24 Question Christmas Survey

20 Question Christmas Survey

 
I saw this survey on couple different blogs and thought it would be fun to do. I need all the help I can get to get out of my blog funk that I've been in for a few months.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? For the kids I like to use wrapping paper because it's more fun. For the adults they usually get gift bags.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I'm very particular about my tree so I use an artificial tree. When Jake gets older we will probably get a real tree for the experience of cutting down or own tree.



3. When do you put up the tree? I put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving.



4. When do you take the tree down? I take my tree down the week of the New Year.


5. Do you like eggnog? I'm not sure.



6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my cabbage patch kid



7. Do you have a nativity scene? No I do not but I would like one. I do have a Christmas village.





8. Hardest person to buy for? This year my family decided to only buy for the kids but in years past my Mom was the hardest.



9. Easiest person to buy for? My Niece Jessica



10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I don't send out Christmas cards. I should and I want to but I never have enough time.



11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of anything. Any gift to me is great.





12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf



13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?  I still haven't started but all I have to buy for is Jake and my Nieces and Nephew so I'm not too worried about it.



14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope.



15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies cookies cookies



16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? White lights.



17. Favorite Christmas song? I don't have a favorite


18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?We are heading to my Aunts house in Becker. 



19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? No



20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I have a bow on the top




21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?Christmas morning




22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Nothing I love everything about the holiday season.



23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? I stick to a theme. Last year my tree was silver, baby blue and blue. This year it's red, lime green and white.


24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I just want Jake to have a great Christmas. 

Cookies With Santa

Every year NAPVI  (National Association for the parents of visually impaired children) hosts an event called Cookies with Santa. This is their 3rd annual event and our 3rd time. This is a great place for Jake to get to be with kids just like him and for us to talk with other parents. Jake also gets a chance to meet Santa without the long lines. They had Santa, reindeer rides, crafts, food and gifts for the kids. Jake was a little wild because he didn't get much sleep the night before. All he really wanted to do was run around and explore which is just fine. We had a hard time getting him to want to sit on Santa's lap but we did get a good family photo. It was a really nice time and great to see all the parents and kids. Here are a few pictures from the day. I didn't get many because I was busy running around after Jake. Check out his first Cookies with Santa here.

Family Photo

Jake and Santa

Jake reading his book he got from Santa

Jake's friend Emily. She is such an amazing little girl. She always makes us laugh. 

Jake loved listening to the kids sing.

Family Dinner

Since we don't always get to spend Thanksgiving together ever year my family and I always get together the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year my Step Mom Martha planned make your own quesadilla's. We had a nice time chatting, playing games and taking our yearly family pictures. Here are some pictures from the evening.

The boys are finally to the age where they love playing together

They are so fun to watch

Grandpa giving leah ice cream

Yummy! Thank you Grandpa!

Tony tickling Jake

My Sister Tracy and the kids

Wrestling 

Grammy and Grandpa with the grand kids. 

I can't believe how fast they are all growing up. 

Family picture. Take 100

Take 101

I'm blessed to have such a wonderful family. Hopefully someday we can add another little one to our group. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful day. I don't know about you all but I am STUFFED!! B, Jake and I went over to my Grandma and Grandpa's today for an early Thanksgiving dinner. My Grandma out did herself and cooked an amazing meal. I haven't eaten like that in so long I could barely move. Jake was such a good boy today and B actually felt pretty good. Although this past year has been very hard for my family and me I have a lot to be thankful for. Here is a list of what I am thankful for.

