SO MUCH TO DO! SO MUCH TO DO! Is This What the Holiday’s Are About?!?!

This time of year.  Oh this time of year.

I love this time of year.  It really is my favorite.  I love giving and let’s be honest, receiving.  I love the snow and the decorations and the cookies and the festivities and the music and family.  I love it all!!

And it is all those things and so much more that also make this time of year so stressful and that make me frustrated during the time of year that I love so much.

Sigh.

I am sure I am not the only one.  We ALL do this.  It is almost like a ritualistic form of torture that we put ourselves through this time of year.  We put so much on our plate (literally and figuratively) that by the time Christmas day gets here we are exhausted and over the holidays.  To say the holiday spirit is being sucked out of me quickly is an understatement.  Though at work I am trying to maintain the spirit I have left by dressing up!!

 (Those are ornament bulb earrings & a fun green braclet!)

And the thing that sucks, is most* of the time I do all this to myself.  I create the stress.

Right now I have this to do list:

- Order Christmas, nah, New Years Cards

- I still have Christmas gifts to buy (a few people I still have no clue what to get!)

- Make cookies (extra for his school)

- Clean House

- Wrap gifts

- Send gifts to a couple friends

- Figure out Christmas dinner

- Buy gift for work exchange

- Make food for work

- Go grocery shopping (which I don’t think I have done in a couple weeks except for basics)

- Put Henry’s gifts together

- Plan meals for the holidays

- Plan Christmas get together

Not to mention things I want to do with Henry like take him to the Lights Before Christmas, build a gingerbread house, bake cookies with him, play in the snow, enjoy this time of year!!!

On top of that we are ALL STILL sick and I have an ear infection and I have to go to the hospital for a chest X-Ray and all of it just makes feel blah.

I just have NO time to get everything I want done and I am stressing myself out and making myself feel like crap because I can’t get it all done.

IS THIS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT?!?!

"'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'"

"...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown……er, Jenn"

I need to STOP. 

I need to BREATHE.

I need to BE IN THE MOMENT.

I need to REMEMBER THE REAL MEANING OF THIS TIME OF YEAR.

(ok, I am done talking loudly!  I just have trouble controlling the volume of my voice….or fingers)

I feel some strengths of mine are also the weaknesses that create this stress. That is planning/entertaining/organization.  I envision things a certain way and get frustrated when they don’t turn out….and with a child, they don’t always turn out.  I get caught up in the moment and forget to STOP and take the moment IN.   I may not want things to be perfect by I want them to be loved by all and if I think one thing went wrong then it ALL went wrong.   I plan and plan and plan and want things to follow that plan exactly….if dinner is suppose to be at 5:15 it is AT 5:15, not 5:20.  

I am definitely not a go with the flow kind of person.  I have list upon list  upon list and cannot deviate from that.

You see where I am going with this?! 

Yeah, I sound AWESOME to be around during the holidays, no?!

As great as some of my strengths in the details and planning are, they also are the things that hinder me or that I obsess about or that make me miss the moments I shouldn’t miss.

I have tried hard since Henry was born to STOP.  Ok, this last year I have tried.  In some ways I have succeeded and others I fall back into my old ways. 

Like last Friday Henry has his school program.  I was SO excited for this because I thought it would be a great memory.  I got off work a little early (not early enough apparently) and picked up Henry and made a cheese tray and got him some pizza and Terry and I got him ready.  We were rushing rushing rushing.  Henry is going the potty like a big boy (YAY!!), but I was just like…come on, wear a diaper don’t pee in the potty which he didn’t like.  I am not mad or yelling, just short and snippy because we have to go!!  We get there 3 minutes late and I grab Henry from the car and Terry parks it and we run in and I basically throw him to the teachers and see my baby reaching out to me, confused at what is going on….but I have to get him to the program, right?!  Well apparently they start right on time and we missed the toddler performance.  Then we see Henry at the end in the finale and he is looking for us and looks so sad, and we are in the back waving but he can’t see us.  He looks so uncomfortable and sad and I just want to grab him….but NO, I had to get him up there to make memories!!  And while I was recording him there must have been a smudge on the camera because it is always blurry and auto focusing so I have a horrible video.  So we were just going to leave because we were annoyed.  We get outside and I say “great, like the night wasn’t bad enough he now is going to miss Santa”.  

