"The" New Years Post

So here we are the last day of 2007, rolling into 2008.
The highlights:
I got HITCHED!!
Yeah, I married the most amazing person I've ever met. It still shocks me how much I love him, I don't think I ever knew I was capable of such love. Its been interesting being a wife, learning to balance the house, our relationship and my relationships with everyone around me. Having another family has been nice but difficult at times, you kind of get used to your own families disfunction its weird to learn anothers.

I moved for the last time for a good long while!


Became a homebody for the first time in my life.
This is actually a good thing, this is the first time I've actually felt like I had a home. Its a nice change to love my house and actually feel peaceful in it.

Started living without debt and on a budget.
About 5 days before the wedding I made my last payment on my credit card debt. Our house was bought well within our means so we don't stress on our mortgage payment and have been able to save a tidy amount. Not nearly as much as we wanted but we've also done some big ticket stuff (my camera, our tv, our trips to Chicago and Hershey).

Goals for this year:
Live Simpler-buy less, make more, reuse what I can.
Make time for friends-both mine and Schmoops, stop being such hermits :)
Make time for ourselves-establish a date night for Schmoop and I
take time for a walk every day
Make time for me-Keep going to weight watchers, take time to journal every day
make time for reading bible and praying.
Spiritual-Find a new church closer to our house, do devotions as a couple.
Creatively-Keep working on my photography, writing, various crafts
Personal Goal-Finish all my Doula books, Doula training class and volunteer at a pregnancy center.


Thats about all I got.

Fun with Photoshop

this becomes this


There are still some things I want to play with but you get the point :)

Christmas in Pictures

My Gracie and her sock monkey :)
Mason, Willow and Meggie
Hannah and her cool new drum set
Schmoop and I (can you see my pretty new diamond sparklies!) at the Nutcracker.
Hmm I wonder what Schmoop got me :)

Oh good grief is she not ADORABLE!!!!
Grand Auntie Kristi with Willow and Aiden
Willow
Aiden

Merry Christmas!!

So I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Schmoop and I did.
We spent the whole weekend with our family and finally about 5pm last night we were all alone. It was our first married Christmas and once again I was struck with how much I love this man. He is so incredibly perfect for me its ridiculous, and he is so thoughtful and sweet. I can't wait for many many more years with him.
Yesterday we went over my parents house in the morning and I brought over 5 of the sock monkeys that I started on Saturday, who decides 3 days before Christmas that she's going to make sock monkeys for her ridiculously huge family. We had other presents for the kids but it turned out that they LOVED the sock monkeys. I will post some pictures later.
Afterwards we went to a family friends and back to our house for dinner with Schmoops family. It was wonderful and VERY low stress. His mother got me a ridiculous amount of stuff including a velour track suit which (I'm ashamed to admit) I'm wearing right now along with a pair of slippers that she gave me. Yes, I'm at work. We gave our niece Hannah a drum set and it was so cute watching her go to town on it. I haven't finished her sock monkey yet, but I'm working on it. We had a very nice, very low key holiday; it was perfect.
All in all it was a lovely Christmas with me and the hubs.

Make the Pledge

About as "adult" as I'm going to get

So for some reason when Schmoop and I got married I figured I had to grow up and be responsible in some areas of my life. It was my goal to be debt free of any personal debts before the wedding (I had a car payment and a rather sizable credit card issue); I conquered this with about 2 weeks to spare. I'm now resolved to not be in the position to purchase things that I can't afford outright and also to be wise about purchases even if I can afford them.
Well it turns out this responsibility thing extends beyond debt. I finished my wedding and shower thank you cards well within the "standard" time frames. We keep our house reasonably neat and tidy, just don't look this week we haven't been home much and its a zoo. I just finished mailing out Christmas cards to family and friends, they turned out well with a wedding picture and a scripture that we picked out that was appropriate. I've always been a buyer of Christmas cards never an actual sender outer of them but apparently the Suzie Homemaker in me said "you know what I appreciate getting them then I should in turn give them". I'm now tackling issues of tipping the mailman and the garbage guys, does anyone still do this?
I've always been of the frame of mind that I would never grow up and to some extent I'm sure that is true of both Schmoop and I. I do, however, feel the need to treat others as I would want to be treated and try to prefer them whenever possible. This requires a certain bit of responsibility and planning, which are completely not my strong suits so we'll see.
I'm just proud that my Christmas cards are going out and should hit before Christmas, we'll take this other "adult" stuff as it comes.

