Counting the Days....

We can not wait to get to the Cabin!!! It's our little escape in the woods. It's so peaceful and quite. The kids love it there.

I love having my coffee in the morning sitting in the rockers looking at the lake. It's very calming

We'll be there in three more days!!!!

Jonas Brothers.....obsession

Okay, we all know that the latest teenage craze right now is the Jonas Brothers. Well when I was a teenager between 10 and 14, I was into Leaf Garrett, Sean Cassidy and I adored Scott Baio and I had some pictures on my walls. But you won't believe this.

When we were at our friends Christmas party over the weekend, we got a look at their daughter's bedroom, the adorable Amanda!!! I still think of Amanda as little sweet baby girl, but somehow she managed to grow up and apparently she's obsessed with the Jonas Brothers.

Check out these pictures of her room, it is covered floor to ceiling with the Jonas Brothers

Welcome to Amanda's room....this is her bed & TV......

all the dressers are covered
Notice the ceiling fan....YES this is the ceiling

There was not a surface that wasn't covered with these pictures

Christmas Party with some old friends

We attended a Christmas Party on Saturday at the home of some dear friends....Doreen & Dave. It was very nice. They had the biggest real Christmas Tree that I have ever seen and of course I didn't think to take a picture of it, as a matter of fact I didn't get many pictures because I was busy visiting with old friends. It was a great party......Here's a few from the party.....

The Hosts....Doreen & Dave

The Office Girls watching Dave open his surprise gift.....

Lisa explaining to Dave what's in the basket....the surprise gift came later....

This is me with my beautiful friends Terry & Tracy (they are sisters) I'm in the middle

Yes it was snowing in Florida.....really

Well almost...with the help of a snow machine..but it looks real

Thanks Doreen & Dave....we love you guys!!!

Christmas Shopping

I don't know about you people but I am soooo behind in my Christmas shopping!! Usually I am on top of my game and have most of it done by now. But this year I am in a funk and I can not snap out of it. It's been a rough year and I have to force myself to get through this Holiday. This weekend is the only weekend I have left to shop as next weekend we're off to visit the kids. So pray for me people!! Pray that I find the perfect gifts for everyone or at least something we can afford....LOL

First I have to drop off all the goodies we collected at work for Kids In Distress and I am very excited about that!!! My department all stepped up and pitched in and some less fortunate children and their families will have a better Christmas this year because of our group!! Thanks guys!! If I believed in Christmas Miracles .....this guy would do all my Shopping for me!! and all the house cleaning and laundry for that matter!!! ho ho ho ....WHAT!! Rob could have his own little helper too....ME

One more cruise picture...

I received a lovely Thank You note in the mail this week and inside was this picture. It's a picture of all 12 girls that went on the cruise. Robin (The Bride-to-be) is sitting on Yam's lap, he was our waiter who was awesome!! Thanks for sending the picture Robin!!!

Bachlorette Cruise November 2008

A Time for Sharing

This holiday season will be especially hard for me, as it will be the first Christmas without my Mom and I just want to skip the entire thing.But the reality is that it will happen with our without my participation. And what always makes me feel good is giving to less fortunate children. In our office we are collecting for the Kids in Distress Foundation, in lieu of a gift exchange at work. With the state of the Market today, everyone is feeling the crunch and there are so many out of work right now, so instead of spending money on people who have jobs and are pretty comfortable we are donating that money to Kids In Distress to help the less fortunate kids in our community have a good Christmas.
Also, as most of you know my friend Kelly (Caylie's Mom) and I sponsor a child in Guatemala through Mayanfamilies.com. Our sponsorship puts her through school, gets food for her family, gets her school supplies and new clothes & shoes.And during the Holidays Mayan Families does so much more for these children. This year I also donated money to purchase a Tamale Basket, which will feed 12 families for only $35. Below are the details from Mayan Families.
Click on their website to read more or to send your own donation: http://www.mayanfamilies.com/
Christmas Tamale Basket Dinners
A meal of specially prepared tamales with seasonal trimmings is the traditional Christmas dinner of the indigenous Guatemalans. But many families cannot even afford to feed themselves nutritious daily meals. Mayan Families prepares and gift wraps baskets containing enough food to prepare a festive Christmas dinner for as many as 12 people.Each basket contains oil, 15 lbs of rice, a block of drinking chocolate (the traditional drink at midnight), a loaf of bread with which they eat the tamales at midnight, raisins, grapes, apples, sugar, 5lbs of meat, tomatoes, 1lb of coffee, leaves to wrap the tamales, cloves, pepper, sesame, pumpkin seeds. As an added value, the plastic bucket that holds the groceries is a useful household item after the holidays.
Toys
We make an extra effort to ensure that every needy child we know receives at least one nicely wrapped Christmas gift. Every year, hundreds of toys and gifts are given to wide-eyed, smiling and very grateful children.
Parties
During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Mayan Families delivers tamale food baskets, gifts and even Santa Claus to poor, remote villages and orphanages.

I hope everyone enjoys their Holidays and finds time to spend with their loved ones, because it's something we all take for granted. Cherish every second you have with your families no matter how crazy they make you sometimes.

XOXOXO
Pattie

Congratulations Amy & Brian!!!!

Congratulations to my cousin Amy and her boyfriend Brian (in South Carolina) they got engaged on Friday!!! .....We are so happy for them!!
I recieved the following picture via email....I hope she doesn't mind if I post a picture of her ring. It's so beautiful and so is Amy!!! Congratulations!!!

We Love You!!!

XOXOXO