Posted by Michelle on Jan 1, 2009 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle
We had a low key New Years Eve with our dear friends Mike, Sara and Landon. UNC had a game at 10pm so I had to actually work some but considering our game plan was to just hang out, play games and let the kids be silly, it didn’t matter too much.
I love Hayley playing with Landon. They are so funny together. I think she chased him around the house for like 30 mins and he loved it. At one point, she was laying on the couch and he decided to crawl up and snuggle with her. So much cuteness. She’s so good with him. She’ll make a fine babysitter when she is older.
Hayley nearly crashed at 11:45 but I came up with the bright idea to let her pick out glasses to drink the sparkling grape juice at midnight. So she perked right up and came back with a wide variety of glasses just in time to make it!
Guitar Hero Rock Star:
Boozing it up with pregnant ladies:
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Tags: friends, fun, holiday, photos
Posted by Michelle on Jan 1, 2009 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, More Family
For the fourth year, we charged up the remote cars and carefully carried out the lovely gingerbread creations to the bottom of our steep driveway in the cul de sac.
We summoned our friends next door and then the GINGERBREAD DEMOLITION DERBY commenced.
Four-time competitor Purple car was joined by three-time participant Silver and a surprise entry of a jeep driving by a stuffed Elephant joined the attack force. The gingerbread houses put up a good fight but the cars again prevail and the kids finished the job by stomping on the remains.
Yes we are strange people but we love making gingerbread, we just don’t like eating it so why not have some fun with it!
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Tags: crafts & cooking, family, friends, fun, gingerbread demo derby, holiday, photos
Posted by Michelle on Jan 1, 2009 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, More Family
We continued our family tradition of making gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve. Obviously you can’t destroy them if you don’t make them but of course that’s for Xmas day. We started about 10pm after being next door for the annual Christmas Eve celebration at the Renfroes. Good times was had by all and I love that we have these traditions with friends and family each year.
As usual we made a huge mess of it but that definitely is part of the fun. We didn’t try the 2nd floor like last year but did two side by side ones – of course one wouldn’t stay together until we made some super sticky paste royal icing.
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Hooray for messy hands!
Tags: crafts & cooking, family, friends, fun, gingerbread demo derby, holiday, photos
Posted by Michelle on Dec 18, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle
Tonight was amazing! I took Hayley to the UNC game to see Tyler Hansbrough become UNC’s all-time leading scorer. My dad got us seats four rows behind the UNC bench.
Not only did we get to see a fun game and see Tyler break UNC legend Phil Ford’s scoring record set 30 years ago but Hayley got to chat with and take photos with Phil Ford and Tyler’s dad. They were all sitting really near us and were just as nice as could be to her.
Phil Ford, one of my childhood hero’s – three-time all-american, two-time ACC player of the year, national player of the year, 2nd pick in the NBA draft, NBA rookie of the year, gold medal Olympic team! What makes me smile is thinking how much Hayley loves Tyler and knowing that I was about her age when Phil set this scoring record. Nice to be able to share something that like – I hope she can take her daughter some day to see whoever breaks Tyler’s record, if it is ever broken.
Oh and if you guys see this, thanks to my husband and some colleagues at InsideCarolina who took over my duties tonight on so we could go to the game!
Hayley with Phil Ford, now an assistant with the Bobcats:
Hayley with Gene Hansbrough, Tyler Hansbrough’s father:
You can see the side of Hayley’s head here as Tyler comes out of the game:
You can see my light blue and navy striped shirt here on THE record breaking shot:
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Tags: fun, photos, sports, unc
Posted by Michelle on Dec 16, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle
I love Peppermint Bark and I had a good version of it not long ago so I tried to find a way to duplicate it. We started with a recipe for double chocolate peppermint bark that I found at the fabulous instructables.com.
The version I’d had not long ago had some small cookie pieces in it so we decided to mix in oreo crumbs (like you’d use to make a pie crust, not actually from cookies) into the dark chocolate part too.
Hayley and I had a blast destroying candy canes in the mini-cuisinart. We had some small snafus but it was fun and of course when you let a child bake, mistakes can happen.
Despite the small problems, it came out looking great and tasted even better! We can’t wait to share it with some friends (and make more!)
