Christmas hangovers and whitey tighties.

Christmas.  Comes but once a year and then BAM! Everything you've been planning for, singing for, eating for and buying for is now halted cold turkey.  Friends and family go back to work, Christmas tunes played loud through the stores turn into the latest hits by so and so, the meal we enjoyed so much gets packed up for leftovers to enjoy for God knows how long and besides the fond memories and 5 lbs. we gained--- we are left with a bad Christmas hangover.

It lingers and toils on our bodies(perhaps in more ways than one! TMI?)---the ache for more Christmas.  The people, sounds, smells, tastes.  Can I just get a little post Christmas day chaser to take the edge off what is going to be a week long Christmas hangover?

I am almost ashamed to admit---but I have found a way that helps me to get over my Christmas buzz.  Its a bit like ripping off a band-aid. But the faster it's done the better.  So here it is.  As soon as Christmas is "over"--in this year's case, as soon as we got home Christmas evening---I put all of our gifts and food away and then....De-Christmas my home by taking down and putting away all of my seasonal decorations.  Gasp! I know,  it's almost wrong, but if I sit and stare at my happy nutcrackers, or delight at the soft glow of my Christmas tree any longer it just makes it worse!  It's like a tease!  So, away they go back to their rubber made bins until next December---or November if I'm lucky enough to convince Curtis :)

So, hangover I have, but I also have lots of fun memories that unlike my Christmas decorations, I will not be purging anytime soon (pun totally intended)

And most importantly, my focus and heart remains on Jesus not only at the time of his birth, but throughout the year as he shows me amazing things and gifts me with more opportunities to eat, drink and be merry!

How is your Christmas hangover this year?

Oh, and the whitey tighties---well, I may have seen a pair this weekend in a totally shocking way---I'm not saying, but I'm sayin!

Christmas.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Murphy's law.

It's been pretty busy, but uneventful around these parts---that is until Murphy and his blasted law had to find it's way into what was going to be a pleasant Sunday. But we can get to that later. 

Here are a few snaps from the past few weeks:

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful! 

Baby boy helps to decorate the tree by touching all the bulbs and de-ornamenting it.  He'll learn....

King of the living room!

Enter in FIRST haircut!  Emotional for mama, but boy does my little man look handsome!

BEFORE!

 

 

Baby boy looks good in his Taxi.

Ready for the baby book!

 Such a dapper young man now--look he wants to give you a High-five!  Oh yeah, you're on his good side now!

Now, for our series of unfortunate events....well, I guess it's not that bad, but I definitely wish we could just jump forward a week and skip all the messy stuff we have to take care of.  First, while Curtis was on his way home last night from a friend's birthday get together at a local establishment, he got a flat tire and had to change it in the middle of the highway on ramp at 1:00 in the morning.  So now we are down to one car and sad to see that our wallets will be shrinking with the repairs we will have to make. 

Then while getting little man up this morning and looking at him, I instantly knew---he had yet again another yucky contagious illness (see HERE for our adventure with hand foot and mouth!) This time it was the dreaded pink eye! Ugh!  Poor boy has a pink and swollen eye and just looks pitiful.  So in my heart I am glad it is not a serious illness we have to worry about---just a very inconvenient one.  

So instead of going to church and our family Christmas get together with Curt's extended family, we are calling it a cozy-up, watch football and fart around kind of a day.  And that my friends, is sometimes the best antidote to our illnesses, woes and worries.

So, if you don't mind me, I have a cute boy waiting to be snuggled and a comfy couch that is calling our names!

Hope Murphy's law didn't find you this weekend!

On another note, I'm feeling the DIY itch now that things at work have been slowing down a bit--ahh, who am I kidding, they'll never slow down!  BUT, just wondered if anyone had any good DIY ideas they have tried or think would be cool.  Let me know! :)

Not enough hours in the day.

Ok, I have about 3.8 minutes to write a quickie update, so here it is fast and furious:

1.  Work is going great. Busy, like there are not enough hours in the day busy, but great!  I love what I do and I am so lucky that I was given this opportunity.  However, working between two schools ( 2 days at one, 1.5 at the other) is not at all glamorous or preferred and sometimes seems like a joke.  I am getting used to it though.  I only went to the wrong school once so far.  :)  I had my first observation by my principal last week and If I do say so myself--I rocked it!  She told me I did a great job and that I am better than a lot of first years she sees!  I am taking that compliment and running with it--- motivates me to keep on keepin' on and strive to be the best school counselor I can be given the circumstances I am in.

