3 years!

3 years ago today, my hubby and I said yes to being married. Its been a great time. Really the best I've ever had. For some reason I feel like 3 is an accomplishment, maybe its because I finally convinced my husband to buy me jewelry this year.

ps these pictures are all copyrighted.

Picture Update

In case anyone cares to see what my christmas looked like. We hung out with some of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and my grandparents christmas eve, and then we went to my in laws and spent the night and spent christmas day with them.

christmas07

Pretty Special

I just finished Pretties and Specials, by Scott Westerfeld. My cousin's wife who loaned me Uglies, told me that the second and third books in the series were worst than the first, I thought oh great why did I check it out from the library the first sucked. My cousin agreed saying there was no character development in the second and third. After finishing the second I thought this was a lot better than the first book, yeah there was no character development, but it was suppose to be that way. It fit with the plot and the evolving main character. The archetype of choice vs. compulsion was blatantly screaming through most of the text during Pretties. Plus on a good note, the book was much less petty teen plot. Well it was definitely still a teen lit book, but it wasn't as petty as Uglies. While I read Uglies I felt like I was back in high school, Pretties and Specials wasn't as bad. Pretties was the best book in the series in my opinion. I thought Specials was a little ridiculous. I don't know, you can't have that high of standards for a teen sci-fi. It is the Uglies trilogy but yet now there is a 4th one out?! How does that work. I don't know if I really want to read the Extras, the book pretty much ended without any loose strings. Its seems like it would just be digging for gold. On of the last side note, I like boy 2 better than boy 1.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Treats

The other day I thought it doesn't feel much like christmas. For one thing, this is the first christmas in many of years I didn't get that sigh of relief after finishing finals. Although I have to say I'm not complaining, I would much rather omit the sigh than to have to be in school. I decided I couldn't sit about and whine, it was my job to be the mom and I had to make the christmas treats. This is my crowning glory. My Buche de Noel. I like to think of it as a birthday cake for my mother in law. My husband was so proud of my achievement. My mom always puts a holly sprig on it, but my apartment is fresh out of holly so I used a cookie.I also made sugar cookies with my boy. He loved the batter but the cookies he didn't really care about. First you have to make the batter the day before with a pastry blender and store it in the fridge over night.Then the next day you roll it.Don't forget the fun cookie cutters.And of course we had to put sprinkles on top.And then since I was such a good mommy, I was blessed, I was also craving gingerbread men, and while I was at my mother in laws, someone brought a HUGE one.Here are my recipes:

Christmas Log
Preheat oven to 375
Use a 10x15x1/2 pan
1 cup cake flour
(2 tbsp. corn starch can be added to regular flour if you don’t have cake flour)
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In mixing bowl beat eggs till thick and lemon colored. Add sugar. At low speed, blend in water and vanilla. Gradually add flour – beat only until smooth. Pour in pan pushing to edges.
Bake 12-15 minutes. Invert immediately on a towel. Remove wax paper. Let cool two minutes—roll with towel. Let rest 10 minutes or until cool. Unroll—remove towel. Fill with whipped cream, roll up and frost with chocolate frosting so it looks like a “branch” or a “log”.

Sugar Cookies
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
Combined flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt and sift into bowl. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add egg, milk and vanilla; mix until dough holds together. Press into ball. Wrap and chill well. Roll 1/2 of the dough at a time on lightly floured board. Cut into shapes with floured cookies cutters. Arrange 1” apart on ungreased cooky sheets. Bake at 375 for about 8 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.

my christmas present

My husband said he would get me a car after we got a tax refund back. But then he found a deal he couldn't resist. Which means I got a NEW CAR for my christmas present.
We sold Big bertha within a few hours which was good because we need the cash to afford my NEW CAR. Now I can be a cool mom. This is my first car! I'm so excited I'm going to take good car of it, I've never had my own car before!
Best part this sweet roof rack and the free CDs that were left in the CD player. A week ago Mike asked me if Brent's sentra was my dream car, I said no, but man this one is!

We have only just begun....

Today is the 22nd of December, which means it is the first day of winter. This is terrible depressing to me, because it means we have only just begun the winter, and I'm already sick of it. Fall and Spring seasons are way too short for me.

Holiday Craft #...

