We're on our way!!!

I'm hoping that we won't have any problems today. Seems everyone else has. My brothers and their families were supposed to have left Sunday night and got there yesterday afternoon. However, do to delays, they won't get there for a few more hours. It looks up for us however. The roads were clear all the way here to Seattle last night and so far the airports are doing pretty good with a lot less cancellations than yesterday and Sunday. One can only hope from here. We'll spend the greater part of today lounging around my brother's apartment and then my wonderful friend, Tiffany, will be driving us to the airport. Where I hope that we won't wait very long. It might be awhile before I update this blog. (I know, I know, what else is knew.) Hopefully, I'll be able to check my e-mail periodically. Whilst we are gone we plan on taking a ginormous amount of pictures to share later.

On a side note: we would love to get addresses from everyone as we compile and put together and New Year's Newsletter, since a Christmas Card wasn't really going to happen this year.

Well, Ty needs this computer since he still must work today. I hope you all enjoy the snow and have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Becoming Christmas

Like most of us, I've eagerly been anticipating the arrival of Christmas. If it were just me I would have started listening to my wide array of holiday music at the beginning of October. However, out of courtesy for my dear husband I begin the minute after Thanksgiving. I love the whimsical feeling in the air. Everything simply feels better at Christmas than any other time of the year.

I decided that in preparation for our long awaited trip overseas, I would prepare my husband with a little mock German delight that is Leavenworth. Both of us have been there, but never together and I was by all odds determined to have this man eat a German meal previous to our arrival to the actual country. Granted you really won't find the originality anywhere unless you're talking about my momma's cooking (hmmmmmmmm), but I'll take whatever I can get.

We decided on the 6th, a Saturday, and last minute convinced my parents and younger brother to come along for the ride. Okay, so they actually provided the ride, but who's keeping track. :) After researching menus (and pricelists) and atmosphere, I decided on Andrea's Keller.

Proof that Ty will eat leafy greens.

On the way up we had some good conversation about my parents' experiences in Germany. Upon arrival to the mock German village we discovered only too late the excitement and utter pandemonium of the Leavenworth Christmas Lighting Ceremony. Cars lined the streets and parking lots, while mammoth buses lined the allyways. In my eagerness, I miscalculated the event and its apparent magnitude. People from all over come to see this event. In all seriousness though, all it is is a bunch of buildings turning on their Christmas lights at the same time. THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!! All the hallabaloo for that! What do you think? Is it worth all the hype?




The trip was chaos, trying to get around, but all in all a sucess. Especially since the night ended with a short trip to the beloved Cold Stone Creamery, where Ty and I indulged in a nice little helping of Birthday Cake remix. Yummmy!!!!

In order to get ready for the holidays, I find it completely necessary to decorate the humble abode in which we dwell. When I was still living at home, I took the utmost pleasure in placing ornaments on the tree and little knick-knacks around the house. After becoming married, this would not be terminated.

The Living Room

Extension of the Living Room

This is hanging just above the couch. Would you believe that all these little decorations only cost me $3.00!

The End Table next to the couch.

And finally, our Christmas Tree. That thing hanging in the corner is our Countdown Chain that I made.

I think these are the first pictures I've put up of the inside of the house. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do when Christmas is over and I have to move some things back. I told Ty that house was built for Christmas. If only I could keep my home like this all year long.

My boss and his wife also like to decorate the office for this special time of year.


Now that the Stockings are hung by the chimney with care,
it soon will be time for us to be in the air.
Flying over mountains, and cities, and cars, and seas,
in hopes of my grandparents' hearts to please.
Our presence shall long be awaited,
and after so many years far too belated.
We'll slip and we'll slide on the Autobahn we'll go
and to make matters worse it will probably snow.

I hope that with your gifts you will all be delighted
and your Christmas spirit renewed and your hearts ignited.
For the greatest gift of all is the gift of giving,
To help someone on their way in this life we are living.
Find the real meaning of Christmas and take it to heart
And this year at Christmas make a new start.
Think in your minds, "What would the Savior Do?"
I promise now it will be the greatest thing for them and for you.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

I love free stuff!

This is the first time I've done a blog giveaway thing-a-ma-jig. I'm really hoping to win this one!

Check out the the button on the side and see all the cool stuff. There's quite a bit. Thanks Tiffany for putting this up. I hope you win something too!

Timley passing

Oh, where has this month gone?! Heck, where has the year gone?! Does anyone else feel like they're really back somewhere earlier in the year, but time decided to keep on moving forward? This last month just seems like it hardly happened. November didn't really have a lot going on until Thanksgiving and that was justifiably insane.

I'll go back a little bit before that though to recap. Our office decided to do yet another "Off", which started off as a "Bread Off", and last minute changed to "Baked Goods Off". The requirement was that you had to have it come out of the oven. It was such a busy day that I didn't get a chance to take pictures of anything, but here's a picture of what mine looked like.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I was really excited to make this because I had tried at a bakery a couple of years ago and it was DELICIOUS!!! Needless to say, mine actually turned out pretty good. I was confident, until.........Daniele popped in with her Raspberry Cheesecake Bites. I know what you're thinking, and believe me I was quite skeptical myself. Apparently though, her crust was baked. I wouldn't have come out first anyway, but it was definitely not a fair fight. Oh well, mine was still pretty dang good!

The next week, Ty's mom called us and let us know that our dear Grandpa Robbins had finally passed and the funeral would be the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Which meant a lot of family was coming. If you would like, you can read Grandpa Lovell Robbins' obituary here.

Thanksgiving weekend was crazy, but so much fun. I actually made my Pumpkin bread and the kids gobbled (no pun intended....hehe, okay maybe a little bit) it up. The whole day was full of making food, eating it, and enjoying each others company.

The next day was kind of a laze about day for us ladies. The menfolk however, headed out to the Royal Camp cemetery to dig the grave that Grandpa would be placed in. The person who would normally take care of it was out of town for the holiday and Rex (Ty's dad) took the opportunity to take all of those who were willing and dig with shovels as far as they could (a good two to three feet) and finished the rest with the backhoe. Don't worry, we had warm and steamy hot chocolate waiting for them. Their cousins from Oregon met them out there just in time to help and I think they all enjoyed the task.

Saturday was an early morning for us all. The viewing was at 9AM until 9:30AM. Getting everyone showered and cleaned up took some organization, but we managed to work it out.

Lovell B. Robbins

The funeral services were wonderful. Music and memories were shared and given. Tears were shed and hearts were filled. The spirit was present in all those who participated and it was felt by everyone present. Grandpa Robbins was just shy of 91 and I'm awed at all the things he's seen and done. The only thing that made me sad during it all was that I couldn't have gotten to know him better while he was with us. I so look forward to the day when I'm able to do that. He really was an amazing man in his own right. He was hardworking, ingenuitive, loving, patient, kind. A man of few words, though he was, never without a kind thought or deed to those he loved.

Well, now that Thanksgiving is over and the turkey has had its day, D-day soon approaches. That's right. We're in the final month of waiting until we leave to Germany. It's unbelievable that Christmas is that close. There's so much to do and so little time in which we are given to do it all. However, I firmly believe that with some ingenuity of my own, we can pull this off without forgetting something back home in the bathroom.