happily ever after: December 2008

Monday, December 29, 2008

Sleep, Sweet Sleep

Okay, first we're up till 12:30am. Because the Chargers won, and they're goin' to the playoffs and we were on a high and decided to clean upstairs before going to bed. Yeah, we're a little strange.

But then Sweetie and I weren't that tired. Yeah, after I turned out the light, he was asleep in less than a minute. I'm not talking to him anymore. I laid there...tossing and turning. I was hungry. If I'm ever up after 11pm, I have to eat again. So I get up and have a bowl of cereal. Then I have to check email and websites. At 2am I go back to bed.

I lay there, AGAIN, tossing and turning. The man is snoring. I remember not that long ago, I used to think that his snoring was cute. He'd only do it when he had a cold, so I'd just let him snore. It wasn't anything obnoxious, just a gentle snore and I could easily turn him over and he'd stop.

Let's just say that things have changed. He's not so cute anymore. I would just start to fall asleep and he'd start up again. I actually put my hand under his head and lifted it up off the pillow, still snoring. I pushed on his arm to turn him over, nothing, still snoring. I gently kicked him with my foot, nothing, still snoring. Then I kicked him (not so gently), nothing, still snoring. I yell out, "oh my gosh, are you kidding me?"...nothing, still snoring.

Then I remember buying these lovely little pink squishy foamy treasures from heaven that you press into your ears. $2.99 and priceless! Ah the sleep, sweet sleep. 4 1/2 hours of blissful silent sleep.

I might need a nap today.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!!!!!

BooMamaChristmasTour

Sorry, Mrs. Claus has come down with a lovely Christmas Cold. She spent most of Christmas Eve in bed. I had to miss our church's Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, I was SO bummed. I had been looking forward to it for at least a month. But all the rest did me good, I was able to wake up with lots of Christmas energy for the boys. :o)

So as promised a little tour of us at Christmastime...


I made my Grandmother's rolls to take to our friends house for dinner. They are scrumpcious.



This is also what I was up to today...Red Velvet Cake and Mini Poundcakes.



This doesn't really have anything to do with it, but apparently I think Jay is bigger than he really is. I got him these new pajama pants, and yes, we could both fit in them. Please excuse my bed head.



The boys got legos. Lots of legos. Oh the joy!



"Dumb and Dumber"



I normally get the boys pajamas that I make them open up on Christmas eve and wear that night, so they look all cute for the Christmas morning photos. But they are getting a little big for matchy-matchy pajamas, so we got them new slippers. Croc slippers. Since they pretty much walk outside in the barefeet, socks or slippers, I decided to get them ones that are made for goin' to town in.



The china hutch that is filled with our Christmas dishes, though my lovely camera skills don't allow you to see them. Windows to the backyard.



'Merry Christmas' in the School Corner.



A Corner in the Kitchen.



Our Advent Calendar. The boys have loved this thing from the beginning. At the start of the season it's full of little wooden stars, they take one down each day and put into the manger. It's at the foot of their stairs so they can do it each morning when they come down.



The Stockings; we hang the Jesus stocking in the middle. We write letters to Jesus, of what we'd like to give him this year, then we stuff them inside. And yes, we are that lame to actually have stockings for our animals and they actually get filled.



The Nativity Set my Mama & Daddy gave me. It replaces the little wooden one that I got before I was even married. The boys used that one upstairs in their rooms. But the boys are in charge of all the nativities in the house. Each day they get re-arranged just a little bit different. Because we're guessing that the animals probably got a little restless during that time and needed to move a bit. :o)



I do so much baking and cooking during this time, this is the corner I keep all my cookbooks that I'm gonna use. That little angel was given to me by my sister years ago, I absolutely love it and her crazy wire hair.

Merry Christmas, I'm off to take a shower and dress for dinner. I hope y'all have a very special Christmas with those that you love.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Happy Times



Took the boys to see "Bolt in 3D" yesterday. Too fun. I giggled and laughed and clapped through the whole thing. Too cute.

More hunting went on yesterday, though they didn't see any deer. They did shoot at a telephone pole...because they could...I will never understand man.

Hope y'all have a great day.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Tales from a Tree Stand

We interrupt this Christmas break to bring you some funny stuff from a tree stand.

For those of you that don't live in the South and know that this is Deer Hunting Season; a tree stand is like a half baked, very lame tree house. Just big enough for two people to sit in and wait...and wait...and wait...and freeze.

Never mind that I learned how to shoot guns when I was young and little. Never mind that I'm still a great shot. Never mind that my dad still makes his own ammo. Never mind that I've eaten pheasant that he killed. I still don't get that whole 'can't wait to shoot and eat that thing' idea.

Anyway, I married a man that agrees with me. The oldest story of him with a gun is with his friend Don when they lived in Ramona, shooting I think rabbits. Jay wounded the thing and then couldn't bring himself to put it out of his misery. Don had to take care of it. (Don't tell him I told you, he wants people to think of himself as a big tough guy.)

