Norah Belle Is Eleven Months Old!

Miss Norah is now Eleven Months old! One more month and the Big ONE! We tried to get a picture of her....but all she wants to do is move and pull at the sign. Silly girl. Anyway, here is the best one we could get of our little wiggle worm.

Holiday Movie of the week.....National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

This week I have picked an Icon of a movie....one of the best in my opinion. Even my dad (who hates most comedies) Loves this one and will watch it each year.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Yes, I know, that's all that needs to be said and your already laughing about one of the thousand Hilarious points in the movie.

If you have been under a rock since 1989, below is a description of the movie.
(description from Wikipedia)

Chicago suburbanite Clark Wilhelm Griswold Jr. (Chevy Chase) really has the Christmas spirit this year. The film opens with Clark taking his wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), son Rusty (Johnny Galecki), and daughter Audrey (Juliette Lewis) on the search for a perfect Christmas tree. After aggravating nearby motorists, getting stuck under a big rig, and walking in the woods for a long time, Clark and his family finally find the perfect tree. The tree has to be dug out of the ground because Clark forgot to bring a saw.

Upon arriving home, the Griswold's snobby next door neighbors, Todd Chester (Nicholas Guest) and his wife Margo (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) ridicule Clark for getting such a large tree. Clark breaks several windows and gets covered in tree sap setting the tree up.

Clark has invited Ellen's parents Arthur Smith (E. G. Marshall) and Frances Smith (Doris Roberts), his own parents Clark Wilhelm Griswold Sr (John Randolph) and Nora Griswold (Diane Ladd), and his Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel) and Uncle Lewis (William Hickey) to spend the holidays at the Griswold house in Chicago.

While shopping for gifts at a downtown Chicago department store, Clark meets an attractive saleswoman named Mary (Nicolette Scorsese). He makes a series of Freudian slips to her on their encounter.

Clark has been working on a project at his firm which he expects will bring in a good Christmas bonus. Clark plans to use the bonus to put in a swimming pool, on which he has already laid down a $7,500 check that his bank account can't cover yet. He's counting on his Christmas bonus from work will cover it.

As Christmas approaches, the many members of Clark's extended family begin arriving to stay with him. Clark and Ellen's parents are the first to arrive. This drives Clark to go set up the lighting on the house with his son Rusty. During the struggle to put the lights on, Clark falls off the ladder and hangs to a gutter, which causes a gutter-shaped bar of ice to break through the Chesters' window and break their stereo. Clark covers nearly every inch of the home's exterior and yard with lights -- 250 strands of lights with 100 bulbs on each strand for a total of 25,000 light bulbs. Clark becomes very frustrated after many failed attempts to get the lights working. Ellen discovers that the outlet in which the lights were plugged wasn't powered and so switches it on in a brilliant flash of light.

After the lights are up and running, Ellen's cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn), her sloppy husband Eddie (Randy Quaid), and two of their kids, Rocky (Cody Burger) and Ruby Sue (Ellen Hamilton Latzen), show up to stay with the Griswolds for a month, with their dilapidated, rusty RV parked in the driveway. Stifling his disappointment at their surprise arrival proves difficult for Clark. However, Clark and Ellen are concerned about Eddie's children, as they won't have many, if any gifts, for Christmas, due to Eddie's seven year unemployment. Later, Clark fantasizes about Mary skinny-dipping in the pool he hopes to get.

On Christmas Eve, Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany arrive for dinner. Numerous disasters occur that evening: The turkey is cooked for far too long and dries out, Bethany's cat is electrocuted when it chews on a strand of Christmas lights, and Lewis accidentally burns the Christmas tree down, forcing Clark to quickly search for a replacement. Clark takes one from his yard and sets it up (while doing this, the tree breaks through the Chesters' window), and inside the house, a manic squirrel leaps out of the tree and "terrorizes" the family before jumping onto Margo followed by Eddie's dog as she comes over with the intention to slug Clark for the damages he caused them.

A delivery from the company arrives at the house that evening, with Clark expecting it to be the long-awaited bonus. Unfortunately, Clark's boss, a scrooge named Frank Shirley (Brian Doyle Murray), has sent Clark an enrollment in the "Jelly of the Month" club. This final insult causes Clark to go over the edge, going through several outbursts out of severe frustration. The family attempts to leave due to the events of the evening, but Clark says they're not leaving.

This situation gives Eddie the idea for the perfect Christmas gift for Clark after Clark offers to help Eddie treat Rocky and Ruby Sue to a good Christmas -- Eddie goes to Frank's house and brings Frank to the Griswold house, and then Eddie and the Griswolds help Frank see the error of his ways about the Christmas bonuses. Frank changes his mind, deciding that he will give out Christmas bonuses this year, adding 20% to what the bonuses were last year -- more than enough to cover the check Clark wrote to pay for the pool. The police, called by Frank's wife Helen (Natalia Nogulich), raid the home, but Frank explains that it's all a misunderstanding while Helen disagrees with Frank's original intent to cut the Christmas bonuses.

