Off we go

The plan was to leave last night. 

Then the snow came. 

On the mountain, I mean. Not here. 

Though that would've been awesome. :)

So... plan B? Leave today at noon. 

Sounds like a great plan to me. 

I'm mostly packed.... still have to shower, and pack my fun bag, but.... I'm mostly packed. 

Dad's out practicing how to put chains on the van.

Yes, the mountain is snowy.

But, never let it be sad that a major snow storm stopped us from getting to where we wanna be. 

SNOW STORM??... Psshh...

Joelle's dressed.

I'm not. 

I'm trying to download Father Gilbert's onto my ipod. No one likes to listen in the car, but me. It's hard for everyone to hear at the same time. You have to turn it up super loud so the people in the middle seats can hear, but then you blast the eardrums of the people in the back seat. It's not very fun. 

I hope I don't get car sick. 

Tonight is New Year's Eve! 

So excited to stay up all night with my long lost Prinvillian friends. 

So....

Off we go. 

~Christmas in Pictures~

Hopefully there will be many more pictures to come, but I downloaded these ones so you could see a "quick summary" of last week. ;)

On Thursday we went to go ride the carousel in Salem and take a picture with Santa. :) It was fun because this is all the cousins from my dad's side of the family. :)

On Christmas Eve, my aunt set the table all fancy for our annual Christmas Eve dinner, consisting of Grandma's yummy Swedish meatballs, rolls, mashed potatoes, corn, and Great Grandma's frozen cranberry salad. Mmmmm... :)

Avery and Gabby waiting for dinner to be served. 

I thought the table looked so pretty! 

On Christmas morning Aunt Debbie just couldn't wait for the Swedish pancakes to be cooked. Next best thing? Slurping the batter with a straw... (mmm?)... =/

Joelle and Avery at breakfast Christmas morning. 

Here all the boy cousins (except for Brock) are wearing the new p.j's. 

Each year we get a new pair from Grandma. This year mine were... are you ready??... PINK PAJAMA'S WITH PENGUINS ON THE BOTTOM!! 

I know... wow. ;)

If you don't know why I'm so excited see this post: Pink Pajamas

After stockings Christmas morning (we went old fashioned and opened all our gifts Christmas Eve), we played some minute-to-win-it games. 

In this one you had to hold hands with your partner and wrap a gift as fast as you can. Brock and I we terrible.... like, REALLY bad. 

It was lots of fun though. :)

It was a great week. I love my family!

The blue sky (er, eyes) after the storm...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

(This is my entry into Lucia's photography contest. If you would like to enter click here: photo contest).

Super Awesome Epic songs... like really... EPIC.

I just found this group. They're called "Straight No Chaser". (I know... whatever right?...)

They are SO GOOD! 

These are two of thier funny Christmas songs. They do more just plain serious ones, but these were just so funny (and epic) that I had to share. :)

I seriously don't know where they've been all my life!!

Tales of a Family Christmas

On Tuesday my dad's sister, who lives in MN, and her family came and surprised us saying, "We're here for Christmas!" 

Then on Wednesday night my Dad's sister from ID came with her family. 

We haven't had Christmas all together since I was nine, I think. It was a LONG time ago. New cousins have been added to the mix since then. :)

Grandma has been making lots of yummy food, and tonight we get to eat it ALL!! This evening also holds a Christmas Eve service, the opening of new pj's, games, maybe a movie like "It's a Wonderful Life" or "White Christmas" and some good old fashioned family time.

All the little cousins have put in some serious play time these past few days. 

My camera and I have had quite a hay day capturing the fun times.  :)

(I would say "pictures to come", but it seems like whenever I say that.... they never come so..."I won't be posting any Christmas pictures". There. Let's see if that'll work ;)) 

 I love my family so much, and I'm so glad I get to spend these happy days with them. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

:)

The Geo Bee

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

(More pictures and details to come about this exciting night!) :)

Another Happy Day!!

Two new pairs of shoes. :)

On sale.

American Eagle

<3 

Another Happy Day. :)

Oh Happy Day!!

After hoping and dreaming....

Scrimping, saving, and searching for deals...

One hit me smack in the face.

*BAM*

A good friend sold me his camera (and not just any camera mind you... this was his SLR Canon Rebel...)

 for an amazing price.

