Forever...

The teenager showed me this youtube video yesterday

and said this is what he wants to do when he gets married!

JK Wedding Video

Haha... I tried to explain that both of his grandmothers would have a heart attack!

Not to mention what happened to going to the Temple?

He said "Oh you know my grandma's will both jump up and start joining in with us"!

I really hope he was just kidding!

I am losing my sense of humor really fast in my old age.

Let there be light...

After what I perceived at the time to be a very protected childhood, growing up in a strict household, with good work ethic lessons taught at every waking moment I ran out from under the wings of my parents at like age 20 and moved to California... got a job working for a lighting company.

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Something I knew nothing about... but not really recognizing it at the time I was given a huge blessing to work with designers and lighting engineers and be taught how to layout lighting, choose fixtures, design and install lights for various applications. Something that would later become part of me and a passion I would take with me into adulthood.

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One of the lights I acquired while I was working in the business was this Italian blown glass dining room fixture.

I have packed this thing up and hand carried each pedal wrapped in towels from place to place every time we moved myself.

After years and years and many many moves, one of the glass pieces finally got broken... it was fixable, and it has hung in our home here for the past 6 years... but I had been looking for a few years to replace it. It was just time to get a new one. It really only looked great in the original apartment where I bought it to hang and our condo in Kent.

Honestly, it never fit in this house.

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Santa finally just picked something new out for me... he thought I needed much more light... as the decorative ones don't put out much illumination.

So today the teenager helped me get it changed out...

It puts off much more light, and I love halogen if it is indirect light.

I like having something totally different.

It hangs down, but not very far the color is versatile... and it's modern with an old world looking pattern to it.

It just might fit my style here... I will have to wear it a while to be sure.

Now I have to figure out something to do with the old one... maybe something creative to do with the glass pieces???

Hmmm, any ideas?

Surviving Christmas...

Okay, I hate to say "I survived Christmas" but that is exactly how I feel this morning. I huge feeling of relief. I didn't have any major meltdowns... at least in front of anyone.

I KNOW! It's really sad, but I was just in a funk this year.

I am a worrier, and I have been worried.... about everything... money, the family we are not going to be with, what others may be going without, lost jobs, others surviving the holiday without loved ones this year, eating, the scale, missing workouts, sadness, loneliness, college, mission, the nest is almost empty, dog hair, pants are tight, not feeling enough gratitude, receiving so many blessings that others are not, dust, clutter, dirty windows, leaving my teenager alone, aches and pains, it's cold, missing my husband, not cooking dinners... oh the list goes on and on... I am a worrier!

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When I got home from SC I was more inspired to nurture and take care of my family. Cooking dinner and baking some goodies for them was right on the top of my list.

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The teenagers first request was spaghetti... that was boring, so I ramped it up to baked spaghetti (I love the Internet)... and I ended up with a 9x13 pan full of baked spaghetti left over... it wasn't eaten well.

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It didn't break me though... I was whipping out caramels, and dipped pretzels, and then I made a new Mexican dish... rice, chicken, white Que'so sauce and cheese... pretty easy and guess what?

It was a hit... the first night both the boys had 3 helpings each!!

Yay!!

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My next survival would be Christmas Day...

Was there enough, don't buy too much, it's not about the gifts...

It's so commercial, it has sucked all the fun out of it for me.

This is when I have all kinds of good ideas about making things for next year; but tomorrow is when I run out of time to put a plan in place to carry out everything in my head. I hate shopping and all that it does to the spirit of Christ at Christmas!

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But I even survived that for one more year.

Well lets just say I barely survived it...

When we were cutting up the elk, Jim's bff's wife gave me the idea to take his elk photo and have it put on a blanket for him...

He is so hard to buy for, I thought this was a great idea.

So in my attempt to get something done early, I went online and uploaded the photo, and ordered the blanket.

It arrived in November, and when I opened it, it was horrid!!!

The wrong material, instead of the woven blanket I thought I ordered, it was fleece. I love fleece, but it attracts every single dog hair in the house and is totally gross in seconds.

Secondly the photo was all dulled out; EXCEPT the bloody guts were bright red! It didn't look like this on the computer, but when you put it on a blanket....

All you notice is the guts all blown up life size and RED!!!

It's gross!

I told him about it ahead of time, and we decided not to buy each other gifts, but we would go and if there was anything we needed we would just get it after Christmas.

I really liked that this year... after all I was really struggling with all the stuff in cabinets and drawers and in the garage around the house that needs cleaning out. Clutter really bogs me down!

The puppies loved their new toys!

and treats in their stockings...

It was what Christmas morning should feel like... finally!

The teenager got a stereo, ipod docking station thing... after he got it plugged in, I was really beginning to wonder what we had done?

Awww the LDS Christmas Collection... someone was paying attention!

This was a BIG warm fuzzy for me because it was soooo thoughtful!

Is it weird that Santa puts food in our stockings... Taco Bell sauce, white queso, maraschino cherries... hmmm.

Santa was just in charge of my stocking and I found a box way bigger than me... it was a new light for my dining room... no pictures yet. I have to get it hung first :)

Nice... a soft new sweatshirt!

We have to remind him to show his teeth now...

Peppermint cocoa YUM!!

The 6am Christmas morning look... YUK!!

