I wish that I could make it, but...

That is my thought every year. I like to go visit people and drop off a plate of goodies and the like, but this year, I am just tired. Not sick and tired, just tired! My response in my head every time someone wants me to help with something or go to their house for some reason or another is just that, "I wish that I could make it, but..." All this going on in my mind while my mouth speaks the words, "Sure, I can, what do you need me to bring..." Aaargh!
As in a prior post, I mentioned that my plan this year was to boycott Christmas Cards. Well, that has not worked out so well! I have gotten more cards sent to me than in several years past, combined. So, my thought, maybe next year. As for my college course that I was taking, Success! I passed it! Now, onto applying for the Master's Degree Program! So, excited, and worried at the same time. But, first I need to get through the holidays!
I want to take a moment and wish everyone a wonderful Holiday Season, and hope that your New Year is filled with prosperity, and good health!

An Upcoming Christmas Party...

and a kid in a cast. Just the idea is scary, but I know that I need to take little girls to the Christmas Party at church. They will have a nice time, and there will be a lot of smiling friendly faces, and possibly S-A-N-T-A will be there. So, that is something I will have to really consider this year! Plus, the shopping trip for the family went well the other day. I mentioned before that I was going to do a lot of our bargain shopping at Deseret Industries this year, and I was really please with how things turned out. The little girls each will get a few toys, and story books, and several new (for them), complete outfits. And, my teenager, who went with to help pick things out, was able to find a few really "cool" jeans, and shirts to match, plus she was able to find a skirt that we both agreed on, which was major! Plus, a messenger bag for college, a book that she likes, and a few penguin stuffed animals! All-in-all, the trip there was a success! There will be more under the tree for them that we had originally thought! After next week, we will go to the friendly-neighborhood Wally-Mart, that is actually 20 minutes away, and pick up a few inexpensive items to fill in! Such a relief, I cannot tell you!

The Debate: Christmas Cards, Yes or No.

I usually am and have always been to this point a "Yes!" All the way! I enjoyed creating and revising my list of family and friends that I sent the cards to each year, picking out the cards, usually from the selection at Costco, but sometimes, getting some cute ones on the clearance rack the year before, and one year even making them myself with stamps. But, after that initial happiness wares off, and I have spend countless hours of time, not to mention quite a bit of money on stamps, I get bummed when I only get back three or four cards in the mail. You see, I love getting a hand written card in the mail. It is just nice to get a card from a friend or family member, if nothing else than to break up the monotony of the bills, and junk mail that is in the mailbox the rest of the year. In the past few years, I would even send a little '"newsletter" of sorts with pictures and happenings of our little family, just to keep people up to date.
Sadly, this year, it is not happening, and the worst part, I am not upset about it. With Robyn's upcoming surgery, I am busy focusing on her, and will be throughout the rest of the holiday. And, I just want to se how many cards we get this year, just out of curiosity. If I do get a card from someone, I will send them a card back, out of respect and kindness, but for this year, that is it.
If you have seen the movie with Tim Allen, "Christmas with the Kranks", or read the book it was based on by John Grisham, "Skipping Christmas." That is what I am doing, in regards to Cards Only!

What to do when?

What do you do when you already know Christmas morning will be pretty barren? As I have found, you invent new traditions, along with finding a bargain wherever you can!
In years past, the Christmases have been pretty good ones, as far as gifts for the kids and others goes. We have always been generous with gifts for extended family in the past and the kids always got at least one "big" gift. Last year though, in order to accomplish that, Christmas was on Credit, and so we are now struggling to pay for last Christmas this year. So, this year for extended family, I started making homemade gifts back in March, which I have mentioned before, Jim and I are forgoing our individual gifts to each other to use his rewards points, and $25 cash to purchase a set of camping dishes that we can use this summer, for the extended family member that I "drew", they are getting $50 worth of gift cards that I used my grocery store points for, that I didn't pay for in a cash sense, I just had to spend a huge sum of money at the grocery store, and for the kids, I will be going to Walmart for their one big gift, of which there are still some good deals inspite being after the Black Friday sales are finished. And by big, I do not mean big in that sense, I mean a board game, a smaller Barbie doll, or coloring books, and new crayons. They will also be receiving a few clothing gifts that I will pick up at Deseret Industries this year. Just the idea is a humbling one, and I am nervous as to what their reactions will be, but it is just something we will have to face. But, we can do it together. There is more to Christmas than what is under the tree, and we are going to discover that as a family this year.

