Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Toasty Fingers Glove Swap

I believe  it is time for a SWAP! I was blog hopping a while ago and came across a great swap. I loved the idea of gloves and goodies.   So I have decided to host my own swap and see what kinds of creative people are out there. Basically it is cold outside so it revolves around gloves and mittens.  Add in some really creative additions and you have a care package to brighten up the cold gloomy days of winter. So what do you think? Would you like to Swap? I have a limit set on the swap. You must spend a minimum of $5 on your package of goodies.  Every package must have at least one set of gloves or mittens. There are so many great winter clearance sales going on right now. I think you might be able to score some great things at a very good price. Also you can make some of your goodies too. I would be really interested to see what you all come up with. How about a knitted beanie? Sugar scrub for your hands? Home made soaps? A nice moisturizer. Let's try talking about other tuck in ideas such as that great book you just finished and want to add to your package or some new slipper socks, a pretty scarf. .. Or some book marks, custom made greeting cards.  How about chocolate?  I am thinking things that make you feel warm inside. Cocoa or tea any one?

Ok so here are the details. If you would like to be part of this swap please leave a comment, on this blog.  If you are reading this from face book, wander on over to my blog and leave a comment. You need to leave me an email address.   After you comment, I will be sending you an email right away, send it back to me with the questions answered and you will be ready to  be paired up. The swap sign up will close on January 5th.   I will then send you an email with some details about your partner on January 6th.
   All packages need to be sent out by January 12th.  You will be required to email me when your package has been sent out and when you receive your package as well.
Also I would encourage you to blog about your goodies and send thank you notes to your partners.

Time Line Recap:
Swap entry closes January 5th
Partners emailed  January  6th
all packages need to be sent  out by January 12th

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Oh, December you are going by too swiftly!


I have not been able to sit and blog much between the snow, cookies, baking, Christmas activities including all of the shopping and wrapping etc. And I have been making pots of hot cocoa for the kids like none other. I learned a while back to run plain old water through my coffee pot and when the kids come in they are all ready to go, just pour some hot water into their cups and they are warm in no time! 

Skye puppy loves the snow too, for short periods of time. She loves to rub her face in it and then eat it!

  Our tree is pretty much all decorated with hand made paper decorations. Elyssa and I are doing a Little House on The Prairie curriculum this year and we decided we wanted to make all of the ornaments.  But just when you think it is going to be all home made looking and you pull out all of the lights and only 2 strands work. You don't have any other choice except to pull out the rope light sitting under one of the kids beds and throw that on the tree too. 
 Skye loves the popcorn garland and we have caught her a few times munching on it.

This has to be one of my all time favorite photos! My beautiful ADVENT house all decked out with Lego mini figs. I knew it would only be a matter of minutes from the time I got out the Advent house before the kids started to fill it up with little Lego people. 

Let the cookie pics begin! Oh my, we had fun doing cookies this year. As a matter of fact instead of doing 1 huge cookie session. We had 2! Some of the cookie decorating ideas came from blogs that I follow or from pictures in magazines but most of them were our own. 



Me, creating my signature snowman cookie.


These pics are from the second round of cookie madness.



I am trying to keep everything as low key as possible this year. Of course there will be baking and shopping and wrapping, all combined with the normal dishes and laundry. But I am not going to stress that every single person I know, did not get cookies and I pledge to leave some behind this year for my family! And I will make fudge again, but if it doesn't turn out, I'll not freak out, but frost some pumpkin bread with it. This year I want to focus on the real meaning of CHRISTmas!

Merry CHRISTMAS Everyone!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

I have just discovered Wordle!

Have you ever used Wordle before? I stumbled upon it today and I feel like I have a brand new toy to play with.
This is the first thing I created I am excited to print it out and frame it. First I have a bit of playing around to do. If you get a chance check out Wordle.net  for your own fun. You won't be sorry I promise!

Wordle: True Christmas

Sunday, December 12, 2010

16 WONDERFUL years



Today is our 16th wedding anniversary!
I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. It seems like only yesterday that we renewed our vows. 
I think a picture post is in order.

 November 13, 2010

Early November 2010

October 2010

July 2010, After15 years I finally got him to paint my toenails!
( it was only because I was exhausted and could not reach my feet)


He taught me how to weld Spring 2010

We renewed our wedding vows December 12, 2009

Tattoos, November 22, 2009

Waiting for our Tatts

 Halloween 2008

Our Tree

Alpine Loop Ride, Fall 2008


Checking to see if his temp gun works, his crazy hair, my patience!

2008

2008

 August 2008

July 2006

Monday, December 6, 2010

November photos of the month post

Well it is the second week in December and I am finally going to post my November photos. I think I am getting back on track with things. 


We have been graced with spectacular sunsets, right out our living room window. I love to take photos of the sky, whether it be raining or blue with puffy clouds or rich with striking colors. 


Elyssa is my sculptor. She can sit for hours sculpting with her clay. She made this one afternoon. Sometimes I will let her sculpt while I am reading her literature, portion of her school work, to her. A while back she did a face that looked like Van Gogh. Now she comes up with this cute little parade of penguins. I don't have room in the house to store all of her sculptures so I encourage a catch-and-release type of practice. Sculpt and release!  We are not using a clay that dries either so they are not a permanent type of art. 


The next day this guy showed up. 

I decided to try out a mini photo shoot in the front yard. I hoped that with the leaves and the colors it would turn out great. Although they did not turn out exactly like I wanted them to. I am happy with the results. 







