[ day #29 - journal your christmas ]

For today's journal, I get to share my favorite picture with you from this season:

I haven't had a chance to write about this yet, but I was so excited to spend some time on Saturday with some friends from high school - Kelli, Shannon, and Sora. I love hanging out with them - especially since they all live far away (Kelli in Alabama, Shannon in Utah, and Sora in Arizona) and I don't get to see them often. In fact, it had been well over a year since I'd seen any of them. When we're together...it's like no time has passed. I love friends like that!

Also - we're leaving today to spend a few days in Chelan. Here's what it looks like there:

Hmm...not a whole lot different than it looks here, although the snow did melt quite a bit yesterday. I've been looking forward to going to Chelan for a few weeks now. Last year was our first year going with the Connell gang (Vanderbilts, Mauseths, Hogaboams, Nobles, Smiths, Walkers, etc.). It was a lot of fun! I'd never been to Chelan before, but I love that little town! We enjoyed doing a little shopping downtown, wine tasting, playing Rumoli, watching movies, and just chill-ax-ing. :) Hopefully it will be a lot of the same.

I'm taking my computer, but not sure about wireless options there, so I may or may not post while I'm there. I'll be back Friday and will catch up then if I don't get to in the meantime.

[ sewing on Sunday ]

I got thread in the Tri-Cities yesterday (maybe the wrong kind? I ended up with nylon...didn't realize it until I opened the package today.) and attempted to do something with my machine this afternoon.

It's just a little overwhelming...

Success Story #1 - putting the spool of thread on the spindle

Success Story #2 - winding the bobbin

Success Story#3 - putting the bobbin in the under thing-y

Non Success Story #1 - attempted to sew a straight line on a scrap piece of fabric

I think something is wrong with the tension.

And, I quit...for today...that's all I could handle.

Millions of people sew - it can't be that difficult, right?

[ day #28 - journal your christmas ]

Holiday Weaknesses:

• Red Starbucks Cups
• Little girls in Christmas dresses
• White Almond Bark covered pretzels
• Sweet Potatoes
• the smell of evergreen
• Christmas Lights
• a well decorated Christmas Tree
• Samson in a Santa suit
• Candy Cane Hershey Kisses
• Christmas Break
• shopping after Christmas sales
• Christmas Cards from friends
• pretty packages
• Packages in the mail
• Hershey Chocolate Mint Candy Canes
• Lefse
• Games with the family
• Christmas music
• Yards that are full of tacky Christmas decorations
• Christmas Hymns
• Delivering Christmas to our Adopt-a-Families
• Gold and White
• Online Shopping
• Decorations on Main Street
• Gift Exchange Game (I played it three times this year!)
• a great New Year's Party

[ day #27 - journal your christmas ]

Sleep.

Today, I slept in until 8:20am. That's pretty good for a girl that's been having trouble sleeping. This week, I've been up at 5am, 6am, and 6:30am. Not fun when everything in me wants to sleep in while I can!

Samson is now sleeping on my lap while I mess around on the internet. Dogs are so lucky to sleep whenever and wherever they want. :)

[ just about the saddest thing I've seen... ]

This is my favorite Vera Bradley pattern...

so sad...

so very sad...

This Garment Bag is what I asked for...and received an IOU for a Christmas gift...

but now, it's not available online...

Boo. Hoo.

[ Merry Christmas ] (and days #25 & #26)

Ok - I've been slacking the last few days, so here are a lot of pictures to catch up with our Christmas festivities...

Dad coming home from the liquor store with our loot...oh my!

These are the ranch pretzels that Dad makes every year...

"frosting pretzels"

my very favorite treat at Christmastime...or anytime...

Decorating sugar cookies....thanks for the idea Kim! :)

Zeke hard at work in the craft room making Christmas cards...

On Christmas Eve Eve, we watched my favorite Christmas movie - "White Christmas"

On Christmas Eve, we spent a fairly relaxing day - watched a few movies, took a nap, and enjoyed the day.