The Clutter of the Holidays!

I use to think that my 1400 square foot house was small, which it is for a now family of five, especially with 2 of us being under the age of 6. That was until I started decorating for Christmas, the tree alone, which is 7 1/2 feet tall takes up a lot of floor space, and because of it's height, it goes practically in the middle of the living/dining space, because the ceiling is tall enough there. Then out come my Christmas village pieces, of which I have three growing sets, and all of the other knick-knacks that are just too cute to leave in the boxes, and the space is starting to dwindle pretty fast. I should probably mention that I do have two additional smaller trees and decorations that go on them but those decorations are too breakable and mostly handmade and irreplaceable so those will not be put up until the kids are a lot older. But, you might be starting to get the picture. I love the Christmas season, what can I say. It is difficult right now to manouver around, and I am constantly bumping into the tree, listening to the ornaments rattle as I go by, but as long as the tree doesn't topple over, I think I am okay. The funny thing is that as in years past, once we take the tree down, and the decorations are back in the boxes and the boxes are back outside in the place that they reside for the rest of the year, the house will feel so big and empty. That is quite comical considering that right now I feel closed in and crowded, yet full of the holiday spirit.

The tree is up and decorated with lots of help!

And I mean LOTS! The kids eyes got bigger and bigger as the boxes of decorations were brought into the house, then they wanted to touch everything! That made for a dilemma, since a lot of what is on top in each box is pretty breakable. Once I set out a pile of unbreakable items for them to decorate with, I would say, "One at a time," Robyn listened and took one off the table at a time and put it on the tree at her eye level, about 3 1/2 to 4 feet up, and Anna grabbed as many ornaments as she could, and placed them below her eye level, on the lowest branches of the tree. I had to laugh because I don't thing those branches have ever seen ornaments, I can't reach that low.
Jim then came to the rescue, and took the kids out for a drive, so that I could "fix" the tree. I did rearrange a few of the ornaments, just so some of them were up higher, and I added a few more to the top, along with ribbon, but I did leave a large number of them where they were placed by the kids, because as you might suspect, they would notice.
This morning when we woke up, Robyn who is 5, came out of their room, and she was disappointed to notice that Santa didn't come last night, and Jim had to explain that Santa wouldn't be here for a while yet. She even said to me that we forgot to make Santa cookies. That is so cute. As for Anna, when she got up, her sister had just turned on the tree lights, and Anna, who is 2, said, "The tree is awake!" With all the enthusiasm possible. She makes me smile!

Handmade, and in a Panic!

Okay, I am a person who fears things like raising my hand to volunteer, and I hate deadlines, not that I don't enjoying helping a person or completing something, I do, it is just that moment of sheer panic that hots me initially is a big issue. I volunteer all the time. Mostly for church, with meals for the sick, or pots of soup, etc., for a ward party, as I love to cook, a lot! As for deadlines, I am a planner so it shouldn't be a big deal to plan, as I am a big list maker, groceries, chores, dreams, all go on a list. It is just as the time for completion gets closer I go into panic mode.
For family Christmas gifts this year I am now in full panic mode. But, back in March of this year, 2011, you would have thought and probably told me, "already...you will have plenty of time." Now, in mid November, not so much! You see, I got this huge idea, to save money, I would hand make everyone a gift this year, a cross stitched Christmas ornament, and not just one, but a different "set" for each person, family or couple. Which initially wasn't so bad, some of the ones I picked to make out of the 6 or 7 patterns/books that I have only had 4 or 6 in the set, but they took time. Time that I thought I had...and now I am running out!
But, a plus, I have gotten them almost done. The cross stitch is completed for everyone, and now I am just trying to mount each and everyone of then so that I can wrap them, in a cute package, and all the other wrapping ideas that pop into my head at this time of year.
I have to tell you though I ask for work and the trouble that goes with it. I decided yesterday during my toddler's naptime that I would hand color, using colored pencils, cute pictures to use as tags for the same hand made gifts so I got that done, then last night at 10:45 p.m. if that wasn't enough, I got this big idea to tie small ribbon bows to make refridgerator magnets for these same people getting these gifts. Time is running out, and I am knee deep in cross stitch floss, and ribbon! The picture included is in one of the books that I have, but in the next couple of days I will postactually pictures of what I have made. The neat thing, some of the pattern books that i have are 25+ years old. The ornaments are still cute and timeless!