Sunday, December 27, 2009

Happy Christmas, Happy Memories, Happy Wishes

With Christmas wrapping up I realize how few pictures I've taken this year.  That is out of character for me.  The ones I did get were pretty good though so they'll do.  (I'll maybe post some in the next few days, but for today here are some pictures of the mugs and matchy holiday things that have made me so happy every morning this month!  This collection was gifted to me in pieces by 3 different friends (who do not know each other), amazing that they are all so matchy!  I heart them.)
It was a nice quiet Christmas, Spencer was the only one of the kids we had here this year.  It was a wonderful peaceful few days.  Next week the chaos starts when the rest of the kids get here!  Here's to hoping for positively charged chaos!!
The past has been on my mind lately.  And if unbreakable connections are what they used to be I'm fairly certain that the past is on someone else's mind lately as well.  I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday, there were thoughts and memories of an old friend who loves bookstores the way I do. I'm thankful for happy memories.


Happy wishes for Happy futures! 



Saturday, December 12, 2009

Holiday time is here!







The last few weeks have been full of Christmas preparation and fun and kids!  We've had weekends with our nieces visiting, and friends visiting and even some evenings of fun with our friends!  Yay for grown-up friends to hang out with! Yay for fun games and laughing and coffee!
The movie theater here does this great thing where they have free movies every Saturday in the holiday season.  They are usually movies either just out or about to be out on DVD but great fun for the kids anyway!  We've been taking whatever kids we have at the time and they've been having a great time picking treats and seeing all their friends from school at the movie.  It is seriously packed, kids on the floor and in the isles packed.   They've been doing this forever, I remember seeing either Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin at the free matinee' with friends in Jr. High.  I think we even sat on the floor.  Fun tradition!  Here is another reason it is kind of fun to live here again.  
Keeping us busy the rest of the time are things like Christmas cookie making and decorating, gingerbread houses, making holiday ornaments and all sorts of fun stuff!
Each time I think maybe I'm crazy to gather THAT many kids to do these things but it has been chaotic fun. Lots of laughing and much creativity.   Hopefully these are the memories that these kids will remember happily. 
I finally got the tree up.  The first year I really wanted it up sooner and we had to wait until we were sure we weren't moving before Christmas.  So yesterday, with help from friends, my tree is up and decorated and now I get to enjoy Christmas tree light for a couple of weeks!  I love writing in my journal by Christmas tree light on December nights.  With hot chocolate and Harry Connick Jr.  Wonderful winter moments.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Santa's gingerbread village~




Here is what our afternoon was all about.  How cute are these?  For our 4-H meeting today my mom volunteered to help the kids make gingerbread houses (ok, graham cracker houses).  Thanks to a bunch of great parents and grandparents we had all sorts of goodies to build and decorate with! 
The kids had non stop fun and ended up with wonderful cottages, and mansions!  One even had a garage!  What a funny, messy, silly good time we had!
Thanks, Mom, for your help!