Christmas Vaca is here!

So to be honest it was really here last Thursday, but today feels like the real first day.  Thursday through Sunday were packed full with birthdays (Joel and Jesus!), presents, family and food.  Today was clean up and put away day.  We picked up our trashed living room, organized news toys and are ready for vacation fun.  First up, shopping!  Yes we have some returns to make and gift cards to spend. 

Tomorrow Scott and I are going on the annual trip to Springfield to hang out with a bunch of teenagers.  More than likely there will be greasy food, loud music, lots of laughter and love for God.  Awesome!!  Can't wait.  Then back home on Wednesday to more hanging out with kids and playing with new toys.

Our new toy is a blu-ray player.  It is AMAZING!!!  Not only is the picture awesome (we are now using our HDtv to its capability), but I can stream Pandora on it.  I love being able to hear it through out the main floor while I am cleaning.  LOVE IT!!  I got lots of yarn for crocheting and have already organized it and put it away.  My talented sister-in-law made me a holder for my crochet hooks.  I thought she bought it.  It is so cool.  I will post pictures at a later date.  Got new dishes from my in-laws that I love.  They are square.  So cool!  My sister-in-law made a comment about it being like a second wedding shower.  Actually, I never had a wedding shower, so it is about time!  :)

I love Christmas.  I get so excited about giving gifts and getting gifts; about decorating and traditions.  This year for some reason I wasn't quite as excited leading up to Christmas, but the celebrations were as fun as they always are.  I love getting to hang out with our family.  It was so fun to watch our neice Lena (almost 3!) playing with not only my girls, but with Joel too.  (He is so awesome! He played tea party with her!  Didn't I tell you he was a great guy.) 

Happy 11th Birthday Joel

 Today my baby boy turned 11. Oh wow. 11. That is 2 years away from 13. 2 years away from being a teenage boy. I know I am not ready for that, so good thing it is 2 years away. For now he is still respectful and an amazing person.

Eleven years ago I was a completely different person. I was scared to death. I was a new wife, new mom and 18 years old. I could barely take care of myself let alone someone else who was completely dependant on me. But I think with LOTS of help from God and my family we have managed to raise a pretty cool guy.

Joel loves his sisters. As I type this he is playing a game he made up with them. They are not fighting and he is amazing at keeping the peace. Joel loves science. He loves everything that comes with it. He loves to build things. Legos, K'nex, you name it, he loves to create. Joel is SO artistic. He loves to draw and color. He loves to create things in 3D too. He will create diaramas that are so cool. It just blows me away!

Joel loves God. It amazes me how it is so easy and seamless for him to talk about God and Christianity in his day to day life. I pray that this never ceases.

As excited as I am to see what kind of man he will grow into, I have plenty of patience to wait for it. Afterall, these first 11 years have literally flown by. I can only imagine how quickly the next 10 will. I am thankful for what God has graced us with in my son. I pray that in the next crucial 10 years of his life that I will have grace and love, honesty and patience, faith and awe in him as he grows into the amazing man I know he will be.

My New Toy

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So this is what I did with my new toy. The "toy" is actually just Picasa, but I think I am hooked! I just downloaded it yesterday and took the time to play around with it today. This collage is actually us at the Rivermen (local professional hockey team) game last night. I loved assigning names to the faces and letting the program run it's facial recognition program. It was especially fun to see who the program "thought" people were. Of course there was mix up between Rhianna and Zaia, but I also thought it was cool when a picture of me as child was in question. The program "thought" it was Joel, Rhianna or Zaia! My kids DO look like me! It also mistaked Scott's older brother, Bruce, as him. Duh...they do look alike! So I am sure there will be more pictures to come as I play with this some more. Especially since Christmas is just around the corner.

Attention Retail Shoppers!

After working in a busy retail store for the holiday season, I have encountered things I would never have believed.  I have walked out of fitting rooms shaking my head and laughed at customers (behind their backs of course!) over insane expectations in clothing.  So for the past few days I have been writing this blog in my head.  Hope you enjoy

Things your mother should have taught you about shopping....
*The clothes aren't yours until you have paid for them and left the store.  With this in mind, don't take your pants off inside out and leave them in a heap on the floor.
*If you really are that lazy, don't hang the clothes on the rack you pass as you leave the fitting room.  It is fine.  However, hang the clothes back on their hanger.
*If you decide that you no longer want to purchace something in your hands/cart, please give it to a worker.  Don't just drape it or hang it over any rack you see.
*Please be respectful of closing times.  We like to go home.  On time.  This is work for me, not a fun shopping excursion.
*Teenagers---Don't be idiots.
*Parents of Teenagers---Don't let your children be idiots.

