Christmas Decorations

So, last week was spent decorating my apartment for Christmas. I did things here and there after work.

My Christmas tree.  It is new this year.  Last year, I had Pappy's old tree that my parents used to use in the old living room.  Mom decided that she wanted a new one, so I took Pap's to my apartment with me.  It managed to stay up last year until about a week before Christmas.  I came home after work one day, and it had fallen over.  There were ornaments everywhere, and the tree was starting to look like it's own version of the "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree."  So, Mom and I went to the store the day after Christmas last year, and I got this tree 50% off.  I like it becuase it looks so full.  Although, it took me over and hour just to set  up because I had to snap in all the branches.  There are two ornaments on the tree near the top.  One is a life-like peacock (to remind me of my Missouri family) and the other is a coo-coo clock.  It looks just like the one Pap used to have.

This is my homemade Christmas wreath that Aunt Vonda and I spend about 20 minutes making.  She provided the gold ribbon, and everything else came to a grand total of $13.75 at AC Moore Craft on black Friday.  It currently hangs on the wall between the kitchen and dining room.

These are some of the decorations in the living room.  I got the placemat at Target and the candle holders and coasters came from another craft store just outside of Monroeville.  I love craft stores because they have such unique things.

I am so excited for Christmas this year.  I can't wait to spend time with my family, and hopefully meet my nephew.  Jennifer - you better be on time!  My shopping is almost done, and then it will be time to sing Christmas songs off-key while I wrap presents!

Sisterson Dinner Dance

This past weekend was our annual Sisterson Dinner Dance. It is my company's holiday banquet before the holidays. This year, it was held at Edgewood Country Club. Edgewood neighbors Monroeville, so it was very close to my apartment. I brought Marc with me (of course), and we had a great time. It was a good night filled with lots of socializing and good food.



Marc and I at the dinner dance. I have been wearing this dress a lot, and it is one of my favorites.



These are my work friends plus their boyfriends/husbands. I was sitting at another table with more of my friends. However, I don't have any pics...sorry.



A group shot of the ballroom where we had our dinner. Towards the fron was a small dance floor, and there was a mini bar off to the side.

Jenn's Baby Shower

This past weekend my sister cam home with her husband and three dogs for the baby shower. Two months and one day until the little guy arrives (hopefully sooner), and I can't wait. I have spoiled him already, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.

Jennifer got lots of goodies for Duke. That will be one well dressed baby! Mom and I both got crafty. She has been crocheting for awhile, and made Duke a very cute baby blanket complete with baby booties and a cap. She has become very talented. During her experimental/learning days, Mom made me two blankets for my apartment. I love them, and they are warmer than any other blanket I have.

I have been doing cross-stitch since I was younger. Mom taught me how to do it. She used to cross-stitch all the time until her eyes got bad. Just something that I have to look forward to, since I already can't see half the time. Anyway, I was out at JoAnn Fabrics one day, and I came across a pattern book that was filled with cute little baby patterns. I took one of the patterns and made a bib for Duke. It was so cute, and I had to fight back the urge to make ten more of them!
Along with the bib, I got Duke a pack of diapers and his high chair. I also have more fun things for him, but I will have to wait until he arrives. We are all very excited. Jenn's blog has more pictures of the shower (I wasn't on camera duty, so I don't have any.)

I also had an experience that took ten years off me life, or at least it felt like it. Friday night was the first night that everyone was home. Mom, Jenn, and I headed up to bed just as Dad and Jack got home from the Elks. They were taking the dogs out for their last potty break of the evening. Jenn's 70 lbs. bulldog was sleeping in his bed downstairs. Sometime around 12:30AM, he decided that he was lonely. Bubba knocked over the baby gate, and wandered to the upstairs of my parents house. I could hear him breathing (which is kind of creepy) outside my bedroom door. I was just thinking that Jack was taking him outside.

I totally thought wrong. The next thing I know, Bubba head-butt my bedroom door. It came off the latch and I can see shadows moving in the mirror that is behind my door. I realize my door is opening, but no one is standing there. Bubba got into my room and propped up his two fronts paws on my bed. He scared me silly. He was trying to climb in bed with me, so I got up and delivered him into Jenn and Jack's bedroom. This caused Jennifer not to get much sleep, and I was still on edge from seeing my door magically open.

It was a great weekend, and we are all blessed that this baby is coming. He will be welcomed into a wonderful family full of love.

Tony and Erin's Wedding

Last weekend my cousin Tony got married. The wedding was on the St. Vincent College Campus in Latrobe, and the reception was at a hotel in Greensburg. It was a very nice day outside for the event. The wedding ceremony was very nice. It was a lot shorter than expected.

It was a Catholic wedding, but not the full mass. However, when thirteen bridesmaids have to walk down the isle, it seemed as long. All together, including the bride and groom, the wedding party totaled 28 people. That is just crazy!

Erin's best friend from college was her maid-of-honor, while Tony had his two brothers stand up beside him as the best men. The girls wore aqua colored dresses that came to just below the knee. The bridesmaids each had different dresses, but they were all the same color. (I didn't even notice that fact until my mother pointed it out to me)

There was a long gap of time between the ceremony and the reception. Since my entire family was practically starving, we headed to Wendy's for a little pre-dinner snack. The reception doors opened at 5. Inside the ballroom, there were many round tables for the guests, and two head tables for the wedding party. Tony and Erin had a three tiered wedding cake that sat off to the side.

