Merry Christmas!!!!!

First up is my last installment of 25 Days of Christmas Ornaments. I missed yesterdays, but we were quite busy!

My last ornament is one that I made at a Sunday School Christmas party hosted by my very own Aunt Beth. I think it is the only homemade one I have on our tree from when I was a kid. Not a very young kid from the looks of the painting, pretty sure I couldn't do any better today if I tried! Merry Christmas, and remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas!

I uploaded my pictures backwards, so you're going to have to bear with me. Here are the boys under the tree this morning. We do stockings, then breakfast, then presents. Little Monkey has no interest in unwrapping anything...Snug wants to unwrap everything. Unfortunately for him I accidentally forgot to wrap his stocking stuffers. We use leftover scraps from wrapping presents, and I'm not sure what on earth I was thinking, but his were all just stuffed in his stocking. Little Monkey's were all wrapped individually so I had to unwrap them again. Crazy me. Stocking stuffers for us are things like a new toothbrush, tic-tacs, socks, small cars, chapstick, and a new ornament.

#1 shows off an "energy shot" he got in his stocking. I don't know why he liked them so much, but he was happy to get them.

All Snug had asked for for Christmas was a Jack-in-the-box. He was thrilled to get one from Little Monkey. Snug picked out a book and paid for it himself for Little Monkey, but mommy and daddy helped with this gift for him.

I got this Melissa & Doug firetruck off of Craigslist a couple of years ago and saved it. It is in perfect condition, and I got an awesome deal on it. I think I need to dust it, but Monkey didn't notice.

Snug got a Leap Pad from our neighbor last year, he had outgrown it. I found a Cars book that works with it and he spent a good forty minutes on my lap playing with it. We have a s l o w Christmas morning because we let the kids open something, play with it, and then open something when they are ready. #1 and I open gifts from each other in between and it is very leisurely.

Yes, yes, I know I hardly ever show my face on here. I prefer it that way!

Ok, back now to Christmas Eve. Yesterday morning we celebrated Christmas with my family. Here are the boys under their tree.

As we were opening gifts, someone was tired, laid down, and ended up with a bow on his back. It was so cute.

Little Monkey got a bead stringing set from Uncle Nathan and Aunt Danielle. He had a good time playing with all of the pieces. The beads are nice and big so I don't have to worry about him eating them. I do not know how I missed getting a picture of it, but he also got this monkey puppet that he is in love with. I"ll have to do a video to show you just how MUCH he loves it.

"Helping" Aunt Danielle open her gifts.

Giving gifts to Grandmommy and Pop Pop.

Ok, now we are back to Dec. 23. This is the afternoon that #1 got to come to Michigan with us! He had a very short 2 days off/with us in MI. Snug enjoyed extra attention from Aunt Beth as they did puzzles together. Grandmommy used to be a Pre K and Kindergarten teacher, so she has lots of neat puzzles/games/toys at her house.

This is a rare picture. Little Monkey hardly ever ever ever lets anyone hold/rock him, but he cuddled right up!

Extra adults in the house mean extra people who can read. Snug got to hear old favorites and some new ones he got as gifts....over...and over...and over...and over...

Oh, this is too cute. Pop Pop cut out houses, a barn, trees, fences, cars, and a couple of animals for the boys' train table. Snug loved watching him work in the wood shop. Later, when the boys had a nap, we all took turns painting the pieces. I don't have a picture of the finished product, but they were so cute!

And once you are done in the wood shop, you have to clean up!

We had a great time in Michigan, and it was so nice to see family, but we are also glad to be back home and enjoy Christmas in our own house...our last Christmas in this house!

25 Days of Christmas Dec 23

Oh we are having SUCH fun, and now daddy has joined our family so I feel much more complete. I love being in Michigan, but it means extended time away from him. The boys were very happy to see him after naps today too.

Today's ornament for Mama Bear's carnival is an ornament I got in high school from my friend Anna. I don't even think Anna's family celebrated Christmas, at least not traditionally with trees and gifts. Help me out here Megan, does my memory fail me? Anyway, this ornament is very shiny and pretty on my tree, and is another one that my kids can touch and I have no worries about. I also love remembering back to high school and the friendships I had...some I still have!

