Saying Goodbye to 2011

I would have to say that 2011 has been one of the better years that I have had during my adult life.  Nothing big or traumatic happened which is not something I could say for other years.  I wanted to remember some of my favorite moments of 2011 so I decided since this is my blog, I can list them here:)
1.  Rylee made the decision to be baptized.
2.  I started a new job.
3.  I also started a new and totally awesome business.  I feel so blessed to have this business!
4.  We celebrated 10 years of marriage.
5.  We became debt free thanks to my wonderful, dedicated and determined husband.
6.  Tegan had eye surgery....a somewhat successful eye surgery!
7.  Rylee started gymnastics and has finally found something that she loves.
8.  We had a great family vacation just the four of us. 

Those are just some of the great memories I have of this year.  We have had a year full of picking ourselves up by our boot straps.  We have had a better financial year than most but not b/c it was given to us but b/c of hard work and sacrifice.  We have been blessed with great health for all four of us.  We have everything we need right here in this house.  Though I am very happy with my life, I refuse to feel content and to become complacent.  I am striving for a another year full of more blessings than ever! 

I pray you all have a blessed and happy New Year.  I hope that no matter what this past year has brought your way, you can find a way to grasp a positive attitude and head in to 2012 expecting more and expecting better! 

Etsy shop update

Paper Pretty Designs has really been such a blessing to me.  I just can't even believe how well it has been doing in such a short amount of time.  I hope and pray everyday that my business continues to grow and becomes a very stable source of income for us.  I tell you, it was very nice to not have to use our regular paycheck money to buy Christmas this year....Christmas was fully funded by Paper Pretty Designs.  While things are going great, it is still hard to predict how many sales I will have in a month and I am still learning so much about this business as I go.  I have a really big short term goal to hopefully expand my business even more so that things are going great by the end of May...when the kids get out of school:) 

I am working on lots of new invitations and cards for the shop but tonight I have freshened up the look a little.  It is always sad to me to take down Christmas decorations in my house and I have to admit, it is just as sad to take down all my Christmas cards from my shop along with my holiday header.  I created something simple and basic to freshen things up a bit.  I am tired of looking at lots of bright stuff all the time. 

I am so excited about the direction that my business is taking me in.  I thank everyone for your support so far and in the future.  If you ever need a card, invitation, cupcake toppers, party favor tags,etc...please check out Paper Pretty Designs.  Also, if you have a blog and would allow me to post the 2nd picture posted above on your blog that would link to my shop as advertisement, I would love you forever!

The Aftermath...

Santa was very good to the kids this year.  I am almost certain that he brought all of that awesome stuff to Tegan just b/c he felt bad for him.  Whew...what a great and cute little handful of a boy that I have.  Christmas came in like a tornado and is now behind us.  We had my family Christmas at my mom's on Friday night, lunch on Saturday with Paul's extended family, we went to Waffle House for supper just the four of us Saturday night (a new tradition of ours), did Santa Sunday morning, went to my MIL's for breakfast and then had my dad and siblings over to our house Sunday night.  Wow...what a crazy weekend.  It was very nice but man I was tired after it was all over plus I have been battling a cold for about a week and a half now. 
Things haven't really slowed down since and I have been having to work this week.  On top of all that, my etsy invitation/card business has been doing great.  Invitations and party planning must be on the mind of most.  For me...a slow day with nothing to do is on my mind.  I guess a girl can dream.  We have done a little after Christmas shopping with our gift cards...My husband can shop when he really wants to:)

On a different note, I am trying to get the house put back together and even trying to organize it a little better than normal....That is a battle that I am presently losing!!!

What did she forget....Christmas Part 1

We started our Christmas celebrations tonight.  We always have to do my side of the family early or late b/c with five of us kids(all married with our own kids) it can be hard to find a free moment on the actual holiday. 

I worked hard today making some yummy treats that I found on pinterest.  They were a huge hit.  In fact, everything that I took got wiped out!

 This was my yummy sweets tray!

