Stacy,
We did our picture the other day. It is almost impossible to get everyone looking ok, let alone good. With a little magic of photo shop (head swapping) ours is passable.
Good luck with yours.
My day will get busy later. I'm assistant coach for our hs girls hockey team and we have a game this afternoon. Then my dd's first real dance (she is 12). I will definitely take pictures.
Enjoy the day, all.
Jo

I don't know, but if you missed it, so did I!

Good luck on that Christms Photo, LOL, it'll be a new adventure every year, I think. Oh, and I'd vote for the pink fuzzy slippers too. (grin)

I just got back today, I was in Nashville for my Christmas Surprise from Elery. We saw the Rockette's holiday show, something I've always wanted to do. We stayed at the Grand Ole' Opry, which I thought would be "Porter Wagoner tacky" but it was very, very nice, upscale and tasteful and we had a room overlooking the atrium garden and waterfalls. We also stayed with much of major league base ball, who was having Winter Meetings and negotiations there, ESPN was doing live stream broadcasts and there were people everywhere. Everytime we got near the baseball people, though, security would remind us about not taking pictures, LOL. You'd think they'd be used to it, but I guess only the media gets to take pictures.

I took a lot of pictures, so I'll post some and do a longer post. The Jeep is getting fixed, a shifter cable broke I guess, so I'll have the weekend to bake, to clean house and to catch up.

Clink with my tea cup to you all.

Annie

Jo, we were posting at the same time. I hope your DD has LOTS of fun at that dance, I'll be waiting for those pictures too!

Annie

Oh Jo - I don't do the photo shop thing...we just take a zillion photos - and by the last ones you can tell we're fed up and Sammy's full after eating a barrel of biscuits trying to get her to sit still...:-)

Head swapping...sounds scary.

Annie! I've been wondering! I thought you were due back Wednesday - sounds like so much fun - I"ll be looking for the pics.

Stacy

Up at the cottage...there is so much snow I can't believe it! Way more than normal. I'll take pics.

Came up on my own yesterday and it was quite the adventure getting in. The drive had been plowed but from the drive to the cottage was 2 feet deep in virgin snow! Took me over an hour to get in. Thank goodnes for the furnace at least it was cozy warm in the cottage.

Clive will be up about 6:30, we are looking forward to a very quiet weekend before the seasonal crazines sets it.

Happy weekend everyone!

Annie, sounds fun look forward to pics. Stacy, I love your Christmas pics , yours too Jo, I loved the one of you all of you in the backyard a few years back.

Stacy, have fun doing the picture, I hope we get a chance to see it.

Jo, hope the hockey team does well. Hope to see your family picture too.

Annie, I guessed Nashville for your surprise trip. Sounds like you had a wonderful time, can't wait to see pictures.

Sharon, enjoy the quiet weekend at the cottage.

Nothing major planned for this weekend here. I'm working on Christmas cookies at home today. Working at the store tomorrow and probably more Christmas cookie fun here on Sunday. We have a good 12" of snow on the ground here and it's got me into the Christmas spirit!

I'll clink a little later.

Nancy

I'm running off to work now, Chanukah dinner here tonight for the family--unfortunately it's the only night we could all be together. Last nigh was DGS Jayden's "winter performance" at nursery school,I can't say enough about how adorable it was!
Dinner will be a very untraditional filets and baked potates and veggie. Maybe some frozen latkes!
Oy, hey it's being together that counts, right?
Kiddies are sleeping over tomorrow night and we have a holiday potluck on Sunday. Full week! Shopping?????

Stacy, love the stories of your last holiday photos!
Be safe everyone!

TGIF, everyone! I've been sort of MIA lately.. refinishing floors, playing in Santa's workshop and a slew of obligatory holiday parties and fundraisers.

Today we're heading to town to try and find something for Liana's graduation...next week she's finally done, yahoo! She wants her present in the form of furniture etc. when (if!) she moves into her own place, but I want to get her 'something'. So we're off to try and find a piece Sergio Gutierrez jewelry. Or something. Hard to shop for baubles for 'Miss Picky'. She may just get cash.

Tomorrow is work, then home to dig out decorations and if I start now, I may have the place cleaned before my sis gets here on the 20th.

Have a good weekend, everyone....~clink!~

Happy Friday!! Happy Weekend!!

