Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year?

Well, we got strep for Christmas, so guess what we got for New Year's?



A stomach bug. Yuck.



Teagan is very sick and I am kinda sick. So we have to skip the New Year's party we were planning on going to this evening. What a bummer.

I am going to go to bed early and try to sleep this off. See you all in 2009.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Crafty Christmas

As you can see, I was a crafty mama this year. Actually, there are a few last-minute things that didn't make it into the picture. But this is the bulk of it. I had a lot of fun creating gifts for our family. It didn't cost as much money and everyone seemed to appreciate their gift.

My only regret... not starting sooner!! I was at my sewing machine for a week straight right in the thick of the season. At least I had finished the knitting ahead of time. I will probably do many homemade gifts next year as well. Maybe I should start planning now though...

Saturday, December 27, 2008

White Christmas


Well, it certainly was a white Christmas this year. We had record snowfalls all month and record cold too, so none of it melted away. The kids have been so excited about the snow, but it's been too cold for them to go out and play. How terrible!

As I mentioned yesterday, it finally warmed up enough on Christmas Day for them to play outside. And it stayed warm enough for them to play outside yesterday too! Woo-hoo!!

Teagan has been blowing all the snow in the backyard into a pile again this year. The kids love it because then they can go sledding, even though we don't have a real hill. The snowpile is bigger already this year than it has been in the entire winter in years past. They are loving it!

Of course, it was 40 + degrees last night and the yard has turned to puddles and mud with a snow island in the middle. No playing out there today, I'm afraid.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Christmas at Our House


Merry Day-After Christmas! I hope you all had a blessed day with those you love!

We had a great Christmas Day. I slept in. Notice I didn't say "we slept in". No, the kiddos were up early. But Teagan is an early riser so he let me sleep. That was a great present. I love my sleep! Anyway, once everyone was up we assembled in the living room. Teagan said a prayer and I read the Christmas story from Luke 2. Then we sang a few carols and finally got to the presents. The kids got some good stuff, mostly practical things.

Hosanna's favorite was the packaging. She just had fun carrying around the gift bags and putting things in them. As always, the "box" is better than the present.
Ruby being the exuberant little kid she is, just loved every single thing! Even the socks were exciting to her. Here she is in the hat I made her.
Jade got another shirt. I made it to look like the pictures she always draws. Her "perfect" shirt, so to speak. She put it on as soon as she opened it and hasn't taken it off!
Kordell, being a 9 year old boy, didn't appreciate anything he got. At least that is how he acted. I know deep down inside he secretly liked his gifts. He just didn't want us to know he liked them. sheesh.
We had cheese fries for lunch and then everyone played outside. It was actually warm enough to play outside!!!! It's been so cold they haven't been able to go out for over a week. So that was a great treat. I baked up a nice ham dinner and we ate on the "good dishes" with candlelight and everything. The kids thought it was funny.

We had such a nice day. The whole Christmas vacation so far has been very nice. The kids made cookies on Christmas Adam (all by themselves!) On Christmas Eve, we spent the day with Teagan's family for the annual gift exchange and snack buffet. Christmas Eve night was the only bummer. Ruby ended up in Urgent Care with strep throat. But so far everyone else is okay. We are gearing up to spend the weekend with my Dad & Karyl and all my step-sibs and their families. That will be fun. I'm preparing some posts to go up while I'm gone so you all aren't lonely here without me. I'll be back for New Year's.

See you then!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Reason

Since today is Christmas, I wanted to share with you the reading I compiled and performed for the church talent show a few weeks ago. Not because I think I did a wonderful job presenting it, because I really didn't even do it justice. No, I share it today as my way of shifting the focus. The cookies are fun, the presents are great, time with family is wonderful, but this is what it's all about. The REAL Reason for this Season. Have a blessed Christmas everyone!


The Reason

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule...over all the earth.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

And Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Scriptures taken from Genesis, Isaiah, Luke & John.
New International Version.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Strep for Christmas

Yup, that's right. I have strep throat. I feel icky and am going back to bed. My Christmas presents are not all going to get done. I'll have to send Teagan to the store for some last minute shopping. Poor guy.

Does anyone know how long strep is contagious?

Do You See What I See?

Because I see cookies! Lots and lots of cookies!

34 dozen cookies plus a batch of fudge, to be exact.

Last Monday was just frigid, so I decided to stay in the house and do my Christmas baking. We baked and baked and baked. Ruby helped with the sprinkles, of course.
And Kordell was the cookie arranger... Kordell Wallace, Cookie (ar)Ranger. Okay, well we thought it was hilariously funny. He was named after Walker, Texas Ranger, after all.
Looks like the Ranger snuck a cookie. Are they allowed to do that?

And, in case you were wondering, NO we did not keep all 34 dozen for ourselves. I had a cookie exchange to go to last week, plus we gave away cookie plates to some of our friends and neighbors. Share the cookie love, man. ;-)

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Winter Celebrations

Last week we got to see what Jade has been doing to celebrate Christmas at school. I mean, celebrate "winter holidays". It is a public school after all. *rolling eyes*

I attended her "Winter Program". Tolerance! Tolerance! Fa la la la la! *ahem* They had arranged a conglomeration of generic celebration songs, Santa songs, Hanukkah songs, Kwanzaa songs, Chinese New Year songs, Los Postadas songs, and oh yeah, a couple of actual Christmas songs. They ended the program with a "why can't we all just get along" song and the music teacher gave this big speech on how we all should be united to celebrate the same thing.... world peace. *rolling eyes again* I wanted to scream. We all should be united to celebrate the same thing! And that "thing" should be JESUS!! I guess I should be happy that they sang Christmas songs at all... *sigh*

That same day Jade brought home all her Christmas art projects. And I got a good laugh. The handprint tree was cute and all, but check out the angel with feet and, my favorite, technicolor Santa & Rudolph in his party clothes.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!! I laughed so hard I cried. I can just hear the teachers, watching her work... "she's putting feet on the angel! Is the angel supposed to have feet? What do we do?" "What is she doing to Rudolph?? Oh the horror!" *snicker* *giggle* *snort* What a hoot. I love that kid. She is too funny.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Basketball, Cappuccino, and a Bear

A few months ago, Shelli asked me to share the story of how Teagan & I got together in the first place. Well, today is the day! It's the 13th anniversary of the day we became a couple.

