Christmas Re-Cap

First, I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas!  I know we sure did!  It was filled with family, friends, good food, presents and the most important thing, the birth of Our Savior, Jesus!!!

We started out with a family {sort of} gathering on Christmas Eve afternoon.  Now I say sort of family because it was with family, but for my step siblings father.  Yes, the oddity of my family continues!  My step siblings father is great, we call him Pop Pop, and he treats Caroline, Tab & me like we were part of his family too.  It's such a relief, because I have to admit the 1st time I met him 5 years ago, I was a little unsure of how we would be accepted since my dad is married to his ex-wife!  But he's totally great and adores Caroline!  I've even taken him to the doctor when no one else could!  I guess we all just seem to carry out the we're all one big family thing!  LOL!

On our way I was taking pics of course!

 Dillon & Blake

My Sweet Hubby

 Pop Pop & Sherry

After that, my SIL, nephew, Caroline & I went to Christmas Eve service.  I love going to Christmas Eve service, it's so re-affirming of my faith, and I love that Caroline gets to be a part of such a beautiful service reminding us of what Christmas is all about right before getting into to bed on Christmas Eve.  As usual, it was a beautiful service and Analisa {SIL} and I didn't make it through the 1st song without bawling like babies.  That's the other reason going to Christmas Eve service with her is so special to me...we've both lost our mother's, and both of us have great memories of being at Christmas Eve service with our families.  So I think that may be our new Christmas Tradition.  We always get some pics of the kids after the service while they're all dressed up!

 

 After church, I dropped Boog off at her dad's so they could have Christmas.  Then, about an hour later I had a total meltdown...sobbing into my pillow meltdown.  When they were done, they were going to bring her home so we could finish getting ready for Santa and tuck her in.  Then I get a call from Caroline asking me if she can stay at her dads.  Of course I couldn't tell her no when she was so excited to play with her new toys, but I was crushed.  We had our Christmas Eve traditions that we were going to do...I totally lost it.  I hate last minute changes to plans, and this was by far the worst.  Mostly, I was mad because it should have never happened, she should have been told that she had to come home, but I also understand that her dad wanted time with her too...I just wasn't expecting it, and it really threw me off.  After she played with her toys, she wanted to come home.  Which again gave me more mixed emotions.  By that point I was over it, and then I felt bad that she told her dad she wanted to come home.  What a roller coaster!

On Christmas morning her dad and his fiancee came over bright and early to share in Christmas morning.  Then it was off to my parents for the day!  Let me tell you, the kids had such a great time at their grandparents house!  They all got tons of stuff and had tons of fun playing!  The adults always do a Chinese gift exchange {or whatever you call it} and have such a good time stealing presents from each other!  We do a handmade present for this, so it can get really interesting!

 Opening the back door to see what Santa brought...

 So happy!  She just couldn't wait to jump, so she's out there in the rain!

Dillon

 Blake, Dillon & Caroline {8 years old...yes, all of them!}

 Dillon

 Boog

 Blake showing off his Vex-Con hat!  {He loves Billy the Exterminator!}

 Tracy opening a handmade gift!  {Hubby made a clock out of computer circuit boards}

 Analisa opened a recipe board I made

My daddy opened Analisa's handmade gift!  A milk carton creature!

We ended the day stopping off at the hubby's parents house for more gifts and food!  By the end of the day...we were pooped!!!!  It was a wonderful Christmas and I hope everyone was blessed to be with family & friends!

Deck the Halls

We were a little late in getting our Christmas decor up this year, but it's been up for a few weeks now and I just love to come home to our cozy house with all the pretty decorations!  I've been carrying on a family tradition with Caroline when it comes to decorating for Christmas.  We get everything out, make hot cocoa or apple cider, put on the Christmas tunes and go to town.  I love going through this ritual with her, it brings back such great memories of doing this with my family when I was little.  I hope it's a tradition that she'll cherish too and carry on with once she's grown up with her own family.  Another tradition we have is going to buy a new ornament each year.  We each pick out a new ornament for the tree!

From top left: Caroline's new ornament front & back, My ornament that I got from a childhood friend when we were in the 2nd grade, my family ornament when I was a kid, Caroline's ornament that was made from a painting she did, my new ornament, and our 2010 family ornament!  Center: One of my all-time favorites...it's just so darn cute!

Our tree doesn't have any specific theme, or color pattern, it's just a mish mash of everything!  I have ornaments that were given to me when I was a little girl, some of my mom's, new ones, ones Caroline has made over the years and ones that have been given to our family.  Most years I make new ornaments.  It's just a collection of memories and I love that about our tree.

This year when we started getting ready to figure out what kind of ornaments to make, I was stumped.  I happened to be reading a friends blog {Nicole} and she had the best idea for ornaments, so I copied them!  LOL!  Nicole is reinventing her family's Christmas this year and it has really inspired me.  In fact, I'm really thinking about doing this next year.  You should stop by her blog and read her series called, "The 12 Days of a Simple Christmas".   I would post the links, but there are lots {duh, she's doing 12 of them}so I just linked to her 1st post of the series.  Seriously, you have to stop by!


