Deck The Halls

I sure am enjoying having my house all decked out for Christmas. This year I went with a black and white theme for my gifts under the tree. Hobby Lobby sells huge rolls for $4.

For some reason when I am sitting in the dinning room this is the view I have from the table and like it.

I was going to use my antique chip clip to hang my Christmas cards on but couldn't find a good place to hang it. So, instead I am using a shutter I leaned against the living room wall.

This is my favorite nativity.

My Jim Shore Santa's are one of my favorite things every Christmas.

Here is my new Christmas cross-stitch for 2009. Boy does it take hours to make and it's small but I love that primitive look.

13

Saturday was our 13th wedding anniversary. Steve's mom came over from Savannah to watch Ben and Madi so Steve and I could go celebrate together. Saturday was also the college football game of the year right here in Atlanta...Florida #1 vs. Alabama #2. We did not get the $1000 tickets to attend the game but did go enjoy the spirit of college ball at the area around the CNN Center. We waited almost 3 hours to get seated at Dantanna's to enjoy some nice food while watching the game in there. That place was packed!

There are some Roll Tide...

CNN Center couldn't hold anymore Gators or Roll Tide. They said there were 100,00.

ESPN's College Gameday was outside at Centennial Park. It was such a fun time with Steve all day. Teresa and the kids went shopping while Steve and I were out celebrating. They had gotten the sweetest anniversary gifts and had them wrapped and waiting for us on our bed when we got home. I can't believe I have been married for 13 years!!!

Elephant Gray

We have lived in this house 3 years and 3 months and are on our 3rd color of paint. We had tan then brown and now elephant gray. I love it. It looks so pretty in person with the white fireplace and trim and my color furniture. We aren't done but had to show my friends. The house is a mess and nothing on the walls. We had a quilt hanging behind the tv but Steve said he likes it better without the 'blanket' on the wall. So now what do I do? Yes that is my small 7ft tree...it looks so tiny in there with the 13-15ft ceilings but now the year I buy a big one the Air Force will move us so I am sticking with this one. I hope you can tell it's gray. Suggestions for what to hang on the wall welcome! Oh I was thinking a big clock....Bethany are you reading this? I LOVED how in your living room in Germany you had just a big clock on the wall and that was it...it was stunning and thought about that. And curtains...what do you think I should do. Do I need them? Poor Steve just got home and is doing all this for me...I had no plans on doing this...I sure need to be nice to him.

Merry Christmas 'deer' friends

My sister Cary asked me if I would make her tags to attach to her goodie plates she is handing out at Christmas to her friends and neighbors. They say 'Merry Christmas deer friends'. I am happy I finished them and they are in the mail and it's still November!

My new favorite color combo is red and aqua..I LOVE them! Nothing in my house had that color combo but I finally worked some in. Aqua bulbs and candy canes. Now I want more!

Time with dad

We have been having the time of our life with Steve! We went and spent Thanksgiving with Steve's side of the family and they did all the cooking...thank you! My kids had never been to Build A Bear and Madi has been asking for a long time...so Steve told her when he got home he would take her.

Now our family is ALL about sports. So this week went and enjoyed the new movie Blind Side...it was a great show!

In Atlanta there are over 200 High Schools. Over a quarter of those are 5-A...just unbelievable to me. Last night we headed to the northside of town to watch Lassiter vs. Collquit Co. (a team from the Valdosta area). Lassiter looked like USC...nice uniforms and look at that scoreboard...looks like college...I hope my kids go to a High School like this.

Next weekend Northside (from Warner Robbins) plays a team here near us...the kids and Steve are already making plans.

Tonight we have Georgia vs. Georgia Tech. We wish we were at the game!

So Thankful....HE IS HOME

A new round of pj's for all...just for dad

To start this story...I am not one for tank tops or very short shorts (Capri's..the greatest invention ever) so that is what my kids are use to. So last week after I did a little shopping Madi noticed my new spaghetti strap nightgown laying on my bed. She was like what's this for. I told her it was my new nightgown so I will look beautiful when dad gets home. Well she new this was not my normal style and wanted me to try it on. So i did...it's silky and long...she said I looked pretty and it made me look skinny. After staring at me for a minute she jerked and blurted "What am I going to wear"? At first I was shocked, but said we could go shopping again so both her and Ben could get some nice new pj's for when our dad gets home. So we finished our shopping today and don't they look cute in their pj's...okay now we are ready, he can get home any day now!

Santa 'chex' his list twice

I am trying to get as much done as I can before Steve comes home...only like 3-4 days!!! I have been busy subbing a little this week and working on these treats for my kids to hand out to their classmates at Christmas. They are small bags of Chex mix with a tag that reads " Santa Chex his list twice to see who's naughty or nice".

Family and Friends

For the last 8 weekends we have either had family or friends to come visit us. This has been so nice for us...when Steve is deployed, weekends can drag on and on. Thank you to all of you. This weekend we went to Macon for Haley's birthday party at the skating rink.

Steve's mom got out and showed her stuff on some skates. There she is wearing her souvenir from the Foreigner concert she went to.

Ben and his big cousin Hunter.

Teresa came to stay with us too. She helped get our backyard cleaned up and the kids really enjoyed burning the leaves. Teresa also helped me learn how to crochet. I did crochet as a kid but had forgotten...Thank you Teresa!!!

