Happy New Year.
Wishing you all a wonderful 2011. Have a wonderful and fun New Years!! Be safe.

"One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.”
~unknown

Celebrating New Years Eve and then heading out to the Winter Classic NHL Hockey game in Pittsburgh. Hoping the weather cooperates it should be quite an adventure.

Baby, it's cold out there.

The color of winter. Just some taken this morning outside around the house and it is freezing cold out there.

Poor Max. His little ears blowing in the wind. The pleading look of "please let me in soon".

I don't know what these are but they are so cool looking.

And, some frozen water.

Stay warm. I am off to make some hot cocoa in the cocomotion machine with extra marshmallows.

A few more.
Some more favorites from Christmas Eve and Christmas. I love all the lights and candy canes.

Her in her Christmas dress.


Remember doing this as a kid??




She loves her new doll baby (even though I think it's creepy looking with a lazy eye). She was definetely a big hit this year.

Total destruction.
Chrismas morning over in 10.2 minutes. We went from total peace and calm to total destruction in a matter of a few minutes. But, Santa was really good this year.

Even Santa made a mess with all his cookie crumbs.

Of course, even Sid was in on all the action chewing all the ribbons and paper up.


And, we gained a few new family members along the way - including Cicabello doll - who cries, very loudly at times, and a 7 year old who insists that he/she must eat dinner with us. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I must go now and dig myself out of all the wrapping paper and cardboard boxes.

Christmas Eve, Eve.

Kids are super excited and are wound up tighter than a top and all sugared up from their Christmas party at school today. I heart this time of year. Brings back great memories for me of when we were kids and counting down the days till Santa came. One more day to go. So I am being told by a 7 and 9 year old.

Dear Santa.....I've been good...kind of.
Dear Santa: I can vouch for him if you don't count the extension cord he chewed into about 300 pieces, the multiple pair of shoes, all the socks, pillows.....everything that is pretty much not glued down. Then, yes, Santa, he has been a good pupster.


I mean just look at those puppy eyes and cute li'l nose....how could that not melt your heart and not resist giving him a puppy treat?

Christmas Decorating.
This year, my goal was to be as simple and stress free as possible. Which actually included not putting a tree up at all. I know call me a Scrooge, call me the Grinch. But, I actually thought that I could get away with it.


I was guilt stricken by a seven and nine year old who were totally traumatized that there might not actually be a tree this year and that Santa would actually have no place to leave all the gifts. I found this one night after the kids went to bed. Lizzie decided to decorate the silver 25" tree that I said was going to be our only tree this year with colorful head ribbons. I actually thought she did a pretty good job.

Then I tripped over the note she had written along with the blanket spread out for Santa to actually leave the gifts on. I really was going to eventually get the tree out. I was just stalling as long as a could and hoping they would not really care. Since I am usually the only one left to decorate it because everyone disappears and never wants to help.

So, today I dragged down all the boxes from the attic (by myself). Christmas decorations seem to stress me. Why you ask....when you take your time every year putting the stuff all together back in the boxes wrapped up and lights perfectly untangled. How does this happen?

My little helper (who I promised Santa would bring an extra gift just for her for helping me so much) and my mess of boxes.

And, another helper who only hung about six ornaments before moving on to better things. Which left me to do it by myself once again.

Liz hamming it up for the camera.

The stockings were hung with care (and you can see that the tree was only half lit because I could not get them to work for about two hours causing my stress levels to rise some more).

And, the final reveal. The finished project. The "real" Christmas tree. Rest assured the Plowman's will have Christmas afterall because there is now a tree for Santa to leave presents under.

Now, only wrapping left to do.

An early Christmas gift.

A few week ago, we had a pool table delievered. Coy has become quite the pool shark. We considered it our early Christmas gift.

Coy loves to play.

Even when he loses and his daddy tells him to "rack them". Because that is what the loser has to do. And, if you ever played pool with my husband....your most likely to "rack them" a lot. Because you will usually always lose.

While, this one chooses to do this. She takes more after her Mama. Nothing like curling up on the couch with a good book.

Oh yeah, and I can't forget this one!

Have a wonderful weekend. I plan on putting "a real Christmas tree up". I'll explain that in my next post!

Snowy Sunday morning.
All week, I had planned on going out early Sunday morning just the camera and I to see what I could find. It's actually therapeutic and I enjoy it more than shopping for shoes. What I found was a snowy Sunday morning. The snow was steadily coming down and it was freezing cold. Needless to say, I did not stay out very long. But I found some beautiful snow covered treasures.

Winter.
Awoke this morning to some more fresh, fluffy white stuff. I guess it is officially time to say that winter is here. As much as I hate to say it. So what better time to try out new snow hats??



Stay warm!