And so the year comes to an end.....

And what a year it was, so much happened, there was the trip back home to Africa after 10 years of being away, and there was a new addition to the family with little Anastacia.

It's been ups and downs, scary moments and happy times and everything in between, but we made it didn't we? We survived another whole year of this crazy roller coaster called life.

I want to thank each and every one of you for being here with me through my blogging journey, it's been amazing and it's surpassed anything that I had ever imagined this blogging world to be.

So I leave with wishes of a wonderful New Year filled to the brim with love, health and happiness and all that you could ever wish for.

I'm off to eat pizza, snack on chips and have a glass of wine safe in my home. I'll see you all next year LOL
Don't forget Slow Cooking Thursday tomorrow!

God Bless!

Prayers Please!

I just found out this morning that my oldest brother Paul, is in the hospital. He wasn't feeling well and is currently in ICU awaiting test results.

Please pray!

UPDATE: First I want to thank you all for the prayers, you are amazing :)

My brother is home now, he is doing well. The doctors say it's nothing to do with his heart, they were afraid it may have been at first because he was complaining of not being able to breathe and pains in his chest. I think it might have been an anxiety attack.

They ran some tests and it turns out that his choleresterol and triglicerades are high and he has high blood pressure and stress. So he's been sent home with some medication and told to take it easy and try to avoid stress of any kind.

I'm SO glad that he's home safe and sound and that it's nothing serious, there is absolutely nothing worse than knowing one of your siblings is in the hospital, what a helpless horrible feeling, especially being this far.

Again I thank you all for the prayers, I'm sure it means a lot to him and my sister in law Lilian and the kids too.

New Year Fun - 2008

The wonderful Kelli at "There's is no place like home" is doing this really cute feature. Here's what she said:

With the New Year right around the corner, this is the perfect time for a peek through the past year of blogging. I would love for you to join in with me!

Post the first sentence of your first blog post of each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month.

♥JANUARY♥
Is it safe to come out now??? I've been counting down the minutes until I could finally say "I'm FREE from the holidays and the craziness".......not a minute too soon I tell you.

Blackout - January 27, 2008

♥FEBRUARY♥
I wish it was bedtime, but I still have a couple hours to go since it's only noon here. *sigh*

The kids with Jason Bell from the NY Giants

♥MARCH♥
It took us 15 hours to move the whole house and two 24 foot truck trips.

Base Carnival

♥APRIL♥
That neck/shoulder muscle pain is just not going away so I'm off to the doctors this morning.

Jasmine

♥MAY♥
Well the internet has been down for us for the last 2 days

Kruger Park - May 29, 2008

♥JUNE♥
I have so many more photos I want to share with you and once I'm back home in the States I will, but for now I wanted to leave you with a few more pictures taken during our stay.

Kids and my grandma in South Africa

♥JULY♥
I'm sure you're wondering just what I did with myself this past week. Well, I cooked and baked and I cleaned

Monsoon season here in Arizona

♥AUGUST♥
Have you ever had one???? Because if you haven't, you don't know what you're missing and when I tell you that they're SUPER easy to make, I mean like super easy you won't believe you ever lived without making them, kinda way.

Peter Piper Pizza

♥SEPTEMBER♥
Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

Dust storm

♥OCTOBER♥
The sun may be setting, but in a child's world the fun is just beginning.....




♥NOVEMBER♥
Candy, Costumes, Children and a Crazy question!

♥DECEMBER♥
You know you don't need to go out and do something expensive to enjoy the Christmas season or have fun with the family.

This year needs to be over.....

I can't stand this little week between Christmas and New Year, it's such a waste of time for me LOL

I want my house back to normal and I want the new year to begin but we're in this limbo where you can't really sit back and relax because the impending New Year's Eve celebration is just around the corner.

What do you do? Do you go out and tackle the big crowds and the drunks and crazy drivers or do you stay home like I do?

I can't remember the last time I went out on that night, it must have been in my teens because since then I've just pretty much ignored it LOL No I'm serious, we don't go anywhere, it's just a normal day for us and lately we don't even stay up until midnight, we just go to bed and wake up in a new year. Is that wrong? Are we missing out on anything special?

Anyway, Curt is back to work this week but the kids are still home on Winter Break, though I think next week can't come fast enough for me, the bickering and fighting between them is just ridiculous.

What is it with kids and the competitive thing? I didn't know that if one picks Frosted Flakes for breakfast and the other wants it too it's apparently called "COPYING"????
Really???? Huh, I had no idea!
There are also invisible boundaries around the house known as "my place" and "my chair".

Where is the memo for all the parents, shouldn't we have something on paper to teach us these kid rules?

I have a few things I need to get done today, like relieving the lemon tree of some of it's lemons, the poor thing is packed full and the branches are bending down with the weight LOL I think I'll spend some time in the kitchen afterwards using them for lemonade, lemon curd, lemon drizzle cake and whatever else I may think of. I'll probably pop some into the freezer to keep for another time.

There's also sweeping and mopping to be done around here, laundry to put away and menu planning for the next two weeks PLUS the grocery list for tomorrow.

I'll be making a few dishes that I haven't shared with you before, so you'll start seeing some updating on the food blog. Am also hoping that I'll get some knitting time in, I want to finish my little shrug this week so I can start on some new dishcloth patterns that I have been wanting to try.

We're also trying to plan another trip to Africa next year, but so far I'm not feeling very encouraged. To start off obviously it's a lot of money and the only reason we were able to afford it last year was because we used the tax return money plus the money we got from moving ourselves to a new house on base.....I doubt they'll let us move again just for extra cash LOL
The air tickets also seem to have gone up a bit, so right now it's a waiting game.....if we can't go to Africa then we'll be going somewhere else within our budget.

We want to do family vacations every year and there's so much to see without having to go too far from home. So we'll see, though I would LOVE to go back home again, it was great being there but it also felt rushed, we were constantly on the move and ended up not really just sitting down somewhere and chatting and catching up with everyone.

Here's where you come in. I need some ideas for inexpensive family vacations, tell me where you've been or where you suggest we go. Those places that you think everyone needs to visit at least once in their lives. Can you do that for me? Help a girl out, remember that I'm not American and so I really don't know much about the best places to visit or where they're at, just imagine I'm some foreign tourist and you're the tour guide. LOL

Alright, I need to get going on my to do list and grab myself a fresh hot cup of coffee, nothing like typing on the computer and taking a swig of cold yucky coffee. Blech!

The hills are alive with the sound of music.....

Ok who watched it last night? Who screamed for joy and clutched onto that remote control so no one could change the channel?

One of my favorite favorite favorite movies EVER, is The Sound of Music.

Last night while channel surfing I came across the movie on and though I had missed the first 5 minutes, that was just fine for me. There is something absolutely magical about this movie, and that is saying a lot because I admit, I'm NOT into musicals, like.AT.ALL. Nuh uh, they just don't do it for me...but this one is different. It's also my grandmother Jacinta's favorite movie, so I thought of her immediately when I saw it on the screen.

I can't believe I don't have this movie on DVD yet, I really need to get it

I don't think there is a single song in that movie that I don't like, they all make me smile. What about you, any other Sound of Music fans out there? Anyone watch it yesterday? What were your favorite parts?

...the first three notes just happen to be, Do-Re-Mi.
Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti, oh let's see if I can make it easier
Doe, a deer, a female deer, Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself, Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread, La, a note to follow So
Tea, a drink with jam and bread, that will bring us back to Do

Nicholas watched a bit of it with me and he absolutely loved the Lonely Goatherd, he thought it was funny.

Anyway, I was so thrilled to see the movie on TV, now THAT is a good family holiday show.

Exhaling.....

I can finally say that the house is back to normal, the tree is down, the decorations put away and every last bit of Christmas cheer safely packed in boxes and rubbermaid containers, for next year. Until then, I can breathe a sigh of relief!

I don't have the patience for Christmas, I just realized that this year, I think the older I get the more annoyed I become with the whole rush of the season, the blowing of budgets and extravagant get togethers, I think it's just not for me anymore, I would be perfectly happy just spending a quiet day with the family, having a good dinner and exchanging one gift.

So with everything put away, I turned into a cleaning machine and I've dusted and mopped and scrubbed and vacuumed and reorganized every single room in the house, not one was left untouched, and it makes me feel good. You know that feeling you get when you walk into your house and every nook and cranny is clean and tidy and homey?


Yesterday we spent the day playing the Wii, I rocked it out on Guitar Hero by myself while everyone was doing other stuff, then we proceeded to a game of Mario and Sonic and the Olympics and can I just say, I hate Skeet? Hate hate hate skeet LOL
After getting my butt handed to me in that game, we switched to Carnival Games and boy was that fun. Have you played it?

By the time we looked at the clock it was 10pm, a whole day of Wii goodness, laughing and some frustrated emotions from loosers, chips and snacks, a quick break for a delicious dinner of Beef Stew with Potato dumplings and family time which is something that I absolutely love.

In the middle of all this I've been able to enjoy the PBS Series, honestly if you've never seen them and you like history and learning about old times, you will like these.

The one that struck me the most and made me really stop and think was The 1940's House. It really brought home the fear and hardship that these families had to endure during World War II.

The Hymer family were placed into the home complete in 1940's garb and then put through a series of simulations of what their day to day would have been like in that era, during The London Blitz.

This was the beginning of the Blitz - a period of intense bombing of London and other cities that continued until the following May. For the next consecutive 57 days, London was bombed either during the day or night. Fires consumed many portions of the city. Residents sought shelter wherever they could find it - many fleeing to the Underground stations that sheltered as many as 177,000 people during the night. In the worst single incident, 450 were killed when a bomb destroyed a school being used as an air raid shelter.

