The one about Christmas

Yikes! I'd better get my Christmas post up before the new year begins. You'd think with Tyson taking two weeks off (yes we really were that lucky) that I would have plenty of time to blog. But I'd rather spend time with him. 

Can you blame me?

Anyway, we had another wonderful Christmas. We spend Christmas Eve at the Lowder home where we ate scones and did an interactive version of the Christmas story which included singing and gluing pictures for the kids. 

 Christmas morning we woke up around our usual 7:30 and although Logan may have been confused by the change in routine, he fed off our excitement and got into it.

Especially once he found the candy in his stocking. And our stockings...

I believe I look appropriately tired/disheveled for Christmas morning.

After looking through our stockings we went to the kitchen and had a delicious breakfast of Costco cinnamon rolls, chocolate milk, and orange juice (easiest Christmas breakfast I ever didn't make). And I think Logan had some cold cereal. He is a child of habit.

Breakfast didn't last too long though because A. I wanted to open some presents, and B. we had church at 11 that we were gonna have to get ready for at some point.

Also, I wanted Tyson to open the biggest present I ever wrapped.

Not to ruin the suspense for you guys but it was a grill. And he loved it. Wife points!

Logan was also thrilled with his Thomas pillow pet, a toy I didn't understand the appeal of until Logan wanted one. Then it didn't matter what I thought because it was Christmas and if he wanted it that bad, then by golly he was gonna get it. 

The annual gift of the nerf gun was also popular. 

And here is my "yaaaaaayyyyI'mgratefulbecauseit'sChristmasbutwhatisthis" face that occasionally shows up Christmas morning. It took me a minute to figure it out because the actual present was wrapped in some of our towels and for a minute I thought I was getting new towels but in the same color I had been trying to get rid of for the last three years. And that would have been a bummer. 

 But never fear! Tyson would not do that to me. It was a porcelain pitcher that I had been coveting from Target.

After a joyous time of gift giving and skyping with my family we went to church which was awesome. It definitely made me wish we had Christmas on Sunday every year. Then we came home, took Christmas naps, and headed back to the Lowder's for Christmas dinner and some more gift giving. 

I only took about 3 pictures and they were pretty much all like this. Goal for next year: photographically document our lives better. Especially since I got a new point and shoot camera that fits in my purse. No excuses!

And that was our Christmas! We've been keeping busy over our break with a home improvement project which I can't wait to show you, but will have to wait until it's done. Because I love a big reveal.

Have a Happy New Year!

It was a full roll when he started

Mission complete.

Another week down!

Well it's been another crazy week. Somehow I keep finding myself away from home 5-6 nights a week and it is totally draining! I get home at night and I'm like, "Oh, hello man in my house. I think I might be your wife."

We have been able to do a few fun things together though. Last Friday night we had our ward Christmas party. It was pretty much all music, so you know I was busy singing in the choirs.

Well, during the course of the program I had to switch sides of the chapel multiple times to move from choir to choir. During a few of those switches I had to duck/crawl under a projector in the dark as I tried my best to be inconspicuous. 

Due to the hip slimming/blood restricting numbness of the control top pantyhose I was wearing, I didn't realize that my skirt was slowly sliding off my bum with each pass until I reached back to pull my shirt down and found my wasteband hanging off me like some 16-year-old boy's jeans. And I didn't even have colorful boxers on to show off. Just my charcoal L'eggs.

Seriously hoping that the tenors standing behind me were as oblivious as I was.

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The next night we went to the Festival of Nativities. 

It was so beautiful! I loved walking around drooling over all the incredible nativities and my heart stopping every time Logan tried to touch one didn't even ruin it for me. 

Meanwhile I've got this at home. Baby Jesus still strapped to his cradle. And why is He so dirty?

Then there's this one. Which is worse? Plastic strap or cradle completely missing?

Sad.

Good thing for Logan they had some kid friendly stuff at the festival, otherwise it would have been a five minute visit.

Tyson makes a very beautiful Mary I think.

We were smelling frankincense and myrrh. 

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This has nothing to do with Christmas but it happened this week. We woke up one morning and this frozen shape had appeared. There wasn't a stick or anything in the water so I'm not sure how it came to be.

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We did our annual stocking decorating on Monday. This was also the day that Tyson came home from work and I was complaining because Logan hadn't taken a nap and it had been a long day. He was very loving and supportive even when he said sadly "And did you even get a chance to shower?"

...

Yes, I had showered! But my blow dryer broke so my hair was a hideous mess; according to Tyson it looked tired. 

Well, it was. But that didn't make decorating any less fun, just less appealing to watch.

Logan was really excited that he got to paint snakes all over his stocking.

Tyson did a traditional tree.

And I did a subway art style stocking. They are ready to be filled!

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My favorite (and tallest?) uncle came to visit and had dinner with us and my Aunt Nancy. We had a good time reminiscing about the handful of occasions where we've seen each other and lamented as always that it's not more often. 

