December 31st

Party like its 1980 somethin'

We had so much fun this year at a New Year's Eve party. It was 80's themed. Everyone came dressed to impress in their best 80's garb. Love Bites but New Years party's don't, we won't be drinking Red Red Wine because I Gotta Have Faith and Rock With You All Night instead of Workin 9 to 5.

All the girls because 'girls just wanna have fun!'

Jessie's Girl won't be there but Jeff's girl will!

Call Me at 867-5309 if your Little Red Corvette can't make it and I will send Billie Jean to where we will be Dancing On The Ceiling... after all That's What Friends Are For!

Since I was born in the 80's I had to do some research and thankfully some of the styles from that decade are coming back in style.



Amy's hair was crazy awesome!


The host and hostess!

Best dressed winners!

Yes she is drinking Tab.

I should mention that all the clever use of 80's trivia was all Amy, and in our emailing back and forth there was more.

December 30th

We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love. -Mother Teresa

Thoughts about my accomplishments/activities/milestones:
Well this year I have successfully run another half marathon that helped raise money for the leukemia and lymphoma society. I love being able to work towards a goal and then having an awesome weekend to complete that goal. Going to San Francisco for the weekend is a big high light in my year. Another accomplishment that I had this year was moving two times! I hate moving and it sucks so I feel that coming out of two moves all in one piece is a huge success. I was really hoping that 2009 would bring about a potty trained little boy, but it wasn't in the cards for us this year. Hopefully 2010 can be the year we are rid of diapers for everyone in our house! This year I was also able to get my photography business off the ground and get some business. Along with my business ventures, I also started another business, that is not quite off the ground yet, but it will be in the beginning part of 2010.

All in all I feel like I have grown a lot this year. I know that there is always room for improvement and I am excited to become a better person in 2010.

Life was just divine in 2009!

This is one of my vinyl products. I put it above the window at my kitchen sink. Wordy Bird will be live and running the second week of February.

December 29th

O Winter! ruler of the inverted year, ... I crown thee king of intimate delights, Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness, And all the comforts that the lowly roof of undisturb'd retirement, and the hours of ong uninterrupted evening, know. -William Cowper.

Thoughts about Christmas cards and letters:
I love getting Christmas cards in the mail. I love seeing the pictures that accompany them. Its fun be able to open up a real card and know that it took more thought and effort than just simply sending out an email. I agree that emails are more economical, but there is something that can't be replaced with sending and receiving Christmas cards. I try each year to get one sent out from my family but sometimes it comes around New Years and I have been having an internal struggle with mailing verses emailing. I think that I will try harder and get cards mailed out each year and not emailed. I prefer to get the real cards and display them, so I figure others feel the same way. My dad writes a nice letter each year and saves a copy along with the picture each year. He uses it as a nice way to re-cap the year.

When I get this blog printed into a book I will put the copy of our letter and the picture.

December 28th

Peace and rest at length have come
All the day's long toil is past,
And each heart is whispering, "Home,
Home at last.
-Thomas Hood

Thoughts about being 'home' at holiday time:
For me home is anywhere my family is. We could be spending Christmas at an airport or at the beach and it would still feel like home as long as my family is with me. Family is a big part of my religious beliefs and it seems only fitting that when we celebrate the birth of Christ and who's church I belong to, to have family with you.

Currently this is my favorite place in my house. I still want to get a slip cover for the love seat and make slip covers for the chairs, so they look a little more warm and inviting. I love that the sun comes in through the windows and the color on the walls is so relaxing.

Remember:
Most years Christmas was spent in the house that I grew up in. Our little Los Osos home. Now that my parents no longer live there we have had a Christmas in Albuquerque and a couple times Aaron and I have stayed in Logan.

December 27th

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. -Peg Bracken

Thoughts about my favorite gift:
My favorite gift that I received this year is one that Jack made for me in preschool. It is a calendar and each month has a different art project that he made. His teacher is one smart women for thinking of such a creative way for me to display his work and also be able to hold onto it year after year. My other favorite gift is a pair of Lucky jeans. Um ya they are awesome. These jeans feel like jammies and they make my butt look fabulous! Thanks mom, I love them!

