hip hip hooray for Christmas Vacation

Well we are on our way back from what was an awesome time in FL for Christmas! We left last week after a what actually felt like a really fast week. I guess I was so busy packing, and finishing up Christmas shopping and doing so many fun things that the days just flew by, but that was ok, because we were so ready to get to FL.

Last week on Monday night we went to the Festival of Lights at the zoo. Brian and Haley bought us all tickets for Christmas so we all found a good time to go together. The lights were pretty and there were some pretty cool animals. We had a good time and luckily it wasnt freezing. Its been surprisingly warm in Cincinnati for this time of year. After the zoo we came back to our house and opened up presents and had some dessert. I love those friends! Thursday was our ugly sweater/white elephant Christmas party with our small group. it was so fun and i just loved everyones ridiculous sweaters. Justin went and bought ours that day at some random thrift store he found. his was quite hideous but mine was pretty normal looking, people thought it was actually mine. Anyway, there are some funny pics of the sweater in the Christmas Pictures link. Friday came and I got off around 12 and spent the day finishing all my shopping and wrapping up presents. It was of course fROYday and so we had some roy rogers and then went home to pack up the car. We woke up saturday sooooo early and got on the road. We took the cat with us because we didnt want anyone to have to take care of her. She was actually so good. She slept the whole way down and is not sleeping on the my lap now as im typing. While we were there she had a lot of fun with Aftons puppy Lucy. They are BFF now. They were so cute.

Ok, on to Christmas events! Sunday we went to church that morning and then came home and got ready for the Jag game. That was part of our Christmas present. It was just me and Justin and Floyd. It was rainy and we lost, but it was sooooo fun! After the game we came home and got ready for the Christmas Eve service. The whole fam went and it was awesome. I just love being with all those Manny’s. Afterwards we went to their friends house. The go every year, they are the same friends that were at the Manny’s house on Thanksgiving, the Huseins. We had a good time opening presents and being really silly. We left there around midnight and went home to sleep because santa was coming!

Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents. Being the domesticated woman I am, I acquired many household toys. I got an 8 pound oreck for vacuuming, that should help out with the two sets of stairs in our house. I also got lots of Pampered Chef stuff and some DVD’s. Justin bought me a new camera because I needed a better one that was more mobile for throwing in my purse and whatnot, i really love it! My mom and dad gave us an iPod clock radio, and now I get to wake up to any song i’d like, its so cool! After opening presents we had breakfast and Justin of course had to pray to the Christmas Jesus due to the fact that we had watched Talladega Nights 3 times the night before. It was hilarious, we all had the hardest time being sincere with Justin being so ridiculous. Later that day some of the family friends came over and we opened more presents and had dinner. It was such a nice relaxing day, we didnt leave the house at all, and some of us didnt even change out of our pj’s, it was so nice. the rest of the week we just ate out, shopped, napped, sat outside in the awesome weather, watched some of the movies we all got for Christmas, and just spent time with the family. i loved how long our trip was and that we were able to spend really good quality time with everyone. Thursday we actually made it over to Tallahassee and met up with my parents. We had a meal and opened some presents and then went and saw our friend RJ’s new coffee house that is sooo awesome. It was such a good trip but I really missed everyone in Pensacola and am so sad that we had to come back to Ohio. Its good to be back in our own home too though and see all of our good friends here. Well, I posted all the pictures from Christmas in the Christmas Pictures link so have fun looking at all those while you are all bored at work!

XOXO

A Winter Wonderland

Last weekend was pretty much the first time we got out in the cold weather and decided to do some festive things. Friday night we went to Roy Rogers because we do it every Friday now, its a new tradition. I call it “fROYday.” after that we sat on the couch at the Regans doing what we do many nights at their house, absolutely nothing, and i love it! i like just sitting around and talking and being giggly, its fun =)

Saturday Justin had to work on some guys yard and then that afternoon, we cleaned up the house and then had Brian and Haley and Jimmy and Julie over for dinner. After dinner we all went iceskating. It was pretty chilly, but bearable. We had to stand in line for a long time to only skate for 20 minutes, but it was worth it, and to be honest, im not sure i could have skated for much longer. Funny thing is, Justin was seriously the best skater, and when everyone else is from the north and my little Jax boy can skate better, thats strange. After we all went back to our house and watched some My Name is Earl.

