The One Picture

This is the ONE picture we took during Christmas.

We were all together. And since we won't be together next Christmas, it will be interesting to see if the family grows in 2 years time.

A Dream Came True

When I was young and carefree I dreamed of being a doctor. Not just a doctor, a forensic pathologist. And then not even just that, but the Surgeon General of the United States!

Now, I wouldn't have the stamina and determination to be in medical school or residency or fellowships or anything else that required me to study during every free moment. I'm happy with where I ended up - the wife of a doctor - but every once in a while I think about that long lost dream.

And then, on Sunday night, my dream came true!

In our Christmas Program, I was "Dr. Newheart." Children came to the doctor on Christmas Day feeling down. I came in, diagnosed, ran tests, and helped them understand the cure for their sinful hearts was salvation through Jesus Christ!

This was a new endeavor for me, but I had so much fun. Here's why...

1. The kids. The children who were in the musical wth me were GREAT! It is one thing to get kids to memorize and say lines in front of almost 400 people; it is another thing entirely when they act out their part. And this kids did awesome. They made it so easy and fun.

2. The director. When my friend asked me to help her with this, I was clueless. Like I said, this is a first for me. But she was completely prepared. She coached us in acting the part. She encouraged 45 children K-6th grade to sing. She kept it all together and, most importantly, she always reminded us why we were doing this. We were sharing the gospel with all the people that were there and were watching online.

I'm sad it is over and I won't get to hang out with the kids each Sunday evening. But, I think they did an amazing job and had a lot of fun, too!

Christmas Cheer

In the past week I have:

packed 0 boxes.

caught Ransom licking my bath towel.

put my bath towel in the dirty clothes.

got dressed up 2 times more than usual.

had exactly 3 freak-out sessions concerning our move in 9 days.

decorated our mantle for Christmas.

No tree this year, but at least it feels a little more like Christmas now.

Christmas Card Out-takes 2010

I was going to share some funny pictures of our Christmas Card photo experience. Last year, it was a challenge.


But this year, we got the shot on the first take. So, I have nothing to share except this nasty picture of Ransom and I.

In other current events...

My parents are camping on a beach in southern Texas. They will be eating Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Gulf. It's 75 degrees and there are porpoises in the water. Doesn't sound too bad.

My brothers and sister-in-law are in West Virginia hanging out and celebrating Thanksgiving there. I'm so happy they are together for the holiday.

I am getting Black Friday coupons and emails by the hour. Normally, this would excite me because they are from my favorite stores and they are great deals. However, for the month of November I am not buying one item for myself (besides the basic hygiene essentials). One reason is because I splurged a lot in September and October and buying things for myself has become second nature. I need to be more self-controlled in the shopping area. I knew Black Friday and Cyber Monday would tempt me, which is why I chose November. So, this Friday I will be shopping completely for Christmas gifts!

Yesterday, we received an interesting notice in our front door. God is in control and we will see where it leads. (More details to come when I get them)

And in 1 week from today Hubs and I will learn some exciting news!! You'll have to wait to hear what it is...

Amazing Amazon

Amazon.com is a favorite website. Books are cheaper there. Books that I can't find anywhere else, I find there. I've also bought work-out gear, dog toys, and other stuff on that website for good prices. And, if you buy over $25 worth...shipping is free.

What's not to love about Amazon?

Then, I got a kindle for Christmas, which makes me love Amazon even more. Now, I can download books practically anywhere for about half the cost! And I get to read them on the coolest new gadget and also this year's #1 gift.

And since kindle sales were so high, do you know what Amazon is doing?

They are giving away free kindle books!! That's right. I just downloaded 2. Hundreds of books are priced at $0.00 and since my kindle can hold over 1,000 books, I am enjoying browsing through the website, picking out books to download.

Free books - ah. I'm in bliss.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Just like the ones I used to know...

And, I got it!

Ransom and I trudged out in the storm at 5:30am this morning looking for the perfect spot to do number two. Of course, the perfect spot was 3 blocks away, but we had fun jumping over the 3-foot + snow drifts!

