Christmas T time on Tuesday

Hello and welcome to T Time on Tuesday, how exciting that it's New Year's Eve today!! I'm so ready for a new year, hoping great things for everyone! My picture today was taken by Rich, he wanted you to know what a big breakfast I ate on Christmas Eve morning. I have been craving strawberry pancakes for weeks now and they were so good. I had to order hashbrowns and the biscuits and gravy sounded good too. I was quite happy with my meal and ate a good portion of it. Sometimes you just have to eat all you want, right!! We were out for breakfast with my dad's side of the family that morning, it's been a tradition since I was young. My grandparents got married on Christmas Eve and my grandpa liked doing this so we keep the tradition going! We take up a lot of tables but it's so fun.

 

How was your Christmas? Are you ready for the New Year? Any goals/resolutions? Would love to hear about them,  always fun to start the year off with big dreams I think. Today I'm going to share our Christmas eve and Christmas day pictures with you. We had the best days, couldn't have been better. It was so nice that my oldest is actually home now so having her home already and not rushing in a quick visit from her really made it more calm and peaceful. Are you ready for photo overload?

we woke up to snow, YAY it's a white Christmas!

Christmas eve night, driving to Rich's aunts house

I love the tree and the Santa

I loved seeing all these stockings, LOVE

the table was pretty and had yummy treats waiting for us

We played some pool in their awesome basement, sorry no one wanted pictures

back at home we read The Night Before Christmas and kids went to bed. I had to wrap 3 small things and put more under the tree and fill stockings, easiest Christmas Eve I've had in years. Then Rich and I went to bed and surprisingly I fell right to sleep, I still get excited the night before and stay awake.

Guess what little boy woke up early with me, Yep that's Sam every year. Poor boy had to sit and wait 21/2 hours for his sisters to get up before opening gifts. So funny he is and Lucky was quite happy with a comfy spot and a buddy to lay with. I did my advent reading and extra Christmas reading.

Now I will show you our morning, we had a great time and kids were happy and so sweet.

So loved watching all the kids, we will miss Kristin next year

This makes me happy, all of them at our table!

Rich made breakfast while I made Buffalo Chicken dip for us to snack on, YUMMY!

my gifts were... new phone, scissors, bowls, book and cutting board YAY!

Summer was happy with her Oreo's and gifts!

Look how pretty Summer is in her new top and curled hair. We were headed out to my mom's house for more fun. I'm going to end it here because the family needs me.

 

What are your plans for the big night, we are staying home with movies and yummy food. Will share them soon or next Tuesday along with the rest of my Christmas pictures!

Have a Happy and Safe New Year, looking forward to seeing all of you thru the new year.

Thank you for your visits and comments, love sharing our Tuesday's together.

Thank you Elizabeth for letting us share this day with you, always fun for me. HUGS!

 

MY OLW FOR 2014 AND OTHER PLANS

Hello!! How was your Christmas? Mine was wonderful and it even had a pretty sunrise and some snow, I love a white Christmas!!! I will be sharing my Christmas pictures with you next Tuesday for T Time. Be ready for a picture overload again, lots of good things to share.

 

Today I'm going to share my plans for 2014, can you believe another year has gone! The biggest plan that I do each year is choosing a OLW (one little word) this year most of you know I chose the word STORY and had PEACE thrown in with it. I did enjoy the STORY part but wish I had done more with PEACE. I may still revisit it and see what comes from it then. Most years I do choose 2 words, this is usually because I can't choose just one and because I like to have one of them be mine and the other towards the family. This year I've got only one word and I'm thrilled with it. I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear what it is, although I was a little surprised and mostly surprised at how easily it just popped into my head one night while reading the bible. Right after that day the word popped up in different ways which proved that it was the word for me. Are you ready to find out...

