Hello Monday - 1st blog post of 2023

We started the new year, two weeks ago tonight (Sunday) with dinner out. . .it was the four of us and Tommy & Barbara.

 It was our Christmas gift to one another. . .a night out without the kids.  Yes, even when they are all in college (or out on their own) we still need to find time away to celebrate together :)

I'm linking up today with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday. 

So far 2023 has been super busy for me and I have found little time to blog.  My schedule picked up mid-December when I took a second part-time job and then decided to keep both jobs.  I've been working as a Client Experience Specialist at a national engineering firm here in their Knoxville office -- I was previously employed by this company as a Training Specialist so I was familiar with the business when I went back to work for them part-time in August.  Then, in November, another company contacted me about wanting to start a training program within their accounting and investment firm.  After talking to many of them multiple times, I was offered a part-time position with them through May 2023. . .it takes me back to what I love, Learning and Development, so I've put tennis on hold so I can fill my calendar with these two positions.  

Anyway, that's my work life. . .my home life has been full, too, since two of the four kiddos spent most of December at home with us. . .they will be leaving this week to move back into their apartments near school downtown.  I will miss having them around SO MUCH.  Every season of life with these four has been my favorite (really).  

We had our Foster Family Christmas the week before Christmas this year.  Here is a picture of the six Foster grandkids and my parents:

My sister and brother-in-law, as usual, outdid themselves with food and atmosphere.  We did a Favorite Things gift exchange this year -- each person brought two wrapped gifts valued between $25-$30 and then we drew names to see who would get whose "favorite thing". 

Everyone was engaged and seemed to like everything they received.  Here was Anna showing Erin she drew her name to get her gift -- she gave  laundry soap as her favorite thing.  Her dad got the other bag of laundry soap and ultimately ended up trading it with my other niece -- each had something the other wanted.  

My sister and niece got my favorite thing gift -- this was Sander's salted caramels and a Sequence game.  

My sister and Robert are opening Laura's gift -- which was the exact same gift that Jodi bought too!!!  So funny -- four people walked away with a really great pair of socks :). Great minds and all I guess.

My favorite picture of the season:

One of the program managers I work with rented out a local ice rink for a food-fellowship-skating get-together the Friday before Christmas.  It was a lot of fun and the only picture I got of the six of us.  I tried on Christmas Eve but it just didn't happen.  

Fast Forward:  Christmas, The Orange Bowl (a great W for the Volunteers to end their spectacular 2022 season), New Years, and an "eh" ending with the College Football Championship game last weekend.  Now on to Wild Card Weekend, sitting here cheering for the Bengals.

Yes, there is still some Christmas decor up.  I keep forgetting to take it down. . .there are still some ornaments sitting on the bookshelf that need to be put away too.  We had a beautiful tree this year:

It's always sad to see it go, but it was up through the New Year, which made me happy :)

Laura got a Magic Puzzle for Christmas -- this part was finished last weekend but she worked all week and we didn't see her again until Friday so we had to wait to do the "shifting" 

Some of the pieces came out during the "shift" so she and Nana had to fix that before finishing up:

She also finished up another Christmas gift (from Grandma) - another Harry Potter lego set!

While she was doing that, Tom and I spent most of our weekend cooking:  

A dorky picture -- oh well.  We spent a lot of time prepping food for a hiking trip next weekend.  I get out of the hiking part (NOT a favorite) by doing the cooking ;)

Five pounds of shredded chicken for chicken, cheese, and rice/chicken tacos/chicken quesadillas on Friday night and 60 meatballs with 75 stuffed shells for Saturday night. 

I have most everything purchased -- will get the perishables on Thursday after work.  Right now we have 15 people coming -- it should be a great weekend!!  I love that my sister puts these together -- here is the first one we ever did.  I'm also linking this post for two reasons:

1) Under #4 "What We've Been Up To" I have a couple photos from our hiking weekend last year and 2) a year ago my daughter was in an accident at an intersection (not her fault - someone turned into her) and that car was totaled out.  On Monday this week her brother was in an accident in our neighborhood (his fault) and that car was, surprisingly, totaled out by insurance.  

Ugh.  January is NOT a good month for us and kids and cars!!!

He was driving out of the neighborhood, his breakfast sandwich flew to the floor and he reached for it. . .he hit a parked car that was nose-to-nose with another car. . .three cars wrecked before 7:30 a.m.  Such is how some days/weeks start.  

I'll end the post with my favorite picture from the weekend -- these two.  She isn't home from school a lot but when she is, she and Nana are just so good together.

I'm signing off with the Bengals-Ravens game tied at 17 -- hoping that this is not the last game we will get to watch the Bengals play this season!!

I've missed blogging, for sure, but have kept up with all my favorites on the sidebar and favorite podcasts. . .heading back into an empty house season again this week but we will all be together on the weekend -- and life marches on.

Love,

Jenni