Happy New Year

photo from Country Living online

2009 has been a year to remember it has given us many memories; some good, others not so much, each event has been a learning curve and brought us closer together as a family. My feelings for the New Year are hopeful and for the first time in years I haven't made a list of resolutions, my only goal is to take care of myself (emotionally, physically, spiritually)!

I hope that you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a fantastic 2010!!

Paper Crafting

Since getting my Cricut Expression a few days before Christmas I have been paper crafting like a crazy woman. Today I made the boys a few monogrammed note cards to send as thank you notes to a very nice couple that bought them unexpected gifts. I think that the cards and matching envelopes turned out well.

I will be posting a giveaway on January 1, 2010 so check back often to enter to win!!!

Have a great day!!

New Traditions

This Christmas was a little different for Tom & me as far as gift exchanging goes, we decided to buy what we wanted instead of surprising each other with handpicked gifts. He wanted a 1972 Ford F-250 truck to add to his collection, I wanted a new purse and Cricut Expression scrapbooking machine, I think I like exchanging gifts this way because we each were thrilled with our purchases. He bought his truck from a man in Minnesota(ebay), I called Neimans and visited my favorite scrapbooking store, it was that simple and it was great!

The longer we are married the more I realize that romance isn't always like its written in novels, it's the little things like laughing over how well he did picking out my presents and how I knew exactly which truck to buy that make two people stay so deeply in love with each other after being married thirteen years. I look forward to many more new Christmas traditions with the man that I love so very much.

Cousins

Do remember what it was like as a child going to your grandparent's house for a family get together and playing with your cousins for hours, laughing, arguing and planning overnight stays? My children had the opportunity to be with all their cousins at grandma's house the Saturday before Christmas, my Mom was thrilled to have all her children and grandchildren together. I hope that my children remember days like that forever!

Holiday Happenings 2009

Our Holiday week started out with a bang and has ended with a boom! Late last Friday night we had a huge snow storm hit Kentucky which proceeded to knock down trees and power lines all over Eastern Kentucky, Tom had to go to work in the middle of the night because the mines lost all power and the generators wouldn't work. Saturday morning I had to call the fire department to come cut trees out of our road so I could get to Ashland to see my baby brother before he leaves for Iraq.


Monday Tom & I hired a sitter and finished up last minute shopping for the boys which would've been nice had he not had to be on the phone with work the whole time we where out, but we got to be together alone for a few hours.


Tuesday Tom called to tell me to meet him at the hospital because they were admitting his Grandfather and he wanted to see the boys in case he didn't make it home in time for Christmas.


Wednesday morning Jonah woke up with a fever, off to the pediatrician we went; his asthma has gotten worse and he now needs two different inhalers each day and he had what she said was a cold, well that cold turned into two days of fevers that reached 104 more than once, thankfully he is feeling better now.


This brings us to Christmas Eve, my in-laws finally make to our house, after we opened gifts my mother-in-law got a horrible stomach virus and spent the next 27 hours in bed.


On Christmas day I was worn out, I had to cook dinner, go see Tom's grandparents (his grandfather was released from the hospital on Wednesday), take care of a sick MIL who couldn't even get up to get herself a drink of water and deal with the mess of Christmas wrapping paper and boxes everywhere!


Now it's Saturday, the in-laws are still here, I've cleaned the nasty bathroom that the sick MIL used (GROSS!!!) and I have decided to leave the state for Christmas next year!!!


Even though this seems like a horrible week, which it has been, my boys loved everything that they received for Christmas and have been getting along so well that it's scary, I think they know that Mommy has reached her breaking point! To see those two smiling faces is worth all the trouble that this week has held!


I hope that your Christmas was merry and bright and that the New Year brings you peace and joy!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!! I hope that Santa brings all your favorite things!!!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

This is what we woke up to this morning, about 7 inches of heavy, wet snow!! It's so bad that we haven't had power since last night and I had to call the fire department to cut trees out of the road so I could get to my Mom's house for Christmas with my family. My poor husband got called out to work last night around midnight and didn't get home until 5:00 this evening, so he missed Christmas with my family (I almost believe he was sad, LOL) but when I got home tonight he had the generator running and the fireplace going, he's awesome!!!

Thank you for the kind words on my previous post they meant so much to me!

Have a good weekend!!

Beachy Burlap Christmas Home Tour

Merry Christmas and welcome to our home! The Nester is hosting a Christmas Tour of Homes, I thought I would show you what I've done for our Christmas decorations this year. I decided to go with a beach theme because of our love of the water and all things summer, I think I went a little crazy with the burlap and seashells, but I love it! The front door, foyer, stairway, mantle and family tree all have seashells, starfish and burlap. The dining room is decorated with a sugared fruit theme. The boy's rooms are more festive with one being done in red & white candy canes and the other with blue & silver. You can click on the photo to enlarge it if you want a closer look.

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful holiday season!

Computer "Room" Makeover

before

after

Our computer "room" is actually the closet underneath our stairway, this really works out well because the "room" is in the great room and we can keep a close eye on the children when they are online. However, being the pack rat that I am it tends to get a little messy (thank goodness for the door)! This was by far the hardest space that I painted during my makeover, I ripped out the nasty, stained carpet added the peel and stick parquet tiles, new trim and a new chair to give this little space a fresh new look. I really like how it turned out, now if I can only keep it tidy, wish me luck on that one, LOL!!

I have been a scrapbooking fool lately, I'm trying to complete three albums for my brothers by Sunday! Yes, I'm crazy but they are looking so good and it really isn't that hard to do three of everything when you are doing exactly the same design. I'll post pictures when I've finished.

We are celebrating Christmas with my family this weekend because my youngest brother leaves for Iraq in three weeks, please keep him & his family in your prayers. The last tour that he served he wasn't married and didn't have any children, this time he is leaving a wife, 5 year old son, two year old daughter and 4 month old daughter behind. It's going to be really hard on my SIL she is going to stay in Kansas with the children instead of coming home, so please say an extra prayer for her.

Take care and have a great day!!

Use What You Have

I'm trying to "shop" my house for things that I don't use to make a few inexpensive Christmas decorations.

I desperately needed something new for my front door, I was so tried of the cheap WalMart prelit wreath from years ago so I took a little walk up my charming country road with my handy dandy Pampered Chef kitchen scissors (we jokingly call them "the bone cutters" because they will cut through anything) to cut some fresh pine and to look for a few pine cones. Then I rummaged through the box of Christmas decorations that are missing a piece or broken but you can't stand the thoughts of throwing them away and found several things that I could use for my front door project. The next step was to get out the hot glue gun and go to work!

This is what I came up with, I really think it looks nice against the black door, one of my neighbors stopped be yesterday and wanted to know where I had gotten, that makes me want to make more things.

What are you making for your home this Christmas season?