Carrie Out for 2008 ...

Good evening.
I am sitting here enjoying the sounds of the boys setting up the game, "Ants in the Pants" in order to play with Daddy. They are so excited to play these games with us lately (we really hit it big in the game department this year).

Anyway ... we have had a wonderful holiday season thus far. We started on the 23rd with Christmas at our house for Marcus' side of the family. Marcus made a wonderful dinner while others pitched in to make it complete. The kids had a fun time together. The night ended a bit early due to weather, but it was still fun. Christmas Eve morning Marcus made a HUGE breakfast for the four of us. We stayed in our pj's until mid afternoon when we headed to a Christmas Eve service. We ended up staying up until 1 am wrapping gifts and such ...whew! Christmas morning the boys actually slept in until 8 and then ate breakfast before digging into the gifts. They were both thrilled with their gifts. Aiden's eyes were huge when he saw that he finally got the skateboard he has been begging for and Logan's eyes were equally as large when he saw his new Thomas bike. We headed out the afternoon for Alexandria and about a million gifts with my family (can you say overboard?????) The boys got a basketball shoot thing with 15 other games! Marcus got a snowblower and I received a Kitchen-Aid mixer and new pots and pans! Now ... where are those cooking lessons I've needed for so long?

Anyway --- we are heading for Missouri tomorrow morning for a few days. I really miss my family out there and am excited to see all of them. My Aunt Leslie and her kiddos are going to be staying with us so that our FIVE boys can play together. Can you see nerf gun mania??? I will be sure to share the pics!

So ... this is my last post for 2008. As I sit here and think of all I've been through this year, I can hardly believe it! New house, new job, Dad had a stroke, celebrated my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary, my parent's 30th wedding anniversary, Marcus turned 30, Aiden turned 5, Logan turned 3, I turned 25 (just checking to see if you are really reading this), I finished college, Aiden started kindergarten, became landlords ... I could go on and on! But it's amazing to me how much I've seen God in each one of these items (and obviously more). Our faith grew a lot in 2008 ... and I am sure God has more faith stretching for us in 2009.

I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year and I'll write in a few days!
Love,
Carrie
PS ... the game table has now started a game of "Operation." Did you know that the guy in that game now holds a cell phone!!!????

Christmas Pictures

Bucket List

I am currently sitting at my desk with an electric heater at my feet attempting to thaw from my 2 hour shift of ringing bells for the Salvation Army this morning. I had a ringing partner that I had never met before and am so excited to tell you about her!

Her name is Cathrine and she turned 80 in June. She decided to make out a "bucket list" for herself (bucket list would be things that you've always wanted to do before - well, kicking the bucket). Thus far she's been able to check off having her first manicure, pedicure, going to Las Vegas, flying over the Grand Canyon in a 4 seater plane, attending her first demolition derby (that was my fav! HA!) and now ringing the bells for the Salvation Army. She doesn't have much left to do on her list. The one that is going to take her the longest is tracking down some of her friends she hasn't seen in years. Some live in Ohio, some in Florida and some she isn't sure where they are.

The other fun fact of Cathrine was that not only did she used to teach the music courses at a local school, but she was also the pa ton teacher! HA! I had no idea there was once a pa ton class or club!

Anyway, I am so glad I was blessed by Cathrine today. I know I will think of her for years to come. And now ... I think I should start my bucket list ...

Ice Ice Baby ... Too Cold ... To Cold

Out our backdoor. Looks beautiful if we didn't have to get out in it!

This limb was partly across the road.

TIMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

55!?! I was lucky to get to 25!

Ice covered lane.

Deck lantern.

Trees in our backyard breaking like crazy!

Cook out anyone????

Well, we are chilled to the bone right now. Ice started around 1 am this morning. We lost power around 8 am and it's still not been restored (it's now 4 pm). I made it to work about noon and the kiddos are playing at Grandma's as they did not have school or daycare. The strangest thing of the days was right after we lost power we had a miniature thunderstorm complete with lightening and thunder (I know, thus the THUNDERstorm). ANYWAY! We've decided if we see locusts this morning that we are about to meet our Saviour ... but nothing other than those darn orange lady bug thingys thus far. I'll keep you posted (or see you there).

Love to all! Oh ... and check out the blog post below as today is my mom and dad's 30th wedding anniversary!!!!

Happy 30th Anniversary Mom and Dad! (12/19)

HAPPY 30th ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!

