Christmas Wrapup... or is it Unwrap?

So I didn't take photos of presents being opened or anything partly because Christmas just felt weird and I wasn't in the mood and also because I don't care who you are, photos of my niece and nephews just come out a blur when they're unwrapping presents.  Seriously the youngest didn't even stop to see what he had opened and didn't even completely unwrap half of them.  Honestly I think the lil guy just likes tearing things apart, haha. (only half joking here)

So we had to wrap Kandess' in a vacuum cleaner box because it was too awkward to wrap as an irregular shaped gift without getting holes galore poked into it (we have a dog & cat that love to rough-house remember) so first she looked at it after we said it was her's and she goes no it's not, it's a different name.

Aunt Cat can't write anything in print.  Even if I try I end up with cursive at the end.  >.<  So we had to explain it was cursive and still her name, lol.  Then when she finally got to open it she ripped it open and went "this is somebody else's, it's a vacuum".  LOL.  Poor girl got disappointed twice.  She seemed very happy with the tea set when she finally got to it though so it was a win after all.  :P

The boys were pretty darn impressed with the Cars cars we got that changed color with water.  As in there was much squealing, laughing and "no my turn!!"s that could be heard from the bathroom as Uncle Cody tried to make sure they didn't flood the bathroom, hahaha. 

I think the best part though was when Cody's Grandfather came in with some clock he couldn't get set.  I still can't believe this one.  See Cody's grandparents don't even cuss, plus there's always that element of not believing your parents or grandparents ever did what we all know you have to do to even have kids or even that they thought of it.  So Cody's grandmother got his grandfather this clock and it was...


wait for it...


A girl in a bikini that dances around the pole when the alarm goes off.

O.o

What I love was none of us could believe she bought it for him and were even more flabbergasted with how proud she was of this thing!! XDD  It was absolutely hilarious.

Overall Christmas was great and it was awesome to get to spend some time with our families.  I got Eclipse and Despicable Me, a jewelry cabinet (I have WAY too many necklaces) as well as PEZ for me and the wee one, lmao.  The wee one also got gifts- I'll try to post some pictures later, the onesies were pretty cute.  In fact I've already gotten quite a bit of baby stuff and Okaasan and the in-laws are trying to work out what to get us since we got a crib lined up already thanks to Cody's boss.

And as I type that I remember how lucky we are to have so many people that are so awesome in our lives.  Which puts today into perspective.  For those who are like wtf are you talking about:  Ichigo wouldn't start this morning (and it's the radio that I've fought so hard about keeping that seems to be causing the battery drain- oh hai irony) and so then I was late and all sorts of little other stuff. 

But you know what?  Cody can fix the car, being late wasn't that big of a deal to anyone but me to be truthful and by tomorrow this will all be in the past and likely forgotten forever, especially after I catch a nap today, lol.

So I'm thinking about starting a family blog... but I'm just not sure.  See I talk about things here I wouldn't exactly share with some of my family, like choice in holidays (they're not aware of the religion change. Or things like that I think Felicia Day is freaking hot for that matter) and I'm afraid to bore to death what readers I do have with baby stuff.  Plus maybe it would be a good way to keep the family up to date with, well, the family.  What do you guys think?  I'd still try to my MWF blogging here and over there it would probably be a weekly or so thing... Hmmm....

Well anyway I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/Yule/Hanukkah/Kwanza etc. and now I'm off to start compiling my Year in Review for 2010 and HOPEFULLY get it posted on Friday.  You know before the year ends, lol.

Wishing Everyone a Blessed Yule

So did you see the lunar eclipse last night?  I thought it was a really cool event for being Yule, since this is about welcoming the sun back (It's the longest night of the year and from now on the days will start getting longer, which I'm not exactly a fan of but I do love me some Yule festivities, especially of the celestial kind).  I tried to stay up and nearly made it to full on eclipse but was in serious need of some sleep.

So what are you doing/did do to celebrate?  Did you ring bells to greet the Solstice morning?  Or perhaps you decorated your Yule tree or Yule log instead.  Or maybe you sat down with the kids and cleaned your closets to take donations to your local shelter or did a little shopping with them for non-perishables to donate to the food bank.

Or maybe you went about your business like it was any other day, unaware today was any different than any other Tuesday before Christmas.  ;)  Or even better maybe you started this post & realized today really does sound like a good day to donate to someone a little less fortunate in honor of whatever holiday spirit you claim.  ^w^

I think I'm more excited about the Yules to come than anything.  Why?  Because they will include making ornaments and other decorations with the kids (well when they're old enough which will obviously not be next year) and doing things like donating to shelters and food banks and such as well.  I've also decided that we'll have a second tree, a Yule tree to put up on Yule (shhh don't tell Cody as this means buying another to be our Christmas tree) where we'll have all our homemade ornaments, which is currently our only tree.  Which Cody laughs at, the jerk. (Kidding, you know I love you baby)

Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays now but... well, I'm ready for kids and let's just say like May seems AGES away right now.  I know it will be here before I know it but ugh.  

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a Yule post becomes me talking about being pregnant.  Lol.  Stay tuned because I can guarantee you it won't be the last time. ^w^;

Now I leave you with some other activities, mostly decorations to make other than the activities I listed above and I hope maybe you'll find some of it fun and give it a go either yourself or with your kids (don't have kids?  Borrow some, lol.  Nieces & nephews are great, plus you can feed them sugar while you make said decorations and send them home with Mom & Dad *evil grin*  My bro-in-law & his wife should really be glad we live 3 hours away, hahaha!).  ^w^ 

Cup O' Sunshine Materials:
Terra-Cotta Pot, Paints and Paintbrushes, Styrofoam Block, String, Scissors, 1 yd 2" wide Green Ribbon, Yellow, Red, and Orange Lollipops and Sugar Sticks, Jelly Beans.

