Merry Christmas preparations!

I hope you're having fun preparing for Christmas. This year I added some new garland and this beautiful wreath. When I went to purchase it they didn't have anymore so I got the floor model and a 10% discount. I love how beautiful it looks hanging on our rustic beams out front. I added red and green lights to the white lights so it would match our red c-9 lights on our house. I hope you're enjoying the preparations as much as I am. It's such a beautiful time of year.

Making Christmas Amazing

I have been officially invited to be a part of the board for the  CacheValleyForHope.org Cancer Foundation.  I'm really excited.  My husband is on the board and I've been helping him for a few years.  A few people moved and so there were openings.  One of my favorite people was also invited to join the board and I can't wait to learn all I can from her.  

I started working to get Christmas together for some of the families who have children with cancer. A friend of mine is taking care of the gifts for 2 families. And as I got working on it, I found out that one family had an old artificial tree that was falling apart.  So a member of the board purchased this tree for them.  I asked my neighbors for any ornaments they had laying around - Catholics and Mormons came through with the most beautiful red and green ornaments.  I also purchased a few and someone donated money for the star.  Someone else donated the tree skirt.  I couldn't have done this without the help of my wonderful and generous neighbors.

And I don't have photos of the outside of the house but Anderson's Seed and Garden came through and installed Red, Green, and White LED lights on this house too. The mother said over and over again how she has always wanted Christmas lights on her home.  I'm glad someone donated the lights for Anderson's to install.  I told her as I was leaving that even though this is a difficult time, we wanted to add a little light, a little sparkle to their lives.  She was so thankful. Her son has osteosarcoma and has had his leg amputated.

Funny experience - she asked me who they return the tree to when the holidays are over.  That thought had never crossed my mind.  Of course I told her it was hers to keep.  I told her she could move any of the ornaments she wanted.  And I showed her how to make the bows and how to place the ornaments on the tree as well as how to remove them.  I wired everything on except the snowflakes.  She said she wasn't going to touch it until the holidays were over.  She just wanted to sit and look at it.  She loved how much light it added to their home.

She had never thought of putting words on the tree. I got the words and the snowflakes and the large ornaments in the center of the tree from Hobby Lobby.

When I was serving as a full time missionary at the age of 21 in Washington D.C. I served there Christmas of 1997 and 1998.  During the Christmas of 1998 we didn't even have a small tree. We taped a strand of lights to our apartment's sliding glass door.  Instead we helped decorate 6 trees for members of other faiths, new members of our congregation, and even some older members too.

John and Neomi's tree was the most fun - at the time they were newly weds just barely expecting their first child.  Sister Howlett and I had so much fun helping them decorate.  John was a brand new member of the church at the time.  He was full of fire and testimony. Their house just glowed with all the lights. Good times.

We also served in the Washington D.C. Temple Visitor's Center and enjoyed the millions of lights and the beautiful Creche displays from all over the world.  There were also trees decorated to celebrate many different cultures.  It was a Christmas I'll never forget.  Julie Marriott gave me a beautiful stationary set with a Mini Mouse Cross pen. Another person at church gave us lotion and the best holiday candy I've ever eaten.  And my mom sent me comfy pajamas - I was returning home soon and didn't need much.

And this tree makes this Christmas one I will never forget.  I had so much fun listening to J's mom and hearing her story.  She was honest and strong and just in need of some time to talk.  She asked about my run in with cancer and we shared the afternoon just decorating and making their home beautiful.

Hope you enjoyed the tree as much as I did!

The lights of Christmas

This year I found the star filter.  It fit perfectly on my 50mm f1.8 lens. It was fun to try this oldie but goody - it's nice to be able to control the focus on the dSLR.

But even more fun to get this look without having to go with f22 using the star filter.

Here you can see the decorations better because I turned the living room lights on.

A few close ups. 

And a fun angle I've been wanting to try for years but just plain forgot about.

 My favorite Christmas decoration is my nativity.  It's by Willow Tree and wrapping a few white lights down and around added just the right touch.

And my pine cone garland with lights on it this year.

The little entry tree and with the big tree in the background.

Ahhh

 I LOVE my mantle! 

Tree details - up close

I know you're sick of it but I LOVE my new lens! And the color lights on the tree this year.

I was telling my husband recently that when I was little - like 5 or 6 - I used to think that the decorations on the tree would come to life after we went to sleep - it was a party tree for sure.  That's why I love the cartoon when Mickey cuts down the tree with the chipmunks in it.  Anyway, I thought if I stayed by the tree and was still enough, they'd think I was asleep and I would be able to see them move.  Funny the things we remember from way back when.  It's been almost 30 years since I last thought about this. 

So which branch would you like to be on? I'd like one near the bottom because it's bigger.  More decoration friends could visit. Or would you like one at the top for a better view?  

