Christmas Eve

We woke this morning to some beautiful snow falling. I am really, really excited that it will be a white Christmas.

Heath was able to take part in some early morning shoveling.

Then, on top of all of that--the sun came out and we actually saw blue sky. This would be the first time since we arrived on Saturday.

Layne and her cousin Taylor were able to do a little outdoor activity. They did some sledding and then tried to ambush cousin Greg (who arrived from Arizona today--he is really cold). I think they lost--they had snow in their hoods.

As soon as Layne gets done with her movie, we will open a few gifts--then off to bed. Tomorrow will be busy, with lots of stops to make--but it will be wonderful to spend the time with family.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday--enjoy and relax!!

Tori

Friends and Family

So, we had our wonderful gathering at Smokey Row on Sunday afternoon. I will admit that I thought 4 hours was going to be a long time, but it went so fast. We had so many stop in to see us--it was wonderful. In the end, I am sure four hours was not enough. Below is a photo of some of our visitors.I did drop the ball a little and realized that I had personally forgotten to let some of the girls from my 12U team know about our little reunion. But, we got some numbers and made some calls--Gabi and Jillian were able to make it and that made Layne very happy. That team that I had for two seasons is very special to me--they were a wonderful group and accomplished so much together. They have really cool GOLD necklaces to show for it!!

(Side note: I got my hair cut again!!)

A new and updated photo of Nicki and Heath--thanks again Nicki, you did a wonderful job getting so many Fusion alum together.

Layne and her old teammates, together again. It took them about 1 minute to warm up and then they didn't stop talking!!

I am not sure who I turned the camera over to for this blurry photo--but you know who you are...... Some of the best Fusion coaching staff represented in this photo!!

We left Pella on Sunday night and headed for Newton and my sister's house. It was a balmy -100 degrees below zero (or it felt like it) outside and the snow was blowing sideways. Anyway, we picked up my nephew, Hayes, and then my mom and had a slumber party at my grandparent's house. Below is Hayes wearing my Uggs--on the wrong feet. He is quite a kid--maybe I will try to get some live footage to post, it will be worth it.

On Monday, we braved the mall and a few stores in Des Moines. Every year I tell myself to get the shopping done early and every year I forget. I really hate the crowds of holiday shopping!! We had Hayes with us--it has been some years since we did any shopping with a toddler and you really don't get to shop much. We did go inside every ice fishing tent they were selling at Scheels.

Last night Layne spent some time going through grandma's old jewelry and things. She came up with some interesting glasses for her and Pedro!! Pedro looks very smart in the photo.

Today (12/23), we had lunch in Pella with Krystal--another former Fusion player of ours. She was actually on the last Fusion team Heath coached. It was a great lunch with lots of laughing......

It seems there is another photo of Heath and Krystal in this same pose and we wanted to update that photo also.

So, it is only Tuesday evening and we have had the pleasure of seeing so many already. We are going back over to Pella this evening for dinner--mostly with the Fusion adult players. I promise to take more photos and TRY to get on here again tomorrow.

I know it has been a hectic few days for us--but I will never regret taking the time to spend with family and friends.

Tori

Smokey Row

We will be having a small reunion/gathering at Smokey Row in Pella on December 21. We wanted to try and see as many people as we could while we are back in Iowa and with the help of a wonderful friend/former Fusion player, Nicki Bogaard--we have this plan. We will be at Smokey Row in Pella from noon until 4ish. Please stop in at any time. You may also want to call first if the weather is bad. 719-494-6629 (my cell) or 719-433-3802 (Heath's Cell)

We hope to see you on Sunday.

Tori, Heath and Layne

Holiday Parties

Last Thursday was our USA Volleyball staff holiday party. It was a wonderful (cold) evening and we had a lot of fun. It is fun to dress up and go out for the evening. This photo by Bill Kauffman! :)

The photos below is me with several of the girls I work with--they are great!!

I am just throwing this one in--I caught Layne reading and Pedro snuggling up behind her. She has been reading the Twilight series and I hardly even see her in the evenings. She just started the 4th book and I am glad she will be done soon--I miss her.

Sunday we headed to Westcliffe to the annual girls cookie party at Theresa Pingel's mountain house. It is really beautiful there--so peaceful and quiet. We enjoyed some great food, decorated some awesome cookies and had a little gift exchange.

This is Adrienne (she works with Heath) and I had to get a photo of her gingerbread snowman. She claims he has on a hat, but I totally think it was a toupee.

Me and Babs!!

My other favorite cookie of the day--Barbara's gingerbread man and his expression, it's like he knows he will get eaten!!

We are getting ready for some winter weather tonight (12/8/08) and we are hoping for a snow day or a delay would be nice. No matter what happens tomorrow, it will be gone by Wednesday.

The Perfect Holiday Card Photo

So, we spent a few hours during our Thanksgiving break trying to get the perfect photos for our Christmas card. These are some of the rejects............... Enjoy!!

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I loved having a few days off--it was amazing. I wanted to share a few photos (I actually didn't take one picture when everyone was over). These few photos will show the set table (thanks Layne) and some AFTER shots of the freshly painted main floor.


This is our TV/family room and the kitchen is located right behind. Very nice and open--I don't feel so left out when making meals and the other two are watching TV. (Heath is going to give me some crap for that comment--he actually does a good bit of cooking.) Can you find Pedro in the photo below??? :)

This is a good shot of the table set for Thanksgiving dinner and our trusty piano in the background.

This would be me during my Thanksgiving day meal preparation--yes I was pooped. So, the kitchen will be our next project and I can't wait. We plan to tile the floor, paint and get new counter tops and appliances (eventually).

Sorry that I didn't get more photos of the day. I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to do a little relaxing or shopping--whichever you prefer.

Tori