Small Group Christmas Party

As we do every year our small group had their Christmas party, complete with games and white elephant. It was lots of fun, though this year we didn't do the gingerbread house contest. We all made something and got together with at the Coombs and hung out. The first game we played was with dice...not it wasn't a gambling game. Brandon and Jess had wrapped up a present in duck tape, clear tape, and everything you could think of. Then everyone had their turn at rolling dice, if you got doubles then you had to put on winter gloves and a scarf and open the present. Everyone kept rolling dice till someone got the the middle. Stephnie ended up gettin the prize, it was a Reindeer Pooper. Then we had white elephant gifts. Ross and I came home with a welcome sign and a huge coffee mug. But there were things from tomato shower caps to games to sweets. Ross and I brought an FBI Crime solving kit and a tin of my baked goodies.

Jenn & Kate opening the baked goodies.

Cole got a turkey decoy, good for a hat.

Jason and his tomato shower cap

Jessica got Ross's FBI kit

Lorren got a picture of Josh Carroll and then it was stolen by Allen (he wanted the frame...right)

Wreath Making

One of the girls in our small group invited us over to making wreaths for Christmas. She got everything for us and her mom taught us how to do everything. I didn't do things the typical way, we were suppose to use 2 of the same color ribbon, well oops!!! I had two ribbons that matched good but were not the same patterns. But I loved it!!! It took forever to get everything in the right place and secure it down. But, I think mom was doing a wreath class the same time I was working on my wreath so that was cool. Plus, it was nice just to hang out with the girls and talk!! All the wreaths turned out amazing!! And what's nice is they'll last for a few years (hopefully more), because they are the fake ones. I think next year I want to make a real one for the front door, but one year at a time right? Ross and I still aren't sure where the one I made it going, Possibly above the fireplace, maybe not. We'll figure it out tonight. For now here's pictures of it hanging on the door stopper in our room.



Thanks so much Jessica for helping us do this and opening your home!!!

Christmas Decorating

We have decorated our tree for Christmas. Ross and I agree that this is the first time in many years we are both excited about Christmas coming. Last year was fun but it just didn't feel like Christmas. Maybe it's because we were in the apartment and we had to travel. but, this year everyone is coming to see us and we're really excited. Our house is almost all decorated. And I'm baking tons of goodies!! The day we did our tree Ross got most of the lights on, and again we had just enough. And I put the ornaments on. I had to run to the store a few days later and get some candy canes because out tree was missing some. Sadly there was no tinsel on our tree but we don't want our kitty's to get sick. We can't wait to get some presents under the tree but for now it looks really pretty all lite up and decorated!!!

Gettin the lights on

First ornaments on

All light up and halfway done

Side all done, minus candy canes

All done, except the candy canes

Complete with candy canes and all!!!

The beginning of decorating our mantel.

Finished product!

What the cats did while we decorated!

Mom, Renee and I have already made up what we are having for Christmas dinner!! Rotisserie turkey, mashed spuds, sweet potato casserole, and so much more!!! I can't wait. Plus I'm making homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. It's a tradition you have to have cinnamon rolls Christmas morning. I'm so excited!! Christmas Eve service we're going to be going to North Wake....I've wanted to go since we moved (I know it's only been one year in NC) so I can't wait to see the kids play and everything. It'll be really nice to see all our friends at service on Christmas Eve and for my parents to meet them again.

Here's what I've baked so far, and what I have to go....

Choclate fudge

Beginning of peanut butter balls

Pumpkin bread (Lorren and I made for our neighbors)

Chocolate chip meringue cookies

What I have left to bake is...
*A second batch of chocolate chip meringue cookies
*7-layer brownies
*Haystacks
*Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
*Chocolate Chip cookies
*Whoopie Pies
*Gingerbread Cookie

Possibly list..
*No Bake Cookies
*Easy fudge Brownies
*Chocolate Pretzel rods
*Caramel Apple Cookies

I also have to bake and huge gingerbread house before Christmas Eve because my sisiter and I are putting one together!!! I'm so excited, and I will take lots and lots of pictures. Small group is not having a contest but they got me hooked on huge elaborate gingerbread houses...this year being no different. So keep checking for pictures of that after Christmas!!!

Last I am happy to say the cats have yet to climb the tree! They hate the smell of orange so we put something that smells like orange at the bottom of the tree, worked so far. I hope it works till we take it down. And they are showing no intrest in the hanging stockings, which I am greatful for!

