{discovering} life

Merry Christmas!!!!!

It's really here! I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas!!!

This is such a busy time of year! We have been doing so many things with the kids...gingerbread trains, seeing Santa (twice), school parties, seeing family, shopping, wrapping all the gifts, planning meals and so much more!

We made a trip to Las Vegas with some of my family this week and had a great time! We just got back yesterday - went to see the BYU Bowl game (I'm not a BYU fan but some of my fam is - it was fun to go - glad they killed the other team! LOL!). We went to see the Beatles Cirque du Soleil  show (it was much different than we thought it would be but still fun). Shopped lots. Walked way too much! LOL! But it was so much fun to have some time with the 'grown-ups' - no kids! So grateful for a little break and that they did well without use. What a relief!

Presents are wrapped and most are under the tree! :)
Stockings are set out.
Planning Santa's plate.
Tree lights are on.
Christmas time with just us - the first time in 9 years that we haven't been with family for Christmas - but it's wonderful! Relaxing, and nice to just be here at home.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Thanks for all your friendships and love through the year -  I've loved 'meeting' so many of you and I'm so thankful for this wonderful thing that brings us all together! I'm looking forward to 2007! :)

We have my family coming into town after Christmas so I may not be around until the New Year!!

Happy Holidays!!!
Hugs!

Christmas is coming!

Wow! It really hit me today how quickly this month is already going by! So many things that I've wanted to do and between lack of sleep and time...it's just not happening. Oh well right! I'm doing what I can and enjoying what I can do.

On Friday, we went and cut down our own tree on the UT/AZ border with one of my hubbies friend. Hubby set it up that week - I was just happy I wasn't going to have to put up that fake tree! LOL! The tree we got is huge though - we should of measured before we went. Saturday and Sunday we decorated it and finished it up - I got a few things last night to finish it and it looks good. It's not the perfect tree - but we got it and it was fun to do that. I've never done that before. I must say...kinda odd to go cut down a tree where there is no snow...still so odd to me! :)

I've been waiting to post so I could share some pictures...but I just haven't had time to download them. So I'll do that soon.

Last night, we took the kids to see Santa at the Mall - they loved it! Tonight, we are doing a gingerbread choo-choo train kit! I couldn't believe, of all places, I found it at Target! Hudson is so excited to do it! So we are gonna dig into that tonight. Tomorrow, Madisyn has her Christmas program at school - should be darling!

Madi is wanting to write....so here she is:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

She loves to do her letter 'm's! LOL! And 'h' for Hudson, 'b' cause she just wanted to, and 'c' for christmas! Such a cutie!

I've got lots of things to finish up. Next week we are taking a random trip to Vegas...more about that later. I got most my shopping done - still struggling on things for my hubby. Any ideas? What are you all doing for your significant other? IDEAS????? I need some! LOL! They are so hard to shop for!

I wrapped up some presents tonight - will do more closer to Christmas but it's fun to see some under the tree.

Ok - gotta run. I'll post some picts soon! Hope your enjoying the holidays! :)

Hero Arts Layout

This week, I have a layout up in the Scrapbooking Gallery at Hero Arts as the 'inspiration' layout. They do a new layout/card combo every Wednesday and new cards on Mondays. I always love to see what pops up on those days at Hero Arts. If you want to check out my layout, it is here...

Faith, Hope, Love - Hero Arts

So, I've got most of my shopping done for the kiddos. My hubby would die if he saw I said, 'most'. The problem...I've got enough. I've never had my shopping done this early - I had it done before December even started! The problem is that everytime I got to Target...I buy more! LOL! Yesterday they had this Cabbage Patch doll set that was a big doll and a baby doll together on sale for $23. It was so cute! I loved those dolls when I was little...they were all the rage back then....so I thought it would be fun for my daughter to have one. ((See....my reasoning! LOL!)) So pathetic...she doesn't need it. Her bday is the day before mine in January...so....I guess I can save some things for that if hubby doesn't want to do it all at Christmas.

No luck yet on my Christmas project I want to do. I'm starting to get depressed...yes, I know it's only the 6th, but time is going by so quickly. We don't even have our tree up yet and I promised we would get it up early this year! Arghhhhhhhhhh!

Anyway..hope you all have a good day! Hugs!

The first of the month

I always love and look forward to the first of the month! For years now I've always enjoyed seeing the new Garden bloom at Two Peas on the 1st each month. I was thinking this week how it has changed over the years - how girls have come and left the Garden. Each inspiring us in their own way. I always look forward to seeing what they create and what the fun theme is each month.

I also love seeing the new Digital kits that are put up on the first. Love seeing what they create. I've been playing a little with digital and hope to do some more - more hybrid stuff than anything. Those kits by Rhonna this month just kill me - that girl is amazing! That little template book in the main kit - so cool!) :

I was also excited to see the launch of Jenni Bowlin's Studio new website. I didn't get on until late Saturday (which was killing me! LOL!)...but dang, it was worth the wait. I love all the extra goodies...the Junque boxes, her killer exclusive items and the kits. Yumma! :) I spent a good $70 bucks! I told my hubby he could wrap it and put it under the tree since I made him pay for it! LOL! I'm so excited to see it all - that will be a fun little surprise on Christmas morning. Check out her site if you haven't already - lots of fun things!!

I love seeing what the girls at Poppy Ink create with those killer kits! Heather does an awesome job each month on her kits - so eclectic and fun!! Total eye candy at that site! ;) Yummy!

What do you look forward to on the 1st of the month? Are there any other (I'm sure they are lots!!) kit clubs out there that I should check out? Any other great websites that have galleries and such on the 1st. I love just hanging out and looking around the net at fun stuff. Although there is plenty of other stuff I should be doing! LOL!

So....

This weekend, I desperately wanted to get our Christmas tree up. We said we'd do it Saturday - didn't. We said we'd do it Sunday - didn't. And now it's Monday and a busy week is ahead of us again. I'm so sad! Our fake tree is such a pain to put up - you have to do each branch separately and it's huge. So it takes forever and is annoying. We both dread it - not a good thing right! Hopefully we can start on it tonight. I really want to get it up and enjoy it. All my other Christmas decorations are pretty much up now. I'll have to take some pictures and share some stuff.

I'm glad some of you got some yummy buttons while they were on sale. I didn't need any - but I love them. Can always use orange and black buttons right? LOL!

Today I gotta work on an assignment and then I'm hoping to work on the Christmas art thing I want to do. I need to do it now if I want to enjoy it! How is it already the 4th of December....slow down!!! I love this time of year and really want to absorb the spirit of the holidays! :)

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!