My OLW is PRAY!!! Are you surprised? Here in this book was my first clue that this was the word for me. I found this One Perfect Word book at the library quite by accident and had to read it and reread it, I love it so much. The book is by Debbie Macomber and she has been choosing a word since the 80's, isn't that awesome. She shared 14 of them here in the book. She had another past word of mine in there too. I found this book two days after the word PRAY popped into my head while reading the bible. When I opened this book and found the word Prayer in it, I could feel it in my heart and even had tingles just from reading this. My word has never felt so strong before. Then something else happened to prove my word was right for me this year.

see that little blue KEEP CALM AND PRAY ON journal. That was my next clue and really proved that God was choosing this word for me and wanted me to know it. I had seen this journal at Wal-Mart and wanted it since I had just found out that PRAY would be my word. Well, I have the rule of no buying for ourselves right before Christmas unless it's a "needed" item. This wasn't a need but a REALLLLLLY WANT IT so I would put it in the cart while I shopped just so I could see it and pretend like it was mine. Each time I put it back on the shelf, even though by now there was only this one left. I had done this 3x ,  crazy I know. That last time though, I put it on the shelf and said please be here when I come back after Christmas. Well, we had our Secret Pal dinner at Church that week and guess what one of my presents was??!!! YES YES YES!! I didn't even unwrap it all the way and saw the color and knew it had to be my journal!! OMG I was so excited, the ladies thought I was nuts and so I told them the story. See how God made sure I got the journal, think he wanted me to receive it as a gift and not just a purchase made by me. This journal is even more important to me now.

 

So that takes care of the 2 books on top and the bottom two I found just recently. I was shopping for Kristin at the bookstore and saw this Prayer Warrior book, uuummm that could be me I thought. What a great idea for what I want to do with my word, took a picture of it and sent it to Kristin as a hint to buy me for Christmas and she did, YAY!! I love it already. The other book isn't about praying but about how reading the bible in a year can change your life. I had planned on doing this so was happy to see it at Ollie's and snatched it up. I think this will be the year I read a lot too, lol.

Remember this, my art/prayer journal I started in November, this is why I shouldn't be surprised at my OLW for next year. I loved this journal and will be doing more in it but I think a different way. My prayers will be listed in my new blue journal and this one will be just for art and verses I want to remember. Excited to be back in this journal again, will share pages as I go along.

 

I also signed up for Ali Edward's OLW class as I do each year. Hoping the prompts keep me focused and motivated to keep my word in the front and center this year. I tend to little it fade away thru the year. This year feels different already with how my word came to me, so this will help I think.

 

My other plans are as follow, just a list for now and more details to come in the new year.

 

Project Life... you know this is my favorite, already got the album and am soooo READY

 

Draw your life class, this is a new one that came out in the fall but I had to wait

 

365 collages this year with iHanna, she is the one I did the postcard swap with

 

Mail Art, I want to do more of these since the postcards were fun

 

this isn't a class but I want to write more, maybe a pen-pal kinda thing

 

organize my space better and make it pretty

 

taking a class from Julie Balzar, it's been too long and I LOVE HER classes

 

taking a class from Alisa Burke, maybe her nature one or watercolor one

 

finishing up and doing more with my classes from this year

 

a free document planner workshop I just found out about

 

I think that's it for now, sounds like a lot but will be spread thru the next 6 months till the kids are home for summer. I love having a plans list, love the fresh start of a new year and hope to finish all these and enjoy them. Will keep you posted as we move into the new year though.

 

How about you, let me know any plans or goals or if you want to join me in the OLW for the year. Would love to have others joining me, it's always more fun with friends by your side.

 

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it. Are you ready for 2014? I am very ready!!

Have a great weekend and will see you next week for T Time, no mandala this week.

Mandala Monday and T time and Christmas house tour

HELLO!! HELLO!!! Wow, I've missed blogging and missed you!! How are you? I'm doing good, had a nice quiet week and got ready for Christmas, it's the most ready I've been in years. YAY!!

As you can see above it SNOWED and SNOWED for 5 days, Sam was very happy! He started his fort and had helpers each day working on it. Look at little Colt in there and of course Sienna loves the snow too. Fast forward to this weekend and it's been raining heavily and flooding and muddy, yuck!

