Thoughts for Today and the New Year~

I started doing this a few years ago and i really enjoy looking back on them....besides, its sort of become a tradition now, so here goes...

I'm feeling...so fortunate to have the things we do.  So many of our friends have lost their jobs and homes, and are barely getting by.  Today its rare that a family can afford to have someone stay home to run the household, and i am proud to be able to do that for our family.  I wish I could provide more for us financially, but for now, i am happy to be home with Jordyn.  Besides, next year she will go to school full time, and perhaps i can start a home business by then.  I cant believe she will be in Kindergarten next year....wow!

I'm seeing...the remnants of Christmas strewn throughout the house...toys, decorations and shiny things everywhere.  We had a beautiful holiday and im sad to take down the decorations...but its getting a little crowded in here, so i guess its time.  Perhaps tomorrow :)

I'm thinking...of all the things id like to accomplish next year, and i look forward to tackling these goals!  The new year always brings hope and inspiration...and i LOVE celebrating the new year!

I'm appreciating...sooooo many things right now...but mainly that we have a healthy family, a roof over our heads, food in the kitchen, wood in the stove and love in our hearts.

I'm cooking...a pot roast in the crock pot with mashed potatoes, gravy, and broccoli!  It was delicious!!!  And perfect on a chilly night like tonight...its 4 degrees outside...brrrrrrrrrr!

I'm planning...a cozy new years eve for 3...watching movies (perhaps Iron Man 2 or Toy Story 3), eating popcorn (if we have any room left after the pot roast), hot cocoa (with schnapps for Justin and I), and snuggling up under Jordyns new I-spy quilt in front of the fire!

I'm reading...Clive Cussler's very first Dirk Pitt novel, Pacific Vortex.  Im almost finished, however, i put it down during the holidays and have sort of lost interest.  I would like to finish it though, as i have a nice stack of books calling my name :)

I'm wearing...pajamas and my new Christmas slippers...in fact, we've all been wearing pj's the entire day!  i took a nice hot shower today, only to jump right back into a clean, warm pair of pj's.  What else do you do when its sooooo cold outside!

I'm creating...a few quilty projects, as well as working on a landscape in watercolor.  Ive been meeting with the Red Feather Watercolor Society once a week for a few months to inspire me to create more.  If i only paint that one day a week, its at least a start and the ladies of the group are incredibly friendly, so i really enjoy myself.  Watercolor is a new medium for me ( i usually work in oils), so i hope to learn a lot thru this group.  Of course, my goal for 2011 is to paint more...so perhaps i can stay on task this time!

I'm hearing...jordyn click thru the pages of her view master, the crackle of a warm fire, the tapping of computer keys as justin and i do our year end paperwork, and the wind blowing thru the trees.

I'm enjoying...Jordyn's antics...the kid is a riot!  Dancing, singing and general sillyness...she can be exhausting at times, but she is truly a joy!

I'm sharing...some photos i took today of our snow day inside...the last one is of Jordyn playing Santa...she kept going around the house stuffing things in her bag and then presenting them as gifts!  Now i cant find anything :)

May the new year bring good health to all, jobs for all, food, shelter, joy and peace!  Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Pandemonium~

 Now that ive had a day to sleep (and trust me, i slept almost the whole day yesterday), i can catch up on here with photos and tales of Christmas!  On Christmas Eve we went to Justin's mom, Kristi and Step dad Ken's house (aka Grandma and Grandpa Bear).  They live across the meadow from us, so we just walk up there with goodies in tow.

 We enjoyed Kristi's traditional cheese soup (which is awesome), as well as some grilled shrimp and scallops, wine, beer and fudge.

 Jordyn helped Grandma put the finishing touches on her little tree, and then she wandered over to the polar express train to watch it do laps while the engine smoked.

 We exchanged presents...and of course, Jordyn scored!  She received all kinds of cool things, including this beautiful sleeping bag with her name embroidered on it.  The whole thing rolls up into its own attached carrying case and pillow.  I think daddy is a little big for it though!

 

We chatted with Uncle Damian online, he recently moved to West Virginia and couldnt be with us, but he was able to watch Jordyn open her presents from him via the internet, and that was cool!

 It was a lovely evening, but it was getting late, so we headed home (all the way across the snowy yard and thru these gorgeous luminaries Aunt LeAnn set out for us), to make final preparations for Santa. 

 After Daddy read the Night Before Christmas, we set out cookies, beer and egg nog for Santa and then it was off to dreamland!

 She slept in her new sleeping bag on the floor next to our bed, but must have climbed in with us at some point, because at about 8:30am, she woke me to say..."i wonder if Santa came?" 

 Well, came he did, and look at what he brought her.....She got a new princess scooter, complete with purse and tassels...Snowboard Barbie, the new Rapunzel doll and also Flynn Rider (the boy character from the Rapunzel movie).  I guess she was on the "nice" list after all :) 

 She received many fabulous gifts from family and friends...a barbie carriage, some movies, loving family little people, games, puzzles, clothes, books, jewelry, slippers, and many other items that are strewn throughout the house!

 And when the dust cleared from the unwrapping, she realized there was a stocking to tear into!!!  Hurray for stockings! :)  It was filled with all kinds of treats and goodies,  but one of her favorite items in the stocking was the beef jerky!  That kid LOVES beef jerky!

 

The quilt was a big hit, and im glad...especially since i stayed up all night on Christmas Eve to finish it, along with a quilt for Grandma Pat!  Here she is modeling the new gem...

 and here it is draped on our queen sized bed to show scale (its actually a large twin size quilt)...

 and one more shot of the label...