1. My Family. I was blessed with the most amazing family. I'm lucky to have an amazing partner that puts up with my crazy ass and a son that I would die for. They make my life worth living. I am also very thankful for the rest of my family. They have been 100% supportive with everything that I have done in my life. Without them I would be lost. 
2. My Friends. I have a lot of wonderful friends and I thank God every day to have them.
3. My Job. I've talked about how much I love my job before but I don't think you understand how much of a blessing it was that I found it when I wasn't even really looking. With B being out on disability I don't know how we would survive if I didn't have my job. I also love working for a company that makes me feel like they really care about me. 
4. Words with Friends. I know this is silly but I love this game and it's fun. So there. 
5. Metro Therapy. My son has been attending Metro Therapy since he was 6 months old. He has sensory therapy there and speech therapy. I feel that they are partly the reason why Jake is doing so well. They were there for me when I was a lost parent to a 6 month old visually impaired child. Since he started speech he's gone from basically NO words to almost talking in sentences. 
6. My health. After watching B struggle for so long with his health I have to take time to thank God for making me healthy so that I can take care of my family. 
7. TV. Enough said
8. God. I am thankful for his guidance and strength through all our difficult times. 

I want to say that I am also thankful for all my blogger friends that I have met over the years. I enjoy reading all your blogs and hope that you enjoy reading mine. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

Happy Birthday Leah Jo!!

I few weeks ago my Niece Leah celebrated her 1st Birthday. My Brother and Sister in law put together a nice little get together. Here are some pictures from Leah's big day. I forgot my camera so I took all these with my camera phone. Some are a little blurry.

Leah with her B-day cake

Great Grandma Joan and Leah

Leah's cake

Eating her B-day dinner

Opening Presents

Jake stepped in front of the camera and said CHEESE

Leah opening her gifts

How cute is this hat???

Happy Saturday!

The top 10 things that made me happy this week

1. Jake. I know that he always makes my list but this week he made me extra happy. He started signing the itsy bitsy spider song to B and I looked at him and realized how happy he makes us. He keeps me strong through everything. I know that he is the reason I get up every morning. He is the reason I can hold it together when everything else feels like it's falling apart. 

2. B. B and I did a lot of talking this week. I look at him and wonder how a person could go through everything he goes through and all the pain he is in and still be strong. I know there are times when I think he is impossible but I don't think I could ever go through what he has gone through. It truly has strengthened our relationship. I pray everyday that he will get better and finally have the health that he deserves. 

3. Work. Although my work is very stressful right now I feel blessed to have a job that I love and work for a company that I feel truly cares about me and my family. This week I did a lot of interviews and hired 2 new people and that makes me happy. 

4. My neighborhood. B and I moved into our house a little over a year ago. We were very lucky to find a great neighborhood. I feel pretty close to a lot of my neighbors and with everything we are going through they have been there for us. Today someone brought my garbage can up. Even something small like that puts a big smile on my face. 

5. Marianne's Kitchen. This is a little deli by my work that I love. I think I ate there 2 times this week. I get the same thing everything time. A turkey sandwich on wheat with lettuce, tomato, onions and special sauce. I don't know what it is about this place but I love it. Everything in the deli is homemade. Yummy!

6. My co-worker George. I work at a family owned hardware store. We have 16 locations. George is a sales associate that works in the store below our corporate office. George is 84 years old and has been with our company for 16 years. This week channel 5 came out and did a story on George and aired it on the local news. The story was about working way past retirement age. George is just an all around good guy. He always has something nice to say and people come in the store just to see him. I feel blessed to have met such a great guy and I am happy that I get to work with him. 

7. My car. Last weekend I drove up north 2.5 hours to visit my good friend Dani. I filled up my gas tank before I left. That same tank of gas got me up to her house and back. Plus back and forth to work all week and up to Stacy(35 minutes) and back today. It is so nice to finally have a car that gets pretty good gas mileage and that I actually like to drive. 

8. Scarf Swap. My scarf swap partner finally got her package. Check it out Kassie and I had an address mix up and the package that I originally sent to her got returned so she didn't get her package until today. She loved it and that makes me very happy.

9. Jake and Gizmo. B and I noticed this week that Jake and Gizmo have become bff. This has taken almost 3 years. Gizmo wanted nothing to do with Jake until recently. Now they play together and rough house. It's fun to watch and I'm glad that Giz finally came around. 

10. Fruity Cheerio's. If you haven't tried them yet you need to go out and buy them tomorrow. They taste just like fruit loops but they are only 110 calories per serving. Lately this has been my dinner because Brent can't really eat much and I haven't been making dinner. 

