Wow- How about some holidays!?!

Well, when I started this blog I had great plans... and some of them have worked.. just not actually ON the blog!! : )

The main purpose was to help myself be aware of the good stuff... and there has been so much of it lately, I have really just not had time to come on here and talk about it!

I have done so many fun projects and had so much joy that I couldn't even write about it...

I wanted to tell people about all the cool crafts and have nice pictures... but instead I just enjoyed them myself...so sorry for going away, but I'm trying to come back...and I did take pictures...so maybe I'll put some of them up at a later date.. time will tell!! : )

Our Christmas was great! We had a good holiday around here... we just took down our tree tonight. We had it for over a month. I loved that tree and I was a little sentimental about taking it outside... but tomorrow is recycle day and our tree is getting recycled..so it's all good!

The best part about not having the tree is having a lot more space to play... which around our casa es muy importante!

The holidays are always busy...

We have Al's mom, Donna, over Christmas Eve for dinner, which this year was an apple,/cranberry/cornbread stuffed pork loin(which the hubby made by himself while I was finishing gifts!!... way to go AL, it was awesome!!), veggies and mashed potatoes and gift exchange.



Then we have our own christmas morning here at the house.




and THEN we go to my sister's for the afternoon and dinner.


this is a picture of the girls before we left for Auntie Suzie's house... looking sweet... of course!









a picture of the hubby and Yazzle Dazzle... ok his name is Yaz... I just like to add name flair! ; )


Sophia opening some jammies!









Roscoe playing peek-a-boo .. his very favorite game!

This is a picture of the kids just hanging out and coloring.... and the baskets that my sister got from us with all my handmade jellies, plus another one with cookies, crackers, cream cheese, pumpkin bread, and a pomander! : )


PLUS this year my mom who lives out in the desert across the country, decided to visit the day after Christmas!



My mom and my sister, and her daughter Josie at dinner.




I caught Chet smiling... he hates picture taking.. but I got him!! : )















We had them over to dinner at our house... luckily, Emily was staying out with my sister because as you can see we have a very weeny table! I like to think of it as cozy... : )
oh, Al made Chicken Broccoli Alfredo..YUM!!!

















some loving before we headed home, from my sister's...

It was so very nice to see them(my mom and step-dad)... it added to the stress, but it was totally worth it! She had never met our son.. it had been 3 years since we had physically seen each other. We see each other in pictures and email and phone conversations... but, of course, it isn't the same. Now, truth be told, when I moved away it took a little while to really wish we were closer... but as we get older I think we relate to our parents more and more.... at least that has been my experience. I can see how some of the things she needed to do for herself, were just that, not malicious things against me, but selfish(even neccesary selfish acts) , and we are afterall just human! Now, I think that my mom is pretty cool... and wouldn't mind seeing her a lot more often. It did take over 2000 miles and about 8 years to feel it this much though!! : )

Two incredibly cool things happened during my mom's visit.
1) My mom told me I turned out alright.
2) I had an epiphany about love.

Now some of you might not get how big of a deal it was for my mom to tell me I was cool... but the short story is... we struggled a lot to come to terms with each other's personalities for a long time. We had rough teenage years, which turned into an interesting relationship when I became a mother at 20.... and which now after time, talking, and growth (on both of our parts) has become a mutual respect for each other. I have always loved my mom... but I actually like her a lot now...and that's a great feeling! It was especially nice to hear her say the same to me... in a crowded room with everyone around and no one, maybe not even my mom, realized what a big deal it was when she looked me in the eye and said "I don't know, kid... I think you turned out ok... you turned out pretty damn good if you ask me.." i actually got misty over it. Ok I had had a beer, but honestly that's pretty flipping nice coming from my mom! : ) It's funny it actually reminds me of when the farmer says to Babe..."that'll do pig... that'll do..." there's just more meaning when people don't say as much sometimes...(did I totally date myself with that movie?)

and on to the second thing... not the first time I have thought this, but it hit me incredibly hard during her visit.
LOVE- the down low on love is simply this...it makes people better when it is right. My love for my husband has, at times been hard, at times been euphoric, and has by far changed me more than any other love in my life. That's saying a lot because I have been a mother for almost 14 years now...and the love that I feel for my children is unexplainable(except to other parents)... but the love for my kids is an extension of myself... the love that I have for my husband intertwines me with him... in a completely different way. I can't explain really what I mean, but as much as sometimes I want to throttle him ( oh yeah, there are definitely days) I honestly can't imagine my life with out him. I could do it... but I wouldn't want to.

I think that my stepdad and mom have the same thing. He has mellowed her in a way that I never thought possible. He is to her what my man is to me... and it's a beautiful thing. I never got to know him well. I wasn't around when they met, already on own, but I always thought he was good for her. Seeing them together was just nice because they compliment each other so well.

I guess I just realized that I love him too... for loving my mom the way he does... she's a bit of a handful that woman!

man... I think things got away from me!
I meant to just come on and say a few words, but now three days and nights and many pictures later... here we are!
...the point was just to get back started on blogging again...
I guess that's why I do this.. I have a big mouth!! :)

I have A LOT of craft-tasticness to share with you all. I'm not sure when I will have time to put them all up, but I will be on again soon. Now that the holidays are settling down, I will have more time again! (I hope!)

Did I mention that it was also my birthday?..... on New Year's Eve?
oh yeah, and that I actually won Pam's Give-Away!
...beautiful scarf, right?




















For my birthday I went out with my hubby... and we had a blast!





I actually BEAT him at darts(that HAS NEVER HAPPENED!!) We went out the night before to avoid the crowds, because I am getting old : ), and also because I am selfish and like my birthday to be about me and not the entire world starting a brand new year!(I know I'm needy like that!!)




The second picture is at the site of our very first kiss...long story, I'm sure I'll tell someday, but we were not dating, and didn't date for another 6 months, but I for one walked away from it thinking about him in a special way from there on out... and I get a little sentimental about that first kiss. I was dating someone else(that I actually really cared for) at the time...and had never done anything like that before (kissing someone when dating someone else)... I cried the rest of the night, because I felt so bad...AND because I felt that kiss from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes...and wasn't sure what to do with the situation...
well, it turned out ok in the end, we'll be having our 5th anniversary next month... it just took a little while for the right things to happen. But I still maintain that I knew from that first kiss. The hairs on my neck still stand up when I think about it! : )
Ah, love...and the things we'l do for it!!

My birthday being on New Year's Eve has always put a lot of pressure on the day for me... it's just a little heavy to have two significant times be on the same day. The new year is my new year, no second chances... this is it.
Sometimes, I get sad about my birthday, and getting older, but for some reason this year I can say...
I'M THIRY-FOUR AND OWNING IT!!!!
as you can tell by this late night photo...yeah, that's right I AM a delicate flower... what?!?



I hope that everyone had a fabulous holiday season, and has the same feeling of good things acomin' in the new year!!


Tonight I am thankful for family.
I am thankful for the opportunity to get a little closer to my parents.
I am thankful that I kicked Al's butt in darts!! : )
I am thankful that we truly enjoyed the holidays this year!
I am thankful that I turned 34 and not only wasn't sad about it, but ROCKED IT OUT!!
I am thankful that I finally got this post done!
(so what if it's three days later, right?)