It is supposed to stay cold and snowy all day, stay warm inside.

Merry Christmas from Hubs and Feather!

Christmas Song #2

The next Christmas song I am sharing is, "Hallelujah." This song has actually been around for a while, but this version is really beautiful and the harmonies are amazing. I think it would be great at a Christmas Eve Service with the lights down low. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Share Hallelujah by Mark Lowry

PS - I had to add that dumb word verification thing to my comments. I have been getting a TON of spam comments from pharmaceutical companies. If this doesn't work, then I will have to block all anonymous comments. SORRY!

Christmas Song #1

I love Christmas music. I love good Christmas music. And, most of my favorite songs are obscure that many of you may not have heard. So, over the next days until Christmas, I want to share them with you.

The first one is "One King." It's not only a beautiful duet, but it talks of the Savior's birth. One of the main lines reads, "There have been so many babies to become a king, but only one King became a baby."

If you click on the link below, it will take you to a different website, but the song should begin to play on its own. Enjoy!

Share One King by David Phelps

The most festive

For the staff/elder Christmas party we were supposed to wear ugly/festive Christmas outfits. Only about 4 of us actually did anything, but there was a prize. Ya'll know I'll do anything for a prize.

Turns out, I won. My outfit was complete with a turtleneck covered in poinsettias, a sweatshirt with snowmen decorating a tree, dangling snowmen earrings, a snowman pin, a bow in my hair, and a jingle bell around my neck. You can't forget the jingle bell. Hubs even donned his Christmas tie!

Afterwards we had a white elephant gift exchange. I laughed hard. Richard got these really cool glasses though!

We played some cards and then headed home to our sick puppy. He got in a little squabble with another dog and was bit on the chest. Blood was squirting, he was limping. Before we left, we thought he'd be fine. When we got home, it seemed more serious. He could barely walk and he was still bleeding. The worst was his yelping with every move he made. Even if we touched him, he would wince and cry. It was a very sad sight.

This morning, he woke up feeling better. He is still a little sore, but definitely on the mend.

PS all you Nebraska friends, we are headed your way next week! Looking forward to seeing your faces, hugging your necks, and seeing those rounded bellies (those who are pregnant, that is).

Ornaments

Wow. It's been a busy week already. Christmas parties, errands, Christmas shopping (still), and regular life, too! All my online shopping items have come in the mail this week. I think I have just as much fun opening those boxes as the people will unwrapping their gifts!

Plus, all sorts of people are having babies lately. Then they post the cute pictures online and I can hardly get anything else done! Oh, my post from a few days ago really had nothing to do with babies, just life in general. I felt the need to clarify for those of you awaiting an announcement in the next few months.

I started a little tradition when Hubs and I got married. Each year, I buy an ornament for our Christmas tree. The ornament marks something memorable in our life that year.

In 2006:

That was an easy year, celebrating our first Christmas married. Don't know if you can see it real well, but my hair was super dark brown and super short. My hairstyles over the years merit a post all of their own!

In 2007:

This was a hard year because it was a boring year in our lives. Nothing real exciting happened, so we went into Target and each picked out an ornament for each other. Hubs picked this one out for me because I really wanted a dog.

In 2008:

Hubs and I took our super big 12-day trip to Hawai'i with our best pals, Ryan and Martha. It was a very memorable trip and so I bought a palm tree to remember it by.

2009 was easy. We graduated from dental school, so I looked for a graduation ornament. No luck.

We moved to Kansas, so I looked for a moving truck ornament. No luck.

I had to settle for this ornament:

Although I didn't originally want to go with a dog ornament, it was all I could find, and it was a change in our life this year. I'll add his picture someday and it will be our memory from 2009!

Hmmmm, this makes me wonder what will happen in 2010 that will be ornament-worthy.

For Sarah

I did decorate for Christmas.

