Thankful Thursday - 14 days and counting

Good morning yinz!!!

Today I am joining Rebecca Jo at Knit By God's Hand to give some thanks and show some gratitude!!

This week I am thankful for...
* my job! We are going through many, many changes here at my Company. I have worked for them for 17 years and it looks like very soon, we will all be asked to relocate or lose our jobs. I truly have no intention of relocating, unless they offer me something extraordinary for relocation, so it looks like I will soon be on the job hunt! So...for now...I am grateful for my job!!! UGH!
* my upcoming trip!!! I am counting down the days to Aruba! I cannot wait to escape for a week!!!! I booked a catamaran sailing and snorkeling trip and also a jeep tours of the island trip. Last year when I went I did not do any excursions so I am really excited to do both of these!! According to Delta...14 days until flight check-in!!!!!!!!! WHOOP! Here are two favorites from last year's trip!

* for my blogging friends! You guys...each and every one of you! Your comments make my day and I look forward to seeing what all of you are up to on your blogs! You truly have become a positive and HUGE bright spot in my day and I am so very glad to have each and every one of you in my life! 

*for my "real life" friends! Tonight I am attending a charity football signing for CF Foundation. You pay to get a football and then about 8 different (never know who) Pittsburgh Steelers players (football for those that don't know) show up to sign your football. We also get dinner and there are raffles, etc. I cannot wait! We used to go a lot and then I just had too many footballs...LOL! I gave them away for Christmas presents to my family members.  This year, my sister wanted me to attend to get one signed for my nephew so she actually paid for my ticket! What a score! So, I will spend my money on the auctions!! I will post and give you details ASAP! Then tomorrow is the Lawrenceville Cookie Walk! Another awesome activity I do every Christmas with friends!

* for my family! I cannot have a gratitude/thankful list and NOT include them! They truly are everything to me and I would have nothing and be nothing without their support!!!


That's all I got today guys!  I am trying really, really hard to stay focused on positive things and not worry over things I cannot change or influence! This is where that Serenity Prayer comes into play!!!

 I hope you all have a blessed and thankful day!!! Hugs to each and every one of you!

Are you joining Rebecca Jo? What are you thankful for today?

Long Live the Kids Traditions

Hi again everyone! After that long blog break over the holiday, I am trying to post every day this week!!!

I wanted to share a few fun traditions that my family has for the younger kids at Thanksgiving.  We did these with the older cousins for years and now they are too old and cool to participate but the younger ones still look forward to them every year!

Saturday night, after dinner and after all the cookie baking chaos is completed, the girls toasted to a successful cookie weekend with their Shirley Temples and got busy with decorating the sugar cookies. The younger boys had gone to the Penn State game that afternoon and were not home yet so they could not join in.

Here is my sister and niece getting the icing ready for the decorators. PS-check out the cute sweater for Saturday?!??! Jordan killed it with Christmas outfits this year! Her leggings are cats with Santa hats too!!!!

The girls waiting with their cookies for the icing...

Sunday morning was the annual Gingerbread House decorating contest. The boys against the girls...

A close up of the boys team...

And the same of the girls...the older cousins opted out...party poopers!

Here is a close-up of the sugar cookies they decorated the night before.

My niece wanted to post it on her Instagram and have everyone vote but she does not have many followers so as of today, no one voted yet. I may have to do a late post on mine for her. LOL!

It makes my heart so happy that these kids have fun activities that they look forward to doing every year! Especially ones that involve them working together with their cousins!

I love my family and I hope you feel the same about yours!! Hugs!

What traditions do you have for your family? Do you bake or build gingerbread houses? What about special memories of the holidays?

Wolfe's 2018 Annual Cookie Baking

After our two Thanksgivings, you can read about them here, my family has a tradition of spending the rest of that weekend baking cookies! And by cookies - I mean COOKIES!!!! We even have matching aprons we made for everyone! Be prepared for a VERY photo heavy post!!!!

Here is a play by play of Friday night, Saturday and Sunday...

It started out with my niece and I unwrapping the candies that will be used on the cookies. Usually all my nieces and nephews do this but a few of them went to the Penn State game and one niece did not feel well so it defaulted to me and Maddy!

This is my little sister and niece mixing some dough! The kids love to help so much! I think they like this as much as we all do!

