Oh Christmas Tree

Every year we have a tradition of getting a live Christmas tree. Christina has picked out the tree the last couple of years and always does an excellent job. This year she did another great job. When we were in Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving we, Christina, Barry, Lee and I, went to the tree farm we have gone to the last couple of years and walked around for about 30 minute before Christina found our tree. Barry sawed down the tree and then Christina and Lee carried it over to the tree bailing machine. So I did not get any pictures of us picking out the tree. But I do have pictures of the "finished product". I also have some pictures of my favorite ornaments, with a short explanation underneath. Plus the bow at the top that my awesome Sister in Law made for us.

The finished product

Loudoun County Court House

Christina's "1st year" ornament

A cute little Italian ornament

White House Ornaments

The bow my sister in law made for us

As you can see my Family's tree is a mish mosh of ornaments that we have collected over the years. Each ornament was given as a gift or picked out by one of us for a reason. When it is lit there are white lights and the big colored lights. The colored light strand is the same one my parents bought when they were first married, so not so energy efficient but very sentimental. Each year the tree is different but the ornaments that mean so much to us are the same, with the exception of ones that are added that have been given as gifts by friends, which are the best, and that is why I love how our family decorates our tree.

Thanksgiving fun!

Just got back last night from Pennsylvania. The whole family spends Thanksgiving there. Our Thanksgiving is Italian style which means we eat way more than everyone else. Our first big meal is at noon and that is homemade ravioli with homemade sauce. Then at around 5pm we eat the regular thanksgiving meal of turkey and all the trimmings. Lots of food and napping going on that day.

The next day we hung out then Saturday morning my Dad, daughter, nephew and I went to a cut your own tree farm and picked out our tree. Why do you ask do we get the tree in Pennsylvania and haul it back to Virginia, because it is only $25.00 in Pennsylvania and in Northern Virginia the same tree at a tree farm would be $60.00. Well my daughter picked out the tree, that is her job every year and she did an excellent job as usual. Then it was back to my Aunts house for my cousin Steven's fiancee’s bridal shower. Mandy got great presents and there was even more food.

And finally while the bridal shower was going on my daughter snuck out to hang with the boy cousins who were shooting a potato gun. Which my daughter of course had her turn and her potato went the furthest. It went all the way across my Aunts Yard which is about 200 yards then across the street into the woods somewhere

I almost forgot my Uncle Charlie revealed his Car that he built from a kit. It is a Cobra and it is awesome. My Dad and Uncle Charlie were airline mechanics together at TWA at Kennedy Airport for like 20 years together so they both know their way around a garage. I am going to post some of the pictures. They don't really do the car justice but you get the idea.

I am really thankful for all of the blessings I have in my life. I have a wonderful supportive family and friends that are the best. Thank you to all who have been there for me. Even if I don't express it all the time I am so grateful for my friends.

I did it!

Well I finally did it! I completed all of my credits for my Bachelors Degree! I am beyond excited. It has been a long hard road but feels great to be done. I am so grateful to my really supportive family, especially my daughter, who have been really patient and encouraging me every step of the way! Now what to do with my spare time????? The possibilities are endless :)

New York Trip

My daughter and I got back from our short little jaunt up to New York. We actually got back, well raced is more like it, yesterday so we could pick our copies of Breaking Dawn and start reading them. I finished last night and love, love, love this book. It is my favorite out of the series. The book signing/concert with Stephenie Meyer and the lead singer of Blue October, Justin Furstenfeld totally rocked!!!!!! Christina and I had so much fun at the event and just getting to spend time together was the best. I am including some pictures I took during the concert/chatting part of the evening. No pictures were allowed during autographing, which is completely understandable considering there were 2,000 people there to get signatures. To sum it up in one word - incredible!!!!!! Stephenie Meyer's is awesome. Her books are wonderful and she seems to have an incredibly warm and happy spirit about her.

New York Bound

My daughter and I are New York City bound tomorrow. We are going to the Nokia Theatre for the Stephenie Meyer book signing. Then when we come home on Saturday I am picking up my copy of her new book Breaking Down and I am going to be oblivious to the world until I finish it!!!!

