Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

 It's the fifth night of Hanukkah and it's a very un-Hanukkah moment right now, lol. My house is a mess, I have tater tot hotdish baking and the Christmas tree is sagging in my dining room. But at least the menorah is shined up and ready for another lighting :)
 I dislike real Christmas trees. The only good thing is the wonderful smell of them. Otherwise they suck. I have pine needles all over my floor that no matter how many times I sweep, they are there. And it's dead. I mean sagging, greyish, and just blah. And the ornaments are put up halfway on it so that my cats and children leave them alone, lol. It's pathetic and no I refuse to take any photos of it. Definitely getting a fake tree next year.
 So like I said before, it's the fifth night of Hanukkah, prepping for the nightly gift opening. The kidlets get a gift each to open every night for eight nights. It's great. And then on Christmas day (tomorrow) they get the one big gift we got them and then the gifts that all of our relatives and friends got for them.
 What really makes this holiday awesome is that my cousin and his girl-friend are over here from Montana. It has been so much fun having them here and makes it feel a lot like home just because it's like a piece of Montana came with them :  ) We are having so much fun and everything seems so much nicer and better now.
 I'm making this a short bit because I have some goodie to bake, some laundry to fold and we have some gifts to open. Maybe you'll get lucky and I will post a photo or two : )
 Have yourself a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad and Happy Kwanza! Lost of love from my family and I to you and yours!

Almost There!

 Two weeks until Christmas day. Nine days until Hanukkah begins. Am I ready? Of course not! LoL. The biggest procrastinator is STILL on top of things : D But thanks to a awesome site, I found a few last minute gifts that make me feel so good about being that much closer to being done.

  Do you ever find yourself trying hard to be merry and joyful during this season and anything little can dampen your spirits? I've been avoiding people a lot lately. Between work and trying to find time for my family, I don't have any time to spare, and when I do, the last thing I want to do, is deal with drama or crap. I found out a few of my so-called friends, avoid me and don't want to hang out with me because of my children. Innnnteresting....Yes people, I am a mother, and yes people I do cherish what little time I have with my children so they do tend to hang with me. One day, you will understand. I know that I have people out there judging me and every little thing I do or say. They are quick with the excuses or reasons why they do it, but I, try not to give them a second thought. Maybe the only thing they have going for them is thinking they are better than most, I don't know, all I know, is I pretty much don't care but pity you. And I truly don't care what you wish people greetings wise during this month. I'll say happy holidays if I want to and if you don't life it pffffffft on you. 

 I'm going to be honest and admit that right now, I'm having some pretty awful thoughts. I know I'm not the only one to go through this so I'm not ashamed. So I was going to make all my Christmas gifts this year. But then I found some great deals and some awesome websites (www.gummylump.com and no they didn't pay me to advertise that) and found a lot of neat stuff for my nieces, nephews, friend's kids, etc... that I just had to get. Realistically, I'm on a budget so I decided most of the adults I know won't be getting anything but their kids at least will. No offense to the adults I know but if you are a decent parent, I know you will understand. But I have some relatives that no matter what holiday it is, we get the chintziest gifts. It's like they try really hard not to spend anything and it was probably a gift given to them many years ago. Do you ever find yourself shopping for people and knowing they either won't do a thing for you or if they do, it was probably out of a guilty conscience that they even gave something to begin with. The whole, well I can't NOT get you something because you did get something for me theory? I'm not perfect so sometimes, I have a hard time wanting to do thing for some people. I try to be friendly with them, not getting much back, try to bite my tongue and not be cruel to them or about them to others, and then when it comes to this season I begin asking myself, I know the purpose of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus, God giving us Him, Jesus' love and so on and so forth, but man, can't I leave some people out? It's hard. Don't act like you never had a thought like this either, I bet some of you ARE like my crazy aunt Beth  ; ) "Here's a can of Campbell's soup, Merry Christmas, oh and thank you for that awesome 53 1/3 inch flat screen hi-def tv!!!" It frustrates me but I guess I just have to do what I always do, bite my tongue, push away the ugly feelings, and do it because it's what God would do for me. Sometimes, it's difficult trying to be decent though...

 Today I was blessed to have a day off from all my jobs and so I put on my footie pajamas with some funky panda bears on them (not my ideal choice but as it was the last pair left....)and sit and watch a few Veggietale movies and drink hot chocolate with the kidlets and husband. I love lazy days, especially since I only get one a week. In between working any of my four jobs, I have been working out here at home, cleaning my house, working on Bug's various school work-Awana-Christmas play stuff, and dealing with the holidays. I really wish we had an eight day week with 26 hours in a day. That would be so helpful! Crazy is just an understatement around here.  

