I've been sitting here this morning thinking of all of the activities we've been to this week and about all of the calories that have been consumed, both liquid and solid.  Wow!  No wonder my thighs have expanded to the next pant size over the weekend!  I predict a year of dieting for 2014.....
It's been fun, this crazy week.  We began with Gabi's Nutcracker performance Thursday night at Eaton Elementary.  So well done with awesome costumes and songs!

 

 Then on Friday, we attended the Daycare Christmas program, which after going to twelve years at the same place, and always previously great programs, this one was pitiful!  Corbin was one of the few well-behaved children.

 

 Afterwards, we rushed home and got ready for my office Christmas party which was dinner at a relatively new and $$$$ restaurant in Greeley, The Chop House.  Delicious food and outstanding wine! A couple of my co-workers ordered dessert. OMG, the portions were ginormous! The place was beautifully decorated too.

 Saturday morning, we were on the road early to go to our annual bridge party in Ft. Collins where we played all day, with lunch in between.  Our bridge playing left much to be desired, but we did enjoy seeing our friends.  We went out to dinner with two couples, Rhonda, Beth and Fred X2. How many Fred's do you know?, much less have two of them at once!

 The "Freds" don't play bridge, but are always willing to go out for dinner!
Yesterday, (Sunday) was such a lazy kind of day.  I didn't even get dressed until 11:00 and then it was time to get groceries and catch up on the weekend housework.
Amie and Curt went to Denver Saturday night and had Christmas with Susan, Matt and Heather. Rory was with his Mom this weekend and we sure look forward to having him for an entire week, beginning next weekend! (Looks like he caught up on some rest over the weekend!) From Ogallala, comes this picture of Meredith and her new running buddy, "Henry", the 200 lb Mastiff who belongs to her friend, Kelly. (You will remember him from the pictures of our trip to Ogallala this summer.  He actually doesn't look all that huge in this picture!

Last night (after Carrie and I went Christmas shopping for awhile) we had Sunday dinner.  Thankfully, Amie, Curt and Spencer got dinner going, otherwise it could've been a pretty late dinner.  We had beans and rice mixed with shrimp and kelbasa, along with some Red Lobster biscuits.  The kids did a Christmas "craft" afterwards, decorating "trees".  Like last weekend, Grayson really got into it!

 

 

Merry Monday, to you all!

Does anyone but me think that December goes by much faster than any other month of the year?  I doubt that any of you think the days drag by (THAT only happened when we were kids, awaiting that one big gift from Santa!). We were so blessed to have Meredith with us for a few days while she attended a conference at NCMC this week.  And, as a bonus, she was here for her birthday on Tuesday.  We took her to Bonefish for dinner- a favorite dining spot for all of the Simmons Clan.  It was an amusing dinner for sure, beginning with a couple of spilled beers (one right in my lap) and progressing to driving home in a blizzard, me with a death-grip on the backseat door handle.   It was worth it all to have her here with us !  Luckily, the weather cooperated and she was able to get back home Friday afternoon.

 

The California gang also left us Tuesday morning, just before the snowstorm arrived.  We stopped by to say goodbye and  share some of Meredith's peanut butter pie with them Monday evening.  After dessert, we were entertained (?) by some "planking" skills being shown off by Spencer and the kids.

On Friday, my sister, Pam, came and stayed with us for the weekend.  What a treat!  (for me, anyway).  Saturday morning, we (Carrie, Amie, Pam and I and two others) toured the Holiday Homes, sponsored by the Assistance League. Thankfully, it was for a good cause as the homes were disappointing.  We did have a great time anyway, touring most of Greeley, from one end to the other!  Saturday night, Brad, Pam and I went to a movie- saw "Gravity" with Sandra Bullock.  Nice to see an adult movie occasionally, although I do enjoy the kid movies!  Sunday morning, following a huge breakfast at Randy's (diner), Pam volunteered (seriously!) to help me clean out my closet. OMG, can you say, "What was SHE thinking???"  Anyway, after several hours and a box of large trash bags later, we loaded up the pickup and took it all to GoodWill. 