Wedding Day

No, not my wedding day. A good friend of mine Amy got married today. The man she married is a wonderful guy. They actually knew each other in High School and reconnected about two years ago. They were married in the Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown at 10am today. It was the same church her mother and grandmother got married in. The ceremony was wonderful and my friend and her husband looked very happy. I am so happy for my friend and wish her a wonderful happy long marriage.

S.B.

So my title does not stand for Susan Barbini it now officially stands for "Slacker Blogger" I have had different things going on that have taken my time and attention away from blogging. One of those things has been school. I have one more class to test out of, which I will be taking the test before the end of August, and then I will be done with my Bachelors Degree! YIPEE!! I am excited to be done and excited to finally have some more time to do the things I have been neglecting.

Just to catch up on some things. Summer started with Girls Camp! I love girls camp now. I did not when I was a Young Women but now I think it is awesome. I am glad that I have been able to go as an adult leader and watch these wonderful girls form friendships, become leaders and grow closer to their Heavenly Father. My daughter really loves camp and I am just so glad I have been able to share this experience with her the last two years. As you can see from the below picture, after having shaved ice with blue flavoring, camp brings out the best in us :)


After coming home from girls camp it was time to celebrate my wonderful 36th birthday. That is all I will say about that : )


Then came the 4th of July. Family was in town and it was fun. Three of my cousins were visiting and two of them had their significant others, one is a girlfriend and the other a Fiance, and they are tons of fun to have around. My Daughter loves her cousins dearly and always loves when they come to visit. My other two cousins and their spouses were not able to make it and as always I missed them dearly.


While the family was here we celebrated my one nephew's 4th birthday. The theme was "Transformers" and the cake from dairy queen was decorated with the transformer Bumble Bee on it. My Nephew was super excited when he saw the cake and even more excited for the presents. I will include some pictures of the cake and my nephew with his transformer mask :)

That is about all for now. I hope in the future I will not be such an S.B. I do have one more picture to include and that is of some flowers my Daughter picked the other day. She picked some roses from our rose garden and mixed in some rosemary from our herb garden. It turned out really pretty and it smells really good. The combination of the rose and the rosemary smell is quite fragrant. My daughter is so awesome !!!!!!

No Luck!!!

So you might wonder what does this picture have to do with luck? Well there is no fortune in my fortune cookie!!! So I am thinking this means I have no good luck. This is actually funny because this certain Chinese restaurant that I go to with my co-workers does not seem to like me. I will not mention the name of the place but let me say it is a good thing I have a sense of humor. Usually when we go there they either ignore me and take everyone else's Order and walk away and then come back to take my Order. Or my food always comes out last or they even forgot to bring me food once. So when I opened my fortune cookie last week and saw there was no fortune not only did I bust out laughing but all the ladies I go to lunch with could not stop laughing. This has become a long-standing joke with all of us now. I luckily had my camera with me that day and decided that this would be something funny for my blog. So for anyone who readys this blog I hope you enjoy this story because it is actually funny!!!

WE DID IT!!!

The Boob Crew did it!!! I want to put together a more descriptive blog when I get more pictures and get my thoughts organized. It was an incredible experience with amazing memories. I am so thankful for the girls in our "Boob Crew" They are all amazing women and it was so great to walk with them. Linnea was beyond incredible!! She walked a marathon over the 2 days! Her spirit and will to keep going was inspirational. Audrey, Sam and Ellen were the best. More details to come in the next week!

Just Because!

Linnea sent an email out the other day and this is one of the pictures she included. I just had to post it on my blog. Not only because of all those cute kiddos, but to show how well Linnea is doing! She looks seriously great and have you ever seen a more beautiful bald women!!

Our walk is in 11 days and the "Boob Crew" is super excited. We have one more training walk this Saturday and then next Saturday we will begin our two day 39 mile walk. I am so grateful to all of those who have donated to the Cause.

New York will never be the same!!!!

I got back from my weekend trip in NYC with 10 other friends. The group was me, Linnae, Becky, Jennifer, Ellen, Wendy (Linnae's cousin), Kristen, Tianna, Marissa, Wendy and Lisa. I had a blast and we are already planning for this to be a yearly thing. This was a special trip for all. My friend Linnae had always wanted to do a NYC trip and so it was planned. It was so great to be with friends and just pretty much laugh the whole weekend. Here are some highlights. Pictures will follow!!!

