New Years Eve

This year for new years eve, I went with my parents and grandma to visit my mom's brother and his wife in Philadelphia. I don't get to see them as much as I'd like so I decided to tag along for the trip since I had the time off. Trey had to work all weekend, so he couldn't join but we still had a great time. We drove up on Thursday, Mammaw's birthday and met my other aunt and cousins for lunch in Virigina and finally made it to my aunt and uncle's house by dinner time. We had a nice birthday dinner for my grandma when we got there!

One of the many deer visitors that they get in their backyard

Friday the girls went to get their nails done and I got a haircut! I got the "gel" nailpolish and it hasn't chipped yet! That's pretty exciting, usually it's chipping like crazy in about 2 days. Saturday we lounged around for a while and then went to visit their dog, Buddy. They discovered that he had a tumor on Wednesday, right before we came up, and he had to have surgery on Thursday. We were sad he wasn't home to enjoy, but glad we could be there as a "distraction" for them while he was at the vet. The vet took wonderful care of him and he made plenty of friends there, I haven't met a single person that doesn't love him. Everything went well, he is home now and doing well!

Buddy!


So happy to be getting love from his aunt & uncle

Saturday night we went in to Philadelphia and went on a dinner cruise on the Spirit of Philadelphia. It was a dinner boat cruise that came back to Penn's Landing in time for the midnight fireworks! It was a delicious dinner, all you could drink, desert and dancing. It was a beautiful night and really a lot of fun. Since Trey had to work early all weekend he was tired and fell asleep, so I figured that I wouldn't be talking to him at midnight. I was mistaken, my super sweet husband set an alarm to wake up and call me and tell me happy new year :) I was so happy because I had tried to call him about an hour earlier and figured he was zonked out.

Our view, on the water, of the Ben Franklin Bridge

New Year's fireworks!

Dad & I! (the flash was blinding!)
Mammaw, Mom & Dad watching the fireworks


Aunt Jennifer & Uncle Michael watching the fireworks


Our ride for the night!

Sunday we made our way back home and after a long drive, I got home to a happy husband and VERY happy dogs! I think I was missed :)

So excited that mommy is home


SO many kisses


Spastic kisses


Christmas Celebrations

We woke up at our own house on Christmas morning, opened our stockings and exchanged presents with Trey's parents. They installed a gas range for us on Christmas eve so we knew what our big present was but they also surprised me with new boots and Trey got a lot of tools.

Our new gas range!!


Christmas morning!

Someone please open these bones for me!

Yayy bones!

Playing tug of war with the new toy


We then gathered our stuff and headed over to my parents' house for the rest of the day. We got there and had breakfast, my mom made egg casserole, biscuits and bacon and Trey's mom made sausage and gravy to go with the biscuits! It was a delicious breakfast to start off the day.

Heading to grandma's

Christmas at my parents'

Stockings :)


After breakfast we opened presents. It is always so fun. I love how as you get older it is more exciting to give presents than to get them. My brother, Trey and I go in on presents for my parents together and we had a great time. I made them a photobook of pictures of Snoopy and Shadow that they enjoyed a lot, got my dad a toy helicopter, got my mom a laser light to play with Vegas and lots of other fun things. My parents are giving us a shed for our backyard! We are so excited, what a great gift. I am excited that Trey will now have a space to put all of his lawn/garage type equipment and I can have a lot of room for my car in the garage :) Or maybe one day we can put a ping pong table in there (fold up, of course).


After presents, Frank and Trey went outside to cook oysters that his parents brought up from the beach. I don't eat oysters very much but they were pretty good! Inside, Trey's mom cooked shrimp, they were delicious! And mom prepared the turkey, broccoli casserole and I helped make the "Christmas salad." I also spent hours setting up moms new iPhone and iPad! She is becoming so technologically savvy :)

Cooking oysters!


In the late afternoon, my dad's sister and her family came over along with my dad's mom, Nana. We exchanged a few gifts and had dinner together. Nana gave us a lot of awesome gifts, but my favorite is our new dog leash hook!
Dad cutting the turkey

Stuffing, sweet potatoes and broccoli casserole!
New leash hook!


It is always such a nice, relaxing time spending the day with family. This may have been the best Christmas yet with my hubby and his parents along with my family :) If only Mandy could have been here, but she had to work at the Coast Guard Station in Michigan, I guess someone has to do it! It was a wonderful weekend!!

Even the dogs enjoyed relaxing during dinner!

