the one about Christmas; finally over

I sound like such a total scrooge. But I don't care. I am super glad Christmas is over. I love love love it. Don't get me wrong, but by the time you buy all of the gifts, go to all of the parties, get all of the groceries and build yourself up for this great grand gala affair, it's over. Just over. Done. It is so hard not to get wrapped up in all of the "Christmas Crap." I just get overwhelmed and stressed out. I worry that I got this person to big of a gift and not a good enough gift for that one. It just gets to be too much, so I am so thankful it is over. I tried super hard this year to think about Mary. And I sure did. It made my Christmas a little bit more special, I think. I thought about it so much, infact, that whenever I look at my nativity and see her holding her precious baby boy, I kinda get a little tearey eyed. I will be forever grateful for those feelings I have enjoyed this season.

On Christmas day night, I stayed up late and took down all of my Christmas decorations. Except for one. My beautiful nativity set. I couldn't stand to part with it for a whole year. So this is how it looks in my living room right now. It is on the back of my piano. And that is my spoiled rotten cat, Skeet, sleeping in his favorite spot. Infact, I think on my Christmas Eve picture of Quayd's stuff, he is laying right there too. Anyway, I left a little bit of garland and a few white lights. It is as beautiful as ever. The other decoartions I have right now is my winter stuff. I have a bunch of blue, white, silver, snowflakes and snowmen. My brother and his wife gave me this cute decoration for Christmas. It is big letters that say WINTER. This is the top of my TV right now.

I got some gifts this year that really made my heart swell with joy! I got the KitchenAid mixer that I have coveted for YEARS!!! It is the Artisan Stand Mixer and it is red. It was also on Oprah's favorite things list for 2007. I think it made Mandy's list too! I am so excited. i also got some cute clothes, my fun WINTER letters, an oil difuser that makes my home smell like a dream, and a super cute Christmas thing Quayd made for me at school. I already packed it away though so I can't post a picture. I suck. I should leave it up all year because it is darling, but it is Christmas-ey and I couldn't handle Christmas stuff anymore. It is without a doubt my favorite gift this year. Well, I guess it is my 2nd favorite. (don't tell Quayd!) But can you blame me? I mean, look at this thing!!!

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is our annual trip to SLC with all of the Galley's to see a Utah Jazz game. The tickets are our gift from Grandma and Grandpa Galley each year. Our game is Saturday night and Quayd and I are riding with Gleneita and heading out tomorrow. (Friday.) Brett has been taking a fire inspector class and his test is Saturday, so he can't make it this year. The only other time he can take his test is in March and it will be right in the middle of the EMT class he is taking. He is sad to miss it, and I am sad too, but oh well. I love to go and just because he isn't going, doesn't mean I am going to miss out! I am so excited to relax, read a book, hang with my boy, catch a sweet game, and spend some great quality time with a bunch of my favorite people in the whole world. Don't worry, I will take lots of pictures and blog all about it.

I have one last picture and story to share. Brett's little brother, Cory, and his wife had a sweet baby boy in June of this year. Branson. He was born with cleft lip and pallate. He just had his first of MANY surgeries about a week before Christmas. Here are a few pictures of him at Christmas. I just can't believe how amazing he looks. He is the SWEETEST baby you have ever met. He is just so mellow and never makes much of a fuss. I just love him, and look at those big beautiful blue eyes! Is he cute, or what?
This is him before. Still so sinking cute!
And here are my sweet little nephews on the Lane side at Gleneita's on Christmas morning. Quayd, holding Branson, Beau'D and Kelby.

the one about my nativity set

I know I have already posted today, but I wanted to talk about this too, and thought it deserved its own title and entry.

I have never had a nativity set of my own. Mostly, because I have known what I want and wasn't willing to settle for less. And the one I want, the willow tree set, is WAY to expensive for me to justify buying.

