Day 25

A little late for Day 25......busy week. Lilli was with her dad this year for Christmas so it was just us and Hoss. This picture cracks me up! Love his smile!
I also this it's pretty sad that Santa forgot to take the price tag off. Whoops!

Day 24

Today was a GREAT day! It started by me taking the gifts I made for my co-workers to the office. The one who insisted he hates homemade gifts LOVED, yes LOVED the plate. It was hilarious! I handed it to him, warned him that it was homemade and he opened it - got a HUGE smile and said, "My wife and I were just talking about how we should get a plate for the kids to put cookies on." He immediately took a picture of it with his cell phone and texted the picture to his wife! WOOHOO!!! It looks like I passed the test and homemade gifts can be GOOD!!!

I then came home and finished up some last minute gifts, then helped a widow in my Ward finish her last minute gifts too.

Hoss hung the last ornament on the Advent calendar...

We then went to my parent's house for Christmas Eve. We had laughs over some of the gifts, and then I played Balderdash with my mom, sister, niece & nephew while Brandon slept on the couch and Hoss bugged my brother-in-law. I LOVE Balderdash. Seriously, it cracks me up every time I play.

When we got home, we tracked Santa on Norad, found that the last sighting was in Mexico City and he was headed to Denver, Colorado so we figured we better send Hoss to bed before he gets any closer.

Day 23

I work with 5 men. 4 are Fathers and 1 is a Senior in High School. 1 of these men told me clear back at the beginning of December that he hates homemade gifts. I told him that he better plan to hate the gift I was going to give him because I only give homemade gifts. This is what I decided to make for them. (At least the Father's, I'm still deciding on the High Schooler.) Today I told the one who hates homemade gifts that I decided to think about his kids and him all in 1 shot with his gift. Seriously, this is fun for the kids, but "Santa" gets to enjoy it too! :)

Day 22

Sleep......I need sleep......

Day 21

I absolutely LOVE being Santa. I just love it. I'm helping with a Christmas Drive at church and these are some of the items that we will be giving to families. I just love Christmastime. I love making people happy. I love the warm cozy feeling you get when you help someone. I love service. I just love it all. I do.

Day 20

Eyes...check

Ears....check

Reins...check
Getting Closer!!!!

Days 17, 18 & 19

Day 17
We headed to Rexburg to attend the Graduation of Brandon's little sister, Karesa. She and her husband were kind enough to let us crash at their house all weekend. We had been there probably half an hour when Hoss piped up and said, "I like Uncle Kelby's House!" They had a projector for movies and Hoss LOVED it!!
Day 18

Lilli and I went to my sister-in-law's baby shower. Ok - she's really my ex-sister-in-law, but I still claim her as a sister-in-law. She actually graduated the same day, from the same college, as Brandon's sister. It was nice to hang out with old family again. She makes such a cute pregnant lady! I wish I looked like that when I was pregnant - all out front. She got some super cute gifts for the little boy they will have in January!

Day 19

We FINALLY got around to taking a picture for our Christmas Cards. We have been quite the slackers this year! We found this cute snow art display in Rexburg and figured it would be the perfect spot for the picture.

This isn't the actual picture we are using for our Christmas Cards - we can't ruin everything for you! It was a great weekend! Thanks everyone for all the fun!!

Day 16

This is where I work...
And these are the people that work there ....
MERRY CHRISTMAS to the R.P.M. Crew!

Day 15

My husband left our camera at the Church tonight. It was our Ward party. I stayed home with Hoss to sew (see previous post) while he took Lilli down to the festivities. I would blog about it, but I don't know what happened and I have no pictures to tell me. Check back tomorrow....please. :)

Continued...Not a very good picture. However, Lilli asked Santa for a book about how to make paper airplanes "..because Hoss likes it" when she makes him paper airplanes. How thoughtful.

In other news. Lilli forgot her lunch in her mad rush to the bus stop. I decided to write her a little note and take it to school for her.

Day 14

Our Ward at Church is giving Christmas presents to some families in need that live in Vale. I have lots of stick horse kits leftover that people either didn't pay for or decided they no longer wanted to make one. I have decided to make all the younger kids in these families Stick Horses.

Think I can do it by Christmas??? Good luck to me!! I think I have 7-8 kits left! Anyone wanna come help?!?!

