Mothers are Wonderful

My mom has been quilting holiday banners for the much of the past year.  She sends me them in the mail much of the time and I cannot wait to get them inside and see what they are like.  This is the Christmas one I got today.  I LOVE it!!!! I got the banner stand right out and put the quilt on it.  Isn't it it gorgeous! Thank you Mom!

Father Christmas

Christmas - T minus 1 week.

I'm struggling to believe that Christmas is only a week away.  I knew it was coming...but as usual it seems to rush forward.   It's almost a given with everyone that early December is a crazy mad dash of holiday programs, holiday baking, family Christmas, possible travel and of course the regular ol' work or school. 

  I'm kinda half ready and half not ready for Christmas.  I've gotten 1/4 of my baking gifts completed, and still plenty to get done.  I have a few gifts, but I still have lots to purchase.  I've completed all holiday music programs (band and bells).  With just a week to go...I have the rest of my baking to complete, plenty of gifts to get and a few days left of work before family Christmas.  Oh I do have all Christmas Cards to complete, I'm not even sure how many I'm going to do, just don't feel into the cards this year. 

Some photos of the house at Christmas.  I love decorating for Christmas!

My Christmas Mantle.  Some of my favorite things. 

The Tree.  I love all of my ornaments and decorations, always a joy to decorate.

What a Valentine's Day

Well it has been a very productive Valentine's day! I love 3 days off in a row!!! Time for relaxing and time for accomplishing things.  I decided I couldn't go the holiday without some cookies...so I baked up a recipe of sugar cookies and some frosting.  I don't have my mom's talent to decorate and make conversation hearts, but I can slop some pretty colored frosting on the cookies.  I'm Corny...yes, but here's a sample of my cookies. 



Love!



Happy Valentine's Day

It's recently ticked over past midnight meaning it is Valentine's day.  Despite not having a significant other to spend the day with...I have always enjoyed this holiday.  I view it as a day to share love with everyone, not just your significant other. 

 One great memory I have regarding Valentine's day is from elementary school.  My mom and I would bake dozens of heart shaped sugar cookies.  My mom, and her amazing talent in decorating, would frost and then write on the hearts as if they were conversation hearts.  Each student in my class got one with their name on it, and I got fun ones at home.  We also use to make different colored dough and put different colored hearts inside of each other.  It was a lot of fun and always wonderful to eat!!! Something I always think about making around Valentine's Day, but just doesn't seem the same with out mom here to decorate them.  Maybe some year. 



A little love from Amy and Matt's wedding this last summer. 

Love to all on this day of Love!

A New Year a new Vision

I trust you all had a glorious Christmas and New Years.  I worked over Christmas, so my parents came down and celebrated with me.  We had a good time.  I always wish it was longer, but then it's always nice to get back to "your" routine.  After my stretch of midnight shifts I headed home to Kearney.  I had a good New Years in Kearney and got to see my family.  I also got to witness the first snow of the season, not necessarily my favorite thing, but oh well. 

  While my parents were in town, I had my mom go and help me pick out some new glasses.  I hadn't gotten new glasses since high school, and I know they are just a bit dated.  I don't wear them very much as I am a contact person.  But maybe if I like them I'll wear them more, or at the least won't dislike wearing them so much.  I was able to get my new glasses yesterday and I've worn them at night the last two nights.  They are kinda fun, so different than what I'm use to, but I like it.  So with the new year came a new vision for me. 



New Glasses

 Love!

Giving Thanks

This post is a little bit overdue, as I really hoped/meant to post it back a week and a half ago.  Alas, I was a little busy and did not get to blogging.  This does tie into my last post though.  An old high school friend is deployed with the Navy, and this deployment lasts through the holiday season.  I cannot even imagine what it is like to be away from a loved one in this manner, especially during the holiday's, but I can say I understand it would be difficult.  Last year I had another friend deployed over the holiday's, and I sent him a goodie box for Christmas.  This year, I decided it was a nice tradition to start, so after consulting with my friends wife, I baked my little heart out and baked about 10 dozen cookies to send to him. 

