Finding Balance...

Holy Crap!

Holy Crap!!!
I won a new computer from Scion Computers!!!!

These guys are AWESOME and I've been so satisfied with their service before they GAVE ME THIS NEW COMPUTER!

How fun is this to get my Christmas week going!!!!
Thanks Scion boys!!  

We are crazy busy, having fun, feeling the Christmas spirit and enjoying being together as a family. 

We've seen some great light displays, kept up on our 12 Days of Christmas, ate lots of yummy food, finished holiday decorating on Saturday, been to the movies, attempted to get a family picture for cards, and we're excited for lots more chaos and busy-ness this week.

With that all said, here's one photo for this post....cuz, really - I aint got no time for more.....
Happy Monday-before-Christmas everyone!

Check this cute thing out!

I used to be a faithful reader of Stacy Julian's blog - but have not been there for a long time.

Saw this link today on Facebook and went there......

So

Glad

I

Did

!

And I want you to, too - right now.

Here's the link:

http://stacyjulian.com/sprinkles/?p=145

Sooooooooooooo fun! Such fun, fun ideas.

I love the singing your responses to questions to people.

I love being nice to a bell ringer.

I love buying a pack of gum for the cashier.

I love giving $5 in the drive thu line to the the car behind you.

They're all so great!

Christmas Lights

Does anyone have any suggestions for good Christmas light displays in the Idaho Falls area?
We want to head out to see some soon.

Thanks!

2005

I was recently looking back at some older photos. Came across our Christmas from 2005.  We were renting our little house (600 s.f.) and it seemed very simple. In fact I don't have more than 20 photos of that day.  Here's a few:

There were no decorations because they were all in the basement - boxed up.

Here's the kitchen table where I was making our Christmas cards - I still don't have the 2009 ones done - maybe the week of Christmas and they will be New Year's cards this year- yea, that's it!

Saydee on Christmas morning.

Logan in a box from Steven's remote control truck.

I wonder what he was eating in bed before he fell asleep that Christmas Eve?!

This little raccoon was sleeping on a telephone pole on the way to my mom's house that day. I thought he was cute.

Fun to look back - and see how simple it was and little our kiddies were.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Cheesy Stunned

It's that time of year...patience runs short and people say things they normally wouldn't.

___________________________

I was out shopping yesterday - really, truthfully - STARTING a lot of my shopping.  I've had in my mind what I was getting people, what gifts I wanted to give them....but just hadn't purchased ANY.....

_____

So, I'm hurrying around - shopping fast while Logan is in school.

I pull my FULLY LOADED cart into line to check out - behind a guy with a cart loaded with bags of dog food.  I see that I have a minute or two and run 3 isles away to grab something I forgot, only to come back to see a lady with a loaded cart 'cutting' in front of me.

She says sheepishly "Is it alright if I slide in front of you?"

And I....without skipping a beat....without a second thought....say to her (with a cheesy smile) "Looks like you already did..."

And with that...she slowly starts to take her crap off the conveyor belt and put it in her cart....

To which I soften my voice and say - "It's fine - just leave it there."

And the woman NEVER makes eye contact with me again.

And at lunch, I LAUGH and tell Steven what this time of year has JUST DONE TO ME!

And I document it on my blog.

Happy FREAKIN' HOLIDAYS!

Polar Express

It's really no secret to anyone who knows us at all...that Logan...simply...loves...trains....LOVES THEM! 
We have taken both kids to Heber, Utah to ride an old train there through Provo Canyon on a number of occasions. We haven't ever taken them to ride it when they re-create the Polar Express story though.  This year, we bought tickets to go and were all so excited.

 

Then looked at the calendar.

Saydee had her swim competition and she and I had tickets to David Archuleta.  So, we called my brother to see if he would want to bring his little boy, Caden and come in Saydee and I's places.  I told him there was only one condition - that he HAD to take pictures for me.  And he agreed...and 'done real good!'.

They had a good time.  Steven and Logan stayed over night at a hotel - went swimming twice - ate a big breakfast and came home just in time to help Saydee and I with some Christmas projects.

Good weekend for us all!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Questions....

Thought this was cute.

Saydee wrote out a list of questions she has for Santa.  We are going to type them up and send them with her Christmas list and see if he will answer them.

Here they are:

I thought they were really cute and thought-felt questions.

Hopefully, he'll get them and be able to answer them and remember which house they need to be returned to ;-)

BTW - It's our community Christmas party tonight. I'm again taking photos with the kids and santa....man oh man does this ever stress me out! The one above is from last year.  This was truly one of Santa's REAL helpers-beard and all!  

Seeds

Now that my fall decor is officially over (although I still have frozen pumpkins on my front porch), I saved some seeds for next year.

There were several varieties of gourds and pumpkins I saw this fall that I knew I wanted to grow next year.  So, I bought one of each and used them for decor....then cut 'em up and pulled out their guts!

I took pictures of them, so I could identify the correct seeds with the right gourd.

My favorite little fall decoration this year was this one:

I wrapped ribbon around these little versions of a jack-o-lantern pumpkin.  I had to buy these pumpkins because I didn't have them in my garden, so yup! I saved some of these seeds, too.

I also saved some from my favorite variety of gourds I grew in my mix.

I buy one seed packet that grows a mix of gourds - these two are my favorite colors/shapes in the bunch. 

And here are all my seeds drying:

I printed off photos of each variety and stuck the photo in a zip lock bag with the correct seeds.  We'll hope they all work next spring!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Swimming

On Saturday, Saydee had her winter swim meet.  She is again on a little swim team/club at a local gym.  This is a great thing for her.  1 1/2 hours of swimming twice a week - then this meet at the end of 2-3 months.  I cannot believe how good a swimmer she is becoming.  I truly am amazed when I watch her.
She's competitive, but I like that they don't keep track of who wins really - it's just times - and you are basically swimming against yourself ...and for us - her previous times from the last meet.

We had been up late the night before at the David Arch - concert, so she was a bit tired.  She did good and I'm just so happy she likes it and it learning such a good 'skill'.

One more thing.  She really is a good girl.  I know I'm her mom, but I really think she has a sweet, sensitive heart and soul.  She gets things that I think are beyond her years.

She said to me tonight when all four of us were doing various things....'Mom, I just love our family'.  She had tears in her eyes and I know she genuinely meant it. 

We both had to laugh because Steven was hollering at us to come look at something on You Tube. Logan was playing trains and making weird noises. Two cats (of the five) had their little noses pressed up against the back door and Hank was sprawled out on the carpet, snoring.....just a good moment for her and I together.

So proud of you, Sayd.