Of course now I like my view because I get to look at the tree, not from the tree out.

Hope and Love

Two things I've really been studying in the gospel are Hope and Love.  So when the Primary President gave this to me for Christmas I almost started crying.  She thanked us for our love for the children in our Primary and for serving faithfully in our callings.  She is an amazing woman and such a good example of faith and obedience to the Lord.  

So I placed this next to my Willow Tree Nativity next to my Courage Angel.  It's the perfect addition because after all,
 "John 3:16¶For ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have ^heverlasting ⁱlife."
And we can be a manifestation of Christ's love as we share that love with others through service, time, pray, positive thoughts, etc, even if I am not always so love-able myself. And so as I prepare for the new year I am feeling like my goals will be centered in this.

And for the record, I have no idea how I am even going to come up with a gift that means as much as the angel or snowman ...

Decorating for Christmas a little early

I've been trying to get a million things ready.  I'm having surgery soon and I'll be out for a few weeks.  I'm not really excited about it because it's something I've really struggled with since chemo.  So hopefully things will greatly improve and not actually get worse.  I mean, I've done physical therapy for months and it just didn't cut it. So we found the only other option and that is surgery. 

This photo turned out better than I could have expected.  Love my new lens.

Anyway, I kind of feel like I am on my own with this even though a few people have offered help.  No one can really bring meals.  I'm allergic to wheat, soy, melons, berries, and severely allergic to nuts. So I purchased aluminum pans that are recyclable and I'm making food I can stick in the freezer. I'm also trying to get as much prepared for church as possible.  I'm the Primary Secretary.  I have talks, prayers, Articles of Faith, and scripture assignments all set up through mid January. I have been organizing closets and drawers to make it easier for Tyler to find things for me if I need his help. AND I went ahead and decorated for Christmas.  I had to take apart my pre-lit tree (1/2 the lights were dead).  My daughter helped me a bunch. She loves Christmas just as much as I do. I went with the multi-color lights which I enjoyed as a kid. It's been fun and brought back a flood of memories.  I could sit and look at it for hours - which I will probably get to do after surgery. 

Here it is with the lights on, not the best angle but you get the idea.  I made that tree skirt in high school.  I really wish I could remember my home ec teacher's name.  She was an incredible teacher and loved this tree skirt (mostly the other side with the old fashioned Santa's on it) so much she made her own similar one. 

And here is my fireplace.  I'll have to take a better photo of the nativity later. Last year it was in the book shelf.  This year it's back on top of the right bookcase. You can click on any of the images to see them larger.

Anyway, I had to change my surgery date because my mom has been quite ill. She is going to have a scan done on the day I was originally going to have surgery. So we will see how it all turns out. But I finally feel like everything is falling into place and I'm as ready for surgery as it gets. Hopefully my mom will be on the road to recovery too!

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 23

Grandma S loves to  make candy trains with the grandkids for Family Home Evening.  This year my daughter made her own all by herself.  My son sat next to me and made a few decisions, ate a few m&m's, and then it was off to play.

This is my daughter's train:

I'm think she left the wrapper on a few pieces of candy so that she can consume them on Christmas day.

This is my son's candy train, the one he let me decorate for him.

To photograph these I set them on the table about 12 feet from the tree.  Then I used the 12-24mm lens set at 24mm and put the focus on the chocolate Santa. I used aperture priority and set the ISO at 400 because it was cloudy and dim even with the blinds open.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 22

I can hardly believe that Christmas is almost here.  Each year moves faster and faster. Here is the other critter on this set of ornaments and you can really see how cracked it is.  I almost didn't put it on here. But this is a part of who we are and there will be a different photo to see tomorrow.

Today was a nice slow day for a change.  My son slept over at Grandma's last night and after I got my daughter off to school, I snuggled in for a little nap.  Then it was time to wrap presents; wash, dry, fold, and put the laundry away; make beds; pick up clutter; work on client gifts; and get ready for the bridal fair. My daughter went to play with her cousins after school.  I made some super cute calendars for some of my clients.  And then it was off to the salon.  I dropped the calendars off at the printer.  Then Pam did my nails and we talked over the new brochure I'll be making for her along with new names for salon services and prices, etc.   Then it was back to the printer to get my calendars and primary class name door hangers I had laminated.  Across the street I flew like a flash ... to pick up 24 - 4x6 photos from the grocery store. Then it was time to head home. My dinner was ready and waiting - thanks babe! It's been a long time since I had any downtime and it sure felt good.  I got so much done without feeling all crazy busy. Thanks to Aunt A and Grandma S for giving me the day off.  I feel so rejuvenated.

