2012 Christmas Wrap Up

Well its been pretty quiet on here lately. 

I'm feeling a little guilty.

Don't worry I have plenty of pictures to make up for my absence.

Christmas has come and gone.

Literally in the blink of an eye December was over.

From baking cookies, to tree decorating, to family time, it was all good. 

The holidays were rough this year but I made it.

Old traditions continued and new traditions started.

Ones for which I am thankful for.

December began with a baking fest as mentioned before.

Sadly Peggy has since gone home to Seattle.

Sniffle. 

Rocky Road Cookies

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

Short Bread Cookies

Turtles

Teddy Bear Sugar Cookies..hehe

A little tree decorating.

The tree is always my favorite part but I never tend to participate.

My Mom always liked the tree a specific way and that was her way.

Typical Nancy.

But this year I got to help a little.

Well the Marchetti's made me and I really enjoyed it!

I also found that I absolutely love the smell of a live tree, I've always had an artificial one.

Nana and Papa's Tree

The Marchetti's LIVE Tree

My Dad came into Richmond on the 19th and spent the week at home. 

It was so good to have him here, but the visits are never long enough.

This is a hint to move closer, I know that you read this occasionally. 

Johnston family Christmas was celebrated a couple days early due to my Dad's early departure.

It was a great relaxed day full of family and food.

Just the way it should be.

We ate, chatted, and took our traditional walk after dinner.

Christmas Eve was spent with my Mom's side of the family.

Peggy and I cooked all day.

We attended Mass at five o'clock and then came home to feast.

Love them so much

Christmas day was spent with the Marchettis.

I had to take my Dad to the airport at a very early three a.m. 

It was literally the most perfect day.

While I missed my closest family members that I couldn't spend the day with for various reasons the Marchettis made it very special.

I mean I got my very own candy jar!

More to come on that later.

Miss A got the first present!

Skype 

Missed y'all!

Christmas evening with did the family rounds. 

Hitting up the Hanky and Marchetti sides.

It was a great holiday and I'm extremely thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life.

Plus I got pretty awesome presents!

Stay tuned!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

The lights are up outside.

The wreaths are hung.

The tree is up.

And wrapping of presents has begun. 

It is officially Christmas around here!

I have had the best couple of days.

And they were exactly what I needed

My favorite aunt is in town from Seattle and we have had a blast.

I had to get a tooth pulled on Tuesday and went straight to my Grandparents for some R&R.

Along with a couple days off from work.

Peggy and I got straight to work with my ice pack in hand. 

I think we baked a total of sixteen different things in three days.

My goal is to share most of them with you eventually.

The first things we made were Ooey Gooey Rocky Road Cookies.

We got most of our recipes from Pinterest, which we both love. 

We were pretty pleased with the outcome of these.

They definitely have a gooey/crunchy texture to them.

But the marshmallows make them.

I think we will be having these at future Christmas gatherings!

Insta Post

My week in pictures:

A rather large dog at Stoney Point

A horse showed up in my front yard for a visit

Life of a sick kid with Strep

Christmas at the Marchetti's

We made trash! Four batches!

Enjoyed my new VV pullover

Just a little lovely I will leave you with! These need to make their way into my closet! Size 8.5 in case anyone cares.

Random

1. I love Christmas but hate how fast December goes by each year.

Everyone puts so much effort into Christmas and its over before you know it.

2. I've recently become obsessed with Coco. I have a cup every morning.

I like mine with cinnamon in it and whip cream on top.

3. I can spend hours in Target.

If I get bored I drive up to Target and the problem is solved. They have everything

4. I'm so ready for the semester to be over.

I finish with ECU forever on Friday and it cannot come fast enough.

5. I'm really enjoying these 70 degree days lately.

That is my kind of winter.

6. I'm starting to really miss my camera and the inspiration it gives me.

There is something about having it around my neck and the lens in my hand.

I haven't had anything to capture lately and I'm thinking that needs to change.

7. We put our Christmas tree up the other day and every year it means more to me.

This year especially. Taking all of the ornaments out of the tissue brings back so many memories.

My Mom was so good at getting a new ornament every year to document.

8. I really want a Barbour jack.

A beautiful Beadnell in Green.

But I don't want to spend $365 on one.

9. I'm really enjoying working again.

I hate to say this but I am loving my job at the moment.

