Day Eighteen

Skipping around. Trying to get the low hanging fruit since I'm behind. Kinda like not being caught up then I can include the actual events rather than the planning and thoughts.

Journaling reads: "On Christmas Eve we had Grandma and Papa Medina and Uncle Gerry over for dinner. In the past Uncle Philip, Great Grandma Jane, and Great Grandma Hawes have also joined us. This year it was a small group, but great just the same. We get together on this night because we were tired of trying to visit everyone on Christmas day. This way we spread it out and spend quality time with each other.

This year, we put a rough menu together a few days before and solidified it as we shopped at Costco. We used the Spode Christmas Tree plates, table cloth, and napkins I received last year for Christmas and Birthday from Barbara Logan. It's the one time of the year we eat in our dining room. The pork took longer than planned to cook, so we had some extra visiting time. After eating, we linger at the table a bit and chat.

It's always fun to see family during the holidays."

Menu is on a tag behind the stripped paper, which is the pocket.

Day Nine

Topic: Traditions

Journaling reads: "One of our newest Christmas traditions is our Department 56 village. We set it up as early as possible and enjoy it the whole season. This year, Heath understood that it was something to watch and not touch. Drew was just the opposite. The poor trees on the skating piece were tugged, pulled, and crushed too many times to count. My favorite piece is the Holiday House with, what I like to call, the Tacky Front Yard.

It just wouldn’t be the holidays with out our village."

Day Eight

Sights and sounds of the season. Simple page to catch up.

Journaling reads: "In the last month, we have been treated with some beautiful sunsets here in Southern California, and I have been able to capture them being that I received a small digital camera for 5 years of service at SGX that I can easily keep in my purse.

As I head up the hill to pick Heath up from preschool, the full beauty of the sky is revealed. The top two pictures were taken from my car while at a stop light close to the San Diego Bay and the other two were taken from Heath’s campus. I considered picking Heath up first before taking some of the pictures, and thankfully, I did not. By the time I picked up Heath and returned to the same spot on campus, the sunset was gone.

I love the unique beauty that is Southern California during the holidays."

Picking the tree

This officially doesn't fit into the list of topics, but I had to do a page on picking the tree.

Journaling reads: "Oh, Christmas Tree! After a long night of Drew crying due to teething, a cold, and/or God knows what, we headed out to the Pinery Tree Farm in Rancho Bernardo owned by our neighbors, the Osbornes. We saw other families who had color coordinated sweaters, dresses and other outfits, without a hair out of place, taking part in the annual ritual of selecting their Christmas tree. They patiently searched the lot for the perfect tree that would be remembered for years to come. Then they would snap some pictures that rivaled professional taken ones.

We are not that family. We wore what we had on – reasonably clean clothes – and headed off to the lot. Drew continued to cry and be uncomfortable as we drove to the lot and tried to select a tree. Craig tried to pick a smaller tree that I originally selected in order to save a few bucks. However, I overruled his choice. Drew continued to cry and fuss through the entire process. Craig decided to cut the tree at home rather than have the professionals do it at the lot. Who will ever know if that contributed to us having an incredibly dry tree on Christmas day.

We did manage to get a few, good pictures – Drew in constant motion, Heath with a goofy look, a picture Heath took of me, and some of Heath and Drew enjoying the old tractor.

Even with our imperfections, I wouldn’t trade our family for any others."

Day Ten

Skipping around again. Trying to take care of the "low haning fruit" first.

Journaling reads: "Gift wrapping is something I have traditionally done at the last minute, but this year will be different. I plan on getting everything wrapped by the evening of the 23rd. I typically buy most of our Christmas wrapping paper at after Christmas sales, but occasionally splurge and get some during the season. My perfectionist nature comes out when wrapping presents. I like having the boxes wrapped nicely, but when I wrap everything last minute, I let some things slide, like ribbons. Given Heath and Drew’s ages, it’s easier unwrapping for them without ribbon anyway. I typically like to mix up the paper to make it look festive, at least to me.

I may have to start wrapping a little earlier or hiding the presents a little better. Heath accidentally looked in the cubby hole and saw his fishing pole. He may have even seen the fire truck we are giving to him for his birthday, but he didn’t mention it. I said, a little too sternly since I was mad at myself, “You’re not supposed to be looking in there!” I closed the door, and walked away to hide another present. I came back, and I couldn’t find him. He ended up hiding and crying. I apologized several times and told him I was wrong. He got over it by the time we got to school. Another story to add to my “Mother of the Year” nomination form!"

Day Fourteen

Skipped around. Decided to work on Day 14. After I read the entry, it seems a little depressing, but it's real.

Journaling reads: "Listening to Christmas songs starts early in December and continues through Christmas Day for me. I am sad when Christmas ends mainly because the Christmas songs stop. I have some favorites like Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song, White Christmas by Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas by Elvis, Gabriel's Message by Sting, and many more. Providing a list of my favorite cheerful songs doesn't provide an understanding of who I am. It is the tear-jerkers I love that provide a glimpse into my heart.

There are two Christmas songs that get me instantly teary eyed, the first being Frosty the Snowman. Yes, I am an adult, and realize there isn't such a thing as Frosty. However, the tragedy that Frosty's pretend life is so finite gets me every time. Maybe it makes me realize that my life is also finite, even though, thankfully, more than Frosty's one season. Maybe it reminds me of those that were here for what seemed like a moment and have gone, like my grandparents. Who knows why this song that has such happy music gets to me. The lyric that puts the tears in my eyes is, "Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day. So he said "Let's run and we'll have some fun now before I melt away!"

