A blessed Christmas

I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas. Our family had a wonderful day together. Christmas Eve I went and spent time at church with others at 11:00. We sang some carols and had communion together. It was a nice time. Pastor Carey was asking when our favorite Christmas was.

I would have to say that my favorite Christmas was in 2004. It was Kimmie's 1st Christmas. We were living in Republic and our whole world had changed. We now had a baby and we were living in a town where the only people we knew were those from a lifestyle that we no longer lived. Money was tight and we really had nothing to do any shopping for gifts. Although I squeezed out a little to get a Teddy Bear for Kimmie's first Santa present. Our Christmas dinner was tacos, certainly nothing to get excited about. But I had everything I could have ever asked for.

I had a warm home, food to eat, and the most wonderful gift I could have ever received. On Christmas morning when my sweet girl woke up and I went in her room to get her out of bed. I said "Merry Christmas Beautiful" and her response was her beautiful smile. What better gift could a new mom receive.

That's my favorite Christmas and not because I got some wonderful gift that my husband bought at the store or because we had this amazing meal but because it was my most blessed.

I would love to hear about your best Christmas.

2009 Calender

Every year I make a new calendar for Kimmie's Grandmas for Christmas. I usually take each month and put in my favorite picture from that month. This year I really had a struggle getting my creativity flowing so thanks to the help of my wonderfully creative friend we got it done. Actually I have to admit that she did most of it and I am so grateful to her for it.

Oh the weather outside is frightful......

We got a bit of snow last week and then the temps dropped again to those dreaded subzeros with those bone chilling winds. So now we have drifts of snow blowing everywhere.

We were watching that movie The Day After Tomorrow last week and I was thinking how badly that would suck. Larry commented that you would get used to it if an ice age hit us. I really don't think so. I really don't think that I would ever "get used to the cold" if there seemed to be no end to it. I'm quite partial to Summer and the hot weather.

Today I also have to get my last package out in the mail for Christmas. I'll have to do that at lunch. I need to get one more roll of wrapping paper to wrap the things that will be from Santa. I normally wouldn't wrap Santa gifts but Kim informed me that he wraps all the little stuff that isn't to big to wrap. Not sure where she got that but I guess I can go with it.

She did it.

This morning I got up and got ready for church. Kim said she wasn't going with me so I didn't bother trying to get her to get dressed. I was getting ready to leave and I asked our nephew (who spent the weekend with us) if he would like to go with me. He said he would and suddenly Kim wanted to go. She said she would go but she was just watching the program. Fine with me.

We got to church and settled in our seats, Pastor Carey came over to say good morning and asked if Kim was going to be part of the program and to my suprise she said YES. So we hurried down stairs to her classroom where she got her angel costume on with the rest of her class.

She did it. She sang her song and did everything she was supposed to do and had fun. I was so proud of her. Unfortunately I didn't take my camera with me because I didn't expect her to do it. So no pictures to share but atleast I have the memory of it.

Tonight she's supposed to go spend the night at my mom's and make ginger bread houses with her cousin and my Grandma. So I'm going to take advantage of the free evening to get the household chores caught up and the rest of my wrapping finished up.

Only 2 more days of work and then I get a 12 day vacation. I'm so looking forward to sleeping in on Wednesday and spending the day kicking back watching movies, baking Santa cookies and going to the library for story hour. We will have a friend of Kimmie's over for the day as both her mom and dad have to work and they needed somewhere for her to go, so that will be nice.

Well atleast the day wasn't a total loss

We got up this morning and we were supposed to go to dress rehearsal for the Christmas program. Kim was all for going and being an angel until she got out of the shower. Then I had to do some bribing and begging to get her to go. We got to the church and then she decided that she wanted nothing to do with it again. Not only did she not want to be in the program she didn't want to behave either. So we left and came home. I'm so disappointed in her. In her behavior and that she is refusing to be part of the program.

