we wish you a...

and a Happy New Year!

i am going to take a little blogging break while my kids are home for Christmas break.

but first, i wanted to make sure we sent you all our love and warm holiday wishes.

See you next Year!

♥ me

dear lady friends,

if you need a laugh, like really really really need a laugh, dont mind watching cartoons that use curse words as an education tool and have EVER had any PMS symptoms...

then go here.

its funnyness.

♥

gingerbreadness & United Way

ok.

so.

to make a long story short.

my dad and step-mom, Tina, where in town for Tina's company party this past weekend. and at the party they held an auction for our local United Way.

this gingerbread house was donated by a local lady who, from my understanding, works at a bakery or something like that. Tina was SUPER excited when she saw this house and KNEW she had to win it...and of course, being stubborn a Hampton, she won it!!!

for a pretty penny. or actually, A LOT of pretty pennies.

but it was ALL for charity!!

....
so, since my dad and tina both flew up, and couldnt fly the house back down with them,

they asked us to "house sit" or "house eat".

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the measurements:

14.5in D x 19.5in.W x 12.5in H

***only edible products were used in the making of this gingerbread house.***

here are a few close ups. but i must say, they do it NO justice.

this is a pic of the inside...when the LIGHTS are on. YES! it even has lights!!!!!!!

Santa's helpers. lead by Mr. Red Nose himself.

the front porch.

the front door.

mr. Frosty

the side window with some little frosting candles. arent they sweet?

the front balcony.

the backyard balcony.

the roof top.

the entry way. with a tree and presents to boot.

BEA.UT.I.FUL!

Santa on the roof top...

and his sled full of presents.

the family dog.

...

more of the inside, with the lights on. it was hard to get a good pic of this.

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OH, and the smell...it. smells. so. yummy.

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AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

love. love. love. love it.

1 stained shirt + 1 stained shirt =

using this idear...

i was able to turn a couple of old stained shirts into this...

i love this girls ideas. super easy. and simple. and cute. and stylish.

 its like having a brand new shirt...for free.
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its kinda like a merry Christmas to me. just a little bit early.

Some Christmas Spirit

i thought this was sweet...

check it out..

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Linda from Craftaholics Anonymous is

featuring this tutorial today.

Its part of a week long "readers tutorial week" and i am so excited to be a part of it.

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go check it out here

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i thought i'd share this..

: Cleaning Poem:

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess.

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny,

And tidy up the house.

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside..

That really did the trick.....

I was just admiring my good work.

I didn't mean to 'click.

'But click, I did, and oops -I found

A real absorbing site

That I got SO way into it -

I was into it all night.

Nothing's changed except my mouse.

It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess.......

While I sit here on my hiney.

~Author unknown~

so. so. so true...

now i'm off to clean. bye!

(i found it here)

family night & story time...

tonight, while eating dinner, ellie blessed us with this "sweet" story(almost all in one breath!)...

+++++++++

one time, when i was big. i was eating pizza at kenni's house, and there was a boy there and he was eating pizza too. then we went upstairs to play and the boy was mean cause he kicked kenni. then i told mollie what he did and she threw him out the window! then he bounced on the trampoline and came back into the window, then he fell down to the trampoline again and bounced back into the window. then we all went downstairs and finished eating our pizzas and the boy was mean because then he squirted hot sauce in kennis eyes!

++++++++++++

um.....definitely ONE OF THE BEST STORIES...EVER. she had us all rollin'. i have NO idea where she got this from. first of all, mollie would NEVER through anyone out the window and second, who throws HOT SAUCE in peoples eyes? besides the mean boy, of course!

............................................

then...on the opposite end of the spectrum, as a family, we started to read this book(thanks to a sweet ward sister) to help kick start our family night.

i'm excited to read it again tomorrow night...

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then we hopped in the car and went over the river and through [the town], to watch come purddy, liddle lights dance....singing along the way...actually, it was more like screeching.

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a few things i learned tonight:

ellie has a very "interesting" imagination

laughter is free...and priceless.

i heart me so chocolate covered pretzels....kinda random, i know, but they are so yummy!

my kids are fun

i ♥ my family

.......................................the only thing missing was Kaylee.