new year, new layout

...and the link to images from our latest mmp session - if you're family and you want a print, just let me know the number and size and I'll send it your way :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/LJCraw/Nov2009Mmp?authkey=Gv1sRgCNaaktmk9Yj2LQ&feat=directlink

Merry Christmas

Christmas came to Kingswood

Finally got the tree decorated - just in the nick of time!! My eyes are always bigger than my ceiling when it comes to picking a tree; I know we should get a 7-ft tree and have room for a nice star or bird or bow or something but I always want the tree to touch the ceiling, I just can't help it!! Maybe our next house will have 12-ft ceilings and then I can get a 9-ft tree and still have room for a festive top, but we won't be moving for a bit so I either have to drastically reduce my height expectations or get used to trimming the tippity top of the tree to fit it in the house. I think the end result is nice though. Hope you enjoy the pictures, the coffee tables were delivered on Saturday so the room is finally complete!

The Strife is O'er

I made it through another semester. It was definitely touch and go there at the end but I did it! All my finals have been completed and turned in (I loathe the take-home final), and I finished up my assisstanship hours today so I don't have to go back to campus until the spring semester!!!!

Grades won't be posted until next week and I'm not too positive on some of them, but I just keep telling myself, it's okay if I don't make straight As in graduate school, no one is going to ask me what grade I made in Alternative and Augmentative Communication before they will give me a job (I hope!).

Last night Dr. Marshall, who taught my Aphasia and Related Disorders class, had us over to his house for an end-of-the-semester gathering. His wife made enchiladas and we all had a good time relaxing for a few hours before everyone headed home.

So here we are, the class of 2011 (minus Tara, Cari, Brittney, and Lauren)

Let Christmas Shine!!

Tonight was the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes and it did not disappoint! Andrew and Audrey drove in from Louisville to see the show with us and we had such a great time!! Our seats were on the floor of Rupp Arena, 3rd row, maybe 5 seats in from right side. It was so great to sit so close -- two years ago when we were in New York our seats were first balcony so they were great for seeing the whole production, but it was nice to be close enough to see the expressions on the girls' faces and the details of their costumes. Also, since I knew what to expect I could keep my emotions in check and not cry from excitement/joy like last time :)

I didn't take any pictures during the performance because I'm a rule follower that way but they had one of those 'get your picture taken with a Rockette' green screens set up and I promise to post that image as soon as it's available.

AND AUDREY BOUGHT ME ONE OF THE HATS THAT THEY WEAR FOR THE MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS!!!! I don't get to have it until Christmas but am SO excited!!! I bet it's even bigger than Big Dolly's hat. He hasn't come out of storage yet this year but we're hoping to decorate some this weekend.

That's all for now - big weekend ahead - three take home finals to write, one final for which to study, so I might not blog again until after the 16th. But then I have three weeks off and I CAN'T WAIT!

Well, we've had a really busy, really fun weekend and I haven't done a THING related to school! I'm sure I'll pay for this later, but I needed the break. (I know Thanksgiving was just a week ago, but these last few weeks at school are marathons.)

Friday night we went to Cincinnati for the United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cincinnati's SnowBall. One of Pete's business contacts was being honored for his work in establishing rights for kiddos with developmental disabilities to be mainstreamed in public schools. (he and his wife won a supreme court case in the early 80s - giving parents the right to mainstream or not - but to have the choice) There was a silent auction, dinner, awards program, then Mary Wilson of the Supremes came out to sing and wit hit the dance floor. Here's a pic of us afterwards:

We stayed the night at our favorite bed and breakfast - Wallace House - across the river in Covington.
We had to have breakfast early so that we could make it to the Jingle Bell 5k. Pete came in 7th place and second in his age group with a time of 17:59! We came home in the afternoon to watch Kentucky beat UNC at basketball - 68-66 QUITE the nailbiter. Then we changed the channel just in time to see University of Cincinnati beat Pittsburg, and then we watched FLORIDA GET BEATEN!! yay!! We decided we had watched too much t.v. after that and decided to go do some shopping. We went to Joseph-Beth and squared away our Christmas gifts for the nephews.

This morning was the singing of Durante's Magnificat at church. I can't sing in the choir this semester because I have a Wednesday night class, but we still like to support our choir friends. This afternoon the Lexington Philharmonic was having a Holiday Homes Tour so we went to that and then decided to get our Christmas Tree.

It's always an adventure to get it in the Pilot - but we don't have a roof rack!The tree is up and in our living room - who knows when it will get decorated!

p.s. don't you LOVE the new picture in the header?!? Melanie gave us our images from our Nov session on Friday - it's a sneak peek! You'll see another one on our holiday card. (which we ALSO chose this weekend)