Then, we went to Mark and Kim's for our Lefse dinner before church.

Here are the Lefse chefs:

Craig - Melissa - Karlye

Marcie - Amber

Karlye - Paige - Melissa - David - Amber

After church, everyone came up to our house for our gift exchange...

Dad with the lazy dogs...

We all gave our gifts to Grandma before our exchange game.

Here's this rockin' picture of Melissa and Grandma dancing at a wedding reception!

Of course, we had to take family pictures - apparently there was a lot of *attitude* in the room!

Craig - Doug - Vicky - Paige - David

Baby Rein's Grandparents...poor baby!

Wow ah wee ah!

Amber - Karlye

David - Paige - Craig - Melissa - Marcie - Grandma - Karlye - Amber

I *heart* this picture!!

Melissa & I

Karlye & Craig with the gifts they won!

Lucky dogs...

Karlye - Nordstrom Gift Card

Craig - PF Changs Gift Card

On Christmas Day, we spent the morning opening our stockings and presents...

We are all very blessed...

In the afternoon, the Heiders came for dinner...we enjoyed a wonderful Prime Rib dinner with Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes (remember the love affair with sweet potatoes?!). We then all vegged in the living room and watched the Lakers game - or slept.

After the game, we had dessert (yum! Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie, Peppermint Cheesecake, and Mocha Almond Toffee Cheesecake!) and played Bingo! Freda plays Bingo at the Rose Garden, where she lives, so we thought we'd make her feel at home and play Bingo...she was so cute!!!

Freda

Mark - Karlye - Mom

Amber - dang photo bomber!

Freda looked radiant yesterday!

Enjoying a laugh...so fun!

Whoop Whoop!!! I won!! 2 in a row!!!

Marcie & Amber enjoying a rousing Bingo game!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were a lot of fun...great family, great food, great memories.
We're going to get together again tonight to eat leftovers...and probably more games...more food...more memories!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

[ day #24 - journal your christmas ]

Today's journaling is supposed to be about Christmas Eve traditions, but I feel like I've already journaled that...so - I'm going to journal about my favorite Christmas movies! We got a lot done around the house yesterday (more pictures to come), so today we get to watch some movies before we go to Mark & Kim's for dinner.

I think I've actually watched all of these this season... or I will have after today!!

I'm going to put these in order of preference...

#9 - A Charlie Brown Christmas

#8 - The Polar Express (it's too long for me...I loose interest) #7 - The Santa Clause

#6 - Home Alone (A classic...I have a great memory of watching this with my Grandpa Walt on Christmas night and him laughing so hard. It's a funny movie!)

#5 - Love Actually


#4 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (so funny...and I love the set design and costumes!)

#3 - Elf...so much to love about this one!

#2 - The Family Stone (one of my very favorite movies ever...)

and... #1 - White Christmas!!! I told my Dad last night that I think I could recite this entire movie in my sleep. I've watched it at least once a year every year since I was about 5.

Ok - just this year, I've heard about this movie called "The Christmas Story." Melissa and I were almost kicked out of Nick & Kate's house the other night since we said we'd never seen it. Seriously? I don't understand the big deal.

We have it set to record on the DVR tonight - so we'll finally catch up with the rest of 20-somethings, I guess. I'm kinda skeptical. What's with this?!

[ around the Koch home ]

Mom went around the house taking pictures today, so I thought I'd share them here!

This is a swag that my Uncle Mark made. My Grandpa Walt used to make them and after he passed away, Mark took over the tradition. He makes around 30 each year and puts them on all the family headstones in the cemetary, gives them to friends, family, and usually puts them on the front doors at the church. Often, he gets the pinecones from Montana when he goes there to hunt.

Our favorite sugar cookie recipe...it's been well-loved as you can tell...

Main Street, Connell:

The Koch's:

Wow! That is a lot of snow...so glad to stay inside today and enjoy watching it fall...

Mom tried to have a little photo shoot with Samson and Coco, but they weren't very cooperative.

They look so cute when they're freshly groomed!!