I stopped.  Why did he have to miss Santa.  We had nowhere to be.  We were just annoyed that things didn’t go as planned.  Henry could still have fun with his friends & see Santa.  So we went back in.  Henry had cookies and talked to his teachers and saw (the jankiest) Santa and HE HAD FUN!!  The joy on his face with Santa was like no other.  (be still my heart)

That is what matters, right?!  So I got a crappy video, I was there and saw HIM.  So he missed singing, he sings at home.  We then drove around and looked at Christmas lights and the night as a family wasn’t perfect or as planned…but it was also pretty darn awesome!

I am trying to accept that not everything is going to get done.  That not everything will be perfect or go as I planned.  That if I keep focusing on what I “need” to do I am going to miss the most important things.  If I keep trying to create memories I am going to miss the ones infront of me that happen all on their own.

I admit it is hard, but I am trying.  Tonight I am going home and making a list of what NEEDS done.  Ok, really…you can’t change everything about me.  This girl still needs her lists.  But I am trying. 

What is more important to me, a clean house or making a gingerbread house with my son?!  Getting out Christmas New Year Cards or curling up on the couch and watching Christmas movies with Henry?!  Planning a big meal for Christmas or playing in the snow with Henry?!  Um, no question….my son wins EVERY time. And those, those moments are where the memories are made.

THAT is what I need to focus on. The time spent with my family.  Of course, there are things that I can’t get around and need to do….but I also don’t need to make everything “perfect” or try to do it all. 

Sigh.

So how do YOU handle the holidays?!  Have you learned to relax and take it easy?  Are you crazy like me?!  Somewhere in the middle?  What do you do to relax and ENJOY this time of year?

(Yep, this is how I feel too little buddy.)

*I say most because there are other people who do make this time of year more stressful then it needs to be…but that is an entirely different and private post.  But we all know who those type of people are!

Thankful Days 1 – 8

So during the month of November people write daily posts about what they are thankful for.  I like this.  I am not posting every day, but rather writing things down daily and will post every Friday or Saturday during the month.  So here is what I am thankful for from November 1^st – 8^th.

What are YOU thankful for today?!?!

1^st – Emailing with my sister.  Her and I email each other pretty much every day.  It just makes me so happy and I am so thankful to have her and be able to “talk” to her every day.  Whether it is something serious, a recipe, a funny story, life in general, or a joke that I know only she will laugh at….it makes me feel close even though we don’t see each other all the time.

2^nd – Last minute weekend visits from our family!!  It was so great to have my parents plan a last minute trip to see us today!  It was a perfect…and I think helped one sick little kid feel better.

3^rd – Dots, aka, Tim Bits.  Come on, I think we can all admit “dots” make everything better and are something we should be thankful for!

4^th – Having a job where I can take the day off, even if unpaid, when my son is sick and my work doesn’t question it or get mad.  I know many people, including my husband, cannot easily take time off unexpectedly.  I feel lucky that I at least have the option to put my family first.

5^th – Dancing!!  I came home after a loooooong day at work and was tired and it was yucky out and as I walk through the door Henry comes running to me and says “DANCE”!!  You want to dance?  OK!  So I literally throw my stuff down and Henry and I dance.  How can you not be thankful for that.

6^th – For being able to sit down and have a dinner with Henry and Terry!!  Sure tonight it was just grilled cheese and soup.  But for two years we have only had a handful of family dinners and now we have one almost every night!  Tonight we talked about his day at school.  We are fairly certain he was trying to tell us that a big kid would not let Henry ride the bike at school.  “Big Kid.  No No Bike.  Me.  No No Bike.”  You guys…..I am SO thankful for this.

7^th – For finding the most awesome wee-ooo, wee-ooo truck (aka a Fire Truck) for Henry!  And the best part was it was on sale and I had coupons putting this $30 truck at only $10!!  Henry has been asking for this truck for awhile….he will be so pumped to get it Christmas morning!!

8^th – For the guy in front of me at the Starbucks drive through who paid for my coffee and bagel this morning!!!  THANK YOU!!  That is such a kind gesture!!  I was so thankful and continued the chain and paid for the person behind me.  What great holiday spirit!!  I am truly thankful to you stranger (and others like you) and your act of kindness!

I Love….The Holidays!

