One Last Post Before the New Year

Christmas is over and New Years is almost here. I love the week between Christmas and New Years. Its almost like an extra week. After Christmas I always feel that it should be the new year as well, but there is still one more week left before the new year begins. Its so nice. 

We had a beautiful Christmas. Winston enjoyed unwrapping his presents. It was a lot for him to take in. His personality likes to study every little object, so he seemed to enjoy every part of Christmas!

I made salmon for Christmas dinner and boy was it delicious! I think I want to do that every year. Benjamin helped me cook it. He seems to be an expert at cooking fish! Thank you baby!

Well, it looks like Marie and Jon are about to have a new little bundle in their arms some time today! She had contractions throughout the night last night and Patty (our Midwife) said she is dilated at 5 cm. The baby was posterior and that may have slowed things down, but Patty was able to turn him and we shall see what happens next! I'll keep you posted :)

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? 

I will even make a way in the wilderness, 

and rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:19

Christmas is almost here......

Its already Tuesday!! Christmas is almost here yay!!!

This is the last week that we'll play Christmas music, how sad! Then I'll have to wait until next year! It feels like we just started listening. I am so glad we got an early start on our Christmas tree ;)

I had an extra box of lights so I went ahead and strung them up outside. I haven't seen what they look like at night from the outside yet, but they look sooooo cozy shining from the inside! 

Our weekend was full and busy. We finally got the car to the mechanic and we are so excited to have two cars again. Benjamin had to work the whole weekend, boo for him and for me. It always seems so quiet when he is gone those extra hours. When he works his regular schedule, the time usually flies by and I can't believe he is on his way home already, but those unexpected long hours really get to me and Winston.

So I finally played with our camera. I did figure out how to take pictures at night without the flash, but I couldn't quite get the focus right. And with this little cutie always on the move its a little difficult.

Not only was the car sick, but I accidently placed my laptop down on my hope chest one night in the dark and thinking that the surface was flat, (there were folded clothes that I hadn't put away yet) it fell down on the ground and lost the function of the screen.

So I have been without my laptop for the last month and half or so. And it looks like today we can go and pick it up  from Apple!

No more laying things down in the dark :( 

You can see Benjamin working in the back ground and his toes too he he :D 

I made some rice crispy treats last night. As I was searching for a pan I found these cute little Christmas tree pans that I had bought two years ago after Christmas for like $1.00 each. 

They were perfect for my crispy treats! The treats molded right into it. And then I pulled the two trees out and smacked them together :D 

After I took the picture I decided to un-smack them so we could could eat them easily.

We ate one tree last night and the other one probably wont last much longer!

:)

I got all our presents wrapped today. I even got the cats a can of canned food. They are not accustomed to eating canned cat foot. They eat the hard dry stuff. So I bought them a can each lol. They were sniffing their wrapped presents after I placed them under the tree. That stuff is pretty strong smelling I guess!

We were so blessed to receive a very nice car seat from Benjamin's work last week. It was donated from several families that want to bless military families. Its a super car seat because we can use it for infant, toddler and then booster. We both are so overwhelmed with the generosity of these families.

 So we have a big box sitting next to the tree waiting for us to unwrap it and put it in the car for Winston :) He is just now ready for it too. He has outgrown his infant seat, so this was just perfect for us.

The Lord is so good!

I hope everyone is blessed this week as we celebrate the joy of the season which is

 Christ our Lord.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Happenings

Winston is now over ten months old. I am glad I have tried to record each month of his growth.

Otherwise the feeling of him growing so fast would be worse.

He says ddddd and bbbbbb and mmmmmm and almost bubble :)

dada and mama have been said on numerous occasions as well.

He has been pulling himself up now and wanting to get up on those little chubby legs.

Our little peaceful time has gone by. No more staying put when placed somewhere ;) He has my full attention lol!

He has six teeth at present so there's no asking Santa for his two front ones :)

I think we would ask Santa for a little break of teeth  making!

Here is Bay who always wants to be near his Winnie even though he is missing chunks of hair all over his body and a few whiskers. This cat is pretty determined to hang out with his little companion.

