Pauliwog's Puddle: Holiday Craziness!

I have been very remiss in blogging over the last few weeks. Zack and I have been traveling a lot and things have been crazy and busy. So, I finally got a chance to sit down to night and catch up my blog in order to let you know what has been going on in our lives over the past few months. Zack and I spent Thanksgiving with my parents this year and so on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. we traveled home for a visit. My mom only got Thanksgiving off of work this year, but we made due. Other than my parents and a cousin, we don't really have much family in the area, so it was to be a small gathering around the Thanksgiving table. So, instead of a big meal Thursday afternoon, we went hiking along a really pretty creek at a park that my parents like to frequent whenever possible. We did have a big meal on Thanksgiving night. Friday was pretty quiet since mom had to go to work and Peter decided to go to the Zoo to photograph animals. So, Zack and I went with my dad to the YMCA and sat around resting until mom and Peter got home. Mom and I did some shopping. I was trying to find things to help decorate Zack's office and so mom and I went in search of wall decor and Christmas presents. Saturday afternoon, we went to see Bolt in 3D because my brother really wanted for us to all go see it. It was really a pretty cute movie, and we all enjoyed it. The rest of the weekend went by quickly and then it was home again for a little while.

We had one weekend at home before we had to hit the road again traveling up to my parent's. My friends from high school used to get together every year for a Christmas party at Jennifer Bess' house. This year Jennifer decided to reinstate the tradition and I am SO glad that she did. I got to have Brunch with Andy, Ape, little Mason, and my Mom that morning and then we all got together that night for dinner. It was so much fun catching up with old friends and having a time to reminisce. I was able to meet and get better acquainted with some of my friend's husbands. We had dinner together, with way too much food, which Zack was excited about. Those girls are some of my best friends still to this day and I love them dearly. They are so much fun to be around and when we get together, which is not frequently enough, it is like we can pick up right where we left off. Unfortunately not all of our friends were able to make it this year, but maybe next year.

I found this picture today, and it made me laugh, remembering times with these girls! A few of them are missing from this pic...and why does it look like it is JB's birthday? lol

Some of our high school gang of friends back together for Christmas. These girls have been an enormous blessing in my life over the years.

Melia, Ape, Andy, JB and I

Our husbands...there are no words! lol

The next week was a busy one as we tried to prepare for Christmas. I spent the beginning of the week trying to feverishly sew a couple of Christmas outfits for my cousin's little girls. I had to be finished with them no later than Wednesday so that I would be able to get them to her in time. Thankfully I got them done in time. (although they were getting a LOT of snow and I was TERRIFIED that she wouldn't get them in time....thankfully she did!! The Saturday before Christmas!)

These are the little outfits that I made for my cousin's little girls. They are knot apron tops with ruffled pants. The aprons are reversible and one side is their initials and the other says jingle bells. Because I actually sewed jingle bells on them, I made them removable so that the jingling would not drive my Cousin crazy! :)

On Wednesday, Paperbackswap.com had their Christmas party/ lunch, and then on Thursday, we had our small group Christmas party. It was fun to be able to get the majority of the whole small group together again (we had grown so much that we had had to split about a year or so ago.) The parents of one of the couples in our group generously opened their home for us to use. Their house was really cute and offered the perfect place for our group to get together and fellowship. We had a big meal, again with more than enough food, all which was delicious, because we have some amazing cooks in our small group. I was in charge of getting the ham and making a side...I wanted to make sure that we had enough food (and wanted to try a new recipe), so I made a dessert as well. - white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake.

These are the girls from our small group! Love them!!

Sometime during the week I also ordered Zack and I's Christmas cards....a little late to get them out by Christmas, but better late than never I guess.

Zack and I were supposed to leave on Friday to go down to his parents house so that we could leave for Pigeon Forge on Saturday for the family Christmas trip, but we were exhausted and I still had to make Zack's cousin's Christmas presents, so we ended up staying home until Saturday morning. Thankfully, I was able to get their presents done by Friday afternoon. I made them a variation of the little bags that I had made for the girls weekend a few weeks earlier. I think that they liked them.

here are the little bags that I made for Kelsey and Whitney

On the 19th, we left for Pigeon Forge. We stayed in a little 3 bedroom 3 bathroom cabin and had a great time with family and created a lot of great memories.

My sweet In-Laws

The family at Dollywood

Brothers and Sisters

hmmm...not sure if these two look like they can handle the responsibility of those keys!

Rachel, Me and Mama Sandy

It was ridiculously cold! I would die if I lived up North :) lol

We went to Dollywood during 2 of the days that we were there...it was FREEZING!!! We did ride a few of the rides, although the roller coasters were closed due to the cold weather (bummer :( they are my favorite!) Melia, you will appreciate that I told my family about the time that we rode the Tin Lizzy's at King's Island. They kept making little comments about that the rest of the trip! lol. We ended up going to most of the shows...mainly to warm up, but some of them were really pretty fun to watch. We played lots of games and did some shopping...well, I should say that the girls did some shopping. We left the guys at home to play pool and poker. Zack was in charge of "photo documenting" their time together. This was the picture that we came home to!

What in the world! :) lol

We went back to Zack's parent's house on Christmas Eve and then spent Christmas Day with his Maternal Grandparents and the day after with his Paternal Grandparents.

Rachel and I

We left Zack's parents house on Sunday and headed home for a few days, until it was time to leave home again on New Year's Eve to head up to my parents house for New Years/ Christmas. My mom had taken the whole week off and was cooking up a storm the whole time we were there. We had a good time with my parents.

We thought that that was the end of our traveling for a while, but for me, I had one more weekend to go home before I could take a break from living out of a suitcase. My friend Andrea was having a baby shower and my mother had had eye surgery. I had originally told them that I would not be able to make it up there for the weekend simply because of the amount of traveling that we have been doing and for our budget's sake. I spent the week working on some gifts for Andy's little one, Luke

I made a "Sunday" Diaper Bag

...and a Shopping Cart Cover, Tag Blanket, and Portable Changing Pad with fabric that matched her baby bedding

...and I was wrestling with my disappointment that I would not be able to go. I seem to always be missing out on important milestones in my friends lives due to distance or schedule conflicts...On Saturday, I decided that I would regret it if I was not there for Andrea and to support my Mom. So, after calling Ape and telling her of my inner struggle and talking with Zack, I jumped in the car and drove home...I am so glad that I did. It allowed me to spend some quality time with my mom and to be there to support a friend that I hold dear during this special time in her life!