project update: the guest room, still.

I have started this post no less than three times, and just had to erase it all and start over, because it was all whining. poor me, this project is taking longer than I thought it would. poor me, my husband is doing all the work. poor me, he is very focused on all the details so these rooms are going to be completely amazing when they're done.

pathetic.

so instead of that, let me tell you all about our new door!

the door showed up in the hallway right before the weekend of snowpocalypse 2016. Mark wanted to make sure we were fully prepared for every possible scenario that might have come along with being snowed in under two feet of snow for a few days, so we stocked up on milk, bread, rock salt, and pre-hung doors.

one of the many, many little details in this project was the doorway threshold. even though this doorway was original to the house, it had already been turned into a plain old wall when the hardwood floors were installed in the hallway, and then it was still a wall when the floors were refinished last year, so we needed to add a few boards in the new doorway so the transition into the room looked intentional and like this door had always been here.

we had plenty of hardwood left over from the kitchen renovation, as well as the stain and poly, so we didn't need to buy any new materials to make this fix. it's one of those little details that probably won't ever be noticed when everything is all done, because Mark did a really good job with it and its really pretty seamless.

 

once the hardwood was all patched in, Mark installed the door and trim. he was able to reuse the trim that he took off the old closet, so it is a perfect match to the rest of the trim in the hallway.

 

side note: every time the air compressor kicks on, I jump like three feet in the air. scares me every single time.

look at that! a real-live door filling the door-sized hole in the wall!

of course, Mark promptly took the door right back down to paint it, and then he only got to paint half of it before we ran out of semi-warm days and it got too cold to spray it outside, but the paint gun makes a much nicer finish than brushing and rolling, so now the half-painted door is hanging out in the living room with the box spring and the giant roll of carpet that got delivered over the weekend. we are nothing if not super classy folks, y'all.

up next: painting, painting, painting, and then carpet!

it was Pap.

i was shoveling the driveway on Sunday afternoon. the biggest snow event of the season, a whopping 6 whole inches, and i was digging us out while Mark worked inside on moving the attic access.  i about jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice as it carried so loud and clear across the winter silence of the fresh snow- "Amanda, your mom is on the phone."

my mind was racing as i sprinted up the driveway and tossed my shovel into a snowbank, covering miles of mental ground as my body covered a couple hundred feet. it couldn't be Pap. he had to have more time than this.  Dad had just texted on Thursday night, a message that i didn't read until Friday morning, "Pap isn't doing well."  i had, just moments prior, laughed to myself about Pap's winter hat sitting high up on his head well above his ears, as i had just pushed my own hat up off my overheating forehead. he had to have more time than this.

we didn't go visit this weekend. we figured it would stress Gram out to have us arrive without any advance notice. we knew Pap would not recognize us, and we were not sure we wanted to remember him not remembering us. its selfish, but i wanted to remember him from this past summer, when he called me Girl and we danced in the kitchen. "Manda Dawn, what's that flower you have on?" in that moment, behind those eyes that had been confused and lost for so long, it was Pap.

mom's voice broke on the phone as she choked out the words that she didn't want to have to say and i didn't want to hear. it was Pap.

in which i am reminded.

this post is long overdue. really, any post is long overdue. its been a while since i have actually taken some time to sit and think with myself and put into writing some of my thoughts, my struggles, my hopes and dreams, my fears.  i have neglected this blog recently - i forgot that its value lies not just in providing home improvement and general life updates to my family with marginally more words than is possible or generally acceptable in a Facebook post, but that i benefit from it as an outlet. it is a space to let off the steam that builds up between my ears so my head does not explode.  it is a place where i work through my thoughts in writing - typing, editing, deleting, discovering, and sharing. 

the sharing is an important part of this whole blogging process. i have tried journaling in various forms before, but none of them has ever really stuck.  for some reason, keeping my words private under lock and key just does not hold the same appeal for me as throwing my words out into the wild unknown ether of the interwebs. sharing my experiences with someone, anyone, somehow validates them- makes them known. maybe that makes me an attention whore? hmm...

