.have.yourself.a.merry.little.Christmas.

If you came to our house right now~...

 You would find.... a cold and windy outdoors, with quiet streets.

 pieces of Christmas around the house...

 freshly baked Chocolate chip cookies. {they are Chocolate chip, you just can't tell in the picture! :) }

 stockings hung on the fireplace with care. ;)

 Christmas ornaments being made at dining room table...

 a lit up Christmas tree with presents around it...

 Here are some pictures from the snow that we had about a week ago...

Today has been spent cleaning house, baking, and watching Toy Story 1. We have been busy the past couple of days.

We are getting ready for my Dad's friend who coming into town tomorrow evening to spend a couple of days with us. We are very happy that he could come~ we always have so much fun with him!

I'm off to help make dinner, and start packing suitcases for the trip to visit family the day after Christmas! I am very happy!

Have a wonderful evening! and stay warm~

{i'm going home for Christmas}

I can't believe that it is Christmas Week! I am so, so excited!

I am on Christmas break~ it is so wonderful!

I can't wait to go "home". While this is our home, I still consider where all our family is as home. Home is where you have all your family, where you have so many memories inside your mind from the many times spent with them. I haven't seen some of them in several months, I miss them so much, and can.not.wait to see them!! :) I smile just thinking about it!

 Here are a few pictures from our shopping spree the other day. We had a fabulous time!

 I found these adorable shoes. They fit perfectly, and I loved them to pieces! that's why they are "mine", even though I don't have them at home with them. :)

 This is Lily Kate and I when we decorated our tree a couple weeks ago. She loved the snow-globes!

 Here is the Christmas tree on the square down town. It was so pretty the night of the Christmas parade.

Well, I'm going to go enjoy myself! Have a fabulous Christmas, and enjoy the break {if you have one!}~

This years songs...

My sister, Abigail, and I love to sing~ we almost always have a song that we are working on learning. We have a big folder of song lyrics! When we get together with our cousins and aunt we always sing together. It is so much fun! We like a lot of the same music, so it is really fun to be able to find a song that we like, and share it with them, and then learn it together.

This Christmas Abigail, and I are working on these songs~....


"All I want For Christmas is You"~ This song has such a catchy tune. I remember hearing it on the radio one Christmas, a couple years ago, and dancing around in the kitchen with my siblings. Yes, we are a little different!




"2000 Decembers Ago"~ This would have to be one of my top ten favorite Christmas songs. Last year I choreographed a dance to this, and Abigail, my cousin Carrington, and I danced to it at a Christmas play that we did with our cousins. It may be one of my favorites because of all the great memories that it brings back, but I just love this song!




.~.~.~.~.~.

On another note- I am so excited to be on Christmas break! The past couple of weeks have had me very stressed out over school~ I'm so glad that I don't have to do it until 2011! ;)

We are going to the big city :) tomorrow to Christmas shop!

We went last Saturday, just the girls, but we are taking the boys this time so they will get a chance to get a taste of the Christmas rush! I will make sure to take lots of pictures, I am sure it will be a very memorable experience! :)

Merry Christmas~ and don't forget to share some Christmas cheer with someone!

{follow me there}

it has been way to long since I last blogged- for me anyways. I have worked on several posts, but like I have said before, they just haven't made it to my home page!!


.~ the other day I was out in the yard.. it was a very nice day out, about 45 degrees which felt oh, so warm, compared to the 18 degree weather that we have been having~ ;)
anyways. We have a strip of woods in the back of our yard, and then a corn field. Same on the side of the yard too. I had been back there once when we first moved here, but hadn't gone back. So, I asked the boys if they wanted to go for a walk. Of course, they always jump at the chance to go on a walk with their favorite sister. ;) {*wink*}

      It is very pretty back there~ especially when the sun started to set.

                                                                  {me w/ my boys}

  



I heard this song on "Sarah Palin's Alaska", and really like it. I like a lot of Third Day's music-- this is diffidently one of my favs! .~ make sure to pause music at bottom before listening.

{baby it's cold outside}

it's been snowing the past four days.. it's very pretty~

one particular member of our family has been depressed by it..{who will remain nameless}.

Despite the one depressed person ;) it has been very fun~

I'm not one of those people that will spend hours and hours out in it-- building snowmen, and making snow angels..

no I'm one of those types that throws a few snow balls, takes some pictures, and catches some flakes on my tongue, and then goes inside and thaws out.

I like to watch it fall outside the window..

yesterday I came inside and was sitting on my bed slowly pulling all my layers of clothing off. listening to Silent Night and watching the snow swirling outside my window.. listening to the words. that tell THE.STORY.

Reminds me of how caught up we get this time of year.

when really..

it is all about that silent, and holy night...

{i'm still eating turkey}

Well, I guess I am exaggerating just a bit. ;)
although we still do have some dressing~

We had a very good Thanksgiving-- it was different than any Thanksgiving that I have ever experienced..
the cooking was on us. Yes, we felt a little awkward making everything, we had always had other family to share that task with~ so we were a little lost!

