Life With Rock Band 2

Life With a Very Merry Christmas

Despite all of the snow we had for Christmas this year we got to do almost everything and everything was fun!

On Christmas Eve I had to work until 2 and most of the morning we all were out shoveling the parking lot of all the snow! After work Ray picked me up and we went over to my parent's house for dinner with the family! My dad got the wii fit for their wedding anniversary so everyone was enjoying playing that! My mom mad ham and scalloped potatoes AND a roast with mashed potatoes! She was a busy lady! Grandpa definitely gave Max lots of scraps of meat!! We had planned on going to the Christmas Eve service after dinner but it was cancelled <div>Despite all of the snow we had for Christmas this year we got to do almost everything and everything was fun!</div> <div> </div> <div>On Christmas Eve I had to work until 2 and most of the morning we all were out shoveling the parking lot of all the snow! After work Ray picked me up and we went over to my parent's house for dinner with the family! My dad got the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wii</span> fit for their wedding anniversary so everyone was enjoying playing that! My mom mad ham and scalloped potatoes AND a roast with mashed potatoes! She was a busy lady! Grandpa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">definately</span> gave Max lots of scraps of meat!! We had planned on going to the Christmas Eve service after dinner but it was cancelled due to the snow. So we just went back home and tried to watch 'A Wonderful Life' but we were so tired we couldn't stay awake for the whole movie! </div> <div> </div> <div>On Christmas morning I woke up at 6:00am with HORRIBLE heartburn! So I ate some tums and tried to feel a little better. After feeding Max, Ray and I sat down and did our stockings and presents. I video taped Max getting his stocking since he sticks his head inside to get stuff out. This year he was having issues with getting stuff out so Daddy had to help. Ray had the super big 3 ft tall stocking this year since he wanted T-shirts & socks and I didn't want to wrap anymore! :) I got Ray a new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Seahawks</span> sweatshirt which he LOVES! He really needed one, the old one was getting so worn out. I also got him a new black <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tatup</span> jersey and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wii</span> Fit! He had a pretty great Christmas! We actually had not planned on getting each other anything for Christmas since I got my new laptop and we got the new TV with sound system a few months ago but if I see something I know he will like I can't help it! :) Ray got me 2 necklaces and 2 sets of earrings! One is a pearl necklace with diamonds and matching earrings. He also got me a new set of diamond studs and a purple stone with diamonds necklace! He did a great job! :) I also got a lot of books! Yeah! I've already read 'Multiple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Ble</span>8sings' by Jon & Kate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Gosselin</span> and gave it to my mom to read. I am now reading Gordon Ramsay's biography! Love it so far! :) </div> <div> </div> <div>After our Christmas morning we got ready and started making sure everything was clean since my parents, brother and grandparents were supposed to come over before going to Nancy's but since it was snowing so hard Nancy had us come over early. So we went over to Nancy's for the afternoon. There was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">soooo</span> much more snow up at their house than at ours! The snow came up to the bottom of the door on Ray's truck! Good thing he has 4 wheel drive! Since my parents didn't come over we had our own little Christmas in the other room. My parents gave both Ray and I money to buy our Montana plane tickets in February. Ryan got us some more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">wii</span> games and Grandma Byram gave us money and Grandma & Grandpa gave us a Red Lobster gift card. I picked out a great purse for my mom that she loved! We got my dad a rock, chocolate covered raisins and new shoes. My brother got a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Seahawks</span> t-shirt and Huskies basketball shorts and a large container of Jelly Beans. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Leuenberger</span> kids got Rock Band 2 for Christmas so we all had fun with that! I got some great videos! :) We then all helped out getting ready for lunch...and there was a LOT to eat like always! :) </div> <div> </div> <div>One of the clocks at my aunt's house was wrong and so we were late getting over to Ray's moms but they were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ok</span> with that. They had even more snow out in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Duvall</span> than Nancy had at her house up on the hill. They made a little trail up to their house through the yard so we could walk. We did stockings first from Mom and she got us some really great goodies! She got me a new Hippo ornament! It is a skiing hippo with fake eyelashes and all! :) She also got us these adorable homemade ornaments and the one of Ray and I made me cry! We got a lullaby bear for the baby that is super adorable! Shawna & Randy got us an Outback gift card, Ray a Best Buy gift card and me an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">itunes</span> gift card. Shawna also got me a hippo ornament, a hippo in a teeny red bikini! Also has fake eyelashes! So cute! We got Ray's mom a 12 man jersey and she LOVED it! She even put it on later that night! We got Shawna a Christmas mermaid ornament and a canvas tote bag with a photo of her kissing Max and Zack, it made her cry! :) We got Randy some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">CD's</span>, The Dark Knight and the old style Cougars calendar. It was a great Christmas for everyone! :) We had ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner! Yum yum!! We ended up staying the night since we were tired and didn't want to drive home in the snow. Ray, Max and I all shared a double bed but I slept pretty well. :) </div>due to the snow. So we just went back home and tried to watch 'A Wonderful Life' but we were so tired we couldn't stay awake for the whole movie!