Going the wrong way on the Subway with Kristen, Marissa, Wendy and Tianna. We meant to go Uptown and ended up at the Brooklyn Bridge!!! Whoops. But that lead us to see the man in a karate uniform, a big old fro wig, and barefoot, dancing in the subway terminal with his girlfriend looking on and staring at him like he was Brad Pitt!!!!

Shopping on Canal Street. After some coaching on how to handle the street vendors from Wendy, Ellen became a force to be reckoned with and I will just leave it at that :) I found out that Lisa is the master at wheeling and dealing. She was able to negotiate a great deal for Tianna on some great purses. Tianna getting locked in one of those "back rooms" where all the good stuff is at!

Dinner in Little Italy. The food was divine and the restaurant was great.

Stardust Diner!!!!! One of the best things we did. Anyone who goes to NYC I highly recommend eating there. The wait staff sings and dances and the food was awesome. They will sing dedications to people and Kristen asked them to dedicate a song to Linnae! Words cannot describe the emotions. The waiter sang "Faithfully" by Journey and he totally rocked it out.

Shopping on fifth avenue was so fun. H&M stores in NYC have so much more than ours here.

Cab Rides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Riding on the Subway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cafe Lola!!!! Some incredible Belgium Waffles and desserts!!!!!

Times square at 1 in the morning with Linnae, Wendy, Ellen and I!!!!! We were pretty punchy by that point and that made it all so much more interesting.

The M&M store in times square. A store with M&M's available in all kinds of colors. Who would want anything more. Ellen, Wendy and I posing with the huge statue of the blue M&M as John Travolta in Staying Alive pose.

Wendy, Linnae's cousin, caressing the half naked man manikin in window of Planet Hollywood!!!!! Ellen has the proof :)

Visiting the WTC site and going over to St. James church across the street. I love old churches and this church has an amazing history. The church has an exhibition in it with many things pertaining to the 9/11. St. James is an amazing place to visit. It was a heaven for the volunteers, firefighters and policemen, right in the middle of hell during 9/11. The exhibition was moving and is something everyone should experience. You feel the peace in the church and feel the strong spirit of love that was there. When you are walking through and see the pictures, letters, and mementos it is incredibly humbling and reminds you that at the end of the day we are all humans and because our time here is so precious and short we should spend it loving each other instead of finding ways to dislike each other.

Lastly, on Sunday we had our own little spiritual thought and many of the ladies shared some wonderful thoughts. It was really moving and a wonderful way to express our love for Linnae. Linnae's energy, and enthusiasm all weekend was so great. It was such a special experience to be able to share this with all these amazing women. To see Linnae so happy and laughing after all she has gone through was the best medicine for all.

Coming Soon

I am going to interview my daughter and her friend Shelby about the characters in the Twilight book series. They are big Jacob fans and I can't wait to find out what they have to say. Should be interesting!!!!

Thirteen

So it has happened. My baby girl is 13!!!!! The big day was yesterday and I woke up with a feeling of incredible happiness. Happiness that I am blessed with such an incredible, loving, thoughtful, fun, creative and energetic daughter. I love her for so many reasons, her laugh, her smile, her sweetness, her ability to drive me nutty sometimes and most of all I love her for everything she is.

Here is how her birthday went down. She had her best friend, Emily, spend the night Friday night. They decided they wanted to go see the new Dr. Seuss movie and go shopping. So after dinner at Pei-Wei we headed out to begin celebrating the big day. After getting our movie tickets we went to the mall and headed to GAP, she is sooooo my daughter. After her and Emily found some really cute pieces for her spring wardrobe we went to the movie. The movie was really cute and the girls got their usual large popcorn and medium drinks. After the movie we went home and the girls just hung out. Saturday morning, the actual day of her b-day, they were up and ready to go. I took them to a spa/store called Rouge and they got pedicures. My daughter says she now realizes why I love getting pedicures so much :) After pedicures it was off to Christina's basketball game and the home for lunch. We then went to dinner at this great place called "Fireworks", wood fired pizza, super yummy, and then went to Cold Stone for dessert. What a fun filled day!!!

So to my awesome 13 year old I say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Your are the best.

Making a Difference

Here is a picture of my friend Linnea and I, taken by Sam's awesome brother.

