Santa

We are home in Washington for a week. It's so good to be home and with all of the family. I haven't been home for a year and my husband hasn't been home for a little over 2 years! We have been so busy while we have been here, one of the best things we did was taking Landon to go see Santa. We went to a really great place and the pictures turned out amazing! Here are a few that I liked.

They had him sit on a horse and he was so funny. The Santa really interacted with him and they took a ton of pictures,

I don't remember what they were looking at, but I LOVE this picture!

Classic Santa picture. This is the first year we have done Santa pictures, every other year Landon was too afraid. lol.

We have been so busy around here. Since I'm trying to do something extra fun with the boys every day this month I haven't had the time to blog. We've been trying really hard to teach Landon the true meaning of Christmas. I don't know if he really understands it yet, but we are trying. The advent calendar is going great. It's so fun to do something special each night. I think this will be something we will do for years to come.
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So please don't hate me for not blogging to much in the weeks to come. I do have a few craft things to put up and I will as soon as I get time! I hope everyone is having a great month!

Christmas Teacher Gifts

I wanted to do something special for Landon's teachers & Bus drivers. Soooo I made jars & cups.

Goodies Cups
Cup & saucer set with matching stir spoon
snowflake sugar cubes
2 packs hot cocoa
2 packs hot apple cider
2 gingersnap tea bags
2 egg nog tea bags

I put them all together then wrapped them all up nice and cute! I put the stir spoons on the ribbon and tied them around the outside.

These I gave to his main teacher and the bus driver helper that he adores.


Snowmen Jars
Snowman Jar
1 pack of hot cocoa
1 pack of hot apple cider
1 gingersnap tea bag
1 egg nog tea bag
LOADS of candy!

These he gave to his bus driver and the other teacher in his classroom.

They were huge hits! I'm so glad they liked them and I was glad that I was able to make them/put something together for them. Store bought gifts are all good...but I like doing more of the work!

So far....

only 3 days in, but so far we have a few really fun things!

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Day 1. We put up the Christmas tree and pulled out all of the decorations.

Day 2. We went to the movies and saw "Planet 51" super cute movie! But it did have a lot of Adult humor.

Day 3. We watched Polar Express and made Christmas crafts.

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Tomorrow Landon will be opening new Christmas book to be read at bedtime and then have a sleepover with Daddy in his room.

Eagles Game!

For part of Justin's Christmas gifts I bought him tickets to an Eagles Game. Last time we went to one it was about 2 years ago. So this weekend we headed to PA. It was a long 4 hour drive (the drive home turned into a 8 hour drive!) but it was worth it.

The boys walking to the game. November 2009.
The boys walking to the game. November 2007.
Landon cheering for the Eagles! We got lucky with the weather this time. Last time it was cold and raining and Landon and I ended up in the car for the 2nd half.

My boys!
We had really good seats! We got lucky and I picked the right end zone!

They won! For a while I didn't think they were going to be able to turn it around but they did!

Holiday crafts! Advent Calendar!

This didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to, but I love the idea. The month of December is going to be all about family. We are going to do something together as a family every night this month (until Christmas and it will be just Landon and I on duty nights).

What you need.
3 pieces of red card stock (I used orange/red)
3 pieces of green card stock
Old magazines (cut out Windows & doors)
scissors
glue
exacto knife

Directions

1. cut out enough pictures for all 25 days. Try to get different shapes and sizes, but keep them big enough to write under.
2. Glue them to the red paper.
3. Use the knife to cut 3 sides to make a flap on each door or window.
4. Then glue down the red paper onto the green. Make sure you don't glue down the flaps!
   

Tape the backs like so.

Write the numbers next to each door and pick what you want them to say inside.

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Here are a few ideas:

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Craft Night

Movie Night

Game Night

Make Santa cookies

Make a fort

Go for ice cream

Decorate the house

You pick dinner!

Open a gift early

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Idea from family fun magazine

Tuesday Tips! Christmas!

