O Holy Night....

I look forward to Christmas all year long...in my book, it's the only good thing about winter. I love everything about Christmas. Its almost as if there is a special feeling floating around in the air, literally. It's a feeling of love, of peace and of kindness. It seems as though everyone around feels it. People go out of their way to be a little kinder, a little more thoughtful and a little more giving. There are more smiles seen upon the faces of those we see, a few more "thank you's" and kind greetings. Its a happy time of year, thats for sure. 

Our Christmas was nice...full of many laughs, lots of hugs and good food. I'm not looking forward to putting away the decorations and getting back to the hum drum of winter...it leaves little to be desired. Christmas is always such a fun, memorable and special time of year in our house...its hard to say "good-bye" to it for another year. I guess I could leave my decorations up for another few months...hmmmm...now thats a thought~

Let it SN*W??????

If you are an avid follower of my blog, you know how I feel about winter weather, particularly SNoW...if you don't know, I will give you a hint *HATE* is the word that comes to mind when I think of SNOW. 

This week, on Monday night through Tuesday we got a whopping 30" of snow...yes, I really said 30". It was a bit crazy. 

We woke up to about 15" and it just kept coming all day long. When all was said and done, we measured 30" of the white stuff. 

This a big tractor tire that stands upright in our back yard, 

notice how you can barely see the top of the hole....and it just kept coming.

We shoveled and pushed snow for over 4 hours off and on throughout the day. I don't think that I've ever seen that much snow fall at one time. 

The kids loved it. You couldn't wipe the smile off their faces all day. All they could talk about was how wonderful it was going to be to have a "white Christmas," when they were going to go sleigh riding and how they were going to build an igloo. You could almost hear that excitement across town as there were kids out playing in the snow about every where you turned.

 I guess winter is officially here! 

Tis the season.....

Tis the season for Christmas concerts and dance recitals at our house. Halle takes dance lessons from 24/7 Dance, which she loves, and they had their first Christmas recital this year. She has gained a lot of confidence and dance talent through her several years of lessons. She enjoys performing. Its fun to watch her excitement as she dances across the floor. 

She also has a music class at school that performs a Christmas concert every christmas. She learned to sing many new songs as well as to play the pipe chimes...which looks really hard. The concert, as well as the recital, were really fun to watch and helped put me in the Christmas spirit.

 Its sad when I think of her being our last child that we get to go to these things for...won't be long and we will be empty nesters and wondering what to do with all of our time (actually...I have no doubt that we will fill our time right up...there won't be a problem with that). 

Great Job Halle! We love you!

Wrestle ManiA!

We are right in the middle of the wrestling season... its a bit CRazY at our home. Wrestling matches every other night, weekends and to the point sometimes I find myself dreaming about "wrestling" all night long!

Cameron had a big tournement this past weekend where he won 4 matches and lost 1 match. It was fun to see him compete and come out on top, winning his matches. It's amazing to watch him in action, using those long arms and legs to his advantage. Its always fun to see your children succeed in the things that they do. Although, watching Cameron get thrown around, twisted like a pretzel and "beat up" is really hard for me to watch...I was still thrilled and "ubber" excited that he was the CHAMP. He is an amazing boy both inside and out!!! I just love my wrestler!!!

Great Job Cam!!!

"Show and Tell"....

I don't know how many of you watch Oprah, but I happen to love her show. I think she is awesome...and I've watched her talk about everything under the sun since she first came on TV with her very own talk show 25 years ago (gosh, that makes me sound old!). When I was in high school, my best friend and I made a pack that on our 40th birthday's we would go and see Oprah in Chicago and sit in on one of her shows...we've talked about it through the years and even "sort of made" plans...WELL our 40th birthdays came and went a few years back, the economy took a nose dive and neither one of us were able to afford a trip to Chicago like we had always planned and dreamt about doing. I have to say its been a huge let down and a bit of a  disappointment...not that Oprah is the Queen or anything like that, but just the fact that we had to let our "dream" of 22 years just fizzle away and be forgotten. One of my favorite shows of her's to watch is the "Oprah's Favorite Things" show that she does around the holidays...you know (if you are an avid watcher, YOU'LL KNOW), the one where she gives away ALL of her favorite things to all the lucky audience members, things like:
             Cruises...cars...jewelry...books...shoes...clothes...electronics...you know, those fun things!
Well...as I was watching her show the other day while I was working out (wishing I was there) and I decided that I would put my own little twist on her "Favorite Things Show" and share a few (more) of MY favorite things with my avid blog readers. Although, there is just one catch, I AM not able to give any of them away to anyone...sorry...this is just a "Show and Tell Favorite Things"...NOT a "Show and GIVE" favorite things....