 These little pretzel snacks are the perfect combo of sweet and salty.  I found these on pinterest and they are so super easy to make.  You use mini pretzels, Hershey kisses and m&ms.  Just place your Hershey kiss on top of each pretzel.  Place in the oven at 275 for just a few minutes.  Remove and push in the M&M.  Easy and awesome is totally my style:)

I also got the idea for these brownie bites off of pinterest but I think I didn't do them the way they said.  That didn't really matter though b/c everyone loved them and I am pretty sure my niece Addison will be up with a belly ache tonight b/c she probably downed about 5 of these things!  All you do is use a regular box brownie mix.  Don't cook completely....just about 15 minutes.  I cooked them in a mini cupcake pan.  When the toothpick in the middle trick comes out still a little wet, just take a butter knife and put a small slit in the top.  Melt regular peanut butter for 45 seconds in the microwave.  Take a teaspoon and ooze a little peanut butter on top.  Then top with peanut butter and chocolate chips. 

I had to put both of these desserts in the refrigerator for just a few minutes so that the chocolate would set and not make a huge mess. 

Any who...we are a family of 26 strong when we get together.  This is just my Mom, step dad, siblings and their families.  It is loud, chaotic and crazy but we have fun no doubt.  My main finger food dish aside from sweet stuff was crock pot cheese dip.  I got all the way over to my mom's when I remembered that I didn't bring chips for the cheese dip.  My sweet husband made a quick Walmart run which was totally crazy being a Friday night before Christmas weekend at 6:00 PM.  I double checked all my stuff but the chips never crossed my mind.  The food got all ate up, the presents for the kids were exchanged and lots of fun talk went on.  I didn't hardly get any pictures at all b/c for the first time in a long time I just wanted to sit back and enjoy being with my family. 

I packed everything up to leave, checked to make sure I had every thing and we headed home.  Half way home I remembered that I had taken off my wedding rings while washing the dishes and I left them by my mom's kitchen sink.  I am not usually the dish washer over there and I had to laugh and say that I was being punished for trying to help out a little more this year:)  So we turned around and headed back.  Tegan's comment was that we were about to have to start all over again. 

Everyone is in bed and knocked out at my house right now.  Tomorrow is another big day with a lunchtime family gathering and then our own family of four adventure before preparing for Santa to come.  No worries....I'm keeping my finger food contributions simple tomorrow so hopefully I will be able to remember everything.

But I Love Her!!!

Tegan's all time favorite hobby is to drive his sister bonkers.  Rylee spends most her days at home in her bedroom b/c Tegan is going to aggravate the pee out of her without a doubt.  It must be a boy thing b/c I don't remember doing this at all to any of my older three siblings but I do remember my brother, the youngest of five, doing it to me:) 

He is known to be sitting still watching TV and notice that Rylee isn't paying attention to him, that is when he makes his move.  He will sneak right up with the remote in hand and BAM....knocks the crap out of her.  I can't tell you how many times I have chased him down after he has done something like this to her.  He is a runner for sure!  Poor kid doesn't know that running makes me even more mad!!!

His latest attempt to drive his sister crazy is by invading her bedroom.  You see, ever since that kid could crawl we have had a baby gate up at her door.  I guess that when your mischievous child is over four years old and in the 85th percentile for his height, a baby gate will no longer stop him.  He scales that thing like a cat climbing a tree.  Funny thing is that he doesn't do it while she is in there.  He sits back waiting for her to leave her room.  I mean, the girl has to eventually come out for a bathroom break.  He pounces and grabs every opportunity that he can find.  Then it starts...."GET OUT OF MY ROOM", "MAMA HE WON'T GET OUT", "STOP TOUCHING MY STUFF", etc...  The only response he has is "BUT I LOVE HER AND WANT TO BE WITH HER".  Seriously, how in the world do you argue with that.  I will tell you how....you look at your mom with your big brown eyes and say "DON'T LET HIM BUTTER YOU UP.  JUST GET HIM OUT."  Oh me, I still have many years ahead of me in this department but for now I think it is time to burn the baby gates:)


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DEAR SANTA/MOMMY....

I let Rylee play around on my computer for a little while today.  She had been typing something but I didn't think anything of it.  Well when I sat back down at my computer a little while later this was typed in word and left on my screen...

Rylee Taylor Minish

I am Rylee Taylor minish and I am so excited about Christmas. There so much I really want. Can you guess what I want the most? Well it Has many keys that have letters on them. You can do so much with it. You can get on many web sites with it. If you guessed a lap top then you are right!