I was planning on being done with my holiday craft #4 and #5 by now. But #4 was cut up, and #5 had some complications, and I realized Jobo need his mom to play with him more than my family needed more crafts. But while I was working on 4 and 5 I started dreaming of an advent calendar. When I was a kid we always got our own chocolate ones, like this:
Since I always got a candy one as a kid I never thought about making one. Jobo did not get one in the mail this year from the christmas fairy so so then I started thinking about the one my sister in law made this one last year, for her family. Its the thing in the middle top on the wall. Its the best picture I had of it.
As I was thinking, all of a sudden I started to find all these wonderful blog posts about advent calendars. Like this one. This is actually the first one, I saw, and loved, but I don't knit so it would be hard to recreate. Although I could put those two together and get felt mittens. Here are some more I like from DesignMom, One, if you had multiple kids, how great would it be to put a mini present for each kid in there, to open every night, it would be like hanukkah only better, although it would also be pricey. Two, and two again, I love this, but I rent, my husband would kill me if I put 25 holes in the wall to hold up the boxes. I really this, but her etsy shop is sold out. I got an idea... Pam should make a calendar and sell it on etsy and I'll buy it from her.
Problem one, a lot are really great, but they have to be compact, I only have about 15 moves left before my kids grow up, so I can't have a big thing.
Here is what I'm thinking, make this envelope one that I found in parents magazine, because its a DIY craft so I wouldn't be stealing anyone's ideas, and put like pieces of paper in it, with christmas scriptures, so one day when my kids are old enough they get some religion in their candy/present infestation. And then make one that can hold a piece of candy in it for each kid. Here is the thing I liked about the chocolate one that my mom got for us as kids, the doors opened so you could always tell how close you were getting to christmas. That is what I really want advent calendar that shows how close we are getting, with out having the old school felt tree and ornaments that come out of the pockets. Sometimes I can do blast from the past, but not that one.
On a side note, this was in the same parents article. I love it, I think it is so cute, its suppose to be a holiday craft, but really it could be an all year decoration. Oh its great.
As I was thinking this post, I got our christmas presents in the mail from my brother's family. And I got the idea for my advent calendar.
Get little boxes like this, paint them, put numbers on the outside like this and then put candy and a spiritual christmas message inside. Then tie bows around the outside. Put them in a santa bag or in a basket. Children will notice christmas is getting closer because the advent container will get emptier and emptier. Oh I am excited, but I won't make until next year. For one, I have to gather 24 boxes, and for two its 4 days before christmas. But I still love the envelope one.

speaking of target, I also love this Peruvian one.
Sorry if this post was confusing, I wrote it the path my thoughts went on advent calendars. My thoughts are often confusing, if you don't believe ask my husband, he often has no idea what I'm talking about.

I'm still reading!!!

I finished Uglies, it totally left me hanging. Oh how I would love to read Pretties now. I need to go to the library right now, but I don't have a car, a story for a different time, and its cold outside so I don't really want to walk. Uglies, wasn't really that good, but you get hooked if you don't mind teen sci-fi. Its very teen, reading it makes you feel like you are back in high school, dealing with all the pettiness of being a teen. But the book is interesting because it brings up the issue of what is pretty what is beautiful, and what is the cost? I found this the other day on the internet: (its the only question I read so I don't know if anymore contains spoilers.)
Q: How did you get the idea for a futuristic society where everyone is made pretty?
A: We are definitely heading toward a world in which lots of people will get to decide how they look. That will change what we think of as beautiful, and what beauty means to us. So some people stay the way they look, because that's cool or radical. Some won't change because they're rich and powerful... Other people will try to outdo each other, and manipulate themselves in ways that we don't consider remotely pretty right now.
The book brought up some questions is my mind. First of which comes from one of the most classic archetypes, what would you do for love? And what happens with the love loyalties change?
Second, deals with beauty, Shannon often talks about what the media does to warp our sense of beauty. And the question I thought the book ask was would you rather see everyone as beautiful the way a surgeon decides is beautiful, or would you rather see people for the way they really look, and only be physically attracted to a few, only feel the power of attraction to person you are falling in love with? I guess also for the sake of true arguments someone can feel a strong attraction to someone they are lusting after. But there is physical attraction, and then there is attraction that comes from a love, and is first built on appearance, but then is much deeper than lust attraction could ever be. Anyway, the book is not a superb novel, not a classic piece of writing, but it brings up interesting question that our society dealing with. If you want to see what society is doing to warp our perception, watch this video. It boggles my mind every time, and I've already watched it a half a dozen times.

This two videos also make you think. Here and Here

Flowers for the Bride

My brother in law got married on Tuesday. And luckily for me, I like his new wife. Last spring I took a geriatric sociology class. Fascinating stuff, it explained to me, that women live longer than men, but marry men older than them, so usually a wife lives for another 5 or so year past her husband's passing. (But we all knew that already.) I thought about that, and my grandparents, and I realized, all my brothers are going to die, my older sister (and siblings in laws) are going to die, my husband is going to die, and I'm still going to be kicking. And then I realized that I have a very vested interested in who my little brother and my younger brother in laws marry. And luckily for me, I can spend 5 years or more with Melissa after all the menfolk die. Because of that I got to butter her up now, so she wants to be friends with me, in 60 years. That why I spent a whole saturday of decorating for the reception, which included making her bouquet. On monday when I saw her I asked her if she wanted me to make another one, long story short, she got one. Pictured above. (Thats not really the reason I helped.)

