Anderson Family Christmas 2013

Once again we start off our Christmas with Christmas on Main Street this is the first year in FOUR YEARS that I didn't work our FRG booth and I was just a regular patron instead of a worker bee and I have to say I definitely enjoyed the Christmas on Main Street from a non-rushed working point of view...and It was great to spend it with the girls...So we did photo with Santa which is the highlight of the whole Christmas on Main Street event. 

                                                   Family Christmas Present from Santa 2013

                                                               Family Christmas Dinner 2013

                              A crazy photo from Christmas morning before the girls opened presents

 and of course Happy 1st Christmas to our little grandson Noah Thomas he is across the ocean with his mommy but we love them dearly....Merry Christmas everyone

Farewell Salem

Salem our big fluffy fat fur ball of love was perfectly fine being all fat and fluffy for 14 years in our family well he suddenly became ill and after a vet visit we thought he was on the mend but instead he suddenly died at home it was horrendous to our family from big adult child to littlest children life without Salem is strange the first couple weeks I kept expecting to see him in the bathroom or in one of his other random favorite spots 14 years is a long time to love someone and then not have them anymore it takes some getting use too. We had him cremated just like our other fur ball Salems Bff Neptune so they will both always be with our family. He like Neptune is not replaceable so no more fur kitties for us...farewell our fluffy ball of love you are missed and always will be ..

Be Thankful

Fall my favorite season and what makes the season better Yankee Candles of course. Also Thankful and Gratefulness I keep trying to drill into certain peoples heads that the reason I am happy and unstressed most of the time is because I am thankful for what I have, I am grateful when people do something for me or give me something and I look at every should be negative situation and figure out how to put a positive spin on it and to make it work to my benefit this has come in very handy in my life and in this life style we are living..So be thankful for all your blessings.

 This is our thankful tree the girls had a blast writing out what they thankful for so much fun was had that when the girls friends came over they asked if they could add a thankful note to our tree...

Masquerade Ball

Masquerade Ball once again a reason to dress up and put on sparkles and glitters. Actually this time around I wasn't 100% sure if I was going to make it back in time for this ball so I didn't go crazy with this Balls attire dress I ordered from Macys it was exactly what I wanted black, classy and with sleeves...masks ordered online from ebay and black slippers to save back pain heels were killing me in the past such a waste of money. necklace from last ball I think we have attended enough balls that I have enough accessories to cover all future balls and events...I know a bunch of wives say they have no interest in spending money to attend these Balls but with smart shopping you can spend less the $100 easily..it is definitely worth the experience to attend at least one Ball during your Army Service time.

Surprise, Surprise look who's coming for dinner

Well I am all about surprises right now first I showed up at nanas then I showed up at my Pachenko's parents house, stopped to see Pachenko's GrandMa then it was off to spend a couple days with my parents 

 The girls and my mom next visit I need to get a better photo and probably should grab one of my dad and the girls...the trip was only a couple days since we spent so much time waiting around in Ohio for Noah to be born but we will be back soon...next we were back down to Nana's to spend some time with her before flying back across the ocean...

We got to spend Cousin Heather's birthday with her the girls were happy to share that special day with her..Pizza, punch and cake the girls never pass that up...

Impatiently waiting to meet our grandson...

I will forever love this photo this is the only one that will ever be made public because Kate veto'd the rest lol we were trying to get Kate to dilate and have contractions so she is squatting on the floor well Rae got on the floor too and was giving Kate instructions on how she is suppose to squat and sit on the exercise ball to get this baby out...come on Kate get on the ball you can see the smirk on Kate's face 

 Well we didn't get Kate to go into labor so it's induction day...before

 Look at that I am not even going to tell you how quick my grandson flew out it was super fast and when he is older I will watch him for super powers...

 Kate, Noah and 3 of her little sisters who made the trip to Ohio with me to be there for Noah's birth..wow my babies are aunts...

 I became a nana so very strange love this little ball of joy

too many photos to post I decided to leave and head back on to my nana's after Katie came home from her couple day hospital stay it was important to me that she get in to a routine with Noah and learn how to do the mommy thing on her own since I live across and ocean and am not right around the corner...I have to say each and every day since she became a mom I am extremely proud of her she has become a wonderful mommy

Gypsy Girls Fun

The great thing about having Gypsy blood is your ability to land anywhere in the world and be ready to go explore. We can flourish anywhere the wind blows us in this case the wind blew us to Ohio USA. So while in Ohio the 3 little Gypsy girls and I were killing time waiting for our oldest to go into labor. Well the girls and I who after waiting for what seemed like forever to us for his baby to come out to fight the boredom we went off on an adventure and found the Columbus Zoo well it was Nov so it was a little chilly and most of the attractions and animals were away for the winter season but hey we are Gypsies and still enjoyed our adventure...It is such a benefit to children especially military children to learn to be resilient we just never know where the wind or the Army is going to blow us next but no matter where we land we will flourish and explore...

