It's almost Christmas ~

Are you done shopping yet? Are you prepared for the meal for Christmas?

I ask these questions simply because I am not done with either.

My parents are here for Christmas. I'm psyched about that. Enjoying having them here. Before they got here, mom and I decided to do a lovely prime rib roast for Christmas dinner, and that we would buy it when she got here. Well, we looked and a roast is $50. Uh, no thanks. So, I have been trying to figure out what to do. It's a dilemma!!!!!! I think I've settled on a Christmas brunch. Don't think my dad is thrilled with that, but I think that would be something special and it's a great tradition to start! Christmas brunch! So now, I'm trying to figure out what all to get. We are going grocery shopping a little later to finish it up.

I'm all done shopping for gifts, just have to get a few stocking stuffers stuff! Then it's to start wrapping.
I've been feeling rather scrooge-ish and just can't wait for the holidays to be over with. It's rather a disgusting feeling, but I just can't seem to snap out of it. But I suppose if this is truly the first time I've felt like this, then that's an accomplishment~!~

I am looking forward to being with almost all of our extended family this Christmas. A nice change from last year, but then again we were with our dear friends for Christmas and New years. Framily, really. I think I'm kinda homesick for them which may be the reason for my scrooge-y feeling!!!! Now, it's time to adjust to the new normal in our lives! The first holidays after major changes are weird and hurt sometimes.

We are going over to my husbands aunt's house for Christmas eve dinner and then on Christmas morning, we will open presents at our house then have our brunch and then around 11-ish we'll make way over to my inlaws for presents there. Jesse has to work that day ~ which sucks, but he will get holiday pay, so that's nice ~ so in the evening, we will again go over to my inlaws for dinner. The boys are very excited. I hope my parents won't mind being at my inlaws so much!

So, that is our plans ~ what are your plans? I do love to hear about everyone's traditions ~ and I may just steal them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Leave a comment!!!!!
Love you all very much. Have a very merry and Blessed Christmas!!!!!!!

I'm an aunt again!

I'm so excited! My sister in law Suzanne had another baby boy today! Noah Asa Pyne was born on 12/14/2009 weighing in at 7 lbs. 1 oz and 19 1/2 inches long!




He is so absolutely adorable! He's got this gorgeous black hair and the most pinchable cheeks! I can't wait to get my hands on him. Because of stupid hospital policies due to the swine flu "epidemic" no one is allowed to visit Suzanne or Noah except her parents and her hubby. Which totally stinks ~ but................




I am her downstairs neighbor so when she gets home, I can visit anytime and spoil him to pieces!

Here is the footprints they took before he left the OR (she had a c-section).

The footprints look smaller in person!

Here is baby Noah. I wasn't supposed to get this

close, but Brent snuck me in and my inlaws!

I just couldn't get enough of his little face!

I wish you could his luxurious black hair! SOON YOU WILL!

Christmas questions ~

I got this from my dear friend Adrienne's blog and thought it was cute!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I loathe egg nog. And I love Hot Chocolate, but I much prefer Wassail

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? He wraps, of course, and presents don't get put out till Christmas eve, unless it's for someone that doesn't live here (like extended family and such)

3. Colored or white lights on tree/house? I prefer white, Jesse likes multi. So this year, on our tree (a real one!) we have both, but the other decoration lights in our house is white. I also really like the red/green or just red/white ones.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Kinda, not this year, though. I usually improvise with left over scraps of garland and hang it, but didn't feel like kissin' anyone this year ~ LOL!

5. When do you put your decorations up? Ideally on the Friday/Saturday after thanksgiving, but this year we didn't get them up till the first week in December

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Green bean casserole! I LOVE the stuff. Then it would be crescent rolls!


7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? I have so many! But the one I remember best is when we lived in South Dakota, my sister moved back to Oklahoma with her boys right before Christmas, so my parents were pretty down. I remember I got tons for Christmas that year, a hope chest a baby grand necklace charm. But what I remember most is getting my parents TONS of stuff and putting out a stocking for them before I woke them up. The look on their faces when I woke them up! PRICELESS!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth. I'm a believer that Santa is real. What's wrong with that? Huh, so what's your answer :)


9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Well, we open one gift every year on Christmas eve ~ jammies. I love it. And since the aforementioned Santa doesn't come until Christmas eve, there is nothing to open till Christmas morning!!!!!!


10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I don't have a theme. I love all the Hallmarks, and glass ornaments and snowflakes and all different mishmash of stuff I have. I wouldn't mind having a separate primitive country themed one in another room ~ smaller of course.!

11. Snow? Love it or dread it? This is the first time we've been out of S. Florida for a holiday in several years. I LOVE snow. I wouldn't mind a white Halloween through New years, then it better all go away and be sunny and warm. So it truly is a love/hate relationship

12. Can you ice skate? The last time I remember ice skating, I think i was in elementary school. So probably not!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Mickey mouse watch and my hope chest

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending time with my family and seeing everyone healthy and happy.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? IDK! I like pretty much all but if you held a gun to my head and had me pick, I'd have to say maybe, Peanut Butter fudge. I just can't make it.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Having to take a sleeping pill to sleep on christmas eve!

17. What tops your tree? A rusty star

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? I'll admit it. I love getting! But anymore, I rarely get :) but I also love to give! It is just so hard when a person is just difficult to buy for. Kinda takes the joys out of the giving when they are picky or don't tell you any idea of what they want. Oh, yeah, and "the family all together and healthy" doesn't quite do it for me. Give me a tangible idea already!!!!!!!!