I am sure there are plenty more.  Feel free to add your own in the comment section if you work in, or have ever worked in retail.  :)

Zombie Apocalypse

Scott, my husband, loves Zombies.  He loves anything that has to do with them.  I, however,  would rather do without.  But, his obsession has certainly led to some interesting conversations. 

The Zombie Apocalypse...How do YOU survive?

Simply put, my solution to the Zombie Apocalypse is suicide.  Seriously.  I am NOT a fan of running.  I certainly don't want to have to chance running from the undead.  I also am not a fan of starvation.  In any Zombie movie I have been forced to watch, they always end up with no food. Um...no.  I like food.  I also prefer the comfort of my own home to aimlessly wandering the countryside in search of the "safe haven" that never seems to really exist.  Not to mention the fact that I would have no way to defend myself.  We don't own any firearms nor do we have a big axe.  I am not in possession of a giant bread truck that I could rig into a tank.  Nor do I have the desire to do so. 

So my Zombie Apocalypse Survival Kit would contain the following: a king size Milky Way, a bottle of Dr. Pepper, a shot of Grey Goose, a  giant dose of morphine (preferably in pill form) and a sharp knife, just in case.

Scott dreams of not only surviving the ZA, but also helping to bring back the human race.  No thank you.  I will take my chances at the bottom of a pill bottle.  Heaven sounds so much more amazing than Earth:Post Zombie Apocalypse. 

What would be in YOUR ZA Survival Kit?  :)

Hater

I hate cleaning.  I do.  I know, I am a bad mother and housewife for saying it, but I do.  I hate it.  I hate touching the dirty dishes.  I hate manuevering as many dishes as I can into the dishwasher.  I hate the big cookie sheets and platters that don't fit into my dishwasher that I must wash by, *gasp*, hand.  Ugh.  I don't mind folding clothes, but I hate putting them away.  I hate sweeping and mopping especially since in the 11 years I have been a housewife I have never found a mop that I think adequately cleans the floor.  I hate vacuuming and then having to empty the nasty dirt into the garbage.  It grosses me out to think all of that filth was 2 minutes ago on my floors. 

I also hate dieting and exercise.  Exercise more than the dieting, but they both make my top 10 list of things I despise.  I LOVE food, so to limit my food is torture.  I hate sweating.  I hate my body aching.  I hate hearing myself breathe.

However, in light of my harsh feelings for all of these things, I have done them all today.  Yes my friends I am dieting.  I don't think I am going to call it that though because in my book dieting = failure.  So I am just not eating as much.  I am making better food choices.  (We will see how long this lasts.)  I also exercised today.  I know, pick your jaw up off the floor.  I didn't just watch someone exercise on TV and try to follow along and then turn it off 5 minutes into it, I actually did exercises.  And I actually did as many as my "fitness plan" told me to.  I didn't stop when my arms started to feel something, and I didn't wimp out.  I also did some cleaning.  Not too much, because of course I don't want to hurt myself.  After all, dieting and exercise takes alot out of a "curvy" woman.  ;)

What Time Is It?

CALENDAR TIME!!!

It is Calendar time at our house!  This is our biggest family tradition that Scott and I have started with our children.  A few years ago we found this really neat reusable Advent calendar.  We fill each day with 3 pieces of candy (as we have 3 children) and then talk about something related to Christmas.  One year we picked a country each day and talked about how they celebrate Christmas.  One year we read through the Nativity story and watched the movie.  This year we are starting out talking about different countries and what they eat at a traditional Christmas dinner.

Um...I am moving to Canada.  Just sayin'.  They have this thing that is a GIANT SWISS CAKE ROLL. For Christmas! 

A Giant Swiss Cake Roll!!!

All I can say is yum.  YUM!!!!  I already love Canada for their poutine. (French fries with cheese curds covered in brown gravy.  I know it sounds nasty, but it isn't.  It is yummy.)  So Canada, I pledge my taste buds to you.  I don't have an opinion on hockey, moose or mounties, but I love your food.  Eh.