Warning: An annoyingly long and random post about my favorite things I love during the Holidays where I use the word LOVE about 50 times too much and use an obnoxious amount of exclamation points!!!!!

Here is the thing.  Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas - they all make me SO happy.  I love fall festivals and picking out pumpkins.  I love passing out candy and dressing up for Halloween.  I love preparing a big Thanksgiving meal and sitting around a table with love ones.  I adore everything about Christmas.  I actually listen to Christmas music on and off all, yes you read that right, ALL year round.  And if I could have a spinning white tree with blue lights and decorations up in the house all year round, I would.  Really.

The idea of giving and being together and remembering and celebrating and eating and doing holiday activities and relaxing….it just makes me so happy. 

I sort of stay in my own little bubble during the holidays.  I need to so I don't get caught up in the negative or rush of the season.  I avoid holiday crowds and shop online and I smile at those being scrooges.

I LOVE this time of year so much and do not feel that a month for each is nearly enough time to celebrate.  I want to celebrate longer!!

I sort of lump Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas together.  When October hits I am 100% IN the holidays.  Three months of festivities!  I give them each their due respect and appreciation and celebrate fully each holiday, but I am also celebrating or preparing to celebrate the others.  So if we have Halloween decorations up and are listening to Christmas music, or have Christmas Decorations up and are listening to the haunting sounds of Halloween, or even have Christmas decorations up & Christmas music playing on Thanksgiving day…well in our house that is OK! 

I love Christmas music and it is in full force in our house.

I know some say I am listening to Christmas music too early and celebrating too soon.  I respectfully say, bah humbug on you….no I am not!! :-)  (Disclaimer: I totally understand how some may not want to listen yet.  But I want too.)  I love the way it makes me feel, I love singing at the top of my lungs (and man is it singing like you have never heard before!), I love how as soon as I hear the first notes of a song it takes me somewhere or to someone, I love how Christmas music just makes me feel and my family…..happy.  Yes, even the semi-annoying songs.

Besides the music, I love ornaments.  Our tree is this hodge-podge of ornaments, each meaning something different to us.  Some represent milestones in our life, some represent our favorite things, some make us laugh, some make us remember, and some are from our childhood.  Seeing our tree as a backdrop for all those little reminders of our life together and from when we were younger brings so much joy to our house!  Last night Terry and I were on the Bronner’s website looking at Christmas ornaments.  They have the best ornaments there!!  We have already ordered one ornament this year and will be ordering a few more as gifts. Shhhhhhh

Henry’s Ornament this year that we ordered….What Time Is It?!?! 

I also love the holiday smells.  I know it sounds weird, but smells make me happy….or unhappy depending on what the smell is!  The smells of: Thanksgiving dinner cooking, of our apple spice candle that we only bring out this time of year, of that cold air that hits you in the face when you step outside, of recently fallen leaves, of the inside of a freshly carved pumpkin, of Christmas trees and wreaths, of a big breakfast being cooked, cookies being baked, and so much more.

The Lights.  Whether it is the lights of a glowing pumpkin or of the Halloween decorations we have peering through our windows or of candles lit or of Christmas lights…I love lights.  Terry and my first date was actually in November, thirteen years ago at the Lights Before Christmas at the Zoo.  It was a horribly frigid evening but we loved every minute of it and drank tons of hot chocolate and stuck close together.  And now every time we go back, it sort of feels like that first date…those memories all come back.  And now we get new memories every time we take Henry and he looks at the lights and says “WOW”.  I agree, my son.  WOW.  

We are actually planning a trip for next December to the Oglebay WinterFestival of Lights.  Too many lights to count spread out over 300 acres in the rolling hills of WV.  Perfection.  I went when I was a kid and can’t wait to share that now with our son.

Movies.  We just introduced Henry to It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown last week (well the first time he actually watched it) and we are preparing him for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  I think we can all agree there are SO many great Holiday movies and shows out there that just make you laugh, cry and think about your childhood or family.  But The Peanuts are pretty much THE BEST thing to happen to the holidays.

Tradition.  You know, I think this may be my favorite thing about this time of year.  From October through December it is all about making memories and remembering traditions from when you were a kid and starting new ones with your family.  Really, there is nothing better.

So be forewarned.  If you come to our house from now until probably the end of February chances are you will hear Christmas music, see a tree (in a few weeks), be eating cookies made by my husband, and be surrounded by so much Holiday cheer that it may make you a little sick.  Don’t worry, we always have some Tums on hand if it is just too much to digest.    

