Tag Archives: Christmas

Dreaming of Christmas!

Good evening!

I woke up this morning with a head cold that has made me move a little slower than normal, so I haven’t gotten as much stuff done around here as I was originally planning on. Namely, getting my Christmas tree up and decorated. It is up, but it is bare!

Anyway, I decided to spend a little time on Pinterest today, and wanted to share some dreamy Christmas pics with you! 😉

Don’t these just make visions of sugarplums dance in your head?? Oh, I know it is not yet Thanksgiving, but I am just soooo excited for Christmas to get here!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!!  🙂

Good Morning!!

Heading back to work after a 4-day weekend is rough, but I am excited to see my co-workers and find out how their Christmas’ went!!

Christmas for us was much different than it usually was, and I was worried that those changes would be a little sad, but really !!! First off, we had a much smaller group than normal, which was nice, because there isn’t much room/seating at my sister’s place. For the most part, the day was quiet, and peaceful, which was a nice change for the norm. LOL!! We all slept in a little, and then got up, dressed, took down our temporary bed – it sits in the middle of the living room floor, and then my dad and his wife showed up, which meant – it was almost time to open our stockings!! YEAH! Stockings are fun!! After stockings, we popped in a Christmas movie, and then all of us girls got to work on starting dinner!!! My mom’s ham with brown sugar and mustard rub – YUM, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, deviled eggs, celery platters (with cream cheese or peanut butter), meat and cheese platters, crackers, chocolate and peanut butter fudges, cookies, peanut butter crunch, chocolates, etc, etc, etc, etc!!! WOW!! How we all didn’t keel over after having our fill (plus some) – is in itself a Christmas miracle!!! 😉 I am sure we all must have gone home having gained at least 5 pounds each!!! LOL!!

We spent the day playing games, watching movies, snacking – you know, holidays!!! I had such an awesome time!!! I was glad we were able to see Alice and the boys too!! That was fun!! and those boys are the cutest little minions ever!!! 😉

Gifts were swapped, and everyone got at least SOMETHING that they ABSOLUTELY WANTED!! Including me!! I got my yearly Christmas Santa – I collect those you know!! and I even got a bonus gift when we got home yesterday, my sweetie had something shipped to the house, and I was soooo excited to see what it was!!! and of course, because Jason was the one who got it, it was PERFECT, it was the Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan, hardback set!! YEAH!!! I have been putting the series together one-by-one and was only up to 2 books, so – there you go!!!

So, we are home, the girls are happy, Jason is happy, the Christmas tree and decor are still up – and may be up until March, since it is just so pretty and sparkly – it always makes me a little sad to take it down!! All is right with the world, and I am now going to head to work!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!! 🙂

Christmas Eve Magic!

Today has been a pretty GREAT day hanging out with my sisters. We have shopped, gone to lunch, played multiple rounds of Wii, taken a short nap, went to a late night Christmas church service, came back to my sister’s, prepped last minute goodies for tomorrow, and all watched “Despicable Me” together – I know, not very Christmassy, but laughing is good for ANY season!!!

Let me tell you about the church service we went to at the Redeemer’s Fellowship Church this evening. My sis, Jennifer was invited by a friend of hers and so we decided to go together! We didn’t really know what to expect, we weren’t sure if it was a play, a normal church service, or what, but let me tell you, we were in for a VERY PLEASANT surprise!!! The church itself, the building, the people, and the service was AMAZING!!! It was entertaining, fun, thought provoking, and such a blessing!! Even Jason was singing it’s praises – and that is saying something!!

This place is exactly the kind of church we have been looking for in Salem – I really hope we can find it. In the meantime, we have decided that if they offer a Christmas Eve service again next year, we will go again, creating another family Christmas tradition, one that we will enjoy for many years to come!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉
-Christina

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Good Morning!!

It is Thursday morning, 2 days before Christmas day! It is my day off, but I have still been up since the pre-butt-crack-of-dawn, trying to get some last minute things done before my sweetie and I head out to my families’ place for Christmas!! I am tired, and crabby, and I am really worried about one of my dogs.

