Christmas: Part 2 (and part of the new year)

Well- I intended to do this before the end of the year.  Obviously that didn't happen.

I went to Mississippi to visit my stepmom's family.  We had an awesome beach house.

I made a Christmas tree out of some of our empty cans.

I got tremendously sick.  It started the second day we got to the beach.  At first I thought I might be allergic to the beach.  :)  That was on Dec 21st, and I still have some remnants of whatever it was that I caught.  It seems like my whole office has it too, so we are probably just passing it back and forth.

There was a pretty sunset.

On Christmas eve, my sister was in a play at church at the 6:00 service.  Then, I played flute in the 11:00pm service.  I thought I might die due to my lungs being on fire from coughing.  But I didn't- which is good.  The music minister accidentally called me up too early in the service, so I ran up there with my flute and then had to sit in the choir loft with the choir.  That was really weird.  I don't like sitting up where everyone can see you.  It is hard to sit still! Then the acolyte forgot to get a candle for the end of the candlelight service, so the preacher had to take mine and give to the little girl. 

I loved this little countdown to Christmas.  My cousin was selling stuff as a school fundraiser, and this was in the catalog.

I was contemplating waiting to catch you up on everything else that has happened since Christmas, but that may or may not happen anytime soon, so I thought I should just do it now.

My friend Ashley had a few people over for New Year's Eve.  We played a bunch of movie related games that I really stink at, such as Scene It and Shout it Out.  I am terrible at remembering movie lines or movie titles or movie scenes.  So if you want to beat me at a game- that is what we should play.  I made some cookies that I was too embarrassed to take a picture of.  They were supposed to look like patchwork mittens.  Normally when I try to roll out dough, it always sticks to the counter or wherever I'm rolling it out.  So I think I went a little overboard this time.  It didn't stick to the counter, but then I couldn't get the different "patches" to stick together!  It was so much trouble, especially when I tried to get the stuff in the right shape and use the mitten shaped cookie cutter.  I ended up just smashing some of the patches together and calling them quilts!  haha.  In the cookbook that I used, the patches were nice pastel colors.  Well- mine ended up looking like playdough!  It was not my most appetizing cookie venture.  I thought they looked like a kindergarden art project, especially when I added the edible glitter on the top of them!  They tasted ok, but they didn't all get eaten.  I took the leftovers to work, and I think people there were a little hesitant to try them until I told them they weren't playdough!

My Razorbacks won against Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl!  I had some girls over to watch the game.  We were supposed to be having a meeting anyway to make cards for the card ministry, so I suggested that we meet at my house.  I was not going anywhere that did not have a tv! Luckily the Razorbacks pulled out a win.  I decorated my house for the party.

Woo pig sooie!  The basketball Hogs also won last night.  It was a good weekend for Hog fans.

I started making a valentine's day wreath.  Hopefully I will get it finished before long.  Here's a picture of what I have so far:

So far I'm doing pretty well on my New Years Intentions.  I've been to work on time more days than not, I exercised yesterday, and I made a new recipe yesterday.  Hopefully I'll be on time to work tomorrow since it's my first day of going in an hour early!  I'm sure going to try my best, but I think this new schedule is going to take a little while to get used to!