I love Christmas! I love everything about it. I love the smells and the decorations and even the snow. I love having my family together and I love giving to others. Here are a few things I do to.

Decorating

• Ribbon. I buy 2 in thick ribbon and string it across the top of the windows then pin it up in the middle. I add some snow men ornaments and it looks amazing! I also tie bows with it and put it on all of the door knobs.
• Ornaments make the best decorations. I hang them in my bay window and in door ways. I use coordinating Christmas ribbon to hang them with. My living room is gold & red and my dining room is really bright colors like green, pink & blue.
• Kid friendly decorations. Landon has his own Nativity Scene that I let him put up. We talk about what it means while we do it. I love that he can have a part in this without me worrying if he's going to break something. Mine has been in Justin's family for 4 generations and I would cry if it broke.
• Scents. I love the smell of live trees....but due to a nasty allergy to some unwanted bugs having one would make my life a little harder then it needs to be. So fake it is. But I miss the smell. Now I get Pine air fresheners for my living room! It's not quite the same but it makes it a lot better!
• Make a wreath! or buy one. Lol. Hang it on your door. It will make you smile every time you walk in the door.

This & That

• I love giving gifts. But I hated trying to find the perfect one. Now I've starting putting together baskets! For a family make a game/movie night basket (have a game or movie, add snacks and home made treats). You can do anything!
• Shop online! Not only can you fine amazing deals but right now almost everywhere has free shipping and you can ship it where ever you need it to go (perfect when you don't live right by your family).
• If you have a bunch of people and you want to exchange gifts but don't want everyone to have to buy that many gifts. Have everyone buy 1 gift (we do $10) and wrap it. They need to be unisex if you are doing male & female. Put them all in the middle of the room and draw numbers. 1 goes first. They unwrap a gift. It goes down the line. You can pick anew gift of steal from someone else. Each gift can only be stolen 3 times before it freezes. It's a lot of fun!
• Home-made treats are great to give to neighbors or school teachers!
• Head to the craft stores after the holidays to get tins and decorations for cheap for next year! I have some great stuff to put out this year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry this is a little late. We have been sooo busy. I have a few more pictures from this weekend that I will be putting up sometime this week also.

Every year the Macy's Day Parade would be on during Thanksgiving at my house. Growing up in Washington state I never thought I would get the chance to go to it! Well I did! We got up at 2 am to head to the base. There we got on big buses that took us into the city. We did a lot of walking to find at seat. The parade was a ton of fun. I can say that we will never go again, but it was something I will remember forever.

Landon slept while we waited for it to start. We got to the city at 6:30 and the parade didn't start until 9:00.

I loved this one. She's so cute!

This face is what made it all worth it. The cold, waiting and walking pain all went away when Justin and I saw this face.

Hummee Hotdog! Landon thought this was so funny.

Sailor Mickey

Horton.

Landon said his favorite part was seeing Santa at the end.

Us. Not the nest picture. It was cold and we wanted to go.

To use the bathrooms you had to buy something. Only my kid would want tuna in NYC.

We ended the day by walking around the city and going to lunch at Planet Hollywood. We had a really great time.

Top Ten Tuesday

10 Things I'm thankful for!

1. I am Thankful for my Family. Even living so far away they include me in as much as they can. I can't wait to see them all again.
2. I am Thankful that Justin has a secure job in this terrible time. We never have to worry about if he will have a job next week or next month.
3. I am Thankful for my husband and everything he does. His job is not an easy one and he does it well. He takes care of our family and never complains.
4. I am Thankful that I don't have to work. I am Thankful that I get to stay home with Landon and I get the opportunity to help out in his class every week.
5. I am Thankful for all for all of the amazing friends that I have made here. They make holidays so much more special.
6. I am Thankful for the friends I have back home. I miss them all everyday.
7. I am Thankful for Justin being in port this year over the holidays. It was hard being away from him last year at this time.
8. I am Thankful for Landon. He makes my heart melt everyday. I never knew I could love someone so much.
9. I am Thankful for life.
10. I am Thankful That Jesus died so that I could live. The ultimate sacrifice.

