Christmas time is Here!

Well, I got off to a late start, but just about the time I was done decorating, I had some things to do then got sick. :-( I have been sick for a little over a week. I thought I had kicked it and then it snuck up on me. I am tired of it, but that is life. I have gotten a few things done while I have been sick, mostly sitting things, but one day when I was starting to feel better I over did it and cleaned the downstairs. But at least the house is basically clean. That has been nice being sick, it makes me feel calmer.

I had a ball doing the lights in our front yard, the checker at Fred Meyer got to know me personally, 5 times in 2 days. She asked me if I knew what a list was, and I explained that I had one every time I came in, it was just that it was the first time I have ever done this yard so I didn't know for sure what I would need. I bought 8 boxes of lights in addition to the ones I already had! :-) it looks cool. Our yard looks like a fairy land. You can see it as soon as you drive into our neighborhood. Us and our neighbors to the east and north are the only ones that decorate. I have taken some pics but I think the one that will do it justice is the one from the car as we enter the neighborhood, and I am too sick to go take it, so later.

It was stressful decorating the inside of the house because I didn't know where to put things. I only knew where the tree was going, everything (and as you know there is a lot of everything) else was a mystery to me. Slowly but surely I got them all placed in their new little Christmas spot. I am very happy with it all. I wish I could do virtual tour, that would be way more fun, but these pics will have to do. Today while feeling sorry for myself, while Steve was at church, me doing gross cold things, I figured out what I want for Mother's Day or my B-day next year. I want everyone to get together and buy me a beautiful Nativity Scene picture for my mantle. I was enjoying my tree and living room, when it hit me that instead of a child in the snow walking home, it would be so wonderful to have a picture of the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I will start looking. I love my hearth this year ,
I was going to give everyone money because I major procrastinated Christmas presents, and I was too sick to think. Then Lizzie called and asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I told her and then when the big box came in in the mail from the store that I wanted something from, I got so excited. I wondered what exactly she got. I then thought, no way am I going to give money to my girls. I know the guys like money so that is different. I am sure the girls like money too, but it's not as exciting as wondering what is in that package. So I started racking my brain and came up with a fun gift, that is all I will say for now. I hope they come in on time! I need to mail some tomorrow also.

Well, I am about to quit, so I better start posting pics. The tree during the day the tree at nightI love my snow people!! I especially love this new spot.the dining room turned out really nice with the pic Clay painted and my snowflakes hanging from the lights, a new look and my beautiful Santa Mom gave me years ago.
My entry way this year is really fun, because the wind isn't blowing it down every night! I love our other entry better, but when we go back I will miss the wind free environment!Because our entry is dark most of the time I have the lights on all day on the stairs.
Now one of the most time consuming thing I do is the stairs. I love it a lot, but it is very hard to do alone. I always struggle with what to tie the swags up with so they won't show. I put 4 ugly ties on when I came up with the most brilliant idea, yes ribbon tied into beautiful bows! Doesn't it look cute! I am so happy to finally have an easier and more attractive way to hang the swags!

The living room- I finally used this as an excuse to put the entertainment center together, it looks so nice-what a shock!and no those aren't real candles, Steve still thinks we will burn the house down if we light candles, those are those battery operated ones from Costco, I LOVE them. I cannot believe how many things I bought because Danielle talked me into them. In the end I am always grateful. This advent calendar we went round and round about, she won and I love it and have never regretted it!My only new addition this year, if you squeeze his left ear his nose lights up! I hope someday one of my grandkids gets to squeeze it!
This next picture doesn't do this justice, it actually looks really cool!The inside EntryI hope Mrs. Santa doesn't feel like she is a cast out! She has never been in such an isolated place!
This is another one of those pics that doesn't look as good in a picture. Although I will have to say I think he looked better in my kitchen on Idaho Street.The last thing I did was the kitchen, I was getting tired, so one spot is litterally half done, but most of it I like a lot.
the window sill
This part of the kitchen turned out really neat
This clock I bought last year but never put it up because we were still moving in and I didn't decorate for Christmas, Steve loves it! I am very happy about that!
Another advent calendar Danielle talked me into. Do you see a pattern here?
This last one of the kitchen is where I finally said I'm done. The snowman is up there all by himself, he looks kind of funny in real life all by himself, I didn't take a pic of he whole area, but I do love the greenery. Last but not least, my lights at night. This first one is for Danielle.Try as I may, this is as good as it gets from the house. I hope the one from the car will look better, otherwise you will just have to trust me it is really magical!Well, I am hoping to blog again before Christmas, but if I don't have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Family Reunion "are we having fun yet?"

