Not much is going on right now. We have a ton of snow but we have had freezing rain the last 2 days and so Sydney can't play in the snow because it is one solid piece of ice. She just jumps on it and pretty much ice skates across the front lawn. boo. I wanted to make a snowman.

Christmas will be fun this year. I got Mark a secret present. Each year I am only able to slip one present under his nose. He is sneaky. He does the checking accounts and bills so I have to figure out a way of purchasing something under the radar. He trys to figure out everything he gets for christmas. This year I have him stumped. I am so excited. It doesn't help that I am a horrible secret keeper. So if you have a secret....don't tell me. I could keep it if I knew it would hurt someone if it was told....but a present.....nope. Well this year I am doing great. Oh it is killing me not to tell him. But it has kept the excitement of christmas high at our house. Sydney loves to see him try to figure it out and has joined in on guessing.

Rowyn is getting big and growing into a lot of that baby fat. She is beautiful. She is like a little upchucking machine lately. I keep a bib on her daily. yuck. Oh well. She spit up at church yesterday and the young girl behind me, home for christmas from college, gagged. I just laughed and said, "makes you want to have kids right away doesn't it." She said "NO!!!"

I love my girls. They are such a slice of heaven. They really make my life so full of love and laughter. We were playing a guessing game in the car yesterday and we were saying, "I'm thinking of an animal....." Well Sydney said she wanted to do people. So she started with a friend of ours named Chad. She said, "I'm thinking of a guy with a face and a great big head....oh and a big tummy." Mark Said Chad!!! We really laughed.

Merry Christmas to everyone. We love you all so much

I am going to try fudge and caramels this season. I have never tried but I have to try sometime right?? Thanks to Monica for the recipe for caramel.

:)

Fencing is insanely hard. Mark and I have been doing it for a while. Mark has been doing it for about 4 months and me 4 weeks. We fence for about 3 hours every Tuesday. when I walk out of Penn State my legs feel like Jello. Wow. I don't think I have ever done anything this hard before. It pushes me beyond my limit and then some. I am sure that it will get easier with time but wow right now I am really having to work. It really feels good to be doing something that really kicks my trash. I have been taking it easy for far too long.

After I get feeling better with this I am going to take a dance class. I am excited for that.

I have also been singing a lot lately. I really love to sing. It is the key to lifting the burdens in my life. It is like I sing away any stress and pressure it is an awesome vice in my life. I thank heavenly father for giving me such a beautiful talent. I love to help people feel the spirit through my songs. I think I get a great workout when I sing with the choir cause they always make me hit those High notes at the very end and it takes all I have to do it.

So I guess it really has been a few months all about me. Sometimes you need a me month. Where you do things that you love to do and feel good about yourself. So yay for me. :)

I am so excited for Christmas this year. Merry Christmas. :)

Getting to Know You: Christmas Edition
Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. I got this from Melissa and thought it would be a fun post. Copy it if you wish...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper I love love love to wrap the presents with fancy ribbon!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I love real trees but I have kids and that equals needles everywhere.
3. When do you put up the tree? Wellllllll......not yet, and it is Dec 3rd. arrrrggggg
4. Do you like eggnog? maybe...if it is really watered down with Milk
5. Favorite gift received as a child? A Shetland pony name Pudge....I loved him for about one day, until he ran me under the clothes line, then....not so much.
6. Hardest person to buy for? Mark, He ALWAYS buys whatever he wants so that leaves me with very little to get for him.
7. Easiest person to buy for? Sydney. She is easy to please.
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Used to...when Sydney was small we got a resin one which we thought she couldn't hurt. We were wrong, by the end of the season I don't think a single member of the nativity escaped unscathed. Headless and legless I had to get rid of everyone. :( We will try again this year. :) Oh wait....Sydney got a stuffed version last christmas. So yea we have a stuffed toy nativity.
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I am making my own this year. I love crafty people. (If you want one, I might need your address!)
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? There is no such thing as a bad present.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas. (Love that it is on broadway too!) Melissa and I have good taste.
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? After black friday madness is over. I really don't want to get trampled to death.
14. Favorite thing to eat at lunch on Christmas? Leftovers. mmmm pie homemade noodles cheese balls with crackers. I'd go on but I am making myself homesick.
15. Lights on the tree? Yes. White no exceptions. no colored lights at my house.
16. Favorite Christmas song? What child is this?
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Depends on the year. This year, we will be staying home but my sister is coming to visit!
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?Easy Peasy, Sydney has been watching the old Christmas movies. Rudolph is one of her favs.
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Actually niether. I have a beautiful father christmas that goes on top.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We do both.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? When people forget the true meaning of Christmas
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like a lot of Silver with cool colors like blue or pastels. I also really love Red. Who doesn't?
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I like a simple christmas meal. We mostly just piece on sandwiches and snacks. The real feast happens christmas morning breakfast.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Joy and Peace.

new pics.

Loving the new pictures. We had a great holiday. My favorite was that Mark and I got to go on a DATE!!! We had a sweetheart (Meagan) babysit for us. The girls love her. She is an aspiring photographer. NICE I KNOW! She got some great shots of the girls. I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. Bring on the Christmas Music. The Tree goes up tonight for Family Home Evening. Our good friend Rob gets baptized on Saturday. All is great. :)