Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ! ! !

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas and have had a good and holy start to the New Year! Life definitely picks up its pace during the holidays. This Christmas was another "first" for Dom and I as it was our first Christmas together. Some of you may know that we tried last year but due to the snowy weather in Syracuse and surrounding areas, I was un-able to fly out to spend the holiday with Dom - thats ok though. It made it even more special for us this year. :)

On Christmas Eve it began to snow about 11 o'clock in the morning and continued snowing all day and all night... in fact, I believe it snowed continually till the day after Christmas! For all those singing, "I'm dreaming of a white...Christmas!" you definitely got your wish this year! I had to admit, I was hoping for a white one as well. On our way to Mass we got stuck but thanks to some friendly folks passing by gave us a hand and we (well Dom) were able to help some others when Mass was over. It was definitly an added twist on the excitement of Christmas! Anyway, to make a long story short we had Christmas dinner at the parental units house and everyone was able to make it... so yes, it was a full house! It was a wonderful Christmas....

Next came New Years and my dear friend Meg was in town so we got to celebrate the end of the year with her and some other friends and then ventured back to town here and brought in the New Year with a holy hour at the Church - what better way to end a year and bring in the new one, right?

In the past, back in the younger days, I would always take a piece of Bristol (a thick paper) and draw the highlights of that year on it... I think I have about four of them. I would spend new years eve thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful things that had happened. This year was very easy for me... I got married to not only the LOVE of my life, but my BEST friend... It simply was the best of the year!

I hope you all have had a wonderful end of the year 2009 and hope that this new year of 2010 will bring you much happieness and will be a year of holiness and good health.

May our tiny King, born in the bitter cold, and for Whom there was no room at the inn, find a place in our hearts and fill our lives with gratitude and the gift of joy!

Frog Catching Days

I found this picture of my younger brother Christopher and I. This was back when I was about 10 or 11 and had a love for frogs! We had two small ponds in the backyard that were full of tadpoles in the spring and hopping with frogs the rest of the time. We had a statue of Pedro and his Donkey who would drink from the waterfall that poured out of the claw foot tub in the upper pond. Chris and I in the picture are sitting on the bridge part over where the upper pond spilled into the lower pond. This love of frogs I had has still carried with me even into my older years!

This picture was taken probably about three years ago...? Maybe two. This is my friend Joe who was a faithful frog catching buddy. This was at one of the many Pond Parties we had up at the Neiders back in the day...ah those were some fun times! The night this picture was taken I think we had a beer case that I had put about 15 frogs in ... we didnt keep them in there for long... it was really just to show everyone there what a good and quick frog catcher I was! :) he he Ok, I won't brag too much. Regardless of alllll the many frogs that were caught - there was THE bullfrog. The Bullfrog that was so big it fit into both my hands! (yes, I know I have smaller hands but it was still big!) We were so close so many times but we never did catch it ...completely that is. Let me tell you the story!

The night was dark - the grasshoppers were chirping and the folk around the fire were singing... we had nothing but a flash light and our bare hands. Joe and I had been scouting along the edge of the pond and as we made our way around - we knew we were getting closer. There! Just before the dock and fish feeder was a couple of bushes along the side of the pond. Joe was holding the light and as we carefully and quitely sat there and waited for the "Croak"... I saw a huge web and in that web was a spider...a very large one. I hate spiders... I am very afraid of spiders.... but wait! There was the bullfrog just on the other side of the web below the spider! What now?! Could I really pass up this opportunity of capturing the bull frog that we have sooo many times come out to hunt?! Could I let not only myself but Joe down as well? No! I could not! So, I took a deep breath - I kringed - I crept forward into the water and stelthfully got closer keeping my arms in pouncing position. I got closer and closer...(and closer to the spider too!) and then suddenly, it was time! SNATCH! He was in my hands! I took a quick leap forward to grab him and in jumping back I lost my grip on him and he slipped away... away into the dark waters. He was lost from us again. I of course, stomped (quickly) out of the water and started to make noises of gross-out-ment and started to shake all over (because I had to make sure I didn't have the spider on me ... or really just my body's way of being disgusted by being so close to the spider). It was such a moment of anxiousness and excitement and yet with such disappointment in the end. We never made it back to the pond to find him - it had been the last party of the summer. Perhaps someday I will be able to go back and catch him...or at least hear his croak and know that he is there. It would surely make me smile.

Tastes I LOVE This Time of Year

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Sweet Potatoes

(roasted, baked, mashed, or made into a pie

or anyway they come!)

Homemade Stuffing

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes? Is there one you can't live without? Or one that you have to have cause it reminds you of your younger years?

My aunt always used to make Ambrosia which I absolutely love as well but no one makes it like she used to. The ones I've had are made with puddings or all kinds of other things added to it. Her's was always the best and probably will be in my mind...unless I come up with a version I like better ;) But... chances are I won't!

Thankful

Mornings Rays of Sunshine

I love the mornings that are cool and crisp. I open the window in the living room and sit

beside it and just take a moment to soak up the morning rays of sunshine - *deep breath*

"Now I'm ready to start my day..."

Lunch Notes

Here’s an idea for you: Make little lunch notes to put in the hubby’s lunch box (or a brown paper bag like Dom has) to remind him how much you love him or that you’re thinking of him, etc… of course they know we love them but after a hard morning of work - come lunch break, it’s a nice little surprise to find a note reminding them. Really, you could put anything (even quotes) – on anything…I started out leaving a little note or just an “I love you!” on his napkin…. Then I had a tiny note pad paper on the counter that I would quick jot a note on and toss it in his bag before he came to the kitchen in the morning… now, I’ve decided to take it a notch up. Of course I won’t always be able to make cute little, colorful notes but for now while I can I may as well… but I am sure I will use the trusty napkin every now and then as well.

LoVe LeTtErS

Yesturday I spent the day cleaning and organizing some of my "junk" aka all my stuff that I have to find a home for... and I stumbled upon some old photos and some letters. However, these are not your ordinary letters - these were lOvE lEtTeRs. They were the letters written from the heart and full of love from the love of my life... my husband, Dominic.

I decided these were very special to me and that they needed a special place (I would NEVER throw them away); a place where they would be kept safe and cherished. I made a special box for them. I took an old perfume box and dug out some neat fabric from my collection of scraps and hot glued the fabric to the box. Then I cut out letters from fabric and glued them on as well. I then filled the box with the letters I had and put our engagement photo inside as well as another of my favorites with the date and description written on the backs. It's definitely a keepsake that I can keep all my little notes I get over time... as I do get some sweet little notes every now and then... and always be reminded of how lucky I am to have such a darling and loving husband as Dominic, who I surely don't know how I deserve!