"House News" was in yesterday's post...we have an offer, but we counter offered due to some...stuff. Well it was close to what we wanted, but not quite. They had some things they wanted that didn't seem quite fair. We'll see what happens, but I doubt we'll know until after Christmas. You can pray that we find a house we would like to live in...of all the houses we had on a list to see should we get an offer, all but one or 2 have sold and those that are left we had already decided wouldn't be good options for our family. There is one more that we found, but we don't know much about it...maybe the one, maybe not. We do NOT want to move into a house just to move. That was NOT the reason we put our house up for sale, it was so that we could live somewhere that would fit our family for a long time. Always exciting!

25 Days of Christmas, WAY Behind

I don't even have Mama Bear's cute button to post. I'm in Michigan, and this afternoon was the first time I had access to a computer. This ornament is one of Snug's. He got it last year (?) from Uncle Nathan and Aunt Danielle. A very Veggie Christmas for him!
This one (see, I am a few days behind) is one that I got for #1. I showed another police ornament a few days ago. I try to get him one every year, and actually found one today (ssshhhhh) for next year!
Can you guess who this one belongs to? Of course it belongs to our own Little Monkey! If you didn't know, sock monkeys are kinda his trademark. Wait till you see the woolies diaper cover he is getting for Christmas. TOO cute.

Ok, I'm going to link this to Mama Bear's blog and then maybe get a chance to post some pictures of what we've been up to here in Michigan!

25 Days of Christmas Dec. 19 & Top 5 Reasons

Shoot on over to Mama Bear's page real quick and check out other people's ornaments. There are always some neat Christmas stories behind them. Most are much much more sentimental than mine!

I have two ornaments like this, and my mom has the other two. I believe she bought the box and split it with me one year. I just think it is really cute! I'll have to look for hers on her tree LATER TODAY!

Yep, we are headed to the great white north (although we did get an inch overnight!) to spend some time with my mom and dad and my brother and sister-in-law. We will also get to see extended family at a party tomorrow and I am really excited about that too!

Here are my Top 5 Reasons I need to GET OUT OF OHIO

5. Snug was convinced last night that because people were "in our house" (had another showing) last night that he was going to have to sleep in a barn (you know, like Baby Jesus) and that animals were going to lick his feet. He wasn't happy. I can't WAIT to get away from realty stuff.

4. Except for the itty bitty bit we got last night, there really is NO snow here.

3. I will get to see lots of family I hardly ever ever see...the ratio of small children to adults is usually 5:2 here. In Michigan it will be at least 2:5, many times the adult number even higher. YEAH!

2. I am convinced that leaving the state will make us all healthy. This month has been sick sick sick! Perhaps we need some clean northern (but kinda close to Pontiac/Detroit so probably NOT so clean) air.

1. I need some WOLVERINE fans!!!!!

25 Days of Christmas Dec. 18

Oh my, it is the 18th of December. I think if nothing else, this has shown me how FAST December goes. Thanks Mama Bear for the idea and including all of us!

This is another homemade ornament. He is a cinnamon stick that I painted a little face on, and glued some cotton ball on. A little thread keeps him attached to the tree. Well, he and about 10 friends just like him.

25 Days of Christmas Ornaments Dec. 17

Wow, I cannot believe it is December 17th, or how the month of December has played out in general. One highlight has been doing these ornament posts. Thanks Mama Bear!

It was hard to get a good pictures of these, being that they are clear. They are heavy/durable enough to actually be ON the tree, but absolutely beautiful lead crystal. I received these quite unexpectedly in high school from a boyfriend's grandmother at a family Christmas party. I certainly was not expecting a gift, but these have been on my tree ever since. Even though we are most certainly not still together (#1 and I met between my junior/senior year of college) I have never given these up. Too pretty :o)

In Dray news, those of you in Michigan who will be seeing us VERY soon (yeah!!!!!), will be very happy to know that I took my children to the doctor today. Oh my.