Life was hard, everything seemed to take longer to do and the tools needed to accomplish something were not always available. For me the worst was the Food Rationing, I thankfully have never had to be in that situation and quite frankly don't know how I would react, but it can't be easy knowing you only have a few items to last you a whole week.

If that wasn't hard enough to deal with, they had to build an underground shelter in their yard as well as keep up with the BlackOut Rules.

The blackout began two days before the war began. Under blackout rules, everyone had to cover up their windows at night with black material. This was to make it difficult for german bombers to find their target in the dark.
The street lamps were turned off and often people bumped into one another. Traffic accidents were common because car headlights had to be blacked out, and deaths from drowning increased as people fell off bridges or walked into ponds.

And if you were caught not covering your windows you were heavily fined. At one point there was a Bomb Raid, the family gathered their supplies and the two children and ran to the back yard, the back door was left open for a few minutes while they were moving out of the house and the next thing they know they are getting a letter in the mail and being fined for not having followed the blackout rules. Goodness!

Anyway, I learnt a lot from watching this show. A couple of you asked me where I got the series from....well, I'm watching through Netflix but you can find them on Amazon too. If you're interested in taking a virtual tour of the home used for this documentary, you can go here.

Well that does it for me, I'm off to have my coffee and eat my oatmeal, not sure what else I'll be doing today since all the work was done yesterday, but I'm sure I could find something to knit, or watch, like Helen of Troy Disc 1. Yes, maybe that's what I'll do.

Have a great day everyone!

And just that quick, it's over!

We had a good Christmas, it was just the four of us as usual, but we try really hard to make it a wonderful day and we succeed.

Behind the smiles and laughter lurks the sadness of not being with other family members, but we don't allow it to dampen the experience.

We took photos, lots of them, we ate good food, we opened presents and we watched Christmas movies and played tag. And now with the craziness over, we relax. So here I give you a Christmas in pictures, be prepared there's quite a few, mainly for all the family that is far and wants to see what we did.

There was present opening and the funniest expressions from the kids LOL

Unfortunately Nicholas came down with a really bad cold which meant a night of no sleep for us both. He was running such a high fever that he was delirious, you know when they just sit there and babble nonsense? He was upset that Timmy Turner (Fairly Oddparents) had gotten hurt and he was also going on about "having all my eggs in a basket" from the Easter Bunny LOL

Poor baby, I spent the night battling the fever, there was juice and medicine and damp washcloths and there was vicks and cuddling to try and remove some of that heat from his body. It was tiring and this morning we're both walking zombies but his fever seems to be staying away for the past couple of hours, we'll see once this dose of Motrin wears out if it returns or not. I've put it in the Lord's hands and I know he'll be fine, thankfully they are on Winter Break so we can beat this before they return to school.

Yesterday, do you know what I did? While Curt and the kids were watching a movie, I reorganized Jasmine's and Nicholas bedroom, AND the closets in my bedroom too. I don't know what got into me, it was like Spring Cleaning in the winter LOL

Then I lay down in bed with Nicholas and popped in "The 1940's House", it was SO good, I think my favorite of all the PBS series. They take a family from 2000 and set them up in a house in London that has been redone in the 1940's style during World War II. They live in it for 3 months and go through what a family would have during that era. The bomb raids, the underground shelters, the food rationing and the blackouts where every night they had to cover every single window in the house to prevent any light from showing through or they would get fined. It was just crazy but I learnt so much about that era, so fascinating and heartbreaking all in one.

Well I just wanted to come in and drop off some photos and say hi, now I'm off to take care of my sick little boy and get some housecleaning done too. Have a great day everyone!

Merry Christmas!

My beautiful niece Anastacia who is doing extremely well and has now doubled her weight. Bless you all for the prayers :)

Thank you for the wonderful comments left on my post yesterday, they touched my heart and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one having these feelings during the holidays. I've decided to put it all behind me for today and completely immerse myself in my children and husband, cooking and eating and present opening.

Slow Cooking Thursday will not be up tomorrow, it will return next week.

Merry Christmas to you and yours......I will be back after Christmas and hope you will join me!

Family at Christmas!

I've struggled with whether or not to write this post, it's like a fight inside me but I feel that the need to put it all out there for the world is something that I can't control, it's almost like the Lord is pushing me to do this and I don't know why, but who am I to question right?

It's going to be a long one, a lot of venting so I apologize in advance, and if you're still here reading at the end, then Bless you.


Christmas for me used to be absolutely magical and it still is to some extent, but I've noticed as I've grown older and as family members have passed away, it's become one of the most difficult times of the year. One I look forward to for the sake of my children and for myself too in a way, but mostly, one that I cringe about and find myself fighting back tears constantly. It's hard being thousands of miles away from family and having just the memories of what it used to be like with me and my brothers running around, laughing and playing together, everything seemed perfect.

So here I sit today at 34 years old, reminiscing about family Christmases where my grandfather Julio was present, he was such a joy, he made everyone laugh and was just that light in the family. He is no longer with us and I miss him terribly during the holidays.


My greatgrandmother Ema, oh where do I begin? This amazing little lady was the rock in the family, the one constant there for me.....she lived with us and when both my parents used to work, it was her that got us up for school in time, fed us, took care of us, cooked and cleaned and did it all. I remember sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea while she told me stories of how life was for her as a child born in 1906, the struggles she went through, the death of her mother when she was 4 years old, the suicide of her father when she was 13 years old and how she found him, and all the other little things. I sat fascinated by her stories. Unfortunately she is also no longer with us and the pain of not having her around is just more than I can say.

Same goes for my other grandfather Antonio and my Uncle Carlos, both wonderful men who unfortunately I didn't get to enjoy as much as I would have liked because they lived overseas.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that at this time of the year, my eyes fill with tears and I yearn to be with them, to see them one last time, to laugh with them and enjoy their company. It's hard, it's extremely hard.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because the past two days I've been feeling really down, it seems to hit me around the 22nd of December and goes right through until the day after Christmas, it's a tough couple of days where I smile and put on a brave face while inside my heart is breaking.

But they're not the only people I miss, I miss my family in South Africa and after having the joy of spending a month with them back in May, it just hurts even more, it's like an old wound was reopened. I got to embrace my brothers again and my little nieces and nephews. I would give ANYTHING to be near them today.


I know, this post is all soppy and miserable, not at all my usual blogging style is it?

One of the reasons I felt the need to post this is because on Sunday night I lay in bed watching the movie "Click", it's about Michael (Adam Sandler) who is so busy with work that he neglects his family, he doesn't have time for them. He goes to Bath Bed and Beyond and gets a Universal Remote for his home but what he doesn't know is that it actually controls his life. He can pause, he can fast forward, he can go back in time. With all the fast forwarding he does to just get through his days he ends up missing a whole year of his life with his family and in a sense looses them. He misses the death of his father which really devastates him, watching him trying desperately to deal with the fact that he wasted so much time and never told his family how much he loves them, was sad, to say the least.

I watched the movie and it hit me hard that we are so busy with stupid things nowadays that a lot of times we push aside our families, we take it for granted that they'll be there everyday. But what if they aren't? What if you wake up tomorrow and they're gone? What then?

My emotions were still raw from watching this movie and last night I again was watching tv, the Season Finale of "Little People, Big World" when Mike, their family friend suddenly dies of a heart attack. I cried.....no actually I bawled, that ugly cry where your face contorts and you look absolutely horrible. I felt like a friend of mine had passed away, you get so used to seeing someone on TV, it's hard when they die. But I sat there and wondered, why am I crying? I don't know these people personally, it shouldn't affect me that much.

But it does, because it makes me think of my own family and how devastating it would be to me if they passed away.

It's so easy to get caught up in the here and now and the smallest insignificant things that we allow into our lives, that make us fight and say harsh words, that make us do stupid things and make horrible choices. The kind of things that we allow to fester, to cloud our judgement, to make us forget that the people we are fighting with are the same ones that we love unconditionally, that we spent our whole lives loving and laughing with, the same people we would do ANYTHING for.

We push all that deep inside and in it's place we allow the bad, the unimportant stuff to stay.

Something like this is happening in my family right now, my brothers aren't speaking and it absolutely breaks my heart and brings me heartache like you'll never know and there's nothing I can do about it. I can only sit by and pray and hope that they remember the love and not the hurt, that they realize that family is more important than anything else, that the same happy and loving little boys that loved each other, are STILL there, they grew up, they didn't change.

Deep down we're all still the same brothers and sisters that used to run around being naughty, that played hide and seek and hospitals and cars, that slid down stairs with sleeping bags, that played video games and board games, that skipped school, that got run over by bycicles and then chased the guy to beat him up, that built little go karts and sped down the street, that camped out at the Kruger National Park and sat up and chatted and laughed until our sides hurt.

It's all still there and I hope that soon it will all resurface, before it's too late.

I'm sorry for venting, I know this was a super long post. If you have a similar problem in the family I know you will completely understand where I'm coming from, and if you don't, consider yourself lucky and Blessed. Bottom line, love each other and enjoy each other TODAY, never let a moment go by without telling someone just how much they mean to you.

God Bless!

Christmas Spirit!

