sharing our christmas

My Christmas actually dragged out longer than most!! Christmas eve I went to LaRee's house and played all day long!! We had so much fun playing games, eating and watching the young ens run around!I didn't get home till after midnight! Christmas morning I slept till 9:30!! I have NEVER slept that late on Christmas day!! It felt GREAT! Then I headed up to my Aunt D's house! Had a yummy meal with family then we played games for the afternoon. Headed home about 4 and enjoyed some peace and quiet till the Dr Who Christmas Special came on BBC America! LOVED watching that!

Yesterday the boys came home from their dad's and we got to have OUR family Christmas!!! We opened presents had a wonderful ham dinner and played with our new toys till way to late at night! Here are some photos of our Christmas season!



This is Chris with his new fedora! He loves them and was so happy to get it!!



This is my tree snow globe. This actually has a VERY long history behind it. When I was young (really young), I got a snow globe like this for Christmas. This kid I knew BROKE it on my bathroom floor and I was crushed! I got another one I think the next year and that one broke as well. A few years ago. I saw this snow globe at bath and body works and nearly BAWLED when my boys gave it to me for Christmas! It never gets put away with the Christmas decorations. It stays in my cabinet all year round!

This is our tree this year. We are moving in a few weeks and I really didn't want to put out all our decorations and just have to pack them again so we did a small tree with just a few decorations. Easy to put up AND take down!

Sparky got a new ball and a bone!

This is my aunt and my cousin Kendra!! Love them so much!

Chris and his new hat again!

This is my favorite. This is bugs face at the moment he saw his new bike from Santa! Huge hit and he was so surprised!!!!

Fun Blog

I have a friend from highschool that started a blog that I JUST love. she is very creative and has givine me more than ONE idea I want to try!!

http://dangerouslydomesticjen.blogspot.com/

Go take a looksie!

I just know it happened this way

LOVE this season

I really do love this season. The lights, the carols, the presents, the family, the meal, the laughter the love. This year ( not really by choice at first) we are focusing on the LOVE part of Christmas. I mean isn't that what Christmas is about? The LOVE God felt for us. So much love in fact that he gave us Jesus, his ONLY son. I don't know about you but I would do anything humanly possible for my children, NOT give them away. This Christmas is not all about the gifts, or the tree, or the carols. Its going to be about my family, the love of Christ, my love for others. I am cutting way back on gifts. I only put up a four foot tree (cuz i am NOT unpacking and packing everything this year) I am not baking goodies, I am not doing parties, we are not doing major gifts, and some who have received gifts from us in the past may not this year, OR they may be home made.

At first I was worried about all we would miss out on. But as the season has progressed my stress level has completely declined. And if we don't make it out to see all the best lights in town so be it. I only had three goals: put up the little tree, get the gifts I am getting, and mail out Christmas Cards. I have THREE gifts left to get and we are finishing up the cards tonight, so right now I am winning! lol.

I realize that the main reason for downsizing is the fact that we are moving pretty much right after the holidays, but the fact that I am enjoying it is amazing!

Merry Christmas everyone.

Inpector Gadget

Yesterday mid morning (11) me and the boys met my Realtor and the home inspector at the house to do a thorough inspection of the building. He spent FOUR hours with me showing me how things work and what its all for and all the little things that need to be done. There really is not much at all. Building up a little more grade around the side of the house and using water guards on the rain gutters. That's the MOST pressing thing that needs to be done. He said that the house is in his top 5 percent of homes he has inspected! He said were are getting an amazing house! What a relief! I was just so impressed with how patient he was explaining so much of all the mechanics and answering all my questions no matter how dumb they were. I would recommend him to ANYONE and he even does inspections for homes you currently live in. So if you have something amiss and just need to find out why or what to do he is the man to call. I took a ton of his cards for my office.

My boys came with me to the inspections because they hadn't even seen it yet! We did not want to dilly dally on making an offer since its such a good by so I hadn't had time to take them through it yet. The loved it! They picked out their rooms and I picked out paint colors in my head. The house was well taken care of, but it needs a GOOD scrubbing, and new paint. Good thing is I can paint while I live there. Take one room at a time. I will struggle a bit with the main parts of the home since its vaulted ceiling so may have to hire someone to come help with that but other than that we will be good to just move in! The master bedroom has one nasty stain but that can be replaced in the next couple years.