My tw0 adorable nephews pushing the peanut butter cups into the baked dough.

My sister-in-law and myself for a selfie!

Mom counting the completed batches.

My oldest niece keeping the little ones occupied during their break by playing Polly pockets. The little kids love the baking but they have a short attention span and need frequent breaks - LOL!!

Here is the break room - HA!!! The boys watching football no doubt!!!

See them all - lots of testosterone in that room!

Two nieces working on the cutout cookies. We bake these and then let the kids decorate them every year.

Another break - I think this one is the Game of Life break.

Here is my darling niece Jess.  She recently graduated and has just started teaching at a school near my sisters house so she moved back home.  To her right is her new baby Max...she is a super cute cat mom and is great to her baby!

This is a close up of her baby Max...

Another round of the Game of Life anyone?!?!

My niece Jordan was hilarious this year! Not only did she participate this year with baking, playing with her younger cousins, etc. but everyday she came up with a new outfit for the day! This one was great! She is a cat mom too to a cute little fur ball names Penelope. This sweater actually lit up!!!!!! Awesome!!

This is a cute out that my sister-in-law found on Facebook! Sadly, it is a deer that has been shot. My brother-in-law hunts so it was perfect for him to take up to his deer camp. LOL! I was not in the spirit of love so we only made three - HA!

This is about halfway thorough the baking...

Cute picture of cousins working together to mic batter...

And my littler sister and nephew twisting candy canes...this is a horrible job and we give it to my sister every year - HA!

My niece was counting cookies in this photo-see her way back there with her paper. We add up the numbers we do every year...

My sister makes homemade applesauce and she wanted to defrost some for dinner Saturday night to eat with pizza. She put it outside to defrost. Then it started pouring down raining outside and my Mom put on all her raingear to go out and retrieve it...LOL! I just love this picture...my mother will kill me if she ever sees it on here! LOL!

This is my brother and sister making Santa's out of Nutter Butter's. He is an engineer and she thinks like one so these are the most precise and perfect cookies you will ever see...seriously! They turned out super cute!

Everyone chilling and taking breaks on electronics.

Same here....

This is the finished table!!!! What a productive weekend! We finished on Saturday night around dinner time. We did not set a family record this year as we dropped a few kinds that we have made before but we finished all of our holiday baking. Total cookie count was 2,133 cookies; 173 dozen; 16 varieties!!!

On Sunday the family separates the cookies and everyone heads home. We split them up in zip-locks and everyone takes home a ton of cookies they can then use for cookie trays at parties and gifts! Holiday baking is completed for everyone! Note: everyone in their Steelers gear for the game!!!!

 

If you live nearby and we are friends; be prepared for your tray of cookies!!!!

 

I love my family and I love all the time we spend together! Do not be deceived; we get on each others nerves but there is nothing better then family! I think we only about 20 minor spats throughout the weekend which is pretty good for all those people under one roof!!! There is no one that can push my buttons more then my siblings! LOL!!!!

 

I hope you all had an amazing holiday!!!!

 

Do you bake for the holidays? Do you have any family traditions you follow every year? Do you enjoy spending the holidays alone or in chaos?

 

 

Thanksgiving Recap

It is going to take me all this week to recap all last week! LOL!

First off...let me say...I hope each and every one of you had a fabulous and fun and safe Thanksgiving!!!! Mine rocked and I am so excited to let you all in on the family and cookie goodness that went down this weekend!!!

My parents came over on Tuesday night. My mother and I were going to see Fiddler on the Roof at the Benedum in Pittsburgh, PA that night and my Dad was going to hang out with his furry grandkids while we were at the play. When we got to the Benedum we saw this...this is the first time they have ever had metal detectors there. It is sad to me that we cannot enjoy any public place without these but it is also a sign of the times we are living in. UGH!!! So, at least we knew we were safe and it seems like this will be a thing now no matter what play it is.

Here is the obligatory selfie with the program - LOL!!! Me on the left and Mom on the right!

Early Wednesday morning we all drove to my oldest sisters house in Harrisburg, PA where we celebrate Thanksgiving every year! Well, my Dad drove and I slept and Mom complained about his driving...nothing changes...HA!