My sweet bloggy friend Susanne over at "Living to Tell the Story" tagged me for this meme/award combo. Thank you Susanne :)

5 Things I Love About Christmas

1. Christmas Tree - There is something magical about the tree when it's lit up, especially at night. I absolutely love turning all the lights off and leaving just the tree with it's pretty wrapped presents underneath and allowing it to illuminate the whole living room. It's not the first time that I've been caught laying underneath the tree, just staring up into the twinkling lights.

2. Christmas Baking - The hours spent in the kitchen on Christmas Eve are my favorite. It brings back so many wonderful memories from my childhood. After breakfast on Christmas Eve, the family members would start arriving at my dad's house and the kitchen would be buzzing with moms and grandmas cooking up amazing meals and yummy treats. The whole day was a mixture of excitement, last minute gift wrapping and the scent of delicious meals wafting throughout the house.

3. Christmas Snow - One of the things I miss the most from Idaho are the wonderful holiday snow storms, standing in the kitchen with a cup of hot coffee in my hand and looking out the window as the snow falls and Christmas music plays in the background.

4. Christmas Movies - Sitting down in front of the tv with my husband and children, cuddled in blankets and with bowls of popcorn on our laps while sipping on hot cocoa. The old movies, the new ones, anything Christmas, especially the ones on the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. Love it.

5. Christmas Mail - Is there anything better than getting beautiful cards from friends and family? The whole month of December I literally wait in anticipation for the mailman to come, then run to the mailbox as fast as I can. I love displaying the cards near the Christmas Tree and knowing that somewhere near or far, another friend or family member is thinking of us.

I'm passing this Spirit of Christmas Award/Meme Combo to the following wonderful ladies who have made blogging such a joy to me.

Mari - My Little Corner of the World
Amy - The Joy of my Heart
Eden - The Khaje Khronicles
Sarah - Another Bend in the Road
Cheri - Just Another Day in Paradise
Roberta Anne - Little House in the Desert
Sherry - The Journey Back
Renee - 2 Peas in a Pod
Tamy - 3 Sides of Crazy
Elizabeth - Turtle Cottage

The Simple Woman's Daybook!

Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

If you want to join in, just go visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window...
a chill in the air....landscaping people mowing lawns

I am thinking...
that I really enjoyed last night's movie and it's made me think about a LOT of things, I'll post about it later today.

From the learning rooms...
nothing this week

I am thankful for...
my husband's work issue being sorted out last week, it was stressful and scary for a few days

From the kitchen...
For breakfast oatmeal for the kids and toast and coffee for me, lunch will be Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and dinner will be Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

I am wearing...
black sweat pants and a white tank top

I am reading...
The Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

I am hoping...
to get a good cleaning on this house today

I am creating...
different dishes for Christmas Eve Dinner

I am hearing...
the kids playing on the computer, a Christmas movie on the TV

Around the house...
Board Games to be put away after our Family Game Weekend....breakfast dishes to be done, house to be cleaned

One of my favorite things...
Watching my children's faces on Christmas Eve

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Tomorrow we'll be making Reindeer Food to set out on Christmas Eve...cooking a bunch of different things for our dinner that night and then opening presents at midnight. A run to the library to return books and nothing else.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Christmas Moonlight

Happy Birthday Colby!

Today is my little nephew's birthday, this sweet little boy who looks so much like Nicholas, who made us laugh and who was also the naughtiest little thing ever LOL

I loved watching him with Nicholas, they became instant friends and did the craziest things together, but Nicholas wasn't the only one he clung to. The minute he met Uncle Curtis, that was it. This instant love and respect, this instant bond that was beyond anything that we all could have imagined....to the point where when we left South Africa in May, we all sat in tears as we watched Curt and Colby hugging goodbye, it was the saddest most heart touching moment from our visit there.

Even when we were out to eat, Colby was draped all over Curt LOL


So Colby, we want to wish you a very Happy Birthday and we want you to know that we can not wait to see you next year. Your Uncle Curtis misses you terribly and he wants you to know that he loves you and can't wait to see you again.

Hope you have an amazing day, we wish we could be there with you but we definitely are in tought.

We love you little one!

Family Game Night!

One of our favorite ways to pass the time, is to play board games, so that's what we did yesterday, there was Sorry and Scene it and Pick up Stix and Monopoly and Snakes and Ladders.

It always takes me back in time, to days spent around the kitchen table with family, to those never ending Monopoly games, the ones that start right after lunch and by dinnertime my stepmom would be asking us to please remove the board off the table so she could set it for dinner......and I was alway only happy to oblige because you see, I'm not a Monopoly kinda gal, as a matter of fact, I detest that game with a passion LOL


I'm serious, I really really get irritated by it, I'm too nice, I'm the type who will NOT buy a property because I know someone else already has one or two of the same place....then you have my husband who plays rough, he shows no mercy, its' all or nothing, he's the kind that will look over at you and laugh because you have zero, zilch, nada, no money left, but he'll throw down 2 hotels right as you're coming around the bend. Annoying to say the least LOL


So anyway, as with all board games played with kids, there's drama, there's crying because they're loosing, there's bragging because they're winning, there's game pieces flying and being hidden, there's pouting and yelling out "I don't want to play anymore" followed quickly by "I'M picking the next game". That's like contradiction at it's best.....and there's always a time out involved, at least once during the Game Day one or both of the kids will have to sit one out because of their attitude. LOL


But all in all, it's fun, it's inexpensive crazy laugh until you sides hurt fun, and it's something the kids will remember forever. The kind of memories that somewhere down the line they will be sitting in their own kitchen with their own children and they will talk about the Family Game Nights from their childhood. Those are the kind of memories I want my children to have and that's why even though I'm feeling awful, we're all sick with colds, I sat through a whole game of Monopoly, broke as always and bribing the kids with cookies to pay my way around the board. LOL

By 8pm, everyone was exhausted and after quick showers, the kids were in bed and fast asleep, even though it was a Saturday night. I think the sickies had a lot to do with it, Jasmine had a headache and was running a fever, which made her cranky and annoyed and by the time the last game was over she said she needed to sleep, the light was starting to hurt her eyes.

So with kids asleep and Curt watching his own movies, I took my own hot shower, put on my warm pj's and climbed into bed, popped in "Manor House" and took out my knitting basket. I finished Jasmine's Shrug and it looks so cute on her, just love it.



She's thrilled with it and already asked me for another in a different color. If anyone wants to give it a try, this is the pattern I'm using, it's straight forward knitting, nothing difficult or weird about it. I'm thinking for mine I'm going to make the sleeves longer, maybe until my elbow at least. We'll see.

I want to get some baking done today, I need to refill the cookie jar and the kids are telling me that we have to make something special for Santa, just not the same ol' boring cookies. So I'm making Alicia's Jam Thumbprints, they're simple and yet so good.
I also need to make that Lemon Drizzle Cake, I never got around to it yesterday and I'm not exactly feeling 100% today, but I'm sure I can squeeze in some kitchen time......these are the days I love my crockpot, just throw something in in the morning and forget about it, so dinner tonight is Enchilada Chicken Soup. You can find the recipe here, the sweet Lynn contributed it to my Slow Cooking Thursday post.

But it's lunch time, so I'm off to feed the family and maybe get a little bit more reading of my "The Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg, I just love her.

God Bless,

You guys Rock!

I asked for prayers and you answered and by last night all of the issues going on at hubby's work were resolved. Everything is fine and we couldn't be happier.

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it more than I could ever tell you. I spent last night thanking the Lord, for this and for everything, all the blessings in my life and you, you my dear bloggy friends who are always there ready to help when needed.

I still can't give you the details, all I can say is that you know he is a Crew Chief with the F-16's which means he is a mechanic for those amazing machines. When there is any kind of problem with the said machine, there is usually a huge investigation and so forth with anyone that was anywhere near the jet. Being military it's all too easy to get into big trouble and it's the kind of thing that can ruin your career, but thankfully it's all resolved, it was just an accident and out of the airman's hands and everything is fine. Nevertheless while it is happening, it's scary and nerve wrecking not just for them but the families too.

So again, thank you for the prayers :)

Now that I can relax, I am trying to finish off a Knitted Shrug for Jasmine, then I have two to make for myself. You do know what Shrugs are right? They are so easy to knit and I absolutely love them.....they look great, they keep you warm and the possibilities are endless using different colors.

This is the one I'm making for me and Jasmine, but I'm also going to make another using longer sleeves.

This is where I'm at with it, I only need about another 4 rows and then it will be done.

I just don't see paying money for something that is super easy to make and quick too, I got all that done in just two hours.

Today I have to take the kids to the BX, they want to buy daddy their Christmas gift. I don't get involved at all, only money wise, because I love seeing what they come up with on their own. It's always amazing to me how their perceptions of what daddy wants or needs, is so different.

Curt will be there too, but in a different area of the store, we'll be switching kids out because they want to buy mine too. Now I know some of you may be wondering how that will work out having everyone there at the same time, but we always have the best time doing it, it's funny watching everyone running into aisles while trying to avoid running into each other. LOL

We have nothing else planned for today, I'm not feeling that good, it's that time of the month and I've also got a bit of a head cold/allergy thing going on, this time of the year is just brutal isn't it?

I'll be sitting down knitting, watching "Colonial House" and "Manor House" and using up the tons of lemons that are starting to fall off the tree. I think I'll start with a Lemon Drizzle Cake then make some Lemon Curd and finally some Lemon Bars which are Curt's favorites. After the week he's had, I want to do something special for him.