Yep, that is how we do it.

Have I mentioned just HOW MUCH I love this time of year?!?!??!!


So what are YOUR favorite holidays?!   Your Favorite things about the holidays?  Any traditions you love?

Christmas Funk – When Did The Grinch Steal My Christmas Spirit?

I have always looooved Christmas.  I love the music, decorations, giving, receiving, family/friends, feeling of hope, cookies/baking, tradition, weather, Santa, Rudolph, elves, wrapping paper, movies, Christmas cards, spontaneously shedding tears of joy when I watch Christmas related shows on TV where everyone comes together for the greater good, and most of all I love what Christmas MEANS religiously.  I love it. ALL.  This time of the year holds such a special place in my heart and tends to restore that feeling of compassion, love, and giving that may get lost throughout the year. 

So please, my friends, tell me why right now I am in a Christmas Funk? (P.S. I have heard a rather large number of friends/family the past few weeks say this exact thing….and that makes me very sad.)  It seems like the older I get the harder it is for me to avoid this Christmas Funk, and it is not for lack of trying. I try SO hard to stay in the Christmas spirit.  I get excited about listening to Christmas music even when I hear people tease me and say they hate Christmas music.  I say please, thank you, hold doors for people, smile as much as I can, and take extra time to be kind & patient to those around me even when those same people are being Scrooges and only thinking of themselves.  I try not to take it personally when I want to do some fun and creative gifts for people when instead they tell me not to do that and all they want is money.  I continue with my day and try to keep my cool even when a person takes the spot I was waiting for or cuts in front of me in line.  I ignore that we JUST (meaning Sunday night 12/19/10 at 7pm) put up our tree and decorations and for the last 3 weeks have had 8 boxes stacked in the living room that our cats have happily been using as a jungle gym and place to hide.  I try to disregard all the negativity during this time of year and focus on the good.

Through all the pessimism and ciaos I try sooooo hard to keep the Christmas spirit.

But I will be honest.  The older I get the harder it becomes to keep the spirit and the more it wears me out trying. 

I remember this time of year, even just 5 years ago, being a very carefree time.  Sure it was busy and there were nutters out shopping (And I may or may not have been one of them), but I don’t remember so many people losing their Christmas Spirit and just feeling rushed and crazy.  I don’t remember completely losing track of nearly a month and being this crazy just days before Christmas.  I don’t remember feeling in the funk that I am in now.  I don’t ever remember feeling that internal conflict of being excited for Christmas while part of me just wanting to get this time of year over with.  And the worst part is, I am not alone.

So what happened?  Is it simply just due to the economy and the hardships we are going through as a society that is bring us down or is it more than that? When did it get so hard to be in a good mood around the holidays?  When did it become just a nuisance and job to celebrate this time of year instead of a time of reflection, hope, and giving?  When did we lose track and run out of time to do everything we felt we needed to do?  And when did we begin to think that we needed to do all this stuff during the holidays?  When did the feeling of appreciation become something other than that?  When did watching a simple and light-hearted holiday show fill me with such emotion that I burst into tears while watching it (and am doing this ALL the time the last 3 weeks)? When did I start asking so many questions about the Holiday and time of the year I love so very much?

Is this part of getting older or is it just the times we live in?  A time of economic hardships and frustration.  A time when it is all about the superficial and instant gratification and not about the spiritual and slowing down for those special moments.  We live in a fast pace society constantly filling our heads with all these images of what we should be doing, who we should be, and what we should be buying (which I hate so much) that we become programmed to just “go go go” and become too overloaded with everything that we lose track of what is important.  We think we need to do it all and do it all NOW and that if we don’t everything is ruined.  It is tiring thinking of everything I need to be doing for the holidays and I get frustrated when I don’t accomplish the things I want to do.  But why?  What happens if I don’t get Christmas cards out, bake cookies, buy the perfect gift, get all our decorations up, have a huge party, cook tons of food, perfectly wrap all my gifts, or just do all those things that in my mind I HAVE to do to make everyone happy?  The holidays are not ruined if I don’t do those things.  I still have and am grateful to have a roof over my head, loving husband, good job, wonderful family, amazing friends, and all the real gifts in life. I still wake up Christmas morning filled with joy and excitement and at that moment nothing else matters except being with the people I care about and spending time together while we reflect on what this time of year is really about. 