WOW! I cannot imagine being married to the same person for 30 years (probably because that would be my entire lifetime up to this point, but still!) I am so blessed to be able to say that my parents are still married to one another. I am so proud of this fact because I know it hasn't always been easy - but somehow they've made it. I hope that today they sit and reflect on how blessed they truly are. They have three lovely daughters (yes, I said lovely and yes, in this picture we are truly dorks. Mom bought us matching pj's for a weekend in Cinci and we couldn't help but show them off!) ANYWAY ...Not only have they been blessed with the three lovely daughters, they've been even MORE blessed with three grandsons! This picture doesn't feature the kiddos in their best of moods (sunrise service for Easter) but you get the idea ... blessed.

Mom and Dad - thank you for being an example to us that marriage isn't always easy, but with faith, support and love 30 years of marriage is obtainable. We love you!
Marcus, Carrie, Aiden and Logan

2008 Christmas Tour of Homes

I am participating for the first time in what is known as the Holiday Home Tour sponsored by BooMama ... I hope you enjoy our humble abode ...

First up, the tree. We have alternated years on which son gets to place the star on top. This year was Logan's ... I don't know how many more years Daddy is going to be able to hike the kiddos up high enough!

We have quite the eclectic tree complete with multicolored lights. I always notice those themed trees that looks so gorgeous and like they should be displayed in the window, but ours says "lived in" if you will. There are homemade ornaments from family members, ornaments that Marcus and I had as children, favs we have purchased or received as gifts. Most ornaments have a story about the person it was purchased for or about the person that gave it to us and so on. I highly doubt a themed tree is in our future, although they are gorgeous. Oh, and you may notice that some of the string lights are placed in a vertical fashion. Marcus and I have a "discussion" about this every stinkin' year! I think it's completely ineffective way of adding more lights and he swears by it. Someday I'll just string them by myself, but that hasn't happened in 5 years, so I am not holding my breath. Ok ... on with the tour!

This is my favorite part of our house. We have LOTS of shelves that I can put fun, festive items on. Marcus says it's just more for him to dust (which is true) but he has enjoyed it all thus far too.

Our nativity set is a cheap-o one that I bought a few years ago. I love it thought because they are all little kids! Look at the faces on the kings and Shepard! It's so sweet and it's perfect for a house with kids. I would be bummed if one broke, but not devastated like I would be if it were a family heirloom. The boys like to move the pieces and try to tell a story to go along with it. It's really sweet.


This center piece is what the boys enjoy most about our decorations. It plays Frosty the Snowman and the little ice skating snowman "skates" in circle.


o next is a view from out our backdoor. We have five pine trees that we did not like at all when we first looked at this house. We were going to have them removed as soon as we moved in --- but now I am so glad we didn't! We both love them. This picture doesn't do them justice. Next year I'd like to add more lights to them, but that wasn't in the budget this year. Oh, and yes, one of them is a runt.


You may have notice that there isn't a pic of our stockings. Yes, we do have them and they are displayed, but I am not thrilled about how they are displayed at this time. We have no place to put them! This is our first Christmas in our new home and we haven't found a place for everything just yet. I think we may try those hooks that stick to the wall and then are removed without leaving a mark. I am nervous tho ... anyone have a good/bad experience with them?

Well, now that you've endured the tour, why not sit down and enjoy a slice of eclair cake and a cup of milk with me. I'd love to get to know you too! Thank you for stopping by and I'd love to see you again soon!

Merry Christmas,

Carrie

Eclair Cake: 2 packages of Instant French Vanilla Pudding, 2 1/2 cups of milk, 8 oz bowl of whipped cream, box of graham crackers, chocolate icing (dark or regular, not whipped).

Beat pudding and milk with mixer for 1 minute. Fold in whipped cream. Layer graham crackers in bottom of pan (9x9 works best) then spread a layer of pudding mixture and repeat until the top of the pan is reached. End with a layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate for an hour before icing. Best if then refrigerated for another 4 hours before serving. ENJOY!

Carrie - In One Word

So, a week or so ago an email was going around requesting people to submit back to sender one word that describes the sender. I am not a big forwarder of emails, but I thought this could be fun, so I went for it. Here are all of the terms that were submitted back to me:
Real
Outgoing
WOO (Winning Others Over)
Flair
Fun
Jolly
Precious
Sincere
Unique
Enthusiastic
Special
So ... I agree with all those terms!. It's fun to see how people view you. When I read the word that was sent to me and then saw who was the one submitting it I could easily see how they came up with that word.
What words would people use to describe you? Even better, what are the ones that they wouldn't use but you'd like to see used? Scary to think that way, isn't it?