Polar Express!

Saturday night we went to Newport RI to go on the Polar Express. It was so much fun. It exceeded my expectations by far and I think we will do it every year until we move. It was a 90 min train ride to the "north pole". It was long enough that it didn't feel like everything was pack on top of each other, and I loved that we had a table to ourselves (since it ran out of the Newport dinner train station). The train was decorated beautifully inside and everyone was so nice!

The boys waiting for the train.
After we got to our seats. They played a reading of the book Polar Express the whole ride. In between scenes they would play Christmas carols.
Landon got this puppy with his jammies. We named him Olive (the other reindeer).
They gave everyone hot cocoa and cookies.
Mrs. Claus came around to all of the kids before Santa came on.

The kids had a choice of getting Christmas tattoos...we let him. I've never let him have one before. lol.

Yes, we are "that" family. Don't judge.

Justin picked out the jammies, and I love them! They are so comfy!

Me & my love.

Once we got to the North Pole, Santa came on. He sat down with each of the kids and asked what they wanted.

It's so fun that this year Landon is asking for things. It's the first year that he has decided what he wants. So he told Santa that he wants a submarine.

Then Santa gave him a Christmas bell. It was so cute.

After Santa left and the train ride was coming to an end, we all sang Christmas carols.

Landon's Grandma Tine bought him a train set before we left. He looks so cute in the little hat!

His train set. He's so funny.

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We will be going back for sure. I looked into all of the Polar Express rides around here and I'm glad we picked this one. Not only was it a little cheaper but from reading the websites it was a lot better. The other ones you would have sat in normal train seats, not tables. Making it hard for a small family to enjoy together.

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Check it out if you ever get the chance!

Thursday Review!

I'm back into reading full force! It's been a lonely few months without the comfort of many books by my side. First book back was....

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Johnny Angel.

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My friend said it was one of the best books she has ever read and she re-reads it all the time. While I thought it was good I don't think I would ever want to read it again or I don't think I would really recommend it to anyone. Yes it was good. No it wasn't amazing.

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*Spoiler*
It's about a boy who dies on his way home from the senior prom. His family is shocked and beyond sad, his mother takes it the worst. He ends up coming back. Only his mother (and little brother) can see, hear and touch him....like he never left. He has the ability to make things happen is he thinks about it hard enough.....yadda yadda yadda. I'm not a Danielle Steel fan. From what I know she write romance novels, this is not one. Her writing just wasn't my style. It's all good. I read it quick.

Justin & I had an at home date night the other night. We did a puzzle and talked for a while (how lame are we?!) then we watched a movie and cuddled (because we ARE lame like that).

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I had a feeling that The Ugly Truth was going to be good, for nothing more then Gerard Butler is my #1 on "The List" (you know what list I'm talking about, the one every married couple has).

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It was so good! It was funny but way predictable. As more movies like this are. I'm glad we bought it because I'm going to watch it quite a few more times. Lol.

Kinda random post...

• My Mother-in-law will be here within the next few hours.
• My house is trashed.
• I can't seem to get used to my new schedule. So my house is trashed.
• Landon had to go to the dentist this morning and he took it like a champ!
• ^I wouldn't have^
• For once I was up early enough for BK breakfast. I haven't missed much.
• The next few Weeks are going to be non-stop.
• I'm way excited for the Macy's Day Parade! NO SNOW!
• Landon and I just took a 4 hour nap.
• I bet I won't sleep tonight.
• Got a peppermint mocha at Starbucks last night. Then remembered why I haven't been drinking coffee. Sad.
• Justin got home from work at 11 last night. I want him home now. I miss not eating dinner with him.
• I'm turning into a whiner.

Ok I'm done.

Tuesday Tips! Cooking/Food.

Here we go again.

Tips for cooking/other uses for food & such.

Cooking!