On my nightstand:: A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

On my kitchen table:: Hot Chocolate Muffins, Coffee for us and Orange Juice for the kids

On the menu for tonight:: Spaghetti with Bacon and Mushrooms

On the tv for me:: Colonial House and Manor House

In my craft basket:: A Knitted Shrug for Jasmine

On my errands list for today:: A trip to the BX

In the laundry room:: Two loads to wash and put away

On the housework list:: Cleaning both bathrooms and scrubbing the bath tub and shower

In the CD player:: Christmas Music, Faith Hill's Christmas CD

On my mind:: My husband and children, my family back home, the troops overseas

I'm freezing....and no I haven't lost my mind...and no

I'm not in Idaho or Michigan or Alaska. I'm still here in Arizona, where it's supposed to be really hot all the time? You know the place? The one where there's 365 days of heat?

Well you know the huge storm that is sweeping across the States? It decided to dump tons of torrential rain in our area, the whole week it's been a constant dripping of water and high winds, which actually killed one of my reindeer, I'm so annoyed.
But anyway, the rain stopped yesterday but it they skies were like a silent movie, clouds came and went constantly, grey ones, big fluffy white ones, dark black ones and then blue clear skies, then back to the same, rinse and repeat but no rain.

This morning though I stepped outside to take the kids to school and had ice on the top of my car....ICE, yes I.C.E. ICE, maybe if I say it over and over it will sink in that what I saw was real.....and not just the ice but you could see your breath in the air and my thick coat didn't help keep me warm, I was literally chilled to the bone.

Today is the kid's last day before the Winter Break and I couldn't be happier, I think at this time of the year we all need a good break, a time to relax and not have to rush and not worry about schedules and school stuff, just sit around the house and read, watch movies, eat cookies and wait in anticipation for Christmas.

The school always does something on this last day....Jasmine's fourth grade classroom are having a Game Day, they took in their favorite board games and after they take their spelling test, that is what they will be doing until school let's out early. Nicholas is having a pajama/movie day, they got to wear their pj's and will be watching The Polar Express in the library, he was so excited, but kept reminding me that he had to wear tennis shoes and NOT slippers. LOL

*sigh* I really can't wait until school let's out today.

In the meantime, I need to make a run to the library to return my books and maybe pick up some more. Oh who am I kidding, I know I'll be back with a bunch more to read. I'm very weak when it comes to the library, it just has that effect on me.

Anyway, I need to head on out. Before I do though, I can't go into details but I would like to ask you all for prayers for Curt and the issue that is going on at work right now. Please pray for it be resolved soon and for everything to be ok. Sorry I can't say more, it's the whole military thing you know....I could tell you but then I would have to kill you LOL

I hope you're all staying warm, those out there getting hit hard by the snow and storms, please stay safe and be careful out there on the roads.

Hugs and Blessings to all!

Let's talk Christmas movies!

One of my fondest memories of Christmas as a child, was laying on the floor in the living room and watching Christmas movies. There was something magical about that moment, you could feel the electricity in the air, knowing that Christmas Eve was just around the corner.

Each day we would watch as the tree grew with more and more presents, as my stepmom bought and wrapped them, she would place them under the tree and we would jump for joy.

The Christmas break from school was my favorite time of the year, I literally could not contain myself with the anticipation of whatever would be on the television that day. I miss that nowadays, I miss that innocence and that craving for Christmas, the unknown of what you would get that year, how many presents would there be, WHAT was inside the pretty wrapped paper. If you were anything like me, you picked them up, you held them, you smelled them and you definitely shook them, lightly so as not to break anything, but trying desperately to get a clue, but also knowing that if you happened to guess what it was, it was depressing, the feeling of surprise would not longer be there LOL

But anyway, going back to movies and shows. I have so many that I remember enjoying around the holidays, so here's my list, maybe they'll bring back good memories for you too.

A Christmas Story

It is the Christmas season in Northern Indiana and Ralphie desperately wants a genuine Red Rider BB gun under the tree. The movie revolves around this pursuit and how Ralphie tries to overcome the obstacles in obtaining this gift, mainly in the form of adults who bleat "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!"

Mickey's Christmas Carol

The classic Disney animated characters play the roles in this animated retelling of the Charles Dickens masterpiece.

Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

The legend of Santa Claus comes to life in this enchanting heartwarming tale that the whole family will cherish year-round! This is the delightful story of a master toymaker who discovers a magical kingdom of elves at the North Pole. There he is entrusted with wonderous, special powers -- to become the world's beloved patron of Christmas...Santa Claus! And there he meets Patch (Dudley Moore), an eager-to-please elf who becomes mixed up with a dastardly toy tycoon's (John Lithgow) plans to take over Christmas. And so begins Santa's greatest adventure of all -- to rescue his faithful elf and to save Christmas for all the children of the world.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - (by far one of my favorites)

The third in the series of National Lampoon's 'Vacation' films, this sequel concerns the Griswold family's holiday get-together. This time they're trying to have a picture book, old-fashioned Christmastime--even though all the in-laws are dropping by, including Clark's (Chevy Chase) redneck cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid). Looks like it's going to be a real holly-jolly holiday--if they can make it through.

Ernest Saves Christmas

High-flying reindeer! Mischievous elves! Warp-speed sleigh rides! Get set for a magical dose of holiday cheer, zany season's greetings, and spell-binding special effects in this fast-paced, heartwarming comedy hit! When Santa Claus decides to retire and pass on his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new St. Nick, he enlists the aid of a hilarious assortment of characters, including that lovable know-it-all Ernest P. Worrell (Emmy Award-winning comedian Jim Varney)! Along the way, Santa and Ernest help a cynical teen experience the season's spirit like never before. And that's where the fun -- and magic -- begin! ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS ... one delightful, surprising tale you'll never forget!

Those were just a few of my favorites at the time, but nowadays there are so many out there that I truly enjoy and so do my kids, so here is a list of the movies that we as a family absolutely love watching during the holidays.

The Polar Express

The Santa Clause

Home Alone

Elf

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I have to say, as much as I love being a wife and mother and having my own house, I don't think there's anything better than the memories you keep in your heart from the time you had as a child.

I miss them dearly and there's times that I wish I could be back there, with my brothers and my parents and grandparents, eating good food, laying under the christmas tree staring up at the lights, helping with the christmas presents and laughing, there was always laughter in the house. There's no better memory to have for the rest of your life, as that of a happy and loving family and I'm blessed to have had that.

It's funny I sit back and think of Christmas Eve and how we opened the presents, and as soon as that clock struck midnight, me and my 3 brothers would run to the tree and start passing out gifts, making our own little piles of gifts as we went and then everyone got to sit down and tear into the presents. There was always toys and clothes and books and I remember vividly the next morning waking up and walking into the living room...the couch would be littered with little piles belonging to this one and that one, everyone had their own stash. It's like a photograph ingrained in my memory and I only wish my children were able to be part of the HUGE Christmases we used to have.

But we just have to make our very own traditions and memories right?

So here's my questions for today: Do you still remember the movies you used to watch as a child during Christmas? What was your favorite? And what was your favorite childhood memory around the holidays?

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

SMASHED POTATO SOUP

Better Home and Gardens

Ingredients

* 3-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 1/2 cup chopped yellow and/or red sweet pepper
* 1-1/2 teaspoons bottled roasted garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 4-1/2 cups chicken broth
* 1/2 cup whipping cream, half-and-half, or light cream
* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
* Sliced green onions ((optional)

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine potatoes, sweet pepper, garlic, and black pepper. Pour broth over all.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

3. Mash potatoes slightly with a potato masher. Stir in whipping cream, cheddar cheese, and the 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions. If desired, top individual servings with additional sliced green onions. Makes 8 servings.

From Rain to Sun Shine

The rain has been non stop and we have not seen a blue sky since Sunday, but just a few minutes ago, the rain stopped, the clouds moved away and this bright sun shine seeped through. I don't know whether to be happy or annoyed LOL

I was enjoying all the rain though it does make it a bit of a hassle taking the kids to school and picking them up when you're soaking wet.....but all that balances out the fact that for the whole year it's usually cloudless and hot as heck around here.

Just as I am sitting here typing this, the clouds have moved on in again and it looks like by this afternoon we will be hearing the pitter patter on the roof.

This week has been all about baking for me, there has been shortbread and chocolate peppermint cookies and toffee and there will still be more to come, I'll add the recipes to the food blog as I go.

I'm also FINALLY ready for the holidays, I'm done people, I'm completely done with all the gifts both bought and homemade. It feels wonderful to be able to sit back now and just wait for the day to arrive, which for us is December 24th at midnight. It's always been our tradition to wait up until that time and then open the presents and of course when I brought that up to the children, they were only too happy to follow the Portuguese way of doing things LOL Wouldn't you?

How do you celebrate Christmas at your house? Do you also open the gifts on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning? What about the stockings, do you have them ready the night before or the next morning and what about gifts from Santa, do you wrap them or leave them unwrapped under the tree. Let's talk traditions shall we?

I'll tell you about ours, like I said it's all about Christmas Eve, I don't cook a dinner that night, we have a bunch of small things on the table, usually one or two desserts, there's Shrimp Rissoles and Cod Fish Cakes, there's Beer Shrimp and pan fried chicken pieces and Beef Croquets etc.

This year our menu will consists of:

Rissois de Camarao (Shrimp Turnovers)
Fried Chicken
Bola de Carne (Savory Meat Bread)
Chips and Dip
Chocolate Cake
Portuguese Cookie Cake

We eat and then hang out and have fun until it's time to open the presents, after that the kids will go to bed and we set up the stockings and the gifts from Santa, now some years I wrap them and others I don't, it just depends on what mood I'm in I guess LOL

I cover the table with a big table cloth and leave all the yummy stuff under there for the next day, so throughout the day you can just go by the table and help yourself to whatever you want. Dinner on Christmas night is usually Cod Fish, so I'm making Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa. This great cod fish recipe with onions and garlic and potatoes, it's SO GOOD.

