Happy New Year!

Evangeline: "Do you know what my favorite present was then my Barbie dress?"
Mom: "You mean, what you liked even better than your Barbie dress?"
Evangeline: "Yes."
Mommy: "What present did you like better than your Barbie dress?"
Evangeline: "My family."

This was said as she was chomping away at her Christmas leftovers, "I know what turkey's made of...chicken."

Here we are eating at Chick-Fil-A after seeing Frozen with Grandma. 

Oh, how I am enjoying my post-Christmas week off.  This morning I could not take my eyes off the view from my window.  The finest snow was falling.  The light was catching it in such a way that it looked like glitter was drifting from the sky.  It was truly stunning.

 

Evangeline and I have been busy playing games, reading the books she got for Christmas and constantly picking up mess after mess.  Here are a few of the silent moments from the past few days.  This girl goes until she stops.  You never know how she will fall asleep.   

 

Kyle was put out the other day after seeing that I posted a picture of him after he had just gotten up.  As pay back he took this one of me.  We are even now.  

 

My dear friend, Amy came over to spend Sunday with us.  We did all kinds of things including making drinks with my new Froth Pro, walking down to the Stone Arch Bridge (it was too cold to be impressive), and making some pajama pants.  We had the best time despite the fact that my pants ended up as high-waters and hers were at least 2 sizes too big with the pattern upside down.  There may have been just a little too much chit chat going on.  We got lots of laughs out of them though. 

As the year comes to a close I always try to do the old cliché reflection on how I could be a better person.  I usually come up with some flimsy resolutions that stick around until about February or so.  But honestly, reflection is a beautiful thing.  It's always a good idea to take a good look at yourself and decide what parts you don't like and what parts could use some change.  It's also important to consider how you've grown and recognize the parts of yourself that you do like.  So as I reflect upon myself and the person I have grown into in 2013 I came up with this short and reasonable list of resolutions I am going to work on.  These are some of my superficial resolutions, ones that can provide some tangible evidence to show that I'm bettering myself in specific areas.  I don't expect these things to become a part of me at 12:00AM on New Year's Day.  This are just some small goals I am going to set for myself and strive to at least improve on.  No guilt here.

1.  Eat more fruits and vegetables in their whole and undressed state. 
2.  Finish the projects I have already started.
3.  Finish projects I start before starting something new. 
4.  Take time to read more books.  (This does not count children's books.)
5.  Pick up after myself before getting something else out.  (I need to set a good example if I am to expect Evangeline to do this too.)
6.  Try to find new methods for organization around my house.  I am always missing something. 
7.  Manage my time better.

Ok, my list could go on and on.  I'm going to stop there since I said there will be no guilt involved.  I don't want to look back over this in a few months and hang my head in shame as I look around my messy house with half finished projects everywhere and a candy bar in my hand. 

Of course some resolutions run deeper and include things like:

1.  Prayer
2.  Gratitude
3.  Forgiveness
4.  Doing a better job reaching out to people
5.  Generosity

This list could definitely be ongoing.  These are things I resolve to be better at daily....these are the harder things.  

Here's to a healthy, happy 2014 to everyone.  And in the worlds of Tiny Tim, "May God bless us every one."

Hearts so Full

Oh it was another interesting night, thanks to the bumpy situation.  Since Evangeline sleeps about half the night doing her "bumpy" thing on the couch, we decided to have her sleep with us that night for fear Santa wouldn't come if she slept on the couch.  Let's just say we were up every hour.  But....he came!!!!  Santa came!!!! 

She asked Santa for a new pair of snow boots and a Barbie dress.  She must have been pretty good this year. 

She didn't ask Santa for the pretend makeup.  That was a surprise, but later she told Kyle the makeup was on her "thinking list". 

Christmas with a child in the house is sheer magic. 

Here's the good girl on her way to Grandpa's house.

My Dad and I made some soap the other day.  We should be set for a while.

We spent the Christmas evening with Mom.  Her house is so cozy and festive.  She had a huge surprise for me!  A little old red cabinet I saw in Marshall.  It was on hold for someone else.  Somehow she found out about it and was able to get it.  Anther benefit to small town living. 

 

Christmas happiness in my window.  The Christmas cactus always reminds me of my Grandma Esta.

Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand. -Seuss

Christmas Celebrations

Our Hutson Christmas celebration was at Aunt Wanda's new house, finally!!  It was sure pretty.  The kids had a great time playing together and putting on Christmas shows with Ira's karaoke machine.  Savannah did a beautiful rendition of Silent Night,  Evangeline did a ballet solo and Ira was the stage manager.  Afterwards they signed autographs, or graphs, as Evangeline called them. 



That night we had our annual sleepover at Papa and Karen's along with the Hwangs.  Getting those three darlin's to sleep in their bedroom was, for the second year in a row, a nightmare.  And for the second year in a row I had to sleep a portion of the night on a trundle bed with three little munchkins snoozing in their bunk bed.  (That is until I got my hair stepped on when one of those little munchkins had to use the restroom.) Later in the night my little munchkin could not sleep without finding an adequate bumpy spot.  I found her an acceptable one in the office and that's where she slept the rest of the night. 

SO, after a night like that she was less than perky when she woke up (that goes for Mommy and Daddy too).  Daddy did enjoy snuggles though, which are very few and far between these days. 

We all enjoyed watching the girls tear into their mountain of presents.  Evangeline's favorite was a little thing called a Moo Popper.  It's a cow that shoots a ball out of his mouth.  She played with it all day. 

She also got a camera which was has been lots of fun. 

Of course, we had a wonderful time with the Hutson's.

 

Back at home.....

Now that Uncle Zachary and Aunt Candice live out at the farm we tried to think of some neat farmy kind of gifts for them.  We decided on a few bird feeders.  Evangeline worked so hard on one that she painted for them. 

Yep, it's definitely my style to be just getting done with the Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.  Christmas is a not a holiday for procrastinators. 

We spend Christmas Eve with Peggy and Grandpa Roy.

The Wilson's come over each year before we go to church.  Peggy's house gets smaller as more and more kids are added to the bunch. 

 There was more food, more fun, more gifts, more love.  We attended the Christmas service geared for families which is held at an earlier time.  Pastor Richard gave the kids several ornaments to hang on the tree to remind them of various parts of the Christmas story. 

 

Pastor Richard was talking about Christmas traditions at church that night and how much they mean to us through the years.  I feel so blessed to have married into such a lovely family.  The traditions I have come to share with them over the past ten years are priceless to me.