As we were leaving the house we met the next door neighbors who were playing out in the front yard in the snow. We already know them!! The Lady is Christopher's favorite teacher from 7Th grade!!!!! How nice to know that we will have such nice neighbors! Her husband already gave Chris the job of blowing his snow which is just fine with Chris! AND I have also found that another friend lives a few blocks away! Now to just get my house rented!

Now to get my mom moved!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed that she can retire soon!

Today I am cleaning house and doing some laundry. Also want to finish up the Christmas cards I started so that I have them ready before I need to pack my scrap area!

Have a good Saturday!

Happy Black friday!!!!

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family!! We ate (way to much) and we played may I till way to late in the evening! Then home for snuggles with the boys and some Christmas shows! Love this season! Here are some photos from our day!



My lovely 92 year old grandma



My sweet cousin Kendra




and the bird...yummmmm.

I am not in any way celebrating black Friday! Just hanging out with the boys till we go meet the inspector at the new house me and my mother are buying!!!!! Anyone know someone looking for a house to rent or buy!!!???

Then its home to do some laundry and quick tidy up then we honestly are going to play just dance till we drop. Not only do we need the exercise because of yesterdays amazing dinner but, also because after it stopped snowing and the sun came out the temps dropped to below zero and its just WAY to cold for the boys to spend any time outside playing. SOOO the energy level in this house is making the doors and windows bulge. I figure dancing is a great way to use up some of that energy!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Have a great rest of the weekend!!

New Home

On the blog I mean. Giggle. I have moved my blog from typepad to blogger just because honestly didn't want to pay for it anymore. AND I love all the blogger backgrounds you can get. I felt left out so I just decided to change! I will be changing and rearanging this new blog till I get to where I like it. The pictures from typepad imported a little wierd but I am not going to mess with them! It will be fun to "play" with it! Thanks for checking it out! Make sure to change it on your blog if you link mine and to also change it on your favorites!

I'm not minding this at ALL!!!

Beautiful snowy day today!!! I am glad we don't have anywhere we need to be today and so happy its snowing!! Hard to believe isn't it?! But so glad to have a warm house with a yard for the boys to go out and PLAY!! Huge snow flakes started falling and they just HAD to get out there! I grabbed my camera and the new surprise hats I got for them and out we went (well only me for a while to take photos. I have had a head cold for the past few days and did NOT want to make it any worse than it already is!!!)!

NEW hats!!

 

 
 
 
 
and even sparky was frolicking!!!
 

Guess who was the first one in from the cold???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So fun to get the groove on!

For those of you who don't know my son is trying to raise money for his school trip to Washington D.C. this summer. I told him I would donate ten $100.00 photo shoots for the first 10 people who scheduled a shoot up till May 31. They have to book in the month of November for those shoots to count though. So I had the first shoot yesterday with the first family who signed up for one of my Fundraising Photo Shoots!! DARLING family!! So freaking cute!!! Here are just a few that I have messed with!! Thank you Christy for donating to my son's trip!!

I have had LOTS of interest in the shoots so get them while there is still some spots left!!!

Pumpkins a plenty

My kids decided this year that they were NOT going to go trick or treating. They wanted to pass out the candy and decorate the yard. I was ok with that since I wouldn't have to pay for costumes! First was Pumpkins.

 

Then decorations!

 

 

 
And of course since we were not trick or treating Taylor had to make us all a treat!

 

Retreat

The weekend before I went to Burley for the family party we had our bi annual retreat. We so much fun! Well I guess I know I had fun, and I hope the rest of everyone else did too. We ate good, slept bad, and laughed about all kinds of things, even farting. Not everyone was privy to that conversation but those of who were our lips are sealed!

 
 

I love being a part of these retreats. Its so nice to be able to provide a stress free weekend for woman crafters who need to get away from everyday life. I am glad we can help them relax for a weekend. It never seems like enough time though! Guess that's why we are doing them TWICE a YEAR!! Next one is in April of 2011!! Can't wait!

whew

Boy October was a busy month!!! November is already here and Christmas is just around the corner. But I have YET to share our Halloween!! So here is some!!

A few weeks ago me and boys headed to Burley for a quick trip. Danelle organized a family party for us and we all met up at a local straw maze! I had so much fun!!! Ok WE had so much fun! The boys thought it was great and I even had a hard time not laughing and giggling like a little school girl! We had most of the family and cousins there. First time in a LONG time.