 Uh, and to all my other uncles out there, you're my favorite too! :)

The last thing that we did this week, that I took pictures of, was our trip to visit Santa. A nearby dentist office does a free Santa every year and it is crazy busy. This year they decided to spread out the crowd a little bit so they had a petting zoo and games outside while you waited for your turn to see the big man.

 Logan cried right after this because the goat shook his head or something and scared him. 

The fear carried on to his Santa visit.

 Not that there was a chance of him sitting on Santa's lap anyway. 

Here's to another busy week, one closer to Christmas, yay!

wreathapalooza

The other day I got together with a couple of my cute friends to make wreaths! 

I probably shouldn't make any more after this because I've been on a bit of a wreath kick lately and I have more wreaths than I know what to do with. As in, I've got 6 wreaths around the house right now and I already put 2 away.

It's like that time I was obsessed with clocks.

Here's the one I finished the day before my girls came over. I'll tell you about it later.

 No I won't.

Here's the recap. I cut about 6 million different sized circles out of satin, burned the edges, and then sewed them together with a pearl bead to make about 2 million flowers which I hot glued to a wreath form covered in the same satin.

All except for 3.

Those I used to make a headband.

(please ignore the clothes all over the floor. logan likes to empty the laundry basket and use it as a step stool. plus when i took this I was only thinking of sending it to my sister, not putting it out for the world to see.)

Anyway, I thought the wreath went well with the pumpkins from Halloween so... there you have it.

Back to the point, we had all seen these Christmas ball wreaths all around pinterest lately so we thought we would give it a shot.

Even after we found out you needed like a hundred ornaments to make it. 

Since I am cheap thrifty, I got mine at the dollar store and called it good.

We used a couple different methods when we made them. Amber used a garland as her base while Brittany and I strung ours on a wire hanger. 

Both methods worked great, I'd say if you want a larger wreath don't do the wire hanger method. You could also glue them on a wreath form too. The possibilities are endless! Or maybe limited to what hot glue can do for you.

We didn't bother gluing the tops to the ornaments before stringing them on although it might have been a good idea since about 4 of mine popped off as I was trying to twist the hanger back together. 

I love the colors she used!

This is Amber's unfinished wreath if you can believe it. She added a ton more balls later and it looks amazing! It is huge and spectacular.

Meanwhile, I had glued a few extra balls for filler and one of them popped off right after this picture.

Good thing I didn't try to glue them all on. 

Hopefully it lasts because I love it!

A thanksgiving recap

Thanksgiving was the best!

We had so much fun with Emily and Jason that none of us were ready for the holiday to be over. Logan especially was in love with these new best friends who tickled him, chased him, and never even tried to change his diaper. 

We thought that a trip to Multnomah falls would be fun since it's a regular Oregon highlight. It was almost as if the pouring rain didn't even cross our minds when we left the house in regular shoes and coats with no thoughts of even looking for an umbrella. 

We were about halfway there when we thought, wait, are we seriously going outside in this?

Yes, I should have taken multiple self portraits so as to give myself a better option than this for the blog. But I did not. My bangs were like whoa.

Anyway, we did go outside in that rain and lucky for me I had an umbrella in my trunk which I immediately confiscated.

I had to move at light speed to keep people from stealing it which is why this picture is blurry.

Or a raindrop was on the lens. 

After we got home and dried out we made some chocolate covered oreo turkeys.

Which didn't look like turkeys at all.

Thanksgiving morning Tyson and I did our turkey trot. 

Logan didn't want us to leave but... he was fine :)

Tyson and I were separated most of the time since I was doing the 10k and he was doing the 5. This shot was taken by the race's photographer as he approached the finish. Go babe!

 I was too slow for the photographer unfortunately (fortunately? i'm not a pretty runner) but in spite of being slow I still made my goal of running a consistent 10 minute mile. In face I did 6.2 miles in 62 minutes so... basically the best 10 minute miles ever run.

People I passed:
An elderly man, possible octogenarian.

2 women speedwalking.

1 overweight woman.

a few others.

People who passed me:

At least 3 children 10 and under.

A woman pushing a double jogging stroller.

Someone with a turkey on their head.

Many others.

It was a good time. 

After our race we got ready and headed over to Tyson's parent's house for The Dinner.

15 seconds before we said the prayer Logan spilled a glass of water all over himself and was nude the rest of the day.

After a delicious meal we made more treat turkeys.

Some of which were more interesting than others...

I didn't take anymore pictures that day. We had a relaxing rest of the afternoon where the most dramatic event was when Logan did his business (it's becoming quite the event, miralax is on the job) and he ran back into the living room, arms in the air, and shouted "I did it!!!!" to anyone who would listen.

We were all grateful for his success that day.

On Friday we went and got our tree!

Considering we chose one that started about 5 feet above the ground it's amazing that it fits into our house perfectly.

Aren't newlyweds disgusting? Love them.

That night my aunt and her family came by for a visit,

we put up some decorations,

and our fun vacation was pretty much done.

We had a great Thanksgiving this year and are so grateful for all our friends and family. Love you all!