"A Wink and a Smile"

Stationery card View the entire collection of cards. I can't wait to see them and SEND them out this year!!!!

My wish for all is time with family and friends this holiday season. May you experience JOY and HAPPINESS with those who fill your hearts with LOVE!

Oh my ... that is really hard for me to do. This year I said that I may actually *SKIP* the Christmas CARD thing. Money is tight and frankly I share so many of my pictures that I wondered if I should spend the money on a picture card. Needless to say ... I CAVED. I like a "printed out card". If I didn't do the card, I know I would have felt terrible. What I am doing differently this year is ... sending the card to less people (because in the past I seem to send cards to A LOT OF PEOPLE) . Some can just view my card HERE online via my blog or FACEBOOK. That is my compromise ... LESS PRINTED CARDS. HERE IS my card this year ... (just forget that I have share all of my info - names and all. I tried to hide them with those little stickers)

For these 5 girls ... This year my littlest one (5 year old) is so excited about SANTA . We noted that this year he was coming to our Church so we skipped out on the long lines at the mall and headed to our Family Life Center for a picture. Squeezing 5 girls is just a bit of a challenge, but my girls managed to smile. Although, I don't think they were all looking in the same direction ... oh well! This may just be the last time that I see my five sitting with SANTA (sniff, sniff).

Before Christmas Eve mass ... At the crack of dawn to open the first gifts ... The first big SMILES ... The first GOOFY FACE ... (there is always one in my bunch) THANKS SANTA ! I really, REALLY wanted this HAT!!!! ! Sure to provide hours of play time .. . That Elf on a Shelf is still working .. . SISTERS in play .. . Glad to have some Wii time .. . I think we will be busy this next week ... downloading music, videos, stories doll playing DSI gaming Wii time waffle making picture taking and running on a really COOL NEW treadmill !

Of course as an adult , I know the REAL MAGIC of Christmas, but when you are 3 or 4, it often is about other things. Like ... the biggest Christmas tree filled with tons of fun ornaments in your face decorations (even if that includes the cards that mom will hang) presents (the bigger, the better) Santa, Rudolph, and lots of snowmen (or is it snowPEOPLE ... LOL) Candy canes in all flavors and varieties Chocolate ANYTHING (someone has got to help mom eat it all) baked yummies with lots of colorful sugar and sweet fillings pretty dresses ... even if years later you look back and wonder WHAT WAS MOM THINKING? Merry Christmas circa 1974

"Thanks to Walmart , I can now give them a Christmas as big as their imagination" as big as their imagination? REALLY? That quote is no joke. My ears really did hear that on television this morning ... in between the countless toy commercials my little ones witnessed. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that a company so big wants us all to want more and give more. It just rubs me the wrong way when I see how commercialized Christmas has become. Over the years I know I have been guilty of buying too much, trying to even the score between girls, and overspending/overspoiling BIG TIME! This year I want things to be different. WAIT! Didn't I say that last year? yeah ... I did All over the internet I have read some great plans for Advent , but it seems in the real everyday world that I see and hear involves women talking great big plans for their Christmas. What insanely expensive and practically out of reach gift they will get their 7 year old ... yikes! The "r...

From my family to YOURS!!!!!

One BRANCH at a time ;) ... *We did a real tree for many years, but I think this is now year 6 with a "fake" tree.  We miss the smell, but not the needles.

ADVENT CONSPIRACY HT to Greg and Jennifer

I was laying in bed reading my book when suddenly I remembered that I had NOT received the American Girl Doll and video game that I ordered in early December. I quickly got out of bed and checked through my emails and then went directly to my account at American Girl. Based on the order number, I had no history .... AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Quickly I am emailing the company begging them for info on the whereabouts of the doll my daughter has been asking for. Then on a whim I decided to check my husbands closet where I am stashing the gifts. ALL of my online orders are still in the boxes (unopened). I know that sound crazy to do, but as a gift came into my house I quickly wisked it away so no questions would be asked. WELL, guess what? The doll and game have been found in the box which (I knew) never says AMERICAN GIRL PLACE on it ... just the address. I am such a dum dum. Now I need to write another email to AG saying how sorry I am for the confusion. CLEARLY I am a confused lady.