Back in 1995, I was a senior in high school. I went to a teensy little school - 20 in the high school and 3 in my class! But we had a basketball team, and I kept the books during games. Teagan's mom was the basketball coach, and Teagan & his brothers all played. So, we all spent a lot of time together in the school van going back & forth to games. That's where it started. Conversations in the dark, on opposite sides of the back seat. (It was a Christian school you know.) After every game, we went to Culver's. One particular December night, Culver's was shutting down but Teagan, his brother Willie and I were still talking. With permission from his mom, we hopped in the car to hang out around town.

The three of us went to Walmart, Shopko, Kwik Trip (for cappuccinos, of course) and just drove around. Willie mostly listened to his walkman. Teagan & I talked and talked. It was 2 o'clock in the morning when they dropped me off at Grandma's house.

Unbeknownst to me, Teagan smashed up their car on the way home. OOPS! Not my fault...

The next week at school we started hanging out more. It was the last week before Christmas vacation. On Wednesday he slipped me "the note". You know, the note saying "please be my girlfriend". We were in high school. LOL He called that night to get my answer. Of course I said yes. On Friday as we were leaving school, he gives me this huge box. It was a Christmas present. I wasn't supposed to open it until Christmas Day, but I did. Inside was a big squishy teddy bear... one of the bears we had seen at Walmart the week before. Awww...

That's how it all started. We saw each other on the weekends, and sat together at lunch. No one at school knew we were "a couple" for months. We were mostly friends and then we fell in love. And life was forever changed.

So, Shelli, now you know the rest of the story. ;-)

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Busy, Busy, Dreadfully Busy

I am running like a madwoman this week, so forgive my lack of posting. We have 4 things on the calendar just for today! This week has been cram packed! But be patient... I have blog posts coming up! Before Christmas I will be showing you homebaked goodies, crafty presents, and pics of the kiddos too! We'll even take a trip down memory lane. Stay tuned!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Merry Christmas to Me!

I got my Christmas present last week.


Yeah, I'm spoiled.


Actually it's a gift for our family, but since I'm the one who gets to use them, it's really for me.


A member of our family who shall remain nameless bought us the Bosch mixer and the Nutrimill for Christmas. I used my Bosch fund money to order the slicer/shredder and cookie paddles for it.

And there they are.... In MY kitchen!


I was a little afraid to use them at first. But last night I ground up some flour and made cookies. It was great! Today I made 3 big batches of cookie dough to bake tomorrow. Double and triple batches were no match for my Bosch!! It's SOOOOO nice!!!

Birthday Outfit

Just wanted to show you all Hosanna's new outfit that I made for her birthday. I didn't dress her in it for her party because I didn't want to have to wash frosting out of the wool. Anyway, I knit the pants and made the shirt. Doesn't she look so cute?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Happy Birthday Hosanna!

My baby is one today!! I can hardly believe it. Where on earth did the year go?? She is becoming such a delightful little person.

Here are the pictures from her birthday party. We just had a small party. She was such a little ham though. And she was so careful when eating her cake. Like she didn't really want to get messy. I barely had to clean her up afterwards. Anyway...

Monday, December 08, 2008

Coming Soon...

I will post about Hosanna's 1st Birthday Party! I have a ton of pictures to show you, but I am tired and my computer is tired. Tomorrow I will work on uploading. For now, here is a preview.

Oh yeah, it's good to be one!

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Our Thanksgiving

I'm a few days late with this, but better late than never!

This year, the week of Thanksgiving, we made a "Thankful Tree". Each member of the family made handprint "leaves" and we wrote on it what we were thankful for. Kordell made a lovely tree trunk for us.



Thanksgiving Day we spent with Teagan's parents. I didn't realize until almost dinner time that it was Hosanna's First Thanksgiving!! I was still pregnant last year at this time. Here she is, ready to feast...

Giving Daddy some love...

Ruby & her cousin Jacob got to sit at the counter for dinner. They're big kids now.We made sure to have plenty of goodies for Jade. Here she is getting her self some milk. She also had cornbread, mashed potatoes, jello and a little turkey. Mostly just jello.

Kordell and Logan took over the kids table. Looks like it was a hostile takeover...After feasting with the Anthony's we went to a friend's house for an evening of games & snacks. It was a very nice day.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Monday, December 01, 2008

RIP Mr. Blender

Well, I killed my blender today.

I was making this recipe and it started to fade. By the time I added the final ingredients, it refused to blend any longer. I wasn't surprised. I knew it was on it's last leg.

The good news: the pancakes were almost worth it. They were SO yummy!! If I can get a new, more power blender by Christmas, they would be a perfect Christmas morning breakfast.

And now I have more motivation to save my pennies for this beauty...

Photobucket

The Universal Plus Bosch with blender attachment. Oh yeah baby. It's on sale with the Nutrimill right now. Saving my pennies. Rubbing them together.

It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine. ;-)