Why are there some lessons in life that we have to learn over and over again?

I have one lesson in particular that I relearn monthly, daily, even hourly.

The less selfish I am, the happier I am.

Just give in, make someone else happy. It's worth it.

Project Day

Why does it seem like all the fun stuff happens around Christmas? There is so much to pack in, here's what we did the last few days.

Yesterday we all headed over to Spokane to view a really amazing collection of nativities. It was quite the experience as there were hundreds from all over the world. We were so grateful to all the volunteers who made it so amazing. There were different types of hangings and trees and activities for the little kids. We had so much fun with hot ham and cheese sandwiches beforehand, and the Christmas broadcast at the end. I'm so glad we went!

Today was one of those days when you try to pack every odd errand you've been waiting to do in the same day. We did some banking, job errands, returned things, etc. On top of it all we decided to put up our Christmas tree today. I'm personally having to learn to relax about how things end up. I've found that I'm much happier watching Steven put on lights then I am putting things on and constantly backing up to make sure I didn't create a "hole". Also, the past few years we've had blue lights and glass ornaments on our tree, but this year since Cooper's gotten so mobile we decided to just do lights, bows, and candy canes. It wasn't until I got our decorations out that I remembered that last year Mom gave me some stuffed ornaments. Perfect.

Ta-Da!

Last but not least, we put together some gift baskets. It was really fun to grab all the stuff from the car and walk in and see this guy. (Notice the Candy Cane...)

Ta-Da!

Happy Busiest Time of Year!

Sounds of Christmas

Last night we attended Tim's Christmas concert at NIC. We had such a great time, it was great to be out of the house. Tim did an excellent job, as he always does.

The beginning of....

The end. This was the best we could do for a group photo considering that all the little boys were asleep, and Tim was frustrated that I was putting a hamper in his social style.

Merry Christmas!

Luck

I somehow managed to marry into the most amazing family in the world.

(Apparently Steven thinks that Jarom is extra amazing...)

Is the Picture Doctored?

Please sleep!

Enough with the teething, crawling in your bed, and pulling yourself up and hitting your head repeatedly. Your parents never dealt with lost sleep when you were a newborn, and they aren't so great at handling it now. There has been some discussion about grudges against you.

So, if you want to date, drive a car, go to college, get married, etc...

Go to sleep!

Deep Thoughts

Monday, Monday....

I am one of the few people out there who blissfully believe that The Hills is not scripted. I love thinking that all those people just exist out there for me to watch. However, this guy takes his role a bit too seriously. He is one of two things to me.

1. A really horrible actor who WAY overacts his part

or

2. The biggest jerk in the entire world

For my part, I like to believe it's the first.

Tuesday

So, this lady is completely insane. Who's with me?! Steve and I watch week after week and we can't believe how crazy she is! Why have people kept her around? It keeps it pretty entertaining, but I must say...she's insane.

Wednesday

Ah, Colicchio. I love Top Chef. Wait, what I actually mean is that I love to eat whilst watching Top Chef. I think Colicchio has emerged as one of my favorite tv characters. There isn't getting anything past him... I love it.

On a side note, my day totally brightens whenever I find out Rocco is going to be on any of the shows we watch. He seems to pop up often. I know, I know, let's all just forget Dancing with Stars. It was just a small lapse in judgement.

(I forgive you Rocco)

Thursday

Are Steven and I the only ones who long for the good ol' Office days. The days of awkward comments and less serious storyline? We love you, we will always be loyal, but come back to us!

Sunday

Steven and I watched this and were torn between laughing and just being horrified for this kid.

Bring on the rest of the week!

The Unsuspecting Manger

Completely innocent, right?

Wrong!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Daines for a pre-school nativity set. Cooper loves to terrorize the manger, while of course learning about the meaning of Christmas. I love feeling like he's appreciating the true meaning of Christmas, on some level....

He loves it!