Back to making ornaments....she had this "recipe" for crystal ornaments using basic household things.  I did have to go to the store to buy Borax, but the rest was easy peasy.  I have to say this was one of my favorite ornament projects.  They were fun to make, fun to watch, and we learned a little in the process!  Basically, it's a simple science project that turns into sparkly crystals to hang on your tree!  And watching Caroline's face as we checked on them and she saw the crystals forming was such a blast, she was full of awe and even had to take one to her teacher and tell her how we made them!

And here are a few of our decorations!  We don't have a fireplace and mantle, but we do have an old wood burning stove and rock wall which makes everything all cozy!  I especially love the feel of it all decorated with our stockings and garland.  Speaking of stockings, we have 9 hanging!  We have our 3 and then we have 6 for our fur babies.  Squirt, Shimmer, Bobby {the lone cat}, Betsy, Heidi & Daisy Mae!  That's a lot of stockings!  And each of them get a treat in their stockings to enjoy while we open our presents on Christmas morning.

 I'll leave with a funny Caroline said the other day while watching TV with Tab when a Victoria's Secret commercial came on and Tab tried to cover her eyes, "It's okay Tab, Victoria's Secret is a place for ladies to get new under clothes"!  
We both started cracking up because she just sounded so matter-of-fact!  I love that girl!

Christmas Time is Here!

In typical Alicia fashion, I'm a little late getting up this post {along with about 10 others!}and thought I would go ahead and share our Christmas card this year!  Since they went out a week ago, I won't ruin the fun of getting it in the mail!  We always do pictures of Caroline on the card, and this year I decided to do a mini photo shoot with her just for the occasion!  She was such a ham and had me cracking up the whole time!

Did you get to send out Christmas cards this year?  I didn't think I was ever going to get them all done!  I already have an idea for next year's card!  And I'm going to start early!

Random Tidbits

I haven't blogged nearly as much as I did last year, but here lately, I've blogged even less!  I've had lots on my plate and lots on my mind.  I want to blog more, I've loved blogging.  But I feel a slight disconnect lately.  One of the reasons I love blogging is the connection I have with other bloggers!  And lately {possibly my own fault with my lack of blogging} I feel like that connection is gone.  And believe me, that's not why I blog, I blog to document our lives.  But let's be honest here....we all love that people visit our blogs, that they may relate, that they get us.  I love to leave comments when I read something I like, agree with, understand, or got some help from.  Wow...can I use the word "lately" a few more times?  LOL!  Basically, I need to get my bootie in gear, be a better blogger and keep up with my favorite blogs more, and hopefully I'll get to hear from more of my sweet bloggy friends more too!

This year has been sooo much more busy {I know, that's not good grammar}!  With Caroline being involved with cheer, it takes sooooo much darn time!  On top of that, I'm really trying to get my business to grow.  Most of you know that I have an artist itch!  I've been doing it for years and I really want to be able to make something of it.  

 Along with that, I've always been a picture nut, usually with my camera always in my purse!  So last ybear I upgraded to a nicer camera and invested in some lenses, to see what I could do.  After a year of practice, reading, research, and just good old fashioned tinkering, I've done several photo shoots, and I LOVE it!  It's nice not always taking pictures of just my own cutie pie!  So I have that venture on my plate too...and trying to decide if they should both be housed under the same name, or if I want to go with 2 different businesses.  I've decided to house them together under Carolina Sunshine Designs.  So that meant there will be some big changes to the CSD Blog in the near future!  I also started a Facebook page!  Stop by and say hello!  I'll be hosting giveaways there too!

 And of course, you can always throw in family time!  Not only am I learning that having an 8 year old daughter is not easy at all, but raising her to be a good person, and make good choices is even harder!  Wow, I really need an instruction manual these days!  Sassy, knows it all, and hates the clothes I pick for her!!! Hahaha...it will get better eventually...right?  On top of that, hubby works crazy hours, and goes to bed super early, so getting time with him is scarce these days.  We're learning to make our schedules work though!

I've also had lots of projects going on at home, trying to update things on a budget!  Hopefully I'll get some tutorials up here soon!

We can then add the holidays into the mix!  WooHoo!!  I love this time of year!  We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year and everything turned out great!  The only thing missing was 5 of our family members.  Caroline usually spends Thanksgiving with her dad, his family really loves Thanksgiving so it's their big holiday to get together.  And then my step-sisters crew had other plans today.  But we had great food and great company!  

If any of you are brave enough to go out for the Black Friday shopping....I wish you luck!  I've never braved the stores on Black Friday...have you?