  I've never in my life sent food via mail, so this was a new experience.  I found some helpful tips online and in my cookbook.  I packaged them two by two...and then again in Ziploc bags.  I can only hope this keeps them fresh enough to enjoy when they do, in fact, reach their destination.  (See cookies a few posts below).

  I just wanted to bring a smile to someones face, and hope that I have been able to do this for my friend.  I want to say Thank you to all of those serving our wonderful country.  Your sacrifices are great, and are appreciated. 

Love

Sit down folks!!!!

Today I did something I don't know that I've ever done before in my life...bought Peanut Butter! I severely dislike peanut butter. Everything about it...it's smell, consistency, taste.  The worst is the smell though, it just lingers there even when the actual substance is gone.  Yucky. 

Now you might be asking me why did you buy this if you dislike it so... well I decided to make some cookies that were peanut butter-chocolate cookies.  They smell awful, but do look pretty.  And they aren't for me, so that's why.  I'm excited to have made them, and I now have a jar of peanut butter in my kitchen, that who knows when it will be eaten. 



Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cookies

You can all rest assured that I will not touch those cookies.  Now the Snickerdoodles...they were yummy...I might keep a few of those. 



Chocolate Crinkles and Snickerdoodles



I probably made 10 dozen cookies between 9:30pm and 12:30am...I'd call that a good night's work. 



I sleepy...night.

Love.

Tis the Season

This morning I played bells at church, and got to take part in one of my all-time favorite things to do at Christmas time...and that is singing Christmas Carols.  This morning we got to sing Joy to the World, Oh come all ye Faithful and Away in a Manger.  Now the kicker for me is that I prefer all of these Christmas Carols at church singing to my little heart's content.  Now one of the odd things, is that you will not see me playing Christmas music on the radio in the car or in my home.  I much prefer singing it the way I'm use to with the piano or organ at church, and not the way some artist has decided to sing it.  Which is their right, and that doesn't make it a bad song, they are great singers and songs.  I just don't enjoy singing to them like I do at church.  You might say...well let them sing it, you don't need to.  But a flaw I have is that I sing with all songs I know, whether that is country, rap, pop, or church hymns.  Thus singing along is the way I listen to music.  Weirdo...yes, I accept, but I'm ok with that.  I love singing. 

This does, however, create a problem when the only places I can hear my songs are at Church and that is only once a week during  the 4-5 weeks leading up to Christmas.  Sad, so I make the best of it when I can!  Yay Christmas!

 I hope you enjoy your Christmas songs, wherever  you may listen to them. 

Much love!

Thanksgiving and the weekend

I trust everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  My Thanksgiving day started at 9pm Wednesday night, thank you midnight shifts.   It was all good, I at least I got to be home for Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful, and I looked forward to it for so long!!!!  I got to have homemade dinner rolls, Turkey, Pineapple casserole, fruit salad...etc. It was all so wonderful!! 

After a long day, I passed out around 10pm and slept for 12 hours. Friday my mom and I did a little black Friday shopping, but we aren't hardcore, we started at 11:30am.  We got some Christmas gifts and were on our way.  We also got the Christmas Tree up Friday night and started sewing on my new Christmas tree skirt.  Good times. 

It was a very productive weekend, but tiring.  I need some time to relax, and I won't really get that until the end of the week.  Super tired. 

Much love...December will be here soon.

Realization....

Each time I driven around the past couple of days, I notice that more and more people have their Christmas lights on.  My personal thought is that Christmas lights/music etc. can wait their turn...until after Thanksgiving.  So that was my thinking when I see all of these lights turned on...why can't these people just wait until after Thanksgiving.  ----Delving deep in my mind...."Christmas is ages away, as is Thanksgiving"---- Well obviously I'm having troubles with "feeling" the date of the season.  Cause this evening while on my way to band, I realized that ...OH... Thanksgiving is like 36 or less hours away, so it's really not that early that people are turning Christmas lights on....ok then. 

Sometimes holiday's don't feel like holiday's until your mind has the ability to rationalize and realize the fact, or get over the hump of whatever else is clouding the mind.  I'm not sure what mine is this week...likely work.

I'm Thankful for all of my Family! I love you all!