Archive for the ‘Holiday’s’ Category
Happy New Year’s Eve
Today is New Year’s Eve and I’m excited about the New Year. It’s going to be full of fun and great things. We’ll be attending sports events for the boys and vacation time with the family. 2011 is going to be an awesome year!
It’s Christmas Eve! 1 More Day to Go!
It’s Christmas Eve and the excitement is in the air. Well I must say it’s been here for several days, but each day that goes by brings us that much closer to Christmas and needless to say, the boy’s are so excited.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are very busy around our house. On Christmas Eve we start out at my aunt’s house for dinner, then we go to my parents for a few presents, and then we go to Kevin’s mom’s house to visit. This year we’re making the strawberry sauce for the ham so we’re going to his Dad’s house to make that in between my parents and Kevin’s mom’s house.
Christmas Day is even busier. We’ll open presents at home, then go to Kevin’s mom’s, then my grandma’s, then my parents, then to Kevin’s dad’s, then home for a bit, then back to my parents for dinner, and then to Kevin’s mom again. Needless to say it’s a very busy day for us!
Family is important to us and that’s why we go to all of these different places. We love to visit with others and be around the ones we love.
Christmas lights and more
Tis the season for Christmas lights and family pictures. Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. I love looking at the Christmas lights and we have always taken Christmas pictures of the kids.
Christmas lights are so fun to look at because people can do so many neat things with them. Some people set their lights to music while others may create words with their lights. I love the look of a tree with snow on it as well as lights that look like ice melting. Here are some pictures Kevin took of the lights on the trees in the park across the street from the hospital.
Christmas pictures of the kids started when Chris and Shai were just 10 months old. Some of the pictures were taken easily while others were a struggle to get. But that happens no matter what time of year it is and the reason for the pictures. Here are some pictures of the kids this year.
Holiday Gift Giving the Frugal Way
In my family, we have 50+ members and that makes it very difficult when it comes to Christmas shopping. Since I can remember we’ve drawn names so we only purchase one present per person. We have dollar limits set in place so we all spend the same amount of money. It’s the only way we can make it work.
When you’re trying to keep your frugal ways Christmas can put a damper on that at times. So using the gift exchange idea will slim down your purchases which in return helps you save money. Set a limit of $25 for the adults and $15 for the kids and that will help you save even more money.
You need to remember that Christmas is not about the number of gifts or the price spent it’s the thought that counts the most. You should consider purchasing gifts online through eBay since they usually have better deals than what you may find in the stores and that will help you get more for your money.
The best thing you can do is go into the store with your list in hand and have your mind set to one item and don’t go over. Just remember you need to stick by the amount of money you set in place so others don’t feel bad if you spend more than they did.
Frugal living is possible during the Christmas season when you set your mind to it and find ways that make it work. It may take a little bit of time, but you can do it.
Our Christmas Party has Come and Gone
Last night was our family Christmas party and it was fun. We had a lot of family members show up and it was great to see them. The food was wonderful and it all tasted great. We had the usual mashed potatoes, turkey, ham, and rolls. We also had yams, hashbrown casserole, vegetable salad, and carrots just to name a few. The desserts were wonderful. We had red velvet cake, cupcakes, and pumpkin pie. I’m also told by my mom that my grandma enjoyed the rhubarb pie.
Grandma handed out the family phone books and the family history books and they were a huge hit. The time my mom spent gathering information and putting them together was well worth it when they were handed out. I’m glad to say the time I spent working on them was worth it as well.
Later in the evening we had a special visit from none other than Santa Clause himself. The younger children enjoyed standing in line waiting for their turn to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. After a few minutes of that, my boys decided to take their turn with Santa. Below are a couple of pictures of them. They were so cute!
Chris with Santa
Josh with Santa
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. I love being with my entire family and spending time with them. It makes me feel so blessed knowing my family is the best and they care for me and what I do. I feel so lucky knowing my family is there for me no matter what.
The Family Christmas Party has Arrived
Today is Saturday and it’s the day of our family Christmas party. I love this day because we get to eat good food and be with family. Our family is quite large and when we get together it requires a large building and a lot of food. LOL
This year was our turn to plan and put it together. My mom, my sister, my boys, my sister’s kids, and I put together these wonderful books. One book was a phone book that we will hand out to all the families. The other books are family trees for each of my grandma’s siblings. I just know this year will be special and everyone will just love it.
So I’m off to get ready for the party. Tomorrow I’ll make a post about the party and how much fun we had. Hopefully I’ll be able to share some pictures as well.
Spending Time with the Family
Next weekend is our family Christmas party. Each year in December my entire family gets together to eat a meal and socialize together. There are approximately 200 of us that get together and it’s so much fun.
Each year the party is planned by one of the family members. This year is our turn and we’re making family phone books. This book will include all the family members, addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, and anniversaries. What a great way to keep in touch with each other.
Well the reason for this post is because I’m helping my mom make these books. Today I spent the better part of three hours with my mom, my niece, and my nephew putting these books together. It was nice to spend this time with them because it’s not something that happens a lot.
I love being with my family and helping others. It’s very nice and makes me feel good. While helping others is something most people think about doing during the Christmas holiday season only, I enjoy doing it throughout the year.
Valentine’s Day weekend at the Sunburst Lodge
Kevin and I decided to get away for the Valentine’s Day weekend. This is something we have never done before, so it was exciting to plan. We had home made fried chicken with real mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, corn on the cob, salad, and home made bread for dinner and home made apple pie with icecream for dessert. This morning we had fruit, home made banana bread, bacon, and eggs for breakfast. Tonight we’re going to have prime rib for dinner. Can’t wait for that! I’m so glad Kevin found this place for us. It’s such a wonderful place. I just know we’ll come back again. It’s nice to be so close to home, but feel like you’re in another part of the world. Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!
We left around 3:30 Friday afternoon to head up to the lodge which is on Casper Mountain. When we got here, we were surprised and knew we would be in for a big treat. Here is a picture of the outside.
We were greeted by the cook and she gave us a tour of the house. It’s beautiful, so warm and peaceful. Here are some pictures of our room.