A worn out pup wearing his new sweater! (He gets cold with so little fur!)

Christmas Eve Dinner

Every year on Christmas Eve we have dinner with my mom's side of the family, whatever part of the family is in town at the time. In the past, sometimes, my aunts, uncles and cousins have visited for Christmas but this year it was just my mom's mom. Dinner this year was held at my house, for the first time! Maybe we are starting new traditions! We had the traditional salad and pizza for dinner and enjoyed sitting around with our family. Trey's parents came up for the entire weekend so they were a part of dinner too, it was so wonderful to have both sets of parents, my brother and my grandma all together for dinner around our dining room table. I set up the tri-pod and snapped a picture :)


With Trey's parents in town we stayed at our house Christmas Eve, it is the first time in my entire life that I have not stayed the night at my parents and woken up there for Christmas! I guess I'm growing up.

Arlington National Cemetery

Trey's grandfather, Walter Matthew Winoski, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He was a colonel in the US Marine Corps and served in Korea and Vietnam wars. He passed away in 1995 from cancer and was laid to rest in Arlington, along with many other veterans. Trey went to the funeral but hasn't been back since, so as we were coming home from Dover, DE last weekend we decided to take a detour to visit him!

Trey had never seen the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, I went but it was years and years ago, so we also stopped to see that. We were also able to wait around and see the changing of the guard ceremony.
Pretty view as we were walking through

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier


Keeping watch

View of the city from the Tomb of the Unknown Solider

Changing of the guard ceremony about to begin
Looking back up, towards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier


We were actually able to look up his location online, it is done by section number then gravesite number. We didn't realize until after we found his gravesite that the tombstones actually had the gravesite numbers on the back and actually went in order! At least we know for next time, so it's easier to find. Luckily we started off in the correct general area so we didn't have to search for too long to find him.



His view

There were wreaths on each grave in his section, they are a part of the Wreaths Across America project. That link takes you to the Arlington Cemetery website, as long as it is the month of December it should tell you about that project.

Wreaths on every grave in his section

His with a wreath, again

It was an awesome pit stop on our trip home that we plan to make a habit!

Until we meet again at the rainbow bridge...

On Tuesday, November 29th our sweet old man Snoopy passed away, he was almost 15. That is a long happy life, but we definitely miss him. He has now joined Shadow up in doggie heaven. Shadow passed away the day after his 15th birthday, April 2, 2011. Neither situation has been an easy one, but it almost feels like Snoopy's passing has been a little bit harder on us, since now my parents' house is empty, but at least we know that now they are up in heaven running around together again. I can only imagine that Shadow was excited to see him, the same way he was when Snoopy came back to the house after being gone for his gallbladder surgery, a few years back.

Those two dogs were some of the best dogs you could ask for. Shadow has been a part of my life since I was 10! Basically, I can barely remember life before him. Snoopy found his way into our lives 5 years ago. Before him, we never even thought of having a second dog around, but after he came in to our lives we couldn't imagine it without him. It's very hard to not have them around, but luckily I have two sweet pups to love on me every day :) They also go visit grandma and grandpa quite often, so that their house doesn't get too clean or empty.

It's always fun to look back through pictures of them, so I'm using this page as a collection of some of my favorite pictures to remember them by.

We used to mesaure him by the squares of the kitchen floor


One tired puppy!


Always loved sleeping on the vent


Tyson giving Snoopy kisses!


Snoopy and Tyson were great friends!

My snow dog


3 pals


A beach boy!


Shadow napping

His favorite spot while camping


Riding on the dash board


Notice no hair on his tummy... after gallbladder surgery!


love <3


We did tricks, now give us those treats!

Sleepy boy


Nice hood ornaments

A new toy for Christmas


Best friends

Shadow, Phoebe and Snoopy


Shadow making friends

LOVES those rawhides

On the dash .. everytime we drove!

His spot on the couch


Somebody's been digging

Playing with the basketball, just like Vegas does now

Playing with Alex when he was a baby



Always watching over us





Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge,

When a cherished pet passes away, that pet goes to the Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends
So they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine
and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor.
those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again,
just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing:
they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes
when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.
His bright eyes are intent, his eager body quivers.
Suddenly he begins to run from the group,
flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend meet,
you cling together in joyous reunion.
The happy kisses rain upon your face;
your hands again caress the beloved head,
and you look on once more into the adoring eyes of your trusting pet,
so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together,
Never again to be separated….