this winter has been tough. i dont think i can go so far as to call it hard, because relatively speaking i am extremely fortunate, but maybe just a smidge on the less desireable side of comfortable. i think i come to this same conclusion every single winter. probably every single February, if you were crazy enough to take the time to go back through my archives of things i have written here, you would find either those exact words or a variation on the theme. winter is tough. i am not built for the cold. i'm having a hard time finding my joy in the cold months following Christmas. i just can't wait for spring to get here. as if the fact that i struggle with the winter months - the cold, the dark, the gray - is a new and surprising revelation. as if.

the fact that this is a recurring theme in my life year after year does not diminish the truth of the fact - i am not in a good place right now, at least that's how i'm feeling.  on the face of things, everything is great: i am married to a wonderful man who loves me. we are remodeling our home to better suit our needs and wants which will increase the value of our home and we're not going further into debt to do it. we have good jobs that we like going to every day. our families are generally happy and healthy and we have good relationships with them.

but because it is winter, i am unable to focus on all of those good things. Satan uses the cold dreary winter months to worm his way into my brain so that all i can see is how i am failing: how i am stressed and unorganized through the renovation. how i'm probably 25 or so pounds heavier than i would like to be. how my body is either unable or unwilling to cooperate with my desires to expand our family.  how my Pap's mind and health are failing and that is somehow reflective of a failing on my part - either to be able to fix it or to make it better or to just be there.

but i am learning. because my God is good. the best, really. and He is the one in control. and i am working on loosening my white-knuckle grip on the illusion that i am the one in control of my life. it's not easy, and i'm not there yet, and i'm not really even the one doing the work on this one.  because part of letting go and allowing God to be in control is actually about letting God work. and He promises that doing things His way will be so much better than the alternative i have been living.

 

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11

non-resolution redux.

so. apparently we're already half-way through January.

Happy New Year, y'all!

according to popular conventions, by this point in the year i should have already done a sweeping, overarching review of 2014, committed to several large goals for the year to come, and probably already failed half of them. but i have done none of that. instead, i am spending this week frantically finishing all of the Christmas presents that i put off crafting until the very last minute in preparation for a giant Christmas/Birthday extravaganza with my whole extended family this weekend.  so while i have managed to extend the holiday spirit long past most of the rest of the world, i have not transitioned into the new year mindset quite yet.

BUT since I have a ton of different and exciting things rattling around in my brain that i dont want to not share, here is my best attempt at thinking through some things i would like to do and accomplish and be in the upcoming year (which is already 4% over. way to be ahead of the game, Mando.)

first of all, my goals for this past year; 14 for '14 and one to grow on:
(my comments in italics)

1. curtains. well, we had curtains made for the front room and dining room. they turned out to be all different lengths and i kind of hated them. and now we're rearranging all the windows so they'll probably end up being useless, but at least they happened. half-win on this one.
2. read at least 3 non-fiction books. read one for sure. finished a couple fiction books too. most recently started The Story and am on Chapter 6 i think. half-win on this one.
3. have pretty flowerbeds. Mark did get rid of the ugly tree on the front corner of the house, but left that bed full of weeds. he also tore up the side bed by the driveway during the great downspout extravaganza of 2014 but we haven't re-mulched it yet. i planted zero things. fail.
4. budget. haven't quite found a plan that has stuck long-term yet. but we're not broke so, win!
5. ride my bike. twice, i think. win!
6. read through my Bible. i recently started reading The Story. kind of like the Bible, abridged. half-win.
7. close my other bank account. not this year. this is just pathetic. fail.
8. big book of everything. good in theory, but never quite got it started. fail
9. pass the PE. DONE. PASSED! HAVE THE LICENSE TO PROVE IT. WIN WIN WIN!!!
10. overcome my fear of the lawnmower.  helped mow the grass once. that's about it. fail.
11. run. bought new shoes. decided running probably just isn't for me. counting it as a half-win.
12. sew a cushion for the entryway bench. still currently sitting 3/4 of the way done in the basement. have spent the past 6 months trying to work up the energy to finish the stupid thing. half-win.
13. get the air ducts cleaned. UGH. stupid air duct guy never showed up for our appointment. so i gave up and decided it wasn't that important to me. fail.
14. yoga. bought a new yoga DVD. did it twice. win?
15. start the kitchen renovation. of all the things on this list that i figured wouldn't happen this year, this is the one we actually did! cabinets and appliances are ordered, demolition is pretty much done, and rebuilding has already started. if all goes well, we should have a brand new space by spring! win!

