Happy New Years!

I can't believe it's already 2009! This year has many changes in store for our family. Our last daughter graduating from high school, college decisions, maybe a wedding, a new baby, great nephew, arriving in just a month. Plus all the stuff we don't know that's coming. Some of these changes are exciting and scary. There is always mixed feeling with change, we know it happens but there is also sadness that life is moving on whether we are ready or not. So the best thing to do is trust God is doing the best for me and my family and embrace the changes. I know from past experiences not everything has gone my way and many things I wish we could avoid but those experiences also make me who I am. I love and cherish my family and look forward to this year.
January also brings some sad memories as I reflect on the past years. It has been 5 years since Kevin has been in church. I miss going to church as a family and sharing this area of our lives. I know he is doing what he thinks is right but my prayer for this year is he would see the need to have God in his life. Not my way or what I think God needs to do but God would meet Kevin where he is. I also pray for all three of my girls and that they would have a closer, personal relationship with God. I have learned my expectations are not always Gods and it isn't what others see that is important but our heart. In the past it has been more comfortable for me to have my family do the right thing in human eyes. But in many ways it is more truthful for them to not live a lie just to please me. God doesn't want us to be luke warm. Either cold or hot but the fact is,at times I would rather them be luke warm. How sad it is I put my needs before those I love. So that is my prayer, and hope I will be trust God for this year.
Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thy own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and he will direct thy paths. Prov 3:5&6

Christmas Eve

My favorite time of the year! I love Christmas Eve fun, and family. Hopefully I get the food made and kitchen cleaned up. I am really disappointed its raining and not snowing. Cortni made it home at about 11:30pm. It took her awhile to get out of the city. She was loaded down with presents and 2 dogs. I need to post a picture of them because it's really funny. Ones a giant and ones a miniature. Guess who's boss? Britni and Sebastian will not come in till really Christmas morning (2am). They will be at Sebastian's parent tonight and leave in time to get here to open presents before Kevin has to leave to go to work. (that part I hate) So I better get to work! have a great day. Cherish you family and friends in your life and remember the true meaning of Christmas would not be without Jesus.

Last Minute Stuff

I have 2 days to get my act together. Here is a list of the stuff I still have to do before tomorrow at 6:30pm.

Bake sweets (I didn't get done on Sunday)
Clean the main living area - done
Clean the kitchen after I bake
Put all of the living room furniture that is crammed in the dining room back in the living room (Kevin cleaned the carpet) - done
Put the rest of the ornaments on the basement tree (don't ask)- done
Put the Christmas decoration boxes back in the closet (not as easy as it sounds) -done
Clean up the basement-done
Make the soups for tomorrow night (finally came up with a food theme - Soup Kitchen)
Hang Lights around the dance floor (this will be fun)
Fix the floor cleaner so I (or hopefully Kevin) can finish the hall carpet - done
Wrap presents -got some done ran out of boxes
Make a quick trip to Lafayette to get a couch - I'm still working on this - not going to happen today
Make supper for tonight - Chili - done
Do a last book order for the store before 11am - done thanks Emily!
and have another cup of coffee!!!! - done and now I am on to Diet Pepsi!!!

Have a great day and if your bored call me . . . . . .

Baking Day!

This afternoon has been set aside to get my baking done/started. Usually I make the same type of stuff each year and take some to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the Rudolph Christmas. Sometime there is even some left for New Years! I have been making buckeyes for awhile using the same recipe until last year when Kevin (so rudely I might add) informed me he didn't like MY buckeyes. So last year I went on strike and refused to make any! At Thanksgiving Bailie asked if I would make them again. So after Kevin trying to convince me it just must have been a bad batch, I have agreed to do them again this year. So I have a feeling even if he hates them and it makes him sick I wouldn't know!
Last night I tried a pretzel recipe from Brittany and they are great. If you have any ideas for some good easy stuff let me know.
Well I need to go and clean up the kitchen so I can mess it up again. Pictures to follow!

My mom has made these every since I can remember.

Gretchen's Cookie receipe

Time to Panic

It is offical close enough to Christmas for me to start to panic. I waited to late to start shopping and then I need to get my house ready for parties and Christmas morning. By the way Christmas morning is really early at our house. 3 am. Kevin seems to always get the short straw when it comes to working on Christmas and the girls still want to open present on Christmas morning instead of waiting. He has to leave at 4am so we have to start really early! After he leaves we all go back to bed. Then go to my parents for dinner and when Kevin gets off work we open presents.

So I could use some help with the Christmas Eve party. Each year who ever is home and can come we meet at Becky's (my sisters) or our house. We take turns. No presents are exchanged just have some fun on Christmas Eve. We started doing themes years ago and have gone through a lot of them So this year it is my turn and I was having a hard time coming up with a new theme. Past theme have been . . . dinner and a movie, the Grinch and green food; caroling; talent night; deal or no deal, Haley won $20 bucks and someone won a roll of toilet paper; who wants to be a millionaire; Mexican; Chinese; and mystery theater. Anyway after doing some search I found a 40's USO theme. So appropriate since it feels like we in the depression. Some ideas were swing dance. So since Britni is going to get married in the come month, years? hopefully soon, and will have dancing I thought it would be fun, and funny, to learn some basic dance steps. Kevin decided to make a dance floor in the basement and string lights, Mal's going to teach us some step. Now is where I get stuck. I need easy food ideas and anything else you can think of to make the evening fun. Let me know soon I'm running out of time.

I'm Dreaming of a White.. . . .

BOWL OF MASHED POTATOES

No Kidding! I dreamed I didn't feel well and all I wanted was a bowl of mashed potatoes and lots of butter. I woke up with a bad headache and craving mashed potatoes .

Oh tidings of comfort and joy!!!
(I also must have woke up with Christmas songs in my head)

Christmas Decorations

Last week I finally got around to putting up decorations. I don't have the basement done but the rest is. Every year I reuse most of the same stuff minus the things that some how get broken during the time it's in storage. I decided to take some pictures so next year I won't have to remember where I put stuff. This tree is fake and we always decorate it in red, white and silver is the fancy one. We also put a real one up in the basement. It's the fun tree with all the kids ornaments collected through out the years. Every year each one of us gets a new ornament. Something to do with things we're into, or places we've gone. If it doesn't have the date we try and write it one it. Each of the girls has a box for theirs. I always said they could take them when they get married but now I don't want to part with all the memories. I'll try and get a picture of it up when it's done.

The girls got me this last year from pottery barn. I have been getting a piece of the dish set each year. When you have the last name of Rudolph it just seem like it was made for me!