whatever

a quick few .....

i got this book from a friend for christmas.
i have put it in my cart several times....at the store and my virtual cart...but always put it back.
obviously God wants me to read it.
i am really excited.


i went to see this with craig last night.
he asked if i wanted to and i said "i don't want to see a western"
then i hung up and looked up the trailer.....matt damon is in it.
i called him back.

:)

this was what my dad got me.

based off of this....i got three calls in walmart the night the grammies were on....saying i was on tv.
i look like her.
or we looked very alike at the the time ....i had long dark brown hair then too.

it is pretty freaky watching her sing.
it was like looking in a mirror!

funny gift right?
my dad is a character.

but....i have been told i look like carly simon too! 
i have a big mouth and big eyes.  :)

last week i was told i look like rachel mcadams....

maybe i look like an OLD rachel mcadams...like her grandma.
ha ha ha.

********************************************************************************************** 

i have a MOMent Maker post with Sara Lee on my other blog today.

we are were getting crafty.
come by and check it out and enter a comment to win sara lee products.

********************************************************************************************** 

 

pics of our week

hamster webkinz!!

close up snowman painting by talby.


opening a family gift.




sean and his best friend....his new kindle.




talby and her new point and shoot camera.


the most thoughtful and precious gift i received this christmas.


annie's new doll.


drinking straw glasses.



two sleepy parents on christmas morning....full of happiness....grateful for all of it.


the cheapy ping pong set that turend our dining room table into a ping pong table.
the hit of the year.
the best gift we gave....the whole family is into it.


our dining room is now just a game room.  :)

except the two times a year we will eat in it.




new sparkle shoes.



the fondue party with the duerksen side.




playing more of the name game.




annie won the game.
with the name Larry King.  
NOBODY guessed that she would have that name....she was SO HAPPY.
i told her to write it.
but she kept it a secret and never gave it away.


my sister and i....she'd been here five minutes and my dad said "let me take your picture"  
he always does that.
isn't my sister's hair color beeeeautiful?! i love it.
i am thinking about reddish.  and i love hers.

i wish i would have had some lipstick on....

opening gifts with my side of the family.


"thank you for the robe great grandma!!!"


ping pong table is back to a dining room table.....


the kids table.
they sat for like 5 minutes and then they were gone to play barbies.

it's been a busy christmas.
FULL of family.
FULL of food.

i am tired now.
i bet you are too.

and....i admit to having a meltdown and crying myself to sleep on christmas eve.
just like last year.
craig calls it CCB....christmas crash and burn.
but i woke up feeling fabulous and ready. 
i just needed to cry it all out before hand....
the stress of finishing it all....christmas eve being not as great as i wanted....having nothing baked....
unrealistic expectations for everyone and everything.
do you do that?
is it just me?

if it is....that's ok.  
i can handle it.

i was content in the morning.
i was full of love and so happy to be right where i was with my favorite 6 people.
it was good.
the best christmas we have had in a few years....even with my crying in the dark at midnight.


how many days till these kids go back to school????? :)

gingerbread....graham cracker houses...2010.

for me....the best part of this project every year is setting it up.
it is so pleasing to the eye.




my kids must have asked me TEN times in an hour "when will we do the houses?!"
i don't like to start a craft until i am ready.
i need things set up.
i need things a little teeny bit organized.
i need to have it ready so i can sit and watch, take pictures or video and be able to help.
when i am not prepared...i end up with a short temper....and snap at them for silly things that aren't their fault.




i built the houses for them with hot glue....
even after the complaining that we weren't using REAL gingerbread.






we worked in the dining room for two reasons....
it was clean and the afternoon light pours in this room.


my kids wore their pajamas ALL day.


beast.
scott uses this word for EVERYTHING.
"my gingerbread house is beast"
"this hamburger is beast"
"my muscles are beast" 
and the other kids (and their mother) have started too....

"this latte is beast!"  "this casserole recipe is BEAST!"  "that mini van is BEAST!"  ha ha ha i am kidding.

i can't imagine doing this more than once a year.
it's too much work to even consider doing it more than that....

not that anyone was asking me to do it in the summer.
just thinking about how much work they are.

i got a flip video camera on black friday.
i love it.

please enjoy my first video.   

lauren didn't join us because apparently she was upstairs watching sponge bob and criminal minds.
hmmmm.  
i made her a house but i was forced to have to decorate it myself.

guess who was still at the table 20 minutes after all four other left?  
putting cinnamon toast crunch on the roof as shingles!

i was calling it art therapy for the day.