6th/7th Day of Christmas

With added bonus of our 7th Wedding Anniversary!!!  Celebrated with babysitter for Gabe, GREAT Sushi, Harry Potter, and a wonderful night of laughing and memories.  Today is the 7th Day of Christmas and just another great day too.  I truly believe finding the positive in everything, surrounding yourself with positive thoughts and people, but most importantly, do things that bring joy to you.  Today has been full of joy so far!!  Here are pictures to share the joy.

Saturday night, went to a Christmas Card Party

These are the two styles I made!

Sunday night I tried to get son and dog to take a picture together

for this year's Christmas Card.  This and the following is what I got.....

Out take #4

Think this is #10 so I gave up.....

found something on computer to use!

Camera goes away and I get this....all smiles

Then it was time for a break

Sushi Heaven

7 years married, 10 total. 

Life is wonderful with him as my partner!!

7th Day of Christmas - Train or Choo-Choo Ride

as Gabriel said the whole time.

Checking out his ticket

Rode like this the whole time!! 

Rockin the baby legs

I turn into the weird aunt who loves to pinch cheeks when

I get this smile!!!

This month has been so wonderful so far!  Especially since we just realized that in 10 years this will be our first Christmas with zero family to celebrate with.  However, we are choosing not to dwell on it and making our own family traditions.  I am just thankful beyond words that hubs will not be deployed this year during the holidays!

5th Day of Christmas

Yes!!! Finally our family Christmas cards are ordered but sorry no sneek peaks.  You will just have to look inside your mailbox or via my Blog after they have all been mailed.  Now let's move on to our Advent celebration.

This is my first year to actually make a Advent celebration list that involved a child who is old enough to do arts and crafts with his momma.  Below is our list and I am so excited!  This time of year was my favorite year to teach because of all the arts and crafts I did with my students.  It feels like a little piece of who I was before a mom has come back with planning all the crafts.  Don't get me wrong I don't want to go back to who I was before becoming a mom, I just have moments of missing my students.

1-Christmas Wreath for the front door
2-Christmas Family Pictures
3-Uppercase Living Party/last GNO at our home
4-Christmas card list and order the cards
5-Christmas movie night (which ended up being a christmas movie day)
6-Celebrate our 7th Wedding Anniversary
7-Mall Train Ride
8-Key Spouse Christmas Party
9-Read Christmas Story
10-Bake cookies for the Medical Cookie Drive
11-The Greene Christmas Tree with hot chocolate
12-Family Ugly Christmas Party
13-Plate Cookies for Medical Cookie Drive
14-Art Project-Christmas Wreath
15-Ginger Bread House and Bass Pro Shop to visit Santa
16-Gabriel's 2nd Birthday Party
17-Art Project-Christmas Tree Photo and family celebration for Gabriel's birthday
18-Art Project-Candy Canes
19-Art Project-create our own wrapping paper
20-Clifton Mill Lights
21-Build a snowman
22-Art Project-ornaments
23-Bake Jesus' birthday cake
24-Bring goodies/treats to all IPTS units
25-Celebrate Christmas and the Birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ

**These can change due to weather and hubs work schedule**

Cheese Dip and 6-Layer Dip Recipes

I didn't get a chance to take photos of these two new recipes but from how the serving dishes were clear and one even looked like it was licked clean I say they were a success last night.  Enjoy and let me know what you think if you try them!!  Things in ( ) are my notes

Zippy Peach Spread - Jen/Feb '10 Issue of TS Simple & Delicious
-1 pkg (8oz) Cream cheese, softened
-2/3 c. peach preserves (I bought what was cheapest at WM but made sure it was GF)
-1-1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish (WM was out of plain horseradish so I bought horseradish sauce.  Only used 1 tsp.)
-1-1/2 tsp. ground mustard (used 1 tsp.)
-1/4 tsp. white pepper (was out so didn't use any pepper)
-Assorted Crackers (I served with Ritz and Gluten Free Crackers)

Place cream cheese on a serving plate.  In a small bowl, combine the preserves, horseradish, mustard, and pepper; pour over cream.  serve with crackers.
Yield: 10 servings

Six-Layer Dip - Kraft Food & Family Spring '10
-1 ripe avocado, cut in half, divided
-1 pkg (8oz) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (WM brand)
-1 c. Breakstone's or Knudson Sour Cream (WM brand)
-2 Tbsp. Taco Bell Home Originals Taco Seasoning Mix (to make it GF I used McCormick's Taco Seasoning)
-3 Tbsp. Taco Bell Home Originals Thick 'n Chunky Salsa (to make sure it was GF and wanted fresh tasting I used a fresh batch of salsa)
-1 small tomato, chopped
-3/4 cup Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese (WM brand and used sharp cheddar)
-2 green onions, sliced (forgot these at WM so none was added)

Mash - half the avocado with cream cheese until well blended; spread onto bottom of pie plate (I didn't read the recipe and used the whole avocado to mash with cream cheese. Then I added about 1.5 tsp of the seasoning to flavor the mixture)