Linnea is one of the most kind, compassionate, funny, and spiritual women I know. She is an absolute inspiration to me. Her love for her family and her Savior are incredible. She is an amazing women and she is one of the main reasons I am participating in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Linnae has to do the hard work by defeating Cancer.

My part in this fight is easy, I just have to walk and raise money. I hope that my walking and raising money will help make a difference in the fight against Breast Cancer.

Go Linnea! You are going to win this fight!!!

The Ice Storm Cometh!!!

So here we are at the end of February with the typical Virginia weather. There is a combination of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain. The kidos are out of school and my daughter is loving life. When I left the house this morning my daughter was watching that great 80's movie "Goonies"
Oh to be 12 again!!!

Blueberry Muffins

My daughter totally rocks!!!!!! A couple of days ago I woke up to get ready for work and was met with the smell of fresh baked blueberry muffins. My daughter woke up early and made these muffins from scratch! Not only were they from scratch but she cleaned up all the bowls and utensils she used in making these wonderful muffins and They were delicious! I am so proud of my daughter for how much she has been helping out the last couple of weeks. She has stepped up to the plate in a big way and I totally appreciate her.

My Daughters Super Bowl Bet!!

There is a good reason not to bet. Ask my daughter, since she now owes her cousins pizza and ice cream. Let me give some background. My 12- year old daughter decided to take interest in the Super Bowl this year. Mind you she is not a sports watching kind of girl. She was rooting for the Patriots and was convinced they were going to win. Now being that I was born in New Jersey in an area that is New York Giant territory my loyalties lie opposite of my daughters.

All day my daughter was very excited to watch the "big game"! She was antsy at church, stir crazy visiting her Grandmother, who is in long term care at the moment, and then downright nutty at the time of kickoff! She called her cousin Jeff and bet him a pizza that the Patriots would win and then called her cousin Michael and bet him an ice cream that the Patriots would win. When she asked me about betting her cousins, who are in their mid-twenties, I just said you know we don't bet or gamble but it was a decision she needed to make and she had to live with the outcome.

She was thinking she had it in the bag and that she would be getting free pizza and ice cream. Then came the 4th quarter of the game, more specifically the last 2 minutes of the game and her excitement and confidence that she would win the bet was deflated by the Giants last charge down the field. At the end of the game she looked at me and said "Where am I going to get the money to buy the pizza for Jeff and the ice cream for Michael". To this I said you will have to go in your piggy bank and pay up because that is what happens when you gamble. You lose you pay up. Gotta love lessons learned.

crazy virginia weather

Gotta love Virginia weather. This morning there was ice on the trees and this afternoon it is raining and 50 degrees outside. My daughter was excited because school was cancelled. Me on the other hand not so excited because I had to go to work.

Avon Breast Cancer Walk

My good friend Sam and I attended an informational meeting about the Avon Breast Cancer Walk! I am super excited for this event in May. We are going to walk over 30 miles in two days and I can't wait. My goal is to raise over the $1,800.00 minimum. We are walking for our friend Linnae and others who are affected by not only breast cancer but other cancers as well. I will keep posting on my progress in raising money and training!

Here is the link for the Washington D.C. walk: http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=wadc_home_2k8

Celebration of life

When I came to work this morning I was told the news about the passing of our beloved President of the Mormon Church. President Hinkley lived his life to serve and was such an example to all.

I love this quote from him:

"We are dedicated ... to teaching the gospel of peace, to the promotion of civility and mutual respect among people everywhere, to bearing witness to the living reality of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the practice of his teachings in our daily lives," Hinckley said.

I am sad for the loss to the people whom he served but am happy that he is now able to join his wife who proceeded him and to be with the Savior and all the heavenly hosts. His wisdom, compassion and leadership will be missed. Even though I mourn his loss I feel compelled to celebrate his life because of how he led his life and what he has meant to so many.

President Hinkley, we love you and will miss you!

Hectic Life

It has been a long time since I have posted. My Mom has been very sick and in the hospital the last two weeks. She is currently in the ICU but is improving daily. I am so grateful to all my friends and family who keep offering their prayers and help. I love the fact that so many people from so many different religions are praying for my mom to get better. Hopefully the next couple of weeks will be positive one's in my Moms road to recovery.