There are so many reasons why I want a lap top. I can get on a lot of web sites. And I can do a lot on it.

MOMMY PLEASE TELL ME SANTA WILL GET ME A LAP TOP

PLEASE! I REALLY WANT ONE.

I <3 YOU MOMMY SO MUCH!

YOU ARE THE BEST MOMMY EVER IF YOU GET SANTA TO GET ME ONE

I WILL LOVE YOU FOR EVER WELL I WOULD ALL READY DO THAT ANYWAY SO. SO ANY WAY PLEASE GET SANTA’S ELVS TO MAKE ME ONE.YOU ARE THE BEST MOMMY EVER. OK WE BOTH KNOW THAT I AM JUST KISSING UP TO YOU TO ASK SANTA IF HIS ELVS CAN MAKE ME A LAP TOP. MAN THERE I GO AGIN. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME ALL I LITTLE RYLEE REALLY WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS IS A LAP TOP.OH MY GOSH I JUST DID IT AGIN CAN YOU BELIVE ME OK NOW WE KNOW I AM JUST PLAE OUT CRAZY. OK SO BACK TO THE LAP TOP. IT WOULD MEAN THE WORLD TO ME IF JOLLY OL ST NICK AKA SANTA COULD BRING ME RYLEE MINISH A LAP TOP. I WOULD LOVE YOU AND THE LAP TOP FOREVER.AND THE GOOD THING IS THAT YOU DADDY AND ME WILL ALL HAVE LAP TOPS SO THAT IS GOOD AND TEGAN MITE EVEN HAVE AN I TOUCH SO HE WILL NOT BOTHER US WILE WE ARE ON OUR LAP TOPS SO THAT IS ALSO REALLY GOOD. THE GIRL THAT LOVES YOU SO MUCH RYLEE.

Our Christmas Card...

Next year I plan to put a little more thought in to my Christmas card.  I know, it is crazy that I own a little card business and wasn't very happy with my own card.  I was so busy doing for others that there was just not much time to come up with something original for myself.  We had some really awesome family pictures made this year.  I loved them so much and wanted to put some family shots on our Christmas card.  Well my dear husband was determined that he wasn't going to have a picture of himself on the card.  He hates having his picture made but does it for me.  Apparently he draws the line at plastering it all over lots of Christmas cards and mailing it out for others to see:)  He threatened to never agree to have his picture made again if I put him on the card.  So this is the Christmas card I sent out....

Albeit cute, just not exactly what I was going for!



This is the Christmas card that I begged and pleaded with him to let me send out...

I lost! But he didn't say anything about me not posting it on my blog:)

Merry Christmas everyone!

One More Week!!

It is so hard to believe that pretty soon I will be thinking of all my goals and resolutions for the year of 2012.  It is so true that the older we get, the faster time goes by. 

Today has been a great and calm day.  Besides a few gift cards, all the Christmas shopping is done.  I am slowly but surely cleaning up the house and getting it in order.  That has been pretty hard to do b/c my husband is working on a project in our bathroom so there is a mess going on in there and in our bedroom.  I am also taking my time and wrapping a few presents here and there but I seem to be making lots and lots of progress.  School is out for the kids until after the first of the year.  All the Christmas program practices at church are behind us....and the program its self.  The mad Christmas card rush in my shop is slowing a little although the shower and birthday invitations seem to be picking back up. 

We purposely didn't plan anything this weekend b/c we figured that we would be going last minute Christmas shopping but this determine lady has defeated the shopping this year and I'm pretty proud of all my loot.  So today has been one of getting things done around the house and taking our kids to the movies.  I awoke to a nice quiet house.  I haven't felt all that great and my body appreciated the sleep.  My sweet husband had gotten the kids up at 7 AM and taken them for doughnuts and to pick me out something for Christmas from them.  Very sweet of him!
This was Tegan's very first movie theater experience and although he did great, he didn't get the concept of why he couldn't talk really loud during the movie.  All he wanted to do was ask questions about the movie but he is a loud child.  We went to see Aurthur Christmas.  It is a super cute Christmas movie, I highly recommend it.  Rylee was so excited and she said that she enjoyed our first ever movie experience all together.  She is so funny b/c Paul and I hadn't even realized that usually just one of us takes her to the movies while the other one stays behind with Teg.  She has had a rough past two days and seems to be needing some affirmation again about who is there for her.  She wants all of us to be together.  So you can imagine she didn't like it that we split up after the movie, she went with her daddy and I took Tegan with me.  She had bought Teg something for Christmas with her own money so Teg was asking me to take him to get her something from him. He did a great job picking it out and Rylee was so glad to see us make it back home so quick.  Poor little girl. 
 I am just hoping that tomorrow will be another day of getting things done around the house.  I would like to have the whole house cleaned and all the presents wrapped by bedtime tomorrow night.  I work three days this week and would love to just relax and enjoy Thurs and Fri off with the kids. 

