So the Christmas cards went out today. At 3pm. So friends & family, they'll be there soon, just not by Christmas. I am thinking it was the cosmic collision of being a new mom, JR's homecoming, the move, and getting a family picture. Regardless, they are out.

As far as the cooking, I'm ahead of the curve on that. Earlier this week I baked cookies and fudge. Tonight I made black bean salsa, festive guacamole dip, pumpkin trifle & mint chocolate chip pie. Tomorrow I will have to make the rest of the hors d'ouvres (meatballs, baked brie, & stuffed pizza cresent rolls). That is just for Christmas Eve. Christmas day will bring more cooking. On the menu is turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoe caserole, stuffing and veggies. My inlaws are bringing food as well. There will be a lot of eating before we head back to MA. Actually there will be a lot of eating until January 4th. ALOT.

So much for fitting into my old pants. It was nice while it lasted.

100 Things

This one’s going around the blog sphere. I took it from Janet. Bold what you’ve done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band does middle school count?
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower There’s one every year on my birthday.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (but Disneyworld, yes)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty, been there but it was closed to public.18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France It is small, behind security glass and with a 24/7 security guard. My mom assures me you could go right up to it when she was a young girl.
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon just a 5K and a triatholon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (I wish)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors Ireland & Sweden, one day...
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied I have all I need. Everything else is just a want.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (my husband just came back from 3 months there)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (husband was also here in August)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (Now why would I jump out of a perfectly good airplane)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy My first stuffed animal is now in my son's crib!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial MrE's favorite
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someones’ life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person I lived in San Antonio for 4 yrs. The Alamo isn't in a field.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

All Things Christmas

So we took a chance with Santa tonight. Bean was dressed ever so cutely. Had it not been for the "reindeer feeding" (read: break), all would have been good. *sigh* So if you were at MacArthur Center, I was the one with the crying 5 month old. And he wasn't crying because of one jolly man in a bright red suit. No, he was crying because he wanted to eat. At that very moment. So our first picture with Santa didn't go quite as planned. Then there was our action shot on the Polar Express. Sadly, our actions did not please one hungry little boy. Luckily we had taken a couple of pictures before when Bean was in jolly mode.





After the mall we rushed to home to make the neighborhood holiday get together. We had cookies and grown-up hot chocolate. Yummy! Then we went carroling. It was a lot of fun. And funny. We met some neighbors. On Sunday we'll be heading to a holiday brunch at the club house. It is such a friendly community. We really do love it here.

A Little of This & That

We have been to Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and such stores more times than I can count. Just when I think we have everything we need in the house, we're hit with the "oh, yeah..." Dare I say, I think we are actually good now. I just would like to update the wall art, but not really a necessity. So it shall wait. We are also 98% done with our Christmas shopping. This includes the gifts for the family in MA. It is already ordered and shipped!!! Yey!!! Originally we were going to pass on gifts to each other since we both furniture & splurged on a nifty, new TV. However, a little something under the tree for us is now in the cards. So I just have to get some time out of the house sans baby. Luckily MrE doesn't have to be on the ship much until after the New Year.



Other than that, I have been a baking fool tonight. Lots of fudge in a variety of flavors and cookies. Tomorrow there will be more baking - cookies & banana bread. Then Sunday, I am making a pumpkin trifle... The weight loss has been fairly going well. We'll just see how true that statement is come Jan 5th.



I'll leave you all with the Christmas lights on VA Beach. We stayed in a on the beach for the first week back in VA. The beach & boardwalk are decorated with different holiday characters including the gifts given on the 12 Days of Christmas! It was beautiful and even more amazing to walk along the boardwalk with my husband and son.

Not in MA Anymore

For the love god, it's in the 70's... And it's December! It takes away from the Christmas feeling. However, our heat isn't even on yet. We actually had our AC on the other day.

MrE's Homecoming

As promised, here are pictures from the homecoming and days surrounding...

All Settled In

It's only been a week, but we are all settled in. All of our stuff arrived intact from the movers. Our purchased furniture has arrived. Even the Christmas Tree is up! Of course there is no room in the garage for the car. Instead there are too many empty boxes to count, trash that needs to go out and some stuff needing to be stored. The moving company will be back to pick up the boxes, and we really need to stop missing trash day. I did manage to acquire three bruises seven cuts and one pulled muscle in my back, but I am just about healed!

I do have a few things that I want to get for the house, but they will have to wait. Alas, I am an at home mom now, ahem domestic engineer, and have lost my income.

Our neighborhood is great!!! We are in a private area with a marina & Jimmy Buffet themed grill. There is a beach club a couple of blocks away, which we may frequent often; A swimming poot, which we will definitely enjoy; A play ground, which we will visit when Bean gets a little bigger; Tennis courts, which will not see any action from us and only because Bean is to small to occupy himself while mom & dad attempt to play tennis. All or our neighbors are friendly. We've been invited to two holiday parties this weekend, one of which will end in Christmas Caroling... We will definitely be attending. I will be making butterscotch fudge, chocolate fudge, white chocolate peppermint fudge, cookies, and a pumpkin trifles for the parties! Watch out Betty Crocker!

No More Peas, Please

Someone does not like their peas...

He Is Home

We're home in VA with MrE!!! Bean & I were two of the first people to head to the ship since he was the first baby born during the deployment. That moment made it all worth it. Well, kind of. Nothing is worth missing your husband for 6 months. I just wanted to check in & say we're all together. MrE has to work next week and is off the rest of December. There will be more time for blogging later. Now, it is family time.

He Is Home!!!

We're home in VA with MrE!!! Bean & I were two of the first people to head to the ship since he was the first baby born during the deployment. That moment made it all worth it. Well, kind of. Nothing is worth missing your husband for 6 months. I just wanted to check in & say we're all together. MrE has to work next week and is off the rest of December. There will be more time for blogging later. Now, it is family time.