So here's the thing...

A large majority of my family members (50% of my parents, brothers and sisters, AND nieces and nephews) are good at art. They draw and paint and do things that look amazing. This is, much to my dismay, a talent that was not bestowed upon me. Yes...it's very dramatic.

But nonetheless, I get ideas in my head. Yesterday involved an idea wherein 3 year old little jT would help me paint a most wonderful Christmas tree. In my head it was perfect. In 3 year old jT's head, it was something completely different. It was something a little like this....

Wonderful? Yes.

What I had in mind? No.

So, I took it upon myself to create the idea in my head. Then I realized that I couldn't even paint a Christmas tree the way I wanted to, that's how bad I am (in my head, the Christmas tree took up the whole canvas). So, step by step, I came up with ideas, until I ended up with this....

Wonderful? Hardly. But it's growing on me, ever so slowly

What I had in my mind? Not in the least.

Will it work for now? Yes, it'll do.

Does it give me tons more ideas that I probably won't be able to fulfill? Absolutely.

tis the season to be jolly!

the Christmas season has arrived, and i couldn't be more excited. last saturday juC and i put up the decorations. one of my most favorite things to do is go shopping for Christmas decorations after Christmas when they are super cheap. then i get so excited for the next year when I get to use them.

a few things that i was really excited to put up this year that i got after Christmas last year.....

this dr. suess-ish tree.

this santa belt ornament.and this, possibly my favorite. santa and his clothes hanging out to dry.we also went to some thrift stores last weekend, which is the best place ever to get Christmas decorations. i fell in love with this, for only 50 cents.and i fell in love with these, for only 50 cents per plate.have i mentioned how much i love Chirstmas decorations??

par-tay hard-y

i love traditions. whether it's having the same meal every year for a birthday celebration, or taking a similar picture with people at a certain time every year, or going to LoW's house for Christmas eve every year for a par-tay. for the past several years, that's what the "blacks" have done. and we of course always make sure to take a picture of the group. just in case anyone is too tipsy on egg nog we want to make sure they remember they were there. my favorite part about the picture is that we take it in the same spot every year.

unfortunately, there is no 2004 picture, or group pictures in LoW's first house where we started the Christmas eve par-tay tradition.

but here's the others.

our first picture in the spot, 2005

here we have 2006

then 2007

and the latest, 2008

*it should be noted that we do not partake in alcoholic beverages, and i was only making a joke with the intention of being humorous.

*it should also be noted that it must be really awkward for LoW that she was wearing the same shirt for the par-tay two years in a row

things i love

i love presents under the tree. and i am in shock by how many are under there.

the siblings in my family decided to draw names this year. (or i convinced them to) so instead of buying for everyone, i was buying for one...yet somehow there are more presents under the tree than probably ever before.

oh yeah, that's right...i have a child now.

i love my favorite canadian, shelley. thanks to her it's Christmas on my fridge too! and even though she tries to deny it, she obviously loves me too. sending magnetic cute manger scenes to someone is a true sign of love.

Christmas comes this time each year

(which happens to be my most disliked line from a Christmas song)

this time of year means one thing (among all of the important things). shad asking me what i want for Christmas but not being willing to get it for me. i say, if you don't plan to get what i want, don't ask.

but i digress.

while shad and i were dating, i often spoke of my love for animals, and more specifically for cats. i've always been a cat lover, from a very young age. just ask my mom. and the whole time i lived at home growing up, i had a cat...or two. that's just how i rolled.

shad however, was not a cat lover. and often spoke of that. so when things got more serious between us, we would often "fight" (we've never officially fought) about whether or not we'd have a cat in our marriage. i, of course, said YES we will. while he emphatically said NO we won't.


that is, until one fateful night, shad walked me to my car. and there, standing beside my car, undearneath the glow of the moon, he lovingly told me "you can have a cat when we are married." "promise?" i asked. "yes, i promise." he replied. i was sold. i'd marry him!!


fast forward to a couple nights ago. when he asked me the yearly "what do you want for Christmas" question. i responded...."a cat." to which he responded "no, we are not getting a cat." to which i responded "yes we are." to which he responded "no, we are not." to which i responded "you promised." to which he responded "no."


and last night, shad again asked me what i wanted for Christmas.


i declare, boys will say anything to get you to marry them!!

hee haw

i think shad and i will draw names for Christmas this year. i hope i get him, because i already have the perfect gift picked out.

gracias

i would like to publically thank jo-ann fabric and crafts for having their Christmas stuff already marked down 60% so i could add these cute little items to my holiday decor for a fabulous price.

taggity

"On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me..."