NONE of those things that I stress about really matter.  Sure, I do enjoy doing many of those things.  It makes me feel happy to bake cookies and share them with family & friends.  BUT, if it is at the expense of feeling frustrated or like I am resenting the holidays because I feel I should bake 18 different kinds then is it really worth it?  Wouldn't just baking 6 different kinds still be enough as it is the thought and gesture that is important.

I am at fault….oh how I am soooooo at fault to falling into all that I am talking about.  I have a huge list (3 pages to be exact) of things that I feel I NEED to do BEFORE Christmas or of lists to keep track of.  I love this holiday SO VERY MUCH that I want it to be perfect and want everyone to enjoy every moment of the holidays but I think that it is back-firing on me.  I think I am focusing so much on making things “perfect” for everyone so that THEY will be happy and love the holiday as much as I do that I am starting to get frustrated with this time of year.

I don’t really know what the point of this looooong, question laden post is except that maybe by writing this all down it will help me (and others who may feel similar) to refocus and reboot as we approach the final days before Christmas.  To help us not get caught up in the Holiday itself but keep focused on what this holiday symbolizes. To do what we can without getting frustrated and realize that it is OK if we don't do everything and that as thoughtful as those things are, it is more than just those physical things that make this time of year so special. 

Yesterday I had to “reboot” myself.  No TV but instead we listened to Christmas music ALL day.   We stayed in our PJ’s all day while we did stuff around the house.  We baked cookies together as a family and it was not at all stressful and the smell made us all think back to our childhoods.  T & K put up the Christmas tree and made the house feel like the holidays.  We organized gifts and got ready to wrap gifts so we can put them under the tree.  I am not saying it was perfect and there were not times of stress (because there were) and I am not saying today I am not a little stressed (because I am), but we finally spent some much needed time together with no distractions and got ready for the holidays….physically and mentally and that really helped me put everything back into perspective. 

For all of you who are also feeling the stress and frustration of the Holidays (maybe just because of the season or because you have other things going on in life that are stressful) and may be in the Christmas funk, I hope you are able to find a way to take back your Christmas spirit and enjoy the holidays and what it is really about!

Maybe this will help.  And yes, this is also one of the many shows I cried at.  I also cried at a commercial for Christmas!  Sigh

Can't Blog....Still Eating

Trying to catch up on blogs, but family is in town and Thanksgiving #2 is today!!  Yes, I am STILL eating. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

(I can never get him to take a serious picture!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

There are SO many things I am thankful for on a daily basis, and today is no different.



Today and Every Day I am thankful for….


Mom & Dad for being such supportive and loving parents.

Terry for keeping me grounded and reminding me to keep things in perspective.

Kristen for being such an amazing sister, friend, and confidante.

ALL of my Family for being your crazy and wonderful selves!

Men and women overseas fighting to protect our country. Please know you are being thought about and I am forever grateful for what you are doing.

The house we live in and that we have a roof over our head.

The food on our table and the family that we get to share it with.

Three ornery and adorable kitties!

Amazing friendships formed through this blog.


Hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, and blessed Thanksgiving!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing everyone a very safe and very Merry Christmas!!!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things…

I love pretty much ALL things having to do with this time of year. The months from September thru December are my absolute favorites and contain some of my most favorite things or activities to do. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, I feel like a little kid, full of happiness and excitement. Every year I have a few traditional items that contribute to those feelings and there are always a couple new items that make me feel happy. Here are a few of those things that have made me feel happy this year!



- Fabreze Flameless Luminary Shades. This is new to our home this year and I have to say I just love it. The smell is strong at first but becomes mild after a couple days. What I enjoy more than the smell is the soft flickering glow that it has. It has the flicker of a candle and is very calming and very cute! Plus after 4 hours it turns off by itself so you do not need to worry about wasting the battery. They have different shades for all year round and right now I am sporting one of the Christmas shades. A starter kit is about $14 with the refills only about $6. I love it. (Eddie and the fabreze shade, he loves it.)



