and sour meatballs that I bring every year.  Everybody brings some sort of an appetizer, works out great!  This year instead of drawing adult names, we decided to do white elephant gifts.  Not stupid, crappy gifts though, something you would want to get.  For my girl gift I bought a Bath and Body works foaming soap, a car freshener clip with an air freshener, a cinnamon scented candle and some body wash.  Brad gave a package of beef sticks/summer sausage and a couple lottery tickets.  We did the dice game to see who got what gifts and it was a blast!  I ended up with 2 wine glasses and a bottle of wine, and Brad got a bottle of Captain Morgan and a Tervis Twins glass, perfect!

We got home around 7 and then opened our gifts with the girls.  We got them each a pair of jammies and a shirt or outfit.  Everything else comes the next morning from Santa.  The girls exchanged gifts too, lots of fun!  Then we watched part of Christmas Vacation and the girls headed to bed.  They all sleep in the same room and load up with movies, toys and books for when they get up early.  Our rule is that you cannot come downstairs until 6:00!

I think everyone was happy with what they got!  Emma got a phone, Rachel got an Iphone and Alayna's favorite gift was with this mixing stand that you can make real food with, or her Fur Real Panda.

Rachel and her Iphone.  She was overjoyed with that damn thing...

I didn't get a pic of Emma, I am always SO bad with taking pics Christmas morning.

I got an Erin Condren Planner, and LOOOOOOVE it!  I especially love the quote Brad put on it.  :)

I also got a Ninja blender and a running tank that says, "I Don't Sweat, I Sparkle"!

Brad got two Tervis cups from the girls, and then a weather station that has not been found yet...

We did manage to get a quick pic of them Christmas morning though!  And I had to get a pic of the last day of Billy the elf...he wrapped up the tree, and was found hanging over the curtain rod.  Crazy elf! 

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas!

Christmas Goodies

Sunday was our day to get everything done and cleaned for Christmas.  The girls had gifts to make for their friends, so we spent the afternoon crafting and watching The Wizard of Oz!

Rachel made peppermint bath salts and letter ornaments for her friends.  

Emma made ornaments and gave each of her friends a candy cane M&M.

We decorated some sugar cookies...

And mousey (or rather mom)  made letter ornaments too.

 

Our house is spotless (for at least a day) and laundry is done, now to make jello and meatballs (what a combo) for Christmas Eve and I'm done!  At least until Friday....:)

Our Weekend

We had another great but busy weekend.  Thursday night Rachel and Emma had orchestra concerts.  My nephew Sam was with us too, as his brother had surgery.  They sounded amazing, I love listening to orchestra!  I really wish my Grandma Omi was here, she would be thrilled with hearing them.

My grown up girl...

Brad and I are having way too much fun with our elf on a shelf this year.  He was found "pooping" Hershey Kisses, and then yesterday he made mustaches on their school picture frames in the entryway.  Hilarious.

Friday night we had a Christmas get together with the Rothsteins and had a BLAST!  They made ribs and crab legs and we played games with the kids all night.  We started out with a ping pong tournament, then had a spelling bee (I came in 2nd!).  It really was so much fun!  They got us the sweet Christmas Vacation glasses (if you know anything about our family, its that we are OBSESSED with Christmas Vacation!).

Our sweet kiddos.

Saturday was just a chill day, we all napped and mousey didn't feel well all day.  That night she threw up once, and then again the next morning, but felt great the rest of the day, weird.  Sunday was power cleaning all day as we are having Christmas Eve at our house (provided everyone is healthy).  I also helped the girls with their friend and teacher gifts, and we also made more cookies.  Busy busy!

The Making of a Christmas Card

I had originally planned on having family pictures taken this fall and using that for our Christmas card.  However, the weather never cooperated when we (or her) were available, and then when it did I ended up with an eye infection, and then when that cleared, ms. mouse scratched the heck our of her face sledding.  So, we decided to just do a quick picture in front of the tree.  Quick.  Key word is quick.  What ensued was an hour of trying to get the lighting right, animals to sit still and kids to smile nice.

I'm not sure which is harder, getting the animals to sit still or getting the girls to not have a cheesy smile.

 

The cat and the dog kept trying to attack each other.

Which then made Maci (the cat) dig her hind paws into Alayna's back.

