I am intoxicated...

by this beautiful little creature. What ever did I do to deserve her? This morning I was thinking to myself that if all I ever get is these two sweet little angels then that is more that enough!!
Every morning that little girl waits for my eyes to open, she then flashes this smile that melts my heart, leans in for the tightest squeeze, and plants a huge kiss on my lips. To heck with alarm clocks, I get THE BEST wake-up call ever!!
I am in love with her to my very core!

I'm addicted...

to this sweet little treat.

It's okay to be addicted to candy during christmas, right? Well if it's not I don't care. They are YUMMY and I love THEM!


Just in case anyone has lost count. Christmas is only 7 days away...
what, only 7 days left!! My girlies are excited, I am excited, and Ryan is excited about his menu for the festivities. The snow that came and "reportedly" is still coming makes it seem more like Christmas! I love it! I hope that everyone is enjoying their week! Take time to enjoy something "sweet" today!

Baby its cold outside...

I have been hoping and praying that it was going to snow for christmas. It just makes it feel right! On Saturday I got my wish. The wind started blowing and then the snow started flying. The light parade was in Richfield on Saturday and we decided to take the girls. We went to dinner first and then found us a spot on Main street, thinking that we were going to be staying in the car. When the parade started coming we decided to brave the falling snow and get out.

It was only about 20 minutes long, but getting out in the weather was way better than sitting in the car. Even though the girls fingers were so cold, they still had a good time, and I had a good time watching them.

You just gotta love weekends were there is nothing to do but watch the snow come down, stay warm inside by the fire, and spend the day cuddled up with your family.

I am getting soooo excited about christmas. I am excited about Ryans gift. I have been messing with him for more than a week about it. It is so fun and I think that he is going to be so excited!! I didn't realize that there was only 9 days left. I need to get serious about my gifts. I need to get them finished, I need to clean my house, I need to do laundry, I need to wrap presents, I need to clean out my fridge (yucky)! I need to take my christmas card pictures! Talk about waiting until the last mintue!

Traditions...

This is the time of year where family traditions are so prevelant. I love traditions. Traditions makes you the person that you are. I think that they influence you way into your adult life.
When I was little we had the best christmas traditions. We celebrated christmas eve (which I think is the best day because of the anticipation) with my Grandma Verna. My mom used to work and we would stay at my grandmas all day and help her prepare. My grandpa would get out his old records. Yeah, the big black records! He would get out the record player and we would listen to the old christmas music ALL DAY LONG!! To this day the old christmas music is my favorite. We would help my grandma cook and decorate for the party all day!! My mom would come and get us and we would go home and have a bath and get to open our one present. Of course, it was our p.j.'s and most of the time they were made by my mom and grandma! Awesome if you ask me!! I would remember waiting for my dad to get home from the farm. It was the longest 30 mintues of our lives. We wanted to go to grandmas, because Santa always came and always had a present for us! Dinner was always the same. Honey glazed ham, funeral potatoes, bunt bread, and the best danish dessert red salad! It was even better because my grandma Dalla got to be there with us. It was perfect. We were so lucky! Everyone we loved TOGETHER!! OOHHH, How I wish it was that easy now!
Chistmas morning was just as perfect! We had a rule. 7:00 was when we could get up. My sister and I made phone calls to both grandparents telling them that Santa had been there and that we were waiting for them. My grandpa would pick up grandma Dalla and they would be right down. We couldn't go out into the living room until our grandparents were there. My grandma Dalla would make cinnamon rolls and we would have them with hot chocolate every year. We then had dinner at my grandma Dallas house. All of our cousins were there and there was cream cheese pie!!
It was perfect, everything was right, just as it should be on christmas day!!
BOY, how things can change!! I get a little sad when I think about how traditions have to change when you all grow up!
It's hard to have traditions when you have so many different families. Ryan and I tried to have christmas eve dinner and it was a tradition for a few years, but as everyone grows and gets families of their own it just gets too impossible.
I always thought that I would get to spend the holidays with my sister.

