Girl Power

   I live in a house full of boys. It isn't always easy. I love them dearly but secretly I long for a girl in the house with me.  

  This weekend we were blessed to have our niece N come and stay with us. N is 10 yrs old and we haven't been able to spend a lot of time with her over the years. N is smart and sensitive. I love being around her. Last night I told her we would watch a movie and she could pick it out. She picked out Titanic, which EVERYONE in our house loves. It was a lovely evening. 

   My two boys are not used to having a little girl around the house. They are pretty self centered and I was concerned they would be unwilling to hang out with their little cousin. 

To my surprise, I watched my young men melt around her. They were kind, helpful and even gave up time with friends willingly because they wanted to spend time with her.  They didn't lose their patience with her or get bored doing things with her. It was pretty magical to watch. 

   N LOVES animals. Our cats were well pampered while she was here. She insisted I take a pic of her holding each one of  them. She also loves to draw and I happily photographed her with her wonderful pieces of art. 

   We had a fabulous visit, and can't wait for her to come back. 

I am the kind of person who, when choosing a house, bases that decision partly on where the Christmas tree will go in the house. One of the first questions I ask my friends when they buy a house is " where is your Christmas tree going to go".  It is a very big deal. I have been know to completely rearrange my living room to suit the tree. My very patient husband understands this, he accepts this about me. I love him for that. 

This year, was a bit rushed to choose trees (yes trees). We did NOT cut a tree down from a tree farm this year.  They were however beautiful and I was happy with our choices.

Every ornament I have has a significant memory. we do not put bulbs on the tree, unless they have a significant memory!   The first ornament we ever got together was this happy santa.  We we sort of dating at the time, and we were at this bar that had one of those machines with the claw. This was what we won. It is one of my most cherished ornaments and has a front and center spot every year on our tree. 

I also cannot have a tree without strung popcorn and paper chains. Its my family tradition, and I will pass it on.

The little sweetheart at the top of the tree was on my grandmothers tree. I adore her and she will always have a place somewhere on our tree.

My husband bought the santa on the flamingo for me I think our first or second christmas together. It was the start of my Whimsical Christmas tradition. It suits my personality. 

At 16 and 13, my boys will soon start to lose interest in the tree decorating tradition. They will be to busy with friends and girls and music. I have already seen the signs.  I hope that as they grow and someday start families and homes of their own that the traditions they grew up with will come back to them, and they will pass it on. 

The Annual Christmas Portrait

Like many people, I like taking a new portrait of my kids at Christmas time.  The last two years, I have taken an indoor portrait so this year I decided it would be fun to do something outside.

The day of the portrait, we were blessed with snow. What we didn't count on was the extreme cold and wind that accompanied it.   The first one is the picture we chose for Christmas cards, and the others are out takes of my boys being pelted with snowflakes, and wind.  They were troopers till the end when they couldn't smile anymore because their mouth was frozen!!!  We then went and treated ourselves to Pizza at Guys pizza to warm up.

Thanksgiving

                                                            

Thanksgiving  in my house always means lots of cooking starting early in the morning. Because of his work schedule, sometimes my husband is there, and sometimes he is asleep. This year he was up bright and early with me cutting potatoes and preparing for our feast.

When I was a little girl, I remember going to my Grandma's house and she would have cucumbers and onions  in vinegar and oil in a bowl on the counter. I would always pick at them until they were gone. This past year after my Grandfather passed I was given a couple of her bowls. My favorite food this year was a similar version  of my grandmothers cucumbers, served in one of her pretty green bowls. I added a few things to make it my own, but it still made me think of her.  Oh, and those pickles... they lasted all of ten seconds. My boys would rather eat pickles than candy!!!

Jade our kitten seemed very taken with the goings on in the kitchen. Could it be the bird in the pan???