Hope

I don't know if the title really fits with the blog, but here is my ray of hope:
At 6:00 p.m. tonight I looked to the west and saw light over the mountians. It reminded me that these dark days will eventually be replaced with the longer lasting ones of sunlight.

Scenes from Christmas Morning

Here are the kids and the tree. If you are wondering why laundry is drying next to it, they were my much desired presents from Jason - a nightgown and a laundry drying rack.

Here is Luke opening his much desired Martian Matter, a present from his sister. She was hoping he would love her since she got him what he really wanted.












Brooke with her much desired baby Ariel doll from Santa.

And Slugger with a doggie bone. Sadly, not much desired.

About A Big Kid...

After asking Luke to do something for me yesterday, he told me: "I'm a big kid! Big kids like rock-n-roll, playing Wii and DON'T obey mothers!"

Luke's Gingerbread House

While Brooke had Nanny day, Mom and Luke took time to decorate his Gingerbread house.

Brooke's Gingerbread House

Thank you Nanny for helping Brooke do her Gingerbread house. Mommy just wasn't getting her act together!

Santa's List

Here are the kids checking out Santa's List...

Brooke finds her name on the Nice List... Brooke was excited to find her name here. She was worried that Santa forgot her. When she found her name she yelled out to the sky "Santa, I love you!"

Luke found his name on "THE OTHER" (Naughty) list...Boy, oh, boy did this cause some major upset! He ran off crying and screaming "Santa I hate you!!"

Elves 2008

At noon last Friday the sun came out and I rushed the kids into the car for 2 hours of fun with the Elves at Gardner Village.

Where I've Been Lately...

I haven't been posting (or getting on the computer in general) much lately. Here is what I've been up to instead:

Mary Engelbreit aprons:

My Christmas apron:

Brooke's Strawberry Shortcake apron:

Fruity aprons:

Start Something!

I found this on a blog I ran across while looking for something else:

"My challenge to you is to try something new today! Pick anything, educate yourself about it or find someone to help you out, and give it a shot!"

Obsession

Shall I let you in on a little secret? I obsess about Christmas Stockings. And not just in December – almost all year round!

I have one that I LOVE. I have always wanted to have matching stockings hung at Christmas. Sadly, I don’t have the pattern for my stocking or the knowledge of how to knit. I don’t know anyone who can knit.

When we first got married we bought a red and green matching stocking, but didn’t get any that matched for kids. For the past few years they have been using them. I hate them. I want 4 matching stockings. I want knitted. I obsess about how I want the whole thing to look hanging on my not mantel.

Two years ago my beloved Aunt gave hers to me. Now I only need 2 more. Jason doesn’t love them, but I’m sure that’s because it’s red… I’m more than willing to have his be green or blue… I just need them to be matching!!!

I have found stockings that I like online and ones that I like in Christmas Stocking knitting books (http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Stockings-Holiday-Treasures-Knit/dp/1931499004) , but again the whole who’s gonna knit it thing comes up. Plus, I don’t want to spend a fortune on a stocking. $100 per stocking is too much for me. I don’t know how to afford 4 custom stockings.

There are lots of cute quilted ones that I might consider if I wasn’t so set on the whole matching thing. I can’t stop obsessing. I wake up in the night and think about this issue and how I’m going to solve it. It began before I was married (many years before) and now I can’t shut my brain off. I’m thinking I might need to seek out medication for this problem…

So, what are you obsessing about?