Holiday Decorations

Today over at Kelly's Korner, it is "Show us Your Life Friday" and it is time to share our Holiday Decor!  Enjoy :-)

 Our stockings are hung by the . .. door with care :-)  I've never found a perfect place for stockings but around this doorway seems to work well. 

 My little collection of houses.  The gingerbread house on the right lights up and is a favorite of the boys. 

 We don't have a "mantel" so the top of the entertainment serves that purpose.  This year I did less decorating than I normally due but I made up for it with lights.  Christmas lights are so simple yet add so much to a room.

 The boys each have a tree and they each decorated their own. 

 Our tree :-)  I love it and love to turn off all of the lights in the living room leaving just the tree on - it is so peaceful.

 Our dining room tree- this is our "Jesus" tree so all of our ornaments from The Truth in Tinsel.  It will be very full by the end of December!

 I also love wreaths - there is one hanging on every door in the house!

 Our outdoor lights.  I love the Snowflake lights above the front door.  They make me smile :-)

That is it this year :-)  The boys love it and that is all that matters.  Merry Christmas!!!

Holiday Traditions

Today over at Kellys Korner it is "Show us your life" Friday and the topic of the day is . .. Holiday Traditions.

Traditions are so much fun because they build excitement each year.  I find that they are just as fun for me as they are for my kids, especially now the boys are starting to get old enough to remember things from year to year.

Our Traditions:

1) Grinch Countdown Calendar - This is a new tradition that I wrote about "HERE".  I look forward to doing this with the boys for as many years as they will allow me to do it, and then maybe a few more because I've heard that teenagers SAY they don't like something but they really do :-)

2) Advent Study - This year we are doing Truth in the Tinsel because it is the perfect age level for my kids.  The tradition isn't so much what we do but rather that we do something to study the Advent - the reason for the season.

3) Decorating the Boys Trees - This is also a new tradition - the boys each have a tree in their room and I discovered that they love decorating their own tree so we are going to make it a tradition to do this with them - maybe as early as Thanksgiving night :-)

4) Our Tree - Our Tradition is to go the weekend of Thanksgiving and cut down our tree.  We have a certain Tree Farm we go to and then stop at a favorite restaurant on our way home. We then put the tree up while watching "Home Alone" and having something fun to eat.  As you read "HERE" our "tradition" did not go well this year - but at least we have a tree.

5) Lights - The boys LOVE Christmas Lights and so do we!  We take time to drive around and find lights- usually while we are out doing other things.  It's just so much fun! 

6) Christmas Eve - Most years, we spend Christmas at my parents.  If that is the case, we go to their Christmas Eve service.  Then we return to their house for snacks and the boys get to open one gift.  They get PJ's and one toy or book (and maybe slippers).  I like to include a toy so there is some element of surprise :-)  Then, they put on their PJ's and we attempt to read "The Night Before Christmas" before they go to bed!

7) Christmas Morning - The tradition is to open Stockings before breakfast but with the boys so young still, we've found it easier to Eat Breakfast first instead of trying to tear them away from Toys :-)  Breakfast is cooked by the men and is normally Eggs, Bacon, Toast, Cinnamon Rolls and Orange Julius.  It is supper yummy!.  When we open gifts, we open one at a time so that everyone can see what the other person received plus it makes the morning last longer :-)

8) Frankenmuth- I almost forgot!  Even though we have been unable to go the last two years, we do have a tradition of going to Frankenmuth the weekend before Thanksgiving.  We like to browse the Christmas Shop and pick out a few new ornaments plus enjoy a fabulous dinner . Honestly, we didn't go this year because it was also "Deer Hunters Widow Weekend" - we went once by mistake on that weekend and it is PACKED so we skipped this year. 

I do have ideas for future Traditions to add in as the boys get older:

1) Shoe boxes - I plan on putting together Operation Christmas Child Shoebox with the boys.  I wanted to do it this year but it just didn't work and I didn't plan well for it.  Hopefully we can start it next year.

2) A Christmas Play - Before kids, Darryl and I would try to attend a concert or play around Christmas and we'd like to get back into it as the kids get older.  Just something fun to see that is about Christmas. 