A Bah Humbug

I have major issues with Christmas this year. Mainly the gift-giving part. Either my husband is rubbing off on me or I am turning into my mother, but I think Christmas turns into this little game of having to make sure you get gifts for all these people because they might or will give you gifts. I have to think (I have done no research) that gift giving actually started with someone who just wanted to show another person that they cared about them. So this person got someone a special, tiny gift to say, "Merry Christmas" and don't forget what Christmas actually is about.

Now, it is this ridiculous game. Making sure you get your coworkers and bosses something, then your family, and maybe some friends. But your family grows so large that there is no possible way to get gifts for everyone and it ends up stressing you out so much that you just get somebody something and don't even care if they like it, just so you can be done with the shopping. THEN, you sit at home two weeks later and wonder why you didn't receive a thank you note and complain that you got them something at all.

So in actuality, the gift giving was all about YOU and not about THEM. Hmmm. Doesn't sound very "Christmas-like" to me.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love opening presents on Christmas Day and I love buying a gift for people that I love. I would give up all sorts of stuff to buy all the people I love exactly what they want or need for Christmas. But I feel like we (in general, not specifically) have taken it too far and make it about ourselves.

For instance, if you are hoping your gift is the best one the person receives that year, you are thinking about yourself. If you are wondering if you spent the most on that person, you are thinking about yourself. If you are counting on a thank you note to congratulate yourself on the awesome gift buying, you are thinking about yourself.

Because, is Christmas really supposed to be about presents? Or you? (Side note: And should we really decorate for Christmas before Halloween?)

In my opinion, and I will probably enforce this with my children someday, we should make Christmas less about us and what we will get or give. Instead, make birthdays big and huge and special. Buy the big gifts and make it a big deal - that's a day for you. Christmas is not.

You're thinking I'm a regular bah humbug this year, huh? It's true that I am debating over whether to decorate the house for Christmas, but you may be surprised at how excited I am about getting some of my gift ideas this year for those people I love!

Perhaps I am just getting in the Christmas mode a little later this year.

A White Christmas

Christmas Day was not white in Kansas.

Christmas on January 9th was white.

We celebrated Christmas last night with Hubs' side of the family. We drove through big, fluffy, white snowflakes. It was beautiful and I got my wish.

Maybe Christmas should be moved to January.

Back in the swing, my dentist, & santa

After having a 2-day work week, followed by a 2.5-day work week, coming back and working a full 5-day week takes some readjusting.

First, I had to put on dress clothes after 2 full weeks of lounging. I admit that I couldn't do it on Monday - I cheated and wore jeans. But the last two days, I forced myself into the slacks and skirt and was ready to rip them off by 10am 2pm.

Second, adjusting to waking up early after getting my body used to sleeping in until 7:30am. The first morning, I didn't even consciously realize the alarm had been going off for an hour before finally hearing it and getting out of bed. The second morning, I used a different alarm in conjunction with the normal alarm. That worked a little better. This morning, I missed them both and stood in the bathroom for 5 minutes wishing I could jump back and sleep some more.

Third, our evening schedule needs some work, especially this week. Hubs doesn't have to study anymore so we have lots of free time. Add that with our usual Monday & Tuesday night committments were cancelled leaves Hubs and Feath with too much time and nothing to do.

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Before getting my braces off, Hubs and I made a bet. He said I would have at least 1 cavity, most likely 2. I said I wouldn't have any.

Monday afternoon, Hubs didn't have a patient schedule so I went in for some x-rays - both secretly hoping that I would have a cavity that he could use for his upcoming boards. As he is putting the 50 pound blanket over me which is supposed to protect me from the radiation, we both end up giggling and laughing and cannot stop. Hubs is trying to tell himself to be professional, which makes us laugh even more. I bet you don't have this much fun with your dentist!

He develops the film and....I won! No cavities. Now, if I could just remember what the stakes of our bet were.

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And, some fun pictures of a Christmas game we played (thanks to J'net for the pictures):

Good thing I wore a red shirt!

I was pretty excited about my sack of toys.

My designers.

My competition.

Slow Down!