So the other day, I was out Christmas shopping and saw this one. I LOVE IT!! It looks alot like the willow tree set I have coveted for so long, but it was super lots cheaper. I do feel like I had to settle, but I am perfectly happy about it. I totally love this awesome nativity! Isn't it beautiful? I put it on my kitchen table so I could sit there and stare at it. I do it everytime I go into the kitchen. I just look at it and think about how it must have been that night.

I love to think about Mary and how she must have felt knowing she was carrying the Savior. I love the song, "Mary did you know?" Did she know that when she kissed her baby boy, she was kissing the face of God? And that he would one day walk on water, and heal the sick, and die for our sins? Our primary president asked me to help her in sharing time this coming Sunday and bring a Chrismas item or something and tell the kids why I love it so much and how it makes me thankful for Christmas. I instantly knew what I was going to do. I am going to take a baby picture of Quayd and now that I have a new nativity set, I am going to take the piece of Mary holding her precious baby. I am going to tell the kids how much I love Mary and her sacrifice. That being a Mother has made me realize just how much Heavenly Father and Jesus love me. I went through a big ordeal getting my baby boy here, and I am grateful every single day for the whole experience. My son is the most precious gift I could ever ask for.

Quayd asked me the other day what I want for Christmas, and I told him that I already have everything I want and need. And I do. I have a great husband who loves me, I have the knowledge of the Savior, I have a great family and in-laws, and I have the most perfect, wonderful, beautiful, amazing, smart, awesome son in the world.

And now I have a beautiful Nativity set.

Merry Christmas to me!!!

the one about our gingerbread house

Brett was in SLC for some work training for a couple of days, until tonight. Well, last night, Gleneita stopped in to say hi to Quayd and I. I was just throwing some dinner together so we invited her to stay and eat. We had one of our favorites, which is one of her favorites, too. Macaroni and tomato juice. Weird, I know. It is one of the wierd things that Quayd and I love to have when Brett is gone. Brett is super picky and very difficult to feed. Anyway, Gleneita was thrilled. Then we got talking about cookies, and I told her about one of my VERY FAVORITE cookies ever. They have peanut butter in them, and Brett despises peanut butter, so it is another one that Quayd and I love when Brett is gone. Gleneita thought they sounded good, I had the stuff to make them, so we just made a batch. Then we ate a good share of them while visiting and laughing! I had also promised Quayd we would make a gingerbread house. I bought one of those kits from Wal-Mart because he had wanted one so badly. If you know Gleneita, you know that she is not very crafty. Bless her heart! (you can say anything about anybody as long as you end it with, "Bless her heart.") Anyway, we talked her into staying and helping us. We seriously had so much fun. Us girls had no patience for the dang thing, so when I was trying to hold it together and she was trying to spread royal icing, she suggested a glue gun. WHO KNEW?!?!?!? Guess what? It totally worked. We knew we weren't going to eat the nasty thing anyway, so why not!?!?! It was funny. I broke out the glue gun and we got all of the walls together, then turned Quayd loose on the decorating. He did great, I think. He wanted a "Q" for Quayd on one roof panel and a "C" for Christmas on the other. Then he loaded it up with all sorts of candies. It was probably a "had to be there" evening, but it was such a blast. I love my mother-in-law so much. I know it sounds weird, and I am not even sucking up thinking she might read this. Trust me, she couldn't find this thing on the internet if you paid her!!! she is not very computer savy. But seriously, I love her to death. I am so happy when she just pops in. She is great!

Here are a few pictures of our fun adventure!




Oh, and since I brought it up, here is the recipe for the best cookies EVER!!!! And don't try to make them for Christmas, because I already am. Ne Ner Ne Ner. And look, they are even cute!
Chocolate Kiss Peanut Blossoms

sift together:
1 3/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp. baking soda
cream together:
1/2 c shortening 1/2 c peanut butter
mix both together, and gradually add:
1/2 c sugar 1/2 c packed brown sugar
creaming well, add:
1 unbeaten egg 2 tbsp. milk 1 tsp vanilla

beat everything well. shape into round balls and roll in sugar. place on baking sheet and bake at 375* for 8 minutes. remove from oven and place an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss in the center. press gently.