3) Christmas Cookies - Every year I have a goal to make Christmas Cookies and take them to the neighbors.  Last year I got close but the last few recipes bombed so I gave up :-) Maybe it will happen this year!

For now, I think that's it. The great thing about traditions is that you can always add more!

Show Us Your Life Fridays - Singles!

I haven't done a "Show us your life" Friday post in a long time because . . .. the topics did not pertain to me.  Well, this weeks does so I am linking up over at Kellys Korner.  It is showing off your singles . . and well. . .. I'm . . .NOT single HA!!  You were all a little worried, weren't you?  So why am I doing this?  Because my niece Marisa IS single so I want to link up with all the other single posts to maybe find her someone wonderful!

Some simple facts about Marisa:

19 years old

A missionary kid - she has spent a good portion of her growing up years in Brazil

She is great with kids - and currently works at a day care while her family is back in the states.

She is the third of 4 kids and is a total 3rd child - an extrovert to a tee.

She is short (well, she is! - we tease her that she probably needs to sit in a booster seat - but she is really over 5 feet tall . .. ok . . or maybe just under 5 feet tall but she is soooo close!)

She has a great talent for photography that she is just now really starting to experiment with and learn.

Currently she is planning to return to Brazil and work in an orphanage there (but I would love for her to stay in the states .. just saying!!)

Marisa is a Christian and loves the Lord - she is seeking what He would have her do right now (and as her favorite Aunt, I'm praying really hard too!!) She has recently completed a counseling class and is also taking a class related to teaching English as a second language. 

Marisa enjoys music very much and yes, she can sing :-)  At family gatherings, she provides comic relief (or maybe we just all enjoy laughing at with her!) and really is so much fun!! 

Marisa is "my sweet Marisa" and has been since she was born.  I love her to death - she has a tender heart, a sweet spirit and is fun!!! 

Feel free to leave a comment on this post to contact Marisa - I'll be sure to forward the information on to her. 

Show us your Life Friday - Favorite Blogs

This week over at Kelly's Korner the theme for Show us Your Life Friday is . .. Favorite Blogs!  I thought I would pick 2 or 3 from each of my blog lists and let you know why I love them :-)

1. Pumpkin Pie Painter is written by a college friend of mine.  She is a great writer and a fantastic artist.  She really is an artist with words - I'm always amazed by what she writes; her creativity is endless plus she posts some of her talent as well.  I never realized in college how talented she really is!

2. Eclipsed is the story of a weight loss journey.  I have been intrigued and encouraged by her writings and her journey. 

 

3. Confessions of a Homeschooler is a fantastic resource for teaching your kids.  I am using a lot of her ideas/printables for teaching my oldest preschool this year.  She also gives other ideas as well and it ias always well written.

4. Mel's Kitchen Cafe is where I get a lot of recipes that we love and use a lot.  Her site is well organized and she isn't afraid to admit a flop :-)

 

5. The Better Mom is a site I've just recently found but have been encouraged and challenged already. 

6. Women Living Well is a fantastic blog for spiritual leading.  Courtney's post are uplifting and thought provoking.  She is also part of the Good Morning Girls group as well which is another great resource for accountability in your daily walk with God.

 

For more great blogs, check out my left sidebar for Buttons for such sites as Oopsey Daisy and Craft-O-Maniac and read through the lists on the right sidebar for tons more!  I love to have lots of blogs to check up on, as you can tell! 

Show Us Your Life - Baby Shower Ideas

Kelly at Kelly's Korner is hosting her weekly "Show Us Your Life" series and today's topic is Baby Shower Ideas.  Just like wedding showers, I love baby showers.  I just think they are so much fun!  Mine were a little unique . . .the first one was held in the hospital because I was on bed rest in the hospital.  I had hoped to go home but when we found out the day before that I couldn't, my husband worked with the nurses and set it up in a great room at the hospital.  My others all had to be after so that I would be out of the hospital :-) 

Like I did for Wedding Showers, I thought I would share some ideas I've seen floating around on-line. 