- A WoodWick Candle. I got this from the Cracker Barrel and it is a candle that features a natural wick made from organic wood that creates the soothing sound of a crackling fire. It is wonderful, especially for people who do not have fireplaces but enjoy the quiet sounds of a fire. If you have the TV on you will most likely not hear the candle, but if you are curdled up on the couch under a blanket reading or crocheting, this candle is amazing! They come in different scents and a large candle is about $23 and a smaller one is $17, however they burn every bit of wax in the candle and I think worth the price, especially during the holidays.



- A Spinning Christmas Tree. Yep, look out Griswolds because our tree spins!! Unfortunately we had to get our first fake tree this year. As persons who LOVE real trees, this was tough so we decided if we have to get a fake tree then let’s do it in style. This is our tree. Now imagine it spinning. Yeah, it is awesome, even with the slight lean and though this will not permanently replace our live tree it has brought plenty of Christmas laughter and frustration to our home this year...and that is what the season is all about.



- Fun ornaments. Most people know when I am planning something a theme is key, however, with our Christmas tree the “theme” is simply chaos! I adore a tree packed full of different and fun decorations. Some have meaning, some are of our favorite things, and some are just cool. Every year we get new ornaments, here are some of our newer favorites. And yes, this includes my favorite decoration – the Christmas Pickle!


T. loves his Godzilla. (Yes, this one makes noise)

We have a series of M&M's dressed in Star Wars outfits. FUN

Rock'em Sock'em Robots - of course!

Hand carved wood ornament from Warthers Museum back home.

The pickle.....easier to see in a white tree


- Scarves. I. LOVE. SCARVES. I feel that a person can never have too many, though my husband may disagree. I have gone to making my own scarves so that I can have even more and with my favorite colors and patterns. Wearing scarves may be one of my top 5 favorite things about colder months! Here are just a few of the dozens of scarves I own. Wearing a scarf IS winter time to me.



- A record player. Athena’s Bees wrote a blog about how she still listens to music on a record player and I have to agree that there is just something about listening to Christmas music on vinyl that compares to nothing else out there. The crackling sound you hear from a record while sipping hot chocolate and spending time with family on Christmas morning (or anytime really) is pretty darn close to perfection if you ask me.


- Listening to your favorite Christmas albums. This varies a bit every year. I seem to hear a certain artist and then cannot get enough of their music for the remainder of the year. However two albums that never change are Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas. It does not feel right if I have not heard songs from their records at least once a day. Three others I am loving this year in particular are Noel by Josh Groban, Let it Snow by Michael Buble, and of course no Christmas is complete without We Wish You a Metal Xmas...and a Headbanging New Year…by various metal artists of course.

- Watching Christmas movies. Of course there are the classics like it’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, a variety of version of the Christmas Carol or 48 hours of the Christmas Story on TBS which are all nearly unavoidable but fun to watch once a year. But in our house it is ALL about the funny movies and the cartoons at Christmas time. Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and Frosty are a MUST. And who could have Christmas without the Muppets Christmas Carol…I for one could not! (I also watch Love Actually at Christmas time every year.)

- Cinnamon hot chocolate. Heat up some milk, hot chocolate mix and a cinnamon stick on the stove on low heat for about 10 minutes. Pour in an oversized mug with a few marshmallows or whip cream and some chocolate shavings. Seriously, the ONLY way to drink hot chocolate.

- Baking Cookies. There is something so fun and relaxing about baking cookies at Christmas time. I have only had the chance to make one batch of cookies (pic below: Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies with marshmallow cream frosting inside! yum.), however I have some that I hope to make with my mom and sister over the next few days. On the potential list: Hazelnut chocolate cookies with chocolate drizzle, chocolate brownies with peanut butter cream and chocolate ganache, maple iced cookies, and biscotti. yum




Do you have any favorites during the holidays?

I Am Thankful……

- For a wonderful and loving family, and that we all have such a close relationship with each other. Not like creepy close but totally fun and healthy close ;)

- For a caring, supportive, loving, funny, and genuinely unique husband. Sorry ladies, I got the only T.H. in the world!

- For being optimistic and hopeful…….even when times and people would try to make you otherwise.

- Having a house over our heads and food on our table.

- For our cats. Call me a crazy cat lady, but these two felines are part of our family and bring so much happiness and laughter to our lives.



- For our health and the health of our family and friends.

- That we are able to spend the holidays with our family.

- For simple gestures of kindness.