December 26th

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.
-attr. to a 7 year old named Bobby

Thoughts:
We keep the Christmas decor up until we are sick of it or until the tree is just really really dead. It seemed though that this year the tree was not very dead yet and we left the Christmas stuff up longer than normal. This year the day after Christmas I had a photography job so we just hung around and let the kids play with their toys.

December 25th

Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.
-Margaret Thatcher


Christmas Day:

We got back kind of late. We left Albuquerque about 10am on Christmas Eve. The kids were great in the car and went right to bed when we got back to Logan. They slept in a little. Santa left their new jammies on the end of their bed. When Aaron and I heard them starting to wake up, I quickly went and opened their door and jumped back into bed. As they were leaving their room they discovered the presents at the foot of their beds. The walked into our room a little sheepish (like they weren't supposed to be holding presents) when we got excited about the gifts they found they both got excited too. They opened up their jammies and wanted to put them on. Once we got a picture of them waiting at the top of the stairs in their new jammies we let them come down and see what Santa brought them.





Paige got to go first and she was so cute! She knew exactly what she got (even though she never told Santa what she wanted) She started playing with her kitchen right away.


Jack's expression was priceless. He has been talking about getting a pirate ship and castle for weeks. It took Santa some searching to find these bad boys because they don't make them anymore, but Santa came through!



After we let the kids play with their toys for awhile we dove into the stockings then had a break for breakfast and then opened the presents under the tree. We always open one at a time and start the youngest. Paige was being kind of grumpy and we found out why shortly after opening gifts. She threw up. She had been throwing up the whole time we were in Albuquerque. Poor girl. Other than that we had a nice relaxing day.

Aaron and I got a magic bullet from my mom and dad. We have been wanting one for awhile now.

Here is Jack enjoying a smoothie magic bullet style.

What a great day!

December 24th

Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine no matter your age.
- Carrie Latet

Thoughts about Christmas Eve traditions:
My Christmas Eves has all been a little different. The one thing that stays the same is getting our ornaments. Some years we have had dinner with my aunt and her family some years its just been my family, and some years it has been spent driving home.

December 23rd

Love the giver more then the gift.
-Brigham Young

Thoughts on Stockings:
No special meanings for our stockings. I would like to have all matching or coordinating ones, but not until our little family is complete. Paige still needs her name on hers!



Remember:
Santa brings some essentials for us and leaves them in our stockings. Socks, razors, shaving cream, stuff like that. Oh and candy too! He always leaves candy.

December 22nd

Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive. -Robert Lynd

Thoughts on a Christmas Ritual:
One ritual we have is that every Christmas Eve we get a new ornament. My mom picks them out and she tries to make sure the ornament represents something we did that year. Once we get married my mom hands us our box of ornaments so that way we will have something to hang our own Christmas trees. We have started getting our kids ornaments too, even though they also get one from Noni as well. The kids will lots of ornaments to get them started when they get married.

After we open the ornament my mom writes our name and the year on it. I have a frog collection and so a few times I got frogs.

I believe I got this one the year I started dancing on point.

December 21st

Happy, Happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; than can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!
-Charles Dickens

Significance of Christmas lights:
Christ is the light of the world. The night Christ was born the shepherds saw a bright star that guided them to the baby. When we emulate Jesus Christ we can have the light of Christ. Lights at Christmas time remind us of the reason for all the celebration.



Remember:
We like to drive around and see all the lights that people decorate their homes with. I remember when we used to drive down to Long Beach on Christmas Eve to visit with my grandpa we would walk along a street that had every home with lots of lights. We would also go see the boats in the bay that had been decorated.

December 20th

"Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year - and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority."
-W.J. Cameron

Thoughts about what I feel incredibly blessed and grateful for:
I feel incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful little family. Jack and Paige are such great kids and sometimes I get bogged down with the day to day grind of dealing with two toddlers but when I step back and take a good look at my life I realize how blessed I am to have those two in my life. I am also very grateful for Aaron. He is my right hand man and supports me in the all the crazy things I decide to take on! I love them all!!!!



Remember:
The only thing that has really changed about the holidays since I was a kid is that now I am not a kid. I guess its not as simple as that. Now I am the one being a filthy stinking lier! Its great. It is still magical because all the effort and planning have such a big pay off. This year was great to see their sweet little faces as they experienced everything with Christmas.