The past two weeks were a blur, so it was very nice to relax in Kansas and not think about everything that could, should, and would get done when we came back home. I'll admit that the first night home I was overwhelmed with everything. "What is 'everything'?" you ask. It's pretty much life in general, but I will save those details for another post.

Christmas Eve and Day did not feel like Christmas. I blame the fact that I got too anxious at Thanksgiving. I put up my tree and played Christmas music too early this year. By the time Christmas came, the "magical feeling" was gone. That doesn't mean we didn't have a wonderful time, though. I won't go through all our gifts or the details of each day, but here are a few highlights:

The movie we went to on Christmas Day was perfect. We I was momentarily disappointed when we found out Marley and Me was sold out at the first theatre. We did find tickets, however, to an older theatre. This theatre did not have the stadium seating we have all come to love; nor the comfy seats and up-to-date decor. No, this theatre was decked out in a retro-blue color to compliment the peeling off-white walls, the seats were bouncy, and the floor sloped. But, none of us cared because the tickets were $1.50 less than the nicer theatre and there were only about 20 people occupying the teal seats. Enough about the theatre, though. The movie was hands-down one of the best movies we had seen in a long time. Even my brother, the skeptical, pouting, 19-year-old, embarrased to be seen going into a PG family movie, was laughing and enjoying himself. In the end, there was not a dry eye to be found (even I, who never cries at movies, was bawling). A must-see, in my opinion.

The day after Christmas could not have been more beautiful and unexpected. The temperature reached 69 degrees in Kansas City and we walked the plaza without our coats! The plaza lights were pretty and the atmosphere is always fun.

The musical we went to on the day after Christmas was surprisingly good. I wasn't sure what to expect from a kids-musical titled Seussical, but it was great! We laughed and enjoyed the talents of the actors/musicians. It would be a great event for children, as adults were the minority in the theatre, and I have had one of the songs in my head ever since!

The Rook game we played was fun. I am always looking forward to playing card or board games. Sometimes, Richard and I are horrible partners, but we were on a roll and winning each round. We finally lost let my parents win the last hand.

We got back home on Saturday night. It was great to be back in church on Sunday. I hope you have that same feeling about your church. It just feels like you are home, once you are among your church family.

I can't believe 2009 is days away, but I am ready now.

Signing Off - Merry Christmas!

I'm signing off for a few days to enjoy Christmas with our families. It looks like we may have a white Christmas, but I still hope to wake up and see giant snowflakes lightly falling from the sky. Perhaps the road crews here in Nebraska will learn how to clear the roads while we are gone - (THAT's a-whole-nother post).

Merry Christmas to everyone who reads my random ramblings! I hope your Christmas is filled with peace and joy. Have wonderful times with loved-ones and be sure to keep the true reason for Christmas in the forefront: that God sent his beloved son into the world so that He could bring us salvation and eternal life with Him.

Love,

Hubs & Feather

Excitement is mounting!

There is so many reasons to be excited for the upcoming week and here are a few of mine:

Christmas.
I love Christmas and everything about it. Mostly, I love the family-time and the time of remembering Christ's birth. We get to celebrate 2 times this year and I am excited for them both!

Testing Shmesting.
Richard will be done with his final exam in 6 days. Oh man, that will be so great!

Family time.
We are spending 3 full days in Kansas with my side of the family. I am excited to just relax and enjoy time spent with them. We will carol, play games, watch movies, go to a musical, and who knows what else. Plus, mom is making chili - Y-U-M!

And then, we are heading back home to celebrate and spend the day with Hubs's family. I can't wait for that either. Mostly because I pretty much love all the presents I got for people this year and I can't wait for them to open them! Both celebrations are very different; but similar in that we will have a great time full of fun and laughter with people we love.

Friends.
Sarah is coming to town tomorrow and even though I won't see her tomorrow, it is good just knowing she is minutes away. Although, she probably won't be at the other end of her email for our daily correspondance. I can't wait to see her and Brode and Andrew!

