Bowling and Football Parties!!

Hello Again! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I love how easy it is to say "twenty ten".... now remembering to write it will be another deal. I am looking forward to this year and have made a few resolutions...like getting closets organized. I feel like I just throw stuff in the closets and shut the door. LOL. I began organizing when I took down the decorations from Christmas. I organized them nicely and hubby stored them in the garage. I also took the opportunity while hubby was home....to have him help me move furniture and take down curtains to wash and vacuum the ceilings and all of that...spring cleaning a little early? or fall cleaning a little late. In any case it all got done! I also organized my closet and Sarah did her closet and drawers! So we've really made headway on my resolution already.

Now for the fun stuff! Edmund found an advertisement about a family/kids new year's eve bowling party. It included games, shoes, pizza and unlimited soda!!! They also did a ball drop and party horns and hats! Our friends, the Douglass', joined us with their daughter Madison. She's a cutie! I find it funny how they take one of your shoes to be sure they get their bowling shoes back...as if we want to keep them...lol.

So I showed Brooklyn how to push the ball down the lane...she only had one ball get stuck...pretty good.

Devon was out-of -sorts when we arrived...I think she was hungry. So I ordered the pizza and got that end of it going. She was crying and clingy...very unlike her. I went up with her to the "line" so she could throw the ball down the lane...lol!
Madison was a pro! And so cute in pink!
Pizza was ready! I was starving...it was 3 pm and I hadn't had anything but a bowl of cereal. So I had a cheesesteak. And we all shared fries and soda....dontcha love parties???
Is that too close up of a pic??? Sorry.

Back to bowling!
Sarah got a few strikes and spares...pretty good since we don't bowl very often.
Check out those shoes!!! LOL
Madison...
As the time to the big ball drop approached, they dimmed the lights and put on disco lights...lol...memories!
Devon was back to her normal self after dinner! Yaaa!
I tried to get a pic of the lights ! This place is such a dive but its our only bowling alley unless we want to drive an hour away.
So romantic dont you think? The adults sat around talking the whole time and the kids really enjoyed themselves.

They cheered for each other!

I think around 5 pm, when Bethlehem was celebrating New Years...we did too! We all counted down and then blew horns for a good 5 minutes....where's my excedrin?
Happy New Year!!!
Sarah looks thrilled doesn't she???
Happy New Year girls!
Happy New Year daddy!
Andrea and I...
We finally finished up around 6 pm. Then everyone went home...took baths and fell asleep by 9:30pm. I intended to do the same but got caught up watching a live stream of the fireworks in Magic Kingdom. Nice show...gotta try to catch it when we move to Florida.
So that was how we began 2010!

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Next up was a small football party! Really it was an excuse to pig out! LOL! I started out with a small table. Then added another small white table...then we just went and got the card table. I had three levels of food and beverage!!! hahahahaha

Joining us were Steve and his daughter, Madison (from bowling). Andrea was being treated to a spa day so she wasn't here. (lucky her!!!). Also, Terry and Janice and their daughter, Desiree, came over and it made for a small fun crowd. The game was Eagles vs Cowboys and of course....the Eagles totally choked. Oh well. The men folk...with just the first course of food....

OH I made a yummy dip...great for tortilla chips... here it is:
Spread a package of cream cheese in a square pan. Layer with a jar of hormel chilli and a jar of salsa (mild or medium), and top with a package of shredded cheese...like a taco blend or whatever you like. Heat in oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes...take out and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips! It'll be a hit!

Madison was an Eagles fan!

Sarah and Desiree...sorry for the blurry pics...my camera hates indoor lighting....do I mention that at each blog update??? yes???
The card table would make a great tent if it had a tablecloth...don't you think? The kids did have a game of hide-and-seek going for a while!
Sarah did Brooklyn's hair...kind of two pigtail braids and some bangs left out in front...interesting look...no???
Brook hanging out with the guys!
They set up camp for a while in front of the tv...see their plates? Hi Janice!!!
We tried to keep juice boxes in the kitchen so the kids would sweep through the house to the kitchen to eat and drink then run away again....back-and-forth...great fun!
This was some sort of rope pull (dog sled???) game?
The final course was wings from Wing It....they were delicious as usual!
Since Brooklyn's birthday is coming up this week, we surprised her with an ice cream cake! We sang Happy Birthday and she got to blow out the candle! Andrea, Steve and Madison brought yummy cupcakes and I had made brownies! I offered all three to everyone! Can you say sugar rush???

Make a wish and blow the candle out!!! Yaaa!!!
Oh yaaa! Getting ready to cut the cake!

So the final score was 24-zip....as in the Eagles did not even score a point....oh well, there's always next week. We had fun!!!


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Speaking of Brooklyn's birthday, I made her a special outfit to wear to school and out to dinner for her party. I think we are just going to do a family party now...and then have a half year party with her friends...which would be in June. That way we can have a cook-out or something at the park/zoo. Being born in the winter so close to Christmas makes it hard to have a party. But I think this solution will work this year. Can you believe she is turning 5??? Wow! They grow so fast!

So I had purchased fabric this summer when I was visiting my friend Carla. It has a teal background covered in cupcakes. I paired it with some large pink/white dot fabric.(and a little brown dot fabric too). I made a Carla C. "Bowling Shirt" with it and it came out so cute...I LOVE this pattern...its lined and wears so nicely. I paired it with a feminine double layer twirl skirt with the same fabrics. I just made up that pattern. My friend, Marlo, suggested I put a tee underneath the bowling shirt and applique "Birthday Girl" on it.I found an applique for that. I ended up combining it with one of her other appliques since it had a cupcake too.

Click Here for Carla's website

Now the lighting wasn't the best so you can't see the colors so well but it came out so cute! The lunch ladies and daycare ladies go crazy when the girls wear mom-sewn clothes to school. I am sure they will love this one too!


The entire outfit...
Unbuttoned bowling shirt so you can see the tee underneath...
Close up of the appliques....Heather and Carla....you ladies are the best! Thank you so much for sharing your talents!
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Now I should have something of substance to tell you about the new year. Or I did think of reviewing 2009....but I couldn't pick out just a few pics....I may work on that though. For now, this is it. I haven't updated my trip report for a few days...I finished our Epcot day but I need to start working on our Hollywood Studios day....second to last day.

Well, tomorrow is back-to-school (work) for all of us. Weather wise its below 20 degrees with lots of wind. I am not a happy camper with the cold weather. I prepared the girls jackets tonight...I added their insert layer...and laid out their hats, gloves and scarves. Ack! I just heard the FL weather isn't much better so I can't even dream of warm Disney weather.

Stay warm everyone and be safe! Be back soon with updates of Brooklyn's birthday!