On Christmas morning, I make christmas tree shaped pancakes while the kids open the stockings and Santa's gifts, then we eat and then everyone gets to play with their new toys and enjoy their gifts. There's also the LONG phone call from home, the one where I get to sit down and talk to like 12 or 13 people in one sitting, we always laugh because the phone just gets passed around from one person to another LOL

And can I be honest with you all? As much as I love the holidays, I can NOT wait until they're over so things can go back to normal. Maybe I'm getting old but all the noise and traffic and crowds just make me cringe, I am quite positive I may have been a hermit in a previous life LOL

Let me quickly show you the teacher gift boxes I made, there's nothing spectacular in there, there's that small little bag with mints, there's toffee and then there are homemade shortbread cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Cookies which are SO good, there's crushed candy canes inside and on top. YUM!

I also found these round little boxes at the dollar store and got 3 of those, one for Curt and one for each of the kids, they are also getting the shortbread and the chocolate peppermint cookies.

And now I feel like I've babbled enough for one day so I'm heading out. I'm actually going to go check out all the Husband MeMe's you ladies did, I can't wait to read.

I thought it was so funny that so many of you seemed shocked that Curt doesn't watch sports LOL but it's true, he does not like sports ATT.ALL. Guess I'm lucky LOL

Anyway, have a great Wednesday!

Husband MeMe!

My wonderful husband puts up with me and loves me unconditionally, so I thought it would be a good idea to introduce you all to him, let you know more about him and what makes this man tick. :)

HUSBAND MEME


1. He’s sitting in front of the TV: what is on the screen? Star Gate or Simpsons...or a movie about superheroes LOL

2. You’re out to eat. What kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch

3. What is one food he doesn’t like? There's actually two things he does not like at all....one is tuna and the other is eggs.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? We never go to any bars LOL But if we do go out to eat or are with family or something, then he'll either have beer or Jack Daniels

5. Where did he go to high school? Eisenhower High in Lawton, OK

6. What size shoe does he wear? 10

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Dragons, Legos and military coins

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Ham, Lettuce, mayo...

9. What would the Husband eat every day if he could? Grilled Steaks

10. What is his favorite cereal? Raisin Bran

11. What would he never wear? A dress LOL

12. What is his favorite sports team? He doesn't watch sports

13. Who is his best friend? Me

14. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do? Nothing

15. How many states has he lived in? 8 states

16. What is his heritage? American

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind? Lemon with Vanilla Frosting

18. Did he play sports in high school? LOL LOL Ha Ha Ha He He He Ho Ho Ho

19. What could he spend hours doing? Playing video games on the computer


Now if you decide to play along, please let me know so I can come and check it out.

Bring on the Rain!

Well the big storm has finally hit our area and we've had rain since last night, non stop, the constant pitter patter on the roof and the windows. I love it!

We're supposed to have a lot more throughout the week and the temperatures have definitely dropped. We're in the 40's today WOOHOO, it's like being back in Idaho on a cool fall day LOL

So anyway, come on in out of the rain and let's chat, I have hot Caramel Drizzle coffee to offer and some yummy Muddy Buddies to munch on.

I'm sure you've noticed my template is different, I wanted to do something Christmasy, something I could look at every day and feel like I'm in winter wonderland. If this scene on the banner doesn't get you in the Christmas mood, I don't know what will.

So are you ready for the big day? I feel like I am still crawling behind everyone, I keep hearing "I've got all the gifts bought and wrapped, I'm done". I only wish. I think there are a few things that will be crossed off my list and left for next year, I hate having to do it but I'm not Superwoman and I can't wave a magic wand either.

A couple of you asked me for the pattern for the Petal Dishcloth I'm working on, so here it is:

Linh at A girl in Georgia made the above knitted projects, the petal dishcloth is on the right, how pretty is that? She also has the pattern for the Oak Leaf Pattern on the left, so go check out her blog.

Petal Dishcloth

Designed by: Hazel Schrock
Rating: Easy

Materials: 1 ball of cotton yarn, Size 8 US needles.

Instructions: Cast on 16 stitches
Row 1: Slip 1 stitch, K 3, yarn over (YO), K 10, turn and Knit back.
Row 2: Slip 1 stitch, K 3, YO, K 9, turn and Knit back.
Row 3: Slip 1 stitch, K 3, YO, K 8, turn and Knit back.
Row 4: Slip 1 stitch, K 3, YO, K 7, turn and Knit back.
Row 5: Slip 1 stitch, K 3, YO, K 6, turn and Knit back.
Row 6: Bind off 5 stitches, Knit to end of row.
Row 7: Knit across row.

Repeat these 7 rows until there are 12 points.
Bind off next row, leaving 12 inch end. Stitch around center, pull together and join 2 sides.
Also, you can make the "petals" in different coelors by changing yarns every 7 rows.

If I haven't been to your blogs much this week, I apologize, things have been nuts around here but they'll calm down after this week, the kids last day of school is friday and then it's winter break, sleeping in, staying up late, doing puzzles and watching movies, drinking homemade hot cocoa and nibbling on sugar cookies and gingerbread men. Yes, I'm ready for the break and I'm ready to have my babies home with me all day long :)

In the meantime I need to get back on track and get this house clean, I have floors that need to be mopped and rugs to be vacuumed and meat to marinade for tonight's Bifanas (Portuguese Pork Sandwiches), I also need to go fill up my car and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see $1.49 a gallon at the station....OH.MY.WORD, it feels like it's been 20 years since I've seen that *snicker*.........AND I need to go Christmas Shopping for the last few gifts, which brings me to a question......it's all about Stocking Stuffers.

I want to know from you all what you do and how you do it. What kind of stuff do you put in the stockings, do you go for yummy edible goodies, do you do gift cards or movie tickets, toys for the kids or are you one of the more practical gift givers filling their stockings with batteries, razors and all that kind of stuff?


I'm a bit of everything kinda gal, there's chocolates and little toys and movies and games and all sorts of things in there, but I admit there have been a year or two where during the rush, I forgot to get anything LOL So there were no Stocking Stuffers, oh well....I'm not perfect LOL

So I leave you with that question, come on in and chat with me, give me your ideas and advice, I'm sure there's plenty of us out there wondering just what to put in that stocking this year.

Sunday Talk!

It's a quiet day here in the Air Force Household. The clouds are dark and grey, the wind is blowing a bit and everything in the house is dark, except for the soft glow of the Christmas tree in the corner.

It's one of those days, the quiet, nothing planned, fly by the seat of our pants, do whatever you want, days. Those are by far my favorites!

I got up this morning and made my way to the kitchen, behind me came the pitter patter of tiny feet, sleepy eyes and tousled hair. There's nothing like the first hug in the morning, the one that is warm and made with half asleep arms, the sound of "morning mommy, I love you" which sets the tone for the rest of the day, how can you not smile when those are the first words you hear?

I quickly set to work, turned on the kettle for some hot tea and whipped up some pancakes which were then slathered with butter and drizzled with Toasted Pecan Syrup and dollops of whipped cream. Smiles and giggles erupted over the breakfast table, jokes and laughing and goofing around in between bites of pancake.

While I did the dishes the kids moved into the living room to entertain themselves, with hubby working night shift he is still asleep at this time so we try to stay out of his way and be as quiet as we possibly can, which if you have children you understand is near impossible. But for the most part they're pretty good about it.

It's a little chilly here today, the temperatures are finally dropping and it's starting to feel more like winter. The sun keeps trying to peek through but is having no luck.

This red hair and eyes just kill me, I never get enough of them :)

Here's my boy, off in his own world. he claimed he was really cold so he grabbed his spiderman blanket and wrapped it around his waist like a skirt LOL

I find myself staring at the Christmas tree throughout the day, there's something magical about the glow of the lights and the decorations, it completely transports you to another time doesn't it?

While the kids are playing and the husband is sleeping, I've been keeping myself busy with the knitting, trying to finish off all the last minute gifts.....like this little knitted coaster, it only took me 30 minutes to make it.

I'm thinking of making six altogether and wrapping them in a bow, it would make a great gift, wouldn't it?

Here's a closer look

And waiting on my needles is a Petal Dishcloth for myself, I'll see how it turns out and decide if I want to OR have time to make some for gifts.

But while I'm knitting I do enjoy watching tv, and yesterday I got 4 DVD's from Netflix with Season 6 of McLeod's Daughters and OH.MY.WORD is it ever getting good. I am completely obsessed with this show, I can't seem to get enough of it and just pop one in after the other, I'm sure I'll have all watched today and ready to be mailed off tomorrow. I'm THAT bad!

I do hope you're all having a quiet and relaxing Sunday. I'm off to work on my menus for the next two weeks and my grocery list....tomorrow is commissary day. I need to make sure I have everything I need for the tons of baking I'll be doing this week, which means the Food Blog will be flooded with recipes. YAY!

Have a great day everyone, I leave you with one of my favorite songs at the moment, Carrie Underwood and "Just a Dream". When you watch the video you'll understand why this song is so beautiful and so sad at the same time.

Carrie Underwood - Just A Dream music video

Nicholas' First Kindergarten Show!