1. Making food and it's a little too salty? Add about 1 tsp of sugar! It won't be so salty anymore!
2. I'm not a big egg fan, but I do know that when boiling eggs adding a little bit of white vinegar will keep them from cracking.
3. My daddy is a BIG salsa maker. I used to love making it with him when I lived at home. If your salsa is a little too hot, add a drop or two of vanilla!
4. Making a homemade sauce or stew? Lots of fat on top? Float a large lettuce leaf on top to gather the fat. Remove leaf and repeat is necessary.
5. With Thanksgiving coming up I thought I would share this little tip. If you are worried about your stuffing falling out while your turkey is baking, put a raw potato in the end! It will keep everything from spilling out!

Other ways to use food!

1. Use popcorn (not buttered) for packing things that you are mailing. Not only will it keep them safe (for the most part) but it's earth friendly!
2. Garbage disposal getting a little stinky? Don't want to use bleach? Use lemon! Squeeze some juice in there with a little bit of the peel and turn it on. Fresh in no time!
3. Baking soda=great carpet deodorizer!
4. Justin taught me this! Use Cumin on cuts inside your mouth. It dries it up and helps it heal faster!
5. If you(or your child) gets into stinging nettles or I've heard people using this for bee stings. Make a paste out of baking soda and water. It helps the sting go away.

Other uses for non-edible things!

1. Use a pizza cutter for pancakes and waffles. It makes slicing them up so much easier.
2. Need granulated sugar but you only have sugar cubes? Send the cubes into the garlic press!
3. Store open packages of spaghetti noodles in pringle cans!
4. Making stuffed green peepers and they keep falling over? Stick them in a muffin pan!
5. Rubber gloves are great for helping you open tough jars! And old soda bottles tops make great make-do funnels!

Ok I think that's all I have for today! Let me know if you have anymore to add!

S'more Tarts

On nights that Justin has duty I try to do fun things with Landon to keep him busy. Last night we made a "camp" out of blankets and chairs in the living room complete with a lantern, we watched A bugs life and made an indoor version of s'mores. We had a really fun time. These are really rich so I don't see us making them again anytime soon.

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12 Servings
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 25 min.
Ingredients
1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size) We used a smaller box since I was only making 6 not 12
12 individual graham cracker shells
1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate chips
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Directions
Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Place graham cracker shells on a baking sheet and fill with brownie batter.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Immediately sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed and golden brown.

Yield: 1 dozen.

Recipe from Taste of home.

You love me!!

My name is Kim and you are stalking me.

Yes you, over there from California. Everyday you come to my blog. You never come the same way. You always google search me. Sometimes you google the EXACT name of my blog, then other times you google names of posts I have put up. It's almost like a game. How will MV California get to my blog today!?! Really, I think that everyday when I log on. You see my dear friend. I have a tracker. It tells me your IP address, where you live and how you got to my blog.

Why don't you say hello? Do I not like you? Was I mean to you many years ago? Did I steal your boyfriend or make out with your older brother (I did this a few times so it wouldn't be a huge shock if that was it)?

I have a few more people who check my blog everyday that never say anything. Do I not say anything that interests you? If so, why come back? Do you not know what to say? Just say "Hello! My name is ___ I like reading your blog. You are so funny and amazing! I would love if you would write more about ___" but no. You lurk.

Take a chance. Tell me who you are. Say hi.

Or go away.
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Whoever left me that comment. How am I a blog stalker by wanting to know who comes to my blog? I love seeing how people find it and where they are from.

OK......

Today was a long day of running around.

Before Justin left on deployment he got me a new car (see here) due to my panic attack while trying to drive his car (due to it being a stick shift *insert dirty joke here*). While he was gone his car sat in our garage. Our neighbor would drive it around every once in a while for me but that was it.

With Landon being in school I didn't like Justin always taking my car. So this morning our quest to get his up and running started. He had to get it registered in CT since it was previously in NY, we are about 1/2 done with this step since he still needs to find the time to get the emissions test done. Then while trying to get all of this done we found out that his battery was DEAD...not just hey "I don't really want to start right now", more of a "hey if you turn me off I won't start again".