That is all for this month's photos. 

Monday, November 22, 2010

random heavy thoughts part 2 (or something like that)

 I do feel as though I should continue writing. It is my saga (I have a tiny bit of drama queen in me) and I think it will be therapeutic to put into words what has been going on in my head. If it seems too much like I am complaining or whining, I apologize! 

So I had some thoughts that I feel I need to get out and that is why I sit here at 7:30 am writing it out. 
I thought I needed to begin where I feel it all started and see where it goes from there.

Last October a little over a year ago. 
I was helping to plan a wedding, well more accurately I was catering the wedding. A huge affair. One of the biggest weddings I have ever done. Because you see I have only done 2 and they were both really big! Any how there was a ton to be done and I had the most amazing crew ever. I felt like I had everything organized.

I not only did the wedding reception, but also the rehearsal dinner, and helped with the bridal shower as well. Mind you I am not complaining I am just trying to put things in perspective.

Check out these bridal lingerie shower cookies we came up with.   

Then 2 weeks after the big wedding Justin and I renewed our wedding vows and had a large ceremony, which was extremely stressful for me. Happy but stressful! the first wedding was right before Thanksgiving and my ceremony was like 3 weeks later. I had not even thought about Christmas at this point.
Check out these pics
I forgot to mention that between the above photo

 and the photo below, we got our tattoos! Instead of exchanging rings.


Yesterday I grounded my kids, They were forced to clean their rooms. In the meanwhile I got sucked in to helping just a little bit. And in Ashton's Closet there was a gift we received when we renewed our vows. It felt like my birthday! I had no idea it was even there!!! I don't even remember receiving it. Justin just laughed at me. So I really do believe I am or was going crazy.

Eventually Christmas rolled around. Not quite sure how it all went down, I know we apparently survived because I am still here. I don't remember a whole lot about it though.

So during this whole time I was homeschooling my kids. I had the kids enrolled in a virtual academy, using the same curriculum I always had. However the staff at this particular School made things extremely stressful for me! I was constantly upset with them and under a ton of pressure. Needless to say we did not re-enroll with them this year.
Well, as spring of 2010 rolled around I started having heart palpitations and what felt like mini anxiety attacks. I still get a few now and again but basically they have subsided. I went through test after test and even had to wear a heart monitor, but I am in good shape! Nothing wrong here.

During the summer break I was completely convinced that I was going to get my whole house in order and get all of my office/school room/craft room organized. I even got myself started on the fly lady program! Swish and swipe the toilet and sink everyday....shine your sink every night....get dressed to shoes first thing every morning....Monday home blessing hour....
well that lasted until July 18th!

I didn't mention that during this time I also had a major role in planning 4 huge Baby showers!
 Christa had twins, shower was in March.

Natalie had a boy, shower was in May.

 Erin had twins, shower was in September


Mandy is having a girl, shower was in November.

So far a really busy year!  But if we back up a bit, I will tell you about that day in July. The day after my 34th birthday. The day when I was called and told my baby sister was in a Life Flight chopper on it's way to the University Hospital. I was worried but determined not to freak out YET.
She was in the hospital for 36 days, her injuries were extreme. She was on life support, for the first 6 days, in a coma as well. She broke her back, had a brain injury, broken pelvis, internal bleeding, had her spleen removed, and part of her intestines  as well.   I practically lived at the hospital for the first 18 days of that. Then we decided taking turns would be easiest. It came at a bit of a cost though. My daughter is extremely clingy now. She is 10, and she used to be able to have sleepovers away from home. But not anymore. She just can't handle it.

After Abi got home from the hospital my mom had to leave town for 10 days. She needed the break too. Abi, moved into my house. She was a good patient. Caring for someone with her extent of injuries is exhausting. Even though she could eat and take care of her most basic needs, I felt like I was always on guard. I had to shower her, do her hair, change her dressings. At first it was me doing the work but I soon got her to start helping. She was able to wash up and I only needed to do her hair which was a whole other emotional mine field, she lost a ton of hair every time we washed.  Getting her out of the shower was another matter entirely. She had lost so much weight that she would just freeze, she was skin and bones. It was the end of August and I would have to turn on the electric blanket and get the bed good and warm. Line it with towels, help her to the bed, get her brace off, cover her in towels and the electric blanket and watch her shiver for an hour. Then we would redress her wound and get her dressed. I want to take a nap just thinking about it!

Then my husband went hunting in early October. I always go crazy overboard with the emotional baggage I have, when it comes time for him to go hunting. I cry, I give him hell. Well this year was different. He asked if I was ok when he was getting ready to leave. I told him, "I'm fine, in fact I don't have the energy to care that you are leaving." And that was not a lie and it was not being mean it was just the truth of where I was at. I was empty of anything even remotely resembling myself. I had to get through everyday of this last year on auto pilot, what ever that is.

I really don't know if I was depressed or exhausted or suffering from Mono, maybe all three. But what ever it was/is I hope it is over and I want to make sure I don't go back there ever again.  

So Much more seems to be happening or happened and I just don't have time right now to put it all down. I am still homeschooling my kids, and this time around I am enjoying it!

 Right now it is time for school, and then I have to figure out what dessert I am taking to Thanksgiving Dinner, go shopping, take back my over due library books, etc....

You know they say, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I want to look into the future and say, "See there, you survived that hellish year and look at you now!"