Last night we went to the school's Kindergarten Snow Show. As I sat there watching my little boy sing and act out the words, I had a lump in my throat. I was so extremely proud of him and the fact that this is the beginning of a whole new world for him. The maturing from a little toddler to a big school boy....there's something magical about their first school concert isn't there?

So be prepared for quite a few pics and a little video, I know it may seem like much but I just couldn't stop snapping photos and I know that the family is dying to see him. Nicholas is especially excited about Vovo (grandpa) in South Africa seeing that he can sing just like him. :)

After the show, they were all lined up so the parents could pick them, but of course there were a few straggler kindergarteners just wandering around LOL My son was one of course LOL

One of the really sweet things the kindergarteners do every year, is make Christmas Cards for the Luke AFB Airmen that are currently deployed and will not be home for the holidays.

The teachers supply all the materials and cookies to eat after the Snow Show and the kids get to make the cards and write whatever they want. Nicholas did this ALL on his own, he asked me how to spell "can't" and "sorry" but everything else he did alone, right down to his backwards G, and it makes me so proud of him. It brought tears to my eyes when I read the card.....it says:

I am sorry that you can't go home

And here's Jasmine's card, again, it makes me so proud of my kids. I think being a military family they are fully aware of what it means for a soldier to be away, Jasmine especially since she's been through it before when daddy was overseas during Christmas and New year's.

It was a great night, we enjoyed the children singing and seeing how happy they were up on stage. As with all 5 year olds, they started waving to their mommies and daddies and shouting out "I love you" LOL

It was so cute.

Here is Nicholas with his classroom's snowman, each class made one and put it up on the wall. he is pointing to his photo.

Here's the first song they sang...I couldn't get much more, I was so busy taking photos that I forgot about the video LOL

Delgo!

Have you heard about the movie Delgo?

It’s a fun, animated action/adventure with a stellar voice cast that includes Freddie Prinze Jr, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Anne Bancroft (in her last performance), Val Kilmer, Michael Clarke Duncan, Chris Kattan and more.

And it's premiering December 12, 2008. You may be wondering what it's about..well:

The story takes place in the magical land of Jhamora which is divided between two cultures – the Nohrin, winged masters of the skies, and the Lockni, the terrestrial tribe who harness the mystical powers of the land. When Delgo (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), a reckless Lockni teenager, forms a forbidden friendship with the spunky Nohrin Princess Kyla (Jennifer Love Hewitt), hostilities between the two peoples escalate, setting the stage for an exiled empress (Anne Bancroft) to exact her revenge and reclaim her rule.

Falsely imprisoned, Delgo and his best friend, Filo (Chris Kattan), must put aside their differences to join forces with a sworn enemy, Bogardus (Val Kilmer), and travel to the mysterious land of Perran to rescue Princess Kyla. Here they encounter fanciful creatures and discover more than just a kidnapped princess, they learn the value of different cultures and the importance of working together.

My kids are dying to watch it and I am too actually, I mean just looking at the cast with brilliant actors like Anne Bancroft and Jennifer Love Hewitt who are two of my favorite actresses.. So if you want to take your kids out to a good movie this weekend, why not check out Delgo?

You can watch a preview here:

Trailer 1
Trailer 2

Or you can go take a look around the movie's website, you can get to know the characters and the cast, even the creatures from the movie.

Delgo is definitely a movie I'm taking my kids to watch this holiday season.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

Breakfast Potatoes

4 Med-large potatoes
1 Onion - peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. butter
4 slices of bacon
4 oz. Cheddar Cheese

Fry or cook bacon in Microwave. Slice potatoes, Chop Onions, grate cheese.

Layer Potatoes, Butter, Onion, Bacon, Cheese. Only layer this 2 times.

Cook on High 8-10 hours.

Knitting is Therapeutic!

It truly is. I can't tell you how calming and relaxing it is to sit on the couch or in bed with my knitting basket and the sound of the click click click of the needles as I work on a new project.

After the kids were asleep last night, I pulled out my yarn and needles and made a coffee mug cozy. I wasn't quite sure if it would turn out well or if I would be able to pull it off, but in one hour I had the cutest little cozy ever.

It's such a simple pattern too, I found it online a couple of weeks ago and set it aside, completely forgot about it until last night. Now I'm thinking, this would be the perfect addition to the teacher's gift sets.

This is the pattern I used for my mug, which will fit in a 10" round mug.

1. Cast on 60 stitches
2. K2P2 for about a 1/4 of an inch (I did 3 rows)).
3. Bind off 4 stitches and then K2P2 until the end of the row, in pattern.
4. K2P2 for about 2 3/4 inches (or until you have a "gap" about the length of the handle) You should have a piece of fabric a couple of inches long, with a small notch that sticks out at one side, on the bottom.
5. Cast on 4 stitches (or the same number of stitches you binded off earlier). This is best done at the end of a row.
6. K2P2 for about another 1/4 of an inch, including the bind off row.
7. Bind off in pattern (meaning K2P2). Be sure not to bind off too tightly, as you need some "stretch" in the final piece to pull it over the mug.
8. You should have a rectangle with two notches sticking out on the top and bottom edge of one side. Using the yarn tail, stitch the notch to the other end of the rectangle. Then, using the other tail attached to the other notch, seam that to the other side of the rectangle.
9. Weave in your ends.

I'm so happy with the way mine turned out and I love the yarn too, it's just my kind of colors. I have another started and will finish it later. For now I have to get into the Crayon Rolls and finish sewing them, I only have to turn them inside out and give the opening a quick stitch, add the crayons and they will be done.

My next project is going to be Bella's Mittens from Twilight....tell me you don't think they are the cutest things ever?

If you want to give them a try, click here for the pattern download. I'm holding out on these a bit, they look kind of complicated and intimidating but dagnabit I want them LOL

So that's what's going on with the crafting side of my life, on the cooking side there really isn't anything new or exciting right now but I do have some recipes to try and some old family favorites to post on the food blog, keep an eye out for those the next week or so.

I started a new book last night, "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella. If you know the author you'll remember she's well known for her Shopaholic series which I absolutely loved, they were hilarious and so is this book. I'm liking it already, ok, there are one or two cuss words thrown in there, but I overlook those because the book itself is so funny and Ms. Kinsella is such a great writer, she has this knack for making you feel like you're right there with the characters. Listen to this:

Oh God. Was I mugged? That has to be it. Some teenager in a hoodie clonked me over the head and I fell down in the street, and they must have called an ambulance and ---- An even more horrendous thought grips me. What underwear was I wearing?
I can't help giving a small moan. This could be seriously bad. This could be the scaggy gray knickers and bra I only put on when the hamper is full. Or that faded lemon thong with the fraying edge and cartoon of Snoopy.

Wincing, I swivel my head from side to side -- but I can't see any clothes or anything. The doctors must have incinerated them in the special Hospital Incinerator for Scaggy Underwear.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha this is so funny because so often I remember having this conversation with my stepmom or grandmother. They always drilled into my head when I was growing up. You ALWAYS wear your best underwear because you never know what may happen and you don't want to be in an accident or have something happen to you and have people see you in torn or holey underwear LOL

Tell me I'm not the only girl who was ever told this growing up.

So anyway, this book is already cracking me up and I can't wait to read more, but now I have to go do one last load of laundry and then finish up the gifts for the kids, I guess I should also get hubby on the car.....well not ON the car, but I mean, working on fixing the car *snicker*

Have a Blessed day!

Around the House!

I'm tired this morning, I think I need to go to bed one night and sleep until noon the next day. Do you remember those days? Those younger days of ours when we would sleep in and wake up with the smells of lunch in the kitchen?

Not that I could do that nowadays, I mean, I'm the one making the lunch LOL But I do miss waking up when I want to, when my body finally says "ok that's enough, you need to get up". It just feels like a roller coaster sometimes, the days merge into nights and back into days and you hardly get a chance to breathe.

I think during this time of the year it's worse with all the Christmas hoopla going on. I'm trying to get all the gifts finished and ready for the holidays but as always I'm sure something will get pushed aside, remain in the sewing or knitting basket with the promise of "there's always next year".

On thursday we have Nicholas' kindergarten winter concert, it's his first concert EVER and I'm so excited. I remember the first time Jasmine had a school show, it gives you that sense of pride but it makes you want to cry too doesn't it? Or is that just me, after all I tend to cry for everything. But really, I'm going to enjoy every second of his concert and of course there will be photos and videos posted for the family and friends to see.

The rest of the week, I'm spending finishing up the Crayon Rolls, some of you asked me earlier what they were, so here you go:

I'm thinking that if I have enough time, I may make them another one but for their coloring pencils. My children LOVE books and drawing and coloring and pens and papers and all that fun stuff, I have to admit, daddy and mommy do too. You should see us at Staples or Office Depot....like kids in a candy store I tell ya LOL

I'm also starting on the baking for the gifts, I'm making 4 different cookie recipes so that I can use an assortment for each one. These will go to the kid's teachers, each of the kids will also get some for Christmas and hubby as well. Not to mention the Homemade Caramels which I make every year and they're a huge hit.

Homemade Caramels
Snow Drops
Mini Chip Butter Crisps
Lemon Butter Cookies
Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies

That's what will be in the gift boxes this Christmas, and one of those boxes is probably going in the care package for the troops. We'll see.

Now do you want to smile and go ooooohhhhhh? Do you? Because I'm about to show you my lemon tree, it's literally exploded with lemons the past two or three weeks and I couldn't be happier, some of them are falling to the ground already and being picked up and stored for Lemon Drizzle Cake and Lemonade and Lemon Bars and Lemon Chicken and Lemon Tea and anything Lemon actually.