So off to Sears we went. Now we have a new battery and Justin's car is running again! It felt so weird getting into his car. I felt so low!!! I'm also going to hate his leather seats this winter. Lol.

Veterans Day

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When I married my husband I never thought this is the life we would lead. Besides a cousin in the Army I had no understanding of the Military life. One day while driving in the car, my new husband told me he wanted to go into the Navy. He wanted to do his part not only for our family but for our country. "OK" were the only words I could get out of my mouth. I never fought him, I could see the passion in his eyes.

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He left for bootcamp with a new wife and an 8 month old baby at home. Seeing him again 2 months later, I felt like I wasn't looking at the same man. He had grown and changed, our lives would never be the same.

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Four years, four moves & four states later, we are living 3,000 miles away from home. I am a survivor of a submarine deployment (on the wife side, that is) and countless underways. My husband is gone more then he is home. But I would never trade our life. The work my husband does amazes and humbles me everyday. He risks his life to make sure his family sleeps safe at night.

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So, I say this with the most respect and love I can. Thank you. Thank you to all who have served and who are serving. Your dedication and determination have made our country a better place.

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Thank you for fighting for me.

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Top Ten Tuesday!

I have more tips to share, but I was thinking.....if I share them EVERY Tuesday then I will run out way too quick. So I'm going to switch off with Tuesday Tips and Top Ten Tuesday! I hope that people will play along.

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In light of my husband being home for 2 weeks now this week is......

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Top 10 reasons why I love my husband!

1. I love the way he looks at me when I walk into the room. I always feel like I'm the only person he sees. I thought that after being together for a while, that it would fade. But it hasn't. He still really sees me.
2. I love that he sets his alarm clock to go off early just so he can snuggle with me before he leaves for work. He started doing this right after deployment and it hasn't stopped yet. It starts my day off so well. And I love that he says it's the best part of his day.
3. I love that he can make me laugh and that I can make him laugh. We joke and play a lot. My friends say that hanging out with us is like watching a sitcom.
4. I love that when I don't feel good he knows exactly what to do and say. If I can't keep anything down I will get out of the bathroom to a fresh glass of water and a note to come down and snuggle and get my back rubbed. I'm sick a lot, so it's nuts that he still does this.
5. I love love-notes. He will leave them on my nightstand, on the computer, bathroom mirror or hidden in places that I will see when I'm cooking dinner. When he's gone he will randomly send me the most amazing gifts with the most heart-touching notes. He warms my heart. I feel that hand written notes are a forgotten science in the age of the Internet.
6. I love that he knows everything about me down to my top 5 flower picks.
7. I love that he will watch my stupid shows me with no matter how much he hates them, and pretend like he's interested. Americas Next Top Model is most hated in this house by him.
8. I love how much I love him.
9. I love that he chose me. 14 years old sitting on a band bus and he looked right at me. 2 weeks later we were dating, 4 years later we were married, now we are living 3,500 miles away with our little family and happier then ever.
10. I love that he is the best father I ever could have imagined. Since day one he's been amazing. He would get up in the middle of the night and do everything he could to let me sleep. Now I get to sleep in every weekend while he keeps Landon downstairs.

November School Projects

Landon had two projects to do this month. The first was a feather to go on the class turkey. The second was a pennant of his family and him. We couldn't really do much with the feather but it was fun.

If you know me in real life(lol) then you know I have a TON of craft supplies in my laundry/craft room. Whenever Landon has a project to do I let him pick out what he wants to use and we go from there.

For the feather we used a different kind of tissue paper and colored feathers. I think it turned out cute.

For the Pennant I let Landon pick the pictures he wanted off the computer and I glues them down to the paper. It was cute hearing why he wanted to use certain pictures. It was supposed to be about him and his family and what they/he likes to do.

If you click on the pictures they should get bigger so you can see whats on them.