Burnt out

Wow, it's been such a long time since I have written a post.  Time flies, life gets complicated and I just didn't feel that I had anything left to give.  So much has happened I hope that I can remember the most important. I heard somewhere that our experiences in life are what determines our character, I sure hope so.

2012 did not start as planned.  It greeted me with bronchitis, the flu, and a walking pneumonia, one per month.  We battled with Carr's asthma and now with his allergies.  Our car broke down, my mom was hospitalize for over a week in Argentina and my father in-law's cancer came back. That about sums up all the bad news. 

An now for the good: my mom is much better, Carr hasn't had an asthma attack for about 3 weeks and regardless of everything our family is very content and happy.  I can't even begin to describe how grown up and smart Carr is.  I love his sense of humor, I get it!  Carr is a dancer, he loves music and is obsessed with Phineas and Ferb.  Every year comes with it's own blessings and challenges.  This years have been interesting.  It has been very difficult for me to discipline Carr.  I hate second guessing myself and there has been a lot of that going on. 

Christmas Journaling 2011

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Yes, I know this comes late but you really can't blame me.  I needed to enjoy the holidays and the time off.  I am so glad I did! I am also glad that Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday, I spent all day baking.  Homemade bread, cookies, gingerbread and quick breads, the house smelled amazing.

On Christmas eve we always wear new PJs and we set out cookies and milk for Santa.  My little man actually fell asleep pretty easy and early.

Then it was time to wrap presents and prepare for the next day.  My husband and I have a Christmas Eve tradition, we wrap presents, have hot chocolate and watch a movie.  It's really nice and I always look forward to spending that time together and imagining how the little man would react to each gift.  We went to bed relatively late that night and thankfully little man did not wake up until about 9 am.  Then the gift giving madness commenced.

Gifts finally wrapped!

 Christmas morning madness!

 Squinkies!!! Marvel Super Heroes!!!

 Opening gifts with daddy!

Pirates!  It is all about pirates.

Hope your Christmas was as blessed as mine. After the long year and many ups and downs we managed to pull off a great, quiet, and peaceful Christmas and New Years.  I enjoyed having off since December 23rd until tomorrow January 3rd.  It has been great to actually do nothing, that includes blogging, so sorry.  I needed the rest and my family needed to just enjoy each others company.  These days off have been the best Christmas present I could have ever asked for. 

I couldn't ask for more, but we got much more than we expected.  I want to extend a gracious thank you to our family for their generosity.  But I would like to and must extend a special thank you to my Mother in-law.  She does so much for us already, she is truly the glue that holds the family together.  She is an excellent homemaker, confidant, mother and most of all grandmother.  My son adores her. We have been so lucky to enjoy my in-laws company during Christmas for the past 3 years.  Having them over makes the holidays feel so much more festive.  Like I said before, we are truly blessed.

Christmas Journaling 2011

And Carr thought he was on the naughty list...

If you follow my blog you have already seen photos of my Christmas tree.  I have covered the bottom with fake presents.  It is filled of Christmas decorated boxes which Carr has played with for the past weeks.  I know every mom thinks their child is brilliant and special, that fact is, every child is.  They have a way of surprising us by the speed they learn things.  Well, a good friend of mine gave me a present for Carr.  I did not think twice about putting the present under the tree.  How would he tell which one was the real one?
WRONG!
My husband and I heard a shreek and crying come from the living-room. My son had opened the present and seen that it was not what he had asked Santa for.  He was crying because he thought Santa had put him in the naughty list and not given him the present he wanted.  I had to explain to him that during Christmas friends and family also gifted us with presents:  just like Santa.  This was a present from a friend and that Santa's present would get here on Christmas day.

How about that?  I love that my son has the whole Santa fantasy down but I feel kind of bad having to lie to him to keep the illusion going.  Do you have any stories similar to this?  What have you done to get out of sticky situations?

Christmas Journaling

Hi Everyone!

One week until Christmas!  How is everyone doing?  Hopefully, you are much more organized than I. I still have so much more to do!  I honestly wonder how most of you do it.  Honestly, it didn't help pulling a muscle at the start of the week, Carr getting sick by Thursday and my husband getting sick by Friday.  Drs appointments and pharmacy runs were not in my plans. But I am very pround that I menu planned for two weeks!  I considered that next weekend wound not be a good time to menu plan or grocery shop for the following week.  I am so proud of myself and hopefully, I will pull it off.

Another thing that I am pround of is that I managed to make the apple butter to give to friends and neighbors, made Beef Stew and Northwestern Beef and Vegetable Soup.  My mother in-law made homemade chicken and rice soup for us this weekend also.  Our refridgerator has not been this stuffed for a good while.  This is a huge blessing from God.

This I still need to do:

1. Christmas cookies
2. Stocking stuffers for Hubby
3. Decorate and package Christmas gifts for friends and neighbors: Mason Jars filled with Christmas cookies and Apple butter jars.
4. Remind Chip to write letters to loved ones.
5. Finish Carr's homemade gifts
6. Vacuum and clean the house

 I am still waiting for some gifts to come in the mail and have to prepare and wrap them.  US Postal Service is not the most reliable at this time of year but COME ON!!!  This is actually the first year that my husband and I promised each other not to buy gifts for one another.  It feels so strange not to go all out and spend a ton.  But we honestly believe that we need to be responsible and not get into debt just because.  It is actually the opposite, we are saving that money to get out of debt, more or less putting it toward it.  What do you do on the present side of things for Christmas?  Can you hold back and not spend tons on your family?  What do you focus on for the holidays?

 

Christmas Journaling 2011

Update:  The sickness

Well, I pretty much am the same but taking pain meds. now.  Just when I thought things couldn't get more complicated, my little man's asthma acted up and my husband has a cold.  So we are all sick and achy and grouchy.  While all this is going on the countdown to Christmas is still going and I still have tons to do.  I have at least made menus for the coming week and the one after.  I plan to go grocery shopping tomorrow just to get it out of the way.  My Sunday will be dedicated to baking and making my homemade Christmas presents for family and friends.

Christmas Journaling 2011

Sorry about missing a few days but I pulled a muscle.  Yes, right at Christmas time, I pull a muscle right between my left shoulder and my chest.  It hurts so much I can hardly type.  Hopefully, it will get better soon in the meantime please check out what we did yesterday.  Correction, how I watched my best friend deal with the kids while I whimpered in pain.

Christmas Journaling 2011

 

Holiday Links

Our internet was not working last night.  I apologize for the tardiness but there was not much I could do on a Sunday night.  I work on this offline and I hope that you like it and take advantage of the great posts that I include in this line-up.  These are my very favorite Christmas posts so far!  Hope you enjoy:

December Favorites                Soule Mama

Ten Basics for better home photography      Censational Girl

Make a gorgeous quilted Christmas stocking - Holiday Tutorial       Tatertots and Jello

Color me pretty Holiday Edition     Decor 8

Craft cinnamon ornaments      Small Notebook

DIY stocking stuffers       Not Martha

Gingerbreads heads         Bakerella

Cookies for Santa             Tatertots and Jello

Christmas books for kids     No Time for Flashcards

Holiday baking 101 freezing including the kids and more     Food for my Family