Happy Stuff

Well, we headed out to Kelowna for Christmas this year. It was so good to get away, and just relax. Art had been working like a dog just before Christmas, trying to finish up a job, and so he definitely needed a break. We spent the week sleeping, playing games, and eating. Can it really get any better than that?
One of the best moments this year was when my girls opened up their gifts on Christmas. My parents had got them each an American Girl. This is something that they have wanted for close to a year, and they have been saving up their money for. We told them that they needed to save $120 for one - some for tithe, some for shipping and customs, some for the doll. So, every cent that they made (which isn't much, considering they don't get a allowance or anything) sweeping out the shop for Art, or money their received for Birthdays, went into 'the fund'.
They weren't at all expecting the dolls for a present, after all, they didn't have enough money saved! Hannah was the first to open hers. It was the sweetest reaction a person could wish for (I think!). Once she saw what it was, she didn't even open the box, rather, she dropped the box and went running first to my mom, and then my dad, and gave them these ginormous squishy hugs that were everlasting. I cried as I watched it....I was so proud of her, and her thankfulness for the gift. I actually think that she cried as well, so was so excited.
Next was Abby, whose reaction was quite similar. Then came Meagen, my niece. During all of this, Molly sat patiently on the couch taking it all in. Finally, my dad called her name, and she was off that couch running to him before he could even finish his sentence. It was quite funny! She opened hers up as well, and was thrilled!

Here's a picture of the girls with their girls (except Ellie Mae, who didn't want to cooperate when we were taking the picture)

One of the traditions in our family is that every Christmas Eve, we get to open one present, and it's always pajamas. My sister and I coerced my Mom into buying us matching pj's, so we matched....

Just like my girls, who also had matching pajamas. They loved them, and were so cute!

Exciting Stuff

So, I need to catch up on all my recent news, but it'll be in stages, I think....

First things first. For Christmas, Art and I decided that we were going to get satellite TV and a PVR for each other's gifts (we have to justify it somehow!). So, after 8 1/2 yrs. of free TV, we finally bit the bullet and subscribed. I kept joking that I was going to watch TV all day long, while Art was working, and I almost did, one day. The fun thing is that now we know what shows people are talking about, and can tape up to 300 hrs. of TV (incidentally, when we got home from Kelowna we had 197 hrs. taped....all my shows). The not so fun thing is that we have to pay for it.... Oh well, such is life. We went from 4 stations to lots more than 4 (I really don't know how many, actually). And, since we got a new TV, we get HDTV - very cool. So, friends, it's official. We have now joined the 21st century!

Thankful

I am so thankful for my husband. He is amazing! He is dealing with some nasty stuff right now with the job he's working on - it's really not very fun, and he continues to deal with grace and humility and patience and integrity. So much so that guys from the job site keep coming up to him and commending him on his dealings - in a man sort of way. Kudos to you, my love!

Early Christmas Present

I`ve actually gotten a few early Christmas presents already, and they are all great for all different reasons. The one that I wanted to talk about, though, is the one from my oldest daughter, Hannah. This story actually starts a couple of weeks ago...

A few weeks ago, my favorite purse broke. It was pink and fun and I loved it. And I was sad. I kept saying that I needed to buy a new purse. Hannah took that all in, and decided that she wanted to sew me a purse for Christmas. So, she had asked for some fabric for something, and I gave her some scraps. One night, late at night, I peeked into Hannah`s room and saw that she was sewing, and totally gave her crap for not sleeping!

On Saturday, we celebrated Christmas with Art`s sister, and Hannah decided she couldn't`t wait to give me a present (that doesn`t sound like me at all!). She had it all wrapped with paper and LOTS of tape! I opened it up, and saw that she had sewn me a purse. She didn`t ask anyone for help, and had even put on a button and button hole (which is from her jacket.....we may need to replace that!) I don`t think I will put anything in it, because I think it may come out the sides, and the straps are fairly short, but I love her heart. She saw that I needed, okay wanted, something, and wanted to bless me with it. I love her for that. Here`s a picture of her creation:

Hats!

The girls received a Christmas package from Auntie Joc and the Goerzen clan (Art's brother and his family). My sister-in-law made these hats for the girls, which they absolutely adore! One of the reasons they like them so much is because they remind them of Little House on the Prairie, which is one of their more favorite things to watch. They also sent books and gingerbread....could their day have gotten any better? They have decided to not only wear them to bed, but also all around the house. I must admit, Abby does look a little 'confused' with the hat on and her Tinkerbell costume (see the previous entry!). Surprisingly, Ellie Mae even wears her's! Here are pictures...

Tinkerbell

Abby had her first ballet recital on the weekend. She loved it! She was Tinkerbell. Her ballet teacher told me, "She has just enough spaz to pull it off!". Here is the sole picture I have of her as Tinkerbell. She got to keep her costume, which she loved. I think she's worn it every day since then....

She also got to have makeup on for the first time. Originally, she didn't want any, because Hannah told her that it was itchy. However, once I put it on, there was no turning back! This was her, as she sat and stared at herself in the mirror for probably 10 minutes, repeatedly saying, "Wow! Do I ever look different!" I think she might be in love with herself!

And after...

Banquette eating area (thanks, Irene!) Art's aunt made the cushions, I made the pillows. There's storage underneath for linens, napkins, etc.Wall to the family room

We mixed it up a bit by changing the color for some of the cabinets

This is the only upper cabinet we have....Art put punched tin in the panels that we made - well, he made them, but I designed them!

My spices - labelled and alphabetized

Fridge/freezer, and double oven. The fridge and freezer will eventually have panels on them to match the cabinetry

My cooktop, and the legs pull out for spices. We have a downdraft hood fan for ventilation.

Here's how it looks with the legs closed

Family room with the barn door. We actually took this off a barn that they were ripping down close to our house. Art had to climb up 15 ft. and bang the hinges off to get it...what a man! The door actually closes, which is great for keeping things quieter for the girls when they are in bed.

The rest of the family room

Before....

People have been asking me to post some pictures of our house now that it's (almost) done. Even though we still need trimwork done, I'll post some more up to date pictures. Before I do that, however, let me remind you of the before...

The Eve

Tonight is 'the Eve'. It doesn't matter what it's 'the Eve' of, but I always find myself walking around my house, tiding little things us, changing things here and there....Funny how the idea of having 30 or 40 people over will do that to a person. Or maybe it's just me?

We are having our Christmas open house tomorrow night (feel free to stop in!), and I can't wait. But I know myself....and I probably will not sleep much tonight. I'll be thinking about what I need to do first thing in the morning....and then my list that needs to be done in the afternoon....and finally the last minute prep stuff. Thankfully, I got tons done today (tarts are baked, cookies are iced, dips are made) with the help of my ladies. It's funny to me how they get in on the excitement. The Girls have been counting down the days until our party. They just asked me tonight if they could do their school work as soon as they got up so that they can help me get ready (they are truly fantastic!). Of course, I said yes.

We have the word ADULLAM hung from our fireplace in our living room. Adullam being the Hebrew word for 'place of refuge' (as in the caves of Adullam, where David hid from Saul). That is our hope for our home. My hope for our night is that people find their Adullam. If not here, then somewhere....