1 embarrassing moment: every time someone talks to me and knows my name and i have no idea who they are and what their name is

2 best friends: shad and LoW

3 things you buy regularly: diapers, milk, cereal

4 places you want to go (and might actually REALLY go): germany, hawaii, ireland, the beach

5 goals for the upcoming year (that you might actually do): make dinner regularly, take more pictures, finish painting the house, finish decorating the house, grow my hair out (c:

6 things most people don't know about you: unless i know you pretty well, i dont want you to stand close to me. i love buying holiday decorations, i'm not shy, i was engaged before shad, i want to be crafty, i was in musicals in high school

7 things you would never say: "i love tomatoes", "i dont want to go on a date", "no thanks, i dont like pie", "i love my current haircut", "family schamily", "no, don't come visit", "changing diapers all day long rocks!"

8 things you love about the Christmas season: family, decorating, Christmas trees, egg nog, giving presents, my moms Christmas morning breakfast, the music, baking

9 things you say to your kids: "you're stinky", "you're so cute", "go to sleep", "i wuv you", "why are you crying?", "use your big boy words", "shhhhh", "its ok", "that was a short nap"

10 things you do a lot: blog, laundry, shop, take pictures of baby j.t., watch tv, talk on the phone, cut baby j.t.s finger nails, change diapers, sleep, eat

11 things you would rather not live without: shad, baby j.t., family, friends, the mall, ice cream, computer, music, pumpkin, my car, heat

12 people to tag: cindy, LoW (even though we are still warring), jess, melissa, shelley c., chira, erin, morgan, lauren, chris, megs, paige

make a list

poor thanksgiving. stuck smack dab in between halloween: the "holiday" kids get a bunch of candy, and Christmas: the holiday kids get a bunch of presents. i feel like thanksgiving, for most, has become the redheaded step child of holidays. which seems ironic since thanksgiving is the one we are supposed to think about the things we are thankful for. but i often wonder how celebrated it would be if people didnt get the day off. and it doesn't help that the stores have Christmas paraphernalia for sale before they even get all of the halloween stuff put away.

if it wasn't for the fact that Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus, i think i'd boycott it and only celebrate thanksgiving.

and i hate to admit it, but i've given into the Christmas hype over thanksgiving. all the way back in august i told shad i couldn't wait for Christmas. he of course assumed i was excited about Christmas because i wanted presents. but that wasn't true at all. i got all giddy just thinking about decorating our house and the smells and the food and the music and being with family and the reason for it all. plus i can't wait to put up the big pre-lite Christmas tree we bought after Christmas last year.

there i go again. Christmas.Christmas.Christmas.

so to get into the thanksgiving spirit, i thought i would make a list of things that have made me thankful this year. there are so many things...and the year isn't even over yet.

so in order, starting with the most exciting.

1. our sweet little baby being born healthy and cute.
2. my parents, shad's parents, and tamara and elayna and bennett actually came to visit us.
getting to go to vegas and slc to visit shad's family, and going to s.c. to visit my family.
3. pumpkin pancakes returning to ihop.
4. buying our first home.
5. jim and pam getting engaged.
6. getting a new car.
7. going to the beach
8. finding out several of my friends are pregnant.
9. surviving.
10. getting to move out of the noisy basement apartment.

so, with that said...i urge all of you to think about the things you are thankful for, and try not to take those things for granted. and wait until after thanksgiving to put up your christmas decorations. and buy me lots of presents shad. oh...did i say that out loud. i mean...presents aren't important.