Airman Kiehl to Mom

Before I was a mom I spent 7 years in the Air Force. Those were my glory days! That's how I met Steve. Now whenever people hear I use to be in the Air Force they seem stunned...I like to think it's because of my artsy tendencies or my talent of baking yummy homemade cookies and not my ever-expanding backside.

On Monday goldencorral.com/military/ lets all Vets eat for free. This the only reason I have ever needed my DD Form 214 (separation papers)...they don't really check but I take mine just in case. This will be our third year going. It's so fun. The place is PACKED, the line weaves through the parking lot. All the Vets come dressed with their hats and medals and suits and flag scarfs...it's a sight. So tell everyone you know.

Okay so I am happy! I just had my hair cut.It gets shorter and shorter every time...last time Steve saw me it was halfway down my back. I am trying to get ready for Steve to come home. The other day I went shopping and found some pretty new pj's (wink wink) and a few new winter clothes. We have done so good...it's been 6 months with only 7 phone calls. I am almost nervous to see him. Plus, all of a sudden the time is slowing down. Ahhhh

Plymouth or Jamestown?

As sad as I was to put my Halloween decorations away, I sure am enjoying my Pilgrims and Indians.

Crosstitching use to be my love and daily habit. But ever since having kids I have not done any until now. It took me forever to do this harvest pattern last month...but think it's so pretty I have already started a new Christmas one.

There is Ben...author of the title of this post.

Legend of the Indian Corn

Just finished making 'Legend of the Indian Corn' treats to hand out for Thanksgiving. I have spent the last month substitute teaching in Kindergarten. Last week we made placemats for their Thanksgiving Feast coming up. This is the poem we used on them...I thought I could use it in a scrapbooking way and it worked.

Some Favorites!

This past weekend we had some of our favorite friends from Germany come to see us. The Friesen Family...Susy from the everyday gourmet, who is now stationed at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. We had such a fun time together. We always do. This is the third time we have gotten together since February. There are the girls playing rock-n-roll with Steve's old guitars. The boys were on the side jamin' on the piano and beating on the drums.

Susy was so sweet to treat me to two cases of my favorite soda pop...Vernors. They do not sell it here in Georgia. The stash I brought home with me from Ohio last summer is just about gone. Also in the photo is my FAVORITE book. I am not a big reader but this book captured me from the beginning. It only took me a few days to read it it was SO good.

Gobble Gobble

Madi wore her new turkey shirt to school yesterday. She of course helped me make it. She picked out the fall fabrics and traced her hand.













This picture of Ben and Madi was quickly snapped this morning before heading out for school. Madi was dressed up in her new Georgia skirt with lots of polka-dots all the way down to her toes and Ben in the same colors but showing spirit for our Atlanta Falcons. Steve sure is missing out on these two, they are so fun. But not too much longer....only a few more weeks!!! My kids have been so wonderful this whole time Steve has been gone. I am lucky to have such good Air Force kids.

Our Thankful For Tree

Ben and Madi were out of school today. So this morning we took these cool tags and the kids wrote some things down they were thankful for. I stapled them into circles and hung them on my silver tree strung with brown ribbon. I LOVE it and love their sweet handwriting....I will love it even more as the years go by.

Halloween with a visitor

We just had a really fun weekend. My dad came to spend the spooky weekend with us. My dad flew in from the Washington DC area. We were laughing because the time it took him to try to fly here he could have driven. He woke up at 0330 to catch an early flight to Atlanta, but he went to the wrong airport...there are 3 in DC. So, he didn't get here until 2:30 pm but just in time for some fun. We had a fabulous Fall Festival Friday night. Madi and her bestest friend Haley had their faces painted.

On Saturday afternoon my dad treated us to a very entertaining and delicious lunch. When this thing lite up the kids flew back in their seats...that's some flame! But boy can that guy cook.

After lunch the kids and papa burned off ALL that food at the skating rink...I think my dad might like that place more than my kids.

On Halloween night we got to spend it with the fair Tinkerbell and the coolest transformer... Bumblebee.

Caramels 2009 style

I love trying new things...crafts, decorating ideas, recipes, but sometimes it's all about traditions. My grandma always made these caramels. For the last 12 Halloween's I have. The only thing about them that changes is in the way we give them out. This year I made drawstring treat bags to stuff them in.

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I put my-most-prized-recipe here on my blog last fall. It makes a 9x13 pan full of caramels.

This cute little enamelware pot is filled with caramels for the ladies who work in the office at my kids school...I can't forget them.

Baby Deedee

This past weekend my sister-in-law and 2 of her kids came for a visit again. This time our goal was to make Deedee 13, a Halloween costume...she wanted to be a baby. She is going to wear a t-shirt underneath this but 5 yards of white fabric later it turned out PERFECT!!! She looks so cute.

Kids, kids, kids

My weeks are flying by!! Most of last week was spent subbing in Kindergarten and every day of this was too. There is just something about Kindergarten...I LOVE being in there. And after two weeks of the same kids you really fall in love with them. But now I am pooped...a classroom of active kids ALL day and then coming home with my own two and Steve still deployed...phew!

The other 3 teachers I worked side by side with were so kind and helpful. Last night I baked the yummiest Iced-Pumpkin-Cookies to share as a thank you with these ladies. Ben and Madi also LOVED these. After school I told them I was making pumpkin cookies, but they were so confused because they don't have pumpkin faces, but they woofed them down anyways.