 And if you think I have holiday music blaring around here, not yet. I went out and bought the first CD that I've bought in years, and it was Adele's cd. I love her music! I can't believe I bought it but I did. And if you haven't heard her or listened to her cd yet. Well you're probably crazy, out of touch with the world, orrrr have a really bad taste in music. Just sayin'....And kidding of course : )

 Before I go, I must post a few pictures. We visited Santa a week ago and it was pretty fun. Bean didn't really care for the guy but he put up with a few pictures. And Bug was ecstatic. I don't know why, she knows he wasn't real...

And then we did the yearly family photos. The ones that will not only grace our gorgeous Christmas cards but also my family wall as well. What do you think? 

 Out of all the years, so far, this one is my favorite. We only do one family picture a year so it's really awesome to see how we all change and grow. Maybe next year I'll have short hair...Don't count on it, lol.
 Anyways, hope everyone is having a great weekend! I'm off to finish a great day by shopping for dinner and food stuffs for the week and read a really good book. 

And It's On!

 We put our tree up last night. Well, actually, the Husband did while I was at work. He left off the ornaments and decorations but at least got it up. The kidlets have been running around ever since, really excited about having it up finally, and my house doesn't seem so bare now. I told the kidlets they get to stay up a little later tonight so that when I get off of work, we can put the decorations up together.

 Growing up, we ever had any traditions. So creating traditions with my kidlets is so important to me. One of our traditions is our yearly ornaments. Everybody gets a new ornament from Hallmark each year. And as we hang them up, we talk about that year's Christmas. It's quite nice and makes us appreciate the memories more. 

 Tomorrow after I get off of work, we get to drive down to Minot and get our family pictures done. Later than I liked but life got crazy and busy and I forgot. We only do family pictures once a year so when it is time, I get really excited for them. I like seeing how my family is changing, the kidlets are growing another year older, and putting another picture up on our wall which is yet one more year for us, together : ) That's always a wonderful accomplishment. One I never hold for granted either. 

 We got some possible good news the other day. Abel finally, FINALLY, got fitted for his contact lens. It will supposedly be here in a week. And supposedly, the railroad wants to put him back to work right back as a student engineer. I'm not supposed to get my hopes up but really? How can I not? 

 So. How is everyone else doing with the holiday season? I like to wish people "Happy Holidays". I got sassed at for doing that. Let me remind everyone, my family celebrates two holidays. And this year they fall at the same time. So on the day we celebrate Christmas, we are also still celebrating Hanukkah. I am so over the lectures of how rude I am to not wish someone a Merry Christmas. Really?! Okaaaay....Don't let me trip over your ego trip but umm when was the last time someone actually wished me a Happy Hanukkah? Never mind the fact that everyone knows I'm Jewish and all. Ugh. Sometimes, Christians are the ones to make the biggest issues out of nothing. Everyone is supposed to do it their way, give them respect, and watch what they say or do around them but when do things go the other way?

  I have a friend who judges and criticizes everything everyone does to him and says it strictly out of love and according to God. He's better than anyone. Does everything better. And God forbid someone do something different than they do. But when someone approaches this guy, to tell him he's being an asshole rude or doing something not cool, you are a jerk and get them silent treatment for a few weeks. What would you do? Because I have done the whole "tell them how you feel" thing, and he called me dramatic. I. Am only slightly dramatic thankyouverymuch. And I. Am also honest. Straightforward. I annoy people because sometimes, I call them out on stuff. If I, or anyone else, come to you telling you that you have done something to hurt my (their) feelings, upset me (or them), or generally just pissed me (or them) off, at least apologize and be a big enough person to try to fix things. Brushing a person off is pathetic. And not changing anything is too. When I say something to you, and try to talk to you about how I feel, I really do it because I care. If I don't care about someone, I don't try to talk to them or get very personal at all. I keep a distance because you bug me to pieces but because I know nothing will change, I keep my distance. I have lots of friends. Some who even read this. But. Very close friends who I tell everything to or feel I can approach in an honest straightforward way? Not a lot. But in that category it is more about quality than quantity. 

 WIth that said, my first honest post is done. I'm going to begin my laundry and dishes so that I can get my child from school and get ready for work. Ugh work. We had a wonderful debate on that subject a few days ago. Welfare and work and being a mother and such. I impressed a lot of people older than me on my views on all of the above. I'd probably piss a lot off on here, lol. 

 So people, time to jet. Have a fabulous day!