 All of the  sudden, it was Sunday dinner time again.  Brad made everyone's favorite, the pork roast with mushroom gravy and Amie brought holiday peppermint brownies.  The Frosts were attending the first of many holiday parties, so we watched the kids.  After dinner, I told them that they could do a craft project (what was I thinking???), so we rolled out the marshmallows, frosting, pretzels, licorice and graham crackers and they "built" snowmen.

 

Happy Monday to you all!

 

Thanksgiving weekend

I feel a long post coming on today as I must have taken a few hundred pictures...So now what was it we did last Wednesday?  Oh yeah, Gabi had no school so she came to help me bake pies for Thanksgiving.  That day seems like it was ages ago!
Thursday morning we got rolling early when Carrie picked Brad and I up to go to the Turkey Trot as volunteers. It was my job to take pictures next to Santa/the big blow-up turkey for those attending/running in the race.  I was busy, not only with my camera, but also with cellphones and other cameras, taking pictures of hundreds of people.  The downside of volunteering with my camera was that I missed out on lots of pictures of my family.  I was proud of Spencer, Rory, Sophie, Gabi and Corbin  along with Tasha who ran the 2K and of Amie who ran the 5K in good time.  Corbin placed 3rd in his age group and got a medal.  Bet you wonder what they are doing in this picture on the right?  It was announced (loudly) that someone farted, thus the nose-holding!
As soon as the race was over, we all headed to Carrie and Spencer's for dinner.

 

 
 

By the time we arrived, so had the plane carrying Nancy, Sarah, Travis, Trent and Emi and Grandma Karen (Travis' Mom), and my Mom, Don and Vicki.  We had a  great time and of course a wonderful dinner and were able to break in the dining room table (seating for 16).

It was a wonderful day and a fabulous dinner, with two turkeys, one fried and the other baked.  Friday morning, bright and early, Brad and I drove back to the Frost home to have Sarah give us a makeover (hair, that is). THANK YOU, SARAH!!!  While she was coloring and cutting, the kids were enjoying playing outside in what remained of the snow from a week ago.  The boys were trying to hit Travis with  snowballs (part snow and part mud).

 Eventually, we went home, after inviting the whole gang to our house for dinner Friday night.  Brad and I put together a huge pot of turkey vegetable noodle soup, which was consumed fairly quickly. Sarah, Trent and Corbin brought up all of the Christmas Village boxes from the basement (thank you, Sarah) and we got the village up once again (thanks, Amie, for dangling off the edge of my counters to get them all plugged in).  After dinner we played "Mexican Train" dominoes while the men watched football.  Saturday morning (after cleaning up the kitchen and getting the rest of the house back in order), Nancy invited us (girls only) to go to the Teddy Bear Tea at the Currier Inn. (Thanks, Nana).We enjoyed the tea, scones, sweets, tea sandwiches, mini quiches and watching the girls write their Christmas letters to Santa where they were even able to mail them afterwards. (Even Caroline attended the soiree in her ice skating attire!)

 

When the tea was over, we all drove to Centerra to see the movie "Frozen", which was one of the best Disney movies! Thank you, Karen, for treating all of us.  That was fun! (And hopefully you'll come back to Colorado again).

Sunday was spent getting the house decorated for Christmas- always a chore- but I always love the end result.  Gramma has her own little tree in her room with her original tree top, purchased in 1947 when she and Brad's Dad were married.

 We had planned to get together for dinner, but decided that the Frosts had had enough company, meals etc. for one weekend!  Meredith arrives today from Ogallala to attend a conference here at NCMC and will be here for her birthday tomorrow!  We are excited to spend time with her.

Have a wonderful Monday and first week of December....Wow, time flies!