So, needless to say, after an hour of taking at least 100 pictures, we did get ONE good one.  I don't think Brad will ever do that again...

Holiday Train

What a fantastic but BUSY weekend we had!  Friday night we had my company Christmas party.  Lots of fun, but very tired the next day, yowsa....Brad and the girls were making sausage at the farm, so this mama got a nap in!

Saturday night the girls were supposed to make their First Reconciliation at 4:00, but the lady gave us the wrong time, it was actually at 3, so we missed it.  We were planning on surprising the girls by taking them to the holiday train in Annandale at 7:15.  We ended up going out to eat at a local truck stop before heading to Annadale.  The food was SO good!

The girls had no idea what we were doing, haha!  The train was pretty cool, it was too bad that we couldn't hardly see anything because everybody had their kids sitting on their shoulders.  Bummer.  We ended up leaving early, because nobody could see and the amount of smokers out there was crazy!

It was still a super fun night hanging with these three, well, until Alayna had a meltdown when we got home...she was sleeping, yikes.  You know the saying, don't wake a sleeping bear...

Weekend

Last weekend was a busy busy weekend!  It started out on Friday night coming home from work and seeing this little cutie patootie all sprawled out, looking exhausted...

Then walking into the living room and seeing WHY she was so exhausted.  Yes, an entire canister of oatmeal was now imbedded in my carpeting....*sigh*

I think her bowels will be normal for awhile.

Saturday consisted of getting ready for our 2nd annual RTZmas get together with 2 of my classmates and their families.  We exchange gifts, but it has to be something you already have.  Last year we were all lame and everyone else was SUPER creative!  So this year we had to amp it up.  Brad decided to donate one of his mounted ducks that is old and looks really crappy.  I decided to give him a little makeover and make him our mascot!

Needless to say everyone was fighting over him!

The kids had a blast sledding and playing ping pong while the adults enjoy candy cane martinis and some amazing ping pong tournaments!

It's funny how I didn't really hang out with either of these 2 (Michael is first on the left and Ann is 3rd from the right) but now we hang out quite a bit.  I did daycare for their kids and we just started doing more things as families.  They are all a TON of fun, and Michael is like a brother to me...Love these peeps.

 

Sunday was spent getting some cleaning done and napping.  Our first holiday party for the season in the books....Only 3 more to go!

Marathon Training So Far

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Ours was fantastic and laid back, love that.  Friday I worked 10-4 which was awesome.  Brad actually takes the girls Black Friday shopping every year, and this year did it again.  He took the older two and they shopped all.day.long!  They got some great deals on clothes, which was pretty much all they were looking for.

Now we are ready for all the Christmas festivities!  Yippee!!

I am continuing my marathon training, but I know this month I probably won't get as much mileage as I did last month (November I ran 70.5 miles!).  Once January rolls around, it's crunch time!

This seriously makes me laugh out loud!  It is so true though.

Training is going really well so far.  I have upped my mileage, last week I ended it with a 10 mile run on Saturday which left me with 22 miles for the week! This last week was a lower mileage week, and that's ok.  I don't need to get any injuries!

I have decided to hire a running coach to help me reach my goal.  I was talking with her about my food intake, and realized I was not getting enough calories or nutrients.  I eat a very healthy diet, but was still eating as though I only run a couple days a week.  I have since upped my intake and noticed a huuuuuge difference!

This is my daily intake:
Breakfast: Half a cup of oatmeal mixed with milk and a big ole dollop of sunbutter.  Around 9:00 I eat a banana and a handful of almonds

Lunch:  I love salads, so I add different mixed greens, some sort of protein like turkey or grilled chicken, cheese chunks, tomatoes and a vinaigrette.  I also have grapes and cut up veggies with either salsa, hummus or guacamole.

Afternoon snack:  Chobani Greek Yogurt, an apple and some dark chocolate chips.

Supper consists of whatever I'm making.  I don't like to eat at night, but if I do, it's homemade popcorn made with coconut oil, my FAVORITE!

My biggest issue right now are my calves.  They always feel tight and sore, I need to look into foam rolling and maybe getting a massage...I'm also having some pain in my heel and achilles which should be remedied by my chiro.  Most days I feel confident, but there are those down days when I feel that 26.2 miles will never happen.  I know I can do this, I just need to get my head to agree!