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If you try it – we learned white chocolate melts way quicker and that the time between dark layer on the bottom being dry enough to put the next layer down was 10-13 mins. Basically it shouldn’t be able to slide in the pan at all.
Tags: crafts & cooking, fun, recipe
Posted by Michelle on Dec 9, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle
We had so much fun making the Halloween wreath we decided to make a Christmas wreath. Joann’s was having a huge sale so we hit them up and grabbed a light up wreath and supplies. Hayley picked all the items, I love wandering through stores with her.
We got out our hot glue gun and got busy. Hayley selected which ones to use and lined up things the way she wanted them and I made sure they didn’t hit the lights too much.
The result was lovely and all for $17!
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Related post:
Making our Halloween wreath
Tags: crafts & cooking, fun, holiday
Posted by Michelle on Dec 5, 2008 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, More Family
I didn’t have time to take photos during Thanksgiving because I was cooking (and eating, watching football, sleeping, eating, you get the idea) but I took some the next day at the house and stable before Jeff’s family left.
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Tags: family, holiday, sports
Posted by Michelle on Dec 4, 2008 in Hayley
Salem Students and Parents,
We were thrilled with this year’s Reflections Submissions. WOW, we received a record number of entries (more than 6 times what we got last year). It is so fun to see our Salem Students’ talent and
creativity. Thank you for entering. All of you will be invited to a special breakfast after the holidays (details TBA) where we’ll display and return the projects.
The school’s judges (teachers and staff) were allowed to choose 24 projects to send to the Wake County level. Below are the students who were school winners:
Hayley Hillison
(I removed the other names…)
—
She didn’t win on the County level but that’s ok! We are so proud her for her hard work and winning at the school level!! We don’t know which photo it was but we’ll post when we do.
Related post: Hayley’s amazing photography entries for Reflections contest
Tags: crafts & cooking, school
Posted by Michelle on Dec 2, 2008 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle
I’ve just started this and will be adding more soon.
Back by popular demand, the Xmas list for the family. Please let me know if you get something for Hayley on this list so we can mark it off (which means that things with the strike through them are already taken). Call or email me at michelle@hillison.com.
Hayley:
— Wii Game – Guitar Hero with Guitar
— Wii Music Game
— Slippers, size 2. Something cute and funny.
— Ice Dig
— Mayan Dig
— Rock House Guitar for Girls DVD – she’s getting an electric guitar so this would be great.
— Electric Guitar for kids DVD One: Getting Started – ditto
— Meade Telescope
— Electric guitar and amp
— Webkinz – Chipmunk, Deer, Seahorse, Squirrel, Sea Otter, Orca, Clownfish.
— Gift cards – iTunes – she’s getting a new ipod so these would be great.
— Gift cards – Limited Too and Abercrombie & Fitch kids for clothes
— Gift cards – Target for a new bike she wants.
— Cocoa – she loves Ghirardelli double chocolate cocoa. she’d love a cute cocoa mug I bet too.
— Breyer horse figurines – she likes the ‘traditional’ and ‘classic’ lines. (but not the plush, pony gals, wind dancers or mini-whinnies lines).
— Bendaroos
Please no other stuffed animals if possible than webkinz. We are drowning in stuffed animals.
Also no need to get any DVDs, we get them all as they come out for free. Thanks for understanding!
Michelle:
— Hero Hot Dog Steamer
— UNC hat
— CD: Very Best of The Spinners
— UNC canvas. Etsy rocks, it is all handmade items from sellers. However you have to have a paypal account to buy from there – paypal is simple, it is just a way to pay for items online using your credit card, without having to give your credit card out to smaller vendors. Ask Jeff worst case 🙂
— Letter H typewriter key necklace – More from etsy, in notes add to change it to a 24 inch chain.
— Ice Cream maker
— Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
Jeff:
— Battlestar Galactica Season One (the new series)
— The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two B
— The Complete Peanuts 1967-1968
— Star Wars Force Unleashed for the Xbox 360
Tags: holiday
Posted by Michelle on Nov 19, 2008 in Hayley
We woke up this morning to a distinctly colder temperature. The kids even got some flurries at school. I was messing with my camera phone and took some cute photos of Hayley in her adorable hat and scarf. (And yes, she picked out that completely unmatching shirt and pants – and then insisted on sleeping in it. That’s 10 for you.)
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Tags: school