So here you have it: 

"Julie's Favorite Things"....(who knows, maybe someday I will have a show of my own)

1. I've always loved to watch movies...its one of my favorite things to do (although with age comes the fact that most of the time a sleep while watching movies...for some reason my bodies things if I stop moving, its time for bed). As a child my favorite movie was "The Wizard of OZ" hands down. I still love it and find myself watching it several times a year (yes, I can still be a kid I guess). As an adult I have many favorites BUT one of my very most favorites is "The River Wild"...it's an awesome suspense movie and has some awesome scenery as well....its a great watch any ol' time. If you are looking for some great "down time" to just kick back and relax or something to take you back to the days of your youth I recommend snuggling with a blanket, forget about everything and watching a great movie. You can get  either of these movies on-line at amazon.com or at your local Walmart (walmart.com) for under $20

2. Shoes...we won't mention my deep love for these wonderful things (or how many pairs that I have) that we put upon our feet...but I do have a few favorites that I wear often, ones that I swear by for fashion sake as well as comfort's sake. My all time very favorite is a pair of ballet flats that I paid $3.00 for at Target on a clearance rack (crazy, I know) but they are the most comfortable and classiest shoe and I wished that I had a pair in every color...but alas, I do not...just a lovely red pair that I wear with just about anything and chalk up my "unmatchyness" to being "a splash of color". Gotta love those sale racks!

3. Jeans...yes Oprah's favorite jeans were/are a little out of my price range...although they looked pretty darn good on those models...I just can't afford her fine taste...so my SPLURGE was much smaller than hers. It's a pair of Jeans from Vanity (in the mall or eVANITY.com on-line). I love the feel of them when I am wearing them. They are so stinken comfy. I also love the dark color of the denim and the stitching on the side. I just love everything about them, I especially like that they are actually LONG enough for my extremely long legs and that I can wear heels with them if I choose too. I love Vanity jeans and I buy from Vanity whenever I can. These were a little pricey (a little more than I like to pay for jeans ...but sometimes it can't be helped) , I think they were about $49.00 which realistically is an awesome deal for pants that have an inseam long enough for me. I usually buy them on-line since the store doesn't always carry the 37" inseam. They are my favorite jeans HANDS DOWN!

4. Bling...I am a girl who likes jewelry...BUT...not the kind you think. The difference between my flashy jewelry and Oprah's flashy jewelry is not only the price (mine is a drop in the bucket compared to her's) but the style. I am not the kind of girl that has to have wads of diamonds and glitz (besides the fact that I don't have a place to wear things like that, its just not "ME")...I prefer the gobby, chunky, costume jewelry. Its fun, its stylish and it's SO me. You can pick up my favorite kinds of  "blingy" jewelry just about anywhere in the Mall or at Target (LOVE that store). You can pay a pretty penny for it (which I refuse to do) or you can pay a very small amount...just shop around.  

5. Books....I love to read. It's defiantly one of my favorite past times, there is only one catch....it also puts me to sleep. I can't spend hours and hours reading unless its right in the middle of the day (and even then its very difficult to do without falling into a deep coma type sleep). I've always wished that I could read more, but I learn to adjust...it just takes me a LONG time to get through a book. Years ago I got hooked on suspense and thriller type novels. One of my favorite authors is Mary Higgins Clark, and I've read almost all of her books....BUT lately I have gotten into reading books on self improvement, organization and decorating. I guess because its "light" reading and makes me a better person...but...I still love to dive into a good novel whenever I can!