Sometimes friends, and new cameras, just make your day.

.

OH HAPPY DAY!!! 

:D

Hint Hint

Do you know what I did on Saturday??

I'll give you 1 (yes, just 1) guess. ;)

You get three hints...

1. I wore a reindeer shirt and old ripped jeans.

2. I wore rain~boots.

3. We had to rearrange the furniture. 

(*Notice how dad's excited and Brock is well...)

Perpetual Piles

Perpetual Piles. 

You know what I'm talking about. 

They're those piles that are, well... perpetual. 

Perpetual~

adjective 

defineition: never changing or ending; occurring repeatedly, so often as to seem endless and uninterrupted. 

We seem to have many of these piles around our house. 

Perpetual Pile #1

We sort our games... "de-clutter!", we say. 

Ok.... so maybe moving them from the game cupboard to the dining room floor doesn't really count as getting rid of them, but... it's a start!

On to Perpetual Pile #2. My desk. Well, i could count the whole things as one big pile, but since I do clean it once in awhile I will get technical and call this pile of books, "the perpetual pile".

It never goes away.

It's the result of having a book holder/case/stand thing that is to small.

Funny how once a pile is there for so long, when you move it, the space looks SO EMPTY. Lonely even... ;)

Now this, this is sad. Pictures that have yet to be hung on the wall.

They've been there since we moved in. 

Sad.

And these.... are everywhere. 

Schoolwork,

paint,

books,

loose papers, 

lost papers...

and so on and so forth.

My mom's going to kill me for this post but, two of the piles were in my room so, ya.

....I'm working on being better at not being cluttered.

It's nice to have a clean desk. 

*deep contented sigh*

:)

Accidental Creativity

I love these little guys so much so... I popped out another one today!

It was supposed to be cream on the outside and yellow inside. 

Well, as I started embroidering the edge I got a little carried away and... well... the yellow was partially on the inside. (Hehe...oops...)

I wasn't to happy, but my mom said it looked cute, and to call it "creativity".  :)

Accidental creativity?! 

Sweet! 

:)

**Missed yesterday's post about needle-books? Click here: Simple Pleasures :)

**Wondering about all the crazy colors behind the needlebook in my hand?? Tune in for a latter post about.... "Perpetual Piles". 

:)

Adventures in Packing

It was Tuesday afternoon. 

We were going to leaving for Idaho, for Thanksgiving weekend, early Wednesday morning. 

I'm not in the greatest mood ever. Tired, just wanting to finish up packing, and dealing with a sore shoulder... you know how it goes. Well, Dawson decides that he wants to come into my room to pack. He was so excited! He decided he needed someone to pack with. (He TOOK FOREVER TO FINISH. It seriously took him like all afternoon). :) He would run back and forth from his suitcase, in my room, to his dresser in his room, ask me advice and get distracted by my mirror plus his mullet ect. :) 

Anywho, I get done and I'm laying on my bed laughing inside as I watch him struggle to stay focused and not try all my necklaces on as crowns. Haha. :) A little while later, I leave the room for water, and as I come back down the hall I hear muffled talking. Like someone is buried. Well, I walk into my room, and come to find out, someone WAS buried. Dawson had gotten himself stuck in his laundry basket, in my room.... in front of the mirror. 

There's some zealous packing for ya! Hahaha, it made me laugh. ;)

TEE HEE!

...And you'll be saying "WOOHOO!" every time.... 

TEEHEE :)

Packing Party

What do you take the Christmas Season...

...lots of toys, games, socks, pens, pencils, and tooth brushes...

...put it in a box...

...and wrap it up?

An Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box!!!

On Tuesday night we had the Langleys over to pack our shoe boxes. 

It was lots of fun!

It's become a Christmas tradition for our family to pack them. If you don't know what Operation Christmas Child is, and you would like to find out so you can participate next year, click on this link. :)

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

Look at that face. 

"What? ...I put all the candy in the box... I did!"

Moriah was such a good little helper. :)

Yes, I was a little tired, and a lot loopy. ;)

This is the package that the sunglasses came in. 

:)

I guess my mood was contagious. ;)

Trying to get a serious picture of us "smoking" our candy canes.

Ooo! There it is....

....and there it went.  :)

I think Brock was getting a little fed up with us. 

Happy Beginning of the Christmas Season!! 

=)