I find it fun! 

10. I'm getting antsy and am so ready for everyone to come home for the holidays!

I am ready to see my favorites!

One of those days

I try and share the exciting and fun things that go on in my life on here.

Today was nothing that involved fun.

It was one of those days when you are just irritated.

And since you are already frustrated all the little things that shouldn't bother you do.

It was one of those days.

They say when it rains it pours. 

Today it poured on me.

I've been under the weather since Sunday and it is continuing to kick my you know what.

I woke up this morning sickly having to go into work.

I was cranky.

It was cold outside.

I left my Frye's at the Marchetti's and ended up wearing Toms to work. 

While stepping in mud while getting in my car.

My winter jacket then broke.

I might add that it was close to a $300 North Face coat that should not break.

Long story short five o'clock did not come soon enough today.

So to end a bad day I thought I would share some pictures that make me happy.

Oldies but goodies.

Eric Church Summer 2011

Field Hockey Homecoming 

Central Park on NYC Senior Trip

Song Contest 2012

Senior Prom

Miss America 

Insta Monday

Here are some pictures from my Instagram.

I tend to keep up with life better through my iPhone than my Nikon

In no particular order:

Circa 1998

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! Love me some Short Pump

Baking has been popular around here lately

The way Thanksgiving should be spent

The crazies that lined up on Friday! We just wanted some candy 

That is all I have for you on this Monday!

Love Me a Long Weekend

We had a nice long weekend around here.

Or at least what felt like a weekend.

School work ended for me on Monday of last week and Caleb headed home Tuesday afternoon.

So we pretty much had five days of relaxing and hanging out.

And boy it was good.

The first few days were filled with work for me.

Which am I actually appreciating.

I have had a lot of free time on my hands since I started my classes online and I was getting bored.

Thursday as we all know was Thanksgiving and the holidays were hard around here this year. 

Don't get me wrong, Thanksgiving was good. 

The food was good, the people were great, and the gratefulness amongst us all was just what Thanksgiving is about but it was a hard day. 

Completely excepted for me but something you can never quite fully prepare for until you face it.

Black Friday was not spent shopping for me.

I spent it decorating and so did Caleb.

He went up to Charlottesville that morning to help decorate a rather large home 

(Lets just say they have a house just for their Christmas decorations)

Saturday was probably the most enjoyable.

We went to lunch with Margaret and it was great to see her as always.

We did a little shopping.

We went to five o'clock mass.

Along with a little dinner date and a fire at home afterwards.

Actually I believe we had a fire going and baked cookies three out of four nights.

I had been feeling under the weather a little earlier in the "weekend".

I woke up this morning feeling like I had been hit by a train.

I headed straight to the doctors bright and early.

Thankfully I tested negative for strep and the flu.

Just a good ole head cold.

I hope everyone else had just as good of a Thanksgiving break as I did!

Two more weeks until first semester is over...I think I can I think I can!

Catching Up

November seems to have just snuck away from me.

Only meaning one thing...winter is pretty much here.

I have been so busy with finishing up school that I haven't really had time for much else.

And I started a new job...Saxon Kids!

Things have been pretty low key around here...just the way I like them.

There isn't any real news to share just come pictures here and there.

So far we have had some baking, Thanksgiving, along with some Christmas decorating here and there.

I got in the mood for some of my favorite Christmas treats and ended up going to a Target and a Walmart just looking for square pretzels..who would have thought?!

They are so easy, which probably has a lot to do with why I enjoy them. You need a bag of square pretzels, a bag of Hershey's Hugs, and a bag of festive M&Ms. 

You simply place the hug on the pretzel and put them in the over at 200 degrees until they slightly melt. After you take them out of the oven you press an M&M on top of the hug and let the cool in the fridge!

The worst part is the unwrapping

Thanksgiving has also come and gone. I spent Thanksgiving with my Dad's side of the family this year and it was a good relaxed holiday, stress free just how I like it.

My only picture from Thanksgiving

Thankfully my Black Friday was not spent working yet I got a phone call from my Nana saying that my Uncle from Chicago couldn't make it and they needed a little help putting up their outside decorations.

It was so much fun pulling all of their decorations out of the attic, hearing the stories that went with each and every thing. It was definitely a day full of memories.

Happy Saturday!