My new Zune, Christmas and Sacrament Meeting

Well, in the order of not the most important, I am listening to my Zune and this is about the coolest thing I have experienced in a long time. One second I'm listening to the Three and Tenors, then a few seconds later I'm listening to Jake, a few seconds later I'm listening to Nat King Cole, then Kenney Chesnesy singing about his sexy Tractor! I think you've got the message, I am bouncing around from one song to the next. It is so cool to have all your music and your husbands music all in one place at the touch of a finger. If I had known how cool this would be I would have gotten an i-pod or some other mp3 player a long time ago and would be on my 3rd one by now. I feel like my musical world has just exploded! I know I sound silly, but ever since we moved to the coast I have felt like my music world got squashed! Steve's office was in our house and plus he doesn't like all my music, so my kitchen music time disappeared. Now I can listen to it anytime I want, as loud as I want, and whatever kind I want!!!! I feel like a little kid in a candy store. I know I am going on and on, and that the rest of the world already knows all this, but I am so excited. I love how I can make my own playlists and have it make sense to me! I love this, have I said that yet?! :-) I want to go buy music now. Danielle gave me a gift certificate for some, I am excited, I will probably drive myself crazy doing that. Because you know what might happen, the music police might come if I don't' do it right!!! :-) I am laughing of course. If you could see me right now you would see a very little girl look on my face right now. I am very happy!!! This is too much fun. Okay I will stop now! :-)

Today at church one of our speakers spoke on Patience. It was amazing, I think I need to change my music or I am going to talk to casual about this. Although it will be hard to leave this particular artist right now. I have never heard anyone talk about patience in this way. He used 2 talks, one was Elder Maxwell, the other was Elder Robert Oaks. Anyway he talked about how patience and faith go together, and impatience and selfishness go together. That really made the light and smile come to my face. I realized how true that was. He gave examples everything from driving to family members or other people not doing what we would like them to do. He talked about not liking our situation at the moment and that showed our lack of faith in Heavenly Fathers time table. It was amazing. I hope I remember it and think twice when I get impatient. The Elder Maxwell talk was from back when I was in college, so in the mid seventies. The Elder Oaks talk was in the last couple of years. I wish I could give you the whole talk, but I think the brief overview gets the point across and you can look up the talks if you really want to know more.

Have I said I love my Zune?!

Well, Christmas, it was great. We were blessed to have Amy and Mike, and Megan and Greg. It was different just having adults, but was wonderful in a different way. A lot of people were sick and that was sad, but we still danced to Megan and Gregs dance, dance revolution. It was pretty funny, Steve was the only one that didn't do it. I looked like a dork and they all were so cute in that they tried really hard to make me feel good. I tried many times, and ALWAYS had the lowest score. I think it is that my mind doesn't work as fast as theirs. It is so weird this whole aging thing. When I had six little kids at home, I could do so many things at once, it was mind boggling. Now I notice I can hardly cook and talk at the same time. I don't like it. But there are things about aging that are awesome that I wouldn't change either. I am way more patient with little people, and my testimony is stronger, I know how to hear answers to my prayers better, I have lots of friends now (my kids) the list could go on. I think life is all about appreciating where you are at the moment and seeing the amazing good in the stage you are in. I am getting pretty deep huh. I was supposed to be writing about Christmas!!

We watched movies, made sugar cookies, chocolate cream pies, 7 layer bars, cheese ball (which we forgot about!) and peppermint sandwiches of course. We listened to Christmas music. Of course the boys played video games. The ocean was at it's typical December wildness. The waves were really huge, once the run-up came just up on the edge of the grass, it was awesome. Sooo needless to say we weren't walking on the beach. We had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and were totally lazy on Christmas day. I made a nummy quiche the day before and put it in while we opened presents. The kids got up around 10:00 I think, I just know I was starving by the time we ate. I got Steve a new fishing rod, we couldn't resist putting it in his sock! It's wrapped. Check out how Steve is dressed compared to the rest of us!!
Such a classic Steve face, even though he loves the present!Amy was getting really frustrated that she couldn't sew (since she wasn't feeling good,) and I think she made herself sew. So I went up and sewed and downloaded music. My sewing room is cleaner than I can remember, it is awesome. I spent some of my time sewing and some cleaning.
My parents came for 2 days after everyone left. It was really nice! We watched Arachnophobia with them, Mom and Dad hadn't watched it before. As many times as I have watched it, I still screamed about 5 times. My dad kept asking if there was a plot, I thought later I should have said, yes to scare you to death!!! It was nice having them out, it had been too long since they had been out to our house.
Yesterday we went to Jakes to exchange presents with them. It was fun to see Ruby and little Miles, oh and Jake and Lyndsey, :-) Rebecca and Lizzie will understand that statement. Miles is getting so big, he reminds me of Jake when he was a baby, he smiles so easily. I hope everyone else had a great Christmas. I took so many pics so you could see all the sides. Cute baby Miles, I didn't take any when he was awake and smiling, I was not happy with myself.
Danielle made Jakes family matching scarfs, they were really excited about them, especially Miles's.
Well, I am going to post the presents I made now that Christmas is over. The next pics are Aliese's doll clothes. I made the trim from scratch on the blue dress from ribbon.I made Rebecca's girls a house also, it is more of a princess house, and Rebecca says the pics don't do it justice!
Megan also did mine and Amy's hair, always the true servant. Danielle wanted me to post it. Check out the boys in the background!
Well, it is late and I have posted one heck of a lot of pics. I will try to post more often. It is just hard when I have company. I love you all!!!