 

After the straw maze we headed to Albion to Danelle's house and had a build your own taco bar and yummmmmmmy treats everyone had brought to share. After dinner all the "teens" started playing Just Dance 2. They were having so much fun and the adults actually got into the act. Yes I did dance and NO it was not pretty!! Hit my sister in law in the head with the WI remote! Sorry Sally!!!

 

Friday!

Its here! really here! Last night I woke up thinking YEAH its saturday I don't have to get up when the alarm goes off. Course then I remembered that no it WAS not Saturday and that's why I think this day has been weird. Allergies, cranky, tired, stomach ache.

Lots to do this weekend. Going to be packing up for the retreat and getting the house cleaned and laundry done! Wahoo.....

Hope you all have GREAT Friday!!

Time sure does go by fast the older you get!

Sorry guys I really didn't mean to not blog for so long. I have just had some REALLY busy days at work and so much other stuff going on that the blog once again took a back seat. There are some wonderful things that could possibly happen that I can't share yet but I am hoping and praying that this wonderful thing truly happens. If and when it does I will be able to post about it, but for now its really consuming every bit of me and even after the wonderful thing is over I still have so much going on!! lol

The retreat is NEXT weekend!!! WHAT!? Yes it sure crept up on me fast! Apparently two ladies can not make it so their spots are open if anyone is interested!

On the 27th my office is hosting a breast cancer awareness tea for ladies ONLY. Fun door prizes and pink goodies!!  I am also trying to get that planned and ready.

The only thing I really feel good about right now at this very minute? My coffee ( full of yummy chocolate hazelnut creamer) and my kitchen is clean. There is always something in my kitchen not clean, the floor, the stove, dishes in the sink from the boys cereal etc. Bur right now at this minute its clean. Of course by the time I get home from work tonight it will be a disaster again. ugh. lol...

I am really hoping this "wonderful" thing happens so even though I may not be able to tell you all about it yet will you send good thoughts our way??????

sorry folks

I'm at work today but still not feeling great. Have no inspiration to post so I will leave you with a photo.

wait. don't have one of those either.

owell....

 

the ick

Not feeling any better today. Actually worse. Chills, fever, tummy yuck. Been sleeping and resting and hoping that I feel better soon.

I took some photos of my mother in law and her husband last weekend. Here are a few of my favs and a sneak for her!

 

 
 

Well I am awake.

Its nearly 7 and I sit at the computer in the dark while the kids still slumber in my jammies (they are not in my jammies, I am). I do NOT feel well. Did not have a great night and still having stomach pains and nausea. I am hoping its not the flu. Darla is off today to volunteer at our kids school, and I have to go in, so I am trying to suck it up and just handle it. I really need to get in the shower and get the boys moving. I just really don't care! lol.

While I sit here drinking mint tea hoping to settle my stomach, I am also reading some blogs. Here are some of the blogs I am looking at.

http://missfancypants.typepad.com/little_miss_fancy_pants/2010/08/fancy-this-ric-rac-flowers.html#showToolbar

http://www.michellelanning.com/

http://scrapendipity.blogspot.com/

http://karlastudio5.typepad.com/karla/

http://flwblog.blogspot.com/

http://forcedoptimism.blogspot.com/

http://www.sassafras.typepad.com/

Ok now I really need to move. Still have a dishwasher to unload, kids to get ready, me to get ready, laundry to change, dog to feed, oh crap never mind, I think I will crawl back into bed. lol. night everyone.

seattle sneak

This last june when we were in seattle visiting my mother we went to pike street market place and believe it or not saw something I have NEVER seen there before and apparently its a HUGE deal. It sure looked like a huge deal. The GUM WALL!!!!

my kids were not all that impressed!!!

 
 

unfortunatly none of us were chewing gum so we couldn't share! lol

stench

I have a neighbor (well not directly a neighbor, he lives down the street and around the corner) who likes to use is fireplace in the fall and summer. Now we all know how that smells. A little like cam fire minus the bugs right? Not his!!! For years this guy has burned only heaven knows what in his fireplace. Either pre treated lumber, garbage, tires, or automobile oil. Maybe even a combination of any of those. It is seriously gross and it was sooo bad this morning that you could smell even with all the doors and windows closed. When I got in my car and turned on the heater the smell came in. I just left to grab lunch and its STILL there when the vents come on. It is the most acrid horrible smell and I have no idea what the rest of the neighborhood thinks! Is there any law or ordinance that he his breaking cuz its seriously and ON GOING issue. I seriously want to call the cops but don't want to be the bratty neighbor if there is no reason!!! ACKKK what to do????

