Christmas in Review

By the Numbers:

7 unexpected visits bearing gifts and/or food

6 people in our holiday pix this year

5 dollar last minute gifts

4 turkeys

3 pix with Santa

2 sides of the family

1 pre-holiday melt down

0 freezer space
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Another Christmas has come and gone. It was great. It was not so great. One thing that was the same was God's faithful provision. I don't know why I worry. We had many, many, unexpected visitors this year providing full holiday meals for us. Yes, we ended up w/ 4 turkeys! We only kept one. I simply didn't have the space. It was good though cause I was able to bless others and we hosted our first Christmas day dinner.

My ktbunch received more gifts and toys than they know what to do with. The generosity of others was over whelming. Some were complete strangers. It was a joy to have Baby K included in our festivities this year too. With the showers of blessings we received--what could be 'not-so-great'?

The underlying but obvious fact of missing my Father-in-law's presence this year. For me personally, it was only reminiscent of the year I loss my own mom--so not as deeply felt directly. More so felt and experienced indirectly. It was dramatically different.

DH and the kiddos gifted me with an Ipod Shuffle this Christmas. I never would have gotten it for myself. I never would have expected I'd like it so much either. It's tiny and pink & absolutely perfect and quite motivating to get myself up in the morning to take a walk or run. I totally LOVE it.

I thank God this Christmas for the generosity of others, especially my church friends--that are really family.

DH & I hosted our first Christmas day dinner. It was nice, even though everyone was over an hour late...{sigh} Once everyone arrived, it was good times filled with laughter and joking around.

A few times this season, we braved the chilly night weather to go Christmas light looking in our neighborhood. A favorite tradition of mine. We got lots of use out of our crochet beanies, scarves and fingerless gloves! We enjoyed many hot cups of cocoa and tea, children's Christmas television specials, home baked cookies and minimal decorations. We had a big, fabulous tree for only $25 bucks! As always we also enjoyed our annual visit from the Santa Train at my Mother-in-Love's house.

I rediscovered ScrapBlog and produced a Christmas Season one. I LOVE how it turned out. I ordered my first photobook from it. (slightly different from what you can view below). I'll update with a review when it arrives. I hope you enjoy it. :-) (best viewed on full screen)

Forget Diapers!

Baby K absolutely, totally, completely, will NOT sit still for diaper changes. I am seriously considering going all in w/ the EC & going diaper free. It's too frustrating to wrestle w/ a near 9 month old just to change a diaper.

I procrastinate changing him cause it's so exasperating. Not sure if it's a discipline/obedience/training issue. He just wants to be moving, pretty much, @ ALL times. He only sits to eat or in his stroller--IF the stroller is moving. lol

Forget trying to dress him either. Unfortunately the weather is still cool. He needs to have some clothes on while crawling the hard wood floors. I give him a toy and it distracts him from the task @ hand for about thirty seconds before he's flipping over and attempting to shimmy down the side of the couch. I am not even exaggerating.



{sigh} I LOVE this child.

O Baby!

You climb, you crawl, you don't sit still!!!!  Seriously.


If I put you down on the floor---you will flip over & crawl away, anywhere.
We just celebrated your first Christmas. I can't imagine it with out you.  You are such a joy, a busy joy but a joy still.  You didn't bother the tree or the ornaments.  You did rip my curtains to shreds--biting them & pulling.  A favorite past time of yours. heehee.


You got a lot of clothes (size 12 mos & up) for Christmas and some toys.  I wanted you to have all natural toys...so which one is your favorite? This hard plastic electronic gizmo! {eyeroll} lol


Next year you will be so excited for Christmas. (not that I'm in a rush)  This year was no big deal to you, really.  I took you with me today for some after Christmas shopping.  Just a few things like some yummy yarn and your first Christmas ornament. It's adorable, I must say.


Why has my blog suddenly switched like I'm writing a letter directly to *you*? I have no idea. haha.

Big News!

Breakthrough!

I can hardly believe it myself but...DH agent always sends him out to SAG (Screen Actors Guild aka: actors mafia union) auditions, even though he is not a SAG member...

Well, this time it was worth it! He booked a Wells Fargo SAG commercial. It's called Taft-Hartley (you can google it--good luck!) when you are not a SAG member & they use you--but he will now be able to become a SAG member. This is a HUGE step & praise report.

This will open the doors for him to now get a 'theatrical' agent, which is an agent for tv & film. His current agent is only a 'commercial' agent. SAG can have a higher pay scale plus residuals. This commercial is in English too, which will be more exposure. This will also create more opportunity to actually DO tv and film gigs.

He got the call while we were at church. It was so exciting. It was a little bittersweet for him because he was unable to share it with his dad. { :( } Towards the end I was able to share our PRAISE report with our congregation, then our pastor and his wife (who is also an actress) prayed over us. It was so neat to be able to share this awesome news, as it happened, with our church family.

Living the Dream, living the Dream! SQUEeeeeeee!!!

In other news...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know--that was last week, right? It was the first major holiday since my Father in Law died. ugh. I was not looking forward to what was sure to be an emotionally draining day. More draining than emotional for me, personally. This isn't even addressing *my own* extended family drama that I have purposely avoided writing about this past year, either!

Everyone had decided to celebrate Thanksgiving at my Mother in law's house this year. Normally Thanksgiving is not an extended family event on my husband's side. This year it was though. No one wanted MIL to have to be alone. That was thoughtful.

We get there and I don't remember why but I was really tired which was making me cranky. We were all hungry because we were supposed to have been eating our Thanksgiving meal already but we had to wait for LATE family members. Not too fun to skip a meal and extend hunger for hours. I was napping in my SIL room when my middle-not-so-little burst in to tell me some 'news'.

I JUMPED up and ran to the living room! WHAT!?!?!?!

After my initial inward jealousy---I was SO excited to hear. The entire atmosphere suddenly changed in the house. Instead of an unverbalized but noticeable feelings of sorrow and emptiness there was overwhelming JOY & excitement. WHAT? (I think I screamed!) Positive energy filled the house with laughter and happiness.

What could overshadow the loss? What could possibly replace the overwhelming feeling of 'something missing'?

TWINS!!!!!!!

My husband's sister is having TWINS!!!!

Is there anything more refreshing, more symbolic of Hope, than the anticipation of new life? Just as God sent his own son, the Hope of the world, symbolized in the birth of a baby, a fresh new life that would conquer death. So this wonderful news, given on Thanksgiving day, represents a new Hope. For a family still in mourning, still experiencing deep grief, we have this wonderful gift--a double gift, to look forward to!

I am so unbelievably excited! I can't wait to find out their genders so I can begin to make sweet gifts, crocheted beanies and booties, soft sewed shoes, cuddly toys! SQUEEEE!!!! I'm THRILLED!