our gingerbread house

This was an eventful morning!

Caleb was more into the candy than anything else.

It was fun but I was thinking that next year...

we should do gingerbread men:)

Happy Christmas Eve!!!

answers to a few Christmas questions

I was tagged by Amy to do this little thing so here goes.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer wrapping paper

2. Real or artificial? Artificial. I don't like the mess of a real tree

3. When do you put up the tree? no set time really, usually within the first week of December

4. When do you take the tree down? Soon after New Years

5. Do you like eggnog? Not even a little bit! It's gross!

6.Favorite gift received as a child? I don't know...Cabbage Patch kid or sewing machine

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Yes waiting for me at home in AZ...a Precious Moments one I got on ebay. I also bought Caleb a Little People's one this year

8. Hardest person to buy for? My step-dad. I never know what he wants. This will be the first year that I think I did good.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Caleb. He'd be happy with anything right now

10. Worst Christmas present ever received? A roll of half used scotch tape...seriously

11. Email or Christmas card? I almost always make my own Christmas cards. This year I made them from BH kits, which were adorable. I have cut down my Christmas list so everyone else will get an email pic or just the pic insert handed to them.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? I LOVE Elf! I also like the classics like It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually throughout the year

14. Have you ever recycled/re-gifted a Christmas present? Of course

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? It's all about the stuffing for me. I am not a turkey fan. We always had a smorgasbord of food during the holidays.

16. Favorite Christmas tradition? My family didn't really have many traditions growing up but we've started a few of our own...opening one gift (pj's) on Christmas Eve. We also read the Nativity Story and Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve.

17. Favorite Christmas song? That is a tough one! I love Christmas music. My fave hymn is Angels We Have Heard on High and With Wondering Awe.
My fave kids song is Little Skidoo. I enjoy Where are you Christmas, Christmas Shoes, and Silver Bells.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Since we have never spent Christmas at home since we have been married I will have to say travel but that is coming to an end. I just want to stay home and spend the holidays with Gene and Caleb

19. Can you name Santa's reindeer? You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all...Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer...

20. Do you have an angel at the top of the tree or a star? A star. I am not attached to it in any way and would prefer to find something else I like, not sure what yet but would like it to light up.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? One on Christmas Eve and all of the rest on Christmas day is our new tradish but there were a few years Gene and I opened them all Christmas eve because we were travelling.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The traffic and people who are in a bah humbug mood...especially the ones in customer service.

23. Best thing about Christmas? I love the Spirit of Christmas, which I am still lacking this year. I also love the excitement through a child's eyes. I love hearing Caleb scream Santa's name.

Since I don't know anyone else who has a blog that reads mine, I tag anyone that wants to do this.

random things about me

I love playing boardgames!

My favorite board game is Scattergories.

Right now on Facebook I have over 40 games

of Scrabble on the go. I have barely played lately

and then the other night I started games

with every friend that has scrabulous.

I go through phases where I play certain games

all the time and then I stop for at least 6 months

or so and then start again. It's crazy!

I still have my very first tooth.

It has not fallen out of my mouth yet.

My goal is to make it in the

Guinness Book of World Records...

only 50+ years to go.

I enjoy long, hot bubble baths...
especially with a good book.

I practically lived in the bathtub when I

was pregnant. I would spend 3 hours at a time

soaking and reading a good book.

I don't have much time anymore but I do love

bubble baths. I usually use the baby bath stuff.

I confess that I am an MTV junkie!

My absolute fave is the Hills!

I have been known to enjoy a little Run's House,

Laguna Beach, Real World/Road Rules,
Making the Band, Newlywed's...

and I would always get sucked into those

Date my Mom or Room Raiders.

I am addicted to fruity drinks!

My faves...

lemonade (preferably freshly squeezed)

Tropicana orange juice

Peach Pleasure (from Jamba Juice)

ruby red tangerine grapefruit juice

five alive

I hate my food mixed together and touching!

