2010: A Space Odyssey

Ms. Smallwood is very upset right now. She was my 5th grade teacher at Lakeview Elementary School and I distinctly remember the theme paper: "What will the world be like in 2010?" I think the entire class (including myself) wrote about hoover boards, teleportation devises, flying cars, and living on mars. I am very sad to announce that nothing I anticipated as a 11 year old has come true: no automatic food cookers, closets that pick out your clothes, or robot dogs.
I hope your New Year is full of promise, full of hope, and full of new adventure. Maybe not to Mars, but somewhere just as exciting ;0)
Maybe like to Russia?

On the 11th day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me.... 11 Ladies Dancing! Pictured is my "girl" tree that graces our dining room. I love this tree! One year when we were still in Kissimmee, Mom and I were shopping the day after Christmas (my favorite shopping day of the year!) when we found these Department 56 girl ornaments at Target. Well it was a good thing that there are like 6 Target's in a 10 mile vicinity because we had to go to all 6 stores to complete the collection (I think there are 25 actual ladies dancing, but here are a few of my favorites, and a shopping snow-lady for good measure!)

On the 9th Day of Christmas.....

My true love gave to me..... 9 Christmas Trees! Yes, I have 9 Christmas Trees. Normally, when people ask I just say I have 4, because those are my big, fully decorated trees in the house. I also have 5 smaller trees, 4 more at home and 1 on my desk! I say if it lights up and has some sort of ornaments that must be added it qualifies as a tree. And people already look at me like I am crazy for having 4 trees, can you imagine if I said 9!! Here is our main tree in the living room....

PS- That is a Christmas Pickle! It's a German tradition. You hide the pickle on a branch of the tree and on Christmas day the person that finds the pickle gets an extra present. It's not much fun with two people (One person always knows where the pickle is, so it kinda defeats the purpose) But I am looking forward to having another pickle seeker in the house next year ;0)

We also collect those gold destination ornaments from everywhere we visit. It's kinda hokey I know, but I love them!

I really LOVE a Christmas tree and I can't wait to add number 10 to the house when Baby Deetz joins the family. I better start planning for it now......

On the 7th Day of Christmas......

My true love gave to me.... 7 Holiday movies!

In no particular order, our favorite 7 must see Holiday movies.

#1- Elf: A new classic. I quote this movie all the time, I just can't help it. "Smiling is my favorite" "You sit on a throne of lies" "SANTA! I know him!" Did you know Friday was "Answer the phone like Buddy the elf day"? "Buddy the elf here, what's your favorite color?"

#2- White Christmas: Chad and his mom sign every word to this entire movie. It's like movie and a show.

#3- Christmas Vacation. I said no particular order, but this is my absolute favorite Christmas movie. I still laugh hysterically every time I watch it. Chad's favorite part is with Uncle Eddie and the see through sweater with the Dickie. My favorite part is the sledding scene, or maybe the part with the squirrel. Classic. Absolutely classic.

#4- Christmas Story: Also a much quoted movie in our household. "You'll shoot your eye out" "Frage-ley, must be Italian" Hilarious.

#5- Merry Christmas Charlie Brown. Oh so cute. I really want a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. I love Linus, he's my favorite. It's also fun to re-enact the dancing scenes. It's just the same move over and over again. Chad is the guy doing the penguin dance. I do the weird MC Hammer or the mummy walk, depending on my mood.

#6- It's a Wonderful Life- Classic. (The angry alien version is also a blast. http://www.angryalien.com/) Cartoon Bunnies re-enact your favorite movies in 30 seconds. It's a Wonderful Life just happens to be my favorite Bunny re-enactment. "I wish I'd never been born!" "O.K.!"

#7- Rudolf- Just for the Island of Misfit Toys and the elf that wants to be a dentist.

*Honorable mention: The Grinch, the new Disney short "Prep and Landing", Shrek the Halls, Frosty, Christmas Carol (preferably the Mickey version), and the FIRST Santa Claus Movie.

Movies I miss: Alvin and the Chipmunk Christmas Special (old school), Garfield Christmas, and the California Raisins Christmas Special.

*Guilty pleasure- I actually liked Christmas with the Kranks. But I also liked the book "Skipping Christmas".

*Christmas confession: I have never seen "Miracle on 34th Street" or "Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus." Someday I promise I'll get around to it.

On the 6th day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me..... 6 Nutcrackers Crackin'

My favorite is the big guy with the sausages. A home is not complete without a nutcracker or two.

On the 5th Day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me..... 5 million lights! (I know that this is not five million lights, but whatever...it's a lot, ok?)

It all starts the day before Turkey day when Chad and Daddy venture out to Lowe's and find the next piece in our light collection. As you know this year, we added the cute flying pig. Then on Black Friday Chad and my Dad are in charge of the "Exterior Illuminations" while mom and I go shopping at o'dark thirty. I love coming home from the stores to see the house all lit up! I'm sure our neighbors REALLY love our nights too. Especially the ones that shine into their bedrooms. At least we don't have them set to music. (Yet....)

