New Year....New Me!

Well...Maryland has officially thawed out! We got 20 inches of snow! UNHEARD of for this area! I just had to sit back and shake my head at how inept everyone was to handle the panic! We have picnics in this type of snow in Maine (not really but you get my drift) I guess the phrase..."We're not in Kansas anymore" came to mind :P

I am super excited about this New Year. I have quite a few goals to accomplish this year. Last year we accomplished two out of our three major goals and I think that is a great success!! I have decided that I want to become a more knowledgeable person. I want to know more about some of my favorite things so I will be reading everything I can get my hands on in interior design and romance! My major goals are as follows:

1. LOSE WEIGHT! I mean ALL of the excess!!!
2. Write down one thing each day that states what I love about Julio!
3. Take more classes i.e. a self-defense class, scrapbooking class..etc.
4. Keep my house clean EVERYDAY!!!
5. Keep all my magazine articles organized on a weekly basis
6. Be more positive
7. Get our own place
8. Take my vitamins more faithfully
9. Find more things to be thankful for each day
10. Make myself a better person, inside and out!!!

I also want to keep in touch better with far away friends and that means BLOGGING MORE!!!!!! I feel very motivated this year. I hope you all catch the spirit and keep me motivated too!!!! My motto for this year is New Year...New Me!

Reindeer Games

My kitties put up with a lot! Rocky would have no part of this picture, but Parker stood still for a few seconds!!!

Tomorrow is date night and I can't wait!! Gonna get Chinese food, maybe go walk around the mall, and come home and watch movies! I love my husband!

I still have soooooo much Christmas shopping to do! I am one of those last minute shoppers! So hopefully next week I will be all done!

It's The Most WONDERFUL Time of the YEAR!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Wow..this month is just flying by! I have barely had time to breathe. Between work and sickness, I was lucky to find time to GET a tree, let alone DECORATE one!!!!! Oh well....we found one! And I have to say it is our best one yet. Each year we go to the same place, and each year we keep finding a better and better tree!!! I look forward to Christmas 2026 if it keeps going LOL!!!

Every mom feels that their children are the most beautiful. Well I have to say I feel the same way for my "kids". I tend to think that Parker is one of the most gorgeous kitties I have ever seen. And Rocky is the cutest! But then again, I am pretty biased!!

Our tree!!! Okay I have a very bad confession. I am EXTREMELY picky when it comes to decorating (shocker huh?!) and I have never let Julio help me. Put down the rotten fruit people because this year I let him help. And I have to say it is our most beautiful one to date! We had so much fun! I roasted a chicken, we watched Rudolph and just had an amazing date night! What a blessing he is to put up with my picky ways!
Every year I get a new piece for my Christmas village. This year I got a "big" one to make up for the two I missed our first two Christmases. This one has a mechanical train that goes in that little tunnel. IT SCARES THE KIBBLES OUT OF PARKER!!! Rocky finds it fascinating, but our little twinkle toes Parker runs when we turn it on! He gets so freaked out the hair on his back stands up. He puts a whole new spin on "fradey cat"
I am so proud of these. When I was little, I remember having an advent calendar that had candy behind each window. For YEARS, I searched for one that I loved......here it is. All three pieces have little slots, such as the church steeple, doors, the trees on the last house, etc. and they all have a countdown number and a place to put candy!!! What fun it is to open each one!! I got it at Costco for 15 dollars!!!!

You may ask, "Mandy, why are you posting a picture of your toilet?" Excellent question. IT"S PENGUIN THEMED NOW!!!!!!!!!!

God knew I needed a man with a sense of humor and boy did he bless me many times over. I regret not letting Juli help years ago, but you live and learn
And lastly.....my chunkasaurus! I have such a special bond with Rocky and he knows it. I put up with his cranky days, and he puts up with my weird decorating habits!!!


* If you think about it, Julio has his journeyman test tomorrow at 2pm. This is a HUGE deal for him and has a big role in our future. Pray that the outcome is in his favor, or that he learns a lot from taking the test. Merry Christmas to everyone! I would LOVE to see pics of everyone's trees!!!