Dinner is served

One of the many treats of coming to New England is the fresh seafood.

Whenever we have family from out of state it's tradition that we have some variation of seafood. This dinner always includes lobsters and mussels.

My brother's children aren't horribly fond of seafood so we made them a special dinner and served them early so that the adults could linger over our amazing delicacies and intriguing conversation ~ catching up can be most enlightening! ;)

My husband and brother treated us to an incredible meal!

My parents loved to cook.

We are most definitely a "foodie" family. It was a common site to see us all in the kitchen with our proverbial hands in the pot. This has been a true asset as both my brother and I love the task of cooking but also enjoying incorporating our families into the fun.

Lucky for me, I married someone who shares this talent. While he doesn't often have the opportunity to cook, when he does, he can knock me off my feet with his delicious creations.

One of the many traditions we have during the week between Christmas and New Years is going to a family movie. This year we all went to the afternoon showing of A Christmas Carol. I thought it was a little scary for a child's movie. Little Will wanted to leave at one point because he was frightened.

After the movie the men were off to the our local seafood store for their fresh catch.

They returned with lobsters, mussels and clams ~ oh my!

They thought of everything and even had brie and a glass of Merlot waiting for the ladies. We nibbled and chatted while they slaved in the kitchen!

The menu included

~steamed and grilled lobsters~

~clams casino {my husband makes the best!}~

~mussels and cherry stones in a white wine chili reduction~

There was crusty bread to dip in the sauce

and roasted herbed potatoes on the side.

Our two personal chefs outdid themselves!

They even cleaned the kitchen which was no easy feat as they managed to use every utensil, pot and pan in the kitchen.

If you look closely, you'll notice their eclectic serving pieces.

This would normally drive me nuts but I'm trying to "let the small stuff slide". My twitching stopped after only a few minutes :)

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Family fun!

Oh What Fun ...

We are all having such a great time together.

It's been SO much fun just being together this week.

The photos above are from our evening of making salt dough art which became anything from magnets to paper weights. Everyone joined in ~ I think the adults had just as much fun as the children ;)

Afterwards, the entire family helped with setting the table {with Christmas crackers of course} making a salad, homemade garlic bread and, lasagna.

Our evening closed with a movie and slumber party in the Children's family room.

I woke up a little sore but it was well worth all the memories.

It's been a whirlwind of excitement and fun and there is more on the way!

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Merry Christmas

From our home to yours ~

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

We are awaiting the arrival of my brother and his family from my home state of Michigan.

They have encountered an ice storm that has delayed them a tad. I'm so looking forward to spending time catching up and being surround with all the busy energy that comes with having small children in the home.

Enjoy your family!

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Christmas Eve

Merry, Merry!

It's been a quiet day of ~

wrapping gifts

hearing from old friends

prepping for Christmas dinner

and

Christmas Carols

This evening we will enjoy our Christmas Eve dinner.

We traditionally have various fish and shellfish dishes.

As the suspense builds, we open one special gift.

This is always followed with donning new Christmas pajamas.

As I slow down and reflect on my year past,

I am overwhelmed with my surmounting blessings. I've so enjoyed meeting you and getting to know you even better over the past year. Your kind words and thoughtful messages truly make my day. It's such a joy to peek in on you and your families as well. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift of all; friendship!

I'm wishing all of you a restful and relaxing eve of Christmas!

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Let it snow ...

and snow, and snow, and snow some more!

*Update: Yes indeed, we do have a delayed opening. I'll have just enough time to run a couple of quick errands before school begins ~ yeah!

This is what our home looked like last night before we headed to bed. There were only a few flakes coming down ~ I was very skeptical that we were going to get the blizzard they predicted. After all, the storm was to begin late afternoon.

After many hours of snow {whiteout snowing for hours} we awoke to a winter wonderland!

We have over 20 inches of snow ~ I apologize for doubting you Mr. Weather Man ;)

I had hoped to sneak out and finish my Christmas shopping but upon second thought, I decided it was best to stay inside and do what I could around the house. I think this was a much better choice.

Mr. Bozley wasn't too thrilled with the snow.

He went out only a few feet onto the back patio and quickly turned around and headed back for warmth and to give us a piece of his mind.

Seriously you humans, we are going to have to come up with a better option than me going outdoors for relief!

Yes, he does have a jacket and yes it is monogrammed. He is a posh pup and he knows it.

I think the look on his face says it all! :)

My own personal Frosty the Snowman!

Kevin spent over 2 hours out in the white fluffy fun redistributing its beauty. This is his second {or third in certain spots} swip over the driveway there was so much snow.

The first big snow of the season is always magical. Our neighborhood is beautiful in its blanket of white. The squeels of delight from the children was magical. There were sleds and snowballs flying all around.

I'm secretly wishing for a delayed opening tomorrow morning so I can run a few errands that I didn't accomplish today!

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Annual Cookie Exchange

7th Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange

This afternoon was my cookie Exchange.

I look forward to this event every year. I tried to take a few photos before everyone arrived and it became too hectic so there aren't many; I apologize

.

It wouldn't be a party without a little entertainment!

We decided to invite DDLC ~ why?

We had no hot water or heat!

I discovered this while going through my morning routine.

