Happy New Year! Part I

Wow, where to begin?  Lots has happened since last year including a visit from my BFF Rosy, Val's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Joey's birthday and loads of playdates in between.  I'll have to divide this post into multiple parts because I don't have time to do it all in one sitting.  So, here we go!


Val's 20th Birthday!

                                         Fiona didn't want to share Val's cake with her

                                                 Celebrating with Karina and Val

Rosy!
My BFF Rosy, whom I've known since we were 14 years old, came for a quick winter get-away and got a taste of two rowdy, loud and occasionally whiny little girls.  The girls followed her around all weekend and smothered her with hugs and pleas for her attention.  I think Rosy had a nice time.  We also took her to the Velvet Tango Room and she claims to have had the yummiest cocktail she's ever had.

                                                   Fiona's godmother Rosy came to visit

                  Rosy and Mommy check out the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame

Thanksgiving!

                          

Fiona and Sofia show off their Turkey hats with words describing what they're grateful for including on Fiona's: "sausage". 

Nana and Papa came to visit for Thanksgiving

                                 Crazy Joe ready to carve our free-range turkey.

Christmas!

Right after Thanksgiving we got to putting up our faux Christmas tree and decorating it with Joey's childhood ornaments and now the girls' growing collection.

We started our WinterFest Tradition last year and took the Boyd Grandparents to Tower City for the Fairy Godmother and Soldier Show.  The girls loved it and they also rode the train.

And we strolled by Gingerbread Lane.  Fiona obliged my request for a photo.

Bruce the Talking Spruce posed with the girls.

Random Photos

The night of the "great blizzard" when it took me an hour to go the two miles home.  Poor Sofia didn't get home until 7PM.  Aside from that mess it was a beautiful snowfall.

This photo doesn't do the height of the snow justice.  Especially since I shoveled all of the driveway and sidewalk.

                                          Fiona helped by jumping in my piles of snow.

Tea with the Barcelona Girls

We went to the Beck Center to see excerpts from the "Nutcracker" that included a "tea" beforehand complete with tea, cookies, crustless sandwiches and punch.  A very elegant affair!

Sofia's Christmas PJ Party

Sofia and Baxter share a cot.

Sofia's teacher invited us to attend their Christmas PJ party and insisted that the parents also wear PJs.  It was fun to see other adults in their PJs and slippers and we all watched the old school claymation "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".  We ate cookies and had milk and a parent read "Twas the Night Before Christmas".  It made it hard to go back to work after that.

I think this completes Part I.  I hope to finish this novel soon.