Mix - sour cream and seasoning mix (which was about 1 Tbsp since added some already to cream cheese mixture); spread over cream cheese mixture.  Chop remaining avocado (when I make again will buy two avocados - one to mix with cream cheese and other to chop and add on top of dip); mix with salsa.  Spread over sour cream layer; cover with remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate - several hours or until chilled.  Serve with Ritz Toasted Chips Cheddar (I served with Yellow Corn chips to have it GF dip)

Special Extra - garnish with chopped cilantro (I didn't because not a big fan of cilantro)

4th Day of Christmas

Hubby is working this weekend so it is just Gabriel, the dog (Bailee), and I.  Oh don't let me forget the snow too!!!  It has been falling since I woke up.  It is truly something magically to have snow falling in December to kick start the Christmas Season (or whatever Holiday you and your family may celebrate).  Our plans for today is nothing special but get our Christmas Card list together.  However this is very special to me.  The one time of the year (next to my birthday) that I anxiously check the snail mail everyday looking for Christmas cards from our family and friends!!  Then tonight I am hoping Nathan gets home early so I can go to a Christmas Card making GNO. 

So if you and your family are getting your Christmas cards ready to mail and have one or two left over, here is a place to send a extra special one.  The Red Cross will take Christmas Cards/Letters and mail them to the troops who 9 years later are still fighting in a war to keep us safe.  I am truly blessed and thankful that this Christmas I will have my Airmen at home.  I know that this won't always be the case, so seeing the Red Cross send letters truly warms my heart and something I make sure I do.  May God continue to bless our troops and especially their families this Christmas Season and every day till they come home safe and sound!!

http://redcrosschat.org/2010/10/26/holiday-mail-for-heroes-2010/

3rd Day of Christmas

I really love my groups of girls here!!  We all pitch in to celebrate birthdays, new births of a child, meals when one is sick, and so much more!  Tonight was the last planned get together at our home before we move in January.  I had a Uppercase Living Party tonight (http://walljewelry.comuppercaseliving.net/ and then "Associate with an Open House" and select Rachel's Open House...party closes this coming Wed family and friends).

Lisa is a consultant for UCL.  As well as being a Air Force Wife and mutual friend of a friend.  I had never heard of the company before but like everyone else seen the vinyl wording/pictures sold at Hobby Lobby or Target.  However the UCL designs, wording, and pictures are better quality and thousands of ideas (yeah I really think there is at least that many ideas!!!).  So now I am going through the catalog trying to figure out what I would like to order for a house that we don't live in........did I mention how many items they have?!?!

As the night was coming to a close I realized that I was so busy talking and catching up with everyone that I forgot to snap a few pictures of our group and of the new recipes I made for the evening.  God has truly blessed me with an amazing military family here in Ohio.  I am truly going to miss these ladies.  But I plan to enjoy and cherish our last month here in Ohio and make the best of the time that is left!!!

Day 2 of Christmas

Today we had some pictures taken for our Christmas cards.  I swear somehow after becoming a mom I find myself running late for the most important things!  Knew we were meeting at 4 but we were 20 minutes late.  Then called 6 people for them not to answer or not have the photographers phone number.  By the time I finally got a hold of her, I was in tears from being flustered, embarrassed, and worrying that we were not going to get some shots in.  However, Shauna was beyond understanding.

Now I have a child whom I love dearly but often joke that he is not my son when it comes to pictures.  The kid REFUSES to work with a camera.  Oh he loves to say cheese and pose but as soon as he sees your finger press the button he freezes with this horrid look on his face.  However, we were blessed because Gabriel was full of smiles, cheeses, and even some dance moves LOL.  I truly was worried that being out in 30 degree windy weather that we were going to get nothing. 

For now, I am trying super duper hard to be patient for the pictures to get back to us.  Until then I am beyond thankful that Shauna was available to take some pictures of us and that she got so many smiles from Gabriel.  Now off to Shutterfly to truly finalize my Christmas card choice.  Oh, sorry no pictures to post because don't want to give away our Christmas card before I have had the chance to mail them!!!

25 Days of Christmas

To celebrate day 1 we were going to go to Santa Land at Bass Pro shop but the weather made other plans for us.  December 1st and we got our first snow fall which lead to 20 degree weather and warnings of icy roads.  So we played it safe and decided not to head to Cincy.  Instead we had dinner at Carrabba's (man it was good!!) then drove around in the neighborhood to see if any lights were up.

After Gabriel went to bed I made my Christmas Wreath.  Here is the finished product and I pretty much love it.  Except for a few areas that need to be fluffed out. 

Decorated Tree - yeah we slowly add more ornaments

as each day the limbs drop a little bit more and I

find holes. 

Our stockings

Christmas Wreath 2010

Tomorrow is Day 2 of 25 Days of Christmas and I am really hoping the weather as in the WIND goes away.  Even if it is just an hour.  We have our Christmas pictures to take and I found a cute red hat to wear :)  Then trying for Santa Land again.

Are you and your family doing anything special to celebrate this year?