...and my life passed before my eyes.

it was New Year's Day.  This cold feeling came over me, it was hard to breath...
it was a feeling I remembered but one that hadn't visited me since college exams.  It was anxiety and the hurt was on, but why?

It was time to take down the Christmas decorations.  We had such a great holiday season why was I feeling like I could jump out of my skin?  It all started when I was taking down the Christmas tree in my youngest room.  I realized that next year, when I take out these decorations, the magic will be diminished if not all but gone for my 9 year old who will be 10 in a few weeks. 

For the past 14 years, our house has always been full of the magic, joy, wonder and just plan fun of Christmas.  I felt it slipping away... Suddenly, and I shit you not, I went from a vision of next year's Christmas to my 9 year old being 30 years old... married to a woman who hates her mother in law(yikes! but sound familiar?) and not even coming home for Christmas.  My life...right before my eyes.

Not to fear.

I am a pull yourself up by the boot straps kind of chick and have done just that. 

I did have such big plans for holiday blogging but I was too busy enjoying the holidays to blog about them and given my recent panic attack I am very happy that I enjoyed every minute of them.

I went to NYC for a day with a girlfriend of mine.  No kids, no husbands.  It was such a fun day but, what a mass of humanity!  So crowded we couldn't even get on the side walks to see the windows.  We did have a great lunch at Pigalle.

Rachel Ray featured the restaurant on her $40 a Day show NYC for the holidays.  Since the city was so crowded, we sat and ate and drank and ate.  It was a great place to people watch and we just had so much fun.  We topped it off with a Bellini, the champagne cocktail Rachel featured on her show.  Yum!

Everything in NYC is bigger than life...

  Rockefeller Plaza was so crazy full of people,

we took some quick pictures and then got out of there.

We sought refuge from the crowds at St Patrick's Cathedral, just beautiful. 



 and a reminder of the season...just waiting for the SBJ to arrive.

Then spent the rest of the two weeks before Christmas praying to the SBJ that our house would not be cursed with the puke bug.  Thank you SBJ, we were spared the vile bug. 

When not praying I was baking, wrapping, cooking and just relishing the time of the year.

Christmas Eve arrived and the Pat's were on at 1pm so the festivities at my house started then. 

Ginger watched for our guests to arrive.

It is so much fun to watch the game.  Thankfully they won.  After the game it was time to switch gears and our Christmas Eve celebration began. 

Christmas Eve has always been a big deal for us. Sit down dinner on the fancier side.  

 Christmas Day is a little more casual, it is the Swedish in us I guess. 

No presents Christmas Eve, just good food, family and the pure beauty of it all.

After our guests left, except for one(yes my MIL spent the night)

we watched It's a Wonderful Life.

It is our little tradition, my husband and I. Then it was

off to bed...in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be here.

The stockings were hung...

The children were nestled...

and then it was morning...

we got our boys their own tv to play their video games on...

they were a little excited.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Best wishes from this very thankful chick!

I'mmmmm baaaaccckkk and I'm Thankful...

Happy Thanksgiving!  I can't believe it has been almost a month since I have been in the land of the blog. I am thankful for the emails checking in on me.  I have not been in my chicken coop all this time, but there sure has been a lot of action in the coop. (more on that later)

I am thankful for so much, but right now and in no particular order...

I am thankful for the cup of glogg I am enjoying while I type this.

I am thankful for cinnamon rolls and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

I am thankful for my favorite Christmas decorations, even though you can see our

 fall decorations out the window.

I am thankful for the beautiful little brown egg we found in our coop this week.

I am thankful for the little reminders of my grandparents I have when I put out my Christmas decorations.

I am thankful for family traditions and

my family to share them with.

Happy Thanksgiving

18 years in the business...

Ah, yes...anyone in my family would know exactly what I mean...18 years in the business.  My Uncle Dick(aka tricky Dicky) measured all things by how many years he had been "in the business".  Well my husband and I have been 18 years married hence in Tricky Dicky terms that equates to 18 years in the business. 

Our anniversary was this past Sunday.  When we were married our reception was at the Spencer Country Inn.  I just love it there.  It is chuck full of antiques and oddities like...

This stuffed squirrel.

 

I love the butter churn next to the dive helmet.

 

Every spot has something on it or in it.

My husband and I just loved it then and still now.  Every year my parents take us all(my boys and sister too) out for brunch. It is one of our traditions.  My boys especially love it.  You've heard of carb loading. Well this is the protein plate.  It belongs to my 9 year old and this is the only time he gets to eat like this.  I guess once a year won't kill him...

I love being reminded where we are and where we come from...

I was especially reminded of where we had come from when I saw this bride.

This was me, 18 years earlier, almost to the hour.

Where we have been...

Through a few jobs, few apartments, two boys, one dog, a big flock of chickens,

building a house, a good economy, a bad economy, the loss of loved ones, the birth of

loved ones, saying goodbye to not such great friends, making new friends,

becoming a part of a community that we really love being a part of,

and the continuation of beloved traditions.

Life has been good.

We have been blessed.