I've seen this idea several times on blogland but found it over at Joy Ever After.  Basically, each guest creates/decorates a onsie for the new baby.  What a cute idea for the new mom to have as a memory of those at her shower.

I just love this Duck Punch Idea from Tidy Mom

Like so many people, I love the idea of the Milk and Cookie Theme for a baby shower - it just seems to fit.  Our Daily Obsessions shares lots of pictures and info to use!

Baby Shower Stuff.com has some super adorable paper products!  Made me want to order some just for fun :-)

These egg timers would be great party favors and can be found over at Wedding Favorites.Com.

What would a shower be without games?  Lil Luna offers this game up as a free download!  I'm saving this one so I have it for future use.

She  also shares this creative idea for a game based on the Price is Right.

I love the idea of brunch for showers and The Kitchen shows some really great food ideas for just such a shower!

And another Milk and Cookie Shower idea from Maddy Cakes Muse.

One last idea from The Cake Blog.  I love the colors and the turtle theme!

Make sure and check out Kelly's site for all of the link-ups!  I'm sure there are just tons of ideas out there!

Show Us Your Life - Back to School Traditions

 Today at Kellys Korner is her weekly post called "Show us your Life".  Today's topic is Back to School Tradtions.  Now, I've been trying to remember what I did growing up with my family and, to be honest, I don't think we did anything HA!  We did always go to the mall in August at some point and do school shopping.  My mom had a list of specific things that we needed (I have three older brothers so shopping for 4 kids meant the lists had to be small!) and we were usually "allowed" to pick at one thing that we really wanted that wasn't on the list.  One year I picked out a Monagramed pink sweater (when they were cool of course . . . wait, where they ever cool?) and another year I picked out a sweater cardigan that had the alphabet on it.  What?  I was cool like that.  HA!  When we went to the mall, the boys went with my dad and I went with my mom.  We would all meet back up and . .. I think we just went home or maybe we ate out, I don't remember that part.  Anyway, when we got home, we all got to try on clothes so the other parents/siblings could see what we got.  It was fun :-)  Beyond that, I think we just dreaded that first day!!! 

Since we didn't do much, I've been trying to keep my eyes open for other people do and I haven't seen a whole lot either!  One friend does the "Annual night before the first day of school banana splits" tradition, which is kinda self-explanitory.  I've also seen how some people plan a special dinner with a back to school centerpiece, placemats and more.  I think one of the biggest things is pictures - the morning of the first day in every grade pictures.  Even friends I know that homeschool, stand their kids outside the front door with their backpacks (homeschool kids need them too - they have books!) and take their picture. 

I did happen to see a post just this morning on establishing back-to-school routines from The Idea Room.  I realize it isn't a tradition but as some of you are getting ready for school to begin (or if it already has!) I thought you might find this helpful. 

Check on the link at the top of the post for more back to school tradition ideas (the post isn't up at the time I'm posting this but it will be up sometime today!)  - I know I'll be reading them because I LOVE tradtions and establishing things in our home that will build great memories for my kids.

Enjoy :-)

Show us Your Life - Wedding Shower Ideas

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with weekly posts now that summer is on the down hill slide to fall so one good place to start is back with Kellys Korner and her "Show us Your Life" series.  If you haven't checked out Kelly's blog, you really should.  I don't even remember how I found it oringally but I just really enjoy reading her posts as well as these show us your life posts by so many people. 

It has been 10 years since my own wedding showers.  They were fun and adorable!  My sister-in-laws threw me a Brunch Shower for my personal shower and I loved it.  I've been to all kinds - simple, HUGE, at resturants, bachleratte style - but the ones I love the most are just the simple, well-thought out showers that show someone cares :-) 

Since I really don't have any pictures of my own to share I got my "pin" on and went searching for ideas out on Pinterest to find ideas I would either use if I was planning a shower or would love to have for my own . .well, except I'm not having one since I already had them HA!

First up is actually a great centerpiece/gift idea.  You can see this great towel cake over at Klien Korner .  Wouldn't that look great on a table - like a dessert table or even on the gift table?  Plus it is something original, which I always enjoy!