So that's my random tidbits for the day, hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Caroline = 8

Well baby girl, where do I begin?  You are my love, you are my light, you are my everything.  I always knew I wanted to be a mommy, I can't ever remember not wanting to be a mommy!  You made my dreams come true.  You saved me in my darkest time.

I will never forget the moments leading up to finding out you were already growing in my tummy!  I never though in a million years that the test would be positive, and when I saw that it was my whole world changed in an instant.  It was April 9th, 2002.  Barely 5 months after your grandma went to heaven.  There were times I didn't think I could do it without her to help show me the way through motherhood, but I think I'm doing just fine!

You have been a joy {most of the time} since you were born!  You were the best baby, sleeping through the night from day one!  God blessed me in so many ways when you were born.  You slept, you were happy, you ate anything I gave you and some things I didn't...dogfood!  There were no terrible two's...but there was when you were 4!

You amaze me everyday!  You're growing up so fast and sometimes I'm not sure quite what to do with you.  I love that you have a kind heart, and I hope you always stay that way.  You care about so many things that it truly amazes me!  Your such a good friend and hate it when you see people being mean to your friends.  I can't believe how smart you are, especially in math!  It makes me so proud!!!

Now, I can say that this last year or so, you have worn me out girl!  Your little attitude.....WHEW!  Sassy pants for sure!  I guess this is what happens when little girls start to grow up, can you stop now?  I'm not sure I can handle the teen years!  I want you to remember everything from your childhood, and that's why I drive you crazy with the camera, and here's the proof!

I love you more than words could ever say Boog!  Have a wonderful 8th birthday!

Love Always, Mommy

70th...

Today would be your 70th birthday.  Today I cried big fat tears.  Today I miss you just as much, if not more than I did 9 years ago.  9 years ago today we gathered with your friends and laid you to rest. 

I thought I would get through today okay, but I just couldn't.  As the day went on, I knew I couldn't just ignore it anymore.  I figured the only thing to do was to write it all down.  How much I miss you, how much I want to just talk to you.  How when I was in the hospital a few weeks ago I cried on Tab's shoulder for you to be there because I just wanted my mommy.  I look at Caroline and I just think of all the love you would have for her.  She is a handful, and I'm sure you look down and just laugh at times.  I know I laugh.

Sometimes I just can't grasp that you've been gone for so many years, and then at times it seems like it was yesterday.  I miss being in the kitchen and sitting in the counter while you cooked.  Or sitting in the couch with my head in your lap while you played with my hair.  I miss watching you take care of Olivia and loving her so much.  I know you would have done all those things for Caroline too.  When I'm up at her school or doing homework with her I think about you, and how much you loved teaching children.  I still can't hear 'Jesus Loves the Little Children' without thinking of you and crying.  I can't hear 'Amazing Grace'. 

Each year when Janet comes to have dad do her taxes it takes everything I have not to cry for both of you and the friendship you shared.  You touched so many lives in your 60 years, I can't imagine the lives you would have touched if you were still here.

I know better than anyone else what a spitfire you could be, we shared many a heated argument during your 23 years with me.  I look back to the few months we had before you were gone, and you did so much to protect me, and yes, we argued about that too!  I remember laying on the bed with you for the last time and crying and telling you how I was feeling.  And you understood how I felt, but you still tried to protect me.

I miss the late night talks when I would get home.  You sitting on the couch and me in the wingback chair across from you.  I miss those nights.  I miss cooking Thanksgiving dinner with you, and having the Macy's Day Parade on all morning while we cooked.  I miss decorating for Christmas and blaring Christmas music while we got everything all done. 

I know I'll Never forget any of it, but even though I have those memories, I still wish I had you here.

Blog Designs

Wow!  What a week...or 2 weeks really!  Caroline was sick all last week, I had to stay home with her for 4 days!  Poor thing had fever in the 103's-104's all week, it was awful!  Don't you just hate it when your kiddos are sick?  But really, that's not the point today.

I've dabbled with blog designing for the last year or so...mostly for fun, and to feed my creative instincts!  I've never charged anyone to design a blog, and I was thinking that maybe I would try my hand at actually having a business doing it.  Not full time, but since I do it anyway, why not make it part of my business?  Trust me, I'm not an expert, but I do know a little about what I'm doing!

So..here's my plan:  For the first 20 people who want a new blog design, I'll work with you to get you what you want for the sweet low price of $40!!!  This will include:

*header

*sidebar headings {unlimited}

*2-3 columns {with a wider posting space}

*custom signature

*blog button
*installation

I'm not sure that this will take off, but I love to design blogs!  And the good part is that I'm really not trying to make a killing doing this, but more that I love doing it, and it does take time, but I don't want to charge an arm and a leg for it!

If you are interested, please leave me a comment with your contact info, ie: email address!  Or you can contact me at:  carolinasunshinedesigns {at} yahoo {dot} com.

And so you know what your getting into, here are a few blogs/headers that I have designed:

  

Sidebar

 

Etsy Header

Buttons