Catching Up

This week between Christmas and New Year always seems like a week of catching up. Catching up on the normal everyday part of life. Last week was so busy, and some things kind of fall to the wayside in order to wrap, bake, prepare for parties, etc… It’s not only catch up at home, but also at work. It’s year end time and for someone who runs all the “books” at work – that means making sure everything is in order by year end! I am also trying to catch up on my scrapbooking. I have only done about 4 LO’s total in the month of December – which for me is not very many! And of course the photos keep piling up because I take my camera to all of the Christmas festivities! So lots of catching up.

The kids and hubby are home all week too, so trying to spend lots of time with them as well!!! Tomorrow we are going to hit the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie – I think the girls will love it, because they love the first one! I always love a good theater movie as well, since we maybe go to the theater about 3 times a year!

Here are a few of the LO’s I have not shared yet – a few of them from late in November.

OK – off to get ready for 2010 – crazy that we are like 4 days away from 2010. I remember like it was yesterday ringing in 2000 – The Millennium! Happy New Year if I don’t get a chance to pop in here before that!

MandaKay

It’s Christmas Eve Day

I am so excited for the next two days! Last night I was reading the girls “Twas The Night Before Christmas”, and they had so many fun questions. I don’t like to play up the Santa thing too much, and we are pretty honest about how we answer things, but it is so fun to see the amazement and the excitement in their eyes! We read just as much and talk more about Jesus’ birth and the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

The girls were in a Christmas pageant last Sunday and they did great! They were darling. Selah was my little outgoing singer! Braelyn was a little more shy and reserved, but she still sang her little heart out for Jesus. She has a more nervous sense about her. Gracyn wanted every bit to be a part of it too, so I kind of let her stand there with the girls for a bit. I figured it couldn’t hurt!

We’ve done so much since I last wrote that I can’t possibly include all the pictures or write about all the fun stuff we’ve done lately. I did post a Dec. album in facebook with some of the fun stuff!

Today I get to go with hubby to run some errands and have lunch – his mom just called to see if we wanted to go out without kids and we gladly accepted! Thanks Mom H! We just have a few things to pick up – placemats I made digitally for the girls at Staples, bank, and who knows what else. For sure lunch and I have been craving Red Robin so I think we’ll hit that!

Tonight is party at my mom’s house with my family. Tomorrow morning is breakfast at Kyle’s parents after we do our Christmas morning stuff here. Then later we usually hit a movie with Kyle’s parents while my parents have the girls for naps!!! I am such a blessed person!

Merry Christmas to you all – I hope you enjoy your families and remember the REAL reason for the season!

A week's gone by...

and it's December already. Guess I better work on getting my blog stuff changed, huh?! Pumpkins are only good thru thanksgiving I suppose. Oh well. I can't believe we've gotten away with such nice weather right up to December 3! Seems like we always have had a good snowfall around Thanksgiving or sometime in November! I know they say it's coming tonight or tomorrow, but I am thankful that it has held off until now! Maybe just maybe it will make this winter seem a little shorter! A girl can hope! Can you tell I despise snow?! Why do I live in Michigan, you might ask, well I LOVE our spring, summer, and fall - that is why!

It's been kind of a busy week - felt like I haven't been home hardly at all! Monday and Tuesday nights we went to parades - christmas parade and parade of lights! The kids enjoyed those for sure! Last night was church night, which was fun! My group of kids got to make their own snack - mini bagel pizzas, and then they had so much fun making a little present for their parents! It was so fun to watch them all work so hard on them and have fun crafting! Glitter glue was a hit with them! Tonight is a little more laid back with just a few haircuts at home, and tomorrow is low key as well! We have been having dinner though every night as a family around our table still, which is really important to me! Love, after a busy day, sitting down to a meal together and finding out what everyone did that day! This weekend is our last "non-crazy" weekend before all the holiday weekends begin, so I think we will try to enjoy it! Going out on Sat. night with some friends while the kids have a sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma's! Thanks you guys! I so love living close to our parents and family - I definitely don't take that for granted and I love the kids getting to have the same type of moments/memories that I had with my family and grandparents growing up!

I have really fallen off the dieting/ exercise bandwagon this last part of this year, and it is really catching up with me. Last year on Dec. 13 I had started working out really well - doing Jillian's 30 -Day Shred workout and mixing it with elliptical and stuff. I also ate pretty good - drank water, just was all around more concious about health. I somewhat did it in preparation for the trip we took in January, but I wanted to really keep up with it. I had chose a word for me for 2009 and it was MOVE. The word had two meaning for me - the first was to make a concious MOVE towards Christ, and the 2nd was to MOVE as in excersice. I did so well for a while. Then I slacked. I have been thinking about why I fell off the bandwagon. There are a few reasons, and a few of them I am not sure how to remedy. Although I will always have excuses I guess. One reason is that in late February I got a promotion at work which meant I was going to work one whole extra day more than I was previously. That is when a slight decline in working out happened. I was still trying to eat well though. Thru the summer though I still had 2 days home when I didn't have to run kids here and there to preschool and stuff, so in the summer I tried to workout at least on those two day during the week and then on weekends when I could! Well end of August came around and now on my two days off I am getting kids off to schools, gymnastics, etc.... I feel like there is really no time. By the end of the day I want to just sit on the couch, watch t.v., and scrap. Of course sometime in all that busyness I have to keep the house up as well and provide dinners. I guess that is pretty normals, eh?! Anyway, so there is my story about why I have fallen off the bandwagon. All excuses really, but in all honesty I worked out everyday of this long weekend we had because Ididn't have to rush off to work or anything, so I could just get up, workout, and then shower for the day after that. I would have to get up at 6:15am in order to workout before leaving the house during the week, and I am just not commited enough to do that - not that much of a morning person. 7:00 I can do, but 6:15 is too early for me. All in all I need to remedy this somehow because I have definitely gained weight in the last 6 months and it is frustrating me lately. OK - enough dieting stuff - it really is no fun to talk about, is it?!

No new LO's to share - the December BYOC (Build your Own Collab) is going live at the Lilypad tomorrow, so I have a LO from that, but will have to share it later! :)

Oh wait, I lie - I found a few I haven't posted here yet! Lucky you! Hehehehehe!

Here is the advent calendar I made that we are doing with the girls:

One with the collab of Kate Hadfield and Shabby Miss Jenn:

And then one I did the December Journaling Challenge at The-Lilypad:

If you are ever needing inspiration on what to scrap or are just not sure what you want to scrap you should check out the challenges at The-Lilypad forums - they are great! I tend to get my LO scrapped much quicker when I have a springboard to start from!

OK - have a great rest of your week and weekend everyone!

Thanks for listening to me blab my mouth again!

Signing out,

MandaKay