My daughter added some new coloring pages to her blog. Go check it out and please leave her a comment.  She's anxious to hear what others think of her work.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 19

I purchased the Noel and several other glittery words for my tree from Tai Pan Trading oh so many years ago with my mom.  I wanted to make my tree a little more Christ oriented.  I bought Faith, Believe, Noel, Peace, and Joy.

The ornament on the right is a rusty looking little star.  My mom gave me 6 last year on Christmas Day and I jumped for joy.  I placed them on the garland on my mantel.  This year I put them on my tree because I had them while I was decorating.  They are perfect.

When my Grandparents were here at Thanksgiving, my Grandmother said, "This house is just enough cabin and just enough home.  It's just warm and cozy."  This is the first time they've been up here since we moved in almost 3 years ago. I agree with her.  It has the wood doors, wood floors, and trim but sheet rocked walls instead of logs.  It's brighter that way but still cozy.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 18

This is an authentic German nutcracker.  My husband lived in Germany for two years and purchased this when his parents came over on his way back home to the USA.  I love the knit hat and the skis.  Hmmm, maybe it's time to hit the slopes.  It's been too many years.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 17

We love the snow, so we brought a little of it in, in the form of plastic glitter covered snowflakes.  I put a nail on each side of the cabinet that spans my kitchen sink.  Then used fishing line.  I also added fishing line to the flakes, placed them at different levels, and scooted them across the line into place.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 16

The gingerbread ornaments - They look really cute from further away.  I learned a few things along the way.  Making Royal Icing is really easy.  It's really pretty - glossy.  If you want sprinkles to stick to it, you better not wait.  Pipe out a little bit at a time or at record speed. Add sprinkles.  Repeat until finished with cookie. Get bigger cookie cutters - the chunky sprinkles look like a bit much on these average size cookies.  And last of all, if I'm ever going to do this again, I must buy some cookie decorating supplies instead of making do with corner cut out of a ziploc bag. I do love how they turned out, simply because we made them with my children and they had FUN.

My daughter decorated this one.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 15

I love the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven. Maybe you saw our Haunted Gingerbread Houses? And we also made ornaments for our tree - photos coming soon. It's also very time consuming and I'm allergic to it - wheat flour that is- so my husband purchased this kit for the kids.  It had just the right amount of candy.

And the icing was royal icing. It dries nicely but it was a little difficult for my children to apply it but it was fun watching them decorate the train with just a little help from me.

I helped my son by applying a thick layer of icing where he wanted it. Then he went to work with the candy.  He got brave near the end and went to town on his own.

We are displaying it proudly in our home.  All of our decorations will stay up until my birthday in January.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 14

Do you scrapbook? I do, did, hope to some more. I've been taking a mental break from it. Sad but true. But these photos make me WANT to scrapbook. I love the smiles of my children, their happiness, and excitement for life, winter, and snow.

Remember catching snowflakes on your tongue as a child? When was the last time you tried this? I honestly can't remember, so I'm going to have to change that the next time it snows. They were having so much fun. I enjoyed watching them, but I think next time I will have to join with them. This photo makes them look like they could just break out in song at any moment.

We love crazy winter hats.

And when was the last time you rolled around in the snow? Hmm...

Well, I better get back to work. Tomorrow I'll share photos of our candy gingerbread train. Actually my children decorated it. This time my husband bought the kit. He knows how exhausting this time of year is for me. All I had to do was melt the brown sugar, stick it all together and supervise.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 12

I have become painfully aware of something. And things have to change. Tonight I watched Julie & Julia. She was at a dead end. What could she lose? She became serious about something she loved and it brought her joy.

I'm not sure where I'm headed. It's not in the direction I've been taking so far - it's just not working anymore. But working on this - the 25 days of photos 'til Christmas has helped me photograph the things that are dear to me. Mostly I photograph the things or people that are dear to others. I dabble in a lot of things. Maybe it's time I got really serious. So while I am figuring things out and doing some serious soul searching, I will keep posting photos of the things I love and hold dear. My love of God, my Family, my Friends, and some holiday cheer! I know that Heavenly Father will give me the direction I need. I just hope I realize what it is He is telling me. Right now, as I think about Christmas I know that He is telling me he loves me, all of us really. And that is the best gift any of us can receive.

25 photos 'til Christmas - Day 11

Kind of a cool ornament. Guess what I found tonight? My daughter wants to learn to cross stitch. Some of the ornaments on my tree I cross stitched years ago. In my digging I found four green foam ellipses just about the size of this ornament here. And I found my mini hot glue gun - it's easier to work with when things need to be precise. Now I just wish I had not thrown that bag of pine cones away. Maybe I'll find some or maybe I'll have to put this on my to-do list for next year. Or maybe I'll try a different coating. I've seen black beans, dried roses, etc. We'll just have to see what inspires me. Every make these on your own before? Any tips?