Its about time!!!

I am so behind blogging!!! I have tried 3 times this week to get ONE post up and this is the first one I have successfully started typing!!! But things have been crazy busy!! I am so ready for Christmas too!!

This week we had many things to do, finish up some last minute shopping, start packing, Michael had to travel to Northern PA to get new injectors for his excursion and we were planning to have dinner w/ our friends Carlei and Bill, or as we call them Carlll and Billster!! We love them!

So Monday night we had dinner at Aviva, a brickoven pizza joint that you can bring your own wine too. It was super fun and we had great food! Then Michael and I went and to finish up our shopping. We headed home to start packing. I hate packing for a long trip because I always end up with sooo much stuff and that is exactly what we both did this time. Together we have 4 suite cases.. plus some other random bags!! But we are going to be gone for like 10 days between like 3 states... And you know we cannot control the weather!!

But I guess we are packed up and ready to head out this afternoon as soon as we get home from work.. I will be glad when we get there and I can finally sleep in!! YAY!!

Lots of pictures to come through the holidays!! I want to wish everyone out there in blog world a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

until next time!!

Finally Friday!!!!!!

I am sooo beyond glad today is Friday!! I feel like this week has done nothing but snail by..The sun is actually shining and I can see some blue sky here in PA today!!! Its a miracle!!  I am looking forward to a weekend with not alot planned!! Michael and I are going to the Steelers vs Jets game this weekend.. He promises to buy me as many heated insoles and hand warmers as I need to stay warm... Maybe it'll be some warmer compared to the last game in the rain and cold!!

Last night we caught up on probably my favorite show right now The Good Wife!! I just love it! Then we worked on this blog alittle. Michael has WAYYY more patience when it comes to little gadgets and stuff than I will ever have! So he's good to have around I guess. We did add a couple of fun little game gadgets!! Check out the poke the penguin! it's cute! I was so determined to get into the bed early... that however didnt happen, AGAIN!! I always try and I always fail.. Last night, I stayed up helping Michael "trim" his beard.. I have begged him for over a year I would say to cut his bead to have the "chin strap" effect. I hope that makes sense w/out a picture.. And he always has some excuse like, " oh i messed it up" or I cant grow it here, blah blah blah... but as of last night he hadnt shaved in about 2 weeks and he looked like a mountain man.. which along with several others had been making quite a bit of fun of him! So I said please try it.. so he caved.. i used the, well i'm going for dark hair for you, so you do this for me! RIGHT!?!?! and it turned out really good.. I did help, although men's razors scare me... they are so odd and I guess their facial hair is alot thicker than the hair on my legs.. so I was afraid I would cut him... and Im sure it would have been beyond painful and I would never have been allowed near his razor again.. So I was very careful! But needless to say, it looks really good and I hope he keeps it for awhile!! I will post some pics when I can sneak and take them!

I am alone in my group at work from now till we leave for Christmas, which really SUCKS, I guess that's what I get for being young. oh well :(  I have GREAT intentions of starting to pack this weekend, the key word there is good intentions. With a couple more Christmas presents to buy and wrap some others, finish up some orders of sewing, that might not happen!

Michael and I got our grade back from our class this semester yesterday, we both got B's.. I am happy with that!

I have been so excited for Christmas cards this year, and I must admit, I am a little disappointed.. We have only gotten a handful.. mostly family... I guess some people aren't as obsessed with cards and paper products for that matter as I am!!maybe next year right??

Its almost lunch time!! Today we are going to Patron and I CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

Until next time!!:)

OOPSS pictures of the Reindeer Tracks

afterbefore

I forgot to post the pictures so you could see what they would look like starting out and after!

A Busy Day....

Well I am behind today at getting a post up... but I have been super busy at work.. The morning started off rocky when i didn't get up at my normal time.. my whole morning was pretty much thrown off! don't you hate that, getting out of your routine.. Michael would say that was good for me, I do not agree!!I like my routine!! But I just couldn't force myself out of that bed this morning!! and I guess to make myself not feel guilty for it, I rolled out and said "Michael can I sleep till 7" of course hes going to say yes... Mr. Sleep All day!!! But I slept till like 6:45... ANYWAY!!!

Last night we had a great time exchanging gifts w/Michael's parents and uncle Garry!! Percy (the corvette) is very happy that we were blessed with a new car cover for her from Santa Garza!!! Now she can stay clean and warm (ok, not really warm) Michael got a new thermometer for the garage... it'll come in handy!! and mini shop vac, it's quite possibly the cutest thing ever!!and we desperately needed one bc my little TN dust buster is about to bite the dust... but she's been a good one!!! I got a new Burberry scarf (that I am wearing as we speak), a BIG LV duffel/overnight bag.. Which I might add, I am very excited to use!!! a "
bling-bling" black watch AND some new pjs!!! I LOVE PJS!!! Michael is also getting help with injectors for Albert.. errrrrr that truck!!!!!!!!! hahah

So, I am finally going to sew again tonight!! I'm pretty pumped for it too!! I have been asked to make a birthday outfit for a little boy named Colden turning 1 right after Christmas.. This will be my first birthday hat.. but its going to be super cute!!! and matching shirt!! along with finishing up a couple of orders to get out before the holidays...