- For awesome online deals during the holidays. Shopping online whilst sitting in your P.J.’s and eating cookies is the ONLY way to shop.

- For the amazing relationship I have with my sister and the bond that we share.



- For people who still have manners. Please, thank you, yes ma’am, no sir.

- For the U.S. men and women overseas.

- For the growing relationships I have with my brothers now that they are older. So far away and so young, it is nice we can now connect.

- I am thankful I am related to this little girl below because she is SO stink'n cute. And I am thankful I get to see pictures like these.





- For having good people in my life that remain positive and supportive.

- For my wonderful friends and seeing these friendships blossom over the years.

- That our Christmas decorations are up and Christmas music is playing!

- For online social outlets that allow you to connect with new and interesting people. Ok….for blogging!

- That T. and I can just be our crazy selves anywhere/anytime. Even when fighting off Polar Bears at The Lights Before Christmas :) (cell phone pics)




- For believing in a better world for me and our (one day) children.

- For the powerfulness that is laughter.

- And most of all I am thankful for love. To be loved. To give love. To show love in all I do.


I hope each of you also have many things to be thankful for this year and I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Keeping With The Fall Theme For October!! Plus pictures from when K & I were kids!!!

This weekend I realized that our new(ish) printer/copier was also a scanner. I also came to the realization that I could now scan all of those pictures I had just found from when I was younger and save them onto our computer so we could have copies to keep forever. I then realized that since these pictures were on our computer, I could now post embarrassing pictures of myself and family members on my blog for the whole inter-world to view! I mean seriously, what a lot of realizing I did this weekend.

So here is the first blog inspired by pictures. I have a feeling over the coming months you will be seeing more blogs posted that allow me to incorporate classic pictures of myself from back in the day. You are welcome.
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As I was going through pictures this past weekend I found a series of Halloween pictures from when K. and I were younger. I noticed a common theme to these pictures; all our costumes were homemade by our mom. Now I have ALWAYS remembered my Halloween costumes because of the fact that they were homemade and totally unique. I mean seriously, how could we forget wearing these costumes?!



Answer, we couldn't because they are awesome. (I think I had one of those inflatable swimming rings around my waist to give my pumpkin more volume and my sister was the cutest bunny EVER!)


I have always loved that my mom has been able to make things from scratch for us. Whether it was a Halloween costume, blanket, hat, dress, a pound puppy, outfits for our toys….she has always had this creativeness and talent for making homemade things for us. As for the costume, I am sure it would have been a lot easier for her to just go to the store and get some cheap looking Halloween costume that everyone else had, but what is the fun in that. No MY mom would spend the time (after working all day, making dinner, and cleaning,) to make us our very own, special Halloween costumes. Yes, my mom is a special kind of amazing.

This is something that you can bet I will try do for our kids someday. Ok, mom will have to help me…but I am sure between my mom, sister and myself we will have the cutest dressed kids at Halloween EVER. Well maybe not cuter than me, but pretty darn close.

Here are a few of my favorites. There are a few more on my facebook page that I uploaded this last weekend!


A full shot of my famous pumpkin costume! It is my all time favorite, so much so I wore it a couple times!!


Here I am as a masked cheerleader. Please notice the duct taped "J" on my shirt. That. Is. AWESOME!!! (I think I have a mullet.....oops)



This is me in my mom's wedding dress. Favorite part about trick or treating in Ohio. That you get to wear layers and layers of clothes under your costume. I don't think the orange sweatshirt takes away from the sheer white wedding dress AT ALL.


Me as an angel. I think I am an angel.


Kristen as Princess Jasmine. It is nearly perfect, but K. opted for the short blonde cut over the long black hair :)


K. as catwomen. No, she does not like to play for the camera at all!!



Do you have a favorite Halloween costume from when you were a child? Or a favorite Halloween story from your childhood? (wow, large enough font Jenn?!)


My favorite thing about Halloween from when I was a child is of course the homemade costumes and also when we got to carve our pumpkins! Newspaper on the table and a big 'ol mess. Perfection!


*I had this scheduled to post, but I am glad to see on other blogs there is a Halloween costume theme! I LOVE it because I adore Halloween!!!

I Wonder What His Record Release Party Will Be Like? Wine and Stale Bread Crisps?!

So I heard on NPR this morning that the Pope is going to release his very own Christmas album. Click Here for the story.

