Family Traditions

I love good old fashioned traditions. Christmas traditions are my favorite and I am still trying to create new ones each year.

Our Christmas Eve is spent with Mema and Pa. We will go to Christmas Eve candlelight service which is probably my most favorite thing, open presents and spend the day with each other celebrating our Lord and Savior. When we get home there is still one more present to open before bed, that one gift that we all know is going to be new pajamas. Of course you can't forget to put out Santa's favorite cookies and chocolate milk and carrots for the reindeer.


I love to make a big breakfast on Christmas morning. My family calls it "country fried breakfast". Everyone can have whatever they want for breakfast that morning. Hopefully when we move closer to the family, they can come over to enjoy breakfast with us.

What are some of your traditions?

Christmas Festivities

Have you all been as busy as I am? I love all the Christmas time festivities!

Visiting family!

My own personal pilot :) How did I get so lucky?

Parties!

Ice skating!

My sister Jame and I


Levi not loving ice skating

Jamie and her fiance Craig

Santa!

Santa's helpers!

Christmas Caroling!

I am so ready for the main dish!

Christmas Break

Today is the last day of school for my children for 12 days!! That's not all--Today is my last day of work for 5 days!! Now, in the past, this would have been a very stressful situation. Not only did I have to figure out how I could possibly miss work, I had to figure out what to do with my children because the daycare would also be closed.

Anyone else have all the mixed emotions that school breaks bring?

It would always turn out that I would "have" to stay home half the time and would feel guilty for the childcare I found for the other half. I never did enjoy any of this so called vacation time.

Now, I not only get to stay home but I plan to enjoy it 100%! Life is so much better when you have someone else invested in you. I blame all of this excitement on my husband! For taking care of me and our family and giving me the opportunity to actually enjoy it all.

Feelings of Inadequacy

I was so excited to come home last night to my ornament exchange package!

When I opened it, there were so many wonderful gifts that I became a little overwhelmed at the thought that the package I sent in return may have been a little inadequate.

Jennifer at Perfectly Imperfect was my exchange partner. I have enjoyed reading her blog and learning about who she is. I feel like I know her and if I lived near her, we would be great friends!

I tried to get pictures of everything but Jennifer even sent a package of baseball cards each for the boys--they didn't give me much time to take a picture. They were just as excited as I was to see the package!

The ornaments are perfect! Two of them. A Texas snow globe and the letter A. (Pictures don't do these gifts justice, I had to use my cell phone--batteries are dead on the camera)

And if all that wasn't enough--She made a plaque with our name and married year on it! Jennifer made this herself! It is so beautiful! It fits perfectly in our home.

Her mom also made a scarf which I didn't get a picture of but is so pretty as well!

This was a wonderful experience for me and I am so glad I participated! Thank you Jennifer for all these gifts! I will treasure them forever and every year when I put the ornaments on the tree, I will remember you and your generosity to me and my family.

I mean come on, not just anyone would include something special for my banshees too!

Far Away for the Holidays

I just learned about the foundation Do1NiceThing from a fellow blogger Newlyweds.

This Week's Idea -- OPERATION YOU GO, GIRL. There isn't much time left, the deadline is Thursday, December 10th.

Helping make the holidays sweeter for female service members in Basra, Iraq.

Any of the following gifts would be greatly appreciated:
1. Moisturizers: Fragrant lotions, shampoos, soaps, loofah sponges, etc. (Small samples are great)2. Magazines (nothing sexy, please) Issues you've read are fine too.

3. Munchies: Cookies in the can, hard candy, microwave popcorn, nuts
Also, ground coffee. (Strong. No decaf.)

Homey holiday decorations: an ornament, scented candle, stockingLOVE: Cards, letters and children’s drawings are the best gifts of all.

No chocolate candy, please. The temperature in Basra is still in the high 70s.

Address:
Meyers, Aaron D.

34th ID, Fires Cell

APO AE 09374

Attn: HOL

SFC Meyers will make sure that our gifts are delivered directly to female service members.

MAILING DEADLINE: DEC. 10.

Mailing costs the same as inside the U.S. You will need to fill out a Customs form. We recommend using Priority Mail flat-rate boxes or "America Salutes You" flat-rate boxes, special for mailing to the military.

All this information came directly from the Do1NiceThing website. Go check it out for the complete Nice list.