HAPPY 2008!

It is an hour before midnight here in the midwest and I wanted to post a wedding photo as part of my greeting, but it will have to wait. Sylmon and I were married 13 years ago today. At 2pm on New Year's Eve. Happy New Year to you all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From our gingerbread house to yours!

*********************************************From Sylmon, Nathalie, Victoria, Seth and Rebecca

Playing in a Winter Wonderland

Tonka trucks are always in season for Seth .

Lucy wants someone to toss her deflated football so she can frollick in the snow...

Rebecca eating snow off of her mittens.

Christmas Cards

Have you received any cards in the mail? Up until Dec. 9, I hadn't. On the 10th, a promising envelope arrived, but it was just an obligatory card from a car dealership thanking us for our business. No heartfelt, Christmas cards from friends and relatives. Is sending cards a dying art? A victim of high postage rates and cheaper to send e-cards? Absolutely! And I can't say that I have helped the cause to preserve the tradition. Until yesterday. While the kids whined, "I'm-bored-I'm-bored-I'm-bored", I made several trips up and down the stairs from my studio, hauling down promising papers and bits of things to transform into greetings at the dining room table (the only surface big enough to spread out on). This year I am jumping on the glitter band wagon and sparkling up cards, ignoring the fact that my glue stick is getting imbedded with shiny bits. "Too much is never enough" is my motto for making cards this year. The brighter, the shinier, the more layered. The better! My son joined me in making one card, and Rebecca (3 yrs old) glittered and stamped until I encouraged her to go play somewhere else. (Yes, I am a bad mom, but I can only tolerate so much chaos). My oldest daughter (Victoria, 11) was too busy with her Nintendogs to care about cards (if only our St. Bernard, Lucy, got as much attention as those virtual dogs!). To Victoria's defense, I should say that she loves to write cards and letters to friends, but gets few responses, so she does not feel encouraged to send out Christmas cards, hand made or otherwise. Me, I will mail out cards not expecting a response. The point is, that you have heard from me!

I created with images cut from Victorian themed giftwrap (Vintage Hallmark bought at the thrift store), a little bit of stamping, a little bit of vintage trims, a little bit of paper (from a dwindling stash) and more images from a catalog, Victorian Papers. And gold stars (teachers' reward stars)- I love using them! Everything is shinier and brighter with gold stars!!! I won't have the time to make enough cards to cover my whole entire mailing list this year, but hopefully all of my creative friends (plus a few RAK'd folks) will get a hand made gem. Just be warned that you may need to vacuum after opening!

Now, off to the post office!

We Won Second Place!

We found out last Wednesday night that we had won second place for our lights! A Christmas tree- shaped sign with "2nd place" was left in our yard. First prize went to neighbors down the street who had a Santa figure on their porch, grapevine reindeer on the roof, greenery over every window and a wreath hanging in each window too and all was tastefully lit up to accent the daytime decor. I heard that the judges were impressed with how neat and straight our lights were hung. What did our family do with our winnings ($50)? Donated it to the town's collection for the less fortunate. We are suddenly blessed financially here at year's end and can surely spare the money we wouldn't have had otherwise. God is good. It's easy to share the wealth when you have a rich Heavenly Father!

We had a "unique" time at the Corder town Christmas party last Friday. When I picked up Rebecca from the sitter, Rebecca was complaining of a stomach ache. We could see she was feeling puny, but forged ahead. At the party she wanted to lay down, be cuddled and didn't eat anything and then just before the rest of us finished eating she heaved up the contents of her little stomach TWICE! How can so much come out of someone so little?! I spent the remainder of the evening, seated in a chair close by the bathroom holding Rebecca and staying on the alert for new developements (there were two before the evening was over). Seth and Victoria visited with Santa (the real deal with natural wiskers and glasses he really uses to see with) and they brought Rebecca a treat bag and stuffed animal. I was not happy with their pictures- my husband knows how to use the zoom (!), so I don't understand the poor cropping. Therefor, I am still searching for the perfect "kids" photo to reproduce for Christmas mass mailing. Yes, I could go to Walmart and get a posed picture, but that would be too easy (and too mainstream). No, I have to make things difficult for myself.

Needless to say, I was up half the night Friday with a child who was thirsty, but could not keep Sprite down for more than 10 minutes. Thankfully, no one else in our family has been sick with the stomach flu. And hopefully, no one will be.

The Tour Continues

Tonight our tiny town's Christmas house lights will be judged. Hope we win first prize ($100!), but we have seen a lot of competition since we've first decorated our house (the week before Thanksgiving). My son (Seth, 8) philosophically said he would be happy if we won second or third (each $50 prizes). ;) Winners are announced this Friday night at the Corder Christmas Party- at the VFW Hall at the junction of Hwys V and 20 (in case you are in the neighborhood and can stop by!) Santa will be there with treat bags for the kids. I will post pictures later. In the mean time, here's another festive blog for you to visit. Thrifty Miss Prissy . I love her twinkling tree! Also see my previous post for a couple more blogs to "tour"!