The grandkids

Nanny and Papa's grandkids all together from left to right: Austin holding Evie, Kellen, Robbie, Connor holding Bryn, Charlotte, and Finley

Christmas Part 1

Yes, I'm just getting around to posting Christmas pictures, but give me a break. I'm 36 weeks pregnant after all. We had a great Christmas celebration on the 21st with Dave's family. There are now 8 grandkids! Here is half the clan eating Mary's mexican food - a new Christmas tradition.

Here's the rest of the crowd.

The newest addition to the family is baby Evelyn ("Evie) born in October. She is Robbie's new baby sister. She's absolutely gorgeous! She slept like a champ amongst all the chaos.

Papa doesn't mess around when buying a Christmas tree!

Just a quick update

We're all doing fine here but I haven't had much time to blog lately. I promise to have Christmas pictures up soon. I'm in full nesting and birth preparation mode. It's hard to believe 2009 is here and we could have a new baby in a matter of weeks. Charlotte is checking her baby brother in this picture with the doctor kit she got from Santa. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas - we sure did!

Making cookies at Memme's

It just wouldn't be Christmas without making sugar cookies. Memme thought Charlotte would enjoy making her own. Boy, was she right!

Step 1 - Roll the dough and cut out the cookies.

Step 2 - Brush the cookies with egg whites.

Step 3 - Add sprinkles! The more the merrier.

Step 4- Hooray, look at all those sprinkles! Ready to go in the oven.

Step 5 - Take cookies out the the oven and admire your masterpieces! Are they cool yet?

Step 6 - Mmmm, tastes delicious!

Step 7 - Don't forget the milk!

The newest addition to our family...

Don't worry, I'm still pregnant (34 weeks and counting!). Introducing "Holly" Honda - our new minivan we purchased in early December. I took her to Va Beach last week for her first roadtrip. She drives great! I can't believe I'm so excited about a minivan but they are truly designed with families in mind. It has more storage and room than I've ever seen. The automatic sliding doors are the best part. Dave will be selling his car (Anyone want to buy a 2001 Nissan Maxima?) and will drive Subie. I've really liked my Subaru Outback, but it's just not big enough for two carseats and all the other junk you have to carry with kids. We have room to grow in Holly so she should last us a long time :) Anyone need a ride to soccer practice?!

You gotta love my dad - he washed and detailed the car for me while we were home. I like black cars, but they do show dirt more than most other colors especially in the winter. Thanks again, Dad!

Charlotte just being cute and waving to Poppy!

She preferred sitting on the front steps and watching all the action. She'll join the family tradition of washing cars soon enough.

Google Reader

Has anyone else discovered the power of Google reader? I recently learned about it from the Mommy Making Money blog (I've added a link at the bottom right). This blog is written by a mom in one of my stay at home mom groups. She posts fabulous and practical tips for saving money. For the locals, she posts all the good deals at Giant, CVS and other stores each week.

Anyway, if you're like me and frequently check several different blogs, you need to utilize Google Reader. You can add all your favorite blogs and Google lets you know when there is a new posting to those blogs. You can also read the blogs and see pictures right from Google Reader. Another cool feature is the "starred items". If you're in the middle of reading a blog post but get interrupted by your toddler, you can star the post and easily come back to it later. Brilliant! I'm loving it so far. If you have a gmail account, you're all set to go. Just log into Google and look for the "Reader" link up top.

Okay, there's my tip for the week.

I have a ton of pictures to post but Dave is using our home PC to write a brief that's due tomorrow. Geesh! Charlotte and I are headed to VB tomorrow for a few days. We'll be back on Thursday.

Tagged Twice!

After looking at blogs of my friends this week, I realized that I'd been tagged by Courtney and Megan to do something called a "Meme". Never heard of it but it seems like chain mail for blogs. I'll give it a shot.

The rules:

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write 6 random things about yourself.
Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
Let each person know he/she has been tagged (or let them get tagged by reading your blog).
Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

My 6 random things...

1. I'm not a morning person. I guess most people would know this about me. Like Megan, I don't like to talk when I first wake up. I need my time to slowly ease into the day. That quickly had to change when Charlotte was born, but it doesn't mean I like mornings. I'm good to go after a shower and cup of joe.

2. I love organization. I don't have a perfectly organized house, but nothing gives me more satisfaction than going through a dresser of drawers or closet when I have a spare moment. Purging old stuff is my favorite activity. I feel so much better after donating, selling, or free-cycling a big load of junk. The onslaught of toys, baby gear, children's books, and all the other stuff you need with kids has made me a little nutty. I'm always trying to find a new way to keep it organized.

3. I love a bargain. We recently bought a new car - more on that later. I spent weeks shopping around the area for the best deal. I wouldn't be satisfied with the purchase until I knew I got the best price. We got a pretty darn good deal on our new minivan (2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L), but I agonized and haggled with dealers for days. I inherited my bargain hunting skills from my mom and haggling skills from my dad. I must have called my dad at least 50 times last week to ask his advice. Thanks, Dad! Who doesn't love to save money, right?

4. I wish I was a better photographer and had more time to take a few classes.

5. My favorite meal is corned beef and cabbage. Dave isn't such a fan so I don't make it often. It's one of the best winter meals in my opinion. Brings out a little of my Irish roots.

6. I love being a stay-at-home mom. I feel fortunate to be able to stay home with Charlotte and all my future kiddos. I know it's not for everyone or within their means to stay home. I've always assumed I would stay home with my kids when the time came, but it was hard leaving a field (forensics) that I loved. I was lucky enough to work part-time for the past two years, but I officially retired in October with no regrets. I can't imagine not being able to watch Charlotte learn and grow every single day. I love waking up in the morning and getting to decide what we should do that day. My house is my sanctuary and I love being able to stay home on cold or rainy days if I want. I feel so blessed every day.

Phew, glad that is over. It wasn't as painful as I expected.

I'm tagging:
1. Erika (Two Popsicles)
2. Katie (Four Bright Eyes)
3. Kathy (Meet the Kaisers)
4. Courteney (Kelly's Korner)
5. Mimi (Defining Sienna)

Danielle, just like Susannah, I'm sparing you since I know you have way to much on your plate at the moment. Sara, having a baby tomorrow let's you off the hook too :)