Christmastime!

Christmas is normally my very favorite time of the year. I have been having a hard time this year, trying to get into the whole Christmas spirit. I am not sure why, but I've been having a very hard time getting enthused about anything to do with Christmas this year. Last weekend, we decided that we HAD to get the Christmas decorating done, because we are celebrating Christmas this weekend due to some family stuff. After we got the house done, I remembered why I love Christmas so much! The house is so pretty at Christmas. I love our Christmas decorations. So much of what we decorate the house with have been a part of Christmas in my family for as long as I can remember.

These cute little elves have always been one of my favorite parts of Christmas! I love these little guys! The flower arrangement in the sled is one that I made, as I make all of flower arrangements we use.

I love to decorate the mantel every year! Everyone in my family has one of these stockings. My mom made one for all of us. I love our stockings.

I love these two little snowmen! These guys were added to our Christmas about 5 years ago. They are absolutely adorable.

This is our front hall table. The flower basket is one that I did. I love the long legged Santa! I love decorations that are cute and a little bit quirky.

This Santa's a big favorite of mine. I saw him at a store right before Christmas three or four years ago and there was no way I could resist!

Bring on Christmas! I'm ready now!

Photography for a really good cause

I don't think I've posted anything about this on my blog, but in August, one of my sisters in law passed away. Lori battled breast cancer for 5 years. She fought a brave, strong battle with the loving support of my brother, their children, and all of our extended families. On August 15th, she lost that battle. she left behind a beautiful family--two grown daughters and four children still at home. With the strength of our beliefs that the separation is only temporary until we are all joined on the other side of the veil, my brother, nieces and nephew are surviving and thriving in their new world. My brother Bob & Lori's first grandchild will be born in April. Her name will be Lori Jade.

In honor of Lori's memory, my brother Bob is working with Dartmouth Hospital, where Lori received terrific treatment that helped to extend her life and quality of life, to help others who are battling cancer as well. One of the biggest obstacles that people who are fighting the battle of their lives with this insidious disease face is paying for their treatments and their medications. Single treatment can cost thousands and medications can run upwards of $500 a month!

My brother is a world class photographer. He is making his photography available to the general public. The website is still in the stages of being created, but he will have thousands of his beautiful photographs and hopefully some of Lori's own photography available for people to purchase for just one dollar a print! A portion of the proceeds from each purchase will go to a fund to help cancer patients to pay for their treatments and medications.

I would encourage everyone who visits this blog to go and check out the website. Browse through the photography and purchase a print to help those in need.

Here is the link and it will also be forever in my Blog links.

http://www.photosforabuck.com/default.aspx

It's Christmas Time!

I am not sure where in the world this year has gone to, but it is time again for the Christmas season! I love Christmas! I love the Christmas season. I love everything about the Christmas season! It's my favorite time of the year.

So, in the spirit of the season, a Merry Christmas from a couple of cute Santas--my two nieces Elise & Kelsey.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, I'm not sure how in the world it happened, but somehow, it is the end of November, which means that it is the holiday season! I love this time of year. I love the holidays. I love spending time with my family. It is so easy this time of year to get caught up in all the commercialism leading into Christmas. That is a big part of what I love about Thanksgiving. There is no commercialism. It is truly a holiday to enjoy and be with your family and enjoy the feast.

Most days, I find myself focusing far too much on what is difficult in my life and on how my life is hard and it's not fair that I have to work so hard to get by. I love that this one day makes me stop and truly be thankful for what I have.

I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for a beautiful, warm, comfortable home. I am thankful for a good job that offers security for my family. I am thankful for a dependable car that allows me to get to work each day. I am thankful for a second job that is allowing me the opportunity to try to get my family ahead and possibly turn into a full time job in the future. I am thankful for a mom who gives of her time to help me make that second job successful!

