Friday, December 31, 2010

Time to say good-bye to 2010

and I couldn't be more ready! Mike is out sanding down our front door right now as he started to stain it earlier today in the warm sun (52) and did it wrong. Unfortunately, this has been the flavor of 2010 for us. Now personally I would leave the door until tomorrow a new year and hopefully things going a lot smoother, plus the fact that it is 10:30 at night! We had a wonderful few days with my parents and grandparents as they did make it to VA for a visit. They leave tomorrow am as my mom has to get back for tax season and we won't see or hear from her again until April 15th. The kids are so exhausted from all the activity that I think that even though Pop and Dhima will be sorely missed the kids will be quite thankful to return to normal. Maybe they will even sleep in tomorrow am so Mommy can experience a wonderful New Years morning in bed. I have a new scrap magazine waiting by my bedside so I think I will turn in. Happy New Year's to all!

Monday, December 27, 2010

So Excited

Go check it out! My layout was one of the ones featured from the December sketch challenge - so excited. http://crate.typepad.com/cratepaper/2010/12/announcing-the-december-2010-sketch-challenge-winner.html I definitely needed a little smile today, the sun is finally out again, but man is the wind a blowing. My parents are going to try and come tomorrow as not only the snow kept them away today, but my father bumped his head yesterday and ended up in the hospital. Everything is ok now, but a little scary at first. I'm working on a flower ball in my scrap room right now (and burning my fingers with my new glue gun) I'm hoping this new batch of flowers I made will finish it b/c I think I've just about finished up my supply of this color paper.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Snowed in - STILL!

It has snowed since Christmas Eve and hasn't stopped yet and it might keep going through Monday! I'm feeling a little stir crazy to put it mildly!!! We don't have a horrible amount of snow, just it isn't stopping and now the winds are beginning which for us means snow drifts. I really need a pair of fuzzy warm boots wonder how they would look with my large tummy. My parents were supposed to come today to visit for a couple of days unfortunately they are supposed to get snow and even more than we have so who knows if they will be coming. I'm busying crafting today trying to keep myself sane. Mike has offered to take me out, but I feel bad about taking the kids out in this weather. I guess we will see whether "supposed" conscious wins or my emotions...

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve

So this year Jesus must have a major sweet tooth b/c He has requested (through little mouths) a cheesecake and a marble cake with chocolate icing for His birthday cake! I think the kids are catching on; it is amazing what Vinny "asks" for and now Jesus. Oh, well everything is made and waiting for the candles - Tracy said we need 8, hmmm... This is apart of our traditions that have carried over from my childhood - we always have had a birthday cake for Jesus and sing Happy Birthday and now it has passed to me and my kids. I hadn't realized how many traditions we have but the list keeps getting longer - we have candles in the window, I write a Christmas letter with picture, daddy takes the kids shopping, and that's all that I can think of right now.
Mike took all the kids last night shopping and I had a little time to myself - I felt so uncomfortable so I decided to hit something else on my to do list b/c I couldn't just sit in the big quiet house! :)
I've baked a bunch more today and I'm still putting the finishing touches on my grandparents album; each year I do a mini album of our year. Mike is busying finishing the tile in my kitchen right now and put a layer of stain on our stairs - thank goodness it is the right color of stain this time!
I will leave you with a layout I did with Crate Paper from my December Scrapbook Circle kit - Christmas Preparations: things that we do/have around the house for Christmas, the pp was actually the rings Marc cut off each night from our countdown to Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone, I pray that you will experience miracles tomorrow just as the long ago miracle that gave us Jesus!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

2 more days!

The kids are nuts! I made them do schoolwork through yesterday, but today was supposed to be cleaning day and I needed the help. Needless to say, they had their dusting done by 9am and have tried running wild the rest of the time. Hopefully Mike will be able to stay home tomorrow and he can keep a lid on them. I need to finish cleaning, make the desserts, and still finish a present. Thank goodness the present I was waiting on from UPS is finally in my hands - Mike met up with the truck on the road yesterday and stopped the driver - the guy was so relieved to not have to attempt our driveway again! (Can't say I blame him either.) I just made some PB chocolate chippers and I need to ice a few more sugar cookies for Mike - he goes to town on them everytime he enters the door. I'm hoping to make another batch of molasses also for my parents, but we will see. Mike and I got a few hours out yesterday - drs appt, mall, lunch, grocery/Christmas shopping and now I am ready for the big day. Drs appt went well, but baby is growing larger/quicker than it should so if things continue this way I will need another ultrasound to see if it is b/c of fluid or if this is just a big baby. Nothing to drastic just an early delivery, but we need to schedule a date anyway so that I am able to make sure Vinny is well taken care of when this little one enters the world. Only 9 weeks to go hard to believe - and a little scary. I've never been too concerned before, but this time and especially with Vinny's meds I wonder can I handle another one. Too late for that now! :) I guess after Christmas my next project will be bringing up baby clothes and washing them.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