Clean terra-cotta pot if necessary. Allow to dry. Paint outside and down to first lip of inside with a bright solid color. After this base coat dries, decorate with other colors. When completely dry, place a block of styrofoam in the bottom of the pot. Cut green leaves out of the ribbon and tie to lollipops with string. Push the lollipop sticks into the styrofoam block to anchor them. Add the sugar sticks and fill rest of pot with loose jellybeans. (Explain to children that during the dark part of the year, sometimes we need to make our own sunshine. Let them know that bright colored gardens and flowers will be back in the spring, and this little pot of sunshine will cheer up a sick friend or relative.) 

Dough Art Decorations Materials:
4 cups flour, 2 cups water, 1 cup salt, Cookie Cutters, Wire Ornament Hangers, Acrylic Paints.

Combine flour, salt, and water in a large bowl. Dough should kneed easily but not be sticky, if so, add more flour. On a flat surface, lay down some waxed paper. Take a handful of the dough and roll out with a rolling pin. Cut dough into shapes with the cookie cutters. Make a hole in top of "cookie" for wire hanger. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and put in oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until *slightly* brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool thoroughly. Paint with acrylic paints. Allow to dry, place hanger in hole and adorn tree, packages, or hang in windows. (Allow children to make-up Yule stories to go along with each decoration they are making.) 

Bake a Yule Log Cake

 There are several recipes and as of yet I haven't tried any (may give one a go this evening though) but there are two on this site, which also has some more info about Yule logs, that you may like and if you have one you've tested and know to be amazing let me know and I'll post it up here too! :D

Yule Fire Spell

On the darkest night of the year, gather together three dried leaves of holly and pulverize them into powder. On a clean, four-inch by four-inch piece of paper, write a single word in red ink that represents what quality you would like to be born within yourself along with the newborn Yule Sun.

Sprinkle the holly powder into the center of the paper and twist the whole thing closed with the holly powder inside. Light the wick of a red candle, and from this flame, light the holly- filled paper on fire. As it burns, see your wish fulfilled.

And I understand this kind of stuff isn't for anyone but I believe that understanding is one of the greatest gifts we are given and being open helps us all realize that we're really not that different.  ^w^

Have a Blessed Yule everyone!!!

Lady A has made me break my own rules!

For those who don't know, I love country music and my absolute favorite country band is Lady Antebellum. They have one album and a new single off of an upcoming album called Need You Now which I have been obsessed with since it came out, which if you follow me on Twitter I'm sure you're aware of, lol. Now they've released their version of Baby It's Cold Outside which is nothing less than amazing, which is the usual for them.

Now as to the rule they made me break. I have a rule about not listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. I just feel like to do so is to gloss over the wonderfulness that is Thanksgiving. Odd I know but you can bet the day after Thanksgiving the Christmas music comes out while we put up the Christmas decorations. :D In my defense though this song in no way mentions Christmas so I'm maintaining that I'm, merely bending my little rule because it is thought of as Christmas music, lol.

So I wanted to share the song with you if you haven't heard it. Here they are singing it last Christmas Eve on the Today Show. My favorite part is when Charles sings "gosh, your lips look delicious". It makes my heart melt EVERY time.



Oh Charles... the things I would do given the chance you sexy, sexy man. Yeah I met him once, and it was probably the closest I've ever come to fainting. It was amazing and I didn't want to wash my hand afterwards. (I kid, I kid) He is even more hot in person and he rendered me silly after he winked at me. Yeah, I'm sure he winked at every girl that came through the line but in any event it. was. AWESOME.

In fact, here is a photo I took from said concert that I met him at in Greeley, CO at the Stampede.



Hotness monster! ;) Okay... I'm done. For now. ^w~

Thanksgiving!

So I'm super excited about Thanksgiving. I wasn't but I am now. My Mommy is going to come up and spend Thanksgiving day with us (I have to work but only a 4 hour shift) so we're going to make the whole dinner, which should be interesting in Cody & I's tiny ass kitchen. Seriously I've seen bigger closets.

I am also happy that I will actually get to enjoy the holidays this year too. The last two years I worked at JC Penney's and they started playing Christmas music the day after Halloween which is just too damn early, plus all the commercialization which I just couldn't handle. YAY! For some reason the approach of the holidays is making me feel all house-wifey too, lol. I just wish I had the money to buy stuff to make more decorations, particularly a wreath for the door. No, not buy a wreath, buy the materials to MAKE a wreath! To hell with some crappy walmart overpriced wreath that has no meaning to me or my family. (whoa... uhhh, getting off of my soapbox now...) I'm also going to make (or rather attempt to make from scratch) pumpkin pie and rolls for Thanksgiving, which is a little scary as I'm not good at that kind of stuff, lol. Cody's happy though, it's one less thing he has to cook! Hahaha! He does most of the cooking, mostly because I hate to because I worked in a restaurant all of high school and a few years after, blech. I'm getting back to liking it though, just don't tell him that, lol. ^w~ Actually though, if it weren't for school and all this homework I would likely cook much more often so he will probably see more meals from me come graduation, or at least after Spring semester. :D

I'm also excited that Mom will be there til afternoon the day after Thanksgiving too so we can put up Christmas decorations. It's a tradition that I love! Snacking on Turkey sandwiches and decking out the house with decorations I've had since I was a kid (even ones I made as a kids). Plus there's always picking out a new ornament for Cody and I and another for the furkids.

Anyway, I suppose I should get back to doing something productive, like studying for my Nihingo exam, which I almost forgot to do. Oops!