 After we ate breakfast, we headed off to Justin's Dad, Frank and Step mom Pat's house.  They live in the mountains about 25 minutes from us, so the drive is quick and easy.  Thankfully the weather was nice, so we had a beautiful drive through the woods.  The entire family made it there, so it was nice to see everyone...its been a while since we were all together, so we had a great time.  We played the vicious grab bag game, and ended up with some good, bad and ugly gifts :)  Lots of laughter was shared, good food, and lots of fun.

 We arrived at home around 10:30 pm and we were fast asleep on the couch by 11! Here is a photo of the quilt i made for Grandma Pat...it didnt photograph well, and its hard to see the details, but you get the idea :)

 

And finally, anyone with kids will recognize this scene...a fun shot of our living room the day after Christmas...toys, cardboard, plastic, paper and wire twisties everywhere!!! 

I hope you all had a wonderful, safe, joyous Christmas filled with love and laughter!!!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!

Preparing for Santa~

 Cookies baked for Santa....check

 Reindeer food complete with glitter....check

 

Stories to wind down an over excited child....check...

Now, if she would just go to sleep, so i can finish her quilt :)

Winter Solstice is Here!!!

Sugary Goodness...

I used to make fudge every year for Christmas, but since everyone is always dieting, i decided not to make it last year...and boy, did i get an earful!  So here it is...8 pans of fudge, weighing in at a total of 16 pounds...i made peanut butter, walnut and plain...so that should please everyone :) Its an incredibly simple recipe that my cousin gave me, though i dont know where she got it to credit its origin...but here it is if youre interested.....Enjoy!

Simple Fudge

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1   5-ounce can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter

2 cups tiny marshmallows

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces or chopped bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Line an 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan.  Butter the foil; set pan aside.

2. Butter the sides of a 2-quart heavy saucepan.  In saucepan combine sugar, evaporated milk and butter.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils (about 10 minutes).  Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking, stirring constantly for 6 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Add marshmallows, chocolate pieces, walnuts, and vanilla; stir until marshmallows and chocolate melt and mixture is combined.  Beat by hand for 1 minute.  Spread fudge evenly in the prepared pan.  Score into squares while warm.  Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours or until firm.  When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan.  Cut fudge into squares.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.  

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Fudge:

Prepare as above, except substitute 1/2 cup peanut butter for the butter and, if desired, peanuts for walnuts.

 

and if you have some craft time, check out Gingercake's Winter Caroler tutorial...its adorable!

He Knows When You've Been Bad or Good...

 Look whos trying to impress Santa :)  Actually, i told her we could play games as soon as i was done doing dishes, so she decided to help me.  We played Chutes and Ladders, the Memory game, and then paper dolls.  Then Justin and i spent 2 1/2 hours splitting, loading and unloading wood...we are looking pretty good for the season, which is nice, because it finally started snowing.

 Later it was time for dress up...Jordyn chose a rather saucy outfit with lots of make up, and then she styled daddys hair with sparkly barrettes and hair clips.

I think shes ready for her close-up Mr. De Mille!

More Holiday Fun....

 Here are the latest crazy quilts i made for Jordyn's teachers for Christmas.  I added a charm to the top piece, so thats why its included again.

 Im pretty pleased with them, though i should have made sure they were a little more square, as they shifted a bit when i put on the border, and i didnt notice till it was finished.  doh!  Naturally i forgot to take photos of them with the borders on, but you still get the idea :)

 The Winter Program, Santa's Frosty Follies was on Tuesday night at Jordyn's school.  It was absolutely hilarious, painful, and adorable!  (as all childrens programs are :)  I LOVED it!!!

 Grandma and grandpa came, and they had a good time as well.  After the show, Santa made an appearance, and the kids were thrilled!  The kids lined up to see Santa, while the parents enjoyed homemade cookies and lemonade.

Click on this link to enjoy the video i took of the preschoolers performance.  It should give you a chuckle :)
Today was Jordyn's preschool Christmas party.  The kids enjoyed stories and treats, and then they had a gift book exchange...Jordyn received a new Elmo book.

 It was a long week, filled with lots of holiday craziness, so it was nice to go home knowing Jordyn would be on holiday for a few weeks.  We could all use some down time...

 and what does my little elf do to kick off her vacation...she makes a cardboard box car, with important accessories taped to the sides.  She drove this all over the house...who says a kid needs expensive toys...scissors, tape and some markers, and she can make just about anything.

Fun at the Black Bear ~

 As Christmastime approaches, and the craziness ensues, we found some quiet time for fun this weekend!  We played games, did puzzles, and even had time for some painting!  Jordyn has been creating a lot of art lately...Christmas presents for family and friends...she wants to make a painting for everyone!

 This is a painting of a dragon she made...its for me and i LOVE it!  :)

 She stayed in the house most of the weekend, her runny nose from last week turned into a hoarse voice this weekend (she sounds like Janice Joplin), so we tried to take it easy.  It was SUPER windy this weekend, but we did find time to split some wood and get out to enjoy the amazing sunsets. 

 The sky turned a gorgeous peach color and the whole landscape glowed!  These photos dont quite do it justice, but you get the idea...

 Jordyn thought it was soooo beautiful, that she pulled out her lawn chair to kick back and enjoy it!  It was a perfect ending to a peaceful weekend!

Now im off to finish baking cookies for her school music festival on Tuesday...im trying a new recipe...ill let you know if its any good. (well, Justin will let you know...im not really a cookie person) :)