The year that Jax was born we did get to. It was the best!! Freddie asked Britania to marry him at my house on christmas morning.

Last year I was sick at christmas time and we decided to do things a little different. We decorated our christmas tree on Christmas eve and then had my grandparents over for dinner. Ryan made his famous prime rib, we didn't have to run out and go anywhere, we opened our jammies and we went to bed early!

Christmas day still involved some running around, but we did get to spend more time at home and that is the tradition that I want to always have! Time together at home!

I'm missing the good stuff!

Last year for christmas, my husband bought me a new camcorder. I think it was a totally selfish gift. I say that because last year at this time I was in the hospital with pneumonia. He had to take Aniston to her singing program and he had to use my dinosaur of a camcorder. The battery died on him and he was stressed out. So my christmas surprise was a new camcorder. I love it and I never use it. WTH!! I am missing the good stuff. Emerson is hilarious right now. The things she comes up with and the cute little faces that she pulls. I need to get that camcorder out and video this stuff before she stops doing all of this funny stuff. I am setting a new goal for myself. Video the kids doing something every day!!

My mom, sister and I went christmas shopping on Saturday. We had a great time. We laughted the entire time. We watched some guy in a mini van pick his nose for like 60 seconds. They tried to give me driving tips the ENTIRE day. My mom gave me a hard time about my obsession with dressing the girls alike. We called our poor little babysitter girl too many times. And we laughed the entire day! I love spending the day with them!! And I got my hunny's christmas presents. He is going to be so surprised. OHHH I am getting excited.
Check out the counter. Not much time left. ---------------------------------->
Where the heck is the snow??????

I need to get my projects finished. I went to Joann's fabric store and bought 16 yards of fabric. AAAAHHHHH. I need to get busy!

Is everyone ready for christmas??? Anyone have projects that aren't finished, like me?

Christmas Tag

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper, even though I hate wrapping.

2. Real Tree or Artificial? Artificial...They are just so much prettier.

3. When do you put your tree up? The weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take your tree down? After New Years Day.

5. Do you like eggnog? NO WAY!! Yucky! Eggs make me sick!

6. Favorite gift received? My diamond from Santa (Ryan dressed as Santa) on Christmas Eve of 1997!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Our 8 parents =)

8. Easiest person to buy for? My sister. I just get her what I want.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. Grandma Kiesel made a piece for us each Christmas when we were 1st married, until the set was complete.
(ohh, notice my one wise men has lost his head)
10. Mail or e-mail Christmas Cards? Mail. Although I haven't done it for years. I am excited about it this year!

11. Worst Christmas presents ever received? I can't think of a bad present I have gotten.

12. Favorite/Worst Christmas movie? I don't think that I have a favorite, they are all good. The worst is The Christmas Story.

13. When do you start shopping? I keep saying I am going to start in the Summer, but it hasn't happened yet. I usually start the 1st of November.

14. Have you ever recycled a gift? Yes, LOL.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas time? Fernwood mints and Ryan's moms Chex Mix.

16. Lights on tree? White. The color lights bug me to death.

17. Favorite Christmas song? The whole Mariah Carey Christmas CD. I have had it since I was in Middle School and I LOVE IT still!!

18. Travel on Christmas or stay home? We used to visit 4 parents houses, but I am getting stubborn and we aren't doing that anymore!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? YES and sing it too!

20. Angel on top of tree or star? Star!

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve? Our pajamas!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Not having enough MONEY!!!

23. Favorite ornament? Not really. But I do love the bobber balls that I put on our family room Christmas tree this year!

24. Favorite food for Christmas Dinner? Prime Rib, baked sweet potato, and peppermint pie.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I don't want anything! I just want everyone to be healthy and happy!