6. Wrinkles...I think they scare all women. We fear them from the time we are in our youth and told if we don't take care of our skin when we are young, it will come back to haunt us when we are old. I have never wanted wrinkles, some say they are a sign of "wisdom"...personally I would rather not have all that "wisdom". I know that eventually we all seem to gain a few "wisdom" lines here and there, but I am all about prevention whenever possible. I found this "Wrinkle Cream" several years back that I swear by. It's not as expensive as some that are out there on the store shelves...but it isn't cheap either...at least in my eyes (I pay $12.97 at Walmart). It's the "Oil of Olay anti-wrinkle cream". I use it every night just before going to bed. I don't think it has made the wrinkles that I have disappear, but it has helped my skin stay softer and moister which I think has prevented many new wrinkles from coming. Look for it where you buy your favorite facial creams...its worth the money you pay for it!

7. Kitchen appliances...if you're someone who likes to or is required to do some type of cooking at your house, you know how important good kitchen tools are. Years ago my husband bought me a Bosch Mixer. It mixes bread dough, cookies, whips cream, grates cheese (with the right attatchments)...it does just about everything. I love it and use it all the time to mix up my bread dough. You can get it anywhere Bosch products are sold OR you can google it on the web and find someplace to order them on-line, which is just about anywhere. I think we paid about $350-$400 when we bought ours. They are well worth the price and they last for years and years. It's my life saver when it comes to making homemade bread/rolls/cinnamon rolls etc...I wouldn't make them without my Bosch Mixer...it would be too much work!

8. Oprah has a favorite food that she always gives away on her "Favorite Things Show"...this year it was gourmet popcorn and some chicken pot pie (there might have been others too...but these are the 2 that stick out in my mind). I too have my favorite food, I have way to many to list but one of my VERY favorite food is homemade Cinnamon Rolls! I love them so much. I become weak in the knees, losing all will power resulting in me eating WAY too many when they are around, therefore, when I make them...I keep a few for my family and then I distribute them to friends and neighbors...(I guess thats sort of like Oprah, right?!) The recipe that I have is the best that I have ever found. I require my cinnamon rolls to be moist and they have to stay that way for days (which these do)...I'm not a fan of those "good ones right out of the oven" that turn hard and dried out as they sit, trust me, cinnamon rolls are not all equal in yumminess! The best part about these cinnamon rolls is that I can SHARE them WITH ALL OF YOU!!! Just go to my recipe blog at betterthanburgers.net  then click on desserts and scroll down to the post dated March 10, 2010 (Cinnamon Rolls) and then to the post dated September 9, 2010 for my favorite frosting that I put on them....then make yourselves a batch and sit down and enjoy!...From my house to yours...just like that. 

9. Treats...I do like my treats just like Oprah does...I have several favorites. Chocolate is always a favorite (I don't know too many women that don't find that at the top of their list of "yummies"). I love Oreo's, black licorice (Kookaburra), and cinnamon bears...but my fetish right now is FROZEN Reese's miniature peanut butter cups. I don't dip into them often, but when I am wanting a little something to satisfy my sweet tooth, thats what I find myself heading for. I only eat one or 2 and thats enough to give me the "mmmmm" that I am looking for! They are a little bit of heaven for me. It's a good thing that you can purchase them just about anywhere you can find candy...try them right from the freezer, they are scrumptious!

10. Music...I love listening to Christmas music. I find myself wanting to start playing the Christmas CD's as soon as the leaves fall from the trees...but I don't actually turn the music on until NOVEMBER 1st (and yes, that would be FIRST thing in the morning on November 1st). I have bought Christmas CD's that I love and even some that I actually hate. I've decided that not everyone that knows how to sing and makes a Christmas album, can actually sing Christmas music and have it sooth my soul like others can. I tend to be drawn to the "old timers"  that I grew up with like "Johnny Mathis", "Tony Bennet" and "Burl Ives"...but I do have a few favorites from the past decade. I love Amy Grant's "A Christmas to Remember" Album, Faith Hill's new album and ANYTHING from the Tabernacle Choir. These favorites always make me feel like Christmas is here and bring a smile to my face. You can get these albums along with so many others at any of your favorite stores that sell music...or look on-line at walmart.com  (Walmart has everything). 

And there you have it... "Julie's Favorite Things "

...not quite like Oprah's show...but hey, we are a low budget project here!

Have a Merry Christmas and a great holiday season!

Enjoy the music, the lights and all the hoopla that comes with Christmas...it will be gone before you know it...
and then all we have are the memories that we make, 
make some wonderful ones! 