School's OUT!!!

Well like the title says I'm done with my fall semester. The final two weeks were killer and I know it's only God that got me through exams!!! I am happy that one half of my Old Testament is done!!! I learned a lot though that I wouldn't have known before about how the Ole and New Testaments connect so well. I'm taking a small break and then I have to start writing 2 papers that are due the first past of January. This January I'll be taking 1 2 week class. I'm excited about it because it's Counseling Theory, it's about everything I learn at Tech except from the perspective of the Bible. Other then that I'm just really excited God got me through another semester and I only have until May of 2011 until I graduate!! God has truly blessed Ross and I so far though many people who are helping us pay for school. Thank you so much! We pray He continues to bless us in this way!!!

Family Thanksgiving, Part 1

For Thanksgiving this year Ross and I got to go up to Pennsylvania to see my dad's side of the family. It's a blast, tons of people in my Meme and Pepe's house and tons of really good food to eat. We left on Tuesday night after Ross got off work to drive to my parents house and stay the night. It was nice to break up the trip. so we pulled in to their house around 1am. Ross had his pizza dinner and to bed we went. We got up at 6am and got out of Richmond by 8am. On our way we picked up Renee and Christian and got them in the Jeep (still not sure how Christian fit but he did). We pulled into Meme and Pepe's around 4ish I think. About the time mom and dad pulled in. That night was lazagana. And I made a cheesecake for Thanksgiving day.

Cheesecake into the fridge.

Thanksgiving day we were up at 8ish, because the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade comes on and you have to watch the whole thing...it's a Thanksgiving tradition!!! So all the cousins and grandma and others piled into the tv room for 3 hours to watch the parade. It's just not Thanksgiving if you don't watch the parade and plus Christmas music can't play until Santa crosses Macy's square! We also did some house warming and apartment warming gifts. Meghan got her first apartment while she is in grand school and the Ross and I's house.

Watching the parade.

Opening house warming gifts. (Thank you Aunt Darlene and Gerard and Thank you Uncle Ron, Aunt Anita, Meghan, & Ryan!!)

Apartment warming gifts.

After the parade we worked on a Gingerbread house, well Meghan, Mel, Renee, and Christian. It turned out great!!! Renee finished it that night I think...

Starting...

Finished!

Go to the nest post for the rest, blogger didn't like all my pictures.

Family Thanksgiving Part 2

The next day Ross, Dad, Renee, and Christian went out to shoot skeet. They each got to shoot about 4 time Ross said, sadly I had to work on a paper...that's what I did over break. I heard Dad hit one, Ross was really close to one, and never got a report about Christian and Renee. Here's some picture of them shooting....

Renee Shooting

Dad shooting.

Ross Shooting

Ross Shooting

Christian Shooting

I think the best part was meeting Mel (Meghan's boyfriend) and Gerard (Aunt Darlene's boyfriend). Ross and I've heard so much about them but never meet them. It was great!! Aunt Darlene brought her homemade chocolates, which were fantastic!!! Meghan and Mel even brought a fruit basket...(I have to say the pineapple flowers were the best).

Aunt Darlene and Gerard

Meghan and Mel

Us (Ross would like to say he got dressed first and I copied him)

And the family pictures....

Sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner

The whole family minus 14 who couldn't make it (We Missed Yall). We kept teasing Pepe he was gonna have to add on the house soon to fit everyone.

Ross and I stayed until Monday, on Saturday he went out in his Jeep around Meme and Pepe's property and took some pictures but again I had to write a paper. Sunday we just watched HGTV all day with Meme and Pepe, it was nice to do nothing for a change, o and I worked on my paper!!!





On Monday we got in the car and took the trip home, 11 hours later we got out and arrived at our house. On the way we saw two accidents that completely closed 2 major highways (81 & 95). Ross managed to get pictures out the window of the Jeep.

What we came upon on 81 in West Virginia.

Two 18 wheelers down an over pass onto another road.

It looked like one pushed the other down and they both went in, but we don't know

95 completely empty on the north bound side south of Petersburg in Virginia

Sorry it's fuzzy it was gettin dark, but a 18 wheeler ran into the back of a few cars that were stopping because of a previous accident. Not sure if anyone lived. The cab of the truck was completely burned.

So that was our Thanksgiving, we can't wait to do it again!!!