2. Everett.  This boy is my life.  He is so fun now and cracks me up.  If laughter is the best medicine, then spend an hour with my guy and surely you will be healed of your sorrows!  He is walking everywhere now and seldom takes a break to rest or sit down.  He is saying things like, "HI",  " Bah Bye", "Uh-Oh", "Doggie".  I love his little voice.  I want to capture it in a bottle and bring it to work with me. 

He started his first daycare experience when I started work a couple months ago.  The first few weeks were miserable.  First, having to leave him with strangers and walk away from my screaming child while he is saying, "mamamamamama".  Yeah that is just cruel torture.  He wouldn't eat, play, sleep, nothing! We debated what to do and if we should find another.  The daycare women are great and patient and caring---the kid just was not feeling it for the longest time.  Then, one day it just all fell into place and his days started getting better and better and now, well I wonder if he likes it more there than here!  He loves interacting with the other kiddos---especially the big ones!  I think it was harder on me than it was on him--but mama is glad it is no longer a problem!  It is hard enough having to leave him all day, but I am so glad I have Tuesdays off to have mommy/ Everett dates! Daycare Bonus: we only pay $35 a day!  Such a good deal if you ask me!

3.  I'm pregnant!

Ok, not really.  I just really wanted to put an exciting 3rd update because I like three. 

BUT someone else is that I know! :)

So, in a nutshell (where did that phrase even come from?) that is a little update of what has been going on and why I have been a bad blogger. (Sorry! And THANKS for those who actually read it!)  Seriously, who do I talk to about adding more hours to the day?!  There are blog posts  to be blogged, crafts to be crafted, dogs to be walked, cheeks to be kissed, fun to be had......


OH! I can't believe I forgot!  I went to the Civil Wars concert this week! Woo Hoo!  It was one of the most amazing musical experiences of my life!  Their opening Milo Greene was quite fantastic as well.  Good good show.


Hope to be updating more often and perhaps dusting off the old Etsy shop? Hmm, time will tell!

Halloween fun- Lumberjack Larsons!

Ok, my 3.8 minutes is up!

Bed and Breakfast Getaway!

Skipping rocks on baptism river of course!

Classy

Baptism River at the High Falls!

Our little...er HUGE B&B for the night!

What to do at a b&b? Why not smoke cigars!

We had a great little getaway and can't wait to get back there someday!

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

PIF Sunday

Challenge: Make something for someone. 

(Maybe it's a handmade gift...or a meal...or even just some copies for a co-worker.  Creativity in going the extra mile to do something yourself is meaningful and produces lots of warm fuzzies to be passed on!)

 

We've got ourselves a walker!

Everett has become quite the little walker in the past month.  His first couple of steps were right around his birthday (August 31st) and each day he seems to add a couple more.  Its completely normal to him now!  It is so exciting for us as parents to witness this new development and see how excited he gets when he walks around like a big boy.  Its also a little, teeny, tiny bit sad for mama because its a giant step into boyhood for him, and a giant one out of babyhood! Though he did let me cradle him the other day and fell asleep in my arms---I love little moments like that because they are becoming so few and far between.

Here is my proud little boy showing off his new walkin' legs!

DIY Saturday (because I can't wait until Wednesday)--Fall Yarn Wreath

 Festive Fall Yarn Wreath!

You will need:

Foam ring--any size (found in garden section at craft stores)

Yarn

Felt sheets

Scissors

Glue gun

Marker-optional

Push pins

(I apologize for the low quality pics--it was nighttime because I couldn't wait until morning to do this one!)

 

 Wrap that yarn ALL the way around your ring---pulling it tight and squishing it together all along the way!  This took me about an hour--so pop in a movie and wrap away!

Now for the decorating!  If you want to make little felt flowers, just cut a spiral like this--big or small.

 And wrap that spiral together again, now overlapping a bit so you are left with this!

Now you can add as many of those as you want in various sizes and colors.  I hot glued a dot to the end of the spiral so it would stay together and then used gold push pins to attach everything to the wreath--you could also just hot glue them to the wreath if you'd like.  I also added a few leaves for added 'fallness'.

I love my new wreath! :)

 

Like many things, my inspiration came from Pinterest.  Here were a few I liked:

 

This was fun and easy and I can't wait to make one for Christmas!  Also, I don't know if this is true of all Joann's right now, but the one I went to was having a great sale---ton's of stuff was 50% and 60% off this weekend!

Happy Crafting!

Celebrate Good Times! --C'mon!

We had a gooooooood time celebrating Nate and Kendra (brother and sister in law) and their beautiful wedding last weekend!  Everett was the honorary ring bearer.  And while he (and I!) missed most of the wedding due to his chitter chatter, it was so beautiful.  And the bride---my goodness, stunning!

Here are some snapshots of our day!

What a good time!

Thanks for getting married guys! :)