Update on Emmie

So I first introduced you to Emmie last month asking for prayers. She has been basically throwing up since the beginning of October and the doctors don't know what to do. My heart breaks for Emmie and also her family as they sit by her at CHOP (childrens hospital of Penn). Schmoop and I went to visit her and she was just so wiped out, she did open her eyes for a little bit and give us a little wave but all in all the poor girl is just worn out from all her little body has been through. Her arms bear the scars of many many IV pricks and she has just lost so much weight from all the throwing up. Its very frustrating for everyone because the doctors can't figure out whats going on in her little body. Her mom was telling me that the doctor will just start crying because he doesn't know what he can do to help. If you could make Emmie and her family your Christmas prayer that God will heal her and give her family peace through this whole situation.
Its so easy to get caught up in all the gift buying and parties but please remember that there are people out there that need our prayers, kind words and actions; it is the true meaning of this season. I would encourage you to look around you and see if there is someone that you think could use some extra encouragement, maybe a kind note, a smile. Mostly I just ask your prayers for sweet Emmie.
Merry Christmas,
Dirkey

Violated

So today I left the house same as normal. Rushing out half hour late, set the alarm pull the door behind me do a second shove to make sure its secure. I drove to work like normal and got there and started up my computer and got a call from the alarm company that someone had broken in the front door.
I just got home and checked the house with Schmoop and it looks as if nothing was taken but don't you know we are going to jack up our alarm system. If you sneeze in the front yard it will call the freaking cops.
Try me punks.

Updated Pics of the little guys

So I stole this from their Auntie Alicia but holy cow they are so cute!!
Here are the twins without the hookups!
Man I miss them!!

Recap

So this weekend went pretty well, our house more than doubled in occupants. It was an interesting peek into parenting I had alot of thoughts as to what we would do and we did about 2 of the 10 things we were supposed to. Schmoop and I wanted to go to Kitten Mom's Christmas party but the kids were a little funny about going somewhere they didn't know the people (to tell the truth I was a little nervous cause they have a very nice house and bringing three kids into a house where Schmoop broke something last year kind of gave me anxiety.) Besides that we were going to make a gingerbread house and just got to the gingerbread (spilled one of the trays in the bottom of the oven). We worked on the tree skirt and finished the masthead but mostly just hung around and spent time together.

loverly

We just finished my new masthead, what do you think?
The creepy little elf was from antique shopping in Hershey last weekend, apparently I'm the only one who likes elves anymore. I bought one but this little guy I left on the shelf so I'm glad he's got his new place on the blog. The picture is an old one from when I used to live in the woods. The smarts to put it together are from my sweet Schmoop :)
The font of course is from Erika who downloaded a kajillion fonts for me yesterday. Suwheet..

Weekend O' Fun

My good friend Anne and I have always done this thing that I take her kids when they go away for their anniversary. She has three kids and we started it when they were just little guys (her son Doug was in the Sunday School class I used to teach when he was three). We still do this now her kids are all older, Dougie is in junior high her daughter Erika is 16 and her daughter Jenna is a little younger than Dougie. Its kind of funny because we all look forward to this weekend, we do alot of Christmas stuff and just generally enjoy being with each other. Since I married Jason he has kind of just mixed right in and the kids love being with him too. I'm looking forward to it because Erika and I have alot of similar interests; photography, vegan stuff, sewing, html. I'm going to make her help me redesign my logo tonight for something much more Christmassier so keep an eye out for some changes. I also have found some fun stuff to make it a little bit more classy.
Some things on deck for this weekend; finish decorating house, baking cookies, sewing aprons, making bath salts for gifts, getting some other crafts and making them, video games (for the boys), Christmas movies, sleeping in, etc.
I can't wait!!