Day 13

Anyone know how to get pictures off of a cell phone? Without it, I got nothing!

Day 12

With the motivation raised from seeing an advent calendar I made for my sister at least 4 years ago, (It's not perfect, I mean look at how crazy the numbers are!) I decided to finish my own version that I started at the same time as making hers.
Now I remember why I never finished it before. I totally cut the felt crooked and it looks ridiculous! Well, at least I got it finished. Now I'll have to start a new one since I've seen how bad this one turned out. Oh well, Hoss hung the 1st 11 ornaments on the tree last night and didn't even notice how ugly it is!Instead of Christmas ornaments & presents. We opted for a Western Tree. Everything will be a little bit country (except 4 lights that will make one strand around the tree) from farm animals, to horseshoes, to the very last ornament being an Old Western Sheriff's Badge to top off the tree.

Day 11

I started making Hoss a stick horse about a month ago during our Super Saturday.

We had to reschedule a make-up day about 3 times and today was the day to finally get it finished.
Hoss LOVES it! I guess it won't be a Christmas Present after all.

Day 10

I made my sister's famous 7 Layer Dip for an Elder's Quorum Presidency Party we are attending tonight. While Lilli was slicing the green onions and olives for me, Hoss decided that he would steal some olives. We have been trying to get him place one olive on each finger since he was born and he would never participate. Well, guess what.... He FINALLY did it!!!!!

Day 9

The Work Tree!!!
I don't know how it happened or why, but one of our customer's brought me a Christmas Tree!! Apparently he knew that my boss wasn't going to get one for the store so he went out and bought a tree, with lights and everything. At first I thought it was just an old one that he wasn't using anymore, but no, it was still in the original box, wrapped up with the tags on it - NEVER OPENED!!! At first I said that I couldn't take it, but he insisted. I got all giddy and started decorating. I used a ratchet strap as a ribbon and then started hanging tools, gloves, car air fresheners, etc. Everyone was laughing at me, but in the end, they all said how creative it looks.

Now I just hope that my boss will let me keep it. He has been in Vegas for a Sales Meeting and should get back tonight.

Day 8

I was so excited to participate in the Craftaholics Anonymous Gift Exchange. I received my gift in the mail today. Major excitement!!!

I LOVE all of it - especially the tree ornaments - the kids hung them up right away and got bummed when I had to take them down for a picture!! THANKS ELLEN!!!

This is what I sent her for the Exchange..

Day 7

Thinking of Others

Today we wanted to remember those who are away from home during the Holidays. Brandon's little brother, Shane, is on a mission in Texas. He comes home in about 6 weeks so we didn't want to send him too much. His Mission President sent home a letter asking for packages to be mailed to the Mission Home for them to distribute at a party. We decided that instead of making a package for Shane, we would make one for another missionary who may not have the home support that Shane is so lucky to have.
Brandon called the Mission President's Wife from the phone number that was given on the letter and asked if our idea would work for them. They absolutely LOVED our idea. What's even better is that this lady is an Aunt to a Missionary that Brandon trained on his Mission! Such a small world!!

Day 6

Decorating the Tree

The City didn't use the tree we cut down and neither did we! Crazy! Brandon helped a lady in our Ward with her Christmas Tree the other night and fell in love with how full and bushy it was, so the next day he drove over to the $20 Christmas Trees and picked one out.

The kids have always LOVED to decorate. But this year, Lilli found more fun in wearing the Tree Skirt. I found it at Kmart last year during the after Christmas sale for $2. It still had the price tag on. It seems I just brought it home and shoved it in the Christmas Tote. Lilli thought it made the perfect jacket. It ended up being too small for our tree anyway, so we didn't use it after all.

This was the first year that Hoss has been able to top off our tree with Angel Moroni. He was super excited. We've never had a tree with this many limbs before. I think I need to have the kids make some ornaments because now it looks so bare.

Day 5

What better way to celebrate the Birth of the Savior than attending the blessing of a baby? We were invited to attend the blessing of Mason Lassek. He is SUCH a cutie. We arrived late (Johnson standard time) just in time to hear the blessing from the foyer. However, I have to say a few words about this Ward. AMAZING.

We walked in, sat in the 2nd row, and enjoyed a wonderful meeting. It was Fast Sunday so we were able to hear the Testimonies of the Ward Members. We could tell a lot from this Ward just from the testimonies.