This duck was given to us as a present, it has come in so handy! He loves sitting and relaxing in it. And of course bathing and splashing in it!

 

He is my delight that the Lord has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams. After looking after other children for a long time and loving them so much, I knew the feeling would be even better when I had my own. And boy was I right! 

Getting excited for Christmas over here. We had some really cold weather blow in and our temps reached the low 20's which is pretty low for us. The cats are pretty grouchy and we have had to dress and act like Coloradoans! I am so glad, it really helped set the Christmas mood!

I still have a lot of shopping to do and I still have to visit the post office. I don't think there has been a Christmas when I was ahead or on top of things!

I am excited to do a post for CSN this month. They have graceously asked me to do a review for them and I cant wait to show what I picked out for Benjamin. I will do a post on it so keep on the lookout for that!

It was hard to decide what to pick because of the endless supply of house decor, home bar furniture, kitchen tools! It was so much fun!

Benjamin has duty this weekend so I am planning on getting all of our little Christmas plans in order. I have selected our menu and still need to shop for it. Its been a little difficult lately because we are sharing one car, so its not as easy to get some of these things done like I would like to. 

And boy was Wal-mart packed to the hilt last night! Whew! I always tell myself to get everything done right before the month of December and then enjoy the month with the festive things. Maybe next year! ;P

I hope everyone is having a happy month of December!

Christmas Tree Decorating

A few weeks back when my Mom was visiting we were at Hobby Lobby, she and I were looking for some inexpensive ideas for decorating the tree and she suggested this fun idea. 

I am so pleased with my little decorations and how easy this was!

Here are a few pictures showing how and what I did.

I just bought some plain white bulbs from Hobby Lobby that happened to be half off.

I picked out some pretty tissue paper. I was looking for a pretty red but couldn't find a patterned I liked so I went with this brownish pattern.

 Some Mod Podge gloss finish glue.

 Then I cut out a pattern from the tissue paper and placed it on the bulb and painted the glue over the tissue paper as well as the rest of the bulb.

And voila!

They came out looking so pretty!

I am so pleased with my Mom's fun idea! 

I have all these ideas now of how to make gorgeous looking bulbs with a bunch of pretty tissue paper patterns. It would look so nice to do a red and black pattern or a silver and white pattern. 

The most difficult part would have been cutting out the patterns. It was a little time consuming, but in the end very much worth it!

Seasonal Enjoyment

Right now I bundled warmly in a nice robe trying to keep warm. 

We were blessed to have some cold weather blow in the last couple of days. I am sure that everyone who is living in a colder climate would think this coolness that we are enjoying would be Springtime for them! 

Its just really nice to snuggle in my blankets at bedtime and not want to get up because its cold. 

The normal occurrence is that I am throwing the blankets off of me because I am so hot! 

;) 

The Christmas tree lights are extra special this year. 

I think I say that every year ;)

The one thing I greatly dislike doing before bedtime is turning off the Christmas tree lights.

They fill the house with such a beautiful light. When I was little my sister and I always asked if we could sleep in the living room with the Christmas tree lights on the night the Christmas tree went up. 

My sis-in-law Himilce helped me make this a year and half ago. If I remember right, I spent $2.50 to make this! What a happy memory making this with her. Its a little travel beaten, but a few more tugs on the ribbon and it will put you right in the Christmas spirit!

My little Winston who I can't get enough of!  

My mom gave me this delightful book for my birthday this year. 

I want to cook everything in it!

Especially this cheese cake!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:14

O little town of Bethlehem 

How still we see thee lie 

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep 

The silent stars go by

 Yet in thy dark streets shineth

 The everlasting Light 

The hopes and fears of all the years

 Are met in thee tonight

O little town For Christ is born of Mary 

And gathered all above While mortals sleep, 

the angels keep Their watch of wondering love 

O morning stars together 

Proclaim the holy birth And praises 

sing to God the King And Peace

 to men on earthof Bethlehem 

How still we see thee lie Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

 The silent stars go by 

Yet in thy dark streets shineth 

The everlasting Light

 The hopes and fears of all the years 

Are met in thee tonight

Happy Christmas Season to all!