Here is my husband family. Our families are similar, 7 kids in mine, 8 in his. Most married, most reproducing, at alarming speeds. (The wedding had a 20s theme)
With all this wedding talk it made me thinking about my own wedding, almost three year ago. We are two weeks shy of our anniversary. This wedding is the 4th wedding for my in law family this month, three of occurred this week, over various years. Really I got married after christmas because I wanted to be original. Anyway, it has made me think, three years ago, I was young but I knew what I wanted. I wanted Brent, even if that meant, I didn't get other things like 18 months in a foreign land, and a law degree. I knew that if I didn't marry him something would happen and we wouldn't be together forever, I wanted him as long as time went on. Yes, looking back I realize it was a jealous love, I couldn't handle thought of him with anyone else, when he was dating other girls I was perpetually in a bad mood. Sure I cried a lot when I was engaged, but that was just because the stress of planning a wedding was not my idea of fun, too many decisions. My father told me a few days before the wedding, I could still call it off, I said no, too much has been done, I have my dress, yada yada, he said no its not too late, until after the ceremony. I thought about it for minute or so, and yeah, you're right, but I don't want to call it off. He or someone else in my family asked me that question everyday for the week proceeding my wedding. Every time they asked I became more sure of my decision to married to Brent. At the time, I didn't really know his family well, I was shy and they were overwhelming to a young girl. His family was a leap of faith for me, I knew I loved him, so if he loved him I would learn to love them. I did, luckily very quickly. They are my family, just as the family I was born into is my family. I couldn't picture my life without them, although I have only been with them three years, it seems like they have always been my family. I know people who are unsure of their in laws 10+ years down the road. Thank goodness that is not my life. It was a leap of faith but I got lucky. I've heard it said, you get to pick one person in your family and the rest you get stuck with. I got stuck with a good bunch on both sides.
Looking back on all this, the only regret I have is when I was getting close to engagement with my husband the summer before, my father and I were in the car. He asked me if things were serious with Brent, I said yes. He said are you planning on getting married, I said yes. He said why do you want to marry him? I can't remember what I said, but often told my mother it was because I didn't want anyone else to have him, I wanted him to myself. Then my father said, do you love him? I said I think so, he said you better be more positive, I said well I am but how do I know what other people think love is, or something to that effect. And something to the effect of I've never been in love before, so how do I know, but I think it is. I wish I would have said, yes. But at the time, I was still very shy about feelings, ok, I still am with attention on me, and feelings freak me out. And it was true what I said, I think I love him, but how do I know what love is. Sure three and half years later I can unequivocally say yes, but compared to now, that love was a lot more shallow and I was a lot more new at the whole love relationship, and I had only said I love you to Brent about a dozen times maybe, so how could I have said it about Brent to my father. Plus like I said, at the time it was a jealous love, luckily now I hope I've grown up a bit, matured some, and its grown past the jealous love to a more selfless love. It has been said about me, struggles making hard decisions, but once made never looks back or carries excessive bagging. Three years later here we are.
I think Jobo's smirk goes great with Brent's hat.This is for mike, not quite the turkey trot, but oh the stories that it could tell. Not only am I stunning, so his daughter in the front left.
The girls, the blondes are all married in.
And the menfolk looking so menfolk for the picture.
Here is the slideshow of more pics.

Christmas Tour of my Apartment

I found BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes 5 minutes before my hubby came home from work, I haven't been back home since, because of a wedding. Hopefully I'm not to late to participate. Here is how I decorated in a small apartment, using many holiday handme downs. If you came to my house the first thing you would see is my jingle bell wreath on my apartment door. I love this, because of the glitter, I love sparkley things at christmas (although my husband would say I love anything that sparkles all 12 months).Our stockings are hung by the window with care, since $500 a month doesn't buy a fireplace. I hand make stockings for all my family.Here is our 2 foot christmas tree. It was a handme down from my grandma. Here are some of my favorite ornaments. The santa in the background, is a handme down from my mother, its kind of ugly, but I love it because I remember it being in my house as a child. The christmas clock I made a few days ago. One of my sister in laws and I have a love affair going on with Believe signs, thats why I have two with my tree.
This is my favorite presents, its from my brother. I love it, because my sister in law (a different one, I only have 10) wrapped it so simply but beautifully. The tree skirt is another handme down from my childhood. This santa also came with the other from my mom. Its a little too....traditional crafty looking for my taste, but its nice to have a santa on the floor that my son can look at and touch, so he can experience Christmas for himself. This nativity is also on the floor for my son to experience for himself. My mother in law gave all of her children this nativity and its a great nativity for children, because it has a music box.Here are some more of our nativities. My mom collects nativities which means she has more than she can display in her house. She has passed many on to me, including these two. I love my Fontanini Nativity. Speaking of Love, I absolutely love my feather tree. Apparently according to BooMama that means I'm getting older. I partly love them, because I got married at christmas time and one of my receptions was decorated with feather trees. Here are some more Nativities, we have another five sets in our closet (apparently mother like daughter), but we had no room to display them in our shoe box of an apartment. Most of these my husband brought back after living in Chile for two years. (The Joy one is a handme down not Chilean.)In between my bookcases covered in Nativities is our couch and on our couch is this christmas pillow I designed for my mom, after she told me the phrase. Just a little reminder to enjoy the holidays, in a stress free manner. Plus it is shinny and sparkly.
And last but not least is another one of my favorite decorations. I love giving and getting presents. Is that bad that a grown adult, loves getting and opening presents? If I had a choice I would rather give, but I won't lie I love getting too. The mitten clip magnet pattern I found on Martha's website.
And yes that is what I want for Christmas, is a trip to Mexico, with my husband while my son spends the weekend with my mother in law.
I almost forgot, my lovely kitchen christmas craft, I made when I was probably 14. That would be the explanation for the awful handwriting, and the poor lay out of words. Thank goodness for moms who save those types of things. Thanks for coming over!