It's almost Christmas!

I can't believe it has been almost a week since I posted!! It has been an eventful week. I started and finished a cardtable house for Jakes kids. I was so sick by the time I finished it I wrapped it without taking pics of it. I was so mad at myself, I was going to unwrap it, but Steve said just take pics after Ruby opens it. I was too sick to argue so said okay :-( I am singing in our choir on Sunday and this was Tuesday night. I was very concerned. We have 4 sopranos and for some reason with guest choir members and new branch members a ton of altos, and men. So my one soprano voice makes a difference. Plus I am singing in a trio. So I told Heavenly Father he was going to have to make me well. The next day I stayed in bed all day, drinking who knows how much water (thank goodness for my Weight Watcher mugs), sucking on coldeeze, taking cold medicine, and eating chicken noodle soup. By the next day I was feeling a ton better, but to be safe stayed in bed the next day also. Friday Megan and Amy were coming with their hubbies so I had to get busy. I actually felt pretty good, so up I got exercised, and started cleaning and washing clothes, and fixing up their rooms. By 3:30pm I had a clean house and a washed hair and body. Amy and Mike showed up about 4:30, and Megan and Greg came about 8:30. Steve and I were very excited. I can't imagine Christmas alone. I am so grateful to have kids nearby. I know the day will come when we will be flying out of here at Christmastime, but I am grateful we have this year and next year to still share our house with some grandkids.

Meg cut and colored my hair today. I don't know what I am going to do when she goes off to Europe!!! I will have okay hair. Oh well, I can't be selfish.

I unlike Meg wanted to be really wise with my food choices, but alas I am weak when it is in front of my face and hungry. So I have sampled over and over again, all the treats Amy has brought along with the candy canes that I definately wasn't going to eat. Oh well, thank goodness this is only for 3 more days.

Well, I love you all and hope you all have the Merriest of Christmases!

Christmas time!!

It has taken me forever to sit down and finish Aliese's present, but I am done with the finally. I can't wait until I can post them. They are so cute. It is late so I am not going to say much just post a bunch of pics. I collect Santas for those of you that don't know that. This is the first year Costco didn't sell a Santa. I bought the sleigh they sold, but I ended up taking it back because there wasn't room for it. Steve thinks I'm addicted to buying Christmas decor, and maybe he's right, but there are worse things.

The new additions to my house this year are 15 artificial trees and new garlands and a wreath. I love the front of my house this year. I have given up on isicle lights. The wind beats them up and I end up with half my lights going out after the first storm comes. The wind storms are many at this time of year, so this year I through all of them away, they were only half lit anyway. I put up old fashioned colored lights. So because of that I bought cute little artificial trees.

The hardest change for me this year is my artificial indoor tree. I love it, but I have to say there is a part of me that longs for the fresh tree. I don't regret getting the aritficial one though. So here goes!

It was hard to decide which pics to post. So there will be some peat and repeat. Sorry about that.

The first set are the ever changing mantle. I am still not satisfied. I am hoping to come up with a plan that will always work. It started out like last year then I came up this great idea, but the next morning some of the bulbs had fallen down and broke all over my fireplace and carpet. So I was back to square one.




This is by no means all my Santas, I just got tired of taking pictures. I have some in 2 bathrooms, and 2 of the guest rooms. If Costco carried a Santa I couldn't resist, I would probably by it much to Steves furstration with me, I have more room upstairs. :-) So here is the parade!
This was the guy that started it all. He is my smallest one.
Rebecca talked me into this one! She suckered me in by saying how much the grandkids would love it! It worked I went straight over and put it in my cart!

Steves favorite! We call him our casual Santa.
A Joanne's 70% off special!
One of the MANY decorations Danielle talked me into!
I love this one, it is from my mom and dad, mom's great shopping skills got me this one. She got it at the end of the season, saved it until the next year!
Another one my mom and dad got me. I think this is so sweet.

Now for the ones I painted


This was last years Santa, I think one of the ones my mom talked me into. I love him also. After this one came out, they came out with one that was soooooo cute, but I had already boughten my santa for the year so I didn't know what to do. So I left him there. Then one day I got an email from costco, the Santa I left there was less than half price and free shipping. I decided to order, and sneak it up into the attic without Steve seeing it and bring it down this year. One day Steve and I were in his office which has a window facing the driveway. Up came this UPS truck, we both walked over to the window wondering what he was bringing. I had forgotten about the Santa. Out he comes with my Santa box big as life. Steve smiled and said Sharon what did you do, so I told him. He said well you might as well open it up now. It turned out to be one of his favorites. He just thinks I'm nuts, he doesn't get mad at me. So here he is our last Santa.
You have to admit, he's pretty cute!!
Well here come the garlands!


I know how many can I post!!


This pic doesn't do this justice, this is the shiniest wreath I have ever had, it matches the garlands if you can't tell.
I bought 3 dishtowels and made me a valance! Daneille made my cute ho,ho, ho, blocks.
I don't know if you can tell Daneille, but I added more sparkly snow, zoom in on it it is really cute, plus I added some carolers.
Amy bought me this cute little snowman from Joannes I think, when she was in high school.
The entry way.

The porch in the daytime.