The Grand Tour

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

but wait, I see no chimney there.

Ah, that's right. This house doesn't have a fireplace. The first house I've lived in without a fireplace - not that I ever used it much, but where does one hang your stocking when you don't have a fireplace?

The heater, of course!

For those of you who were curious and for those of you who aren't, I finally had an opportunity to take pictures of the interior of our house - which really means, 'twas a sunny day and not a baby was stirring, ie. Amelia was napping. I spoke not a word, but went straight to work, and tried not to turn like a jerk, or with a jerk - I can never keep that saying straight.

The living room

Now on to the kitchen

which looks into the dining room.

The dining room - which opens to the garage

On to Amelia's room

with antique (but fully functional) chairs for Mom and daughter

and a play cupboard that was made by Amelia's great-grandfather

(which Sharon also played with).

The master bedroom

And the extra bedroom - which is currently the "office"

and Ken's practice room.

In the 2-car garage, we have room for both cars, piles of boxes we still need to sort through, and my favorite part, our "new" washer and dryer.

And just 5-10 minutes walk down the street is this hidden gem,

complete with boat dock!

Well, that's it in a nut-Schnell. If I could figure out how to add audio clips, I would have included the whistle from 1 of the many trains that runs by and the cute little "song" that my washer and dryer play when they're done. Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Christmas Favorites

Favorite Christmas Hymn: Angels We Have Heard on High

Favorite traditions from my youth:

* Christmas day at my Grandma's house with cousins . . . Christmas dinner that included ham, turkey, and Cheetos

* Spending the day (and those around it) putting a puzzle together

* Helping my dad tag Christmas trees to sell

* "Accidentally" waking up the siblings so that we could unwrap presents

* Acting out the nativity, singing songs, and a formal Christmas Eve dinner - with china and candlelight

Favorite Christmas picture of Amelia this year - thanks Richelle :)

Favorite Christmas song: Handel's Messiah

Favorite Christmas story: A Certain Small Shepherd, by Rebecca Caudill

Favorite Christmas treats: eggnog, dilly bread, Lifesaver "books"

Favorite Current Traditions:

* Decorating for Christmas and listening to Christmas music

* Watching "The Nativity" on Christmas Day

* Driving around to see Christmas lights

* Helping Amelia do the nativity advent

* Taking a family picture in front of the tree

Merry Christmas Everyone!

A few happenings

I'd say we're pretty much settled into our new house . . . except that we still don't have pictures on the wall (which is why I haven't taken/ posted any interior house pictures). Of course, the most important part, to Ken, was assembled and used almost immediately. Amelia is getting her first drum lesson - she seems pretty focused, huh?

The other day I tried taking a few pictures of Amelia to "celebrate" her turning 9-months. This isn't a great picture, but it shows her new smile. When I smile like that back to her, she thinks it's the funniest thing. She started teething last week. I knew something was up when she started to get grumpy and clingy. So far, no visual sign of teeth, but all she wants for Christmas is her 2 front teeth :)

Last weekend we went to Portland to visit Ken's parents. Amelia had a great time watching all of Grandpa's TV channels . . .

. . . . and watching Elmo on Sesame Street :)

You Know You're Getting Old When . . .

As previously mentioned, Ken and I went to get our drivers licenses here in the beautiful state of WA. This was not a spur of the moment happening; I had had it on the calendar all week. Just before we finally got called up to get our pictures taken, it dawned on me that my hair wasn't done, I was wearing my glasses, and I had no make-up on. Gone were the days of picking out an outfit specifically for the driver license - ya know, something that didn't clash with the blue background, even though only the collar (if that) shows in the picture. I wasn't about to lose my place in line after waiting for 2 hours, just so that I could run home, put on make-up and do my hair.

My driver license came in the mail today (yes - the mail. They're so high-tech in WA they give you a paper copy of your license on that day and mail you the official one later.). It's obvious I have no make-up on, but I guess I'm getting old, because I just don't care. Besides, that picture will probably more accurately reflect my look with my current occupation :)

Rambling

* Amelia and I have been going for walks in our neighborhood as time and weather permit. 'Tis the season for Christmas decorations, but I found one house that has decorations for every season displayed on their porch: 4th of July, Memorial Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I guess if you always have it up, you don't have to worry about changing it when the season changes.

* At $3.15/gallon, I can't believe how expensive gas is here.

* Ken's palm plant did not survive the move, and neither did one of our succulents. My ficus looks pretty sad, but I keep talking to it and giving it encouragement. Ken bought replacement plants and has strategically placed them in front of my ficus so that it's "sadness" isn't as visible.

* I feel like I have less free time now than I did when I was working full-time. I can't quite figure that one out, but I'm finding it challenging to find time to do work for ABRiO.

* The state of Washington is the first state I've been in where you don't get a new drivers license and license plates in the same office. After a total of 2 1/2 hours of waiting and in-line time, at 2 different offices, Ken and I, and our cars are officially licensed in the state of WA.

Who's Dat?

Hey Mom, who's dat? And how come he has so much hair on his face?

Seriously, who is this guy?

Amelia wasn't so sure about Santa, but she thought it was hilarious when we sang "fa-la-la-la-la la-la la la" at our ward's Christmas party.

First Thanksgiving

Amelia was so excited for Thanksgiving Day. She loved watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - the Sesame Street float was her favorite.

We went to Grandpa Ernie's house for Thanksgiving, which Amelia was excited about, but she was so tired, she slept through dinner. Thank goodness for leftovers - she enjoyed mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes that evening.

On Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went to hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. It didn't take too long before Amelia was all smiles when we found the right tree.

Ken did his manly duties and cut down the tree . . . with tips from his lovely used-to-live-on-a-tree-farm wife.

We got the tree cut down before the sun set and headed home to get it on a stand (decorations and lights to happen later).