Fast forward a few years. Our dog got ahold of a bunny on our property in Ramona and didn't 'kill' it all the way. So Jay had to take care of it. He nearly lost it and was a little bummed the rest of the day.

SO, now we live in the South. Down the street from Jay's best friend. Who likes to go hunting. Has trained all his kids to hunt. Their youngest got his hunting license before he turned one. His oldest can skin a deer like no one else, all the while wearing her diamond dangle earrings. (She's gonna be a treasure for her future husband.)

Sweetie's first encounter with hunting was to go with Don to hunt the Groundhogs that were destroying his parents property at the plantation. Jay was not too pleased. It was cold. It was boring. He kept complaining and wondering why they couldn't just hunt from inside the cab of the truck drinking a Starbuck's. They didn't get any that day.

Now our oldest, Calvin, LOVES to hunt. He loves all things weapon and outdoorsy and manly and hunting. So for Christmas last year we got him all the gear, Daddy got him a gun, we promised him the safety classes and his license. Of course that meant that Jay would have to go with him....oh the joy. So Sweetie got himself some hunting gear and the classes and his license. They've gone twice so far. And there is still just chicken and fish in my freezer. (and yes, I'm glad, cuz, don't you know we'd have to have Miss Katie from down the street come skin the thing for us.)

Last time they went I was waiting at home (praying they wouldn't get anything) and started getting these emails from Sweetie's blackberry.

Enjoy.

Jay to Don: Is one of the two straps that hold the stand to the tree supposed to be broken? At least the top strap is still there.

Don to Jay: I know you don't want to hear this, but Stony was suppose to fix that.

(a little while later)

Jay to Don: Now what? I'm bored. Let's talk.

Don to Jay: You need to sit still.

Jay to Don: I think that is why I'm bored. Maybe if we play a little tag for an hour or so? Your it!

Don to Jay: I should have known it, you're better suited for laser tag...Just sit still for a little longer.

Jay to Don: Maybe if we could get something with a little more cushin and a small plasma TV, maybe a heater or a blanket?

(this is when Don started ignoring him, I could have taught him that and saved him a lot of trouble.)

Dena to Jay: What a goober! I'm waitin for my dinner, where is it?

Jay to Dena: Sorry, but don't tell Cathy I accidentally shot Don.

He's a treasure and I love him.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

A Christmas Break

Isn't it true for most people, this time of year is very busy. I'm finding that I cannot keep up with everything I was doing before and continue blogging. So for a time this month I will be taking a break. Please forgive. I'm sure you could read the newspaper or something else just as fun to pass the time.

I'll leave you with our Christmas plans:

Making Cookies....ever since we took over the business I have the responsibility of continuing the tradition that Miss Berta started of making a zillion cookies at Christmas time for all the customers and employees. After 8 years, my rear-end is bigger but I've gotten it down to a science on getting it done. It pretty much involves jammies all day, boys running amuck, alienating my friends and lots of frozen dinners. But, oh my goodness, we have ourselves some fun doin' it!

Christmas shopping is almost done, which is good since we decided to make a last minute trip out to CA to see family and friends. Sweetie found some cheap tickets. We can do the company Christmas party (which I know everyone would have missed). The Grandparents will all be happy. I don't have to ship the cookie boxes (can I get an AMEN!) We'll only be there for 5 days, but I know it will be crammed full of fun.

The house is decorated and the tree is up. The last few years I have not enjoyed Christmas. My Christmas joy came fully from counting the days till it was over. But this year, my joy is well placed, and I'm being thankful for all the meanings of the season. I was actually excited to decorate the house, start my cookie baking, smother my mind in Christmas Carols, and be a part of all things Christmasy.

I pray that this time of year finds you joyful for all the right reasons and thankful for the Gift of His Son.

Now for some picture fun...because I just can't help myself, I have to post pictures when I blog.


(my little pyromaniacs, this is one of the things that Sweetie loves most about living out here, we get to play with fire)



(Calvin was a little put out because I hadn't posted a picture of his cat yet, so here he is, Mr. Darcy. NO we did not name him, YES he was given to us by another family, NO I don't call him by his name, I call him Kitty, YES I love Pride & Prejudice, NO he doesn't look anything like Colin Firth. YES, my son is starting to get a mustache. NO He doesn't shave yet. YES, I feel old.)



(does any other mom out there have oodles and oodles of these types of pictures on their camera?...I find them ALL THE TIME! Where could they be coming from and what am I suppose to do with them? Any ideas?)



(our tree, this one is just for Jay and I....the boys wanted their own to have upstairs with all their ornaments on it. Every ornament on this tree means something to us, I was practically in tears decorating it.)



(the stockings are hung and the fire is roaring, cuz' baby it's cold out there)

I'm off to clean the cookie dough off the wall, don't ask, but I might have been trying to cheer Calvin up while he was doing his schoolwork, by flicking cookie dough at him.

Hope you get to eat a cookie today.