Apparently shower gift ideas are catching my eye ;-)  This was actually done as a Mother's Day gift idea but it would also make a great bridal shower gift.  This idea comes from Aly & Ash and a step by step tutorial is given on how to creat this idea. 

Unlike some folks, I 100% love playing games at showers.  I mean, what is a shower without a few fun and possibly even, corny games?  Made Sweet came up with a cute idea.  It includes a list of things the bride and groom have said; the guests have to decide who would have said that item.  It is a great way to inspire some conversation too!

Here's another really creative game idea from Craftaholics anonymous.  This is another question/answer game but she includes some really cute printables for the guests to use :-)

Beau-coup gives a whole list of game ideas for bridal showers - many of which I think are great :-)  Check out the post for the full list :-)

This next idea is actually a cute way to do a quest book but it would also make a really great game at a shower.  It is a way to do "dirty laundry" a cute way. Savvy Scoop gives the basics on her post but my take on it is that you have the guests write down some fun memory that they have with the bride or you could also do advice to the bride.  Such a cute idea though !

Twig and Thistle shares some cute ideas for a shower including doing regular bingo with homemade cards and she also talked about making a video of an interview with the groom - he was asked questions and his soon-to-be bride had to guess his answers.  That would bring some laughs!

As I was doing this, I was trying to think of some other ideas I've seen done at wedding showers and I realized, it's been awhile since I've been to one!! What fun ideas have you seen at showers??

Show us your life Fridays - What are you Reading!

Over at Kelly's Korner, Kelly is hosting her weekly "Show us your Life" Friday post!  I haven't been doing these for various reasons ( or I just forget) but the topic of today is about what you are reading!  I love to read so of course I want to share.  I'm actually not reading as many books at once as I usually do - I often have up to 5 books going at a time (different books for different times of the day!!) but have wrapped a few up recently.  I'll share those and what I'm picking up next to read too.

So, first, I've shared a lot about this book lately including Wednesday Devotionals (catch up here!) - The Power of  a Positive Mom is a really great book that is built a few basic principles of how to be "that positive mom".  I've already taken away some core ideas from just the first few chapters.  It isn't about being "Super mom" but just helping you be the best you can be. This is the book I am currently using for my Bible Study.  It has a section at the end of each chapter with some verses to read as well as a challenge that coincides with that lesson.

For "fun" I just finished reading Falconer's Quest by T Davis Bunn.  It is book 5, the final book in the series "Heirs of Acadia".  It is a really well written series that focus' first on the life of the Langston family before introducing John Falconer.  Their lives intertwine throughout the series even as new characters are introduced.  Falconer's journey from becoming a believer through his trials and griefs to learning of real forgiveness and acceptance is told in an exciting tale.  I enjoy the way T Davis Bunn writes and was not disappointed.  This is a series I've read several times and always enjoy it.

In trying to accomplish some reading goals this year, I also have books I'm reading each month.  Right now I'm in the middle of "Falling Forward" by Sandi Patty.  If you were to ask me why I picked this pick it would be for one reason - I'm a huge Sandi Patty fan and always have been even through her tough years.  This book addresses those struggles she had but in a way that shows others how to be warned and be wary of things in their own lives.  I'm impressed with her honesty and openness about her life as well as her teaching.  I tend to read this book right before bed when there aren't as many distractions around so I can really think about what she is teaching in her writing.

Since I just finished my "fun" series I decided to pick from my book goal stack and read "Duggars: 20 and counting".  I'm intrigued by this family and just want to learn more about them.  I enjoy their show and am always impressed by the fact that they don't hide the spiritual things from the camera - they pray, talk about God, and talk about their daily faith.  I also want to learn her secrets on how she is raising such great kids :-)  So, this will be what I read at lunch time now and when I just feel like kicking back for a little bit during the little boys nap time.

Finally, my "no brainer" book right now is another Davis Bunn book called "All through the Night".  I've read this one before as well and remember it being a very good read - it is another story based upon forgiveness. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what others post for this today - I'm always looking for new books to add to my "want to read" list!