well, that's a whopping 7.5 out of 15. this is my least favorite thing about goals: looking back on them and realizing how hard i failed at some of the simplest things. i did some BIG things this year professionally and house-wise that i am proud of, so why does having un-done things on my list get me so down? why set goals at all if not accomplishing them just makes me sad? padding my yearly list with fluff isn't going to do me any favors, but seriously - where is the balance between stretching yourself and setting yourself up for disappointment?

and yet, i still see the value in setting goals, and starting a new year fresh. everything is so full of possibility at the beginning of a whole new year, (or 96% of a new year in this case)  and i really do want each year to be the best year yet. i'm pretty sure the point of goal-setting to stretch your own boundaries and inspire personal growth, so i'm not giving up on the whole thing just yet.

in 2015, i would like to...

...finish the kitchen renovation with sanity and grace. this is big and exciting and a huge blessing. i want to keep that in mind rather than just freaking out over all the details.
...feel good in my skin. whether i lose some weight, clear up my face, grow my hair out, or just shift my personal perception of myself, i just want to feel better.
...focus on intentionally healthy choices: walk. eat salads. less sugar-bomb snacks. more jazzercise.
...be more organized. this includes previous years goals of closing my extraneous bank account, starting the big book of everything, budgeting, finishing up some half-done projecs, and hopefully just generally feeling more like a responsible adult.
...host parties. i'm going to have such a nice new kitchen, it would be a shame not to share it with people i love.
...spend time outside. sunshine is the best. and not much beats that wonderful exhausted feeling after a long day spent working or playing outside. i'd like to do more of that this year.
...get pregnant. this is something i dont really talk about much, because it is extremely personal and because i dont want anyone asking me "how's it going? *winkwinknudgegiggle*" ugh. awkward. no thanks. so why put it on the list? because i've been pretty singularly focused on it for the past 10 months but haven't let myself talk about it much, and it just feels good to put it in writing.
...take pictures. because i want to be able to look back someday and remember my everyday life, along with the big events.
...go to the beach. i just love it.
...have fun. smile. laugh. relax. be silly. just fun.

so there. i feel good about this list. it's probably not all-inclusive of everything that this year will bring, and of course is completely subject to change because who knows what God has planned for us, and i will still likely feel like i have failed at a lot of it come this time next year because that's just how i do. but if i manage to cross off even just a couple things on this list, i think i will feel good about that.

here we go. headlong into the remaining 96% of the year. let's do this.

free time, defined.

 

free time does not exist. all time is filled with something.

sometimes multiple things.

simplified, my time right now is mostly spent like this:

work, eat, study, sleep.

 

two months and counting.

 

 

winter wonder.

winter this year has been a frigid, snowy, icy pain in the butt. but gosh, it's also capable of being quite pretty.

related: it is a wonder that i didn't fall off the roof of the shed yesterday while clearing off the branches that fell in the ice storm.

and it will be an additional wonder if the butterfly bush survives the winter... fingers crossed!

not dead. just not feeling wordy lately.

so. sorry about the radio silence around these parts. i'm still here. still living life, eating regularly, going to work, doing all of the important things like laundry and dishes and i think i might have even cleaned the bathroom recently so yeah, i'm pretty much a rockstar. *brushes off shoulder* but as far as writing anything? sharing my stories? documenting the life i am living right now? eh, not so much. *shrugs* and i'm kind of ok with that.

winter is tough - it is cold and lonely and dark and lasts way too long after Christmas and i'm just now realizing that i'm really only about halfway through the season. gross. but what i'm trying to say is that i feel like as long as i am surviving, i'm doing ok - even if the documentation side of things is slipping.

so just in case you've been wondering, this is what i've been up to lately:
(and i even made my list alliterative! just because i can! Cope would be so proud!)