Wednesday we (my oldest sister, Mom, Dad and myself) worked on preparing the meals for the next two days.

Thursday is dinner with my brother-in-laws side of the family and we prepare turkey, appetizers and all the sides. Then on Friday; my whole family comes into town and for that dinner we make ham, appetizers and all of the sides for that day. It is a lot of work, especially for my sister, but I think she loves it - I know I do! Here we all are before the work began!!! LOL!!!!

Thursdays dinner was beautiful and it is always nice to catch up with my brother in laws side of the family. I have no pictures though because I wanted to focus on the people and experience.

Friday morning my sister arranged for a private barre class for my family! It was sooo much fun. It was my mothers first time trying barre-pretty sure she hated it! LOL! She and my Dad go to the gym everyday so they are used to a different workout that she likes much better.

That is my mother and sister at the back right side of the picture. A few of my sisters and nieces friends also attended.

That is my nephew on the left side of the picture - so cool that he came too!!! It was great having everyone there!!!

Dinner on Friday was beautiful also! It is always so mice having the entire family together and I also did not get any pictures of that dinner but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of our time together!

How was your Thanksgiving? Did you travel or stay home? enjoy chaos or peace? LOL!!!

Binge watching EVERYTHING!

What an awesome start to the week!!!

 After finishing my floors… I went up to spend the day at my parents house at the lake.

While we were there we celebrated my Aunt Marti’s birthday and it was so nice to just hang out and chill with some of my family.

This is my parents cat Sami.  They let Sami out all the time (against my better judgement) and this time he brought home a mole he killed! Ick!!!  That’s the black thing in front of his mouth in the grass!

I passed an Amish buggy on the road home! I love the country!!!

I have  spent the past two days (Monday and Tuesday) off work for Thanksgiving vacation. I have a literally done nothing! The two days have been spent catching up on all of my shows that I have Tate. This is us, survivor and now I’ve added manifest and new Amsterdam to the list! I have been binge watching like crazy ha ha!

I am now waiting for my parents to get here from out of town. My mother and I will be going to the Benedum tonight to see Fiddler on the Roof while my dad chills out with his furry grandkids here at my condo. Then first thing in the morning we head off to spend Thanksgiving in Harrisburg with the rest of my family!

I can’t wait to catch up with everyone’s blogs!!

I hope and pray all of you have a blessed and plentiful Thanksgiving with whomever you are spending it with! I love you all! Hugs!!!

Flooring Completed

Happy Monday everyone!!!

 I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

 Due to the storm last Thursday and Friday here in Pittsburgh… I sent a lot of time at the end of the week finishing my flooring project and  I am thrilled to let you know it is completely finished! I completed tearing up the carpet, installing the Pergo floor, doing the transitions and putting on the molding around the entire condo.

Here is a re-cap of the past few days...

 I have a huge curio cabinet that I had to unload in order to move it to install the floor under it. Since I unloaded it I figured I might as well watch all of my dishes that have been in it for 10 years as well! LOL!

 This is a picture when I was down to my last few rows of flooring… The area under the floor lamp is the concrete…

 Here is a picture of me knocking out the nails after removing the carpet tack strips… Don't you love my construction process? I wore my unicorn slippers to do all of the work ha ha!

 Another view from when I was down to a small section of flooring left to do.

Two rows left…

 This was the very last piece I had to install! I was so excited I had to take a picture before I put the board in!

This was a photo of the door transition… It works so well I was shocked! I thought for sure it was gonna be a problem but it fell right into place! If I haven't said it enough I highly recommend this project for anyone who is looking to have a Pergo floors installed! You could definitely do it yourself! The key is just watch all the videos online!

 Here is my final trip to Home Depot… This was my trip to return the rest of the flooring. I had initially ordered 84 boxes. First trip I took back the 10 boxes and this trip I took back another 19. I definitely over ordered but Home Depot took the extras back no problem!

Another picture of the door transition.

And a shot of the whole room finished.

Another shot of the whole room.

I am sooo happy it is done and my home have them put back together. This project was awesome and so worth doing it myself! Now I'm enjoying two days of chilling  before I start celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. Those two days I'm going to sit and watch TV and do nothing! LOL!

Happy Monday!!! I hope you all enjoyed your weekends!!!