Babies!

So my niece looked like this on Monday
Then she had these two little ones (a boy and a girl)

the little girl looks so much like my niece when she was a baby. At least in my memory (I was 8 when she was born).

Little boy looks like his daddy and one of my nephews

now I'm grand.. a grand aunt that is :)

Me and the grand uncle in Hershey
Congrats Niecey

Such a baby

My arm is achy where they drew blood... waaaaa....

Hershey Park Happy!!

So December 2nd, 2005 Jason and I had our first "official" date. I used to work with his brother and about 4 years before his brother had said "Hey, I have a brother that you would be good for"; to which I replied "Thats ok set ups are creepy". Schmoop started working with me as well and we became friends; we went to see Dave Matthews together, some movies and even up to NYC during Christmastime. I went away on Thanksgiving 2005 and realized that I missed him, it was then I kind of figured out that I liked him more than a friend. Later I found out that he was kind of figuring it out as well.
Our "first" date was at Hershey Park to see the Sweet Lights and walk around the park. I am a Christmas nut and love all things Christmas and hello throw chocolate in there and what more can you ask for?!?! Jason was living in VA and drove up to take me there. Then every weekend after that either he would come up here or I would go down there to visit. Until he finally moved up in September of 2006, we were talking about marriage by then and we were waiting till he found a job up here. Then when he did we were waiting to find a house, then we did the end of last November. So I know the proposal is coming up because we wanted to get married on St. Patricks Day and we set out to Hershey Park for our Anniversary date. Jason was the most tired I've ever seen him and we start driving in the wrong direction figure it out and turn around; we drive up right as the park was closing. We got to go through the Sweet Lights and went to get Hot Chocolate. The whole park is closing down so I start to get bummed cause I really thought it would be there, then he takes me aside and gets down on one knee and asked me to marry him in front of a whole set up of white twinkle lights. It was perfect and it has been a year and I'm so happy I said yes to the man of my dreams!
Needless to say Hershey is a special place for the two of us and we arranged for a weekend getaway for our 2 year anniversary this weekend. I CAN'T STINKING WAIT!!!!

Update on Drs Appt

So I went to the doctors and was telling him about whats going on and he thinks its some type of thyroid issue. He gave me like a bajillion blood tests so we should know on Monday in the meantime he gave me a prescription that should fix the symptom of whats going on.
I went home and went to bed at 5pm; hmm maybe he's right...

Doctors Appt

Hey Internets,
I have a doctors appointment for a problem I've been having for about 2 months. If you can keep me in your thoughts and prayers today, I'm pretty nervous about it.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Dirkey

blech

tired

Sliding in under the deadline

I signed up for an apron swap a little bit ago and got a fellow blogger who just happened to be a vegetarian. Well I was all gung ho on sewing at this point so I made a few aprons before and started on a Christmas Tree Skirt for my tree with Kitten Mom and Sweetie pants Drew

you see here I was already getting ahead of myself, I had about 10 projects at home and started a big one. But I was learning from Kitten Mom who has already made a gorgeous tree skirt for her house and is working on her second for a gift. (Girl just had a baby and is already making gifts for others, insane!!). So my ADD self got into the tree skirt big time until it was time for Thanksgiving.
Then I was all about setting a pretty table with my china and making some freaking good food!

So tonight I realized that I have to send the apron tomorrow... as in not today, tomorrow! CRAP....
But Schmoop and his twin were busy with the game so I got all domesticated and made some Snickerdoodles and the much awaited apron. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, I love the peas since she's a veggie too. I'm improving bit by bit with this sewing stuff and I like it!!!

Finally the Snickerdoodles


Snickerdoodles-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
Blend Together
Separately stir together
2 3/4 cups flour
2 Tsp Cream of Tartar
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Salt
Once blended mix in with the wet ingredients. Form walnut size balls and roll into a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes. Mmmmmm :)