Happy New Year!

Our New Year's Eve was pretty low key this year. We stayed home, I cooked dinner, and we watched a movie. A perfect way to start 2008!

Joey brought his projector over and we watched Silent Hill on "the big screen". So creepy! This is a picture of a scene in the movie but it's also a picture of what I looked like for half the movie.

Happy 2008 everyone!

Christmas in Chicago

When I got back from New Hampshire, Joey and I celebrated Christmas with his family. Carmelita (Joey's mom) made me this blanket....so cozy!!

Joey spoiled me rotten! I got a sound spa with all the nature sounds, ipod hook up and alarm clock. I've fallen asleep very nicely with it over the past week:-) He also got me an hour long massage from Mario Tricocci....I'm saving that for a stressful week at school (I hope I get one of those soon:-)
Yay! I got my pink tools! Mom got a pink toolkit years ago and now that I'm in an apartment I always seem to need something. Joey found this one....it even comes in a cute bag!
I put together some of Joey's Camaro pictures for one of his presents.
The classic tree shot....a must:-)

Christmas

We celebrated Christmas day up at the Pilgrim Pines lodge this year. Beautiful table setting, you say? Yep....that's me!

Jennifer, Phil and Lexie were with Phil's family on Christmas day this year so we got to have another whole day of celebrating on the 26th. Mom, Dad and I went down to their house and had a very relaxing afternoon. We did lunch and opened presents together. Grandpa and Lexie had some quality time together.

And so did Aunt Jamie and her girl!

Christmas at Peterson Elementary

This year, Laura (one of the other second grade teachers) and I combined our two classes and had a Winter Fun Day! We came up with 10 different stations for the kids to do and had parent volunteers (including Laura's husband, Frank as our guest reader!) lead the activities. We had tons of fun and so did the kids!OK, so maybe Laura and I had MORE fun than the kids. Yes, the antlers do light up and so do those classy lightbulb earrings:-)

Peterson always does a holiday sing along on Friday before vacation. All the kids come and sit in the hall and we sing carols together. My kids are so cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A twenty-five person Thanksgiving...what a way for Joey to meet the family for the first time. No slow introductions here...we just threw him into the fire! He was a very good sport and survived the day and even agreed to join Mom and I on our early shopping day on Friday. What a guy!?!
Jennifer and Phil moved into their new house in October and were nice enough to host Thanksgiving day this year. The house is gorgeous and it was really nice to be able to spread out! Our family is just getting too big!

Lexie was the main event! She did so well...she was pleasant all day:-)


Joey and I in deep conversation...I'm sure:)