Ok....now here are a few pictures I have to show off from the Christmas program.  Both kids did great!  As always, Rylee didn't hold back when singing and did great.  I just have to brag about Teg also...he did wonderful for a four year old little boy.  He wasn't shy about standing on stage and singing.  You could hear him over all the other kids in his age group.  I was a very proud mama!!!

 To top it off they got to see Santa at the end of the night! 

It was a great program and all the kids did so good.  Poor Rylee was so exhausted b/c we didn't have a free second all that weekend.  She couldn't even make it to school on Monday.  She woke up with a little cold but I think mostly she was just to tired to do anything.  After a day of rest she was good to go.

Of course now I am having some sort of crud/sore throat thing going on.  I made fun last night with my facebook status saying that I was keeping with Christmas tradition by being sick with just enough time for me to get better and for my kids to catch it and be sick on Christmas.  I really hope that is not the case and hope we have a healthy Christmas.  But if we don't, we will still have fun!!!

A Ribbon Wreath

I was wanting something simple for my front door and saw some cute ideas while searching on the Internet.  Of course I found what I was looking for on pinterest:)

Source: thespeckleddog.blogspot.com via Tabatha on Pinterest

Let me just say that making this was easy but I did end up with a whole lot of hot glue on my finger nails.  I have a love/hate relationship with a hot glue gun:) 

I had lots of ribbon laying around so I didn't have to go buy any but it took a lot more ribbon than I thought it would.  I saw a way on pinterest to get a super cheap wreath form using foam plumbing tubing from Home Depot.

Source: thepennyparlor.com via Tabatha on Pinterest

After lots of HOT GLUE and burning the tips of my fingers up, I got this

Then I felt like it needed a little something more so I added a dollar tree bow to it:)  I think I am going to make me one of these for every season!!!

I love Christmas and all that goes with it!!!

Gearing up for Christmas....

Oh my....I have shopped and shopped and shopped and am still not done but boy have I had fun!!!  My husband and I have been married for nearly 11 years and during that time he has always bought pretty much all the Christmas gifts that we have ever given.  What can I say, I'm not great at saving up money like he is:)  He hates to spend money so it seems that having to buy all the presents leaves him acting like a bit of a scrooge.  Well this year my goal was to change that.  My little invitation business has been doing pretty good and has pretty much funded Christmas this year.  It has been awesome to take that stress off of my husband and even better for me....the girl who doesn't have to ask her husband for shopping money:)   Since Christmas is my absolute favorite day ever, I hope my husband can now enjoy this day with me instead of dreading it!

I got a pretty slow start on my shopping.  Both kids have asked for at least one pretty expensive but yet small in size item from Santa.  As always, it has been way to easy for me to shop for Rylee and now I am having to stop buying her gifts and catch up on Tegan.  I am so close to the finish line but then someone has to wrap all these presents!!!

I have probably went a little overboard this year on my kid's Christmas.  We usually set a budget but this year I just didn't want to do that.  When I think back over the last several years, there hasn't been much buying of extras for our children.  Yes, we always give them what they need but we haven't exactly been in the position to buy them things they long for.  In fact, other than clothes at season change, I can't tell you the last time I bought a fun item or toy for my kids.  We are also going to do a few fun Christmas and other activities with them over the next couple of weeks....again this is something we haven't had the luxury of doing pretty much since I went out of work when pregnant with Tegan. 

Don't get me wrong, things can still be pretty tight and we aren't going crazy but just trying to enjoy the season and make memories with our babies while we can!  I don't think I have ever looked so forward to Christmas in my adult life as I am this year!