The other song is The Christmas Shoes by New Song. Most of the time when it comes on the radio, I change the station because I can't bear to hear it. The little boy is trying to buy shoes for his dying mother and doesn't have enough money to do so. The singer of the song provides the little boy with the money. Again, the tragedy of the song gets to me. Perhaps it is the innocence of the child or the fact that my mother died when I was an infant. Maybe it is that I know some day Heath and Drew will have to watch me die or the fact that I watched Grandma and Grandpa Hawes die, who knows.

The lyrics that turn on the water works are, "Daddy says there's not much time. You see, she's been sick for quite a while; know these shoes will make her smile. Want her to look beautiful if Momma meets Jesus tonight... I knew that I got a glimpse of heaven's love as he thanked me and ran out. I knew that God had sent that little boy to remind me what Christmas is all about."

It is both the positive and negative aspects of life that makes life complete. The same is true with Christmas songs for me.

Day Seven

Little behind. Had to take a break. Layout 100% scraplifted from Jenn Brookover (love the name!) on 2 peas. On the next page, I'll add receipts, but I haven't bought everything yet.

Had to white out my husband's gift just in case he looks here.

Thank you for looking! I'm having a lot of fun with this project and looking at everyone elses creations!

Day Six

Journaling reads: "The Christmas that has the most memories in recent years for me was 2001. Heath was born four weeks early on December 19th and enjoyed his first Christmas when he was just six days old. I can’t really say I remember all that much due to the lack of sleep. I do remember that Hollianne braved the mall with all of her kids (maybe even on Christmas Eve) to get Heath the Santa suit. We took a picture of him under the tree and sent it out as his birth announcement (albeit in March of 2002).

On Christmas Day we were at Craig’s parent’s house, and we needed take the Santa suit completely off Heath and put him in the sun for five minutes on each side of his body to help with the jaundice. In addition, sweet little Katarina wrote a book with Nita about Heath’s first Christmas. She was so excited to have a cousin live near by.

We had to take Heath down to the main Sharp Hospital for blood tests each day to see if the jaundice was getting better or worse. It was a real joy during the holidays as the staff was a skeleton crew.

Other than these memories, Christmas 2001 was a blur. At the time, there were a lot of challenges and adjustments, but now, I primarily remember the happiness of the season."

Day Five

Very tired tonight. New boss started today. Absolutely no mojo tonight. Did manage to get a good scan and cropped it better.

Journaling reads: "The day before Craig’s knee surgery in 1997, we went to visit Julian and it snowed. It was our first Christmas as a married couple. While browsing the stores, Craig came across this Santa “advent” calendar and immediately loved it. We left the store without it and Craig “snuck” back later to buy it and gave it to me for Christmas. We put it out every year. Sometimes we remember to move Santa, but now that Heath is in charge, Santa moves every morning at breakfast."

Day Four

Journaling reads: "What would be the perfect Christmas? Perfect for me would be to have all the presents wrapped before Christmas Eve. For the last ten plus years, I am up until the wee hours wrapping presents and I’m tired of being tired on Christmas Day. This year, I vow that I am going to have everything wrapped by the 23rd. It’s the little things for me…"

Stamp reads: "Recipe for Holiday Joy (serves many). One warm fireplace, Two platters of ginger cookies. Add wishes for happiness. Sprinkle with generosity. Mix with family and friends. Garnish with greenery and share all season!"

Day Three

Journaling under photo taken from blog entry on December 1 reads: Normally, I send out our Christmas cards in a frenzied rush a little before Christmas. I have even sent out New Years cards due to not getting Christmas cards out in time. I have turned over a new leaf this year. I have used Cardstore.com in the past to send out Drew's birth announcement, a Halloween card in 2002, and Christmas cards, always using some photo from the year or from a special Christmas card shoot.

I have used them again this year with much success. I submitted my order on November 30th because I received an email for 25% off the price if I placed the order by the 30th. Gathered and updated all the addresses and pressed send. One hundred and one cards this year which was the same as last. The one cool thing about the service is that you can place an order and ask them to send the cards on a future date. Mine are going to be sent on the 5th. I didn't want to send them too early and people to think I'm psycho, but not too late so they think I'm completely disorganized. Catch what I mean?

After much debate, we used a photo from Kristen and Scott’s wedding in July of all four of us. I would prefer to send a card of just the guys, but decided to go for it with us all in it. Probably not the best picture of us ever taken, but it'll have to do. Love technology - when it helps!

Stamping 100% scraplifted from Danelle Johnson's "A Personal Treasury" track at CKU-A.

Day Two

Journaling says: Snow - a no go in Southern California. And I say, "Thank God!" I'm a wimp in the cold, even So. Cal. cold. I'll substitue palm trees for snow flakes any day!

Obtain picture/letter from the web.

Happy Friday!

Day One

Too tired for comments. Journaling says: "Purpose: Christmas scrapbook to highlight the season and preserve the memories with daily entries.

Time goes by so fast and my memory is going even faster so I am going to write down thoughts, events, traditions, memories of Christmas past and everything else that pops into my brain so that:

-I can remember it when I’m old and grey (hey wait, that’s already happening now!),
-I can tell Heath and Drew’s spouses and kids about Christmas’ past, and
-I can live in the moments of Christmas as they happen and remember the joy of the season and not get caught up in all the rush involved.

Signed Up

I signed up for an online/email class where the purpose is to journal what I do during the Christmas season. Sounded like fun and inspired to participate via one of my scrapbook inspirations, Ali.

So I am going to chronicle the adventure here. We receive the first email tomorrow and so I'll work on the item tomorrow night and hopefully (crossing my fingers) post here tomorrow.

Let the rumpus begin!