Martha and company are coming to town sometime and we get to see them on January 2nd. It has been too long since we've talked and I can't wait to see her and her boys!

Time off.
Thanks to an amazing job, I get the day after Christmas and the day after New Years off! In other words, I get a 5 day weekend followed by a 4 day weekend. Extra, much-needed time with my Hubs, friends, and family.

The anticipation and preparation makes it hard for me to concentrate on working. What are you excited for?

Tasty Tuesday - Raspberry Pinwheels

Raspberry Pinwheels

I made these and gave them out as gifts this year. I put them in mason jars with a red and white striped ribbon around the mouth of the jar to play-up the red and white theme of the cookies. Then I put an adhesive bow on the lid. (I totally stole this idea from a magazine because I am not that creatively smart). Luckily, the cookies actually tasted yummy, too, and weren't too much work. It would have been smart of me to take a picture, because I think they actually turned out kinda cute! Instead, I am showcasing the photo from the magazine.

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks of butter (at room temperature)
1 8oz. block of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (plus extra for workspace)
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 large egg
Turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

Directions
Mix the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix. Gradually add the flour until just combined. Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times. Form dough into 2 1-inch thick squares. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour or so.

Take one of the squares from the fridge and lay out on a floured piece of parchment paper. Roll or form dough into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Hint: the dough works better if it remains somewhat chilled so don't work it a lot). Take half of the jam and spread it over the dough (don't use too much jam). Cut the rectangle 2 times so that you end up with 3 9x4 inch rectangles. Starting with the long end, roll each rectangle into a log. Cover each log with waxed paper and put back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes; OR, you can put these logs into the freezer for up to 2 months.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Take the logs from the fridge and cut into 1 inch slices; place on the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Whip the egg and brush onto the tops of each roll; sprinkle the raw sugar on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Check out more Christmas recipes here:

Brace yourself

Life with braces is quickly coming to an end. A date has been set for the removal and I can't say that I will miss these things. They capture food in very hard places to reach. They change colors depending on what I eat. They poke and rub. And, they give me the appearance of a teenager, instead of a mid-20s adult. The end result, however, should be well worth the past 19 months. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures.

Here are eight things I learned this weekend:

1. Hubs does not eat recipes with any sort of vinaigrette as an ingredient.
2. When making a new recipe for Christmas gifts, bake a trial batch first, to make sure you don't end up with unrecognizable treats. (The second batch turned out beautiful.)
3. Cold wind comes right through our sliding glass door, condenses, and make frost on the INSIDE of our apartment. The result: heater runs nearly non-stop.
4. My allotted Christmas budget is getting slim - and I still have 7 people to buy for.
5. Hubs is sick of studying.
6. I am sick of Hubs studying.
7. I only like changes when I control them.
8. Somewhere along the past week I have lost my Christmas spirit, but hopefully a fun time with friends tonight will bring it back.

Christmas isn't Christmas without...

Everyone has things they must do, eat, see, play during the Christmas season for it to feel right. For me, Christmas isn't Christmas without...


The Carpenter's Christmas CD
To me, it is the sound of Christmas.

The smell of a real Christmas tree
I actually haven't had a real tree in 4 years! It is a must that the Christmas Tree is cut down by us at a farm. I have been improvising with a candle.

An advent calendar
See this post.

Carolling on Christmas Eve
See this post.

The Christmas Story
Read by a member of the family each year on Christmas Day PRIOR to opening presents.

A new ornament
Each year, my mom bought us a new ornament commemorating something special that happened that year. Now, I buy an ornament for us each year for the same reason (this year, a palm tree for our Hawaii trip). Hubs's family also does a new ornament each year so this tradition will be easy to carry on.

Treats
The tastes of Christmas: Almond bark covered pretzels, sugar cookies, green cookies, peppermint lattes, & candy canes.

And Christmas is not Christmas unless there is snow!
This actually hasn't happened for us in many years and it always makes me a little sad. I wish I could get myself to New York just for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

These are the main ones. So tell me, what makes Christmas Christmas for you?