Sister Christmas. we travelled to Pennsylvania the weekend between Christmas and New Year's to celebrate with my family. i took zero pictures of our extended family celebration at Aunt Sara's house - i figured cousin Sarah had it covered - but did manage some pictures of our mini-Christmas with the sisters and our families.

we even had a tiny tree to put our presents under!

 

 Mark's present came in a Victoria's Secret bag...

 

  don't you love my sister's new hat?

Skiing. for the second year in a row, i survived the Shifflett family ski trip. and i liked it! we went to a different mountain this year - Showshoe, WV. the trails were tougher, and it took me a while to re-remember how to make it down the mountain upright (i ended the weekend with a grand total of 12 wipeouts and one giant hip bruise...apparently i always land on the same spot) but we had a really good time. my camera spent the weekend in my purse so i don't have any pictures, but my FIL took some good ones (and at least one terrible one that i couldn't convince him to delete) so if those ever actually make it off of their camera i might share a few.

Studying. the day we got back from our long skiing weekend, we also started an online review course for the PE Exam we're taking in April. ever since then, literally all of my free time has been spent with my giant review books; either reading theory, listening to lectures, working problems, or weeping in despair because right now it feels like there is no way i will ever re-learn all of this stuff in the next 79 days.

(not) Sewing. so i got that great sewing machine for Christmas. and i have some good ideas for sewing projects. and i have created a "sew fun!" pinerest board. and because of the aforementioned skiing and studying, i have had zero time to actually sew anything. sigh.

Shopping. mostly for groceries and other necessary but not necessarily fun things.  i feel like i have spent a lot of time at the grocery store, which probably isn't even true because Mark's new job is right across the street from the grocery store so he has been doing a lot of the shopping for me. but, it started with an S so it made the list. i have been to Walmart twice in the past week to buy exciting things like lint filters for my utility sink and mini saltines and a dishpan. and ok i also impulse bought the movie Tangled just because i wanted to watch it. maybe i'll watch it again tomorrow...

Singing. the Frozen soundtrack. constantly. all the time. obsessed. have you seen this movie? is it even still in theaters? we saw it on a date night on New Years, and you need to see it too. trust me.

Sparkles. ok so this isn't really a thing i've been doing, but it snowed yesterday and it's a little windy today and all of the blowing snow outside my office window looks like one massive glitter party and it makes me smile.

blessed holiday.

back at work today.

 

blessed with the sight of surprise snow falling outside my window.

 

blessed with a little time off work this week to spend with family.

 

 

blessed with a loving and encouraging husband.

 

 

blessed with a lazy Christmas morning at home.

 

 

blessed with a rare Santa sighting in Maryland.

 

 

blessed with so much.

 

 

consider them decked.

the halls, that is. my house has been decorated for Christmas since the weekend after Thanksgiving - its just taken me until Christmas Eve to take any pictures of it. i blame the lack of sunlight and an overabundance of craziness this holiday season. today was the first day all month i had time and sunlight on my side.

please note that all of these pictures are carefully framed because i have yet to actually clean the house today, and i figured if i waited until everything was clean i would have ran out of sunlight. again.

let's start this little tour in the dining room:

the dining room decor can mostly be attributed to my mom: she picked up the awesome oversize ornaments at a yardsale this summer, and then sent these three home with us in our carry-ons because they didn't match her color scheme. she also mailed us our advent wreath for our first married Christmas.

i decided to display Christmas cards on the big mirror this year. they are hung with command hooks, fishing line, and binder clips. because nothing says festive quite like office supplies. in years past, cards were displayed in the kitchen, or in a basket on the dining room table. if you don't see your card here, its probably because you didn't send us one. (or we haven't gotten it yet. haven't checked the mail today)

on the not-a-credenza in the front room, we have these happy snowmen. they are a cookie jar, but sadly there are no cookies inside. i did very little baking this year and gave most all of the cookies away, and the few that were deemed not good enough to gift didn't stick around long enough to make it into the jar. they were delicious.