19. Candy Canes, yuck or yum? Not a huge fan of the peppermint, but I L-O-V-E the cherry ones!

20. Favorite Christmas show? White Christmas, Elf, and all time fave is Albert Finney's Scrooge. Oh and can't forget the Santa Clause Trilogy ~ that is the most accurate depiction of how and who Santa is!


21. Saddest Christmas song? Christmas isn't Christmas without you ~ The holiday's that Jesse was deployed, I sat in my apartment with the patio door open, Christmas lights on, drinking Hot Chocolate and just repeating that song. But it's one of my faves too!

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? WOW, this is a hard one! I love the Christmas Canon. And I'll be home for Christmas and Merry Christmas, Darling!

Decorating the Tree. The tree topper is new and my favorite. I love the primitive country look!

More from today. The boys enjoyed playing in the snow with their cousins while Jesse and I got the tree up, and lights on it.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!!!!!!!

Here are some pix from our tree shopping trip. The snow was just beginning to fall! It was SO pretty. And a "God loves me" today! I truly was a bit down. It hasn't felt much like Christmas. But the snow just made my day! It was what I truly needed! Bless the LORD oh, my soul and forget not ALL His benefits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, maybe there's hope!

I did get to go out today ~ but I wouldn't say the masses were teaming!!!!!!!! It was great fun. I made it to all the stores I intended to and Gunner was great. Tucker, not so much ~ he kept saying that shopping so long made his tummy sick. JUST LIKE A MAN.
But I got almost all of my shopping done. I just have a couple things left to get the boys ~ I tried to sneak in a few things, but Tucker is one vigilant little booger. So, that didn't happen!
Tucker got to talk to Santa. He even told him a few things he wanted, and since Xav wasn't there, he told Santa what Xav wanted.
Santa made magic happen ~ he "wrote" down what the guys wanted and magically the labelled list disappeared to the North Pole. Then Santa sang Jingle Bells with them and it was great. Gotta say he was one of the best Santa's I have ever seen. That's saying something cause I've known a few REALLY good ones!!!!!!!!
Tucker was quite enchanted with Santa. Him and Xav informed me last night that they would always believe in Santa. I doubt that, but it makes me so happy that they believe in Santa. Heck, I truly believe with all my heart that Santa is real! Santa makes the holiday seem even more magical and I love the innocence it brings out in the kids. I know that Santa isn't the reason for Christmas. And I emphasize with my kids that it is all about celebrating God's greatest GIFT. Jesus Christ.
My favorite authors Brock and Bodie Thoene are writing a series of books (well, it's almost done now) called the AD Chronicles and books 4, 5, & 6 all are about the events surrounding the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. It's the Nativity story and it is awesome. You should read it sometime! It makes the story of Christ's birth more real. I love it!
Anywho ~ I am starting to be less bah humbug and more Merry CHRISTmas. I had an enjoyable time today! Now, I can't wait to get our tree tomorrow and be able to truly be DONE with my christmas decorating and move on to more important things like baking a zillion cookies!!!!!!!!!
With Christmas Love and wishes!!!!!!

Tara

It's shopping day

I have decided that ~ after feeling rather bah-humbug-y ~ I need to get out amongst the teaming masses today. Something I haven't really done in ages. So I am going to try to kick start my Christmas spirit. After all, according to some people (wink wink, Kayte) I am the holiday guru. Which I'm very flattered by the way!
We haven't even gotten a tree yet! Jesse said that once all my other decorating was done, then we'd get a tree. Well, it's done so Saturday we are getting a tree. BUT I am having such a dilemma knowing that it will come down almost as soon as I put it up. Now mind you, I'm so not a perfect tree kinda girl. I have no theme to my tree. I have all sorts of ornies for it from Hallmarks to handmade, balls to bells, whatnots and doodads! So It really won't take as long going up and I'm really thinking of just putting some out not all.
Why depress everyone with this, you ask?! Well, I guess I'm just hoping for a little validation! I truly hope I'm not the only one who gets in the Christmas slump every now and then. But then again, I hope I am the only one who gets in the Christmas slump.
I know it is the fact that I put too much emphasis on the things of Christmas that don't matter. The gift buying and the decorating. I just need to refocus and remember what Christmas is all about. Receiving the greatest gift ever. Jesus Christ. And I hope today that you have received HIM too!!!!!!!!
Have a very merry CHRISTmas!

Today....................

has been a totally crazy. I felt SO lazy. I got all my Christmas stuff out and it is all just scattered around. I'm trying to figure out where everything should go. And what should stay boxed up. And I just don't feel like doing any of it!!!!!!! But I must needs get cracking if it is to get done before Christmas which is ~~~~~~~ EEEKKKKKKK! ~~~~~~~~~~ 23 days away.
I hope you are all having a very blessed preparation time for Christmas. It truly is one of the most wonderful times of year!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, just bring on the snow!!!!!!!

So maybe a bit of Christmas spirit yet..........

This morning, Jesse let me sleep in (yay, for him, but he owed me big time so........) and he got Xav ready and took him to school. So I woke up this morning with all the shades closed and got Gunner and sat down in the recliner with him and turned on cartoons on playhouse disney.
A few minutes later, my mom called (from Illinois) and said is it snowing? and I dejectedly said, NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO :( She said are you sure?! so i looked out the the window and there were flakes coming down and snow partially covering the ground. IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!! And now I've got a christmas kind of feeling!!!!!!!!!
I went shopping last night and just couldn't buy much of anything. I did buy the greenery for the flower basket on my front porch. But that just didn't feel right. NOW ~~~~~~~~
I'm glad I did cause NOW I feel like Christmas!!!!!!!!
Merry Christmas ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!