Home is where my nana is ...

nothing better then surprise visits home first time back to see nana and Dee since 2005 I think EIGHT Years I can't believe it was that long made me feel shitty that I was gone for so long but positive is this visit made me realize I am so ready to go home I want to see my nana and Dee every day...yes I wanna be spoiled like that my roots are here this is home like my great late pappy use to sing to me " I wanna go home" he use to make me cry because he just didn't realize to me HOME was with him and nana taking me back to my parents wasn't home he was driving in the wrong direction...well Pappy I am coming home the first chance I get and if I can one day I will stay home and never leave again..

A visit to Aunt Dee she always makes me laugh ...

Hey we live an Ocean away from one another and we match ...

I can't explain what it does to my heart to see my girls in my nana and pappys home...my home

My nana I don't think I can ever express to her what she means to me and how very much I love her..

my girls sitting on my pappys chair I miss him so very much....

My little cousin Heather love her so much

Cutting our grocery bill

I started loosely following along this Dave Ramsey budgeting facebook group I decided we needed to cut our grocery bill it was creeping around $1,200 to $1,500 a month my first step was to get organized I made a meal list for ideas for dinners that we normally eat...my next step was to assign a certain type of meal to each day of the week step 3. I chose 14 meals of my dinner list and went shopping with this method I trimmed a couple hundred dollars off the other other thing I did was switched to cash only for groceries set an amount take it out in cash and then that is it no swiping your debit card for overages and spur of the moment impulse buys...I highly suggest store rewards cards and coupons for items that you normally purchase in total I trimmed about $600 off my bill when I am serious and stick to my plan...part of my plan was to do this to free up money to add to savings for a upcoming trip I am planning shhh its a surprise trip ...

Cooker Girl

I know I shouldn't be surprised by the talents of my girls but I have to say my 6 year old being able to roast a duck by herself and it to come out edible and actually delicious was an proud mom moment. Belle seasoned, rubbed, loved, stuffed and roasted this duck all on her own....so proud of her!!

Belle and her sisters sharing in the proud joy of Belles accomplishment..

Sweet Sixteen Formal and Black light Neon Party

I spent a year planning this epic party a formal sweet sixteen with a fancy dress for mom & dad followed by a Glow neon splatter party for Sophia and her friends to enjoy black lights, neon colors...candy bar, taco bar of course awesome cupcakes made from our fellow Army wife who is awesome and never disappoints...

candy bar and cupcakes sugar high galore 

 I decided a Colorful neon photo booth would be fun staged in between formal side and the blacklight neon flashing dancing side with cool props and an easy inexpensive background this party probably was the best one I pooled off...

 Sophia and her boyfriend Jordan

 Sophia and her proud Big Poppa

Happy Sweet Sixteen Sophia & guests...

WOW I guess you can call us Nana and Big Poppa?

Well our oldest daughter Kate hit us with a bombshell a few months ago I am still processing this news anyone who knows me my daughters husband is labeled special in my book and by special I don't mean in a positive or flattering way I had been holding out hope that he was phase on our daughters life that she would grow out of we can still hope I don't see her see spending the rest of her life saddled with his loser ways..but I am getting a grandson out of the deal and will always be there for Kate and our future grandson..

My nana and aunt Dee made a surprise trip down for Kate's baby shower to represent the family since we are over in Germany...

Just because I don't like the donor dad doesn't mean we won't take care of our little guy..Baby hoard #1 

UMMMM MINION & Sophia Sweet Sixteen

What do you give a wonderfully sweet sixteen Sophia?? well she asked for a minion I asked her if her sisters don't count they are short?? she replied no so once again I placed a cake order from an awesome fellow Army wife she asked what I envisioned this time I told her I needed a Minion cake that could be cuddled and boy once again no disappointments here this cake was epic and amazing. Happy Sweet Sixteen to Sophia later this month we are throwing her a formal Sweet Sixteen Party blog and photos to follow 

Sophia and her new BFF she totally did not want to eat him and pretty much decided that if she could have a real minion she would...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...........Big Poppa Bday

Happy Birthday to the man who keeps me laughing he does so many wonderful things for our family I decided to order him this totally awesome cake from a fellow Army wife I asked for TMNT sitting on a pizza box and the cake came out perfect ...so happy and Pachenko was happily surprised 

Summer time dining

Meeting friends for a farewell dinner at Best Pizza of course we will be partaking of the totally awesome massive delicious Monster Pizza it is a thing of yummy beauty. 

Summer beauties don't be fooled by the cuddling they are actually hovering and trying to avoid the flies and bees that were dive bombing us through out our meal 

This photo here needs to be printed since Horatio declares her hatred of her little sister Belle on a daily basis..

Happy 38th Birthday to me..

What is the perfect way to ring in my 38th year of life Happy Birthday to me 

 White Chocolate Latte

Totally awesome Jaws cake cake and sign made by a friend and my awesome daughter Jules added blood and a monster high doll arm because that is how awesome Jaws is...

A waffle from Cafe Bohne with whipped cream and fresh warm berries