Christmas in Review

At the beginning of the month, I made a Christmas Calendar so that Joe and I would have a Christmas activity to do each day. We had a great time doing it! I love my husband for allowing me to love and celebrate Christmas with all the decorations and baking and presents and family time....etc. 

I took my little sister, Cheyanna, to decorate residents' doors at a nursing home in Fayetteville. This is our creation!

That afternoon, Joe and I went to my cousin's house and instead of doing gingerbread houses, we made Christmas Trees out of ice cream cones! 

 

I also baked A LOT this Christmas season! Here are some of the creations...for my professors, Joe's coworkers, and Joe's students. We also took some cookies to our neighbors with a Christmas card! 

Home made Christmas sugar cookies! 

Toffee made for Joe's coworkers!

Christmas crunch popcorn for Joe's students

We went to the Gentry Christmas parade... 

...and took some candy to our Post Office workers.

And our tree has had three different tree toppers this Christmas! We didn't find any that we liked at first, so we just bought a Santa hat. Then I picked up a little Santa tree topper at the dollar store that I liked. Then the day after Christmas, Joe and I found one that we both agreed on and it was on sale!! It has the Christmas Story (the scrooge one) written on it, and it looked teachery with the text, so it fit us well.

We also bought a second Christmas tree after Christmas. I am my mother's daughter after all....

We made a Nativity scene and then were given a Willow Tree Nativity which I LOVE...

Some of the decorations that I made family members: 

Christmas tree canvases..Mom made us the "Merry Christmas" canvas for our house!

A family tree that I made my great-grandmother..

We celebrated Christmas just the two of us the Saturday before Christmas. We opened our stockings and then made blueberry pancakes. Joe was like a little child waiting to open his presents! 

After presents, we went to Rogers to do a little shopping and go to church:

We drove to Texas on Sunday...

Dad greeted us in his Christmas Story shirt....

Mom's six Christmas trees:

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: 

Christmas Morning brunch with my aunts (and tacky Christmas sweaters): 

Christmas Day at my Grandmother's house: 

And it actually started snowing! A white Christmas..in Texas...who would have thought!

And while we were in Texas: 

I finally got to see my best friend!

 I laid in the dog's spot and got squashed..

and my dad got "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots...

I love Christmas, and I loved being able to spend so much time with my family. We just spent the last two days with Joe's family and I plan on spending the last day of 2012 laying on the couch doing absolutely NOTHING. 

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas! Have a safe, Happy New Year!

Samantha

Weekend Getaway

I surprised Joe with KU basketball tickets for his birthday, so we got to road trip to Lawrence for the weekend! 

When Joe first realized we were going to Lawrence, his first request was that we eat at Free State Brewery before the game....so that we did! Then we walked up and down Mass. Street and went to some different KU shops and some thrift stores. Joe makes fun of me for liking thrift stores, but I got this dandy pearl snap, flannel shirt for $7. 

After we explored a little bit, we checked into the hotel and then went and got in line for the game. It was worth it because we got pretty awesome seats! I guess I am an official Jayhawk fan now! (although I refused to do the "rock chalk" cheer because Joe always refuses to say "woo pig sooie") 

I let Joe open a Christmas present early (his KU polo) so that he would look stylish at the game! 

On Sunday, we went and checked out the Natural History Museum, which is actually on campus. It was really neat! Of course, my scientist husband spent a lot of time looking over the details, but I am glad that I married someone that enjoys the nerdy things in life like I do! 

The building was beautiful!

 The walrus was my favorite...

This chapel was right across from the museum and it is where Joe's parents got married! So special!!

After the Natural History Museum, we drove to Kansas City to visit Joe's Aunt Lee Ona. Aunt Lee is a Hallmark Collector and has turned her house into a Hallmark Museum. At first glance, I was slightly overwhelmed, but she had so much neat stuff, and she knew the background and story behind each piece. Here are some pictures of her stuff. 

And I love Wizard of Oz, so I took close-up pictures of her Wizard of Oz collection.

My second favorite thing was this: 

 The Tinker Toy Ornament Collection came out with this ornament for 2012, so Aunt Lee Ona went and bought the actual toy at a thrift store. The lady cracks me up, and we had a lot of fun visiting with her! 

Overall, I'd say we had a pretty awesome weekend! Now to get finished with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holiday! We leave for Texas on Sunday and I cannot wait! I LOOOOVE Christmas, and can't wait for all the warm, fuzzy feelings it brings me this year!

Samantha