Anyway....

Here is the bag i made this weekend!!!

 
I made two at a time and they are almost the same and so I decided to take the second one to the retreat for my auction item!!!

one more weekend gone!

Boy this weekend went FAST! Had a quick trip to Burley for a stampin up party and a photo shoot for my mother in law. Home Saturday afternoon and sunday we watched football, marmaduke AND letters from Juliet. During all those I did laundry and made an ADORABLE tote for my lunches at work (or whatever really!)!

So glad the Bronco's won yesterday!!! They beat the Seahawkes! Rock on......

 
 

I have been thinking about ALL the blogs I love to read, then I think of ALL those blogs I never post on! So I have a challenge for you! Post to FIVE blogs today! I don't care who's they are or what they are about just post! It makes the author feel good and keeps them posting all those posts you like!!! Ready SET GO!!!

Don't worry I am doing it too!

odd

If there was a contest among my professional friends for the strangest office phone call I would totally win after the phone call I got yesterday afternoon. The phone call wasn't on my line actually it was for the other agent in the office who is not only a professional acquaintance but also one of my very good friends. Here is how the conversation went.

ring ring

me: Farmers Insurance this is Robin! ( I am always smiling when answer the phone)

him: um, who is this? who did I reach?

me: Farmers Insurance

him: oh, well I am a student in Boise and someone from this number paged me yesterday.

me: ok well that would have been LaRee. Whats your name and I can find out what it might have been about? ( she was out of the office or I would have just asked)

him: well, um this might be funny question but is anyone there planning a bachelorette party?

me: no, not that I am aware of.

him: this may be really strange and I am almost embarrassed to say anything since this is probably a misunderstanding but well....as I said before I am a student in Boise but I am also an um......."entertainer". ( he used the quote marks in the air, I could just tell)

me: oh

me: oh well ( in my mind I was a little more shocked!!)

me: I guess what you are saying is you like to have fun at bachelorette parties? ( sheesh I am dumb)

him: well its not very fun, when you get paid to do it. (whatever!)

me: well I guess you have to pay for college some how? ( I am so shocked by now I am sympathetic???)

him: are you sure no one paged me from this number? ( he repeated it for me, and it was indeed          LaRee's number)

me: I can guarantee it. ( LaRee is a very sweet LDS lady)

him: well ok, sorry to have bothered you have a wonderful day!

me: holy crap you too!

Weirdest thing EVER!!!!!!!!

I win right????? RIGHT!!!??

learning to sew

My kids have been asking for large lounge pillows for awhile. You know, ones they can throw on the floor and watch tv and not worry about them too much. We found cheap fleece at Walmart in their sporty preferences and I MADE them make there own. lol. Actually it was their idea to do it themselves. I supervised and showed them how to start, stuff and I sewed up the open space for stuffing and there you have it!! Big, fluffy, fun, t.v. pillows!

 

 
They both did great and we did it on Sunday so they got to use it while watching football! Timing could not have been better!

 

Oh my word

Wow. We spent the entire day without internet yesterday!! We closed down the office early because unfortunately we couldn't even processes payments! We finally have internet today but its sloowwwww. Apparently the forrest service cut a line near Boise but only high speed clients were without service. How convenient. I am thinking they put us all on slow speed to do a temp fix. LOl..

Anyway besides the office it messed up Chris's homework because one of his text books is entirely on line! At least he wont be the only one going to school today without his math homework completed!

I will try to get some posting done today with some projects but I have a feeling that I will be VERY busy at the office today playing catch up!!!

Have a good one Ya'll!!!

THANK YOU UNCLE JON!!!!

Thank you to my uncle for helping me put up my new shelves (4) and clothing rod in my closet!!

I spent the rest of the night puting all the stuff back in and i LOVE it!! So nice to have a place to put everything and NOT on the floor!!! YEAH!! Thanks sooo much uncle Jon!