Welcoming in the New Year in the Big Apple

We're not totally crazy...we weren't in New York City for the big New Year's Eve festivities!!!!!

The family and I went to NYC New Year's Day for a very fun-filled weekend. I've always wanted to visit during the holidays, and this year we finally decided to do it. We took a bus from DC and it was great to let someone else do the driving for 4 hours!

After getting off the bus, we saw this famous landmark:

The street sign is a bit small, but yes, that's 34th Street! We didn't get a chance to go see if Santa was still at Macy's, though.

After settling in at our hotel, we walked over to Times Square.

Here's the reason for all the visitors:

I couldn't believe how high up the ball was!

Just look at all these people! And there was actually a break in the road...there were so many people we were running all over each other. Ugh. Too crowded. But still a blast!

Happy New Year!

And so another year and another decade come to a close. I look forward to what the next year--and 10 years--brings to us all.

In memorium the past decade; I still miss them all tremendously:


In the middle: Edith Whitten, my grandmother: February 3, 2000. She wanted to see the turn of the century, and she made it with a month to spare. She was 90 years old.

Second from the right: Bill Whitten, Sr. My father: July 5, 2002. He was 70 years old.

At right: Anne Carter Whitten, my mother: March 31, 2002. She was 68 years old.

The two on the left are still thankfully with us...Eric and JJ. This picture was taken in November 1994, when I was pregnant with Nicky. JJ was 2 years old. My, how the years have passed.

Here's to 2010...may the coming year be full of joy for all.

It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood

Bingo and I took a lovely walk through our neighborhood this afternoon.

What a sharp drop behind this house! Great for ditching pumpkins, though. See them at the bottom? It's the ultimate in recycling...good for feeding critters during the ling cold winter.

So peaceful...who would know that just to the right is our major highway through the county?

Bingo was fascinated by nearly every snowbank we passed...this is one of the only ones he didn't stick his leg up over.

The penguin did it! Doesn't he look guilty???? Knocking those sleds over...


I guess Santa is still sleeping...or maybe he's behind Door Number 2!

Poor reindeer...a week and a half after our blizzard and they are still buried in the snow!

I love this mailbox adornment right down the street from my house...simple and so pretty.


We need to do this more often!

Merry Christmas!

The big day is over and it was wonderful! Eric's parents and brother came over for the day and we had a lovely time. Lots of presents were opened and we had a terrific dinner of pork roast, black beans and rice, and natilla, a Cuban pudding, for dessert. (We had a Cuban theme, in case you couldn't tell.)

Here's our baby tree...we bought a tree a little late and all the tall ones were gone. It's still a pretty tree!

The tablecloth that I won from printersdevil's blog back during Christmas in July! Lovely snowflake design!

Here's the table ready to be set...the place mats were from a craft show in Florida 18 years ago when we lived there. The crackers are a tradition at our Christmas gatherings...the rest had to be placed on the table...everyone gets one!

I found these cute place cards on marthastewart.com...so easy and so adorable! Would have been a better picture without the flash, though.

And the table filled with our bounty. The dishes were my parents' china set, and the candlesticks were a gift this year from Eric's parents.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

O Holy Night

In honor of this most holy night, I'd like to share my nativities:

This one was a gift from my parents for my first year living in my own place...I was 22 years old and had to work on Christmas Day, so it was my first Christmas away from home. The Nativity came from Sears and was exactly like my parents'. It made me feel a bit closer to home. Still does.

The little angels in front came from a dear friend of my mom's...I received these I think for my first Christmas, so these would be about 46 years old now. Practically an antique. :)

I bought this one last year from my friend Stacie, who sells Southern Living At Home items. I love the rustic feel.

This one came from the Reindeer Express, a little "store" run by our old elementary school in Plano, Texas, for the schoolkids to buy gifts for their families without them seeing. I was volunteering one day and saw this and treated myself to a little gift.

Merry Christmas Eve!

No Reindeer Games for This Guy!

This made me smile today...

I took this with my phone, so I couldn't zoom in, but Santa's on the rooftop of one of our Mom-and-Pop grocery stores...being pulled by Rudy the Longhorn. No red nose needed!

And the Cleanup Begins

Yikes...nearly 2 feet of snow in some areas of the yard! It was VERY tough shovelling the driveway!

Yes, I helped, too! (A little!)

The pathway to the front door is over 2 feet high on either side!

This is Eric's car...the only way you know it's a car is by the side mirror and the lone taillight!

School has been officially closed the next 2 days...we are on Christmas break!