I couldn't resist putting that first, we were getting ready for our family pics. Isn't it crazy the faces we make when we aren't posing!? There are more fun ones below!

Wow! I think I say this alot, but it has been way too long since I blogged! I was so busy trying to get ready for the reunion, WW's new program and other things in my life that time just slipped away.

I had a blast at the reunion. I learned a few things, first just because it is warmer at Lizzie's, doesn't mean it is great traveling weather for the rest of us. We personally were very blessed, we missed all the bad weather. There was a little concern at Megan's, but we sailed out so early that we missed it and beat the weather heading south.

As I said we stopped first at Megan's. It was good to see Greg as we don't see him much. It's always good to see Scarlet, and Megan also. Meg did my hair, I feel like a human being again, and a much "younger one"! :-)

I also learned that cooking crafts need to be simpler. I did something very fun, but it took too long. I loved it and don't regret it. It gave me some one on one time but it took the better part of two days. Considering that the reunion was only 3 and a half days that wasn't such a good idea. But the kids loved them. Here are a few picks below. For some reason I didn't get Ruby. Oh I know why hers got wrapped up for traveling before I got out the camera. I didn't think about how if I focused on the person the cookies would be blurry! So some you are blurry, some you can see! Beautiful Aliese! Miles always has this crazy Pirate smile pose for the camera! I wonder when he will stop? Beautiful Anna!Making snow!Beautiful Gracie!Last but not least, handsome Tanner!

We went to Tangled, I LOVED IT!!! It is the best Disney Show in years. The lead girl was a girl, she didn't have size double "D" augmented breasts. She didn't show the little cleavage she had and it didn't have any adult inuendos! Did I say I LOVED IT!! I will buy it as soon as it comes out. All the girls and the kids went to it while the guys shot guns. It was so cool and cute to look down the row and see all 14 of us together! I bought 4 of the big popcorns. They told me they could give me boxes to divide them all up. Then after I paid they reminded me I could get free refills! I thought that was a little sneaky! So I immediately got two more refills and filled up the boxes more! Danielle, Amy and Alies and I went to save the seats, so when everyone got there, there was a box of popcorn on their seats, how fun was that!

The women all went to a spa. It was a blast and relaxing at the same time. A very old lady did water yoga/tai chi or something like that. It was really relaxing in some ways and in other ways I had a hard time not laughing. I was a good girl though and didn't laugh. We were actually good in the relaxation room. If it had been more private, I fear I wouldn't have been very relaxed. We then had a private room where we painted each other with healing muds. It was really fun. Mostly it was just great to have girl time with all my daughters and Lyndsey. I loved it.

Of course we ate, and ate and ate.

It wasn't as warm as usual so I didn't go swimming, plus I was rather occupied with cookies, but others went swimming.

Steve, Me, Amy, Mike, Clay and Danielle stayed at their friends house. It was huge! It was really nice to have our own bathroom and place to crash.

Rebecca's fiance Steve wrote a song with Anna. Amy begged them to sing it for the whole family. It was really beautiful. I was so impressed that Steve would do that for her and for us. We definitely gave him a taste of the family he is getting into! We all loved him and can't wait for Rebecca and him to get married. Plus it will be another excuse to get together!