4 days until Christmas

I have one more present to complete - right now, but the internet is so much fun! :) A few more presents to wrap. I have 2 presents that are floating in the UPS system right now - I'm afraid they haven't been delivered yet b/c of our driveway - hopefully we can catch up to them and get them before Christmas. Made some more cookies again last night as Mike has decided they are his favorites and so that means they are gone along with a gallon of milk! We might need more than our normal 5 for the week the way this is going - thank goodness for my milk fridge. :) So everyone is looking ahead right now to 2011 and planning, organizing, and making resolutions - as most know I am super organized all the time and I love to plan and as to resolutions I'm not much into them. I prefer to not make things that I will break, but this year I took a step to hopefully bring a dream into reality this year. I really want to see my layouts published and be on a DT team - well it is hard to accomplish this if you won't actually submit anything - so I submitted. Maybe by this time next year I will have made my one resolution! :) My other one that will definitely be possible is loose this baby weight - but at least that is achieved by nature (somewhat).

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Snow #2 of the winter

We've got snow (or maybe it is sleeting, icing, or raining can't really tell right now). I hope we don't have another winter like last year seeing that we've already had 2 snows in December. The kids are chomping at the bit to go sledding, but mommy is not attempting to squeeze this tummy into warm clothes and daddy is being a frump. So today was cleaning day and I think with the kids help we managed to finish up. So what's next... I'm too tired to think right now so maybe I will go create for awhile. :) Oh, I guess I had better get some dinner started - thank goodness for leftovers. Mike almost finished tiling the kitchen; we have to wait for the border tiles to finish that project, they will be in on Wednesday. I hate the fact that all these projects which we have been waiting for are only getting done now b/c we need to sell a finished house - so someone else can enjoy our dreams. I'm still praying for a miracle, but so far nothing.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

So my blog turned Christmasy

Thanks to Webster's Pages and a week of inspiration I now have a Christmas blog. Hopefully, I will be able to remember how to change it when Christmas is over, but I am thrilled. Our house is all ready for Christmas - decorations, presents, cookies, and we've even already given a Christmas party. Now to finish up a little more school before I let the kids off the hook for a few days. Actually, it is easier for them to continue with their school b/c they get into so much more trouble when I let them have a free day! I've been very busy in my scrapbook room lately finishing up both the inspiration from Websters and also Christmas presents that I hope to give. I think I only have to more to finish, hmmm or maybe 3... The list never ends it seems. As to the status of our house; nothing new. We've met with 2 realtors and now are waiting for them to get back to us. Go figure, they aren't selling anything and everyone in the area only lists about 6-10 houses and yet we are still waiting for someone to get around to getting our house on the market. Mike and I really aren't sure what we are supposed to do - neither one thinks selling is the answer and seeing how long houses are on the market nowdays wouldn't do much good anyway. Life was so much more peaceful years ago - only 2 kids, a solid financial background, a finished and furnished house. But then again, we've had so many experiences since we obeyed the Lord and followed where He was leading how can we even begin to compare. I'm amazed lately at the church the Lord has brought us to. I think for the first time in almost 4 years we are somewhere that we will actually be able to learn again and not just share what we know. We've seen amazing things happen in worship lately - so different from the "rock concert" of our first weeks there. And for the first time since old Immanuel we are apart of a real family again with the worship team - such a blessing. I am continually reminded of how good the Lord is - sometimes it isn't the way we hoped, but His blessings continue to pour out in ways that are good.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

I want to remember...

I've debated whether I want to share the things going on right now - and I decided that no one has to read this, but I want to document the things I am feeling/experiencing right now, but please know that you are free and welcome to read everything. Yesterday, brought a hard decision, but one that I don't feel we have any other path to consider. We are putting the house up for sale. Every month that we have lived here the Lord has provided for the mortgage and work has provided for the bills. Until this month. Why the change? I don't really know, but I know that our timing and seasons aren't anywhere near the Lords and so I just have to trust. I have so many emotions going around in my head right now and questions - and I don't know how to settle them so I will just wait for those answers and just take the steps that are before me right now. Yesterday was hard for me and I was very distraught, but today I am actually peaceful. The Lord reminded me that sometimes we need to look with a different set of eyes (His eyes) at what our circumstances are. Just as we experienced before, I thought we should be moving into this house, but that wasn't what happened. Instead b/c I chose to accept something other than my idea, we moved into a rental house that was just as nice and fit us quite well for that time period. If I had insisted on my way - then we would have been in the apartment for many, many more months. So I am choosing, once again, to let go of my way and possibly a home at Dry Valley and to look for the miracle that only the Lord knows about. I wonder, if as Abraham of old was asked to let go of his promise, are we being asked a similar thing? Are we being tested to see who or what we love more; the Giver or the gift? In all of this, I desperately want what the Lord has for us. I pray that we haven't done something to derail us from the Lord's plan for us. I'm okay with a change in directions as long as the Lord continues to lead our Journey to Destiny.