I am thankful to have been blessed enough to be born in our country and be an American with the freedoms and privileges and responsibilities that go along with that right. I am thankful to have been born into a family that taught me right from wrong since birth and that has taught me the gospel. I am thankful for my knowledge of eternal life and the fact that I will be able to be with my family again when our earthly lives are over. I am thankful for the beautiful area that we live in. I am thankful for my New England heritage. I am thankful that I was raised to believe in tradition.

I am sure that if I had more time, I could easily come up with 100's more things that I am thankful for. But for now, I have a bunch of apples that are calling my name--the apple pies didn't get made yesterday, so I have to get them done real quick, before the turkey goes in at 10 am!

So to everyone, I wish you

8 things

8 things....

I saw this on Jen's blog and thought I would join in on the fun! Hope you do too!!!

8 Favorite TV shows
1-Army Wives
2-Wheel of Fortune
3-How I Met Your Mother
4-Amazing Race
5-Law & Order
6-Without a Trace
7-?
8-?

8 Things I did yesterday
1-Work
2-Laundry
3-went grocery shopping
4-fixed dinner
5-did a bit of work from home
6-watched a bit of TV
7-FHE with my family
8-slept!!

8 THings I look forward to
1-Thanksgiving & some time off work!!!!
2-my weekly emails from James
3-Christmas shopping
4-getting my inspections job off the ground
5-regularly getting eggs from the chickens
6-finally finishing my kitchen by getting the tile countertops in
7-Josh's first season playing HS basketball(he made the team today!)
8-The Holidays

8 Favorite Restaurants
1-Olive Garden
2-Old Spaghetti Factory
3-The Melting Pot
4-Babe's Bakery
5-El Mirador
6-can't remember the name of it, but there is this TO DIE FOR seafood place in Hailey, ID that I love to go to whenever I'm there!
7-
8-

8 Things on my wishlist
1-A new car
2-A new digital camera--one that's more up to date & better suited for my insurance inspection job
3-A really terrific photo editing program
4-finally choosing a color to repaint my bedroom
5-more peace of mind
6-a week without Josh arguing
7-more time
8-enough money that I don't have to stress out every month

I have been so bad about posting lately! Life has been so crazy. I've had a change at work and am now working in a different department---actually the same department that I spent 4 years in before going to my last position. So it's a little bit like going home again, but with training on all the things that have changed in the last two years!

Between the new job and the insurance inspections, it seems like I'm running around like crazy all day long! But the inspections often take me to places that I really enjoy. On Saturday, we spent the day in Jackson Hole, Wy. For any of you who have not eve been there, it is just absolutely stunning. I love getting to go there. This weekend, for some reason, it looked like the Teton Mountains were so close!! I don't think I've ever seen that good of a view of the Grand Teton. The wildlife were out in abundance--we saw deer, elk, moose, and bison. It was a great day--I got to combine work with a terrific day with my family.

What color are you?

How fun! I saw this on Shamae's blog & had to try it!

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors. You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius. Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way. While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Hey, you gotta try!

This website is offering a chance to win a free handbag. They are super cute. You don't have to put any information except your first name and email address. Give it a try! http://www.handbagplanet.com

Really, this speaks for itself...

Yes, it is early October.
Yes, Distric soccer tournaments started for Josh today.
Yes, that is snow.
Let me say it again, in case you don't believe me.
Yes, that is snow. In fact, during the game,

Another niece wedding

So I mentioned that one of my nieces got married in July & posted photos. Val & Kurt are doing super well & are expecting their first child! We are excited to return to Boise next summer to attend their sealing with them!

I had another niece get married in September in western Washington. Unfortunately, due to finances, we were not able to afford to be there with them. I was so sad that I couldn't attend the wedding, but hope that Elise knows that our hearts were there with her that day!



Also, I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but I have another niece who's been married for about a year. She is my oldest brother's daughter from his first marriage. After their divorce, her mother took her to live in Denmark, where she was from. Unfortunately, we have never had the opportunity to know Carrie very well, but we sure love her a ton. She is my oldest niece. She and Joseph got married in the Denmark temple. I told my mom that I think Carrie looks just like the photos I see of my mom when she was that age!