MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

PJ and I were woken up by Scott and Alyssa at 8 singing some religious song!
We had MANY laughs and good times as we opened our gifts.
Every year, Scott gets PJ under ware that is just sooooo NOT PJ. This year was no exception!

another funny from Scott... "Who ever hits the cat first, WINS"!

and yet another funny. This one is from Brooke. It's dryer lint in a zip lock bag! She had it amongst the presents in the box she sent to us. Brooke and Alyssa used to leave me piles of lint on top of the dryer until I got on their case to throw it out. Then I found a HUGE blob of it on the kitchen table with a noite about sheering sheep. I scrapbooked that note and lint years ago. So now I get this package of lint, thinking Brooke is so clever... so I thought!

Huckleberry enjoying the paper
Alyssa was going through her stocking and found what else but a ziplock bag of dryer lint that I had put there!! Amazing that Brooke and I were thinking the same this year!
Alyssa and Scott both texted Brooke to say how funny it was that we both thought of the joke with the dryer lint. Here's how the text's went....
Alyssa: Not only did u give Mom lint, but I got a bag of it in my stocking LOL!
Brooke: HAHAHA! The lint was for packing purposes! It wasn't a present for Mom HAHA but I guess we can pretend! LOL She'll probably scrapbook it!
Alyssa: What are you a dope? Who packs presents with lint? Did you honestly think a bag that small would keep everything safe?
And so it went....
Some of things that were put in their stockings were dollar store kids toys etc. They were such a hit!!! Later in the day, they, including Dave, had fun watching little pellets turn into dinosaur sponges!

This is Scott's crystal growing tree. Within an hour it had crystals on it!
By morning, it was beautiful!
This was a very quiet yet fun Christmas. The Dollar Store items were such a big hit that Scott and Alyssa proposed trying something new for Christmas next year.... Let's have a Dollar Store/Garage Sale Christmas. They both said that they don't need or really want anything so this could be fun. They want to have a dollar amount, like $30, and 1/2 goes to items from the
$ store and 1/2 is from garage sales. They were totally serious! As crazy as it is, I think it could be a lot of fun!!!

Scott bought tickets for PJ, Alyssa, me and himself to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra as Christmas presents.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CCSeugClR8&feature=related
We had always heard that the concerts were great but really didn't know what to expect. I never expected them to be 'rockers' and so talented!
They started by coming down from the ceiling.

One of the first things we all noticed is that they ALL were very talented in shaking their heads back and forth to make their hair fly. It was so funny!

The first half was like a Christmas rock opera. A man told a Christmas story in segments leading to the orchestra playing different Christmas songs in their way.
Besides being talented musically, they were also very talented in theatrics. Their songs were stories and they played the parts very well.
They had singers and members of the NY Philharmonic as their orchestra.
The second half was a variety of their regular songs. It was funny because some songs I guess had certain meanings to the audience because they would do hand movements, stand up at certain times etc. It was like being at a YES concert!
There goes the hair again!
The violinist was mine and Alyssa's favorite member. He took command of that stage and was amazing to watch.

When he was leaning backwards, PJ said that there was water coming out of the top of the bow. We had to explain to him that it wasn't water that he was seeing, it was violin strings! You can't see it in this picture though. It was pretty funny!




This was the strangest concert that I've ever been to! It was just so funny to see a bunch of long haired, crazy energetic guys turn ordinary songs into works of art. It was like Beethoven meets Kiss! They were all very talented in their individual ways. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

We had lots of laughs decorating the tree. Dave joined us and it was his first experience decorating a tree.

Alyssa and Dave are trying to figure out what the heck that ornament is of. It was one of Nanny and Pop's ornaments.
Huck sitting on the end table watching all the action
This will become a family tradition. As Alyssa, Scott and Dave decorated the tree, PJ read the Cajun Twas The Night Before Christmas off of an ornament that we bought for Scott while we were in New Orleans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_prlqOyEXyY
It was so funny because PJ has not mastered the Cajun accent yet. It was hysterical watching him try to read the words because they are written as they're supposed to sound.
Alyssa, Dave and Scott got quite a kick out of it!
When the kids were young, the 'Ornament Fairy' would come at night and move some ornaments from the bottom of the tree, upwards to even it all out. Now that they've grown, I think the Ornament Fairy has to come back and move some to the bottom!
We had a great time together!

Scott came home from school on Saturday. He was exhausted. He hadn't slept from the day before. Just about the time Scott was going to nap, PJ said "Let's go cut a Christmas tree"! So off we went to Shamrock Christmas Tree Farm http://shamrockchristmastreefarm.com/
in the beautiful town of Mattituck. Shamrock is right in the middle of beautiful wineries and vineyards.
We were so impressed as soon as we got there. Scott and Alyssa took full advantage of Kodak moments.
They also have a Complimentary Barn with free hot chocolate and popcorn!
Now.... off to find that perfect tree!
Alyssa found a nice one and we ALL actually agree on it! Every Christmas tree that we get, Alyssa and Scott name it. This years tree is Michael Jackson. When you purchase a tree, it gets put in a stand where it gets shaken to get any needles etc off that need to be off. It reminded them of Michael Jackson's dancing.

Ohhhh those kids....
Warming up by the firepit

What a fun time we had. This is a great place for families with young kids. They even have a train that goes all around the property. Off we go.....

SURPRISE!!!
I got a box in the mail from the FISKATEERS! I was so excited to see what was in it!
I opened it up to find a beautiful pair of scissors that are engraved with my Fiskateer number on it! I feel sooooo honored!!! I can't wait to use them!

Holiday Shopping Spree

This past weekend, PJ and I went up to Ithaca for the Holiday Shopping Spree.... an event put on by the Cayuga Wine Trail. It starts on Friday and goes all the way to Sunday at 5:00. It's always a fun weekend. This time I won an extra ticket. We ended up sending it to Midge, a woman that lives in the round house behind our property up there. She was so excited and came along with us. Barry had to work.
This is our property...
Malva... she's now 95 years old and still the official 'GREETER" at King Ferry Winery. We love seeing Malva. She bowls twice a week and also has card night on Wednesdays. She has such a great outlook on life!
Cayuga Lake
This is a form of either Broccoli or Cauliflower (I forgot). They were at the Farmer's Market. STUNNING! You could make a beautiful centerpiece with them!

It flurried from the minute we got to Ithaca until we left!


We took a ride on Sunday morning to Seneca Lake. I love the view!
Grapes in their neat perfect rows
We took a side road back to Cayuga Lake. There was a lot more snow on this road for some reason than anywhere else!
Bails of Hay

PJ and Midge at Bellweather Hard Cider Winery. I always skip this one.

Spot where Midge's aunt has a summer home on Cayuga Lake
I love barns!
This is my favorite barn of all time. I take a picture of it on every trip to Ithaca so I have it in all seasons. One day it will completely fall over but I'll have my memories!
On the way home, PJ brought me to a wholesale Christmas Store in NJ. I wasn't impressed once I saw the prices of things. I'll stick to Michaels and AC Moore with my coupons!
We has such a nice relaxing weekend. The next event is in March... Mardi Gras!