She is here!

My sister recently, as in, on Friday had her first born. A girl named Eleanor. I'm hoping they call her Ellie. Since I can now not name my daughter Ellie after me. My initials are LE. Sounded like it happened great, since it took less than 24 hours, in fact I'm postive it happened in less than 12 hours, anything less than 12 hours sounds like heaven to me. A few months ago I experimented with quilting again. I made her this quilt.
Turned out really good I think, much better than the first quilt I ever made in my life. Its great because its clearly girly, hence holly hobby in the middle, but it doesn't have pink in it, I thought my sister would appreciate the lack of pink. By the way, Carol and pam, I didn't sell holly hobby on ebay, I made a quilt with her. As you can tell it is a kid tested, kid approved quilt.

Holiday Craft #3

Here it is another clock. The pun is intended. I know you are probably sick of seeing clocks, but I can't help it I bought 6 or so of them. I still have 2 at least left. I know its super busy looking, but I like it that way, that is how christmas feels to me.
The last thing I need in my house is another clock I have one in every room in the house, and now one in a closet too. But I had an extra one that was refurbished clock, as I broke the hand off and then put it back on, so I feel bad giving it to anyone, or selling it to anyone, so I had to make myself another clock, and since I love Christmas I figure this was the perfect thing to make. Before its Christmas makeover it was in my kitchen for a while, but my mother bought me this rooster one, because it was on sale, and she knows my husband likes chickens.

You should be so proud.

I finished my first fiction book in months. A Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton-Porter. It was pretty good, I read it in just a few days so that right there, that tells you I was interested in. I know why Kim lent it to, because a large plot of the book is about catching moths. But don't you worry all you anti-entomologists out there you can enjoy the plot without loving bugs. My complaint was that Billy never seemed to grow up through out the progression of the story. Other than that it was good. My mother would like, if you are trying to make inferences from that don't try. I decided it was time to read, my son need a break from the holiday crafts, his behavior has been much approved since I stopped spending my whole day playing with "mommy's toys which he can't play with." He was a champ today. I finally found a doctor, which by the way I think I will like a lot. We went and Jobo got some immunizations, he was a champ through and through. He started to scream when he got the first shot, but by the second one after the nurse apologized he had almost stopped crying. By the time the lollipop was insight I didn't see another tear the whole day. He wasn't fussy at all. What I champ I gave birth too.

Mind exercise

I know all of you have been wondering how my mind works. This next little exercise will give you a glimpse of the madness. My mother got a free subscription to Hallmark with hers so she gave it to me. I'm about 15-20 years too young for it, but it still hasn't run out so I got this this month. Every time I see the cover I see the phrase let's get allergy!
Specifially when I see the bottom of the page, this section, before I can read "let's all get merry!" I see let's get allergy.
My mind picks of these letters and ignores the rest.
This is what my mind see, while the rest of you see let's get merry. Minus all the white blocks.
Now I realize the word allergy is spelled wrong to all y'all but order really makes no difference in my mind, but I rearranged the letters properly for you. So this is what I see.
Just so you know, order makes no matter in mind. I had to teach it to my mind as a young 5th grader in tutoring, how to care about what order people put letters and numbers in. And then I had reteach myself that number order REALLY does matter when you are doing algebra, geometry, calculus etc. In fact I taught myself so well, I actually forget until something like this magazine cover happens, that my mind sees letters before it sees words. And various letters jump out and form new words before I see the original written words. Who would have thought that young little 5th grader who only saw letters not words would have ever got a political science college degree heavy in reading and writing? Life turns out crazy huh?