Ok, so they have had coughs for a good week now, and #1 and I are tired of being up half the night with them. I was pretty sure it was just chest colds that were not going away easily. But seems how the kids and I were headed to MI for a few days to see my parents and brother/sister-in-law I thought I'd better get it checked out along with Little Monkey's 18 month check up. Urgent Cares in other states are not my idea of fun on Christmas Eve. Last year on Dec. 23 we took the kids to the doctor just because something "wasn't right" and that was when both kids had ear infections (the first of MANY for poor Little Monkey) and we also found out that he had lost weight, the beginning of the nightmare from 2009. I decided to get a head start on what appears to be our Christmas doctor visit.

So, simple colds would have been lovely. I even apologized for having them looked at to the nurse, as I was sure I was wasting valuable office time. A simple weigh in for Little Monkey would have suited me fine. (26 lbs, 31 in. by the way. HOLY COW). But no. It turns out that Snug (who insisted on telling stories, smiling, using the potty, and enchanting anyone who would look at him the entire hour and a half visit) has tonsillitis, bronchitis, and an ear infection. He claims the ear infection is because his winter hat is itchy. Hmmmm. I think the doctor would not concur. Little Monkey has bronchitis, and his ear tubes are the only thing that is keeping him from all the other fun his brother is sporting. Why do my children bundle up to their eyeballs the minute it turns 55 deg. and why do I feed them healthy food? Is it working????

Ah, so 2 co-pays and $80 in prescriptions later, they are both heavily medicated and ready for travel. Chest colds. Ha.

25 Days or Ornaments and Luke 2 Video

Remember to go over to Mama Bear's blog to see what she has posted today for her ornament, and check out other people's too!

I'm trying to be better about taking pictures of ornaments ON the tree, not on our carpet. I think they look better anyway. These are ornaments we got as a wedding present. I got it from a family who went to Peru with our church when I was in high school. I loved that missions trip, and it was life changing. These I believe are gourds that have been hand painted. They were on top of a present, which I'll talk about in a little bit.

I also wanted to point out the red star which is part of our garland. I think we have 4 or 5 garlands like it (not all exactly the same, but enough to cover the whole tree) and they are from Ten Thousand Villages. Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade organization who sell things handmade by people all over the world. I love their stuff!

This nativity was what was in the box that the ornaments above were tied on. Mary, Joseph, the animals, and Baby Jesus came as a set, also from Peru. (The creche and angel were added on later). One thing that I love about this nativity scene is that they are not white skinned, blue eyes people. Neither was Jesus. Although made to look South American, they are closer to what Jesus' family would have looked like than most of our American versions.

I have to talk about the angel too. I got her as a present from one of my first graders one year. I knew teaching in a public school that in order to get the nativity story in, I'd have to cover all aspects of the holiday season. We did every celebration I knew existed, and ended with Nativity. I think the kids picked up on what I believed because this little guys said "cause I know how much you liked that one angel story".

Oh, and I wanted to take a picture of some of the mittens I mentioned in this post.

Next up is a video of Snug saying Luke 2:8-12 He has worked really hard to memorize those verses. Don't plan on getting them out of him in real life, he gets really shy, but feel free to try. Sorry that the video is on its side.

25 Days of Christmas Ornaments Dec 11 & 12

Mama Bear is hosting a blog carnival this month that gives everyone an opportunity to share special ornaments and memories. This week features homemade ornaments, which probably makes up 50% of our ornaments. You'll be seeing homemade ones way past this week from me.

Sorry I didn't post mine yesterday, many of you who know us IRL know it was a bad day here. I can't go into it online, but you can be praying for #1 and all other police officers. They give up so much of themselves on a daily basis. While we are all home in our beds at night, they are out doing who knows what to protect us.

These are some ornaments I made either before or the first year #1 and I were married. They are made out of old wooden spools, buttons, and rick-rack.

And I know these were made my first Christmas living on my own, because along with them (and about 15 more) I also made a LONG string of felt mittens that hang in our house, and a set of felt mittens for each of the teachers in my building. It was a lot of work, but fun to still have.

25 Days of Ornaments Dec. 10

Mama Bear is hosting a blog carnival this month that gives everyone an opportunity to share special ornaments and memories. This week features homemade ornaments, which probably makes up 50% of our ornaments.