 Here's my dad-- or that day he was the Turkey-hacker-upper. ;) he's not known for His turkey cutting skills!

                                                                         the bird

 we were laughing about how mean He looks in this picture~ even He thought so!

 out by the fire that night roasting marshmallows~ as if Thanksgiving dinner didn't fill us up enough..

 the fire~

Abigail, and I by the set table-- She is very creative in that area!

{photo courtesy of Abigail, for some of the above pictures}

Well, I better go see what I'm wearing to church tomorrow~ better be something warm.. It's been snowing the past couple of days, off, and on. It snowed tonight, when we went to the Christmas parade {pictures to come of that another time}. It was very cozy, even though we did start to freeze despite wearing sock caps, and other layers of warmth!

mErY early ChRistMaS!
stay warm~

{preparing for Thanksgiving}

here we are... already the day before Thanksgiving~ How can that be?

Wasn't it just yesterday that we were making sweet potato casserole, and cutting turkey? ;)

I love spending time in the kitchen this time of year~ here are a few of my best friends that help me out...

 How did we ever manage without a mixer? I love this thing!

 oh, and we can't forget about the dish washer-- I WOULD BE LOST, in a pile of dishes, that is~ ;)
                       I love wearing aprons, they make me feel very feminine, but also serve a good purpose~
                                                
Now for a tour of our Kitchen, and Parlor (a.k.a      front living room).

The above is our chalk-board~ Please ignore the lame message that is written on it... someone was trying to be clever. You know the line in that song about putting a penny in the old mans hat, and where it says, "The Goose is getting fat". Yeah~ like I said- someone was trying to be clever. And for the record, it wasn't me... I was just annoying the person that wrote it. Okay. I will shut up now.

Moving on~

 In the picture above you see our kitchen. It looks a lot better in real life! :) We will eventually get window treatments up.

 The other side. ^

                                             Next we have the parlor. Or, like I said, it can be called the front living room to. Whatever you prefer-- it's your decision. ;)

 The picture below is of my great grandparents when they were young~ Aren't they a good looking couple. We say he looked like Clark Gable~ He really does!

         de*tai*l's

 

Here is our screen saver at the moment-- cute, huh? My creative sister put it up. :)

 We have been busy cooking and cleaning. We aren't traveling this year. My grandparents from my dad's family came to our house. We have enjoyed visiting with them. Tomorrow a couple of people from my dad's office will be coming for dinner and visiting. They don't have any family near by, so they will be spending Thanksgiving with us~ 

I love tomorrow... :)

I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving~ I certainly have a lot to be thankful for.

[happy thanksgiving,]

..~Lydia

we thought we were going to win it

Today we took our Christmas pictures~ should I say part 1 of our Christmas pictures. ;)

I don't think we have ever done Christmas pictures when something didn't go wrong. I'm serious. This year it was the tri-pod. It broke, so my Dad rigged it up with duct-tape-- like we do when anything else breaks! ha. ;) It was the tri-pod that gave us problems last year too. what's up with us and tri-pods?

we finally got outside and started taking... after rigging the tri-pod up with duct-tape of course. ;)

this is the typical Christmas picture... everyone is smiling, we look happy to be having our picture taken..

same here... for some of us.

 but really this is what 99.9% of them ended up looking like.

                                                                        

This picture has my Dad and I  laughing, my mom looking annoyed, and Abigail in mid-blink. I think we need to send this one out-- at least we would be honest. ;)

needless to say-- we will be re-doing them on Friday. ☺

                              

The other day I walked outside to get the mail... I pulled out one of those scratch of winner things from a car place here in town. I went inside and being the gullible person that I am, I start to scratch it off, and match up the codes with the winning code. When I got to the second scratch off, I saw that the code matched the winning one. For a second I just ignored it and then started to think that maybe it was the winning one. I showed my mom and everyone else. We read all the info. about the winning prize. You could either win $17,000.00, or a car. (we all agreed that we would rather have the $17,000..ha!)

My mom was kind of reluctant to believe it, so Abigail called the place and asked the about it. They said that you would have to come by the place and see if the key fit the hole in the car. That afternoon when Abigail and my Mom were out running errands they stopped by there to see if it fit. We were all anxious that afternoon~at least I was. Like I said, I'm a gullible person.

Later the got home and told me the bad news...

We were not the winners!

dern.

There's always next time! :)

when people think your something that your not

Last Sunday we visited a church. About 20 minutes into the service Mama, and I took Lily Kate, and Levi out, because LK was being loud. Imagine that?! ;) As I was holding her and walking out of the sanctuary, she waved to everyone. Oh the joys of being a big sister! ha!

