Thursday Thirteen~Letter N

13 Things About Me (& My Family) Beginning with the Letter 'N.'

1. New Year's Eve~Jeff and I have been together for 10 New Year's Eves, and we have never gone out on that night. Both of us actually prefer to stay in on that night. We all know a whole lotta drinkin' goes on that night, and I prefer not to take any chances. Now that we have kids, it is really fun to stay in, and have some fun family time. This year we partied it up with our kids, and at 9:00 pm we pretended it was midnight. Here are some pics from our night...

We had snacks/appetizers for dinner, and the kids really seemed to like this. Check out their fun party hats.

Meghan was cute in her little hat. it even matched her jammies!

The kids surprised Daddy with some silly string. We had to ring in the New Year right. :-)

Daddy got them back with a whole lotta tickling.

Ali was thrilled with her jammies that matched her American Girl Doll, and she posed for a priceless photo.

2. Nachos~My kids love to eat nachos the way my mom made them when I was a kid. You put the chips down on a plate, put slices of American cheese on top, and then you add some salsa. Heat them in the microwave, and then top them with sour cream. Simple and tasty. When I was a kid, my mom would also put some chopped green onion on from time to time, but my kids wouldn't go for that yet.

3. Nursery School~Ali & Josh have both gone to the same nursery school, which we actually call preschool. Josh just graduated from there last week, and now I probably won't have another child there until September of 2010 or 2011. I can't figure out if I will send Meg one year or two. Anyway, here is a picture of Josh at school this year. This was on a day that they had a pajama party, and his little friend is sharing her blanket with him, because we forgot to take his. Oops!

4. Nora Roberts~I adore her books! Many of her books have a touch of mystery, a dollop of romance, and a heap of wonderful characters...this is a recipe for a great story. I can't even say that I have a favorite Nora Roberts story, since I love them all so much. I don't even think I have ever read one that I did not like. Amazing! She rocks! The Lifetime channel has made several of her novels into movies. Most of them are good, but they are never quite as good as the book itself. Something is lost in translation.

5. Nintendo Wii~We got one for Christmas from my mom this past year. My son plays it constantly, and I have to tell him no quite often. It does make for fun family time though.

6. Naturewood~My kitchen is done in the Pfaltzgraff Naturewood pattern, which is one of Pfaltzgraff's top 5 patterns. I fell in love with this pattern right before we got engaged, and I was very blessed to get tons of it for our wedding shower. Most of it came from my three aunts that threw the shower, and I think of them fondly when I pull out a cool piece they gave me. Here are a couple Naturewood pieces I would still like to add to my collection.

7. Nieces & Nephews~Jeff and I have 3 nephews and 2 nieces. Sadly, we only live close to 1 nephew and 1 niece.

8. Nightgown~I prefer not to sleep in nightgowns. I always feel like I am getting wrapped up in them. I'm much more of a 2-piece pajama girl.

9. Neiman Marcus Dip~This is something my mom makes, and it is quite tasty. All you do is mix together the following ingredients...

1 1/2 pounds bacon, fried and crumbled
4-6 green onions, cut fine
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 little packs of pecans, chopped
Miracle Whip (enough to moisten and bind)

...and then you enjoy it over crackers. So tasty!

10. Naps~Ali & Josh don't take naps anymore, but Meggie, who is 2, still does. I love when I get to curl up with her in her bed and snooze right along with her. I hope she continues to let me do that with her.

11. North Carolina~I used to live in Charlotte, NC. My parents were living there, and I needed to move home for a bit. It is such a beautiful area. We actually lived right by this church...

It is Calvary Church. Isn't it beautiful? For Christmas one year all my mom wanted was for us to attend Christmas Eve service there, and it was a wonderful service.

12. Netflix~I love Netflix!! Especially since I learned that we can watch movies on the computer. I set the kids up with the laptop, or we all curl up in front of the laptop and watch a movie together. Quite nice! I especially love when they fall asleep in my arms watching a movie. So snuggly!

13. Nilla Wafers~There was a time when I couldn't get through the grocery store without stuffing Nilla Wafers down my young daughter's throat. This was back when I was only a mommy of one, and little Ali wasn't always a peach to shop with. I swear Nilla Wafers helped me keep my sanity!! I wish it were that easy now. ;-)

Join in on Thursday Thirteen, and don't forget to check back next week, when I look at the letter 'O'...it should be an outstanding time! ;-)