It was a late night and I was so super tired and a little sick still, so the next day I slept until 1130 while my husband was at church. Im such a backslider. Anyway, after church I met justin at BW3's for some wings and Jaguars vs. Colts. Go Jaguars! Anyway, after that he played some football and I ran some errands and then headed home. Justin spent the rest of the night doing homework. Im so glad that is all over with. I was so stressed out just because he was so stressed out and it seemed that no matter how much HW he did he was never finished. Grad school is so time consuming. I say that like i didnt know, but its just more time consuming. He is constantly reading, and just when I think he is done he starts another 500 page book. Its nuts.

Well this week has been full of Christmastime events. Monday night I spent a lot of time making my cookies for the cookie party that was on Tuesday. Needless to tell all of you who know me, Im not the most domestic person, and not the best cook. What I made actually turned out to be inedible. But I won prize form most original. The picture is below. Its a bunch of stars that I cut out of some dough and stacked up to make a tree. However the ingrediants, though all food products, are not meant to be eaten once mixed together and baked. haha, oh well.

Wednesday night was our party with our High school group we lead. It was at house and we ordered some pizza and played White Elephant after watching The Office episode from last years christmas of Yankee Swap. So funny. Justin actually wrapped up an iPod just like Michael did, and I wrapped up and oven mitt. It was awesome. The kids had a great time and so did we. Its always fun with them!

Thursdaay night we went caroling with our small group at a nursing home. Now some of our husbands werent too keen on the idea. They would like to serve God in other ways, however once we got there, some sweet old ladies were thanking the guys, and they realized that this was awesome and meant so much to them. It was so sweet, I just love doing that for that community. So its finally the weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im so pumped. I just love the weekends! last night justin and his friends who are going to be playing football together, had a meeting about the team. Apparently he is on the "board" whatev. Haley and I sat around the house talking about many random topics until our husbands were done. Justin and I came home and played in the bed with Zoe and talked and whatnot until we finally fell asleep. This morning we woke up and went to the mall to finish Christmas shopping. I was glad he wanted to go with me. i just really like him. he just got back from playing some football and we are about to go out again to buy just a couple more gifts. Tonight we have a ballet to go to. Its like a retold Nutcracker, its similar but has a slightly different story line. Jenny is in it so we are all going to watch her. Im excited, i get to look pretty, so that should be fun.

Also, congrats Rhett and Heather! Im so excited for you two to finally be tying that knot! Its going to be so great! Well, everyone have a great rest of the weekend!

the leaves are falling

It seems like everytime I get on here to blog I say that Im going to get better at this and keep up with it, and well, I never do. Sorry bout that. So since I have skipped yet another entire month I will once again hit the high points of whats been going on. In the middle of November Justin and I went on a trip with our High School kids in the youth group to Gatlinburg. It was sooo fun. I just love staying in the mountains. We were only there for a weekend but were able to spend so much time getting to know them all better and grow in our relationships with them. I loved it because i think that since we are leading them, it will be so much better for them to get stuff if they know us well and understand us and where we come from. We ate lots of yummy food, did some bull ridin’, went on a hike, played games in the cabin all night long, and probably stayed up way too late. It was so great. here is a picture one of our kids took of us standing in the middle of the river that we found on our hike.

The next week after we got back from our trip we were able to go to the David Crowder Third Day concert with our small group. It was sooo fun, I just wished David would have played longer. I dont have a whole lot of pictures from that, Shannon has all the good ones, so Ill post them later.

The next week we headed to FL for Thanksgiving. It was sooooooooo fun! I love going to Jacksonville and hanging out with those Manny’s, they are so fun. My parents actually came to Jax for a couple days to spend the holiday with all of us. We got in so late on Wednesday and then the next day we had our Thanksgiving meal and then played the neighbors in a game of touch football. We won, you know how we do. Friday we went shopping and had lots of leftovers and Saturday we lounged around and then went out for a yummy dinner that night. It was so sad to leave on Sunday, but we will back in just two weeks!

Well when we came back to Ohio we had to go get our Christmas tree! I love getting the tree! I decorated all week and then finally on Friday we got to get the Griswold, I mean Manny Family Christmas Tree! kinda full, lotta sap. Anyway, Zoe loves the tree and always plays with the balls and presents under it. She is spaz.

And lastly, we had our first snow this past week. Seriously, cold. Anyway, the snow was very pretty, but Im over it
and want some warmth! I took a picture for ya’ll though since you have none down there and so you can enjoy our snow via the picture. haha, well I WILL post again soon about our fun weekend so check back this week for that! Ill be in FL soon!!!!!!!