OOOHHH the family photo!! Good luck with that! Both kids will actually be home tonight so maybe we'll work on that too!! I just got holiday theme paper today so I can compose a holiday letter to those out of towners...its been one hell of a year but I am sure I can comprise it all into a paragraph or two. I am not a big fan of lengthy newsletters that drag on and on LOL!

No big plans here this weekend...just work and housework yaddayaddayadda...

Everyone have a happy and safe weekend!

Cheers!
Susie

Hey Stacy-- sounds like we'll be in for another cute picture.

Jo-- gosh they grow up so fast-- enjoy ! Looking forward to more pictures of that dance.
Annie-- It's so nice hearing you enjoy your time with that great guy-- & will be watching for pictures from you too.
Sharon-- sounds like a nice weekend-- snowed in with DH-- enjoy !!!! We're thinking of spending New Years at camp-- nothing like a cabin with a fireplace
& all snowed in!
Nancy-- yep time for working on the Christmas cookies-- darn aren't they expensive to make this year !!!
Comp-- Happy Chanukah celebrations
Katie-- bittersweet time huh ? Oh well they've got to grow up & out sometime .

I have my last show of the year tomorrow-- and planning on some Christmas baking Sunday-- and just heard from DGD--Caleb has a sibling on the way--
so that will make 3 GGkids. We have about a foot of snow but the wind is nasty-- time to hibernate--- so clinking to all with my Chai!

Have a safe weekend all.

Diane

Annie, glad to hear it wasn't Evansville like I was teasing you. :) I've heard the Opry is lovely (and that they have really good coffee.)

Stacy, you're right, it really doesn't feel like Friday here, either.

It's snowing here. Big fluffy snowflakes. I'm so used to Eastern snow that I thought it wouldn't last long, but it shows little sign of letting up and the cloud ceiling keeps dropping. I have a movie and popcorn for later. If it gets really wintry, I have cocoa fixin's. M is just outside Boston and not nearly as cheery. He cnocerned he's going to end up stuck there for the weekend. I think he's more concerned he's going to get sent to West Virginia and he doesn't have chains with him.

Does anyone get the Splendid Table e-newsletter? A bunch of holiday cookies recipes in today's issue! I'm tempted to bake and take cookies to the senior center. I'm sure their doctors will NOT thank me. LOL!

R, we went right past Evansville, LOL. The Opry was lovely and the coffee was very good. It was also nearly $3 a cup for a plain old cup. Ahem.

We did have a little one cup pot in the room that used little "packets" of coffee. That wasn't awful, so I drank that instead. (grin) There's also a big mall right across the street, so we did some meals and most of my coffee there.

Annie

Ouch. Used to be coffee was $1 and you got a whole carafe.

stacy--i think the "post toot" pics had to be wonderful! post away as i imagine they'd make me laugh and i'll bet some of the rest of us, too!

glad you got to see the rockettes and had such a wonderful present, annie! i saw their holiday show in NYC a "few" decades ago and found the whole thing to be fabulous!

congratulations, katie! and good for lianna! what i wanna know is, which one of you is more thrilled?

frankly, i think chase, crafty and bean have the best ideas! hunker down for the weekend and enjoy the scenery! we've had a number of brown christmas days here but this year probably won't be. we got 5 or 6" of snow at the beginning of the week, followed by another 2 or 3" a day later. and i'll be darned if it didn't start to snow (very lightly) on my way home tonight. i'd guess we now have another couple of inches and it's just really pretty! either tomorrow or sunday we'll go pick out a tree and might even get it decorated before the weekend is over--don't wanna push too hard, you know :) anyway, i'm looking forward to it and hope you folks enjoy your time too!

LOL, at Porter Waggoner tacky, because it could have been Minnie Pearl "homey!" Sounds like a great surprise! Elery is a keeper :) I probably saw the Rockette's not too long after you did, San, way back when! I was totally in awe of the Radio City Music Hall I remember!

Stacy, how did your pictures come out this time? How do you top "tooting" and fuzzy pink slippers, and I bet you could, LOL! Can't wait to see!

Hanukkah dinner with the family sounds great, Ellen! You have a busy weekend ahead with two little ones! We're having a combo holiday dinner/ mom's birthday on Sunday, but we're probably going out for Italian! So much for traditional Hanukkah dinner :)

Sounds like a great plan, Bean, popcorn and a movie! We're doing that tomorrow night! Shrek 3!

