Michigan Time

Follow along on my instagram :amosven or look up #michigantime to see picture updates of our trip.

Backyard Scenes. Such a soothing view.

 

Every Year, the day before it's time to leave Michigan, I slip the idea of staying another day into K's mind and then gently (or not so) try to convince him that it's the best idea, ever.

He always says, no.

But this Year, it was a YES.

 

Christmas, made!

 

Instead of leaving early tomorrow Morning, we'll be heading out early Sunday Morning. I'm not sure you understand how excited I am about this.

 

We've had an amazing trip. It's been quick and full of buying presents (so last minute this year!!)- but there has been so much laughter. And laughter solves a multitude of issues.

 

I'll have trip-in-review posts up after Sunday, full of pictures.

 

But today, I just wanted to check in since my blog has been sleepy without warning.

O' Christmas Tree

 

We put up our Christmas Tree promptly after Thanksgiving Dinner.

Through coughs and sneezes we set up our tree and decorated it with ornaments we purchased in our first year of marriage, that we've received as gifts, and those that were ours as children. 

Our tree is fake, and cute, and I think we love that it looks the same every year. We can count on that same, cute, sparkling tree year after year.

After the tree though, I realized we didn't have much more to decorate with.  Our apartment was a lot smaller than our house- and we literally have only decorations to barely fill our living room and
dining room.

I've also realized that 25 days is hardly enough time to enjoy Christmas decor when you're gone for 7 days of the 25.

I think next Year, we'll buy more decorations ahead of time.
I want to cover the fireplace with a pretty garland. Purchase a Poinsettia, get Chistmasy dish towels, a few more nutcrackers, and I'd love to get a string or two of lights for the outside.

I'm also debating new stockings.
I adore our childhood stockings- Kyle's handmade and mine a cute little puppy (very fitting, if you know me at all)- but maybe it's time to start a new tradition?

Oh...so many ideas, so little time!

What is your favorite Christmas decoration?

A Christmas Story

Hubs & I watched "A Christmas Story" last night- I think last year was the first time I had actually watched it entirely through. Have you seen it? It's cute. 
I came into work to find that my Employers had a lamp set up that looks exactly like the one in the movie- if you've seen the Movie, you know exactly what lamp I'm talking about :)

We finally decorated!
It's funny that I'm saying "finally" being that it's still only December 3rd.
It's been an interesting Christmas Season for me so far. Lord willing- it'll be our last in the Apartment- our first Home together.
So while I want this Christmas to be special, I also want to move onto bigger & better things- literally.


We decorated fairly quickly.

While I'm fawning over all of these fun crafty projects- and burlap stockings, I admittedly kind of took the easy route this year & just wanted the "Christmas Feel" and called it a night.

Moneypenny was peeved that we moved her "Cat Condo" away from the window & 007 was being a Grinch because "his" chair had also moved.

I really wanted the Christmas tree in front of the window this year as opposed to last year- where our tree was in the corner.

I can't even tell you how excited I am to potentially have a fireplace to hang stockings over this next Year.   These past 3 years I've had to be somewhat creative, generally finding a spot on the wall for them.
This year, our funky IKEA lamp came in especially handy. :)
Neither of us were sure where the Striped Stocking came from- so it's become the Cats' stocking. :) Both of us our using our original stockings, for now.  There is just something so great about using the same stockings we were so excited to open on Christmas when we were littles.

So Christmas time has officially begun for us over here! Don't forget those people (and animals!!) who are especially needy this Christmas & lend a helping hand in some way!

It's a New Day.

Lately, my motto has been "It's a new day."  And I just keep telling myself that over and over. Thinking, "Today could be better than yesterday" or simply, "Yesterday is over. Moving on."
It's much easier said than done, though.
I'm not naturally optomistic. I'm actually fairly pessimistic. Not necessarily on purpose-it's just...me, I guess.
Or maybe I'm not pessimistic- just worrisome?
Hmph.
Maybe they're one in the same.

On December 9th, Husband and I made the 12+ hour trek to Michigan- me being sick. And it was terrible.
But the trip itself was wonderful. It was so much more needed than I had anticipated.
After losing a friend here in Connecticut and just feeling a little lost in general- seeing close Friends was so, so good.
It was such a weird thing having my Sister away at School for part of the time. It made me pretty sad, actually.  She's growing up and it's so hard to accept. Especially since I'm not around to witness it.
I love my Family & Friends. And I hope they all know that.

I got the flu for the first time since living here. And it was NOT a good time. I'll spare you the details and just say that- I'll be getting a flu shot soon.
End. Of. Story.

On Monday of this past week, Creeper became very sick.
He stopped eating. He wouldn't eat anything at all- but yet you could hear him crying- because he was hungry.
Slowly, he stopped drinking water. But he wanted a drink, so badly. He would just stare at the water bowl.
He started losing strength, until he couldn't even walk to the litter box- and peed on the living room floor.
All of this was happening rapidly, in a period of 4 days. We had scheduled a Vet appointment for him in order to give him an injection of nutrients to give him some strength.
But as I watched him, breathing heavily- nearly invisible in his little bed, I picked up my cell phone and sent the hardest text I've ever sent.
"Kyle, tomorrow might be the day."
And he knew it too.
And so, on Friday December 23rd, we put our sweet furry Friend to sleep.

To say we're heart broken is an understatement.  He wasn't just our cat. He became a Member of our Family.  Being homebodies anyway- we spent a lot of time with him. Learned and loved all of his little quirks.
We miss him terribly.
My greatest fear though, is that 007 is lonely. Missing his companion. Confused. Depressed. And that tears me apart.

I've started searching through Petfinder.com for the next perfect little Buddy to join our Family. I'm hoping to find a girl. Switch it up a bit. But...who knows! If I had it my way, I'd adopt 10 more kitties and totally own title, "Cat Lady."  Totally own it. :0)


Christmas was lovely. We spent lots of good time with Kyle's Family and I got some pretty awesome gifts :0) 
One of my all time favorite movies is "You've Got Mail."  Love, Love, Love it. Everything from the keyboard tap tap tapping to the striped pajamas that Meg Ryan wears.  Kyle bought me the soundtrack. I know all of the songs- and it's the ultimate comfort cd. It's been helpful these past few days already!
My second favorite gift was Lemon Perfume from Bath & Body Works. It smells SO decadent. I'm convinced it makes me feel pretty and energized.  I recommend this perfume to every woman out there! Even if you don't like lemons in general- because I don't either.


I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas- I can't believe it's already passed.

Peace to you,

Manda