One family just lost their son, another family was just Sealed in the Temple. A man just had surgery, and another family is moving. I do have to say that if I were to ever move to the city, I would want to live in this Ward. After Sacrament, we had 4 different people come and want to meet us. Every other Ward I have visited this past year, everyone had walked by so fast and it was like we weren't even there. But this Ward was different. It was nice.

Mason is the son of Brandon's cousin Jalaine. We love Jalaine. Not only is she Brandon's cousin, but we went to school with her our WHOLE lives too, up until the day we all graduated! We are happy that they have moved back to the area. Utah was way too far away!

Thanks for letting us take part in your special day!

Day 4

Christmas Countdowns Galore!!!

My sister and I got together and made a bunch of Christmas Countdown blocks. Hoss and Lilli wanted to paint too when we got all the materials out. Hoss makes me laugh, he got paint on his chin. Which I guess is pretty good for a 3 year old. By the time he was finished painting these 2 trains, they had soooo much paint on them it was like they had a casing around them.
I snapped this picture of Lilli right when she opened the paint bottle and got paint all over her fingers.

My sister's countdown is the red numbers. Mine are the other 4. Not sure who I will give them to just yet...I'm sure I'll find someone.

Day 3

The Hunt for the Perfect Christmas Tree! For the 2nd year we have gone to cut down our own Christmas Tree. This was my way of compromising with my husband. He has always wanted a real tree and I'm all for the fake ones. But last year I wanted a HUGE Tree for the town Tree Lighting and I knew the only way to get what I wanted was to go cut it down ourselves. So, for my husband to be willing to get the town tree, I have allowed him to cut one down for us as well for our home.

We found these prints in the snow....we think it's a rabbit????
Soooooo many choices......which one (or 6) will we come home with?? Then Hoss spotted one that he HAD to have. He begged for a "baby" tree. Brandon went and cut it down, but made him haul it up to the road himself. He got halfway and said it was too heavy. I decided to be the Hero and help him pack it the rest of the way back to the pick-up.

After picking out 1 for us, 1 for the Town, 1 for Hoss, 1 for Lilli, 1 to give a way at the Tree Lighting, and then 1 for his mom (she told us all she wanted for Christmas was to have a bag full of tree limbs for decorating) it got dark. We found a great place to have a little fire to roast Hot Dogs and Marshmallows.

It was a GREAT night.

Day 2

Today I decorated the workplace. Well, I only hung 4 stockings. I REALLY, REALLY want to put up a tree and hang tools on it with pretty red bows, but I don't think my boss would go for that idea. He made fun of me for hanging the 4 stockings. I told him to stop being "The Grinch" and then I started handing out candy to everyone who came in the door. (leftover bags from the City Tree Lighting last night) He seemed fine with that idea. HA!

I do think that the store would be so much more welcoming if I could do a little decorating. So I decided that I would wrap the computer monitors like gifts. Now doesn't this look so much better??? All 3 monitors pretty in paper! Every customer that has come in has commented on how festive the store looks. Ok - they all laugh when they walk in but that means they like it, right?!?!

Oh - and I finally got the courage to ask my boss for a Tree and he said "No"......twice. Bummer.

25 Days of Christmas - Day 1

I just checked out my sister's blog and she is doing a 25 Days of Christmas. I have never done this before, so I figured that I'd join her!

What better way to start off than the Vale Community Christmas Tree Lighting? I was in charge again this year, and I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that this was the best year yet. We had more Prizes than before, Santa AND Mrs. Claus, Fireworks, a Megaphone, Lanterns to see the names of the winners, a Microphone for our Singers, a Firetruck to bring Santa, LOTS of Hot Cocoa and SNOW!! The 3rd time's the charm to getting it right, am I wrong? Maybe that means I should bow down while I'm ahead!

The ONLY thing that would have made it even better, would have been to use the Tree that we had actually gone up to the woods and cut down. It was too big for the stand that was made, and I guess the City ran out of time to make a new stand because when I got to the Park to set up they had the lights and star on the Tree that is planted in the Park. However, I will admit that I was shocked at how much better the tree actually looked with snow and lights on it. During the day it just looked so small and itty bitty.

Ok - maybe it still looks bad, but I won't let it ruin my night.