Lenny's 48th Birthday Dinner

My Love is 48 years old!  When I sit and reflect, it amazes me how fast the years are flying by.  I knew that we had to take him somewhere extra special this year.  Somewhere he had never been. 

In Regency, there is a Japanese restaurant called Kobe Steakhouse.  The chefs prepare your food on a grill right at your table.  They set the grill ablaze, Make beating hearts out of rice,  Volcano's out of stacked onions then turn it into a choo choo train, catch bowls of fire in their hats, and even toss shrimp in the air for you to attempt to catch in your mouth.  As the chef started preparing our meal, the smell was intoxicating!  .. and the taste?  AMAZING! 

Daddy and Daughter Mariah

Me and My Birthday Boy

Lenny and Mariah eating the soup ... Yummy!

Cousins- Jesse and Jacob

The best soup in the world!

Jacob said that this is the best soup he has ever had in his whole life!

Our Chef

Beating heart of Rice

Lenny enjoying his meal

Jacob desperatly trying to figure out his chopsticks.  He did a great job!

Volcano

Choo choo train

It was so entertaining to watch the chefs prepare our meal for us. There was so much food to try!  They Started us off with soup and then a Japanese inspired salad.  Next came the main dishes we ordered and they where cooked to perfection!   As our meal was coming to an end,  a lady came out banging on a gong and started walking in our direction.  When she came near our table she pulled out a large Happy Birthday sign and stood behind my husband.  Our chef pulled out a camera and told my husband that on the count of three to shout Bonsai.

One... Two.... Three... Bonsai!! 

They took the picture and gave Lenny a piece of cheesecake with a candle in it.  It was very special and the cheesecake was soo yummy!  

We had such a great time at dinner!  It was so entertaining and the food was fantastic.  Happy Birthday my Love.   I pray that it was the best one yet!

Skating in the Old Market

Ice skating!  Something that I used to do everyday was such a faded memory until this last weekend.  Mariah went out on a date night with her boyfriend so we decided to go out for some winter fun.  

In the Old market area, Con-Agera set up an outdoor ice arena.  It was so pretty!  Christmas lights where everywhere and it really looked like an outdoor wonderland.  They set up concession stands with hot coco and nachos!  Jacob was a little timid at first but eventually became a little more brave as the evening went on and Jesse took to the rink like a fish to water.  He was truly a natural.  My husband, Lenny, even skated!  He did so well and did not fall even once! 

The rink was all lit up

concession stands and relaxing areas

My husband Lenny, My son Jacob, and Me

              My Nephew Jesse, Me, Jacob, and Lenny

Jesse taking to the ice

Me helping Jacob around the rink.  He was a little timid but was learning fast.

Jacob and Daddy

Getting the hang of it

Me and My Boo

                       Me helping Jacob around the rink 

After skating,  We walked down through the Gene Lahey Mall and looked at all the Christmas lights.  It was really beautiful.  We truly had a wonderful night.  I can't hardly wait to do it again next year.  Skating outdoors with all of the festive lights and music really put us in the Christmas mood. 

Me

My Husband Lenny

The Boys

Me and My little Man

So pretty!

Galloway Family Christmas Video 2010

We love to make a family video every year and send it to all of our friends and family.  This years made everyone laugh and it was so much fun to make! We are extra happy to be sharing our Christmas with my nephew Jesse whom is staying with us for a few months.  He was elated to be added to our Christmas video.  Mariah, Jacob, and Jesse giggled hysterically when they saw it for the first time. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we did and have a very Merry Christmas!

 The Galloways!

Christmas Decorating!

 Christmas is my favorite holiday.  It is the time of year when I am surrounded by everyday reminders of the day that that GOD broke his silence and sent a Savior into the world to show us the way.  I adore everything about Christmas!  The lights, the music, the smells, and you just can't beat all of the yummy food!  Everyone is always a little nicer and everything seams a little more lighter at this time of year. 

After we awoke from our Thanksgiving slumbers, we went straight to work on digging out all of our decorations from their basement solitude. I found things that I had completely forgotten that I had even owned! It was a lot of fun pulling items out that the children had made over the years and remembering back when they had first created them.  Putting up two trees is a tradition is my home.  One in the living room, where all of the children's home-made ornaments hang, and one in the family room that is a lot more formal and decorated with all white lights and crystal snowflakes. 

Now that the decorations are up, we will begin our 25 days till Christmas countdown traditions.  We have a blessing jar where we place a piece of paper in it everyday saying what we are thankful for.  Then on Christmas day, we empty out the jar and read aloud each one and thank the LORD for our blessings this year.  For we know that all good things come from Him.  We also do a prayer chain.  We take construction Paper and make 24 strips.  On each one, we write a prayer request.  On Christmas Eve,  We pray for each request written on the chain.  Our Advent wreath is something that is important to me.  Every Sunday leading up to Christmas,  We light a candle on the wreath.  Each candle has a meaning-  Hope, Love, joy, peace.  Along with the lighting of the candle,  We sing a Christmas song and read a scripture verse.   This way we make sure that Christ is always the center of Christmas.

Tomorrow, we will start our outdoor decorating, but for tonight, a Christmas movie sounds like just the right thing to end such a great day!

My Nephew Jesse and Jacob decorating the children's tree

All done!

Jacob, Jesse, and Mariah

My Entry Way

                                                      

 My Husband putting the star on the Children's tree-   There.  That looks perfect!

Putting the Angel on the formal tree

The kids b the formal tree

Christmas list writing Santa

My favorite!   Manger scene on top of my piano

Fiber-Optic Christmas Village-  The kids favorite!

Shadowlake Towncenter Tree Lighting

Every family has their own holiday traditions that make the seasons special.  Going to see a tree lighting is one of ours.  It is always so wonderful to see perfect strangers coming together and smiling at one another, singing Christmas songs, and every now and then sharing a hug to two. 

This year,  we attended the Shadowlake Town center's Christmas tree lighting.  Besides the fact that it was bitterly cold, it was really nice.  The Papillion high band, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Mr. and Mrs. Frost, Rudolph, The Grinch, and all the Who's from Who'ville where there.

Before the lighting, we stopped in and warmed up at a little restaurant called "Fat Burger".  The kids really enjoy eating there.  I think that they just crave the french fries. :)  After eating it was time for the lighting. 

Lenny-holding our order number at Fat Burger

Mariah, Jacob, and our nephew Jesse

Lenny and I

Santa came in on a lighted horse drawn carriage and did the countdown.  When the tree lit up,  there where cheers all around.  It is really beautiful and our pictures do not do it justice.

Afterward, we ran into my really good friend Angie and her daughters who where also bearing the frigid cold.  It was so great running into them!  Then we snuck into Boarders book store to get some Hot Coco.  (WOW!  They Really know how to make a Hot Coco!  If you have never gotten one, you are missing out!)  We ran into all the Characters and where able to get some great photo ops.  

 It was a really great time!  Hopefully next year, it won't be nearly so cold.  

Me, Jacob, Mariah, and our nephew Jesse

Me, My friend Angie, and Angie's beautiful daughter

The Papillion High School Band

The Christmas Characters arrive!

The Grinch

Rudolph

Me in front of the tree-  All lit up!

My Hubby Lenny and I

Jacob with the Grinch

Me with the Grinch

My Nephew Jesse with the Grinch

Jacob with Mr. and Mrs. Frost

Mariah with Mr. and Mrs. Frost