On Christmas morning I woke up at 6:00am with HORRIBLE heartburn! So I ate some tums and tried to feel a little better. After feeding Max, Ray and I sat down and did our stockings and presents. I video taped Max getting his stocking since he sticks his head inside to get stuff out. This year he was having issues with getting stuff out so Daddy had to help. Ray had the super big 3 ft tall stocking this year since he wanted T-shirts & socks and I didn't want to wrap anymore! :) I got Ray a new Seahawks sweatshirt which he LOVES! He really needed one, the old one was getting so worn out. I also got him a new black Tatupu jersey and a Wii Fit! He had a pretty great Christmas! We actually had not planned on getting each other anything for Christmas since I got my new laptop and we got the new TV with sound system a few months ago but if I see something I know he will like I can't help it! :) Ray got me 2 necklaces and 2 sets of earrings! One is a pearl necklace with diamonds and matching earrings. He also got me a new set of diamond studs and a purple stone with diamonds necklace! He did a great job! :) I also got a lot of books! Yeah! I've already read 'Multiple Ble8sings' by Jon & Kate Gosselin and gave it to my mom to read. I am now reading Gordon Ramsay's biography! Love it so far! :)

After our Christmas morning we got ready and started making sure everything was clean since my parents, brother and grandparents were supposed to come over before going to Nancy's but since it was snowing so hard Nancy had us come over early. So we went over to Nancy's for the afternoon. There was soooo much more snow up at their house than at ours! The snow came up to the bottom of the door on Ray's truck! Good thing he has 4 wheel drive! Since my parents didn't come over we had our own little Christmas in the other room. My parents gave both Ray and I money to buy our Montana plane tickets in February. Ryan got us some more wii games and Grandma Byram gave us money and Grandma & Grandpa gave us a Red Lobster gift card. I picked out a great purse for my mom that she loved! We got my dad a rock, chocolate covered raisins and new shoes. My brother got a Seahawks t-shirt and Huskies basketball shorts and a large container of Jelly Beans. The Leuenberger kids got Rock Band 2 for Christmas so we all had fun with that! I got some great videos! :) We then all helped out getting ready for lunch...and there was a LOT to eat like always! :)