Well, there was a Man that was showing us the nursery, and Sunday school class that they would be in. Levi went into the class that he would be in with Mama, and a lady showed me Lily Kate's nursery class. First I was called her mother, then the teacher went on to ask me, "So what does your husband do?" {my chin dropped to the floor, my eyes bulged out of my head, and I fainted. ☺} I told her"SHE IS NOT MY DAUGHTER!!! I AM NOT HER MOTHER!!! I AM NOT MARRIED!!!" well, not really quite like that.

     Then a few minutes later, when back in Levi's class, Lily Kate was eating one of her crackers, and a little girl tapped me, and said, "Your daughter is trying to give me her cookie!". I smiled at her and laughed~ you have to some time. ;)

I'm off to go watch the Pioneer woman do a throw down with Bobbie Flay now!

Have a wonderful evening!

to the birthday boy

today is Levi's 4th birthday.

how time flies! I remember the day he was born-- doesn't seem like it was four years ago~

He is a very funny child. Very mature-- esp. his taste buds. ;)

He loves coffee, and sushi... My parents are taking him out for sushi this weekend. Isn't that just like a four year old?! ;)

He made up this thing that he tells all the women in His life when we leave to go somewhere-- "Your gorgeous, and pretty, and beautiful. Your my one star, I love you, your my pink bulldog, I love you. Bye!"
he's got it down pat, and never forgets to tell us. He's a little romeo. {wink}

I love you bud! Happy Birthday!

Love,
Ydia

I've been saying for a week now, "I'll do a post tomorrow"..and then tomorrow comes, and I don't do it.

..so I am sitting down, and will hopefully will get it posted.

I absolutely l.o.v.e this time of year. It is beautiful!!

I love wearing sweaters, and boots. I love all the colorful trees. I love that Thanksgiving day will be here soon. I love that Christmas will be here right after that~

"The Girl's" (my mom, Abigail, me, and Lily Kate) went to the city that is near us today. We spent the day shopping. It was such a fun time. Our whole family has gone a couple times, and we always feel rushed, grouchy, and it isn't fun. ;) so just the girls went today~

The town that we live in is small. The shopping is horrid. Before we moved up here, my mom was e-mailing a lady that lived here, and she said that you can just about see one end of the mall from the other. Unfortunately, it is very true! ;)

Mama and I went into a consignment shop a couple days ago. It was depressing. We didn't find anything, and the prices where on the higher side.
     
          There were two women that walked in , that reeked of cigarette smoke (I don't mean to sound snotty here!), and said, in a very hick accent, "They've got some gorgeous sweaters here". I felt like saying, "Oh really? I have looked at all racks, and haven't seen a single one!". Ha!

But today we went to a consignment shop, and were expecting it to be really good, and were very disappointed! It was mostly clothes for business woman, and not really what we were looking for. I did end up getting a pair of jeans, a sweater, and shirt, that I really liked. In the last town that we lived in there was a shop that we loved! We almost always left the store with a couple of things. I guess we got spoiled!

(lily kate has finally grown enough hair to have pig-tails!)

Last Sunday afternoon I baked sweet potato pies. They were a hit! I got the recipe off of foodnetwork.com. It was a Paule Deen recipe~ I told my mom that Paula Deen knew what she was doing when it came to sweet potato pie! ;)

On my next post I plan on doing a tour of our house-- now that it is starting to come together. I will try to do it tomorrow~

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sorry it's been so long since I last did a real post.

I have been to busy climbing mountains of brown moving boxes. I couldn't seem to find my way to the computer~ ;)

we have gotten a lot done~ The 5,000 boxes of books are finally narrowed down to about 3-- that took a while.!.

The man who packed them, said that it was the biggest amount of books he had ever packed-- at least by himself. That's saying a lot, considering that he packs up houses all the time!

We are really liking our house~ it's extremely homey.

One of the many things I love about it is that most of the house has all the original doors from when it was built in 1954. Old doors are so much prettier than new doors. I love the doors knobs-- even despite the fact that on some of them they will only open, if you turn it a certain way; and the doors knobs will fall off if you shut it to hard... I still love them! ;)

I painted an old book shelf that the owners left. It was wood, but I painted it black. When I first started to paint it, it looked dark blue. Everyone thought so~ I was a little worried there for a minute. Then it started to dry and it looked black. Wheeh! ;)

 It now resides in the living room holding our books, and DVD's. I'm going to have to touch up on the places where the paint chipped off when I was loading books on it. The paint person at "Lowe's" told us the wrong kind, so it's not holding up to great.. oh, well!

 It's supposed to snow here tomorrow..(or so they say), snow already? I mean it is November, but still-- doesn't seem like it could possibly snow already! The year has flown by, wasn't it just yesterday that we were watching the ball drop?

Then when I think about all that has happened this year, it does seem possible.

I am singing Christmas carols, and listening to a Christmas CD. I guess it is that time of year again~

 I am listening to "The Best Day" (Taylor Swift), and when I scrolled down to the picture above, she sang, "Now I know why all the trees change in the Fall", kind of appropriate, don't you think? ;)

i'm going to go head over that mountain of brown boxes now...