My last 2 months

So, here's a quick look at the highlights of what's been going on for the last two months. I'm going to summarize so that I can move on to writing about THIS year~


Robbie, Shane and CeCe sleepover. We made Christmas cookies and watched ELF. I love when we have sleepovers~











Went to the Redskins vs. Steelers game with Daredevil. We LOST but it was fun!








This year for my annual Halloween party I took the boys to a farm. It was POURING rain~ They ran through the corn maze and got FILTHY. Everyone got a pumpkin and a toy from the gift store. You can tell that the boys are freezing in this picture. Luckily, Dori brought a change of clothes for everyone~





Robbie and CeCe at Drake's football game. Robbie takes great care of CeCe and she ADORES him!!!










Drake at his game - he's an AWESOME quarterback!












Coach (and Dad) Travis giving Drake some pointers~









The boys at the game~










Girls Night - it was my turn to host dinner. Merianne, Seabreeze and Jen. We try to get together at least 4 times a year. I love these girls.....we have a great time when we are together~







Jen and Seabreeze

BFF

I have great friends and always have. These two women have been such a part of my life that they are as close as sisters to me.

This is Eileen and me at my 5th b-day. I have known Eileen since I was 4 years old and she has been my best friend ever since I have had a memory of a best friend. For most of our lives, she lived about 200 yards down the street from me. We were in the same kindergarten class and even played hookie one day!!! We started young. Eileen knows me by heart - I have known Eileen longer than I have known some of my own sisters! We have certainly seen each other through good times and bad times. She is one of the first people I call when something truly traumatic happens because I know I can depend on her.

I remember the day my father passed away. I was holding it together pretty well until Eileen and her sisters walked through my basement door and then I lost it. I knew she felt what I was feeling. She loved my father and he loved her (as well as her sisters) Growing up, I think she got just as many hugs and kisses from him as I did~


This is us - 31 years later~ we haven't changed much! Ha!!! Every time I see Eileen or spend time with her (which is not often enough!!!) I am reminded of who I REALLY am and I feel like I am home again. I am very blessed to have her in my life and feel lucky to have someone who knows me better than I know myself!






This is Christina (or Tina....I am one of the few that she allows to still call her Tina) We met our Freshman year of High School and instantly became great friends. This picture was taken when we were 15. I spent most of my HS weekends with Tina and we have some VERY funny stories that we are taking to our graves! Tina makes me laugh - A LOT. She remembers a lot more of our "adventures" and I am grateful for her memory - I'm not sure if I blocked these stories out for a reason but she helps me jog my memory and we laugh at the insanity of our actions as teenage girls. She is also like a sister to me. She practically lived at my house and still hung out with my sisters when I went away to college. When Tina got her first "real" job my mother made her a couple dresses so she would look professional. We laugh because we think she looked more like a Quaker. But.....big collars were the style back then and Tina picked out the pattern herself~

This is us on Thanksgiving Day THIS year. After eating dinner with my family, Tina picked me up and we went over to her mother's house. I hadn't seen her mother and stepfather in YEARS and it was good to catch up. Tina is someone I can talk to about ANYTHING and I can expect to get her HONEST and straight forward opinion. She doesn't hold back and I love that about her. She is loyal and trustworthy and she makes my heart smile.

True friends who love you for who you are, who you have been, and who you are striving to become, are wonderful blessings. I am lucky and VERY blessed to have these women in my life and to have had them in my life for so long. I know that when I am old and gray I will be able to look back on my life and see the wonderful influence and support these two women have been to me. I love them dearly.

Catching up!

This will be the first of many posts over the next couple of days. I have a lot to catch up on! I will start out with my employee party and work backwards. My employee party was this past Sunday and Robbie has been my date for the past few years and we always look forward to going. We have a great time....he gets to see Santa and we eat and then we dance! Everyone loves Robbie and is happy to see him when he comes! He really is the "life" of our table. This year he accidently belched REALLY loud. Fun times.

I love this kid.

I don't know why he looks scared.....he told Santa he wanted a Fish and an iPod touch. I don't know what's more alarming.....the fact that he's 6 and knows what an iPod touch is or that he will actually use one!!!

Things I am Grateful For

These are just every day things that I am grateful for......I could get really deep and spiritual and list those things too but that's much more personal and something I don't necessarily want to blog about. My friends and family are a given here.

So.....here are the every day things I am grateful for:

1. Heated Seats - I love that my car has heated seats...especially on a cold rainy day like today. It makes the drive to work so much more bearable.
2. Dr. Pepper - for some reason I have been on a Dr. Pepper kick. It makes me happy.
3. My iPod - COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT IT
4. My job and the people I work with - I LOVE my job and I LOVE the people I work with. How many people can say that? I have a lot of fun at work and most days I actually look forward to going in!
5. My cell phone and late night phone calls.
6. My brain - because the more people I meet and the older I get.....I'm realizing I have a really good one. (ha ha ha)
7. People that wave a "thank you" when you let them in front of you while driving.
8. Makeup - it just makes the world prettier.
9. Soft blankets
10. Holiday scented candles

You are my sunshine

Cece girl. She is precious and lights up my life.

She has such a STRONG personality - just like her mom.

I just can't get over how beautiful she is.

Kara through the years

1952












1966












1968












1972












1976












1984












1986












1996

Strength in Sisterhood

It never ceases to amaze me how much strength I gain from the many women in my life....particularly at this time, my girlfriends. I have several women with whom I am close to and with whom I draw support and peace from. These women care about me and truly have my best interest at heart. They give me advice when I ask (sometimes when I don't), support me in all of my trials and strenghten my spirit when I feel weak. They lift me and often times remind me of who I am. Over the past week I have experienced an outpouring of concern and love from many of my girlfriends and I feel so loved and blessed to have them in my life. I have recently re-connected with some friends from elementary school and high school and it has been so fun to remember the girl I was and see the woman I have become. I love all of my girlfriends for different reasons and I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many talented, caring and wise women!!!!