 

I have a full post for you today, sorry to be gone so long,  I needed the break and know you understand. Promise to back in full blogging after the holidays. For today I have my mandala to share and a T time post which includes sharing my trees and decorations with you. Posting it all early while I have time and can squeeze in all the fun into one post, YAY!!! Are you ready....

here is my first warm up mandala, it's been too long and I loved making one again. Dawn, I can't thank you enough for inspiring me to do these,  so much fun! I have another one for you...

Look how pretty and festive and Christmasy this is, so fun making a Christmas one! I admit to wanting to leave this one on the table, kept looking at it and feeling happy each time!! I love to that it's all the mini goodies for this one, I love mini anything. Not sure what I will have next time.

Hoping I can keep these up during the cold months, have a couple ideas to try, wish me luck.

 

My T Time on Tuesday post is next! Elizabeth come then if you'd like and be surprised :)

Look what we had on a cold snowy night, root beer floats!! Finally, I got to have one, have been craving them for like a month now. It was so good, Rich and I had them again 2 nights later, YUM!

 

We have been busy and lazy around here, the day's have been cloudy and dark which makes taking pictures hard. Finally the sun came out and I got some pictures around the house to share.

Starting in the living room and my banner wall which I shared a few weeks ago. Now that the tree is there and my blanket/snowman on the couch I love it and it feels cozy and just right. I love my tree more each day, so happy we bought a real one this year, I didn't realize how much I missed them. Seriously might keep this tree up till it falls over, lol. This year I put a few presents under it just to look more festive and fun. The kids are happy about that, I only put the extended family ones there.

Here are the stockings, we have no mantel so on the closet they go. I bought these years ago not thinking how hard it would be to fill these huge stockings, uuuugggg. Lesson learned but they are so soft and the kids love them and that's what matters too. I must say too stockings are mine and the girls favorite thing, I get it from my mom I think. The girls love looking in theirs and go real slow and enjoy each little thing I put in there. Sadly, the last couple years it's not been much. I never know what to put in Sam's, what do you give a boy?? When he was little it was Pokémon cards and matchbox cars, this year I have a toothbrush and chocolate, lol. Rich is easy though, he loves it all!

My wreath wall, love that I did this. The white one on the right is new. I used yarn and embroidery hoop for this one. Will do this next year too and add more homemade ones to it. On the table are glitter cone trees Rich made for me 3 years ago, love them. I change this table up each year.

Here are my holiday singers and dancers!! LOVE THEM!

moving into the kitchen, I bought a tablecloth, first time ever!

Look how clean my table is, only my bible and Christmas cards are on it, YAY!! I kinda like it this clean and everyone loves the tablecloth, might have to keep doing this. In the middle of the table you can see two more trees, Elizabeth, I told you trees are my favorite too. In the middle is a vase with ornaments in it, this is such an easy way to decorate and use all colors/sizes of ornaments. Click to see better. Now for the other side of the table....

On this side is the card Susan sent me, love to keep it close by! Thanks again Susan!

Then I have a little candle and mini snow globe. I switch things up on this table every year too. I have to say nothing is the same each year, some years I take out everything and others I just get a few out. This year is just a few things, easy to clean up and simple and cozy I think.

On my stand is a few favorites, my art from Susan. The little holiday cans were gifts from my sister last year. The middle shelf has holiday pictures and beaded garland in a jar, simple and pretty. The bottom is SUBWAY ART offered free years ago from Becky Higgins I think?? The big Santa cookie jar, I have about 5/6 but only took this one out. He's so cute! Usually I have fake snow cloths on these shelves and lots of decorations. I like this and don't like this but leaving it just as it is. NO STRESS!

this is my little ledge above the sink, the one thing I do take out each year is the picture on the right. It was a gift from Kristin in 4th grade, love it and need it where I can see it daily. Click to see better.

This is how the ledge looked at first, couldn't decide what to do. I love and always have my ornaments hanging above the ledge though, during the year I change what's up there.

here is the top of my computer stand. very simple, usually I put my village up here. The snow globe is from Renee when she was about 8 and told Rich to buy it for me. I do put this out each year.