"Pope Benedict XVI has the chance of a Christmas number one in the pop charts after signing a record deal to release an album of him singing chants in the Vatican. It will feature the Pope singing litanies and chants in honour of the Virgin Mary, as well as reciting passages and prayers in Latin, Italian, Portuguese, French and German."

It will be released on CD on November 30 on Universal's Geffen label - which by the way is also home to Marilyn Manson, Timbaland, Guns N' Roses, and Dr. Dre....just to name a few! (hahaha, that is funny to me).

So forget Bing Crosby, The Carpenters, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Charlie Brown, or even The Chipmunks...it is ALL about Pope Benedict XVI this Christmas Season!!

Look For Some of His Favorite Songs

-O Come All Ye Pontiffs
-Joy to the Catholic Church
-We Wish You a Mary Christmas
-Go Tell it to Confession
-I’m Dreaming of a Lite Purgatory
-I Heard the Dogma on Christmas Day
-God Rest Ye Merry Sacraments
-O Rosary, O Rosary How Lovely are Your Trances
-Pope Benedict is Coming to Town
-O Little Town of Vatican
-Jolly Old Pope Benedict
-Eucharist Roasting on an Open Fire
-Away in the Magisterium
-There’s No Place Like Rome for the Holidays

(Ok, I kid about those songs but it will be interesting to hear what his album is like.)


A proportion of profits will go to a charity that will provide musical education for poor children around the world.

So buy this CD, help support the Catholic Church music education for poor children.


AAAAAAAAAMEN.

My Favorite Things About Christmas ‘08

A little late, yes, but here were some of my favorite things about Christmas this year:

-Just the fact it was Christmas!!!!
-Christmas Eve at our house with the H. family
-Christmas morning with my hubby
-Terry wearing his snoopy PJ bottoms and red and green knitted footsie slippers. (it was adorable)
-My awesome French toast for Christmas morning breakfast
-Christmas day with the H. family
-My parents coming up for the weekend
-Prime Rib & Mashed Potatoes
-Movies, Movies, Movies
-Mario Kart Wii!!!!!
-So many awesome and thoughtful presents (thank you, thank you, thank you)
-My dad getting mad at my coffee maker (it was user error)
-SO much laughter
-Our Christmas tree
-Spending time with our families

There was so much more, but these are just a few! Thank you to our families for such a wonderful Christmas. We love you SO very much! Now on to the New Year!!

Nope, Never Again…..Never Ever EVER Again!

So here is the deal…..I STILL have not finished my Christmas shopping. Yes, I am aware that today is December 23 and Christmas Day is December 25…I am working on it.

For those who do not know I typically start thinking about gift ideas towards the end of summer and with the exception of maybe a few stocking stuffers and candy, I am done by Thanksgiving. I like to have my gifts wrapped soon after that. This is the FIRST year I have ever been this late Christmas shopping and let me tell you – it sucks!

The lines sucks. The rude people suck. The traffic sucks. The stress of it all sucks. The deals, though great, are not worth all the craziness that comes with last minute shopping. Again, I hate it. I could not even begin to imagine waiting till the last minute like this every year…not fun. So why am I so late this year, well it has just been a crazy last 4-5 months. We have had so many wonderful and special things going on that we kind of just kept pushing the Christmas shopping back taking the stance that, well there is more time we will do it next weekend. Well here we are, just moments from the celebrations of Christmas and there are no more next weekends left. (deep breathe)

Tomorrow Terry and I will be hitting a few last minutes shops to pick up gift cards and such that we have not gotten yet. I am not worried that we won’t get done, I just hate being so late with everything. I feel somewhat thoughtless in my gifts, though I have put a lot of thought in them…just no action. I would also like the gifts to sit under our tree wrapped for longer then a few hours. I would also like to spend the time cleaning our house and cooking and baking instead of running out amongst the crowds to grab my whos-its and whats-its from the shelves. But that will not happen this year.

All I have to say is that I will NOT let this happen again, though I am not overly stressed I don't like the rushing. Who is going to start thinking about Christmas in May of next year – ME! Oh well, it is what it is.

Anyway, I probably won’t be blogging much the next few days but I did want to wish all of you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! May your travels be safe, your happiness plenty, the love you share with one another overflowing and may we all keep in mind the real meaning of Christmas and those people who may need to be in our prayers over this holiday.