Mmmm... The Wonderful Smells of Christmas...

Christmas has so many great aspects... obviously, the TRUE meaning... but then there's the gift wrapping.. the annual trip to Valley View.. the family, friends, silly work parties, Secret Santas... I just love it. I can't believe Christmas Eve is tomorrow though! Where'd the time go?? It's like, I can't wait for it to get here so bad but then when it does... I'm like, oh Christmas, can't you stay a little longer??? Hehe..

Anyways, so my breaks went out yesterday on my way to work like four times... and times meaning, they worked some, and didn't some. Scary stuff! So Roger's got my car till further notice. He came and towed it from my work today. So while I'm waiting on Tyler to come get me from home, after dropping me off here after work, I'm going to make some Holiday Cinnamon Raisin bread to take with us to Nanny and Opa's on Christmas! Mmmm....

Sleigh Bells riiing.....
Are you listenin??
In the laaane...
Snow is glistenin'...

Catching A Cold..

=(

Sniffle... Cough... Dry throat, stuffy nose, the whole shebang is coming on! But it's alright, I'll try and catch it if I can! This weekend was nice, we went Christmas shopping all day Saturday and got most of it done! And then we saw the new Bond movie which was really good! I always leave feeling like I want to hide behind a wall with a gun in a slinky hot dress with Tyler waiting for me in a tricked out Mini Cooper a block away after I just kicked the bad guy's ass. Okay. Anways. =)

I'm going to go make myself another cup of hot tea and wait for him to get home so we can cuddle. Night! Cough!

Sigh...

Last year was the same way... there's way too much crap going on for my parents to really want to enjoy and prepare for Christmas. And yes, my dad's unemployed and my mom gets up early every day to work full time to bring some money in, but the spirit just isn't here... Hopefully it'll find it's way into this house sometime soon.. It's all for good reason, but sometimes I just wish we could put all the b.s. aside for a while and just spend time together as a family... quality time. Not just sitting around saying or doing nothing, or arguing about the dumbest things... Who forgot to fill the toilet paper holder after they used the last piece, or why there is a fork in the sink that hasn't been put in the dishwasher.. Or why our dog smells bad. Whatever. It's Christmastime!

Anyways... Tyler and I have been trying to get his Mom's tree up all week, but every night we're so tired and crap and just don't do it. Ours is up, what do we care! But this Saturday we're trying to do some Christmas shopping so we really need to get the tree up tonight so his mom doesn't want him home Saturday to help put it up. Plus, it'll be fun. And I got the Home Alone soundtrack from Miss Kim so we can listen to that while we decorate! Or better yet, put the movie in while we decorate! =)

Here's Baby Girl in her first real snow!


Merry Christmas!

I've Got A Peaceful Easy Feeling...

I just love The Eagles. You just can't go wrong. They remind me so much of when I was a little kid, driving with Dad out to the High's (now some dentist's office..) to get an ice cream on Sunday evenings in the summertime...

I've got so much Christmas shopping done it's ridiculous! All that's left is Dad, Ryan, and a little bit for Mom. Oh, and Mandy... I guess I've just got Tyler done, hehe. I love Amazon.com.. I guess it's really just like any ordering online, but any time I just type something in, it comes up used, and cheap! And when I get it in the mail, I'm like, "this is used?!" it looks so good. So I'm happy. I'm always the one around here who's done first. It's not a race, I just can't wait! Though this year I've been so emotional about Christmas.. the old hymns especially. Whenever I've heard "Silent Night" this year, I've cried. "Jesus, Lord at thy birth"... such powerful words that you don't even think about when you sing it year after year... Sigh. Thank you God for sending Him down, or else we'd be lost. <3



It's so cute and cozy down there... I love having it lit while we curl up on the couch with Myah and watch a movie..

Headed there now! I think we're going to decorate his Mom's tree!

"And You And I..."

Just got home from work and am trying to do some Christmas shopping online. I hope things will get here before Christmas!! I'm pretty excited about what I just found Ty on Amazon. =) He's gonna pee a little when he opens it!