Faye is getting old, and has constant skin issues. UGH! She is balding – again – I am telling you, it is not pretty!! our vet says that she just has anxiety, and she chews on herself kind of like a nervous tic, but she does it so much that she just makes her skin super unhealthy. His prescription is to stay home with her for a week or so, to help ease her anxiety. Sad! She really is the saddest little sweet dog you could ever hope for. The day that I have to put her down is going to be a really dark day in our lives!! Anyway, she is bathed, medicated and set up with clean bedding, he little sister is also bathed and prepped with clean bedding too!! So, I think they will be fine while we are gone for the next couple of days – I am just thankful that our sis, Alex, has agreed to come keep them company while we are gone. Whew!!! Thank you, Sissy!! 😉

I do have to say thank you to one of my little sisters, Jennifer! I had so much fun hanging out with her the past couple of days, we went out to dinner, watched a movie and spent a few hours painting some salt-dough ornaments I had made last weekend! She is so funny, and she just has a natural tendency to make everything more fun – like she brings a kind of joy to everything she touches!! It helps that she can see the funny in any situation!!! I really do love that girl!!! She is also very considerate, and took all of our Christmas presents down to her place when she left last night, so we wouldn’t have to pack any of it, isn’t that sweet??? No, wait – I am pretty sure she took all of them just so she could shake each of her presents to see what she might have gotten!!! LOL!! I am just kidding, Jennifer!!! 😉

After my sis and her husband left last night, Jason and I headed out to our other sisters’ places and delivered baked goodies and Christmas gifts, that was fun! I really miss those guys!!! 😉 Only one thing worries me, and that is one of the households had confirmed cases of strep throat, and the other house was full of sickies too, they just hadn’t been tested for strep throat yet, but since they hang out together all of the time – it is probably inevitable! I just DO NOT WANT TO GET SICK!! I have already been sick 2 times this season, which is already a lot for me, let’s not do this again!!! Especially since I get an 11 day vacation starting next Thursday. Vacations are just too sad when you spend any time of them being sick!!! 😉 I love you, I hope feel better soon, family!!

On a totally different note, did I tell you that Jason got his haircut yesterday??? Oh MAN!! I know that my husband is hot, but he was rocking the hobo-chic look for a while, and it was getting really out of control. Well, we took him to our friend Keven, and Kevin did an AMAZING job on his hair!!! Jason literally looks 10 years younger, thinner, more awake, and the cut really brings the attention off of his once mop-of-a-style back to his AMAZING baby blue eyes!!! WOW!! I wish I could get a haircut to do that for me!!!! 😉 I love you, you hot, sexy, hunk-of-a-man!!! 😉

I have some more packing and chores to do, Jason is getting his last minute baking done, and then we are heading out!! We have to have everything done by 9:30 this morning – let’s see what kind of mad time-management skills we have!!! 😉 Anyway, I had better get on that!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!

Playing Santa’s Helper!!

Got outta work half day for a 4 day weekend: check

Spending time painting ornaments with sister: check check

Good baskets of baked goods put together:  check check check

Christmas gifts placed in bags for transport: check check check check

Delivering said goodies to family for Christmas: PRICELESS!!!

We are waiting for our brother-in-law, and then we are on our way!!! YEAH!!!

 

 

Early Birds!

Well, I had some early bird family members join me a little before Christmas this evening. My little sister Jennifer, and her husband, Austin, came up from Roseburg to visit for the next 2 days, since they have to work both days before and after Christmas, and we were sure if we would get the opportunity to spend some time hanging out together!! They are taking a quick trip to Portland and will be back later this evening!

Jason is also out this evening, I am not sure what exactly he is doing, but if I were to really think about it, I would know that he is out getting his last minute Christmas shopping finished!!

SO, I am just taking a moment to enjoy the quiet evening here at the manse…er uhm…ok, so manse might be quite the overstatement, but you know!! Anyway, I have been browsing some books that my sis-in-law had stored in her trunk that she had ready for thrifting. I LOVE reading, but I am having some serious difficulties getting into a book right now. My mind seems to constantly be running – lack of focus! I want to find a good book that has some  romance, passion, camaraderie, hilarity, a tricky mystery, and some kind of ironic twist that ends with a happy ending!! Is that too much to ask???? LOL!! I know!!

Jason just got home – it looks like he has gotten enough baking supplies to do some serious damage to the kitchen I just got cleaned up from his last baking day!! I still love that man – that bakin’ fool o’ mine!!! 😉

Anyway, I am planning on hitting the hay early tonight, so off to get ready for bed I go!!

Have a FABULOUS evening! 🙂

Happy Monday!

Today is the end of Monday of a 3-day work week!!! WHOO-HOO!!! I am so excited about going down and seeing my family at Christmas, that every minute that I can shave off of my wait time, is ALWAYS a good thing!!

I made some salt-dough ornaments yesterday. The recipe said it would take about 10 minutes of baking to dry them out – UHM…NO!! 5 hours later, and I FINALLY got them to dry!!! It’s all good though, because they did turn out really cute. So a little paint and varnish, and ribbon, and they will be ready to hang on ye old Christmas tree!!!

I have finished wrapping all of the presents – even the stocking ones! My husband is in baking cookies – his gift to all of our friends and family!! I am done being responsible this evening, so if it hasn’t gotten done at this time of the night, it is not going to!