One of the clocks at my aunt's house was wrong and so we were late getting over to Ray's moms but they were ok with that. They had even more snow out in Duvall than Nancy had at her house up on the hill. They made a little trail up to their house through the yard so we could walk. We did stockings first from Mom and she got us some really great goodies! She got me a new Hippo ornament! It is a skiing hippo with fake eyelashes and all! :) She also got us these adorable homemade ornaments and the one of Ray and I made me cry! We got a lullaby bear for the baby that is super adorable! Shawna & Randy got us an Outback gift card, Ray a Best Buy gift card and me an itunes gift card. Shawna also got me a hippo ornament, a hippo in a teeny red bikini! Also has fake eyelashes! So cute! We got Ray's mom a 12 man jersey and she LOVED it! She even put it on later that night! We got Shawna a Christmas mermaid ornament and a canvas tote bag with a photo of her kissing Max and Zack, it made her cry! :) We got Randy some CD's, The Dark Knight and the old style Cougars calendar. It was a great Christmas for everyone! :) We had ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner! Yum yum!! We ended up staying the night since we were tired and didn't want to drive home in the snow. Ray, Max and I all shared a double bed but I slept pretty well. :)

Life With More Snow Photos!

Our 'us' picture in the snow!
Ray's truck had a snow drift in the back









Me and Max on a walk

Mine and Courtney's name in the snow

My snow angel










Making my snow angel

Courtney's snow angel














Courtney making her angel

Our snow angels!

Bird tracks

Life With a Dying Christmas Tree

So I thought I should post a blog now about our Christmas tree since it is already dying. The edges of the branches are curling under and it's super dry. Ray did some googling on care for your Christmas tree and apparently we weren't supposed to put it next to our TV. Oops! Well at least it is still pretty! Hopefully we can find a good pre-lit tree on sale after Christmas this year and won't have to worry about a dying tree next year! We have lots and lots of presents under the tree! I can't wait for everyone to open their gifts! Our tree has always had a Seahawks theme, that hasn't changed this year! We get more Seahawks ornaments every year plus others so we may have to start having two trees for all the ornaments we have! We still have some in the Christmas box that we didn't put up! And we only have one string of green lights but every year we seem to forget to get another string! I also took some photos of my three favorite ornaments! My hippos! If you don't know me at all you wouldn't know that I love hippos! I love that Ray's family has found some of these beautiful ornaments! The newest hippo with the sparkles on his back is from Olga from when we went to our Wenatchee trip and stop-over in Leavenworth! Also the ornament we got while on our honeymoon for our 'Just Married' ornament! So that is our tree...I'm excited to see what it will look like next year with all of the Baby's First Christmas ornaments! :)

Life With Snow!

So the weather people here in Seattle have been calling for snow for about a week and it finally made it! And oh boy did it snow! The news has been on non-stop since 4am this morning! It is now 2:30pm! My car doesn't have 4 wheel drive and I don't have chains so I didn't even bother going into work. They closed all the major freeways at one point today. Ray went into work this morning but came home at lunch. He could barely make it out of the parking lot at work with 4 wheel drive on low so I don't know how my dad and brother will make it out of there! Holly's husband got stuck on the side of I-5 and had to get towed, he had to wait about 4 hours! Poor guy! When Ray got home we ate lunch and then took Max out for a walk. Didn't get too many pretty pictures since most everything around us is construction so not everything looks too great, but here a few of the ones we took! :)

Life With A Possible Promotion!

So I found out today from Ben himself that he is definately moving. He is going to be leaving Mid-January to move back to D.C. Him and Nicole have already found an apartment over there so they are definatley moving. He is still looking for a job but she already has a new job. So now, I am hoping to finally get bumped up to manager. Ben gave me a few pointers on what to say when I was approached about the position. He knows they will be asking about what I'm planning on doing for maternity leave and what not so I really need to figure all of that out.

I do want the job because it will definately help out with bills and with having a new baby! I also want it because I have been here for over 2 years and I know this property better than anyone, I know the residents extremely well and I know the staff pretty well. There are definately some staff issues that will come up but I know I can work through those.

I also don't want to get my hopes up again since I have already been passed over twice for promotions. I have been told though by 2 people that I am definately being considered this time, other than the last time I was passed over. Apparently Tiffany was talking a lot and not just about everyone else, me included so now that I have proven to them that those things aren't true I'm hoping they will give me the chance that I deserve. :)

Please keep me in your prayers during this time of possible transition and stress!