ChRiStMaS cOuSiNs!!!

and BrOtHeRs!

My brother and his family came home for Christmas, it's been a blast having the cousins together and spending time with his family. I love it, even when it's CRAZY!!!

take 1...

and take 2...

Youngest to oldest...

Abram 5, Kamiryn 7, Ethan 8, Cassie 8, Madi 9, Caleb 10, Elle 12 & Miranda 13.

My wish is to someday have ALL my siblings home for Christmas...hear that brothers!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.

PiAnO

Ethan has been taking piano lessons for about a year now. He started in the fall of 2009 and struggled. I think part of it was his age and the other part was his lack of reading skills. So Last January he quit and we decided he would pick it back up in the fall of 2010.
What a HUGE difference a year has made. His reading skills and LOVE for reading have made all the difference in his piano playing ability. He LOVES the piano and loves it when I sing for him while he plays.
Ethan was blessed with the opportunity to play some prelude music for his school Christmas program. This was his first time playing for anyone other than his teacher or family and he was really, really nervous. He chose "Away in a Manager" and "Jingle Bells" and did an AMAZING job! He made us proud and thankful that our piano lesson payments are paying off.
Keep it up Ethan!

Merry Christmas to ME :)

This year I got all new stainless steal appliances for Christmas...

and New Years, and my birthday and Mothers Day...

and every other gift giving holiday my husband could think of...

I agreed that was OK with me!!!

this is what we had before...they were nice, all matched and worked. But...we came across an incredible deal on our new GE ones that we couldn't pass up AND I was able to sell these ones with one phone call. I was pretty darn excited!

Thanks Steven!!!

Christmas treats

Every year I bake Christmas goodies with my boys. I feel it's important that they know/learn how to cook, bake, measure and know that I really enjoyed these moments with them.

This year we made...

Christmas mice...

and cookie jars...even Steven joined in the fun!

I love all the help!

all done!

and Snowflake mix...

and cinnamon pretzels...

all our goodies...

All our recipes came from this fabulous magazine.

I told the boys I hope in years to come they will look back and remember our Christmas baking days and smile and hopefully do it with me and theirs kids...because you KNOW Grandma Salena WILL be baking with her grandkids!!!

Merry Christmas!

6 months ago today...

Our bedroom went from...

to this...

our dining room looked like this...

and today...

our bathroom went from this...

to this...

Our living room went from this...

to this...

I am happy with all the things we've accomplished in 6 months.

We still have so many more projects we'd like to get done though...all in time.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree

how lovely are your branches...