Banana Grams... this looks fun!

I love cute handy packages to keep all the pieces in one place... I hate being so crazy and twitching over potential missing pieces!

What a curse, I was going to put out a puzzle to work on; but decided not to, all I could envision was one dog tail swish and the pieces would be everywhere and that one that we would never find!

It would give me nightmares.

Oh this is the gift when we opened the box we found the top score card had already been used! What?

Yea, the teenager confessed that when it arrived last week and he was home alone, he opened it, he was bored and so he played it by himself. The re-wrapped it and put it under the tree.

He said it was really fun!

We just had to laugh... what a nut!

He never has been able to get away with anything! You would think he would have taken out the used score card.
I KNOW! But it was funny!

A new sweat outfit! Yay!

I couldn't stomach the Stewart Payne crazy purple plaid pants he asked for, so this was the compromise... a crazy purple plaid golf shirt.

Now everyone has their own sweat outfits... they weren't sharing very well.

Awww... a golf frog (fully rely on God) from Uncle Jim!

It was given to him by his bff that died suddenly from a heart attack and he wanted the teenager to have it.

So special.

A new blanket and body pillow for his bed, maybe this one will be long enough to cover his feet without sleeping kiddy corner. Yay!

Togetherness! This makes me happy.

Looks like everything fits... now how high can I turn it up before they take it away?

Getting ready to go eat the famous tamales!

I can't believe I didn't get any other pictures of the host family!

The kids in their Christmas pj's, and Duck jersey! So cute, I missed it.

The enchiladas!

Oh the food was super yummy!!!

Spanish rice, tamales, beans, green and red enchiladas!!!

Hot apple pie and ice cream!!

Oh, so good!

(wonder why I worry about my diet.... I just can't resist)

I did manage to remember to get a picture of our other friends there.

Real gamers these guys... we played a game called "Pit"... that was fun!

When we got home the puppies were on their bellies... that is never a good sign.

Oh Dear! Who left their stocking candy out?

It was a great day filled with lots of this...

and this...

and togetherness...

then the phone calls to connect with family afar...

I did it!

I survived Christmas!

I am trying to cherish and embrace all the good memories!

But honestly, I am so happy it's over!

This is my favorite week, still feeling the holiday, but after the Christmas crazy, but before school and work get back into full swing! Looking forward at a new year, a new beginning.

Time with my teenager!

Back to eating clean. Started the day with a workout and sweat!

I am ready to cherish!

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Do you get in a funk before Christmas?

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Do you have any stories about your pet getting into & eating weird things?

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Do you feel like you "survived" Christmas?

Making Tamales...

My friend taught me how to make home made tamales!

They are so dang cute all tied up with a bow!!

Thanks Ann... I am not ready to venture out on my own yet; but definitely inspired to maybe try these again in the future, with some help. At least I can say I have done it once.

This was a highlight to my week!!

I have priceless memories from my trip to SC!

I miss my brother.

I made a precious new friend that inspired me and made me just want to be better being around her.

It was special time with my mother that I will cherish.

I was lifted to a new level to appreciate my family and everyone that includes.

When I got home, my brother called and my Miss Dot lost her daughter in law suddenly to an aneurysm on Tuesday. They would have her funeral services on Christmas Eve.

I wish I were there to give her this big hug all over again!

She was on my mind and my heart was very touched and humbled over the holiday. How was she coping? Would I have enough faith if I were faced with a tragedy close to me? Have I lived my life so that if I were called to go home suddenly, that I would have no unfinished business?

It changed the way I was carrying my worries this week.

My Little Brother...

We went to dinner with my brother Mark and his family.

It was really good to see them all... we haven't had much time together. I hope that changes! Everytime we are together, I realize some weird things we have in common even though we weren't raised together.

Even simularities with his kids! They are adorable!
Thanks you guys, it was so fun to be together!!

Sunday Drive...

We took my grandmother out on Sunday for a drive.... it was so sunny and beautiful! She was happy and her new coat fit her really well! And she can still pretty much keep up with my big brother even with his long strides.... she is doing amazing. It was so fun to be with her!!

A night on the town...

Friday night, my brother took the girls out on the town. Dinner and the Symphony!! I wasn't sure what to expect... I guess I am turning into a country girl and need to experience more culture, because I wasn't sure I would like the symphony, not being very musically inclined myself.

But I loved it!

Dinner at Larkins was amazing... the best fillet I have probably EVER eaten... and because I love steak so much, this is really a statement! It was Awesome!!!!

The waiter mentioned some kind of 3 day wet soak, I am going to have to google and learn how to do now.

My Mom really enjoyed it, I could hear her sobbing when they struck the first note... I thought we were in trouble, but she pulled it together and we all really enjoyed the show.

It was called Holiday at Peace... and the guest singer was the lady that did the voice of the Little Mermaid. She was beautiful. Maestro is Russian and had an accent that you could cut with a knife... but he was sooo cute... he said, I have something special for you.... then corrected himself "yall" tonight. He was a hoot!

They had some Russian ballet dancers perform in different costumes for different numbers, it made me think of my niece on her toes! I loved it all, so fun. Lots of holiday music, if the sleigh ride and jingle bells from an orchestra won't get me in the mood, I am a lost cause!

A really good time was had by all.