Bring on the Christmas Shopping!

I have felt for several years that stores push Christmas shopping waaayy too early.
However, this year I have decided, "If you can't stop them, buy their stuff."
Even though I haven't even finalized my Thanksgiving menu (I am hosting for the first time this year--aaaahhhh!), I am deep into the Christmas shopping spirit.
Although I am a fan of online shopping (a semi-shopaholic who lives in the middle of nowhere has to feed her addiction somehow), I have actually managed to support my local mall already, too. I love that Bath & Body Works has their Christmas scents out and I have already shopped their sales twice. I have also been to Hallmark twice to peruse the Keepsake ornaments to choose just the right one for each of our kids. We always pick one that shows what they were interested in for that year. Nathan's was easy--Scooby Doo eating cookies! Landen is getting a school bus to mark his year as a Kindergartener and Teresa will have an Elmo ornament. She loves singing the Elmo song, "Wa, wa, wa. Wa, wa, wa. Wa, wa, wa. Wahhhh!"
David took me out on Friday evening and he had to get some things at Menards first. One would think that would be a pretty safe place to take one's wife, but not so much with me. While he looked for his electrical supplies, I stocked up on Christmas ribbon and some other great deals I just couldn't pass up. I found the cutest Santa-like red ribbon with white edging that I am going to use as garland on our tree. Do you think my Thanksgiving guests would mind if I had my Christmas tree decorated in the corner amongst the fall decor? I can't wait!
For the past two days since our little date, I have been fighting the urge to do some actual serious shopping. The main cause of this is that David, his dad, and brothers have been hunting for the past two days. When the men hunt, it REALLY makes me want to go out and spend (a.k.a. save) some money!! Isn't that what we wives are supposed to do?
Unfortunately, heading back up to Aberdeen to further stimulate their economy didn't work out yesterday or today. I did inform my husband after church this morning that I WOULD be "hunting" with my mom the day after Thanksgiving and he would have the kids. I figure, "what's fair is fair".
Rest assured, I have still been able to stay on top of my Christmas list from my little computer at home. I just received an email that my latest Amazon order has shipped. You would not believe how much money I SAVED! I am sure David will also be most impressed. ;o)

A New Year

I turned 31 yesterday. I really don't feel that "old." I still catch myself thinking I am younger, like when I hear people younger than I am are getting married or having babies. My immediate thought is, "They're so young!" But, then I realize that they are 28 or 29 and I am--gasp--OVER 30. :o)
It was a very good day. We didn't do too much out of the ordinary (David and I are going out tonight), but it was nice. I especially like the new birthday tradition I have started this fall with bringing home pizza after oral interp practice!
Today it is back to real life, which is mostly Nathan begging to watch TV or have a snack all day and then not eating his meals.
Oh, well. It's just another day in paradise.

Funny Stuff

One thing I love about my Landen is that when he opens his eyes in the morning, he is immediately ready for action. This morning when David went to wake him up, his little brown eyes popped open, and he said, "Do you know what the BEST part of school is? LUNCH."
David asked if he liked that even better than recess.
Landen answered, "I LOVE FOOD." (So there are some of my genes in that boy after all!)
After breakfast, David installed my new florescent bulb over the kitchen sink. I liked the return of the light, but not the flicker. I decided to wait awhile to see if it would stop.
Nathan came out to the kitchen, looked at the light, and asked, "Are there fireworks going on out here?"
For some reason, that just struck me as so funny!
Thankfully when I turned it off and back on again, the "fireworks" stopped.
Have a great day!

Endless Wash Cycle

I'm not sure if I've posted about my laundry obsession before, so forgive me if I have.
I am a third generation (at least) "laundry freak." That's right--as far as household chores go, I actually enjoy doing laundry. Making the piles disappear over the course of a day is a visually rewarding task for me. If I have my laundry caught up, I feel like I am more caught up on life.
I know I wouldn't have to do laundry as often as I do. Except for jeans, it is not like we run out of clothes between each cycle. And, there are other places in the house that really should be tackled--like the bathroom for instance. Teresa got into the Vaseline as I was packing last Friday morning and smeared it all over the bathroom mirror and wall. I have looked at it several times as I have passed through to gather a load of towels or clean out the laundry basket. Always preferring to head straight down to the washing machine, the slimy smears are still there as I type. And my windows? They really need some attention. I thought about washing them today as it is nice and sunny, but I hear it is supposed to be very windy. I think I'll stay inside and wash bedding instead.
After taking a couple days off from my household hobby, I was faced with a particularly huge mountain of laundry yesterday morning. By last night I was claiming victory over it. I even had most of it put away! (Unfortunately my laundry enthusiasm usually does not extend to the actual putting away of the clothes.)
The problem with this laundry high is that the feeling of accomplishment is very short lived. By this morning, another mountain is starting to build . . . and so the cycle continues.
I have just a few days to train and regain my stamina for the next mountain I must climb.

New Photos for Our Wall

Now that all three kids have had their birthdays, I can update the pictures on my living room wall.
Landen's was taken at school this fall, but Nathan & Teresa's were taken at my makeshift "studio" (a backdrop draped over my quilt rack) at home.
Thanks to some editing on picnik.com, which I just discovered, they look pretty good.
From comparing the last year's pictures to these, it is obvious that Teresa has changed the most--mostly because she has grown hair!