you've already met Harold the Third, but he's just so good looking i had to show him to you again. plus: presents!

the clear glass lamps in the fireplace room are filled with ornaments, and our santa tray is patiently waiting for his big moment to shine tonight.

i love our nativity set, another gift from my parents. it lives on the mantel and did i mention how much i love it?

one thing we overlooked last year in the design and construction of our mantel was the matter of stockings. the old nails were removed from the brick, and a new solution was never implemented. we bought cup hooks this year, but ran out of time to install them, so for this year our stockings are hung on the empty firewood holder.

i am really bummed that i'm not going home to spend Christmas with my parents this year, but with so much sentimentality in my decor, (seriously, my mom either made or gifted us everything in these pictures) its almost like being home for Christmas. almost.

Merry Christmas!

of trees and gifts.

'twas the weekend after thanksgiving, and barely december,

when the hubs and i made some memories to remember.

the trees were all leaned in the lot with great care,

knowing that lazy tree shoppers would be there.

 

you know the ones, like the hubs and me,

who can't muster the energy to chop their own tree.

we wandered just briefly, then to our delight -

Harold the Third was right there in our sights!

 

Mark paid the nice man and in no time flat,

Harold was tied up on the roof - just like that!

back at home, after lunch, and with our four hands,

we expertly secured Harold upright in his stand.

we strung twinkle lights: green, pink, yellow, and blue,

then followed with snowflakes and ornaments too!

and i sat in the dark just admiring the glow,

so thankful for Christmas and  the love that God shows.

 

He sent us his Son, in a way quite provincial

to die in our place because we are sinful.

and i celebrate that with all of my might,

so Merry Christmas to all! May your season be bright!

 

 

winter sunrise.

for the past few years, winter has chosen not to venture even slightly south of the Mason-Dixon line. but this year, we have had more snow in the past week than what accumulated in the past two years combined, and it has stayed cold enough that it didn't immediately melt away. not only does a layer of snow on the ground make the world look more festive, but it also makes a lovely backdrop for an early morning masterpiece to paint the world the most stunning shade of pink.

 

undedited, because God is just that good.

meal plan monday: march 25.

on the sixth day of Spring, Mother Nature gave to me:

   - three inches of snow and more to come
   - one outfit change after cleaning off my car
   - two states full of incompetent drivers
   - 30 extra minutes added to my commute
   - all sorts of people who think headlights are optional
   - and a chance i'll get snowed in in Delaware.

today, all i want to eat is hot soup and leftover birthday cake. actually, i'm pretty sure i could survive on that all week. and since chances of me making it to the grocery store after work today get slimmer and slimmer with every snowflake that CONTINUES TO FALL TODAY, that might just be a pretty real possibility. but just in case i do make it to the store, i should probably have a plan, so here it is:

Monday: Meg's fish packets with veggies and rice. (recipe)
Tuesday: soup from a can.
Wednesday: crock pot chili. (recipe)
Thursday: boboli.
Friday: taco night.
Saturday: grilled chicken on spinach salad.
Sunday: Easter lunch with the inlaws.

PS dear Mother Nature - if it is still snowing on Easter, you and I are going to have to have ourselves a little talk...

 

snapshot.

you know those moments when you think to yourself, "self, i wish i had a camera built into my brain so that i could take a picture of what i'm seeing at this exact moment," because that moment is either so hilarious or strange or just so stunningly beautiful that you dont want to forget?

 

driving to delaware this morning.

these moments are the exact reason why i am so glad that i almost always have my camera right with me.

daffodils dont understand thermometers.

like guys - do you not realize that we are dealing with single digits this week? if you have the option, why not stay down in the warm ground until we at least get up to a reasonable temperature out here? i mean, i'm all for bringing on spring, but this just seems a little extreme. winter has barely just begun! they're calling for snow tonight! and are you prepared to deal with that? i sure hope so. because you're so very pretty when you bloom.