So I needed a break from her and my sister wanted to take the kids to get pics with Santa today. I told her that it was probably a lost cause but if she wanted to try to go ahead. So off they went. She took my mom with her to help with the kids and they got dressed up at the mall.

They were gone for a while when I got a phone call. Much to our suprise Kim jumped right up on Santa's lap and happily told him what she wanted for Christmas....A Cinderella Polly Pocket...and they took the picture. It's not the most perfect picture but getting 3 kids to sit, smile and look at the camera all at the same time is most impossible.



So I guess the day wasn't a complete loss. We'll just have to see how things go tomorrow. Maybe she'll be part of the program but I'm not holding my breath on it.

Count Down to a much needed break

I've had a count down to Christmas break now for over a month and it's finally almost here. I have tomorrow off then work on Friday, then work Monday and Tuesday. Starting Wednesday I have 12 days off. I'm so excited. The company I work for opts to take Christmas Break off instead of having a holiday party. We would all so much rather have the vacation then a party. And we all look so forward to it. So Wednesday Kimmie and I are planning on sleeping in, making cookies for Santa and going to the library in the afternoon for story time. We may have a little friend come over and share the day with us because her daddy has to work. We'll throw in a few Christmas movies and just make a girls day of it. I can't wait.

Do you know how to track Santa's trip on Christmas Eve?

I do. I'm really excited to share this with Kim this year. She's really excited abotu Santa coming this year. She even told me all about her plans to hide in the corner behind the tree so she could see him. When I told her that he would know she wasn't sleeping and wouldn't come she informed me that he wouldn't even know she was there.




So if your kiddo's are excited about Santa's visit this year then they are sure to be excited about watching his trip progress around the world till he gets to your house. Just go to this link to Track Santa.

The Big Story

Tonight was my little girl's first Christmas program. The performed "The Big Story". The whole school was involved. That sounds like it was a BIG production but really there is only 35 kids in her school. I had a battery panic attack before the show started. I took one picture of her and the battery light flashed on my camera. I had to make a 911 call to my sister who was on her way to stop and grab a package fore me. We had a few melt downs prior to the performance starting but once the kids filed in and got on stage she settled in and did great. She was really focused on that microphone. In the end she was very tired and very ready to go home but she did great. I am so proud of her and was so excited for her. It was a great night and we topped it off with dinner at McDonald's and then story time at home.

Did Mary Know?

I was in the car this evening on my way to pick Kim up from a birthday party and on the radio they were talking to the man who wrote the Christmas song "Mary did you know?" I love that song. I could listen to it over and over (and I have even when it's not Christmas time). They asked him where he got the idea for the song and his answer was that when he was a child his mother said something to him about wondering if Mary knew all the amazing things that her son would do. Walking on the water, raising the dead, giving site to the blind, etc....

We know that she knew he would be the savior of man but did she really know all the wonder and amazing things he would do? We all as mothers have dreams and wonder what our children will become. She knew her son was the Son of God and was our Savior. What kind of dreams could she have had for her child with that kind of knowledge?

So here I wanted to share this song with you. I love the version that Kenny Rogers and Wynona Judd does the best.

My Favorite Christmas Movie

This time of year I am truly a kid at heart. I love all the old movies that are on every year. I get excited about sitting down and watching the same shows that were on when I was a kid and now I get to share them with my own. Rudolph, Frosty, Santa's Coming to town. But my all time favorite will always be A Christmas Story. My family laughs at me because I watch it every year. Over and Over. It's not unusual for it to be on ALL DAY on Christmas Eve when they have the Marathon of it for 24 hours on TV.

I'm can't imagine that growing up there wasn't something or some family in your childhood that isn't represented in this movie. I just love the Bupkiss hounds, the Red Rider BB gun, the deranged Easter Bunny costume. And who could ever forget the Chinese turkey and the major award in the form of an elicit leg lamp. And of course what kid wasn't involved in some way or another in a dare to stick a tongue to the flag pole. We all know someone that did it....at least once.