Sorry this was a long top 10 but I have a lot to say. I guess that's what happens when you don't blog for a while. 

Happy Halloween

I am a little behind in blogging. This fall hasn't been the best for blogging for me. I'm trying to catch up..

This year Jake was an Angry Bird. I figured this would be the last Halloween that I would be able to dress him up all cute. I'm sure next year when he understands more he will want to be a super hero or something. Jake had a Halloween party at daycare during the day and then after dinner I took him out around the neighborhood. Jake and I were really bummed because B was sick and in the hospital but we did send him pictures.

I wheeled Jake from house to house so he wouldn't get tired. He loved it!!

He knocked on every house and said "TRICK OR TREAT". It was adorable.

My neighbor Aleta snapped a couple pictures for us. 

Jake trying to open get in for some candy.


Jake and I had a really nice time together. He figured out how to open the candy. Half way down the street I looked back and he was eating his candy. Once he realized that he got candy by saying trick or treat he was all in to it. 

Scarf Swap

It's been a long time since I've blogged and I have a lot to catch up on but I really wanted to make this blog about the AWESOME Scarf Swap that Krysten hosted. Every once in a while Krysten will host these really cool swaps and this is my second time participating. I met Krysten a couple months back at a blogger meet up and she is just as amazing IRL as she is on her blog.

Krysten paired me up with Kassie. I was so excited to get my swap package. I think Kassie was SPOT on with what she picked out for me.

My gift included a gorgeous scarf, cute gloves, a funky bracelet and a candle in my favorite scent, apple. Kassie also included a sweet personalized card. I absolutely LOVED it!!

Thank you to Kassie for the great gift and also to Krysten for hosting a really fun swap. I think we should do not so secret Santa Swap next.. Thoughts???

Storytelling in 30 Photos

Remember this post http://berlyjo.blogspot.com/2011/09/storytelling-in-30-photos_13.html Well I told you that I would post more picture of my odd obsession with taking pictures where I lay still and act dead. This is a strange thing that I started the weekend I was up with my Aunt in Duluth. Only some people think it is funny. Some people think it's odd and others think it's offensive. Well I just say don't look if you don't want to because I have a ton of them and for some reason they crack me up. A few of my close family and friends think they are funny too so I guess I'm not the only one that is a little nuts. 

Photo #3

Did I fall down the stairs or did I pass out on the stairs?? hmm

Photo #4

Now that I think of it I have a friend that did a couple of these in the bottom of an empty pool and I for some reason thought it was the funniest picture I've ever seen. I have a strange sense of humor. 

Jake's a Bird

I thought I would share a picture of Jake's Halloween costume. He's going to be a birdie.

I really wanted to choose a costume that was more boy like a super hero or something but when I saw this I had to get it. How cute is he????

Wordless Wednesday

I asked Jake to give Gizmo a hug and this is what he did. 

Mary's Memorial

B's Mom Mary passed away a couple weeks ago due to complications from pneumonia. It's been a very sad couple of weeks for B and our family. If you have noticed that I haven't really blogged much lately or commented that is one of the reasons. B has been sick with cancer for the past year and a half and hasn't been well enough to spend much time with his Mom. So I know that losing her was not only painful but he also regretted not being able to spend time with her in her last days.

B really wanted to throw a memorial party for his Mom to be able to celebrate her life. Mary lived in Texas for 20 years and didn't move back home until about 4 years ago so she didn't have many friends up here and B has a very small family but his friends knew his Mom growing up and they all loved her. He wanted to have an evening with his friends and some family to remember Mary so that is what we did. Here are some pictures from the evening.

B's Sister Shannon made an awesome memorial board 

B and his Sister Shannon

Jake with his Aunties Daria and Gretchen

Forgot the flash so this picture didn't turn out the best. Tam and Daria

My neighbor and Daycare Dad Tony

Roger and Daria

B with some of his friends

Mary was an amazing little lady. She was so kind and had a big heart. She loved her children and LOVED her Grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.