So the Holiday Mission was a total success! We took forever trying to find the tree stand and the other crap we needed to set the tree up, but after like an hour, the tree was finally set in the living room corner. Yay! So Jesse went to bed, Tyler and Myah went home, and I stayed up till 2:30 decorating it with lights, garland, and some ornaments. It looks so homey and cozy... I'm proud of us.

Myah & Warren waiting for the tree to be set up (notice warren is a little displaced..)

I found a little four foot tree at Jo Anne's today for half off! It's already prelit so I bought it for the basement. Twenty five bucks! Hopefully we'll be able to decorate it tonight when Tyler gets home. I made the two us and Myah Christmas stockings tonight at work, too. They're so freaking cute! I don't know where we're going to hang them down there but we'll figure something out.

Off to do some Christmas shopping!


Valley View 2008

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Sigh.... I just love this time of year... Have I said that yet?? Jesse and I were planning on surprising Mom and Dad with the tree all set up somehow and Jesse was going to get the tree today, a big fat tall one!, and I was going to come home from work.. wait for them to fall asleep.. and then we were going to put everything up and decorate!! We always go to Thomas's Tree Farm on route 30, but Jesse was at the dance team practice so he couldn't make it in time. (No, he's not taking dance lessons, he goes to Alex's dance team's practices) in case you were wondering... So he told me that and I was all sorts of bummed. But then, he texted back saying he found a tree near PetSmart for fifty bucks!! Haha who cares!!! So the tree is lounging around up on the picnic table in the woods waiting for us to rescue it from the cold and bring it inside to be adorned with lights, garland, and ornaments... Mmmm... I can't wait!! They're going to be so surprised and excited when they come down tomorrow and see it!

So on my way home I stopped by the Norris's to drop of some gloves I made for Sara to buy for her boyfriend, which was really fun. I visited for a while and Miss Bobbi gave me three bottles of wine she didn't want! Woo! =) And we started thinking of some ideas for a Christmas Sing/Pot Luck we want to plan for sometime in the next few weeks since the Kirkridge family isn't going to be able to spend Christmas Eve or Advent or anything together really.. and us kids can do the music. I think it sounds wonderfully Christmasy and cozy...

So now I'm off to smoke a stoge and wait for Tyler to get here, then hopefully Mom will head upstairs and Dad shortly thereafter to begin the mission!

Rainy Day...

Tyler and I took our cars this morning to Firestone for oil changes and new wipers, both we each needed tremendously!! So now I'm home, wrapped some presents, and am about to make a Pumpkin dish to take down to Tyler's dad's for dinner this evening. I should really be doing my huge pile of laundry but ah well. I love having my gifts wrapped the second I buy them. A- so they don't see them by accident and B- so it's done! I've piled them all around the Christmas tree i set up in my room in front of my window. It looks so sweet and cozy.. I remember last year when Tyler was living here and our little tree in the basement. I'd like to set up another one at his house this year in the basement but who knows how that will go over. I can't wait until we have our own space to celebrate and decorate the holidays together.. Sigh. Alright, gotta go finish the dessert!

Warm & Cozy

So I just got back from doing a little early Christmas shopping! It's two days after Thanksgiving so the spirit is there, but I love shopping really really close to Christmas.. when it's cold and there's all the hustle and bustle... =) Tonight we're doing our Cook family tradition of piling into the car and going down to Valley View to each pick out an ornament. The past few years I come out having spent about fifty bucks! I just love the International Gift Shop... But it's Tyler's third year coming with us and this year Jesse's bringing his girlfriend Evie! It's always a nice time, we always go out to dinner somewhere and when we get there, Mom always makes us close our eyes before we walk in so when we open them, we're surprised by the glorious Christmas lights and decorations!

So I got a few things for Tyler, a couple for Mary, tons for Myah =) and some stocking stuffers for my brother.. I'm so broke this year! I love to go all out on Christmas, but this year I'm going to have to stay diciplined! It's just so hard when everything's so cute!!! Gotta go get ready for tonight... Maybe when we get back we'll watch home alone with some hot chocolate!