I tried to find this ornament on our tree so I could take a nicer picture of it, but either it is hidden because it is so tiny (1/2 the height of our trim board in the living room) or it didn't make the tree this year (it isn't breakable, but maybe I had a reason at the time).

This was not originally an ornament, but a gift from a little girl when I was on a missions trip in Japan (remember Mitt?). It was one of many I was given, but it was just the right size to thread a ornament hook through.

I'm cheating and doing two today. These guys were not even thought of when I took all of my pictures for this project. We made them in preschool this week. Snug painted his and I did the snowman to put their Christmas picture in. Thought you'd like to see!

25 Days of Ornaments Dec 9 and OOPS

Oh my goodness gracious. I was clearly NOT clear yesterday. That 21 week 3-D ultrasound is a 21 week baby. Not my 21 week baby. I get an e-mail every so often saying "this is what your baby looks like". I feel very bad, because I had meant to mention that, and must have gotten distracted. I AM SO SORRY. She should look very much like that though. When I read your comments I thought "oh no!!!" and then I read what I wrote and thought "oh, duh!!!". Anyway, on to the ornaments, should be able to get that part right anyway!
Thanks Mama Bear for this blog carnival on ornaments. Today we are on day 9 and this week we are featuring handmade ornaments.

My Grandma used to paint us all an ornament that she made in her ceramics class each Christmas. When I say all of us, she had 10 grandchildren. I don't believe she MADE the ornaments, but she did paint them and fire them or whatever it is you do to make them shiny. This cute gingerbread man is one of several I have. I love to put them on the tree and remember Christmases with her. He actually isn't on the tree I don't believe this year as we are trying very hard to make sure everything is non-breakable this year.

In Dray news, Little Monkey had his last speech therapy for the 2009 year and is within 6 months of his age in language skills. Yeah! What a way to end 2009.

Snug is getting ready for Sunday where his class will be in the church Christmas program. I know it will just be like two songs, and only 1/2 of the kids will sing, but still I am excited because he's never been in a program before. This mommy will have a video camera on hand!

#1 is sick sick sick. Poor guy, he is even missing work tonight. He hardly ever ever takes a sick day, and if he does it is usually because I am sick and he is helping with the boys.

I am about 99.9% done with my Christmas shopping and 89.9% done wrapping. Last night I finished canning about 11 more quarts of applesauce to give away/eat this winter, and I sent out 75 Christmas cards today. WHEW. I am also hand delivering some to save on postage. I could have said I sent the cards yesterday, but I put on the last stamp as the mail man was leaving, so they went out today.

We have a showing of our house on Friday, DIRECTLY after the Draycare kids leave (oh joy) and an open house on Sunday. Busy busy busy!

25 Days of Christmas Ornaments Dec. 8

The ornaments continue! Mama Bear is hosting this blog carnival, and we are all getting a chance to share our ornaments. This week is homemade ornaments. Click here to see other people's, and please join in, even if just for a couple of days! Apparently today is also a blog hop...I've never participated in that, so if I have messed it all up, sorry!

This is a 100% terrible picture, and until it uploaded I didn't notice! This little snowman was made by Snug last Christmas with my Draycare kids. I of course helped him out as he was not quite 2 1/2 yet, but he still enjoyed the process. I try to do as many art and craft activities as I can with the kids, and Christmas season it is always easy. He is supposed to be a S'more snowman. Really really a bad picture.

This picture has NOTHING to do with blog hops or carnivals or Christmas. It is what Hannah looks like INSIDE right now. I am 21 weeks today. She weighs almost a pound and is about as long as a carrot. I had to think about that for a minute, because we are very used to baby carrots around here, and even grew mini ones in our garden. I had to think of what a "real" carrot size was! Anyway, if I go full term, about 133 days to go...but don't count on that.

25 Days of Christmas Ornaments Dec. 7

Thanks Mama Bear for doing this blog carnival in December. It has been a nice way to show some of my favorite ornaments on my tree. This week homemade ornaments are being featured. Fun, huh? If you want to join in, don't worry that we are in the second week, or if you don't want to/can't everyday. Just go to her blog and link to a post on your favorite ornament(s).