 

and yes, because i know you're wondering, TWO cars drove by while i was crouched at the end of my driveway taking pictures of the ground around my mailbox like some sort of crazy lady. the things i do for you guys...

snow bunny.

its been two years since i have been on skis. before that, it had been YEARS since i willingly strapped my feet into silly boots attached to matchsticks and threw myself haphazardly down snow-covered mountains. (i was in middle school and obviously invincible) my most recent excursion on the slopes, while it was a lot of fun, lasted just a few hours and ended with burning thighs, frustrated tears, and many many spectacular wipeouts.

i'm what you could call not-very-good-at-skiing.

so when my in-laws proposed a long weekend ski-trip, i was a little nervous. ok i lie. i was borderline terrified. i didnt know what to expect, or what to do, or what to PACK. i stressed for at least a week leading up to the trip. but eventually i figured i could maybe spend a couple hours on the slopes, and then hunker down with a good book and a giant mug of hot chocolate in front of a roaring fireplace somewhere in the lodge and wait out the rest of the weekend. the hubs would be able to ski to his hearts content, and i wouldn't be at risk for any broken bones. it would be wonderful, relaxing, and fun for everyone.

so imagine my surprise when on the afternoon of my first day on the mountain, not only was i still skiing, but i found myself here:

the camera adds 10 pounds, and the winter coat adds another 30.  

that is the top of a black diamond. for those not fluent in ski-speak, a black diamond is one of the toughest designations a trail can recieve. see that thing that appears to be a sheer drop-off behind us? that's exactly what it is. i had my sister-in-law take this picture of us just in case i never made it to the bottom.

and then, i skiied right off the edge of that mountain. and amazingly, i made it to the bottom. upright. no flailing, no falling, no having to embarrassingly gather my skis and poles from all over the mountainside while everyone on the lift laughed at me. we were all equally surprised and impressed.

and then i did it again.

by the end of the trip, i was the one convincing Mark to stay out on the slopes a little longer, saying things like "let's just do this black diamond two more times before we head in for the day." for serious. ask him. i couldn't make this up if i tried.

there were no tears the entire weekend. i only wiped out twice, and my skis stayed on both times. i really only lost control twice and a half other times. and thanks to an afternoon rain shower on the second day, i also had plenty of time for hot chocolate, reading, "racquetball," swimming, and chillaxin' in the hot tub. my only regret is that i never found that roaring fireplace.

so what's the deal? why the sudden big difference in my skiing abilities after a two year hiatus? i honestly have no idea. my best guess is magic. or aliens. (or p90x) but whatever the reason, i'm thankful for it. because all my fears and nervousness and stress about this long ski weekend turned out to all be unfounded. i spent a wonderful, relaxing, fun winter vacation with my husband and his family, and i'm kind of excited to do it again sometime. if only to see whether or not this whole trip was just a fluke.

and in case it is, i'll be sure to bring a good book to enjoy by the fire.

meal plan monday: jan 7.

i think this might be the easiest week i have ever had the pleasure to meal plan, since we're taking a post-holiday mini-vacation this week/weekend. you know, it turns out we really liked the three-day-work-week-paired-with-a-four-day-weekend combo, and we decided that two in a row we got for Christmas and New Years just didnt quite cut it. so we're heading out right after work on wednesday, and not coming home until sometime sunday, which means i only have two dinners to really plan. no leftovers needed. minimal grocery shopping to be done. this is the LIFE, y'all!

so the good news is that meal planning and grocery shopping are officially non-stressors this week. unfortunately, the bad news is that they have more than been replaced with the terror that is packing. ugh.

Monday: fish, rice, and a veggie.
Tuesday: grilled cheese with tomato soup. (finally the last day of p90x!)
Wednesday - Saturday: skiing with the in-laws.
Sunday: soup from a can.

merry day after.

i have a story to share with all y'all, but its kind of gross. so i figured it would be more appropriate on the day after Christmas to post something a little more cheerful. so here! look at some of the pictures i remembered to take of our Christmas, and look forward to the gross story tomorrow!