Seriously these rock! be sure to let them cool well before stacking them, because even thought you don't bake the kiss, it gets crazy hot and takes a long time to cool completely. but they sure are good to eat when they aren't totally cooled!!! let me know if you try it and what you think.

the one about my gosh dang Christmas decorations

Well, it took an insane amount of time, but I finally finished decorating my house and cleaning up the mess. phhewwwww...

Maybe you don't understand. I am a FREAK about my decorations. My tree is a huge deal to me. It has to be PERFECT! It went up pretty fast, but the rest... I really struggled with. I love Christmas and all, but I am just not feeling it as much this year. Maybe because there is no snow and the weather has been decent. I don't know. Everything is beautiful now and I am so pleased. Now I can start reading my Christmas books then hopefully the holiday spirit will take over. I have 4 Christmas trees. One is Quayd's. I let him do his own because I am such a terrible mother, I won't let him help with mine. I told you, I am a freak! Here are a few pictures of my decor. The photos really don't do it justice, so pretend they are like 10 times prettier.

This is tree #1. the main one, in my living room.

Tree #2, Quayd's tree in his room.

Tree #3, also in my living room, but a smaller, more "outdoors-ey" version.


And finally, my 4th tree in my kitchen.
Definately a bad picture. But you get the point.

My dorky husband came home tonight as I was fixing dinner and he said, "So when do all of the people come?" I couldn't figure out what he was saying. He asked again, "When do all of the people get here?" I was puzzled. He finally, with a huge grin on his face, said, "You know, for the Festival of Trees!" Ha ha. He thinks he is so funny. After nine years he is still shocked every Christmas to see the insane amount of time and work I put into my decor. It is one of my "things." I can't help it. We usually do lots of lights outside too, but we are Bah-Humbug-ing them this year. I did a few but nothing like years past. It always turns into a huge fight between Brett and I, so I gave him the option to skip out. He agreed. We argue because I like them a certain way, and he likes them another, he usually falls off the roof, I laugh at him and we end up not speaking for a week. And yes, he has fallen off the roof more than once! If you know him, you know how accident prone he is. So was his dad and so are his brothers. I can't stop myself though. When he gets hurt, it is funny. Here is another story of him getting mad at me for laughing at his pain. You need to know that I am already giggling as I prepare to tell this story. He was taking the swamp cooler out of the window about 2 years ago. He was standing on a lawn chair that had a metal frame and canvas strips across it. It was a very nice and sturdy chair. So we thought. Suddenly, the canvas gave, and his feet broke through the chair. He was holding the swamp cooler and he just fell right through. He landed perfectly on his feet as if nothing had happened, but it was so funny. I know that when his feet hit the ground, it jarred his legs a little and I am sure it hurt, but it was HYSTERICAL! My brother happened to be watching too and we still laugh about it. I am laughing out loud now. Ok, time for another story about Brett. We have Sky Chairs. If you don't know what they are, here is a picture from their website. They are super cool. So a few years ago, Brett was sitting in his sky chair on the patio with our sweet 2 year old son in his lap. Suddenly the hook holding the chair broke and he fell right on his butt. He was totally relaxed and can you imagine how much it had to hurt? In those chairs you are kind of, almost reclined so he hit right on his tail bone. He didn't even know it had happened until he heard the sound and hit the ground. He describes the sound of it breaking as an ear piercing "PING!" I am terrible, but that is FUNNY! Quayd was fine. But there was a nice cushion between him and the ground! Poor Brett. I could go on and on, but I won't. I am still giggling picturing him standing there holding that swamp cooler in the middle of the broken chair. he he he he he

Tomorrow, I help in Quayd's class then I am going over to my grandma's to decorate her tree. Then on Thursday, I am decorating Kandice's mom's tree. Yippee! I am super excited. But I should probably get moving so I can get to bed and go to Curves early in the morning. I usually go after I take Quayd to school if I don't have anything going, but tomorrow I have a busy day. I love you all! thanks for sharing a laugh about my poor husband!