Christmas Challenge: Day 25

Day 25: It’s Christmas! What were some of the things you received this year?

I don't like focusing on what I got. So instead I'm doing "What was your favorite part of this Christmas?"

& go with spending it with my love, my family, & my Aria.
It was an amazing day. Couldn't ask for a better day. Honestly.

Christmas Challenge: Day 16

Day 16: Your favorite Christmas tradition.

Anything family related.
I adore decorating the tree with my family. I love the silly gifts we get in our stockings. I love that it's always chaotic when the whole family is together.
I love it all.

Christmas Challenge: Day 14

Day 14: Share a previous Christmas memory

I loved when Josh gave me my "promise ring" ... except it wasn't really a promise ring I guess.
Anyway.
He didn't give it to me in front of everyone. It was later... after we all had opened our gifts at my parents' house.
We were sitting in my room. I was wondering why he hadn't got me a present. & he pulls a pretty black box out of his pocket. & says "Here ... this is for you."  ... very Josh :)
I was nervous opening it actually. By this point in our relationship we knew we were going to get married, but neither of has had proposed (not that we wound up doing it that way).
I was wondering if that is what he was doing.
Nope :)
Just a gorgeous ring for Christmas.

Another great Christmas memory - the first year Josh & I put up our first tree.

Christmas Challenge: Day 13

Day 13: 5 things you love about Christmas

I adore everything about Christmas ... but here go five:

1. Lazy days spent with family
2. SNOW!! (especially last year when we had a WHITE CHRISTMAS!)
3. Cozy fires with hot chocolate & Christmas music
4. Love that fills the air
5. Giving gifts that make people laugh, cry, and grin like crazy

I could go on ... and on ... and on ...
 

Christmas Challenge: Day 12

Day 12: Your favorite Christmas song.

It's hard to pick just one so I'll list several of my favorites:

~ Carol of the Bells
~ Jingle Bells
~ Any Trans-Siberian Orchestra music (especially Christmas Canon Rock - adore it!)
~ It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (because it is, duh!)
~ Silver Bells

I love all Christmas music! I'm one of those people - ya'know the ones who start listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving and don't stop until New Year's Day. Heck, I've been known to bust out the Christmas music in June!!


I am especially loving Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer this year ... S & I sing it together :)

Lessons from the ST.

Times when S always tells me he loves me:

When he is eating
When I am wiping his bum.

I adore him.

Christmas Challenge: Day 4

Day 4: What 3 things come to mind when you think Christmas.

This one is hard because there are so many memories and warm fuzzy feelings that surround Christmas for me.

So here are 3 of them

1) Trimming the tree ... I loved spending time with my parents & sister while putting up the tree. For as long as I remember it was a white tree with gorgeous blue and silver lights, bulbs, ribbon, and tinsel. Plus my one red bulb that said my name & '94 on it. It always had to be on the tree, but dad relegated it to the back because it ruined the vibe of the tree! lol 

2) Fires & hot chocolate ... the house I grew up in has a fireplace and my parents make use of it every winter. I adore sitting in front of a fire and drinking hot chocolate. A very favorite memory that brings back those warm fuzzy feelings of being loved and being happy.

3) Absolute crazy family times! ... this is a memory that goes along with every holiday and most other random weekends. The time and place we get together changes every Christmas, but one thing stays constant: my family is fun, rambunctious, loving, joking, and chaotic. I can't begin to describe how happy I get just thinking about the times we've had together. I adored growing up with 3 siblings, and I would love to have several kids of my own so they can have the same happy and chaotic childhood I did.

Lessons from the ST.

So I'm a little behind on the posting. What's new? :)


Monday was a great day - everyday with S & T is a great day.

Learned a few more things:
~ With two active little ones I'm less of an entertainer and more of a referee. As in: "No, leave her blocks alone." "No, T don't put S's shark in your mouth." "Come back here!" "No hitting." "No, she didn't mean to take your shark away.... she's little and doesn't understand."
~ It's still a little crushing when a 3 year old points out a pimple. It is a little endearing though. "Kiki, you have a boo-boo like me." ... S said ... pointing to my face ... while I try to explain why he just had a timeout. Sometimes I'm sure he knows just how to change the topic. 
~ It takes a long time to convince a 3 year old anything. A. Long. Time.

&
~ Poop is still fun :)

Lessons from the ST.

Today S taught me that stingrays eat bumblebees. & no amount of coaxing will get a child to eat vegetables. Even the prize of a hot dog.

It was a good day!

Also learned that fussy babies are still adorable babies.


Bisous, Kiki

So I need to get back into this...

Here goes!

Today I babysat - love them!
Hired the wedding photographer.
& had dinner and watched a tv show with the love of my life.

Happy 8 Years Josh! I can't wait to marry you.
109 days to go!

Bisous, Kiki

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my Big Brother!! 

Master is really an amazing person. He's hilarious, an AMAZING artist (I'll have to share his work sometime), one of my best friends, & makes the best BBQ - some of which I get on Sunday! Woot!

I have great memories of him while we were growing up... but what is even better is listening to all his stories about the adventures he had with his friends. Um wow. ... can't share ... they'd get him in trouble :)

But the best part about him? His support of me & everyone else. He is always telling me - "Do what you want. If no one else likes it oh well... do what makes you happy."  .... That unconditional support has been amazing these last few years. Especially when I was bouncing back and forth with what to do with my life. ... It's also been amazing with wedding planning.

Master, you really are an amazing big brother.
Happy Birthday! I love you.

 My brother & me at my 21st birthday party.

I adore this picture of us.

Bisous, Kiki

Lessons from the ST.

I've decided to start a new ... "series."

Lessons from S & T. It's a play on words ... S&T ... ST. ... St. .... Saint ... get it? lol

Every single time I watch them I learn something new. It may be huge or it may just be a little something.
Some of the lessons I've learned:

Babies stop crying eventually. While T is a marvelous baby there was one time she was very cranky (hey happens to every baby! & me too). She wouldn't stop crying. I was so sad I couldn't fix her problems for her. But then? She just stopped. I guess she just needed to let it all out! But I realized ... even when it's bad all babies stop crying eventually. She really didn't cry for long, but it was enough for me to learn the lesson.

Also here's a good lesson: When the older brother is way too quiet in the living room while you are rocking younger sister to sleep in the bedroom he may or may not have gotten into the Easter chocolate candy. Then he will come into the bedroom... grin at you with chocolate ALL over his mouth ... it will be the most innocent grin & you can't help but laugh! & that will wake up baby sister. Sigh. ... She will go back to sleep though.
---- & while I was rocking her again I told S "You sit down right there right now." His reply? The most sheepish look & quiet little "I'm in trouble huh?" Oh my heart sank. & I wanted to roll on the floor laughing at the same time. It is one of my favorite memories with him! ♥

So today's lesson - Babies make everything better. Even when you are having an all around good day - it will get better when you rock her to sleep, feed her, watch her discover new things, and spend quality time talking. T is so much fun & I adore her. & she and her brother make my days better. Even the great ones get better when I see them!! & of course they cure my bad days too.

Next Thursday I'm due to sit again... more lessons then!


Bisous, Kiki