I tell you, I get so happy when I see these beauties on my tree, how perfect they are and how unbelievably amazing God is to create them.

While I'm not out staring at the tree, you can see me on the couch, or the bed, with this basket nearby. Just looking at it makes me smile and my fingers itch to knit more goodies. I've got quite a few dishcloths in my kitchen already. The kids scarves are finished and wrapped, so is Jasmine's Acorn bookmark. Now I'm working on knitting my first hat which is a whole other post because I've never knitted with circular needles and let's just say.....well....it's a little confusing and intimidating at first, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

And this is where I ask you for free patterns, would you be so kind as to leave me a comment with a link to an easy knitting hat pattern, or maybe you can tell me how to knit in the round?
I truly would appreciate it.

With all the knitting I've been doing, I decided that I deserved something for myself, something to make mama feel good. So I'm using all my leftover yarn and making a warm and comfy knitted blanket for me, nothing intricate or time consuming, just plain knitted squares sewn together. I usually knit one a day but I'm sure if I had more time, I would have the blanket ready by now, see I'm a pretty fast knitter and make a square every two hours.

I love the different colors and textures, I just can't wait to have the full blanket to wrap around me on a cold morning or to snuggle with in bed. The kids have already been eyeing it out and have asked me when I can make one for them, guess that's next on my list....maybe after the holidays and when things have calmed down.

So this is where I stand right now, surrounded by goodness, and by homey things that make me smile. Now I'm off to sew OR knit OR make a cup of tea and read a good book.....like the one I read last night. Yes sirree, I picked up Elizabeth Berg's "Dream when you're feeling blue" and read it in 3 hours. Goodness, I don't know how but I did. It was THAT good.

The story follows 3 sisters, Kitty, Louise and Tish through WWII. As Kitty and Louise say goodbye to their fiancee and boyfriend and then keep the home fires burning while they're away. Through letter writing to them and other men at war, these three sisters grow closer and find out things about each other.

A Rita Hayworth look-alike and her sister keep the home fires burning for young men going off to fight WWII in Berg's nostalgic tale of wartime romance and family sacrifice. Hoping her boyfriend, Julian, will propose before shipping out to the Pacific, beautiful redhead Kitty Heaney discovers not only is she not engaged, but she's enlisted as the delivery person for her sister Louise's engagement ring from Michael, her boyfriend, who has departed for the European front. Distance makes Louise's and Michael's hearts grow fonder while Kitty discovers independence through her job at a bomber factory. As the months go by, Louise learns she is pregnant and Kitty meets an attractive soldier (one of many the girls encounter) at a USO dance.

I've always enjoyed Elizabeth Berg and this is one of her books that I'm glad I picked up at the library. Next on the list.....who knows, whatever strikes my fancy.

God Bless,

Stunning Sky!

I just had to come and share these with you, I have seen some amazing sky photos here in Arizona, I mean the kind that leave you speechless, but tonight's sky is just beyond anything I've ever seen.

I have NOT touched these photos in any way, this is exactly what the sky looked like. All I did was turn my flash off on my camera and capture the light as it is. Absolutely stunning!

As it got darker

The moon behind the pink/purple clouds

Is that not a gorgeous sky?

Anyway, I just wanted to share those with you, AND, share a recipe too, well actually it's two recipes.

Tonight's dinner was another Portuguese favorite, this really good chicken and super yummy potatoes. Go on over to the food blog for the recipes.

Portuguese Skillet Chicken

Portuguese Roasted Potatoes

The Simple Woman's Daybook!

Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

If you want to join in, just go visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window...
the roads are wet from last night's rain.

I am thinking...
that monday came way too quick, I didn't even get to sleep in this weekend.

From the learning rooms...
it's all about Christmas, the kids are learning about the true meaning of the season.

I am thankful for...
hot coffee in the morning, I don't know how I would function without it.

From the kitchen...
For breakfast Blueberry Muffin Tops and Apple Slices, lunch will be leftover 3 Cheese Ziti, and dinner will be Frango Estufado (Portuguese Chicken)

I am wearing...
blue jeans and a purple top

I am reading...
The Other Queen by Phillipa Gregory

I am hoping...
to finish the Crayon Rolls for the kids gifts

I am creating...
a happy home for my children

I am hearing...
the kids playing on the computer before we leave for school

Around the house...
Floors to be swept and mopped, laundry to put away

One of my favorite things...
sleeping in on the weekends

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Thanksgiving with the family and just relaxing

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

On the Road Again....

I'm in the mood for a day trip, somewhere exciting and educational for the whole family, but I didn't want to go without you, so I'm taking you along to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. What do you say? You want to come along?

Old Idaho State Penitentiary

The old territorial prison was built in 1870 and grew from a single cell house to a number of buildings surrounded by high sandstone walls. It was the actual convicts who quarried the stones from the nearby ridges to complete the construction.

Over its century of operation, the penitentiary received more than 13,000 convicts, of whom 215 were women.

Spurred in part by conditions that sparked a general riot in 1971 and an even more severe riot in 1973, the inmate population was moved to a modern penitentiary south of Boise and the Old Idaho Penitentiary was closed on December 3, 1973. After the Penitentiary closed in 1973, the site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

We'll visit places such as the Rose Garden, Solitary Confinement, known as "Siberia," as well as Death Row and the Gallows.

The Rose Garden

In the prison's history, ten executions were carried out from 1878 through 1957. In the state of Idaho prior to 1901, all executions were carried out at the county level, sometimes open to the general public. The only exception to the rule was crimes committed on the federal level, which was to occur behind prison walls. In the case of the Old Idaho Penitentiary, only one man met this criterion.

Families would take their children for picnics on the foothills around the prison and find a spot where they could see the gallows which were where the rose garden now stands, to watch the public executions. (I'm not sure it's something I would personally be interested in watching OR taking my children to)

Solitary Confinement "Siberia"

The rowdier of prisoners were sent to "Siberia," the common name for solitary confinement.

Notorious Inmates

The most notorious inmate confined to the halls of the Idaho State Penitentiary was Raymond Allen Snowden, a man once dubbed "Idaho's Jack the Ripper."

Snowden was convicted of murder in 1956 and sentenced to death by hanging at Idaho State Penitentiary.

At 12:05 a.m. on October 18, 1957, Ray Snowden was brought to the gallows in the prison 5 House. Snowden would never get the chance for last words. At 12:06 a.m., the trap door was pulled, but the noose failed to break his neck. Raymond struggled at the end of the rope for fifteen minutes before finally suffocating.

Ghosts

There are few who can deny that an empty building can be creepy, especially if that building is an old prison. But there's more to that feeling if you're in the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. True, there are feelings of dread in every corner, but the visitors and staff tell stories that let even non-believers in the supernatural know that something remains. To begin with, there is the oppressive feeling that follows people throughout the building. It grows strongest near the solitary confinement areas and the room where the executioner stood.

Another commonly-reported phenomenon is the sensation of being touched or pushed. Several paranormal investigative teams have had the experience, letting them know it was time to leave. Still others claim to have heard heavy footsteps on the floor above them and on the stairs leading up to the offices. A few have even claimed to have heard voices. There have also been reports of fast-moving shadows and full apparitions, though the identities have never been determined.

Photos
credit: ArielAmanda

Now wasn't that fun? For me at least, I had a blast, I only wish I had personally gone when we lived in Idaho but I guess it will be something to do when we move back after hubby retires from the Air Force.

Until then, if any of you live nearby and want to go for a visit, be sure to take lots of photos and share them with us. The history of this old penitentiary is so interesting, I can't wait to read more about it. In the meantime, if you can, watch yesterday's new Ghost Adventures, they actually went to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary for a paranormal investigation.

Yumminess all around!

I just updated the food blog with 3 new recipes, go on by and take a look.

Flaky Beef Pie

Crockpot Steak Burritos

Apple Bread

Come in and let's chat!

Here I sit with my Caramel Drizzle coffee and my bagel, wondering what exactly I should talk about today, you know when you have so much on your mind but yet you can't put two thoughts together? Maybe I'm on overdrive and need to slow down, as a matter of fact, I'm going to ask you all out there, if anyone has the ability to freeze time, could you maybe, possibly, pretty please, use it?

See I'm not ready for Christmas and it's in less than 3 weeks. I'm nowhere near done with the gifts, I haven't finished sewing and knitting and I haven't even begun the baking. Where will I find time for everything?
And to top it all off, I can't seem to stop adding more things to the list, like my Care Package that I'm mailing off to the unit of soldiers overseas. But you see to me there's things that take precedence, things that should be made priorities, because I'm here, I'm at home with my family and food around me and not facing danger, and these soldiers are not. So they come first!

Yesterday I sent note to Jasmine's fourth grade teacher and asked if she would be interested in helping me out, asking the children to write a small letter or note that I could include in the package. She was SO thrilled to be involved and made it the day's lesson, when Jasmine came home from school she brought a stack of letters and handed them to me. I sat at my desk and read them and cried and smiled and felt this tremendous love for these little children, their innocence shined through but in such a special and sweet way that literally brought a lump to my throat.

So that's what I did yesterday and now I have to finish off the package and mail it. It may not make it exactly in time for Christmas but it will be there shortly after.

Now let me show you what our sunset looked like last night, it was absolutely gorgeous.


I could sit out there for hours just watching the sky colors change, the beautiful shift from daytime to nighttime. It brings this sense of peace that no matter what kind of a day you've had, you are able to slow down and take in the big picture.