26. Tag 5 friends! Britania, Lindsey, Steph, Shadoe, and Dani.

Up to speed

Thanksgiving has came and gone and now it is time to get ready for Christmas. Although it doesn't really feel like the Christmas season, I am still getting excited. The 50 degree warm weather that we are having has thrown me off a bit.
Thanksgiving was great. I tried a new roll recipe. My mom says you never do that on a day when you actually need them, but they turned out beautiful and I am giving all the credit to the apron. (see the pic) I made this apron and I LOVE IT! How can you not be happy to be cooking when you are wearing this. It is so cute and it has a pink ruffle on the bottom and It made me smile while I was up at 6:00 cooking. Dinner was fantastic, the company was great, and all of our bellies were full!
On Friday, my mom and I decided to hit Walmarts "day after Thanksgiving sale". I..N..S..A..N..E!!! We got up at 4:00 in the morning and went to Richfield. I had had a late night, so I was SOOOO tired. We got there and the line was so long. We got in, split up and started shopping. Things were not where they should be and there was so many people. Did I get what I wanted. NO!! I was super disappointed! I won't be doing that again and to make matters worse I went to Walmart on Sunday and everything that I got was still there and still the same price. WHAT THE CRAP!!!
When I got home and after my nap we started getting out our Christmas stuff. The girls were ecstatic. It really is so exciting, it still makes me feel a little tickle in my belly when we start getting ready for Christmas.
On Saturday I sewed all day getting some things ready for the Downtown Main Street Fair, thingy. I made some aprons and took my flowers and hats down. It really was a good Idea, it just needed a little more, well, more!! I did pretty well. Ryan brought the girls down to sit on Santa's lap. I didn't really expect Emerson to sit on Santa's lap, but I was hoping. She instantly started crying and almost fell down trying to get off and climb up the front of me. (she is hilarious)
Afterwards, Ryan and I went on a date. Not really the date that he was hoping for, I am sure, but one I was. We went to Gunnison to see Twilight. It was interesting. The 1st 20 minutes I was a little bugged, but by the end I loved it. (and I think that Ryan enjoyed it too, although he probably won't admit it).

Aniston has had this loose tooth for the last week. Not loose enough to pull, but Saturday night it was all but hanging out. Ryan pulled it out with his pliers. Yuck!! Ohhhh... It was the top front one and I hadn't got our family pic taken yet. So, on with the story, she is soo excited about the tooth fairy coming. She immediately wants to go to bed. Well, the "tooth fairy" goes in, leaves the money, thinks that he gets seen. 10 minutes later, Aniston is in my room. She says the tooth fairy came. "Seriously, she saw him!!" I tell her to go back to bed. First thing in the morning she comes in and wants to talk about it. We are getting ready and she tells me that she thinks that the tooth fairy is dad. Ohhh... how am I going to smooth this over. We had just watched The Santa Clause 3 and the tooth fairy was a guy. So I am like, it was probably the guy tooth fairy and dad never left the bed.
On the way to Richfield she continues talking about it. I said remember in that movie the tooth fairy was a dentist. "Oh, right" she says. "He is a tooth fairy slash dentist." I looked at Ryan and then at her. Where did you learn what slash means, I ask her. "I don't know, she replies, I just know." So needless to say, the "tooth fairy" is fired and I think that the crisis was adverted. And then to add to the tooth fairy drama, the tooth next to the lost one is loose and hanging and has to come out. So on Sunday, Ryan uses his pliers again and the other front tooth comes out. I keep looking at my toothless girl. She doesn't look the same to me. Still cute, but older!!
So here we are, up to speed. The weeks are only going to get crazier and busier with all the holiday activities. I am just hoping to set back and enjoy them....

HA...HA... that is funny. I am going to be super crazy and super busy, but I do have to admit that I love it!!
Oh, and I got myself a new job. I am going to be editing pictures for Burns' website. I am super excited about it. Getting paid to do something I love and get to learn new things in the process. I am excited!!