it happened one december...

we went to a switchfoot concert

at DisneyWalk...which gave us our first taste of the sites and sounds of the Christmas season...

then she was a toy soldier with her dance group that performed for senior homes and at Vista Murrieta high school....so fun...

and made a new friend in dance class...

we made lots of homemade hot chocolate and drank it in our Christmas mugs by our partially decorated Christmas tree...

snuck out to eat ice cream by the fire while brother was at basketball practice...

this guy played Bob Crachitt in the Christmas Carol, of which I have photos to prove but they have not been edited by Mr. R.....

went to a lovely Christmas wedding....

Christmas piano recital with this dear friend...

played the violin at a rescue center

....met up with favorite neighborhood friends to see Santa at the big white star

saw the house with the 125,000 lights,

wrote letters to Santa and mailed them off at Macy's for the Make A Wish Foundation,

made chocolate covered pretzels for friends,

cookies for neighbors,

ate lots of candy canes,

decorated gingerbread cookies,

read the pop-up advent calendar each night,

watched Charlie Brown Christmas,

the Grinch,

the Polar Express,

Christmas Carol and

Miracle on 34th Street....

sang Christmas carols (and discussed their theology),

shopped and shopped,

wrapped and wrapped,

oohed and ahhed.....

am I done now?

Merry Christmas!

"In all your ways acknowledge Him"

Prov. 3:6

things I want to do next year

Besides not still shopping on December 21 - next year I would love to use a few of these ideas

...I am really liking burlap right now, plus these little "fake" presents hook on with ornament hooks right onto the burlap - it looks so pretty

in the backyard I would love to set these on the table - ooh I still might, they look wintery

I could totally see one of these above Bria's bed - they are very easy to make









links to these ideas and more :)

the lettered cottage

the inspired room

just a girl

I Heart Saturday AND......trader joe bags

Cute enough to be used as gift tags this year...

'cause he grabbed my heart tonight

looking through old photos tonight and this kid of mine grabbed my heart. It is not just his cool dark eyes, but I am telling you, if you know him, you quickly see his sweet spirit.

I dig him. Big time.

So does his little sister and his big brother.

rainy day

Early bundling in jammy pants to take big brother to school. A rare site for this Southern California mommy.

I Heart Saturday AND......you can't silence my love

(late edition)

To be honest...I am overwhelmed and not hearting anything right now. Well, that is not entirely true. While I am struggling with a bad attitude, marriage conflicts, work dead-lines and homeschool issues - I love and need the help that music gives. Listening all week to the new Switchfoot CD and, yes, it is no news that I am a very big fan of Jon Foreman, but really, this album is great.

"hello hurricane, you're not enough - you can't silence my love...

Everything I have I count as loss

Everything I have is stripped away

But before I started buildingI counted up these costs

Ain't nothing left for you to take away"