Moving Right Along

I know, I know!  We should not have been working on Christmas Day!!  HOWEVER...Christmas with my family is not going to be until my brother comes home...which is tomorrow....so we figured we might as well keep on working while we both had the time off!

So we worked on the stair nose trim around the stair opening again.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the way it looks?

I can't wait to see this room FINISHED!!

We did stop early today to have Christmas with our not really family family (does that make sense?) The Harmans.  We had lots of fun and all stayed up way too late  :)

Merry Christmas 2012!

The Christmas Tree Tradition

My good friend Stacy and I have been planning this Christmas tree tradition for MONTHS now...and I mean...since July when it was 105 outside!!  We were already thinking old ornaments and Christmas Yes...we have a problem :)  A friend of ours, and Stacy's oldest son Mark's business partner and his wife had their first child earlier this year...so this will be her first Christmas.  We thought what a better way to celebrate than with her very own little Christmas tree full of old ornaments!  Stacy and I saved up these ornaments since the summer and put this cute little tree together for her.  I think it turned out great!!  Now Stacy and I both think we should have one too, lol.

Happy First Christmas Isabella!

O' Christmas Tree

Isn't it cute!  When we went to my parents tonight for dinner Mom had this little box that she gave me.  Said it was from some long time family friends for a house warming gift for Kade and I.  I opened it up, and this is what I found...

 

Now for the story behind it.  She had purchased this at the auction for my Great Uncle Orin's estate after he passed away...in 1986.  She thought that we would like it....and boy do we ever.  I can't believe it still works.  You can tell that the light bulb is even old!!  It's just perfect!  I am such a sentimental person, can you tell?

Thanks Kathy!

Christmas #1

Today's the day!  I've been frantically making candy the last few days.  Did I actually forget to take pictures of that??  I'll have to look into this further!  I guess I'll have to fill in with pics of my nieces & nephews.  They are all four such GREAT kids!  They have no idea how proud Kade and I are of them.

Our nephews.  Kaleb, the oldest on the left and Keith, third in command on the right.

Kaleb, Keith, Cordelia and Sarah :)

Notice the girls are BOTH hiding their faces. UGH!

Let your auntie take a picture!!!

Our nieces, Sarah on the left (the youngest) and Cordelia (second oldest) on the right.

LOVE THEM!!!

We had a great day.

Don't these kids know that they have to stop growing?
Nothing makes me feel as old as they do...

but I still love them.

Christmas #1 Prep

This weekend we will be celebrating our first Christmas of the season.  I always try to be creative and put TONS (entirely too much) thought into what we're going to do for everyone.  This year I decided that all of the ladies needed wreaths...LIVE wreaths.  With the exception of Kade's Grandma.  Since she's in assisted living I'm pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate my fresh cut pine needles dropping on the floor in their carpeted hallway :)  So I took a few days and put these guys together.

This is the fake one.  I thought it turned out well.  I'm not a poinsettia person, but I think even I would hang this one :)

for Vance & Mindy

(way to hang it straight, Amber!)

this one is for Kort & Sandy

Aunt Kathy's

and this one for my mother-in-law.

I can't believe how yummy they were smelling.  I may have to do that again next year.

I snipped some holly, cedar, and a few other kinds of pine.  I think the cedar smelled the best.

Next year I will at least try to make myself one!!