Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree!

Our tree is up and decorated. It's so cute and smells WONDERFUL! The skirt belonged to Mark's mother. The little mouse ornament was her's too. It's so nice to have something from his family. The 2008 Pedersen Christmas CD is done too. Although, I think nothing can compare to my 2007 CD this one comes very close. How can you go wrong with when songs include "Santa wants some lovin'" and "Oi to the world"?

I've also been watching a ton of Christmas movies/shows. Can I tell you how much I love Rankin and Bass Christmas specials? A Year Without a Santa Claus-classic! I've also been watching White Christmas way too much. I save A Christmas Story for Christmas day when I can watch it over and over on TBS.

Oh yeah, and my own personal rant. This morning on the CBS morning show they were doing "Hand made" gifts-because people are so strapped for cash this season (please! Handmade does not equal cheap, ya bastards). The thing that bothered me most was that the hand made stuff wasn't even hand made. They just bought stuff from the store and put it together in a basket or took all the dry ingredients for cookies and put them in jars. Give me a break. CBS morning news, you get the finger.

All the children's smiling faces....

Who doesn't love Santa and Christmas? Apparently, these children.




On other related news-my dad's wife is doing better. She is able to walk now and has a little bit of use of her hand. I want to give a BIG THANKS to all my friends who are so supportive. Even when I thought I was alone, I could jump online and see everyone's smiling faces and wonderful comments and have my spirits lifted.


Mark and I went to a super fun party this weekend. Here's our traditional picture.


More to come! I've uploaded a ton of pictures.

Crazy times

So, I've been a little MIA lately. A lot of really stressful stuff has been going on and I haven't had a chance to catch up. My dad's wife had a stroke on Wednesday morning and I have basically been at the hospital every day since then. She is partially paralyzed but the recovery is looking good. Okay, so that's the first stressor. The second, they found a "lump" on my dad's prostrate and he has to go in on Friday for a biopsy. He is very healthy and should be okay but he is the only parent I have left and so I'm a little nervous. Okay, third stressor-yesterday would have been my mom's birthday. She passed away 7 years ago from a head injury which brings me back to be stressed about the stroke. What, there can't be any more...oh but there is...the anniversary of my mom's death is next week. Yepppers....good times. Did I mention that I am also starting a new part time job? No..well, I am. So-lots of crap going on but I am trying to stay positive.

In the note of staying positive, I have been embroidering like a mad woman and decorating my house.I love Christmas and decorating really put me in a better mood. Here are a few pictures of the house. We are getting our tree tomorrow or Wednesday.





Thanks to everyone who has been so wonderful to me and checking in. I love my friends and family.

The holidays are upon us

Okay, I'll admit it. I love Christmas. I LOVE and I mean LOVE Christmas music. I am listening to it right now. I know, I'm a freak. I love the smell of Christmas, the cold weather and darker nights. I love it all. I love Christmas lights, the tacky decorations. I'm a big ol' marshmallow!

So, what are some of your favorite winter Holiday thoughts (they don't have to be about Christmas) or favorite songs. What about favorite toy when you were a kid?

Favorite song: Christmas in NY and Baby it's cold outside.

Favorite holiday memory: One that instantly comes to mind is last year it actually snowed on Christmas. That was my first one.

Favorite toy: Easy-hands down-Barbie Townhouse. I had that with her jet and her corvette. AWESOME! I loved that she had an elevator in her house.

The interview to end all interviews!

A while back BrookOwens asked to interview me for her blog. How could I resist? She is so awesome and so rad! Can I just tell you how awesome she made me look? LOL! If you want to get all the dirt on yours truly, check out
her blog

Not much is going on

It's been pretty quiet since I got back from the coast. We had such a blast! We had the Presidential Suite which was very fitting since it was election night and we have a wonderful new president. Even if you don't agree with his politics the pride and hope that people are experiencing makes me look forward to the future. So! Wanna see the room! It was CRAZY!

The first picture is of the front of our room. Yes, that is a baby grand piano. We also had a bathroom the size of my whole upstairs! The next picture is the coastline. I love the Pacific Northwest coastline. I do missing laying out in the sun but the rocky coast is so beautiful. The last picture is of Mark at Camp Disappointment. I love that name.



Oh yeah, one more thing. I came across this tree and I am DYING to know the name of it. I want to plant on in my yard. Does anyone know. Those are the actual flowers/leaves on it. It's beautiful.

Happy Anniversary!

Tomorrow is mine and the hubby's 2nd wedding anniversary. I would post something tomorrow but I will be out of town at the coast, enjoying the rain and the surf. We are staying at the Hotel Elliott. It is our 3rd time there. We went when we got engaged, our first anniversary and now our second. I love it! We got the romance package. Oh yeah!

So, I thought it would be nice to show off some pictures. I love you OMP. You are everything in the world to me. You are my saint. Thank you for keeping me sane, loving me no matter what, giving me the best life anyone could possibly imagine. Don't worry, I'm not gonna go "Wind beneath my wings" on ya but you are my savior. I love you more and more each day.

Here is a picture of our cake. We had a Day of the Dead/Tiki wedding at the oldest Tiki bar in Portland. It was so much fun!


I love you with every breath of life I have Mark. Thank you for making me the happiest woman in the universe.