The Week in Photos

cats explore mom's house/ Nativity

cats in chairs/ Waffle Shop and their tree/ Indian Pavilion yum

Hux on a bookshelf/ gift tags/ leftovers/ sink kitty

nice/ stockings hung by the chimney/ local dairy egg nog and ice cream

PA morning/ wreath/ holiday flowers/ Canada hat

me in 1995/ ingredients/ train station picking up little brother/ snow!

tree at night/ holly lights/ I made dinner/ night walks

attire/ cookie/ inappropriate footwear/ nails

busy Wegmans/ PA scene/ tea and reading/ shuffleboard with friends

morning light/ Hobbit x2/ me, Isaac, Erica/ recipe

jello/ booties/ cake pops/ Steelers game

baking Joelle's cookies/ brothers/ tasty cookies/ always read comics at home

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Christmas Finger Jello

I was browsing The Pioneer Woman's website yesterday and came upon this recipe for Christmas finger jello. It looked simple enough, though time consuming, so I decided to take a few hours Sunday morning to make it. It is very easy to make and certainly looks very festive! The only reason it takes a long time is because you have to let each layer set for 15-20 minutes before adding the next (and I did all nine layers). It is light, tasty and fun. You could do this with any jello flavors/colors, for whatever occasion (I'm thinking red, white and blue for a cool July 4th treat); the white cream layers in between allow for the colors to be particularly distinct. It is also fun to eat a piece layer by layer, in a particularly childlike manner. :)

so much jello

And the final product...

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Holly Jolly State College

Some holiday scenes from around here...

We've been enjoying some State College eateries, doing some gift shopping, and hanging out with family. We got a bit of sleet and snow yesterday! with more on the way; maybe it will be a white Christmas.  My youngest brother arrives from school today, Kyle and I are hanging out with friends tomorrow evening, and once Christmas eve hits, things will get busier- more people gradually arriving (sister on the 25th, Canadians on 27th), we'll take a 24h trip to Pittsburgh to visit Kyle's family, and it's my mom's Christmas birthday, and brother's 21st on the 27th!

- From the desk of Mrs. M

What I'd Wear

We should get back in TX on the 30th, and we have no specific New Years plans (maybe going to Austin?). So while I may end up in pajamas, watching the ball drop on TV and forcing my cats to dance with me, here are my outfit ideas for if I a) decided to buy a whole new outfit for the occasion and b) we actually had plans. 

Modcloth dress/ anthropologie tights/ ShoeMint shoes/ Stella & Dot ring/ Kate Spade studs/ Modcloth cardigan

Modcloth dress/ anthropologie tights/ American Eagle shoes/ J Crew ring/ Stella & Dot necklace/ Modcloth cardigan

- From the desk of Mrs. M

The Week in Photos

dinner/ most amazing candle/ Christmas crafting/ packages to send to friends

packing nail polish/ ice cream with Bailey's/ D/ H

napping in my arms

more crafting/ holiday dress for $13!/ squinty miss D

documentary/ oven burn/ D napping under the tree/ breakfast & lunch

the craziest old Christmas movie/ our gifts/ Hux investigating/ bread maker!

quote/ trees/ outing/ The Hobbit

gift for Kyle/ amazing candle/ dot T/ IHOP

packing/ kittens fo free!/ new litter box/ D in Kyle's pants

shoes/ blazer and cardigan packing/ last run outside/ more pants sleeping

 On the road to PA! Louisiana lunch stop/ travel attire/ cats loooved this chair at the hotel/ hotel breakfast

foggy Alabama morning/ travel champs/ Virginia skies/ tree at moms house

- From the desk of Mrs. M

A Year at Home

Every relationship has its important dates. The day you started dating (April 16,2008  around 1am), the day you got engaged (December 21, 2010 around 1 am...this is the first time I noticed that. I can assure you it was not planned on his part!), the day you get married (March 7, 2011, a Monday morning), and then if you're as cool weird as us, the day you had your wedding party (June 15, 2012, 4pm). For those of us in the military, we also have other days. Days when our soldiers get back from deployment (and days when we have to say goodbye, but those are not the fun dates I'm talking about). Sometimes we don't know what day a redeployment will be until a day or two before. But these are also special days. I was lucky enough to get my husband back right before Christmas last year (December 18, 2011, around 3am). Why do I have a sneaking suspicion our kids will be born in the wee hours of the night? ;)

This year is the longest we've lived in the same town since high school (graduation 2006). I've more than once found myself saying or thinking, "so this is what it feels like," to have a "normal" relationship. Even if our normal includes a constant threat of another deployment, I'd take a normal day with my husband over an extraordinary day with anyone else, any time.*

Check out the video I took last year of Kyle's redeployment ceremony. Or don't. It's mostly shouting and marching and flag waving.

- Mrs. M

*Maybe unless that means a normal day is driving for 12+ hours with unhappy cats for a couple days. Never again!

Hobbit Day

Kyle and I are dorks, and as such, we (I) bought us tickets to a Saturday morning viewing of The Hobbit a week early (no way it would sell out, but still), and planned to go to Denny's before the film (they have that new "Hobbit-inspired" menu). The Denny's in town, however, was permanently closed on December 2nd, as we learned when we drove up, saw no cars there and read the sign on the door. So we went to IHOP instead, then sent some Christmas gifts off, and then arrived at the theater, nice and early. This was our first time at the new theater in Belton, and it is way, way better than the one at the Temple mall (that smells of urine in the hall and has screens too small for the movies they project). This theater has a full cafe with Starbucks beverages; the special of the week is tilapia. But anyway, the movie was really good. The music was perfect, as always, and I don't think the movie dragged at all, which I'd been hearing. I won't say any more for those who haven't seen the film and wish to, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In light of recent events, this quote from the movie spoke loudly to me. 

The full quote I believe is: "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage."

- From the desk of Mrs. M