On the 4th Day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me.... FOUR OF A KIND! Chad really needed a "boy tree" in his former "man cave". Note: the man cave is now our spare bedroom, since making room for Baby Deetz. But since the former man-cave was the game room/hang out room/ "I don't want to see cords and speakers draped all over my living room" room, the tree in that room has some really cute Poker ornaments and other Chad favs (musical instruments, Scooby-Doo)

P.S.- Word on the street is that Four of a kind is a hand in Poker, and since I didn't know what else to say for the 4th day, this is what you get! Sorry, I know it's stretch, but I wanted to show you Chad's tree.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas....

O.K. I know I'm running a little behind, I think the "12 days of Christmas" were a little overly ambitious. I didn't take into account working, shopping, wrapping, entertaining company, and other various wonderful things that happen this Holiday season.

Anyway- 3rd Day- True Love- right....right.....uhhhh.... On the Third day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Three Christmas Cantatas.

As you may or may not know I am married to a wonderful musician. He sings! He plays tuba! He rocks drums! He strums guitar! As a matter of fact, Chad decided in February, "I think I need to learn how to play guitar" so he picks it up and in a month he is playing at our Spring church retreat. Now he leads worship with it in our contemporary service every Sunday. As a non-musical person, that blows my mind. I don't play anything other than the radio. I can sing a little, I guess, but it's not that great and I would NEVER do it in front of anyone! Anyway, both times we've moved to a new church, question number #1 to Youth Pastor's wife is- "Do you play piano?" (Answer: Does chopsticks count?) Question #2: "Do you sing in the choir?" (Answer: No, and trust me, that should make you very, very happy.)
Well, our dear friend is the music minister at our church. Three years ago she asked me if Chad and I would narrate the Christmas Cantata. (She asked me 3 days before, but that is another story all together....) So we did. I was so nervous- It was like she asked me to sing a solo. Last year, she asked me again. I did it. (A lot of nerves going on again) Well for a THIRD year, I received the honors again.
If you read music (which I don't) I think it would be easier. Picture it. Music measures (might as well be Russian) with words printed above them. LOTS of words. It's like Mission Impossible. You MUST finish reading this paragraph in 12 measures or the singing starts and your book WILL self-destruct. So when the music starts I start reading, trying my best to not stumble all over myself, read the wrong part, loose my place, or say words like "genitals" instead of "Gentiles". All this with 300+ people starring at me. With music ticking down like a time bomb. No problem.
Don't get me wrong, I love having a front row seat to a 50 voice choir. It blows your socks off! i love contributing to the church in any way, the music is beautiful, the message of the Christmas Story set to music is amazing, I just get really, really nervous. I want the Cantata to be meaningful and perfect. I don't want to mess up what Dale and all these musicians have worked so hard to perfect.
So this Sunday, I stood and brought the Christmas story in words while my musically talented brothers and sisters brought the message in song. It was beautiful. After the musical, I got two comments that really stuck with me. One was that I had become the "Voice of Bethel" and they really look forward to hearing me speak every year. The other was "I think they pick you because you aren't too Southern! We can actually understand what you are reading!"

On the 2nd day of Christmas.....

My true love sent to me...... Two penguins guarding!
These cute lil' guys flank our garage door. Normally, I am anti-inflatables- but these guys are small, about 3 1/2 feet tall and very charming!
The night I took this picture it was really windy and starting to sleet, so his neck tie was flapping in the wind, but I think it gives him personality!

On the 1st Day of Christmas

My true love sent to me.... A kitchen Christmas tree! I thought as these 12 days of Christmas whirl past us, I would highlight all of the beautiful decorations in our house at Christmas. Since I am just not motivated to send out cards this year, it's my way of helping you get into the Christmas spirit!
Since I spend A LOT of time in the kitchen at Christmas, I just had to have a kitchen tree to look at while I cook. It has some of my favorite ornaments on there- little cookies, candies, decorative serving utensils, and other darling things. Now all I need are some kitchen cleaning elves.

Early Christmas!

This weekend we traveled to Florida to have early Christmas with Chad's dad and step-mom and his brother and sister. We had a great time! One of our gifts to the kids was a gingerbread house with all the bells and whistles. Faith and David did a fabulous job with decorations; It looked great until it fell down 30 minutes after completion! I was going to try to do some repairs, but the kids weren't upset at all with the unfortunate demise of the house, so we just stacked it up for consumtion. Eating the candy seemed to make them happier than building the house!

Before! After!

Matthew 7:24-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Thanksgiving in photos.....

It's already beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our household, but wanted to bring you our Thanksgiving in pictures.... We have so much to be Thankful for! My parents were here all week, Brittany made pink eggs (thanks for the recipe Amy- they were pretty good!) caught a nice nap, watched National Lampoons Christmas (of course!) had game night with our friends, and then woke up bright and early on Friday for some black Friday shopping. Family, friends, eating, and shopping- what could be better?

All set for the big day!

Turkey brined.....check! Cranberry sauce congealing in the fridge......check! Pecans toasted......check! Lovely flower arrangment given by Rick and Donna displayed on the table....check! Newest outdoor Christmas decoration examined by the poochies....check!!!
Bring on the big feast!