Our snowstorm last weekend!

Working on the snowman!

Rob with the kids finishing up the snowman.

Our dog loving the snow!

Gabriel was closing his eyes because there was a sleet/rain mix coming down!

Getting their "snowballs" ready for the snowman!

Do you see the big ball of snow in front of him? Gabriel rolled that all by himself!

My little snow angel! Rain was getting in her eyes too!

This is a view from in front of our house. It looked like a winter wonderland!

Our blue spruce in front of the house!

See how much snow we got!

The kids had a great time in the 8 inches of snow we got! They built the first snowman of the year, and it was so much fun watching them! It's like one big sandbox to them! Just a bit colder :) Rob and I got in a snowball fight, and he had no mercy! He definetly beat me, and it lasted a while! I was drenched, and the kids helped him! It was so beautiful when it was coming down, and it still is. It's not going anywhere for a while!

Christmas morning!

Gabriel's telescope/microscope

Ariana yawning while she's showing her doll. She did this all morning! She kept making herself yawn! Silly girl!

Nice and snuggly in her new robe and slippers!

Ariana's new coat!

Ariana admiring the new dollhouse! She's standing back from it, but it is actually taller than her and Ella both!

Gabriel with his walkie talkies

Ariana's new jewelery box. Ella got one just like it!

Ella loves dresses!

Very happy about their presents!

Dishes from Germany from Rob's Aunt Tilly.

daddy playing Santa ;)

Ella waiting in anticipation!

We had such a wonderful Christmas together, and we the kids were so excited about all the presents they received. They were so appreciative of everything little thing they got from us and all of our family. It was a very relaxing, lazy day after they opened. So relaxing that Rob and I got to snooze on the couch for a little bit. Then it was off to the kitchen to make our Christmas ham dinner! Ummm, was it good! The kids loved it too! They about 3 seperate helpings! I think all the playing worked up an appetite! ;) Thanks so much to our family for sending the kids presents and cards, it was so thoughtful. They love getting packages!

Sorry I posted this so late! I hope everyone has recovered from the holidays and that all of you continue to be well! You're in our thoughts!

Snow pictures will be coming soon!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!!

IT IS SNOWING OUTSIDE AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO GET 5-8 INCHES THROUGH TOMORROW EVENING!! I AM ECSTATIC, I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR A FEW YEARS! YOU'D THINK THAT LIVING WHERE WE DO IN PENNSYLVANIA, THAT WE WOULD GET LARGE AMOUNTS OF SNOW, RIGHT? WELL, IT'S BEEN SINCE FEB. OF 2005 SINCE WE HAVE RECIEVED MORE THAN 6 INCHES OF SNOW AT ONE TIME. WE USUALLY JUST GET SMALL BURSTS HERE AND THERE THAT ADD UP TO A LOT BY THE END OF WINTER. THIS IS AN ACTUAL SNOW STORM WE ARE GETTING! IT'S BEAUTIFUL, AND HOPEFULLY ROB DOESN'T HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW SO WE CAN ALL ENJOY IT! THE KIDS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING OUT AND BUILDING A SNOWMAN!

THANK YOU GOD FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL SHOW OF SNOW, AND I JUST PRAY THAT EVERYONE STAYS IN AND STAYS SAFE. TO MY FAMILY, WISH YOU WERE HERE TO ENJOY IT WITH US! I'LL POST PICTURES LATER!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dear friend Dawn has a son who is turning 5 today! I know it's a little late in the day, but I thought I would write a quick post for him, because what a big number he is turning! Happy Birthday Josh! I do not know what I would do without this friend of mine, she is like a sister to me. If I lived closer and we saw each other much more than we do now, I think I would start calling myself Aunt Jen :) So here's to you, distant nephew Josh ;) Happy Birthday kiddo! And many more......

Christmas photos!

THE PICTURE ABOVE IS OUR ENTRY WAY. I HUNG CARDS AROUND THE DOORWAY AND I HAVE GARLAND ON THE STEPS AND A LIGHTED WREATH THAT IS NOT SHOWING. I JUST LOVE THE LIGHTS!

HERE IS WHAT THE KIDS UNWRAPPED! THEIR CUTE CHRISTMAS P.J.S!! AREN'T THEY PRECIOUS?!

THE KIDS OPENING UP THEIR CHRISTMAS EVE PRESENTS!

OUR TREE!

I LOVE THE GLOW OF IT! THIS IS HOW IT REALLY LOOKS! THAT PAINTING BESIDE THE TREE ON THE WALL IS ONE THAT ROB'S GRANDMA PAINTED A LONG TIME AGO. SHE PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR, SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE IT IN OUR HOUSE.

I HAVE GOT A TON CHRISTMAS PICTURES TO SHARE, BUT I AM GOING TO START OUT WITH THESE. THESE WERE ALL TAKEN CHRISTMAS EVE, IN WHICH WE STARTED SOME NEW TRADITIONS. I DON'T HAVE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING WE DID (THOSE ARE TO BE PRESERVED IN MY MIND), BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THE 1 PRESENT THE KIDS GOT TO OPEN. EVERY YEAR THEY WILL OPEN ONE PRESENT ON CHRISTMAS EVE, AND THAT PRESENT WILL CONTAIN CHRISTMAS P.J.S! THEY HAD A BLAST OPENING ONE EARLY, AND THEY LOVED THEIR PAJAMAS! AFTER THEY ALL GOT DRESSED, ROB READ THEM THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS WHILE WE SAT AND DRANK HOT COCOA. IT WAS TRULY ONE OF THE BEST CHRISTMASES WE'VE HAD!