Outside, Uncle Lewis' cigar ignites the gas from the sewage Eddie had earlier dumped down the street drain while emptying the holding tank on his RV, blasting a Santa ornament into the sky. Everyone watches the strange but touching sight, as Clark realizes his dream of the perfect family Christmas, saying simply: "I did it."

Magdalena Luz Is Here!

My Niece is here! I'm so excited! She is ABSOLUTELY B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!!!!

My Sister in law Gracie, (Jake's wife), Had her baby last night. Her name is Magdalena Luz (Maggie), she was 7 lbs 13ozs, 19 inches long.

We drove up to see them today....they are still in the hospital. They are all doing great! Jake and Gracie both look quite tired (you know that so happy, yet so tired look they will have for the next year or so), but they are super happy too. Maggie was up quite a bit last night until they finally broke down and gave her a Pacifier. She slept great after that they said. They said she is also doing wonderful at breast feeding too....she is so sweet, he has these chunky little cheeks and round little face. I loved it!

Of course I took a thousand pictures of her....I had to, she is my first niece! I'm going to spoil her rotten! I'm super excited!

Amelia and Norah did great with her too. Amelia was so gentle with her. She was able to hold her with my help and she was just so happy about it. She is going to really be a great big cousin to her. Norah was just so curious. She lunged at her a few times, just wanting to see her and check her out. She was so interested in her.....and let me tell you, Norah looked and felt like a moose after holding Maggie. My little baby is getting so big!! She isn't a tiny baby anymore.

Here are the photos of our visit to see Miss Maggie.

Amelia was super excited about her new baby cousin.

The girls getting to see Maggie for the first time.

Holding her...she was so gentle. She did an awesome job!

Kissy, Kissy.Norah was so interested in this new baby.

Madgalena LuzThe new little family, Mommy, daddy and little Maggie.

Getting a little mad when they un-wrapped her from her blankets.

Proud Daddy and baby.

Mama and baby.Sweet, sweet little tiny toes.

Mural on the walls...it was quite neat.

**********************************************************************************

We made a quick stop a my parents on the way home from the hospital tonight. Norah was being so silly, since I had my camera I took a few pictures. Here they are.

Norah laughing....She is such a funny little baby.

Next, she crawled right on over, grabbed this basket of my moms, and just plopped it right on her head. She thought she was just so funny. She was playing peek-a-boo with us. I grabbed my camera and took these silly pictures of her.

Bubble Wrap Corn Project.

Since it's cold and snowy out today, we thought it would be a great day for a project. We of course went over to No time for flashcards.....where else would we go for ideas for a project?!

We made the Corn project.....It's called Bubble wrap corn. You use the bubble wrap to paint with. Our corn is a bit rough.....mommy can't draw, But I think Amelia did a great job at her painting part.

Painting the corn with the bubble wrap.....she really did well with it.

Coloring the husk park. In Allie's project, they painted this part, but we had nap time 1/2 way though the project and I had cleaned up already. So we just colored it.

Here is two of the three bubble wrap painted corn.

.Finished project.

Winter Has Made It's Way Into The Neighborhood.

It Snowed! It Snowed! It Snowed!

Let me tell you Miss Amelia is So happy about it too! It's so cute to see how excited she is about the snow! She just keeps watching it out the window, and was so Excited when we actually went out in it today. I love to see the excitement in her face....the newness of the snow is a newness in her little life too. She doesn't remember it from last year, she was to young.

Norah on the other hand, doesn't care for the whole bundle up thing. Not happy one bit about it. She seriously looked like Randy the little boy on the Christmas Story. Her new coat needs to be worn in a bit.....it's still quite stiff for her.

I went out and took a few photos of the white stuff. You know, it's cold and it's crap to drive in, but if you don't have to go anywhere, it's so beautiful!

Last night when it started to snow.

This morning....and it's still snowing now.

Baby Shower And Moms House.

Before we headed out today I took a few pictures of Norah, doesn't she looks so sweet? she was just sitting there being so good.

Tongue? Not sure what this is all about.......

I drove back home yesterday to go to my girlfriends baby shower. She is due Mid to end December. She looks fantastic and her belly is just right out there.....she looks so cute. She received some very nice items that she had registered for.

Cherlyn, isn't she cute? Look at that belly.

A few of us at the shower. I graduated with these girls, I don't see them that often, it was wonderful to see them all yesterday. From Left to Right, Sheli, Heather, Amy (she is pregnant with twins right now), Cherlyn and of course me.

We went to my parents after the shower for dinner...yep, I crashed my moms to steal dinner from her....hey, she is a good cook, you would do the same if you were me. Here are a few pictures from last night at my moms house.

Yeah, she looks innocent doesn't she?

After dinner mom got them all wound up. Laughing and playing, it was actually pretty cute.

Amelia had to "do" moms hair too. It cracked me up.

Sweetie.

Hand Made Jewerly.

If you, or anyone you know likes to wear hand made beaded Jewelry, then you have to check out what my Mother in Law has done. She has created some great pieces and I wanted to show them off. They are all for sale on Craigslist, and for what she has paid for the beads, the prices are great.

Take a look and check them out. Great Christmas gifts!!!!

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/jwl/918932765.html

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/jwl/918877325.html

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/jwl/918858826.html

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/jwl/918835512.html