Well, the last thing of course, family pics! I had to post them all it will bring great joy to you all! Well, we thought we were ready-maybe not!Checking the camera!
Still checking the cameraEveryone ready but me! Yea!
Last but not least my favorite
We had to include Greg who sadly couldn't be with us.Some Sibling pics!Maybe I'm predjudice, but that is one gool looking group!!I would swear I straightened this pic! Steve and I with the Grandkids!!! All 9 of them!
I didn't have time to touch up the family pics, I know everyone was anxious to see them, I will correct the color and then post them on Costco. Hope you are all well! Love you all!!!

My B-day and Scarlets Blessing Dress

Well, I am 54 years old! For some reason that seems weird. It is the first time in a long time that I thought my age was weird. I feel like it doesn't feel like anything. For quite some time now I have felt great to be in the shape I am in for my age. I have never been embarrassed to talk about my age. I am still not embarrassed it just seems odd.

Anyway this is us at my favorite restaurant by far since New York. So now if any of you ever get to go there you will be disappointed because I have built it up. But it is how I feel. The chef is a woman and she with her husbands help grows all that they can in their greenhouses, use only good beef, and fish, makes all her food from scratch, its just great! I love it. We shared the dessert, because it is too rich to eat it by yourself. You can't tell but it is a chocolate silk torte. Very rich and nummy!

I woke up on my b-day and it was gorgeous outside, a rare thing for my b-day. It is usually raining. Steve said, "why don't you go out for a walk?" I thought yea, why not. It has not been walking weather for a few weeks now. I found a good bakery and Steve volunteered to get me two scones for my breakfast while I went on a walk. I walked to the jetty, I must not have walked my normal pace, because Steve said he was about to go out in his truck and drive down the beach to find me. You gotta love a man that would say that with all sincerity. I then ate my two very delicious scones. One was a savory one, Parmesan and spinach, the other was blueberry. I normally would never eat two scones, but it was my b-day! So one tasted like breakfast the other dessert. Did I say it was delicious?! I now know where to get a scone when I am dying for one.

Steve gave me two days off for my b-day, no cooking, no Beach House bookings, no work. It was great. I have to admit, it was kind of strange not doing anything, I basically didn't do much of anything on my b-day, but on Saturday I couldn't stand the kitchen so I did the dishes and swept the floor. I had to make cupcakes for our Halloween party at church, so I did that also. Steve brought home some chicken breasts, so we watched the last Bourne movie and ate our dinner. We had watched the other two the two days before. After that I went into the sewing room, put on Gilmore Girls and finished little Scarlets Blessing Dress. Theres nothing quite like sewing and watching Gilmore Girls. Ahhhhhhh...... I loved the way the dress turned out!The back

Well, it was a great two days.
I got phone calls from all my kids and my mom and dad. It was great. Steve also gave me some cute little things from Williams Sonoma that I wanted. Here are the pocket pie molds. I wanted these because Steve will only eat one piece of pie, so I eat the rest of the pie. This way there is more control, and they are cute on top of it all.Here are the pocket pies, aren't they cute!!!!Then I got some little cutouts for a big pie Church was great today. Steve bore his testimony. It was wonderful, it was mostly about the atonement, several people came up to me and told me how wonderful it was and that they needed it. I saw others thank him personally also. I love watching him bear his testimony, especially at times like that, I realize all over again what a spiritual giant he is. Well, love you all!

After the Storm

We had the first big storm of the year. This morning I got up and the sky was awesome. I didn't catch it all, but if you look at the taller pic you can see the sun shining on the top of the clouds. It was so cool I had to take a pic of it. I love the storms if I don't have to go out in them. Sunday was the beginning and just as we got out of church the BIG hail/rain drops came down. It was hilarious, everyone started screaming and laughing and running to their cars.

By far one of the coolest things about living on the ocean is the moving postcard always out your window. I have so many pics I have never posted. I just can't resist.

I made Halloween cookies for the non gluten free grandkids today. I am hoping to get the gluten free ones made tomorrow. I decided a few years back that it didn't do me any good to have all those holiday cookie cutters if I don't use them. I bought them to do with my grandkids, but with them all living so far away I decided to just use them and the sprinkles myself and mail them.

Hope you all had a great day. Love you all!!