so our photographer finally uploaded our pictures onto her website and I love them. I took the girls to take pictures the Monday after Thanksgiving and we just now got them. I didn't want to take family pics this year, just the girlies, but the photographer asked if i would "please get in a couple of them". so here are a couple of them.















I think we'll use this one for Alex's office.

super cold here, but it looks like it may be starting to warm up.

Hope you are staying warm.

Have a good evening.
*ciao*

okay so i have been raving about this book for a while now. My sister finally joined the bandwagon and could not put it down either. So i am way excited that they are making a movie about it, though i am a little worried about who they have chosen to play the role of Edward. you know how you read a book and in your head you have a mental picture of what you think this person looks like. well, in my head he is gorgeous. and the guy they cast... well not so much. i mean i guess he has the potential to be good looking, but they need to do a lot of work on him. here he is. Cedric Diggory himself. He's just not the Edward I had in my head at all. They need to do some serious work on his eyebrows, and he'll have to wear contacts, and cut the hair, and... anyway, as for Bella (not mine but the character in the book) it will be Kristin Stewart who came out in Zathura. She may do a good job. Lets hope so. How much would it suck for them to mess up a beautiful and wonderful book with the wrong cast? so needless to say, i think my sister and i will be able to use this movie as a sister bonding opportunity. she is already on the second book and from what she tells me, my niece Stella gets P.O.ed every time Marie opens up her book to read. Pretty major coming from a 20 month old.

okay, i am off to make breakfast for Alex and Tori. Belle was so excited that daddy was taking her to school today. So he should be back any minute now.

Have a great day and stay warm.
*ciao*

miracle of miracles, my girls actually went to see Santa and... wait for it... sat on his lap and didn't freak out. there may be hope for Disney World yet. there was a little apprehension on tori's part at first, but she pulled it off and even gave us a pretty convincing smile. way proud of them for this. Belle really got to enjoy the experience since she got to invite a friend to go with her. we had a good time all together. had some dinner, rode the carousel, window shopped and stood in line for 1 HOUR and 15 MINUTES to see the fat man. talk about a beating, but in the end it was all worth it. Add to it the coronary they both gave the man when they changed their list and somehow added new bikes... huh???? maybe that will be on next year's list.

i've been totally busy finishing stuff up before the holiday. i am all set to bake tomorrow. alex gets to stay home with us which will be nice since he has been working these hellish hours. Belle is particularly excited since that means daddy gets to take her to school. i'm excited since that means i don't have to get up and run around like a chicken with my head cut off in the morning. aaahhhh!!! glory!!!

in other news, i think we may be in the market for a Wii. I am in convincing mode with alex and really hoping he sees the light. i am all registered at Wii Alert, and just waiting for my phone to buzz me that there are some available. let's hope he thinks it is a good idea.

okay, so i just have to vent a bit... so i got my feelings completely hurt, and i got to the point of being completely pissed off a couple of days ago. someone who i had been talking quite a bit with and helping out, just completely stabbed me in the back. The thing about it is, I blame myself for it, because I should know better. This person has done this in the past, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt and just chalked it up to a bad situation. Then it happens again. if there is one thing that i can't handle it is someone who talks to me completely straight faced and kind, and then turns around and bad mouths me or my family. i have no patience or tolerance for that. basically at that point i feel like i have wasted time and energy on something that is completely negative and my energy is too precious to be wasted on that. so what i am getting at is that I totally had a wake up call this week, and it hurt. a lot. did I take it personal? YES! Will i forgive this person? NO! Did I learn a lesson? YES! I attribute the ignorance in this case to age and lack of education. But the lesson learned is this... learn from past actions. A wolf fits well into the sheep's clothing and once he shows his true colors, you shouldn't go along with the charade in hopes that he will change his ways. a wolf is a wolf no matter what he wears.

i am off to rest a bit and veg out in front of the tv. i think i'll save the wrapping for another night.

have a good evening.
*ciao*

we have just been the bearers of sickness lately. after we all beat the stomach thing, alex relapsed and lost his voice again, and tori started running a fever, coughing, sneezing, etc. so she is on antibiotics and finally on her way to feeling better. maybe now we can start enjoying this Christmas season. our house is halfway done as far as the decorating goes, but it is looking so festive, and it looks like temps will be perfect this weekend so maybe we can hang our lights outside. FINGERS CROSSED!!!

shopping is almost done, and now i just have to plan tori's class Christmas party (why did I choose this holiday to plan???) and get some crafts and baking done for the holidays. i'm thinking that i need some new cookie recipes. any ideas??? tori asked me today if Santa likes cookies or brownies or cake. unfortunately he likes them all. i hope she doesn't plan on us making all of them for him. oh, speaking of the big guy, a friend of mine forwarded this link to me where the little ones can email Santa directly and get a response back. way cool site.

okay, so i was looking through the t.v. guide so i could figure out what to dvr for the next few weeks, and i find it so frustrating that everything is reruns already. this darn writer's strike has ruined the season for some of my favorite shows. seriously, give them their money already. the stations are going to start suffering as far as their sponsors go. so annoyed. and while i'm, on this little rant, i have decided that this season was officially the last of my watching the Bachelor. how ridiculous is it that this guy goes through the motions for who knows how many weeks, and acts like he is going to propose (literally went and bought the ring), then sends both girls home packing. and the most ridiculous part of the whole thing is that one of the girls said she was hoping that he would change his mind and still want her a few months later. SERIOUSLY!!!! girl get a clue. so ABC has messed up yet again and i am done with this show.

so yesterday i was talking with my sister and the topic of the Golden Compass came up. She asked if i had heard about the movie, and then told me about the writer of the trilogy. here is a link to the whole story. Golden Compass Story Read for yourself, but from what i hear, it definitely is not a children's movie, although it is portrayed as such. apparently it is very gory and bloody... not at all for kids. how frustrating is it that movie companies are so interested in making movies, that they jeopardize the children who are going to see it. this will definitely be one which will be banned from our house.

okay, i am off to get some laundry done.

have a good evening.
*ciao*
deb