"Away in a manger and Mr. Frumpty Dump" by Julie Wilkerson

I love nativities, in fact I have quite a few (7+) adorning my holiday home. I love that I can look at them and be reminded of why I celebrate Christmas. My sister-in-law made an adorable nativity from  sculpting clay last Christmas during a "Super Saturday Event" at her church. My mom saw the nativity and fell in love with it. She asked my sister-in-law if she would teach us how to make them sometime this year before Christmas. SO....the girls in my family (the ones that could make it) got together and had a "crafting day" on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We had a great time....although, looking at the nativity I thought it was something that I could whip out in an hour or two...WRONG!! The figures were each very time consuming and some even a little difficult...5 hours later when I finally finished, I was really excited about the way my little nativity turned out...it wasn't perfect and if I could do it over again (not going to happen) I would defiantly make some changes...but all in all it turned out okay.  

Joseph

My Donkey

My little black sheep that turned out more like a curly haired black pig...but oh well, he's got character!

My baby Jesus-that turned out "quite large" in comparison to his poor mother Mary...maybe he was an 

11 lb. baby boy like one of my son's...could have been, you never know!

Mary...in all her "small" glory

My little white lamb

The Camel...this and the donkey are probably my favorite pieces of the entire set, 

actually, I really like them all, they all seem to have personality and charm in their own sweet little way. 

Ta Da....finished...I think it would be fun to make some shepherds and wise men next year to add to my nativity...we'll see what happens...no promises there. 

While at my sister-in-laws home, I was looking at all of her amazing decorations (most, if not all, of them are hand crafted, by her own 2 hands I might add)...which made me want to chuck all of my Christmas decor out and craft my little heart away, making some super cute decorations like she had. She has some of the neatest, cutest things...she is so talented and creative, it just blows me away. I attempted to make a snowman like hers....HA HA HA HA (attempted is the operative word here)!!! Her's was adorable and just what I was looking for...and mine, well, lets just say instead of "long, lean and debonair"...he is short, dumpy and round. I have named him "Mr. Frumpty Dump" in hopes that he will "grow on me" over time. He turned out okay but not like I had pictured him turning out...for some reason I had envision him looking more like hers. THIS is a perfect example of WHY I have my creative sister-in-law teach me how to make her crafty things and WHY I SHOULDN'T venture out on my own to try and "duplicate" a good thing.

Mr. Frumpty Dump....in all of his glory!

I think my "crafty bone" was taken from me some years ago and given to some poor soul who needed it worse than me...therefore I probably should just retire from crafts and have someone else make them for me...HA HA HA HA! Until I do...I guess I will continue to attempt at "duplicating" others wonderful looking craft projects and be happy with my efforts. Gotta love Mr. Frumpty Dump...if I don't, who will? 

"Oh there's no PLaCe like HOME for the Holidays!"

I love, love....(did I already say LOVE) the Christmas Season. I love decorating my house, baking goodies (and eating them too of course), driving around town and looking at the Christmas lights and the smell of freshly cut pine trees. I love to hear the laughter in the air, see the excitement on the face of a small child and partake of all the goodness that this time of year brings. I started decorating my house for Christmas the second week in November (I just have 1 tree left to put up so the house isn't completely done yet, but close) so I've had a little Christmas cheer hanging around in my house for a few weeks now, and I love it.

This year with the "NEW color and updated look" in my living room, I had to change the colors that I decorated with in there as well. I usually decorate with red's and gold's, but I thought that might clash a little bit with the green's and turquoise that I have in there now, so I decided to do my Christmas decorations in silver, turquoise and green. I love the color combination and how it looks all dressed up...I think it is pretty classy. The pictures don't do it justice (at least for me...)...I love the way it looks as one big whole.

 In the dining room I went with red's, golds and copper...and LOVE it as well. I am excited to spend the holidays in my freshly decorated house...it always makes me happy! Okay...so my decorating skills are not like those from the pages of "Good Housekeeping" or "Country Sampler"...but it's my little "humble abode" and I really like it...Maybe one day I will be able to afford to pay a decorator to come and help me...but until then, I will make every attempt at making my house look festive and fun for the holidays.