Just Because

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

clitnon's birthday and survivor finale!

this is a long one, folks!


today is officially clinton's birthday, but sunday was his diego party at his gg's house. he's 4 now...it's hard to believe he's getting so big!!


i tried to take this shot about 4 times....the child would not smile!!


here's the birthday boy with his tina turner, uh, i mean diego cake.

mister max enjoyed the birthday fun, too!
the star gift was the cap guns....everyone there got shot (and died appropriately)!! great fun!!


later sunday night was the survivor gabon fianle. for the past three seasons we have had a little pool going...we just put in $5 per name, and we all draw two names. whoever's person wins gets the pot...sounds fun, right?

well, in the beginning it was...you know you root for whoever you draw, even if you don't like them. the first season john won...the second season janna and i came pretty close, but janna won. and then again this year, mine, mrs. morel's , and janna's people all made it to the final three...and guess what...janna won again!!! i'm not sure how, but i think the mcgregor's have fixed this whole thing....it was janna's idea... hmmmmmmmm!!

janna loves to point out that her dad's people always get voted out early on.alana and ava, sweet cousins!
mrs. morel made congo bars to go along with the african theme of the show...yum!


miss alana in her christmas pj's....she was having lots of fun dancing around for everyone!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Christmas addictions

over at buzzingsofaqueenbee carrie listed her addictions of the holiday season and challenged her readers to do the same, so here goes (in no particular order):
  • Christmas music - seriously, i listen to Christmas music from Thanksgiving night straight though to Christmas. i pretty much like it all (the that darn Christmas shoes song...i really don't like that song!), but some of my favorites are: the bing crosby white Christmas cd, dominic the donkey, and joy to the world.

  • baking - i just feel the need to bake at Christmas. last year i made two peppermint ice cream cakes.
  • taking off of work - again, i just feel the need for this. i always take off a few days around Christmas. this year i am taking the whole week of Christmas and am scrapbooking as much as i can....WAHOO!!!
  • Christmas lights - i don't usually go out just to look at the lights, but i thoroughly enjoy the ones that i see while i am out and about.
  • Christmas eve - besides visiting family on Christmas day, this is my favorite tradition....every Christmas eve we go to Christmas eve service at church, then head over to the morel homestead for lots of great food and wonderful times with friends!! it just feels right!!
  • treats - i am all about the food and drink that only comes at the holidays. my grandmother used to always make haystacks and peanut butter balls and yum yum....and I always enjoy a bit of egg nog and apple cider!!

what are your Christmas addicitons?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

a gift for me?

so last night i got home and it was all dark and rainy, and i see a huge box sitting on my front porch. now, i have ordered a few things for Christmas, but i always have that stuff shipped to my office, besides that, i know i have not ordered anything big enough to require such a large box. so as i get out of the car and go up to the porch i see the oranges on the outside of the box, and remember that last year i got the same thing...a big box of oranges and grapefruits addressed to the people who lived in my condo before i bought it.
this is the huge box...half oranges and half red grapefruit.
here's my question...knowing that they were not addressed to me, was it wrong for me to have opened them? my thought is that i don't have anyway of getting in touch with the folks the fruit is addressed to, and if i send them back wouldn't they go bad soon (not to mention with the weather we've had the box probably would not have made it outside much longer).

i plan to give a lot of the fruit away...there's about 35 oranges and 20 grapfruits (which i am not a huge fan of anyway). and today i thought i might make some orange marmalade. i love orange marmalade!! what else can i do with oranges?

hanging of the greens

every year our church has a "hanging of the greens" service where we decorate the sanctuary in preparation of the celebration of Christmas. the past couple of years they have had us take part and actually hang the wreaths and put some of the chrismons on the tree...it is always a special service!
alana is looking through what she called her camera at the hymnal (which is upside down, btw)

the garland is hung over the balcony

the advent candles and poinsettias (and if you look very close you can see the nativity and the toys underneath the other tree for the nashville toy store)

a Christmas cutie, indeed =)

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Christmas at my house!

welcome friends!!



i got these urns at a yard sale, $5 for both, and just added some small trees and a fun little bow!






this is right inside the door, i will put Christmas cards in that little tin when i start getting them!



my little baker's rack in the kitchen

this is on my kitchen table. i just put some fresh cranberries in the bottom and poured sugar on top, then more cranberries on top of that.


Christmas tree...got it on sale at target.com last january...great deal, and much better than the charlie brown tree i had last year!


mantle, with my awesome nativity (that stays out all year long), candlesticks (just changed the candles), and stockings.


this is one shelf on my built-in bookcase...those little bowls have Christmas light ornaments in them, the old kind of lights...i love those!!

now for some gifts
a couple of message boards and a book mark, and a close-up of the book mark.

~deck the halls~


have you decked your halls yet? we have a short decorating season this year, if you waited until after Thanksgiving, that is =) i decorated last weekend and keep making small small changes every day...i am going to take pictures of my decorations and some of the gifts i have done so far. i will up load them tonight or in the morning.
when do you decorate? leave me a comment!!