To start off my homemade ornaments for the week, I have a rivalry. Many of you already know about my husband and I rooting for rival college football teams.

These ornaments were made for us by the teacher I student taught for the next year. I had been hired at the same school. I don't know if they still do, but it used to be that most all of the teachers bought/made something small for everyone else. Everyone got an OSU colored one (I think they bought clear balls and then swirled paint in them) but I got both OSU and UofM.

These ornaments are NOT on my tree this year, to ensure that they are not broken, but in a few years they will be back up!

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In other news....It was the Best of Times....It was the Worst of Times

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Weekend Bests:

I got to go on a Longaberger bus tour. FUN FUN FUN

I got Hannah a tea set for when she is WAY older

My mom and dad were here on their way through from Florida

Our church had a wonderful service

Snug knows Luke 2:8-11 and is working on vs. 12&13

We went to a beautiful Christmas Concert at Cedarville University and the boys sat nicely

It snowed early this morning-just a dusting, but still!

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Monday Worsts:

I found out what one of my Christmas presents was

I found out because it is a diaper sprayer and Monkey had 2 diapers bad enough in a row to warrant #1 getting it out of hiding

We don't have the right parts to install above diaper sprayer

The diapers continue, and one was so bad I threw up

Whatever is ailing Monkey's little pants is also keeping me in the bathroom

Little M from Draycare threw up all over himself and our couch

I had an extra kid today that I wasn't planning on

#1 is away from the house all day

I have to have holiday food ready for a party that wasn't on the calendar...TONIGHT

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Forgive all the astrisks in my posts these days...Blogger randomly decides when I can put spaces between paragraphs and when I can't. Most of the time everything is one giant BLOB. Anyone know why?

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Maybe I should have done a Not Me! Monday

Maybe I shouldn't be doing my Beth Moore study this week on Patience. That ALWAYS gets me into trouble! Maybe I can just skip this week and go on to Kindness!

25 Days of Ornaments Dec 3, 4, 5

If you'd like to participate in sharing about some special ornaments on your tree, or see other people's go over to Mama Bear's blog and check it out!

So I got a little sidetracked in all the Baby Girl excitement and didn't post an ornament on Friday. Here is my Friday entry. This is Little M M's ornament from last year. I liked it instantly when I saw it at Hallmark. I waited until after Christmas to buy it, but I was excited nonetheless. I think a onesie is just very appropriate to commemorate a baby's first Christmas!

I didn't put up an entry yesterday because I was on a Longaberger bus tour of the Homestead and Dresden. By myself. It was a wonderful day. It was my birthday present! I had told #1 if he kept his job this summer (which he did) that this was what I wanted. What a nice day it was.

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I digress. This is an ornament from when I was little. I honestly don't remember where I got it or who gave it to me, but I have my suspicions that it was from one of our trips to Disney. My Grandpa lived in Florida, and we spent every other or every three Christmases at his house. I can remember going to Disney a couple of times, something I hope I can do with our kids someday.

Ah! Today's ornament! Sorry about the lovely background. I took the pictures before we had decided to have a tree up, so I just tried to get some pictures. You can enjoy both my trim board and ornament. This one is from a Christmas wedding we attended when Snug was a baby. It was on the table to take home as a favor. I just thought I'd post it as an idea for anyone who may be having/someday have a Christmas wedding.

Can't wait to go see everyone elses ornaments, but I think it will wait until tomorrow. I am 100% exhausted and need to wash diapers still!

25 Days of Ornaments December 2

If you'd like to participate in sharing about some special ornaments on your tree, or see other people's go over to Mama Bear's blog and check it out!

Although this is far from the oldest ornament on our tree, it is what the tree is "themed" after. I got this little snowman from my in-laws before #1 and I were even engaged. I lived in a little apartment and had a little tree with not a single ornament. I must have gotten this snowmanwoman before Christmas because that year I decided to use it as my inspiration. Most things on my first "own" tree were homemade that year, and I'll share a few of them next week during homemade ornament week! We have several of these little snowpeople that say various things (First Christmas together, #1's name, I ♥ my dog, etc.) but on our big tree you barely even see them :o)