2010 in review

2010 was a big year for us!


January: We returned home after a 2 week vacation to New York and Christmas with the family and decided to purchase a house....and we did!

Febuary: Closed on our first home.

March: We donated D's highschool/college car/deathtrap.

April: D and I (and our dear, loyal, hard-working friends) DEMOLISHED our deck and put in a patio. May: While we were at it, we also decided to re-landscape the front yard...oy....talk about naive new homeowners! Two giant projects in two months! So we took a little break and visited Holmes County, Ohio where I fulfilled a life long dream and spent some up close and personal with (my fav!!) giraffes!!

before:

after: June: I won BIG!! at the our church festival.

July: D and I went zip lining at D's family reunion!
August: K moved to Alaska, D went to DC to see Glenn Beck, and D and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary.

September: H2D2 got married! D and I went to Traverse City.



October: Annual Pumpkin Carving Party

November: A normal month at home!

December: The readers of The Halley Daily wrote and collected 1,888 Christmas cards for our servicemen and women overseas! D and I ventured to Kentucky to sample bourbon. I also spent some time visiting with K and A while they were home from Alaska.

WHAT A YEAR!! I am excited to see what 2011 brings us.

Wishing you a Happy New Year, with good health, wealth, family and friendships!

-h

Merry Merry

Merry Christmas!

My family is scurring preparing breakfast, the gifts are wrapped and anxiously waiting to be opened, coffee is flowing, and carols are floating through the house.

It's perfect.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful day.

Jesus is the gift.

-h

brain dump/catch up

Hi blog friends!

You'll have to excuse my lack of blogging lately, I've been cooking, cleaning, and visiting with a lot of YOU lately and am trying to enjoy/live in the moment!

*D and I had a fantastic time travelling through Kentucky and sampling bourbon. I highly recommend this trip.

*I worked all week last week in a special ed classroom. It was a nice week, however, we had a major lice outbreak...just thinking about it make me itch! ugh!

*I hosted our annual cookie exchange last week, we enjoyed a roaring fire, honeybaked ham, and lots of delicious cookies.

*I shipped my last box of Christmas cards to the troops. Drum Roll, Please....our grand total of Christmas Cards was 1,888. AMAZING! We shattered our goal of 1,000. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

*D and I enjoyed dressing up and dancing and eating copious amounts of shrimp at his company's holiday party.

*Last night we had a blast sledding with friends. Every time I went down the hill I literally lost my hat. ha! Then we enjoyed our local bar food at The Fern.

*Today D is taking a vacation day and happily sleeping in. I am headed to see Doc Todd to get a cyst on my wrist removed and a flu shot. We will be enjoying some Waffle House (because D requested it and it's goood) and then heading home to start celebrating with our families! I can't wait.

Ok, that's everything in my brain. I will catch up after Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

-H

current card count...

1,590

You guys are too much. I am continually touched and impressed by your dedication to this project. Who would have guessed that some girl in Ohio with a blog and a few friends could accomplish such a huge task. Thank you so very much.

Thursday is our deadline.

-h

h@thehalleydaily.com

lamaze breathing at the grocery

It's the holiday season and grocery shopping is inevitable...the problem is that everyone and their brother is grocery shopping...and grumpy.

Me? I had to make my big holiday grocery trip today (baking items, party supplies, normal everyday food). So I walk into the grocery wearing my red scarf and gloves, humming Jingle Bells, trying to be friendly, only to be slammed into by a cart. ?? The man didn't even apologize. Alright, I think, shake it off and keep shopping. Then I get cut off by an old lady in the cheese aisle. I remind myself to take a deep breath, smile, and keep shopping....it's the holidays. Before I know it I am lamaze breathing (to keep calm, ha!) and reminding myself over and over that it's Christmas, people are busy, but I am able to pay my bills, keep my house warm, and put food on my table, so I am give everyone a little grace and refrain from stress.

Then I dropped my eggs in the parking lot.

At this point all I could do was laugh.

Have you ever heard the phrase, Too blessed to be stressed?

Thats how I feel this Christmas season. I am so thankful for D, our home, friends, and family. We are truly blessed. So instead of stressing out this Christmas I am laughing at the mishaps and smiling at the grumpies and wishing everyone I see a Merry Christmas.

-h

loving it

D and I just returned home from a quick getaway to Kentucky, where we toured and tasted our way through "Bourbon Country." Pictures to come soon.

Our house is beautifully snow covered and Christmas lights are twinkling, our fireplace is lite, It's a Wonderful Life is playing on the tv, and D and I are passing ice cream between ourselves and drinking our prospective warm drinks (tea for me, coffee for D). : )

In other news....GUESS HOW MANY CARDS WE HAVE MAILED!?

Guess?

......

.....

.....

1, 508!!!!

Can you believe it!?

Thank you so very much. You have touched my heart with your generosity.

-H

whoa, we're half way there....

Guess what I'm holding in my sticky little hands??

521 Christmas Cards!!

We are over half way there everyone!

You all I am in absolute tears I am so thankful for these Christmas cards!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Please continue to send/give me or D your completed cards. You are making a difference this Christmas!

-h

St. Nicholas Day

My stocking got filled today!! : )

St. Nicholas Day is a Catholic feast day that celebrates..... St. Nicholas! Traditionally St. Nicholas comes on his feast day and fills the stocking of boys and girls and grown men/women ha ha

I was super pleased to find all kinds of goodies in my stocking today. D...I mean...St. Nicholas brought me a Christmas cookie magazine, a Le Creuset mug, Reeses Christmas trees!!, an apple, an orange, and Lindt Truffles. Apparently Christmas time brings out my sweet tooth!

D got some treats too, fancy work gloves, a WWII dvd, and sunflower seeds (Costco style).

How fun!?

yay! Catholic holidays!

250!!!

I am sending the first box of Christmas cards today!!

Each box contains 250 cards and is very much appreciated.

You have no idea what this means to me.

I am ecstatic that so many of you are participating!

Thank you so very much.

-h

A/S thank you for hosting a wonderful "Thank God It's Christmas" party. As a group we completed 150 cards. : )

A big thanks to H2D2 for a box of cards (and an impromptu Christmas photo...can you e-mail me those?)

D sent out an e-mail and his co-work J donated a completed box of cards the next morning! Thank you J!

25

Today I turned 25 years old.

There were a few things I didn't realize about 25...

1. You have to get a new drivers license. Mercifully, I had a sweet lady take the new picture and she retook it twice in order to get the best picture. awesome.

2. About 2 months ago I noticed a few gray hairs while combing my hair. hmm...

3. When I was younger (think 18) I thought 25 year olds were real adults. gulp. I guess that makes me one.

I am so thankful my friends and family. For their well wishes, cards,and the roles they play in my life.

K sent me a Sarah Palin tote bag, all the way from Alaska. I laughed until I cried.

D is taking me out to lunch and finishing up Christmas lights all while listening to ENDLESS Christmas music (he is a patient man.)

I am so blessed.

-H


On a different note, I think my mom should get to celebrate today as well. She raised a stubborn toddler, emotional, perfectionist teenager, and listens daily while I consult her about my life decisions (such as, Should I go back to grad school? What should I make for dinner? etc. etc.)! ha! Love you mom! You deserve a birthday celebration as well!

it's snowing! it's snowing!

Guess I should take the pumpkins off my porch?