My nativity is on the tv stand, each year it's somewhere different.

here is a favorite too, this is Sam at 5 and Ryan at almost 2.

I again filled jars with ornaments, it's so easy to do.

 

Hope you enjoyed the tour ! I like that it's pretty simple this year, will be easy to clean up too.

 

Here is a peek at what else has been going on....

soup buffet and Live Nativity at our church, love that we do this

the kids Christmas program at church, so cute!

Rich and kids made these cuties today!! Sam's is the one that crashed, sad face here.

 

Did you hang in there for this looooong post. Sorry to photo overload, that's what happens when you take a computer break. Remind me not to do that again, too much at one time to share. Thank you if you hung in there till the end!! Hope you are all enjoying the season as I am.

Thank you Elizabeth for sharing your Tuesday's with us, love seeing what everyone's up too.

 

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone and thank you for your visits and comments, they make my day and inspire me to keep sharing. Will be back after Christmas to share again and hope to have some PL to share too. The pages are done but no pictures of them yet. I also bought my 2014 album.

 

Nancy, it was good to see you today!! Will be at the same place as you each day at 6am this week!

Around here..... so thankful

Hello!! Look at this adorable snow scene, isn't it perfect! My dear online friend Susan surprised me with this in the mail. I couldn't believe it, sooooo cute and sooooo me!! I can never have enough snowmen or trees really and now I'm even loving wreaths. Thank you SO MUCH SUSAN!!!

 

My heart is overfilled with gratitude and joy and bursting to get out so that means it's time to blog/write from the heart and share what's going on around here. I hope you get this bursting feeling sometimes, I tell Rich all the time I hope others feel it too, it's amazing and such a blessing.

Look at that, a sunrise!! It's been weeks I tell you, asked God not to wait so long next time, I can't stand waiting this long between them. This totally made my day!!! LOOOOVE!!!

See that little bit of pink, that was the sunset that night. So tiny but I saw it and was thankful even if it is a tiny one. Hoping to see more of these, it's been too long.

My dad took everyone out for dinner this past Tuesday! I love that he can do this and we enjoy it so much. We take up lots of space but it's so fun and good for the kids. Thankful for this so much!

Thankful for these two sweet ones! For Sienna's excitement over Christmas at church, home, school and here. She sings Christmas songs all day and I love it. They were thankful for the pancakes I had for them today, it's been a long time and much wanted. Thankful for Colt and his words, talking so good and his tower making and car loving playing. So thankful I am lucky to be their babysitter.

For Sienna's LOVE for color and creative time and anything art. May she PLEASE PLEASE keep that positive and love for creating even if it's imperfect. Let her carry art in her heart forever and always. I love how she thinks and how she creates, inspires me to find my inner child. As you can see she likes to organize by color, yep she is a keeper and so loved!

Thankful for the rare times he reads, this makes my heart burst but sshhh I can't tell him how happy. We continued reading into bedtime together, it's the simple things!!

Summer and I decorated the tree last night, it's so pretty!! I told Rich I want to leave it up thru January and he said that sounded good. Just want to sit by the tree all day and night, sigh.

She is loving the tree just as much as me, always sitting there reading and just enjoying!

We sit by the tree and read our daily bread books together too, see the magic a tree can bring

 

here a few others without pictures

 

Renee has been cooking now in Life Skills and LOOOVES IT!!

 

My Project Life is not caught up, sad face here

 

I just bought my cards, way behind on this

 

Watched Season Finale of Grey's last night, OMG OMG!

 

It's VERY COLD this week, not much snow but COLD

 

Excited for our Live Nativity Scene at church tonight

 

Praying and praying for the families at Sandy Hook, tomorrow makes it one year since the tragedy at their school. A whole year without their babies and loved ones. Please pray for them too. Thank you!

 

Keeping my kitchen table cleaned off, means no creating but that's ok

 

Dreaming of 2014, so excited and ready for the new year.

 

That's it for us, how is your week going? Are you ready for Christmas? Not me, barely started but hoping to be done by next week so I can just relax and be lazy with the kids.

Have a great weekend and thanks for coming by! HUGS!!