Happy New Year!

From Sara and some of her favorite kids - the Carters (minus Drake), the Scales' and Avery

Week in Review

I have been off work since last Wed. at noon and just came back this morning - yes I have the internet at home but it seems as though I get my best blogging done at work. So, with that said, I AM BACK!

I can't hardly believe how fast Christmas came and went this year. We spent Christmas Eve at moms, then opened our gifts at home on Christmas morning, then we went to Marys for the day. Mom, Avery and I made a stop at Callaways before heading home.

There are two main events that have occurred since I last blogged that are indirectly related to Christmas.

#1) Avery got her ears piereced (A Christmas gift from Aunt Missy)

#2) The Smith Family now has a Wii (Mary rented one for us on Christmas Day and JoeDel fell in love instantly...thus we had to have one. After a wild goose chase yesterday, I finally found one. I know they say we are in a recession so how can every walmart be out of Wiis????!!!!!)

I'll tell the rest of the story in pictures :)

Christmas Eve...



Christmas Day...





Tulsa...

Guess who is coming to town?!

SANTA CLAUS IS ON HIS WAY!

It looks like he has his sleigh loaded down and is already hard at work in Asia. Check this puppy out

Santa Tracker

This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! Hard to believe that while I sit at work and think of all the many things I have to do yet before Santa comes to our house, he is already out there delivering toys to Asian boys and girls!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

First Family Christmas Event!

The first Family Christmas party of the year has come and gone. We celebrated Christmas on Saturday with JoeDel's Grandma and all of the family on his mom's side. It was a really good day, filled with the usual fun of the Hepler get-to-gether. After eating much too much, Grandma handed out her gifts, the kids did their gift exchange and then Santa came. Avery received a see n' say from one of her cousins and then she received a Little Tykes xylophone from Santa.

Next came the big sit in a circle and do the "adult" gift exchange. JoeDel ended up with a nascar beverage dispenser and myself a fondue set.



We finished off the day with some serious games of Nerts and then our family headed back to our home in Gtown.

Today, Grammy Sara joined us for church. It was Gifts for Jesus today, something I always look forward to every year. We spent the afternoon lounging around and then tonight we took Grammy and Grandma Huffman to Pittsburg to look at Christmas lights. Avery jabbered the whole time. I think everyone had a great time.

Here's to another week! It's a short one though - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 40th birthday to a very special person! Am I sucking up? OF course b/c this special person is my FAVORITE boss, Hank Smith. (Ok, one of my favorites, I love them all!)

Jeanna and I decorated his office while he was away for lunch. I don't have my camera to take a picture, but basically there were signs like this plastered EVERYWHERE in his office, along w/ some clever "age" sayings and some handicapped tags.



Happy Birthday! Just like the new kids say...."age is just a number, don't you stop having fun! This is your day, your day....happy birthday to you!"

Christmas on speed

I swear that this year Christmas is breaking every speed limit out there. It should take much longer for it to arrive but it seems like time goes faster and faster and faster and it is going to be here before we know it. Am I ready? NOT HARDLY!

Our HMS Employee Dinner was last weekend. It was a really good time. Everyone seemed to have a really good time. I know I am getting old though. I didn't have much to drink at all, and JoeDel and I were home in bed by 11:30. WHAT?!! ON the most fun night of the year for an HMS Employee? Yep, it ran a close comparison to the party 2 years ago where we were home that early - the difference? I was PREGNANT that year and I'm so NOT pregnant this year, just old :)

I won a portable ice maker! Not the best prize of the night, but one I think we will use. I really wanted the Wii.



What else? I got nothing. Things are going fairly well this week w/ the exception of the COLD WEATHER and snow and sleet. blah.

Nite

Avery + 3 = CRAZY

Tonight I have 4 kids. They are the best kids though and I love them.

We are having a ball playing w/ the elf yourself site. Check it out.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Photos

We took some impromtu photos this morning. They turned out well enough that I don't think I'm even going to try again. I don't want to post them all on here since most of you will be getting them in Christmas cards, but this one is hilarious. If you watched the elf thing (and if you havent, do it)...at the very end Julie-elf points outward. That is Avery's favorite part. She is trying to be Julie-elf here!

Smith Family Ho-down!

Enjoy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Bransons Big Bust

JoeDel, Avery, Mom & I left bright and early Sat. morning for Branson. We got there around 9:30am, picked up our dixie stampede tix and life was good. We headed to the outlet mall where I got a few deals at Old Navy, Disney and the Childrens Place. By the time we got out of that crazy place, it was time for our lunch show at the Dixie Stampede!!!!

Everything was going great. Mom was impressed, Avery was loving all of the horses and such, and they had just served us our yummy meal. All of the sudden I felt something rather wet, looked down, and my poor sweet girl was throwing up all over me. Oh great. I scooped her up and headed to the bathroom. Luckily she was wearing a tank top under her sweater. I was able to get us both cleaned up and we headed back in. Mom was convinced that she had choked on the food so I tried believing that as well.

We watched the rest of the show and headed out. We got checked into our motel just in time for Avery to throw up again. This time I was sure she had caught the flu that has been going around :(

That evening, mom and I went ahead and went to the Bobby Vinton show and JoeDel stayed at the motel with Avery. The next morning we woke up and got around, ready to head out. Avery seemed to be doing better and even kept down a piece of toast and some pedialite. Maybe our trip home would be ok afterall ... that was until I felt my tummy rumbling. That's right - I had it too.

Our trip home was not so fun as we had to stop about every 30 minutes. We got home around 1 yesterday and I went to bed. Today I seem to be doing better but my tummy is still rumbling and I haven't made it into work yet.

I gotta get over this soon - the HMS Christmas party is this weekend!

Santa is seriously bummed....

I am just writing to tell you all a story. Since I am a bargain hunter and since we are in a recession, Santa and I have been working together to try and save some money. Well, Santa is planning on bringing Miss Avery this...


I have been watching deals for a month now. Finally decided Santa's best bet was ebay - so he got it there and with shipping and everything (even to the NORTH POLE) it was $65 bucks. What a steal. YEAH RIGHT. Today Amazon is selling the blasted thing foR THIRTY BUCKS. $30.00 WITH FREE SHIPPING.

Seriously, this sucks. And, he bought it on ebay so no returning. Poor santa.

If any of you guys have any need for Santa to bring one of these to your house, this is for sure the steal of the day.

Open House

If you are going to be near Girard this Thursday night, be sure to stop in for some free hot chocolate and mama sara cookies!!!