I have a couple more Christmas presents to wrap.. until last night I had forgotten about my poor grandmothers.. not literally forgotten them, I just forgot to wrap their presents... but luckily Michael mentioned them and the light bulb went off and I remembered they were downstairs in the box they came in!!

I wanted to share a quick recipe with everyone for a sweet treat for the holidays!!!
Pine Bark/Reindeer Tracks
Michael calls these Reindeer poop... but we just excuse him!!
Hers what you need:
1c brown sugar
1c real butter
1 pkg of milk chocolate morsels
1 stack of saltine crackers (depending on your baking sheet you might need to add to this)

Line your pan with foil. Boil the sugar and butter for about 3 minutes or until the butter has melted. Then take that mixture and pour it over the crackers. Bake that for 7 minutes at 400 degrees! After you take it out, place your chocolate chips on the top and as they start to melt spread them out. This can get alittle messy so if you have an extra pair of hands use them. one to hold the pan and one to spread!
Let them set until they are cold, then you can even put them in the frig for more coldness!
Break them apart and eat!!! a quick GOOD treat!! These are Michael's favorite.. and I've already made 2 batches~!!!

until next time!!!=)

A Chilly Day in the Neigborhood!!!

Good Morning everyone!!!!!
Day two of blogging... so far so good!!!
Its getting closer and closer to Christmas and I really feel like I haven't had time to enjoy it... We have been super busy, but still, I feel like December has flown by... Only a week left of work for me then it's off to Virginia for the holidays to my parents!!

Last night Michael and I took our final, it wasn't too bad.. I guess I've taken worse!! But I am soooo relieved to have it over with!! Michael will continue on with classes this spring but not this girl!!! I am finished.... well until I change my mind again.... which happens alot!!! But for now I am content where I am... I am looking forward to some free time, which means MORE SEWING FOR ME!!! Yay!!! I haven't had time to sew recently and I am starting to miss it!!

The weather in PA, well it's still cold, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... but whats new, it is the north!! I did think the snow was over for a little bit but what do you know, it's snowing right now!! However, the snow is blowing so its not really sticking on anything that I can see, but I'd be willing to bet that where ever it is landing at, well there has to be a lot there!!!

Tonight, Michael and I are doing Christmas with his parents and uncle Garry. His parents are heading to Nashville to Beth and Beavers on Friday so it's now or, after Christmas for us! Thankfully, 95% of my Christmas shopping is done and wrapped... Just a couple of things for Michael that I'm waiting on.. I think I got the card entitling me to have the hardest to buy for husband on earth!!! We made a pact that we weren't going to buy all these expensive gifts for each other this year. We were going to buy one gift and fill out stocking... well I was sticking to it, I was even trying to stick to a budget for every ones gifts, which we did stick to pretty closely... Until he decided to get me a bracelet for my one gift... what girl is going to turn down jewelry? well.. NOT THIS GIRL!! so he wanted lights for his truck... then he didn't... then he did again... and as of yesterday he doesn't want them now.. and he wasn't some weird electronic "plug in thing" at least that's what it looks like to me.. apparently this will make playing xbox, watching tv and movies easier and we can do it all without having to unhook things.. BORING!!!!!!!!!!! but i do have a couple of surprises for his stocking...

I am super excited for this holiday break, because I need a break!!!! yes, that's right I NEED A BREAK!! but I'm sure we will be running all over during the time we are away.. right now we are planning to go to Nashville for the UT bowl game against NC and see Beth, Beaver and the girls!! We chatted with them via iChat Monday night, we miss those munchkins!!! Also making a stop in Knoxville to see some friends...

Our servers are down here at WH at the moment,well they have been since I got here.. so I guess I could blog all day.. but I think I will throw in the towel... for now!!!

Until next time.....

First Day as a Blogger....

Well, I have been thinking about blogging for some time, but I just wasnt really sure if it was worth it.. like, does anyone want to hear what I have to say?? maybe, maybe not!!! But, Im willing to try it out and see how it goes!!!

You may be wondering why this blog is called A Rocky Top Family, when I live in Pittsburgh, PA... weird right?? But lets face it, Michael calls this our "rental property" and that's really what it is... everyday I look forward alittle more and more to getting back to the south, where we belong!!!! Dont get me wrong, our almost 2 years here have been a great experience in many ways but its also been a challenge in just as many ways! Lets see, our first fall here, we practically lived on the highway traveling back and forth to Knoxville for football games..it really started to take a toll on us! Then we planned our wedding some 500 miles away from it's destination---KNOXVILLE... and lately we have really been dealing with how hard it is to meet people up here and make friends. We really miss our friends back in Tennessee... So looks to me like, all roads lead HOME aka TENNESSEE!!!

SPEAKING OF TENNESSEE, how about those VOLS!!! Michael and I had a very "sporty" weekend!!! Saturday we spent the day watching basketball at the Big East/SEC Invitational, where Tennessee knocked off PITT!!! this was GREAT!! we were so excited to be there!!!

Its a very snowy day here in PA and VERY cold!! Looks like even Tennessee is getting hit w/snow. I hope it's not another 72 inch winter in PA like last year!!!

until next time.....