Congratulations, Diane, that is such nice news!

Katie, congratulations to Lianna on her graduation! We do the cash gift these days, too, somehow I never pick out the right things any more :)

Hope you take some pictures of your cookies, Nancy! bet your house will smell so good!

Jo, LOL, sounds funny, head swapping! First dance, that's very exciting! How'd it go? Looking forward to the pictures. I remember my DD's first dance. There was no room in the bathroom, it was packed with all girls looking in the mirror making sure everything was just so, LOL. The dance was in the gym!

Enjoy your quiet weekend, Chase! Would love to see pictures of the snow at the cottage!

I'm hunkering down for the weekend, supposed to be chilly and rainy. We have no plans which is nice because it's been hectic these past few weeks! I would love snow, we got a dusting last weekend, was nice to wake up to see the white stuff covering the street. It disappeared too fast!

Glad to hear Elery is being so good to you Annie. Back to working weekends for me. Christmas trees are selling fairly well. Lady came with her kids and picked up a 14 footer this morning. I have a few dozen that are getting huge and it is good to see them go down the road. Trying to get my house cleaned up for holiday company but it is slow going.

: )
lyra

Stacy - I am sure you got a great picture that captures your family just as they are! I love candid pictures! I always take my son's picture and the best one ever was one where he wasn't looking at the camera. This year for the first time I decided I need a professional photo of him and the baby. I am nervous I am not going to like it - too canned!!! My appt. is on Tuesday. I remember the expression on your dog's face last year - so cute.

JO - I actually remember my first dance - it is an important day! Hope you won your game.

Annie - an Opryland Christmas! I was there in December one year for a conference. The place is amazing and the lights are incredible! Did you do the Christmas show with dinner? My Uncle performed in it until he passed away a few years ago (he was from Michigan). How fun to be surprised. Glad you are hope safe and sound!

Chase, a snowy weekend at your cottage sounds perfect to me.

Nancy, enjoy your baking.

Katie, playing in Santa's workshop? Sounds good! Congrats on your daughter's graduation!

Susie, I love receiving holiday newsletters! I wish more people did them.

Diane, Caleb must be excited!

Bean, your evening sounds good!

San, enjoy the snow. I miss having a live tree.

Carol, enjoy the lull. Shrek 3? You crack me up:)

Lyra, I remember a beautiful photo of your Christmas tree farm. Wonder why no parking lot Christmas tree places have popped up this year around here? I usually get a wreath and love seeing them. They are usually from Montreal. My sister and I always joke - thank god for the holidays otherwise we would never clean places like behind the fridge.

Pretty certain I have bronchitis so may be going to the doctor in the morning if they can take me. My son is on my nerves so he must be feeling better - LOL! Just kidding - it is hard for a 4 year old to be cooped up at home even if they are sick and he is a ball of energy! I am so relieved to see him acting normal! Still coughing though but breaking up...

Tomorrow (or today really!) Santa Claus is coming to town. He arrives on a horse and buggy and then goes in the village hall to have the kids "sit" with him and hand out gifts. The fire dept. will have a truck there for the kids to explore. I hope Santa is on time - we froze our butts off waiting last year! The expression on my son's face is worth it although I am sure he won't sit on his lap! (how can you force them - hey go sit on that weird looking dude's lap you don't know? - lol)

Need to do a BJ's run - solo and promised the boy we would make a gingerbread house (store-bought kit). Every year I try to get the train but always sold out.

Oh, I forgot you Compumom/Ellen. Saw a picture of you in conversations on the luncheon thread - didn't have time to post but will say here - you look fantastic! Is your hair different or glasses? Looking good!

Nothing wrong with your holiday dinner as long as your together:)

Maggie, you're very perceptive and sweet! Actually the glasses are different, they're my previous pair that are a lot more "jazzy",but unfortunately weigh a ton! My specs were in for repair and after wearing these for every moment of two weeks, I had a little ulcer on the side of my nose! My hair might be a bit different, and there's a few pounds missing too!

Annie, I wanted to take this opportunity to comment on your wonder"man", Elery. What a great guy! your trip sounds like so much fun, I'd love DH to take me on a mystery trip, but that ain't gonna happen cause he thinks I'm too opinonated! LOL!