I was browsing on Facebook tonight and found this really old picture of me in jazz band – this is one of those rare finds, that brings back memories as if I were still there!!! CRAZY!! Can you find me??? My husband found me in an instant, I may look different, but my smile ALWAYS remains the same!!! Can you find me?

Wow this pic really takes me back!!!

I wonder if there are any other pics like this floating around! I have to tell you, I miss playing and being a part of something bigger then myself. I really LOVE music, and I sometimes fantasize about coming picking up my cornet again, yes I still have it, and practice – I am sure that there are adult musicians out there SOMEWHERE??? Can you imagine!! Oh, that would be bliss!!!

Anyway, as I spend the rest of my evening enjoying my Christmas lights, and hanging out with my sweetie and the girls,

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Christmas at the Capitol Building

I find myself relishing this amazing moment where I have an excuse to sit in the middle of Salem Capitol’s building’s marble stairs,  and just take in the lovely sound of school children singing Christmas choral music. There is nothing quite like listening to children’s voices singing at Christmastime in this seemingly magical historic building. The acoustics in here are full and rich – the perfect environment for having a nice break from a stressful day at work.

The children singing are made up of 3 or 4 of the local schools here, ranging from elementary school all the way to one of the high school’s many choirs. At one point in the 2 hour program, all of the schools sang together; a beautifully haunting piece in an echoing kind of arrangement and I could not help but close my eyes and just take in the angelic sound of those sweet voices – like the voices of angels sent straight from Heaven (this is where the parents sigh, and wish that they could be this “angelic” all the time). As I am sitting here listening, I can’t help but wonder who have walked these halls before us, who’s voices have been raised within these halls to mark the Christmas holidays both past, and who shall come after this in the future.

This event has given this Christmas season a sense of nostalgia – something that I have been longing for and have been sadly missing this year, until now that is. As the hustle and bustle of this holiday season can sometimes fly by in a mass of to-do lists, and obligations, I pray that each and every one of you reading this get to have at least one memorable moment to give you a sense of Christmas magic like these children have unknowingly blessed me with today – that or next time, we can  make a date and sneak some of our own Christmas magic by coming to the Capitol building and listening to the next round of carolers together. Sounds SIMPLY DIVINE!

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Cookie Night!!

Tonight I got to spend some time with my best friend, Dawn, her fabulous daughter, Sam, and my sweetie this evening. We spent the evening baking cookies. Well, wait, actually Jason and my girlfriend’s daughter baked cookies, while Dawn, and I chatted at the dining room table. Dawn was dealing with a painful tooth and I am dealing with a yucky bout of bronchitis.

Jason and Sammy made ginger cookies, peanut butter crunch bars (my personal favorite), sugar cookies, and chocolate butter cookies!! It was so much fun watching them in action. Dawn and I spent our evening trying to get pictures of them, and giggling at all sorts of mayhem and silliness – FUN!

Anyway, as I was sitting here trying to decide what to blog about, I thought I would rack my brain and see if I could remember any memories that pertained to cookies growing up. You see, Jason had asked me the other day what were the special cookies in my family, and to be honest with you I couldn’t remember any. However, after a while I did start to have some memories pop up, and the first one pertains to sugar cookies. I know my mom must have been making them, and I must have been about 4 or 5. My mom had some sugar cookie dough that she was making cookies with, and I remember that I was playing with my Barbie on the kitchen floor. My mom would occasionally pinch off a small portion of dough and give the pieces to me to eat – they were delicious!! I remember actually taking a piece or two and squishing them into my Barbie shoes – I was so amazed that the pieces actually fit. Silly me! 😉

I do remember my mom making peanut butter cookies; I would watch her as she would meticulously press the tines of a fork in a special pattern on the top of each cookie. I LOVED watching her do that, although I don’t really remember ever liking the taste of peanut butter cookies, it still is a GREAT memory for me!

Ooh, I just had another childhood cookie pop up in my head. My mom used to make these chocolate no bake cookies! HMMMMM…I can even smell the oatmeal and the chocolate sents wafting in the air. These cookies were cooked in a pan on the stove, and after the mixture had cooked the appropriate length of time, my mom would drop rounds of the hot mixture on parchment paper to let them cool. After coming home from school there were times where there were these chocolate no baked cookies on every flat surface in the dining room and kitchen, and if we were lucky, and if we didn’t get caught in the process, my sisters and I would always go in and try to grab one before it had cooled. Warm and gooey, and ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! You know, come to think of it – I bet that my mom always had a couple of extra cookies set out just so us girls thought we were stealing some, when in reality she was planning on it. Man, moms can be soooo sneaky!!! 😉

Do you have any cookie memories that you can think of??? I would LOVE to hear about them in the comments section.

In the meantime,

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