And speaking of big pictures, I turned on all the outside lights yesterday and saw this sad sight....I mean......what to do? Leave them or replace everything? I say LEAVE it, and act like you didn't see anything LOL


This is what's on my agenda for today:

• Bake Monie's Apple Cake (recipe to follow on the food blog)
• Get the ground beef out for tonight's Flaky Beef pie (recipe will also be up later)
• Make the Crayon Rolls for the kid's gifts
• Wrap a few more presents
• Iron and put away 2 loads of laundry
• Make Jasmine's Acorn Bookmark for Christmas
• Pay bills
• Sweep and Mop floors

Which means, get off the computer and get some work done. Don't forget that there are some great Christmas movies on TV this month, for the full list, click here.

Here's what's on tonight:

The Polar Express	Disney	Dec. 5, 12pm
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABC	Dec. 5, 8pm
Moonlight & Mistletoe	Hallmark	Dec. 5, 9pm
A Grandpa for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 5, 11pm
Scrooge	TCM	Dec. 5, 12am

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

Mocha Cocoa

5 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup baking cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee (dry)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
11 cups water
2 tsps vanilla

Mix all ingredients except water and vanilla in 5 - 6 quart slow cooker. Stir in water and vanilla until smooth.

Cover and cook on low 3 - 4 hours. 12 servings. (1 cup each)

I love our Soldiers!

As a military wife there are NO words to describe the pride I have for my husband and the other military members, guys and gals alike.

There's this immense sense of love and respect for these amazing people who go out there everyday and put their lives at risk for us, for this country, for our children. So when I sit back and think about our troops, it's with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

This morning I want to shift our attention to them and if you're a military wife, mother, father, sister, brother, daughter or son or friend, or just know someone serving right now, I want you to take a minute and thank them for everything they've done for us. Even if you're a lurker, come on out and leave a little comment for the troops.

I'm starting this post with a video of a marine in Iraq, singing "The Dance" by Garth Brooks. It gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes, beautifully sang.



And another amazing one by the same Marine..."Tonight I want to cry"



I can't listen to these songs without my mind being filled with images of the soldiers in Iraq fighting every day, constantly in dangerous situations but still keeping the spirits high and having fun. So I'm going to share a few videos with you, I've cried but I've laughed so hard with some of these. These poor guys are so stressed and bored at times, that they have to do things to keep their mind on happy thoughts.

Marines get bored at work and do the Cha, Cha LOL The funniest part to me is watching the bosses come in and then join in the fun LOL



Dancing before a mission LOL



Marine Thriller Dance LOL



Soldiers dancing to "Move It"



Combat dancing in Baghdad LOL


It just makes me love them more and personally want to reach out and hug them all. But it also makes me sad knowing that another Christmas is upon us and a lot of these soldiers will be spending it overseas away from their families. I've been through that before and it's heartbreaking when your loved one is not home for Christmas, so with that said, I thought I would leave some links for you on ways to spread the cheer and support the troops.

If you're thinking of doing care packages:

The items on the list below have been specifically requested by the troops.

• phone cards (#1 most requested item; so they can phone their loved ones)
• VISA and M/C gift cards (#2 most requested item; gives them maximum flexibility
• personal hygiene items (American made for safety of course)
• wet wipes, individually wrapped in foil packs (not gel bottles)
• body wipes in plastic pull-out canisters
• disposable razors – men's and women's
• chap sticks
• floss
• toothbrushes
• foot powder
• and the like
• iTunes cards
• Magazines (clean content)
• books (clean content)
• fun posters and calendars for dressing the place up
• AA batteries
• AAA batteries
• movie DVD's (clean content)
• music CDs (clean content)
• iPODs (empty)
• small earphones
• 1 GB and 2 GB USB memory sticks (external hard drives) (blank)
• beef jerky and sticks
• peanuts and nuts in cans with lids
• tins and packets of flavored coffee and cappuccino
• candy
• gum
• breath mints

Go here to find a soldier to send the care packages to, that is if you don't have anyone in particular to mail.

I already have a whole unit to send packages too and I can't wait to do my part this holiday season :)

Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way;
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
A very Merry Christmas to you

It's all about chestnuts here today. I remember as a young girl walking the streets of Lisbon during the Christmas season and one of my favorite things, was the Chestnut vendors.

You could smell the chestnuts roasting and within minutes they would hand you a newspaper cone filled with these deliciously roasted chestnuts. It brings back so many good memories.

While grocery shopping at the commissary yesterday, I found a whole barrel of them, it's not something they usually have, you don't understand how happy I was to see them. It's like being instantly transported back to 8 years old carrying around this big cone and nibbling on them while walking the busy streets of Lisbon, Portugal, with all the Christmas decorations and lights and shoppers scrambling around for last minute gifts.

So I'm going back in time today, I'm roasting chestnuts and I'm taking you along, because you know, I think everyone should try these at least once in their life....and because they make me think of Christmas.

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

If oven roasting preheat oven to 180C | 355F, if using stove top use medium low heat.

With a small steady knife make a cut in each chestnut

Rinse chestnuts well in cold water

Spread wet chestnuts on pan

Salt generously

Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until tender to taste. *Note: When roasting chestnuts they may crack and pop so it’s good to use lid then check and rotate frequently.

Go ahead and grab some for yourself, I made enough to for everyone. Enjoy!

The Joy of the Season!

You know you don't need to go out and do something expensive to enjoy the Christmas season or have fun with the family.

We love doing things together but money is not always readily available, everyone knows that nowadays you have to keep a tight hold on your budget, though I have to say going to the gas station today and filling up my Durango for only $30 made me so giddy I wanted to kiss the man behind me. I didn't...which I'm sure is a good thing lest I be arrested for public something or other.

But just like we went for the hike at the mountains yesterday, on Saturday we spent a full day having fun and enjoying each other's company and doing things other than sitting at the computer desk playing games.

We started out by decorating for the holidays, we finished the tree and put up a few other things around the house while sipping on home made hot cocoa with tons of marshmallows, whipped cream and sprinklings of cinnamon.

Then after dinner we sat around the table with warm out of the oven gooey cookies and drew pictures of Christmas to put up on the wall. Yes, we did. Not just the kids, but mommy and daddy got in on it too, there were crayons and colored pencils being passed around, there was laughter and silly moments and snowmen and christmas trees and santa's galore.

We had fun drawing and coloring and putting them up on the wall, meanwhile it got dark outside so we jumped in the car around 8pm and went for a drive around the base to see all the Christmas decorations.

The kids were in the backseat, freshly bathed, pj's and slippers on and blankies in hand, ooohhhing and aaahhhing over the dozens of shiny lights, the spinning carousels, the reindeer and trains and angels everywhere. It was such a fun thing to do and by the time we returned home, we snuggled on the couch and with popcorn in hand we watched "The Polar Express".

It was one of those amazing nights where everyone gets in to bed with a smile on their face and it's even better when you hear the kids say "that was the best day ever".

We've been trying to teach them about Christmas and the reason for the holiday, what it means, what it signifies and how Santa Claus came into play. So Curt sat Nicholas on his lap last night and started telling him about Kris Kringle and how it all began and then moved on to the lists that Santa has for the naughty and nice kids. Watching Nicholas' expression was the funniest thing ever, especially when at one point Curt asked if he had been good this year LOL

He has a list with the names of all the kids in the world, it shows who has been naughty and who has been nice.

Were you naughty or nice this year?

Nicholas "I was naughty a little, but mostly nice I think" LOL

I just love that last one, their smiles just melt my heart.

I finally finished the Advent Calendar, my poor little fingers hurt from all the stitching but it's so worth it to see the kids faces. Now if you've seen the pattern I used, they were supposed to be all red, red buttons and red thread, but I wanted to be different and asked the kids to decide on the colors, well....I ended up with a colorful Advent Calendar, there's green, red, gold and brown threads. The best part? They're filled with Hershey Kisses, two in each for the kids.

But we're not stopping there, every day we will do something together.

December 1 - Watch "Shrek the Halls" together (btw click here for a list of ALL the Christmas movies on tv this month)
December 2 - Read "Christmas Day" a poem by John Tyler
December 3 - Play "Pin the Nose on Frosty" game
December 4 - Talk about the Nativity
December 5 - Make Paper Snowflakes
December 6 - Goody Plates - baking cookies for the kids to take to the teachers
December 7 - Read a Christmas Book
December 8 - Listen to Christmas music, eat cookies
December 9 - Make a gingerbread house
December 10 - Learn about Portuguese Christmas Traditions
December 11 - Go to the school Christmas show
December 12 - Start a puzzle...something with a winter scene or Christmas
December 13 - Make Christmas cards to mail out
December 14 - Make a Christmas tree mobile
December 15 - Have a special breakfast....homemade cinnamon rolls
December 16 - Watch Winnie the Pooh and Christmas too on ABC
December 17 - Family Game Night (play a board game)
December 18 - Read Luke from the Bible and talk about Christ's birth
December 19 - Wrap presents together
December 20 - Bake sugar cookies and decorate them
December 21 - Listen to The Cinnamon Bear
December 22 - Pick a new ornament for the tree
December 23 - Take a drive to see the Christmas lights
December 24 - Read "Twas the Night Before Christmas"
December 25 - Christmas Tree pancakes

What about you? Do you have an Advent Calendar, did you make it yourself? What kind of goodies do you have in there and how do you plan to countdown to Christmas day. I want to hear all about it :)

Right now, I have to get on out of here and check on my Saucy Meatloaf, I'll have the recipe up on the food blog later. Have a great night everyone!