Separator plates were a great invention.

I am not as bad as I used to be in that

department but it's still difficult.

I secretly enjoy watching infomercials.

Come on they have some pretty cool things

out there! I am usually pretty good about not

buying the stuff but oh, am I tempted.

I do have the Magic Bullet and a rolling cart

and I was so tempted to buy this steam mop thing

that I saw this week. I am waiting though:)

Well I better get this posted since I started it this morning and I

have been tagged to do a little thing from Amy.

That will have to wait until tomorrow.

Goodnight and Happy Birthday Randy!

Christmas pictures

Here is a sneak peak at our Christmas pictures.

The first one is a collage photo that I included in our

Christmas cards and the second is from the photo

shoot at Sears with my niece Faith.

I just picked up the pics from Sears and I

think they turned out so cute!

I can't believe how much my little man has

grown up in the last year!!!

It has been been a long, crazy year but we

are so glad to see that it is finally coming to an end.

I can hardly wait to get back to my life in Arizona.

Gene will be here this week and for now I am just

looking forward to being together as a family

for the holidays.

Well I am watching the Survivor

finale so I better run.

(I do hope that Denise wins at this point...

poor lunch lady)

oh, happy day!!!

early Christmas gift

This is my early Christmas gift from Gene. Isn't it beautiful? I just love it! I am not the biggest jewellery fan but I just couldn't resist.
So, Gene gets here a week from today. I am pretty excited! It will be so nice to have him here for the holidays. Last year we really wanted a white Christmas but nothing...well after being here a year, as of yesterday and experiencing all of last winter, I didn't care whether we have a white Christmas or not this year but it's been snowing for awhile. It's been pretty cold lately. Caleb loves it! He is obsessed with the snow!
I can't believe it's already been a year that I have been here in Canada! It's been a crazy year to say the least. We're hoping for some good news next week but I am so hesitant. It's just so disappointing every month.
I am so ready to go home! It will be hard in some ways to get back to Arizona. This has been my home for the last year. Caleb has got pretty attached to my family. He's spent most of his life here in Canada and I am sure he doesn't remember Arizona at all.
Gene has been pretty sick the last couple of days. I hope he's feeling better soon. It would suck to travel when you aren't feeling well.
I better run, I have a lot of chores to do today.

babysitting Faith

This is from our little photo shoot when Caleb and I got to

babysit my little niece, Faith.
She is such a sweetheart and as you can see,

Caleb is totally in love with her!

cabbage meatball soup

It's been awhile since I have blogged...I have been busy,

trying to get ready for Christmas.
I have a few things to blog about but for today I will keep

it short and simple.

Today I made Cabbage Meatball Soup and boy was it yummy!!!

56 meatballs, shredded cabbage, carrots, celery, onions,

tomato juice, beef stock....season and voila! Delicious!!!

Happy Sunday!

cherry chip cupcakes

Today we went for Christmas pictures and they turned out so good:) I will have to post them when I pick them up in a couple of weeks. Caleb was such a good boy today that when we got home, I decided to make another batch of cupcakes with him. This time we made my favorite, cherry chip! It was fun...not as much drama as the last time but I decided to post the video anyway. Caleb starts shaking when he gets excited. It's so cute!

Anyway, enjoy the video and pics. More blogging soon!

santa!!!!!

Caleb went to see Santa yesterday! He was so excited. He ran right up to him, yelling "Santa, Santa!" It was so cute. He didn't want to look at the camera. He just kept looking at Santa.

I got a little Christmas shopping done yesterday and set up an appointment at Sears to get pics done of Caleb and Faith.

It is freezing outside and I am not a fan of brushing snow of the car and scraping windshields while the car has to run for 15 minutes. Yesterday I was a trooper though and even did

my sister-in-laws car for her.

Well I need to get Caleb some breakfast.
Here are a couple more pics of Faith from a few days ago.