The reception was a good time. There was lots of talking, picture taking, dancing, and family bonding. Below are a few snapshots from the wedding. I don't have any pictures of Tony and Erin right now, but I will add some later.

August

Where did the time go? I feel like I blinked and the whole month of August went by. I guess I have been pretty busy.

The first full week of August, I spent all my time at the office. Of course this was the week before our family vacation, and I busted my bum to get all my work done. It was very stressful, and I don't deal with stress very well. However, I'm learning. My overtime hours keep adding up, and hopefully, by the end of the year, I will meet the quota of 225 hours for the year. I don't mind working overtime, but preferably not in the middle of summer where I feel like I have no life.

The second week of August was spent at Ocean City, Maryland with my parent, Aunt Vonda, Uncle Bob, Joyce, Pete, and Steph at the beach. We rented the same condo that we have stayed at the past few years. It was a good time, and very relaxing. I wish my full time job could be laying on the beach and reading books. We did many of the normal activities like Mini Golf, going to the Boardwalk, getting ice cream, the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet at the Bonfire, and shopping of course.


My best friend, Jordan (Jay) came down for the last two days. I needed to see my best friend. It is unfortunate that we haven't talked much lately, but our conflicting work schedules are to blame. She works in a lab during the night shift, so she gets up when I go to bed. It makes it hard to catch up sometimes. Hence the reason why we are both looking for different jobs. She doesn't like hers, and I just want to see what else is out there.


After vacation, I came back to another crazy week where I spent my life at the office (again). I guess it will be that way until October. I can't say that I like it, but I can't do anything about it. That was also the week of my birthday. It was nice to have a quiet birthday. I was so worn out at this point that I just didn't want to do anything. Marc made me dinner, and that was nice. He got me the Twilight DVD, so we settled in to watch that. I get sucked into it, and I can't wait for New Moon to come out in November!


The day after my birthday, I was in the office for half the day. Then I judged a cheerleading competition in Carmichaels, PA. It is south of Pittsburgh, almost into West Virginia. It didn't last long, but it was extra money. I enjoy judging, since I can't do much anymore. I feel old (especially since the arthritis kicks in every now and again).


The last week of August seemed pretty easy. I worked my regular hours (give or take a day or two), and Sunday, August 30th, Marc and I went into town and rode the incline. I have done this once before, but he never has. It was good to spend quality time with him. We went out on the observation decks, and took lots of pictures of the city. We also stopped for frozen yogurt. It was a good activity for a Sunday afternoon. We got back to his apartment around 5, and I cooked dinner. Since he doesn't have any place for a kitchen table, we ate in the living room on the coffee table and watched a movie.

The Duquesne Incline in downtown Pittsburgh.

A view of PNC Park from the top of the incline.

My office building, the Grant Building. If you can believe it, it was once the tallest building in Pittsburgh. I live of the 22nd floor.

September should be packed full, so I'm hoping to keep up with more frequent posts.

Two Weeks and Counting

Two weeks from today I will be at the beach! I can't wait because after the past week at work, I really need a vacation. I worked a good 60+ hours, and I'm glad it is over. It completely wore me out. This weekend, I have escaped into my Kindle, and I am trying to finish the Twilight series. I have half-way through the final book. I can't seem to put it down.

I was planning on reading the series down at the beach. However, I caved a little too early. I have two weeks to come up with something to read. Any suggestions??

I will be sure to post pictures and stories from the beach this year. It will feel good to feel the sand between my toes again!

So Much Going On

So it has been a good month since my last post. I figured it was time for an update. I have been very busy the last month or so.

1. I was at home for Memorial Day Weekend. The whole family was together, under one roof, for a good two days. That doesn't happen very often. We played with the dogs, sat outside, and had a BBQ in the driveway. We also celebrated Jennifer's news, and I'm SOOOOOOOO excited that I am going to be an aunt. This child may be spoiled!

2. I broke down and bought a new computer at the beginning of June. My old one is almost 6 years old, and I can't get past the Windows screen anymore. It was about time for a new one. I got a brand new Dell Inspiron Laptop, and I LOVE IT!. It is so much smaller than the other one, so it is nice to just stick it in a bag and carry it from location to location. I have been saving for one, and I decided that June was as good a time as ever.

3. Mom and Dad cancelled their trip to Vegas around Mom's birthday. Grandpa has had his ups and downs, so Marc and I decided to take a random trip to Clearfield. We spent a good hour or so with Grandpa, and it just makes me sad. That weekend we went to Denny's for dinner, and Marc was amazed at the gigantic burgers!

4. Last weekend was very interesting! I had the scariest plane ride in my life. (Keep in mind that I don't fly very much, and I'm terrified of it.) Marc and I flew to Philadelphia because his brother was getting married. We left on Wednesday, June 17th. Our flight was planned for 5:25 that day. Because of "the worst storm that Pittsburgh has seen in years," out flight was delayed 3.5 hours. We sat in the airport, and I tried to relax. The whole airport shut down for a good 45 minutes because of the lightning. We also had a tornado warning. There ended up being a 25 minute break in the storm. The airport shoved everyone on their planes, and they took off one right after the other.

The wedding was Friday, June 19th. It was a gorgeous day! It was a very busy day, but everyone had fun. Below is a picture of Ed and Whitney cutting their wedding cake. I met some of Marc's family for the first time. They are very nice people. For the first time (I think ever), I didn't have anxiety from being in a large group of people I didn't know!

I'll try to keep things updated more frequently. My brother-in-law is singing in downtown Pittsburgh this Friday. I'm hoping to capture some images and post them!