 

we were fortunate on Christmas Eve to have some surprise snow! not so much that we were snowed in or unable to make it to the Christmas Eve service, but just enough to make everything outside extra beautiful, festive, slippy, and dangerous. the good news is that everybody made it to and from our house safely for dinner, games, and fun after church. 

 

 in the past, Mark and I have gifted each other three gifts: because if it was good enough for Jesus, its good enough for us. this year we gifted ourselves one BIG present that came in the mail last week, and then kept it pretty low key for Christmas morning: one small present each, and whatever we could stuff in each others stockings.

 

this is exactly how i want to remember our Christmas mornings: 'you gotta get up' blasting through the house, pajamas, bedhead, excitement, and the joy of being together for another year. who needs perfectly styled christmas morning pictures when you can have sleepy eyes and fuzzy hats?

 

 

we eventually got dressed and headed over to Mark's parents house for stockings, brunch, presents, snacks, more presents, pictures, even MORE presents, dinner, and games with the whole fam-damily. i ate too much chocolate, stuffed myself full of good food, and enjoyed every single minute. (but i am NOT looking forward to my first workout post holiday food binge)

 

 

we made out like bandits this year. seriously, i think we recieved three presents for every one we gave this year. we are super duper spoiled and we know it. this was our tree on Christmas morning. now just imagine this same tree piled so high with boxes there's no room to spare underneath it, and thats basically what its looking like right about now.

 



all in all, we had a wonderful day full of family, food, lounging, laughter, and giving thanks for the most precious gift we have ever been given in the person of Jesus Christ our Savior. we're back to work today, watching the snow fall through the office windows and praying that the roads will be clear by the time we get to head home at the end of the day.

hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

trim up the tree with christmas stuff, like bingle balls and whofoo fluff.

i have been trying to share these photos all week, and blogger/picasa has not been playing nice. but finallyfinally i get to introduce you to my most favorite of Christmas decorations - our tree!  



 

Mark is apparently less than enthused.

 

kidding! Mark was actually very excited to help pick out Harold the Second, he just thought that he was not going to be in the picture with Harold (the second). see? much better. 

 

we drove home from the super festive parking lot/tree lot with Harold (the second) securely secured to the roof, feeling very Christmassey and festive and excited. at home, Mark set up Harold (the second) in his tree stand while i napped. and then he sat there just like that for an entire week. (Harold, not Mark) just a plain ol' pine tree, chillin in the living room. and let me just tell you, an undecorated Christmas tree is not very Christmassey - its really just kind of sad. i didnt even take any pictures of it, thats how sad it is.

 

so a week later, after i gave Harold (the second) plenty of time to settle and adjust to his new holiday home, (and also because i finally found 20 minutes of free time all in a row) it was time to decorate! our tree decorating routine is pretty standard: just colored lights, and our eclectic mish-mash of yearly ornaments that we have collected over the years. i accidentally bucked a tradition of opening our Christmas ornaments for the year on Christmas Eve - i was just so excited about putting them on the tree! we picked up this years' ornaments on our European travels. a mini-Eiffel Tower from France... 

...and a Venetian mask from Italy. neither of these were technically designed to be ornaments, but they were easily modified with a little bit of fishing line and sparkly silver cord. i love these because i think they're some of the best souveniers i have ever brought back from a trip. instead of being packed away forever in storage or lost and forgotten somewhere, these will get to be displayed every year and remind us of the awesome trip we took this year.

another super exciting thing on our tree this year: snowflakes! my mom crocheted me a set of my very own snowflakes, AND an angel tree topper. apparently i hinted last year that i might like some - i totally forgot that i ever said that, and was super surprised and excited when Mom pulled them out of her suitcase at Thanksgiving! they are wonderful and beautiful and they make my tree look fantastic and i love them and i know my sisters are super jealous so i'm not going to rave about them anymore. but just look how pretty!

 

wanna see Harold (the second) all decked out? of course you do. here he is in the daytime:

 

 

and here he is at nighttime:  

 

 

yup, its official: 'tis definitely the season for sitting in the dark living room just reveling in all of the magic and joy by the light of the tree.