Awe, what the little kids will do when left to their own devices!

Our first ever family nativity play with the kids in charge of the whole thing. Hmmm... somehow my kid seems to think he's in charge... wonder where he got that from!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Isn't it time for a little sunshine?

Ok, ok... it's only been a month, but I thought I'd better post some pictures of our cruise to Cabo so you can all pretend you were there enjoying the warmth of the sunshine and smelling the salty sea-spray gently tickling your face. Don't we all need a little escape about now as we look around at the Christmas decorations we've yet to put away, the piles of wadded up wrapping paper hastilly tossed in the corner and yet to be taken out to the trash, and the plates and boxes of chocolate and candy and goodies we know we shouldn't keep eating, but can't seem to get rid of?

So, Merry after-Christmas to you. Enjoy this brief escape from reality!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

He came! He came!!!!!

Well, he came! I saw him with my own two eyes!!!
And here he is in our family room putting the last present under the tree:


is it wrong to perpetuate the lie another year???? This was just too hard to resist! Anyone want one that doesn't have a color printer? I'll print it for you if you email me your pictures!

(in case you want one too, go to: CaptureTheMagic.com )

Warm Fuzzies...

I decided this year to do something a little different in addition to traditional neighbor and friend gifts. (Which, by the way, we haven't made yet!) I made a big crock pot of yummy soup, mini loaves of bread, and sweet rolls, and we took them around to some of the single widows and widowers in the ward tonight.

I hadn't planned on the 20-30 minutes we would stay at each house visiting, but it was really nice to sit and visit with them. It must be hard this time of year to be alone, without your loved one by your side. I did it with the intent of bringing some holiday cheer to people, but I think I was the one who was lifted up the most.

I am thankful for the reminder of what this holiday is really about. Giving to others and doing service for others is far more valuable than anything money can buy. I am grateful I had the chance to be reminded of that tonight!

Hansel and Gretel may come visit now.

I have ALWAYS wanted to make a gingerbread house from scratch. You know, where you make your own pattern, roll out the gingerbread, cut it out, bake it, decorate it...

Boy, it is sure harder than it looks! Nevertheless, I, and my fearless son, attempted our first homemade gingerbread house the other night. I must say, I am quite pleased with how it turned out!


We melted candies in the windows, and even put a light inside so it glows! My son had the brilliant idea to cut a hole where the chimney goes so it looks like a fire is burning in the fireplace. He also suggested we put a frosting rope draped from the boat to the dock so it doesn't float away. Doesn't this scene just make you want to go inside and get eaten by a wicked witch? I think it would be worth it!

What have I been up to this week?

Sewing lots and lots of these:



Making a gingerbread house with my son, enduring the cub scouts... barely, making Christmas cards- still not done, Christmas gift shopping, and nursing myself and my hubby back to life after a nasty bout of some stomach ickiness.

Just so you know I haven't been sitting on my heiny eating bonbons and staring at pictures of Robert Pattinson all day, k? (for my hubby who is just sure I am!) (just kidding!)
but, just for your enjoyment: (or not, if you think he's gross I don't wanna hear about it!)

Too many questions!!!!

"Mom, how come some children don't get Christmas presents? I thought Santa went to everyone?"

"Well.... uh.... parents need to help pay Santa for all the presents he gives you. Maybe those children's parents don't have much money for presents."

"Well, what is the point of Santa Clause if the parents buy the presents?"

"uh....... um.........."

Kid, when are you going to just figure it out on your own, huh???? I don't want to be the one to break the truth to you, but all these questions are really starting to stump me!!!! I don't think I put this much thought into Santa Clause when I was little!

Sheesh!!!

Golden ink from the lost world of Atlantis!!!

Today I gave myself an early Christmas present: a black and a colored ink cartridge for my printer!!!!!

What? That doesn't sound exciting to you? You thought it was going to be a gorgeous sweater, or a new DVD, didn't you?

No, my friends. This ink is special. It comes from deep in the forests of Madagasgar, from the juice of the irredescent Ugai'i berry that can only be harvested by the light of a 3/4 moon on the 6th night of the 8th month after a total lunar eclipse by blind dwarf children and squeezed between the thighs of a woman who is exactly 99 years 364 days 23 hours 59 minutes and 2 seconds old, and who has/ had one blue and one brown eye- the brown eye preferably having been lost sometime due to an unfortunate incident with a wild boar- this brings a higher quality of ink, apparently.

This can only be where the ink came from because it cost a freaking $53!!!! So, Merry Christmas to me! Nope, I don't need a gorgeous sweater, thanks. I got my ink, I'm good.

Today...

Today I am excited to sew aprons! I found this fantastic fabric and I can't get enough of it! (Yes, I am a little deprived of outside contact, what of it?)

Today, I am happy to have a break from cub scouts. Ahhhhh......

Today I am going to tackle the pile of laundry that has been neglected since I started my obsession with sewing aprons again.

Today I am happy my husband didn't pass out last night when his blood sugar went down to 38. (yikes!)

Today I am loving Christmas music,and a snow covered lawn (hiding the leaves I never raked up. Raking is overrated, really!)

Today I am grateful for my blessings- every single little one! (and glad I don't have any zits for my husband to try to pop!)

Girl time!

Ahhh.... I just babysat my little 2 year old niece. What a treat girls can be! She was so polite, saying thank you every time I helped her. She daintily touched the Christmas ornaments, gently patted the dog, spoke quietly, didn't make a mess... I say again, what a treat girls can be!

Thanks for the girl time, cutie pie! Let's do it again soon!!!!

Some things just hurt...

My son called to me in tears from his bed just now. (he actually does that alot- he gets the blues at night. He's always been that way.)

He is sad that he has never had a brother or sister to play with or talk to at night in bed, or get into mischief with. (well, he didn't say that part, but I know that would be inevitable!)

It breaks my heart to hear him say that. There is absolutely nothing I can do to change the situation right now. It's out of my hands!

A lot of things are out of my hands right now, which is probably the best place for them to be. I know Heavenly Father makes better decisions than I would. I know He sees the big picture. While we sit down here and throw our little "I want, I want..." tantrums, He sits quietly up there and says, "Just be patient!"

I don't know when or if he will ever get a brother or sister to play with. I don't know if we'll ever move out of this little house. I don't know what is going to happen this week, or the next, or the next. But I know it's all in good hands, and I just need to trust in that.

Cubs will be the death of me!

Ever since I found out I was having a boy, I've dreaded in the back of my mind the day when I would be put in as den mother of Cub Scouts.

You see, I am a very girlie girl. Growing up I liked tea sets, and dressing up as a princess ballerina- (yes, a princess ballerina), doing my doll's hair, wearing make-up, talking about boys, doing my nails, etc.

Boys are, well, loud, dirty, messy, unrefined, fart and burp alot, like video games and fast cars and making gun noises... things I can't relate to.

Being a den mother exposes you to all this and more! Yes, I have a boy myself, but he isn't like that all the time around me. When the cubs are around I get it in triple, and lots of it!

Have you ever heard someone burp consecutively, non-stop, for five minutes? I nearly tossed my cookies when I heard it!

I find myself stressing every single week about cubs scouts, and it doesn't ever get better. I just don't know what boys like! But, this is where I am right now, so I might as well deal with it. Maybe next week we'll have a burping contest. If you can't beat em, join em, right? On second thought, I KNOW I would toss my cookies if we did that! Better find another science project or something, instead!