I even bought my self a copy of it DVD just in case there comes a year that it's not on. I don't want to be caught without a chance to enjoy that movie come Christmas Eve.

Christmas Traditions

I was reading today about some peoples Christmas Traditions and it got me thinking about some of ours. Every year as a kid we got new pajamas and we got to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Funny that gift was always those new pajamas. My Mom said it was so that we looked decent in the morning for our "opening presents photos". I have carried on that same tradition with Kim. She gets new Christmas jammies and I have added a new book to the tradition.

The book started with her first Christmas. We were in Republic and I was really having a hard time. Being away from home with a new baby and not knowing anyone. So minister for the church lived behind us and she invited me to Christmas Eve service. So I took Kim and enjoyed the service. For the service they read a wonderful story called the Christmas Bell. It's a great little story about a little girl who finds a silver bell and decides to give it to baby Jesus. After the service was over and we were heading out the door Pastor Barb handed me the book. Now every year since I have picked up a new book for Kim that's not about Santa and presents but instead about the real reason for Christmas and God's love.

So far we've gotten

Mary's First Christmas
The Tale of Three Trees
Room for a Little One
God Gave us Christmas

and this year we are getting Alabaster's Song.

I love being able to sit back and read these wonderful stories with her. And doing it every year makes it even more special.

So what are some traditions that your family enjoys every year? I would love to hear about them

I love this time of year

I love this time of year. The magic and wonder of the Holidays has always got me excited. And now seeing it all through the eyes of my little girl makes it even more magical. She's 4 this year and really understanding what's happening this time of the year. This time a year is also very busy. I'm sure it is for everyone. December for us will be crammed full with 2 Christmas programs and the rehearsals that go with both, caroling with our church, a family holiday outing to see the lights on the lake, finishing up our gift shopping and baking lots of holiday treats. All things that I'm very excited to share with my little girl.

Holiday Meal Must Haves

I was reading over at Siesta Fiesta Blog and they were sharing some Thankgiving recipes. It got me wondering what are some must haves that other people share with their families. Normally with our Holiday meals I do all the cooking. Everyone comes to our house and we share the day. But there are a few things that no matter what else is on the menu have to be made. Like Mom's Pea Salad and Pecan Candied Sweet Potatoes. This year we spent the day with Larry's family so I didn't cook but I still had to write down the recipes for those family favorites for my sister to make.

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Mom's Pea Salad

1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 can petit peas, drained
2 cans tuna, drain
1 bunch green onions, diced
miracle whip

Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces, stir together with peas, tuna and grean onions. Stir in miracle whip, just enough to coat salad. Not to much, it will get goopy and that's not good.

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Pecan Candied Sweet Pototoes

Peal and cut up sweet potatoes. Place in baking dish. Cube 1/2 stick of butter and scatter over the top of the potatoes. Sprinkly with brown sugar and a hand full of chopped pecans.

Bake at 350 till tender.


As you can tell I don't really cook with real recipes. A little of this and a little of that. Atleast with the old family favorites that don't technically have a recipe card to follow.

So what are some family favorites that you have to have every year?

Black Friday

I went shopping this morning for my first ever Black Friday. The darn cat woke me up at 4:15 so I went ahead and got up and headed to Walmart. My niece was the 2nd person in line (she'd been there since 4) so I snuck in with her. The line was already to the other end of the building.

I got in, got a cart and checked my list. I headed to the other side of the store out of the path of the crowd that was behind me. I got everything on my list and was out of there and back home by 6:30.

I was able to pick up playdoh, mega blocks, clothes for Kim, movies and a ton more and only spent $150. I only have 3 more things that I need to get and I'm done.

So now I have a trunk full of stuff that I need to bring in and wrap when Kim is in bed. May be a few days before I can get to that. I am planning to take Kim to the tree of sharing after church on Sunday. I want her to know that Christmas isn't all about what she's getting. But more what we can do for others who are less fortunate.