I ALSO THREW IN A FEW PICTURES OF OUR TREE AND THE GARLAND IN THE ENTRY WAY. I HAD WAY TOO MANY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS TO TAKE A PICTURE OF ALL OF THEM! :) OUR HOUSE WAS DECKED OUT!

WELL ENJOY, AND MORE CHRISTMAS PHOTOS ARE TO COME! GOD BLESS!

Breakfast with Santa!

They each had a whole 1 min. on Santa's lap! :)

Here they are watching the Elf show! It went on for about an hour!

Here is Shakespeare's restaurant where we had Breakfast with Santa! It's huge, and truly looks like a castle inside!

Ariana insisted on taking this picture and she told me to give a kiss! She's a bossy little thing!

The girls joined in on the show! Along with some other kids!

Someone at another table took this picture. Our family! I love 'em!

Here are the kids waiting for our food. They were soooo ready!

1. Friends are an absolute blessing and an essential in my life.

2. Good health; it's a blessing.

3. I'm ready for some quality time with my family.

4. My husband's smell is one of my favorite perfumes or aftershaves or smells.

5. The oldest ornament I have is one I can't even think of!

6. Take some snow and christmas lights, mix it all together and you have a festive, beautiful sight!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to snuggling with my kids and relaxing, tomorrow my plans include taking the kids to Breakfast with Santa and Sunday, I want to get a sitter and go shopping with my husband!

Ella's karate metal!

I wanted to share some AWESOME news! Ella received a metal at

karate the other night for being student of the month! This means that the student has displayed a "black belt attitude". Her and Ariana have been in karate for a month now, and they both love it! Ella gets to wear her metal all month at karate and she can keep it at home as well. We are so proud!

Our first real snow!!

Here is Ariana beginning to make a "snow" castle.

Ella our little poser, raking the snow. How cute!

This is what it was doing about 1 hour earlier. Snow squalls like this keep coming through all day. It'll be sunny and beautiful then boom, snow!! Gotta love the lake effect!

This is what we woke up to this morning. You can get a good idea of how much accumulated. We got about 2 inches from this little storm. It started yesterday. And how romantic, snowing on our anniversary!

This was Ella in this morning shoveling the deck. Her sister was at school.

What a hard worker!

First of all I want to say, "Happy Anniversary Honey!" It was my 7 year anniversary yesterday, and you couldn't have asked for more magical weather. Although it didn't look like this yesterday, it was snowing and it quickly began to stick to the grass and rooftops.

Once evening hit, it began to stick more and overnight, it accumulated on the roads. Some schools were delayed , but most were on time. We're used to this stuff around here! :)

The kids loved it, and they all got their fare share of "snow time" today. I let Gabriel go outside immediately after school, which is not the usual schedule. (usually it's rest time, then homework and then play time after). I figured with an 18 degree wind chill, he needed to get out ASAP, because it was not going to get any warmer :)

Besides the snow, I had a great evening with my husband yesterday, and I am so happy to be married to a man like him. We both adore each other, and it's pretty neat to reminisce. What better time than on your anniversary to do that, right?

Well, the snow is over and the day is done, but more cold weather is to come. So far the forecast for Thanksgiving a high near 50. Let's see if that sticks!

Rainy Saturday, Snowy Sunday

So, I have to talk about the weather for a minute. We here in the Western Pennsylvania area are in for a roller coaster ride, starting yesterday. It was by far one of the warmest days we've had in November in a long time. Now, we have a share of indian summers around here, but yesterday it was a couple degrees shy from being 70 degrees! It was so warm and sunny I could hardly believe my senses! Well, we all knew that it would be short lived. The five day forecast says it all, and being the weather fanatic that I am, I saw this coming for a while. :)



Starting this evening, the temperature will go from the 50's to the 30's and the light rain will start to mix with snow. Then, hold on to your mittens, the high tomorrow is set to be a whopping 38 degrees with light snow all day. This will continue into the entire week! I am starting to feel like it's December or January out already! It is typical to see that kind of forecast here in the deep of winter! It's not even Thanksgiving yet. Crazy!



So, I quess the farmer's almanac is right...It is forecasting a numbingly cold and snowy winter here. I am not complaining too much though. I do love the snow, but I dread to get out in it when I start school.


So, to all of my family that read my blog and are stuck in a "No snow zone", come on up here if you want a taste of some winter. Just look for the "Snow zone straight ahead" sign ;)

1. Please feel free to give me a cup of coffee!

2. When I see my pumpkin candle I can't help sniffing it occasionally.

3. My favorite thing to cook is something sweet so I can lick the spoon!

4. Some Christmas music, some snow falling and a little decorating is something I can't get enough of.

5. That's the thing I love most about the holiday season!.

6. People that are rude and down right mean always makes me think to myself, what the heck?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie with the kiddos (movie night!), tomorrow my plans include cleaning a little and going to work and Sunday, I want to sleep in _____!

1. Do think it’s okay to bring your own snacks into the movie theater? Why or why not?

I think it is o.k. as long as it's just a little something to nibble on. So I say yes, as long as it's not over doing it! :)

2. If someone were following you, would you:A. Attempt to lose them.B. Turn around and confront them, asking them what in the heck were they doing??C. Nothing.D. Something else (do tell!)

I would find the closest business and go there, or I would go to the nearest person and ask for help.

Tell us about a time when you thought someone was following you. (Don’t we all have those stories? I do!)

I haven't had that experience yet, thank goodness! I have come in contact with many creeps though ;)

3. What is your highest level of education? What were/are your thoughts about school? Would you ever consider going back to school? If so, for what? If not, why not?

I have taken a year's worth of classes at a local community college, and I am going to have my LPN certification by next February.

I don't really like school, but i am willing to go through it to get what I want. I struggled in high school and I have to work really hard now to get the grade I want. I am very determined to get my LPN license!