While I was entertaining upstairs, my husband was entertaining in the basement. The repair gentleman was SO kind. He refused to come up the basement stairs and insisted upon using the cellar door so that he wouldn't interrupt my party.

Long story short ~ after 4 hours and many replacement parts we have hot water and heat ~ yeah!

After a his daunting task, I expressed my thankfulness with a bag full of Cookie Exchange goodies!

Not to mention the impending BLIZZARD baring down on South Eastern Connecticut.

I am so fortunate to have such amazing women in my life.

The are such an asset to my life and I learn so much from them.

There was a toasty fire, good food and, great conversation flowing.

I teach with these two fun ladies ~ Love them more than they know!

Just a quick shot before the table was covered with yummy delicacies!

This is one of my two platters of cookies from my cookie exchange.
Each cookie has a family history with a story behind them ~ absolutely priceless!

I wasn't able to get photos of all my dear friends and the fabulous cookies they created.

My family and I will be enjoying them during the Christmas season.

My sweet husband helped me with the last minute details ~ such a great husband!

I am truly a very blessed lady!

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Boston Pops

It's Christmas!

A few weeks ago, before the craziness began, I told my husband I wanted one evening alone to together to celebrate the Christmas season.

Without missing a beat, my sweet husband surprised me with tickets to the Boston Pops Christmas concert.

It was simply amazing!

We went out to dinner and then to the concert ~ I couldn't ask for a more wonderful Christmas pick me up amidst the holiday frenzy!

My favorite part was the sing a long! ;)

Thank you Kev, you've made my week, my month and my Christmas wish come true!

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~ I'm getting there ~

{Country Living}

It was a busy jam packed weekend around our home

The tree is up {finally} after a few "incidents" and beautifully decorated. Bozely added his personal touch this year. Those of you with 2 year olds will understand why the bottom of our tree is bear. Who knew I'd be going through this AGAIN with our puppy. If you are considering any type of redecorating this year I'd advise you against hiring an English Bulldog!

I wish I could share with you the amazing pictures of the home tour this year. Unfortunately, there was no photography allowed and I was far to busy to think about taking any photos of our home. We actually had lines this year waiting to get inside the homes to view. Our charity did very well and I'm thrilled that the monies raised will benefit such a worthy cause!

This week is our staff luncheon. I am decorating and want to make sure that it is holiday inviting and most enjoyable. After all, when you put your name on something you must live up to a certain level.

Next on the "LIST" is our Christmas party this Friday evening. Everything is set and ready to go ~ whew. Saturday is my annual cookie exchange ~ this too is all set and ready to go.

I've reviewed the menu for both events and doubled checked to make sure that we don't have any duplications as the guest list is revisited.

My students gifts are wrapped and awaiting their surprise. I love the look on their faces when they enter the classroom and see a package on their desks ~ it's SO true that giving is much more rewarding than receiving.

I'm off to enjoy a glass of wine with my husband before heading off to bed.

Enjoy your evening!

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Late arrival

Late Arrival ~ Just what I needed!

I can't tell you how excited I was at 5:45am this morning!

The call came in that we had a late arrival which means I had an extra 90 minutes to myself this morning ~ yea!

The best part ... a late arrival isn't a day that we need to make up in June!

I addressed Christmas cards, started dinner, cleaned a bath and a half, and knocked off a few more "to do" items from my list.

It really was very beautiful and just the boost I needed to get me into the Christmas spirit!

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It's been busy, busy, busy around our home ~ I know you can all relate!

Last Sunday was my Art Show.

It went very well but with all the prep and then attending the event,

I didn't have a weekend to catch up let alone get ahead.

This afternoon I'm have my "natural" hair color touched up {read dye job!}

along with a few inches taken off.

Afterwards I'm dashing off to deliver my holiday tassels to a cute shop in Mystic for the Christmas Stroll this evening. If you live in the area, it's a lovely evening and really puts you the Christmas spirit!

During my free time {ha, ha} I'm putting the finishing touches on our holiday decor. The tree will be arriving this week. My goal is to have everything else decorated beforehand.

This weekend welcomes the Holiday Home Tour on Saturday and on Sunday my annual Cookie Exchange.

Did I mention that my husband decided the holiday season would be a good time to remove the popcorn ceiling in the foyer along with painting the walls, trim and doors?

Not to mention remove the runner from the stairs and paint the risers.

Yes, it's always fun to add a mess to a chaotic time.

He promises to have it all done before the weekend. UGH!

I'm starting my morning off with a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha before I greet the excited children who remind me each morning how many days before Christmas vacation begins! :)

Enjoy your day!

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The List

I'm making my list

and checking it twice!

That’s what I have been doing … over and over!

This is my list of survival.
You see, I have a master list and from that I create sub category lists ~

yes, I’m that neurotic!:)

I have a very busy few weeks ahead of me with little extra time to breathe.

Currently, my life is filled with …

Art show {this weekend} I have been a busy Elf

Making and delivering a dinner to a friend and family
{just out of the hospital}

My annual Cookie Exchange

Christmas Party

Girls Night Out Holiday Dinner

Home Tour

Oh yeah, and I work full time and I’m not finished with my Christmas shopping!

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