Close to Christmas

Things have been pretty quiet around here lately. We've been doing the same grind of work and school. Work has picked up a little for me though, so that makes the day go by faster. Jared is doing VERY well in school and I am very happy for him. 

We had a good Thanksgiving. We had dinner at my mom's house and played some games afterwards. My sister and I went to Wal Mart that night at 11:30 only to do some basic shopping (bought nothing that was on a Black Friday sale) and get home at 2 in the morning. Wal Mart is a sick, sick place to go on Black Friday...ugg...At 9 that morning I went back into town and got Jared and I two brand, spakin' new phones for FREE, yup, $0. I was very happy. The speaker in Jared's phone had gone out and he couldn't hear anybody who called him, so I knew we had to get him a new phone. I wasn't planning on upgrading mine, but when the salesman told me he could get them for free, I jumped right on it. Doing that made the Black Friday mess worth it. I can't believe that it has been almost 2 weeks since Thanksgiving, and it's only a little more than two weeks until Christmas. I just can't wait to watch my kids open their presents!

Last week I was at my mom's house helping her babysit my nieces and nephews when her downstairs neighbor came to the door and told me he had backed into my car outside. He openly told me that he was on his phone and that he didn't even check to see if there were other cars around. At first I was sad and upset because I knew that it was an inconvenience, but the more I think about it, the more I am very thankful that he was honest. I am very appreciative of an honest person.

This is what my car door looks like right now. It won't lock and the handle likes to stick, but thankfully his insurance will be taking care of it and I will be getting it fixed soon. 

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I pulled out the Christmas decorations and got to work. This is the first Christmas tree that Jordyn has gotten to take a good look at, and she appear to think it is pretty neat. She helped me hang some lights, and if there was an ornament where it didn't belong, she let me know by taking it off and trying to put it back on somewhere else. 

 Uriah was helping Daddy fan out the leaves on the tree. He didn't really like how they felt, they were a little prickly.

 Here's my little ham giving me a big smile.

 Jordyn was helping me roll out the lights. She actually stuck some in her mouth and it made her cheeks light up, but before I could take a picture she had taken them out again. It was really funny.

 She doesn't think this ornament should be right there.

I am a big fan of putting up Christmas decor, especially lights. I LOVE Christmas lights. I wish my whole apartment could be lined with them. For now, I just stick with the tree and a few windows.

 I love the lights on my tree. Two years ago my father helped me buy some Christmas decor, and the lights I bought can do all kinds of things, like blink and flash and fade and stuff, so I have mine set to slowly fade from green to blue to red and back. It's such a calming effect to me.

 Here is out living room lit up with Christmas lights.

 This is my santa and reindeer that my parents had on the walls growing up, and when we all moved out, I took them to my own home :)

These are out stockings that my mother-in-law has made for all of us. Uriah's already has one of his presents in it because it was wrapped and he found it and opened it, so I decided to hide it in his stocking until Christmas.

Things have been good so far this Christmas season, and I look forward to many more fun days before and after the holidays! Here are some recent pictures of the kids being goofs.

 Jordyn and her one baby tooth.

Uriah was having fun giving us dirty looks over breakfast one morning.