Merry Christmas, Everyone Everywhere!

Well, we are deep in snow, and it has been a slow week for us. We're going to where my parents are staying this evening for a little Christmas Eve get together. Our sibling plans have been postponed until Friday, since road conditions are not too pretty around here. Our exciting moment of the day was sliding 180 degrees while driving, then shortly after that sliding into a snowdrift that we had to be pulled out of by a big truck. All of this a couple of blocks from our home. Looks like the snow is melting a bit now, though!

Although I didn't do the usual gift-making and card-mailing that is customary around the holidays, it doesn't mean that I love and miss each of you friends and family members any less! We have been taking it easy and enjoying celebrating advent. Each night we have been lighting the advent candles and singing Christmas hymns with Amelia. It has been so special and meaningful, I will be sad when it's over tomorrow. We'll have to come up with some new family rituals to observe through the rest of the year...

Merry Christmas to each of you!

Four years ago...

We got married and had our very first marital miscommunication-- in front of all of our friends and family! I still get a kick out of this photo sequence.


I am thinking," Really? That whole bite? How am I going to get that down?"
Jeff is going, "Really, you're not just going to take a bite of this? How are you going to get that down?"
Me: I can't believe that whole piece is in my mouth. Right now. In front of everyone.
Jeff: Oink! Oink!

Me: Oh dear. Now what?
Jeff: Yikes!


Me: Be graceful! Be graceful!
Jeff: I think there was a misunderstanding... Sorry.

Both of us: OK, I think the worst is over.

Me: Can everyone see that I am dying to have a child? Am I really going aaah as I put food in my husband's mouth?
Both of us: Phew, we made it past that first hurdle! On with the show!

An Improvement!

We had this old church nursery type of carpet that made it impossible to clean out dust and old cat pee-type smells in the extra room downstairs. When we pulled it up, of course we were hoping for some decent hardwoods that we could enjoy with some minimal sprucing up. As usual, it was much worse under there than we'd expected. The wood was in terrible shape, and it looked like at some point, someone let their kid go to town on them with a hammer and a bucket of nails. We quickly changed course and pulled the nails, patched the cracks with wood putty, scraped some linoleum up and painted them with porch paint. In spite of that extra work it was a very doable project that cost under $50, and we are loving the difference!

Doggy Amelia models the previous carpet.
You can also see more before pics here.

I love the way white floors (and rug) brighten all of the colors in the room!