More Crafting and Gifting Fun

For my parents this year I came up with what I thought was a great idea. I got to use my now new favorite craft product, Mod Podge! I made a shadow box that holds my very first pair of ballet shoes. Once this idea came to me I couldn't wait to get it made. I want to thank my many crafting friends and family for teaching me how to Mod Podge. I was able to tap into the long lost creative side of me and have fun doing this.

I started with Mod Podge...

Found this fun shadow box (Hobby Lobby! My new favorite store. Hard to believe that just a few months ago I had never heard of this amazing store.)

Dug out the old shoes, because of the organized storage room was able to find them right away...

Picked out the paper...

And there is the finished project. Like most things in my life I thought it would take hours, or perhaps day to finish this...I took less than an hour.

It is pretty cool to see these displayed. I hope my parents enjoy it as much I as did making it. To me when I look at those shoes I see all the years of classes, rehearsals, friends made, blood (point shoes!), sweat and tears. But I wouldn't trade those years for anything. That was a huge part of my life, a life that seems like a lifetime ago. I am going to make for me a shadow box that has my first costume and first pair of point shoes.

Gifting fun

For Christmas this year we gave Steve's mom a "Grandma Box". It was full of games, crafts and coloring things. The kind of things that every grandma needs at her house. It was fun to get everything together. We also included a "post grandma day recovery bag" that was filled with lotion, bubble bath and some chocolate. I wanted to give her a special card that explained what the box was for, and her is what it said...

What could be more precious than a Grandma's special love?

She always seems to know the things that we are fondest of.

She's always ready with a smile

Or a loving word of praise,

Her laughter always brightens up the cloudiest of days

She has an understanding heart that encourages and cheers.

The love she gives so freely grows deeper with the years.

Her wisdom and devotion are blessings from above-

Nothing could be more precious than a Grandma's special love.

Here is a special present for you this Christmas day

A box full of fun and games to play

And when the day is all done

Open the bag and take a look

Grab a yummy hot drink and maybe a book

For grandma's day is over she is ready for a nap

Let's giver her some space so she doesn't snap!

Christmas at Grandma Snyder's

Before...

After...

During...

Hope your Christmas was filled with Laughter,

wonderful Surprises,

time with Family,

and Sillyness,

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.

Christmas Day Fun

5:30 am Kids wake up (that is great for them, last year it was 4am!)

5:31 am Open presents

5:35 am Done opening presents

5:40 am Ready to go to grandma's to open more presents, too bad mom and dad aren't ready to go yet. And breakfast is not until 7:15. That did give the kids more time to play with what they had gotten from us and Santa.

Kelsey and Andy, we tried to put Kelsey in her stocking but she didn't fit. Needed a bigger stocking.

Dad's not awake yet, Ellyn is too awake.

Looks like fun!

Can you guess what the kids got for Christmas? Not sure why I have a picture of Steve and not Andy using Andy's camera.

Christmas Eve Fun

When you get married you have to find a way to merge the two family traditions. Some are easier to do than others. One tradition that I had growing up was we opened up our gifts on Christmas Eve. I found out after I had grown up that the reason we did this was because my parents wanted to sleep in. I wanted to keep some of this tradition alive, and we have found a way to do that. On Christmas Eve morning we let the kids open one gift. Then later in the day after we had gone to dinner and been down to see the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork, we let the kids open a few more gifts. It makes them enjoy it more, I think. On Christmas day it is just too over whelming to do everything at once, and they seem to remember what they have gotten if we break it up. This year the gifts they loved were for Andy a new book (got to love a kid who loves to get books!) and for Ell was a How to draw Spongebob book. After gifts it was time to settle down (right) and get to sleep. Santa had to wait for the kids to fall asleep so he could bring the rest of Christmas by. He was pretty tired by the time he had left the gifts. I have to say it was a great Christmas Eve this year. I even got a gift from Santa! I think Santa just couldn't wait for Christmas Day. I got a new wedding ring! Mine had broken a few years ago and we just hadn't gotten around to getting it fixed. So, Steve got me a new one. I was so surprised. He is just full of surprises this year.

MomCat seems to think one of these is for her. This has been her favorite place to sleep. Don't know if she likes the smell of the tree or if she thinks she is outside.

Ready, set...go!

A new cd!

A new DVD!

Ornament Fun

This is our second year for the ladies at our church to have an ornament making activity. This was my first year to attend. It was so much fun. We had the fun plain balls to start with and then had tons of ribbon, glitter and all kinds of things that sparkle to add to it.

MomCat and her baby

Ellyn had left her Cabbage Patch doll laying out in the living room, and we walked in to find MomCat snuggling with it. Later in the day she left, and then went back to it. And even the next day she was sleeping with it. I guess everyone just loves a Cabbage Patch Doll. I remember when I got my Cabbage Patch Doll. That was the best Christmas present! Maybe that is what we should get MomCat.