Link Family Christmas

Celebrating Christmas with the Link family was so fun.  It's so fun to be apart of a fun loving family.  Matt's parents, sisters and their families are great.  I feel like I've known them for years.  It truly easy to call them family, because they sure feel like family!!  

On Friday night Matt's older sister and her family came over for dinner.  I got to read my sweet nephew, Preston a book before we started playing games. 

We played a little Mexican Train.  I learned how to play this game last year when I first met his family.  If you haven't every played it, you are definitely missing out.  We always have a good time playing.  Especially when Matt's Mema plays.  She is VERY competitive.  

My nephew, Peyton, Matt's Dad, and Mema

Matt's sister, Jennifer and her husband David.  

Matt's Mom and Peyton

On Saturday, Matt's other sister and her family came over as well.  We had a great time eating yummy enchiladas, playing some Boggle, opening presents and playing Uno Attack.  Again, I didn't take any pictures opening presents or with my nieces.  I really need to do better next year.  

Overall, Matt and I had a VERY Merry Christmas with all of our family.  We are so fortunate to have such wonderful families.  We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas season celebrating Christ's birth and being with your family.

Our First Christmas

Matt and I started the morning opening up all our presents and our stockings.  

My big present to Matt was a Calloway golf bag and Matt's big present to me was an adorable Guess coat.  He did a great job picking out the coat all by himself.  Matt really spoiled me with all the wonderful gifts he gave me.  

After we opened our presents we had our 1st annual breakfast feast.  

Growing up, my Mom always made a big breakfast on Christmas morning.  I wanted to start this as a tradition in our family, too! I look forward to the Christmas breakfast feast more than Thanksgiving Dinner!!  This year I made a Breakfast Casserole, Monkey Bread, and Sausage Roll-Ups.  (I'll post those recipes soon!)

After cleaning up our Christmas mess, we headed back over to my parents house and had Christmas with my Dad's side of the family.  We had a great time.  Oma & Joe gave me and Matt these really cool lanterns to hang outside on our patio.  We forgot to take any pictures while with this side of the family.  I'll do better next year!!

Christmas at the St. John's

It is so weird to say Christmas at the "St. John's" and that not mean my house.  I'm a Link now and I live at the Link House!! 

When my brothers and I stopped believing in Santa we decided we didn't want to get up early on Christmas morning to open gifts.  We started opening gift late on Christmas Eve after we celebrated at Nonnie's house.  

Our family of 5 from last Christmas has grown to 8 this year.  My brother got married to Ashley and that had sweet baby Carson.  And I married Matt!!!

Mom & Dad better known these days as Lolly & Pops

Ryan, Ashley and my favorite little nephew

Little bro, Drew

Me and my hubby

Me and Matt with our cool orange gifts.....let me explain.

My orange gift is a Tupperware produce keeper.  It has these little vents on the side that you open or close depending on what you have in it.  This cool little product extends the life of your produce.   Right now I have lettuce in it, and it needs one vent open and one vent closed.  We'll see how long my lettuce lasts...

Matt's orange gift is stinkin cool pair of scissors.  They are called OpenIt!  They have a hidden screwdriver, retractable utility knife and funky shaped scissors that will cut open all those plastic packages that you have trouble with.  

Mom mom really spoiled me with  a bunch of homemade gifts this year.  Another post on those is coming soon!!

New PJ's

I decided this year that I'm going to make it a tradition to get new PJ's on Christmas Eve.  I know it's not original and lots of people do it!!  But I'm going to join in on the fun.  I think that when we have children some day it will be a fun way to give them an "early Christmas present"

But that won't be any time soon. 

Christmas at Nonnie's

It's been tradition for quite some time to do Christmas at Nonnie's house on Christmas Eve.  For the last couple of years we have done Chicken and Dumpling for lunch.  My grandma makes the best Chicken and Dumplings in the whole world.  Here's some pictures of the afternoon.

Celebrating our first Christmas Eve as a married couple.  

Matt told me "I love you" for the first time on Christmas Eve last year right after we opened gifts at Nonnie's.  

Sweet Nonnie.  I sure do love her. 

Check out my cute 'L' coasters & purple scarf

Matt got a a much needed tie/belt rack.

Sweet baby Carson so happy on his new pillow.  Isn't he precious?

Lolly & Pops with Carson.  Matt had just sneezed and that terrifies Carson.  He was about to lose it.  

Who came to your house?

Santa or Jesus?

A Blanket With Sleeves

SNUGGIES....have you seen the infomercial for them?

I kind of want one.  Not really, because they are ugly.  But they are genius.  Matt says that I should just get a robe and put it on backwards.  

Watch the infomercial and see for yourself.  

Maybe I could come up with a cute Snuggie and become a millionaire!!  Or a baby size Snuggie.  Or Snuggies for girls and Snuggies for boys.  They possibilities are endless...

Small Obsession

I have a small obsession with Apple products.  I'm obsessed with my macbook and iPhone. And I couldn't live with out my iPods.  (one for personal use and one for my classroom)  

Not only am I obsessed with my Apple products,  I love the MAC commercials.  The ones with the PC guy and Mac guy are always hilarious.  And the iPod, iPhone, or Macbook commercials always have really good songs on them.  I usually download them and listen to them over and over!!

So of course I would love these videos that are centered around the MAC commercials.

I think you should take a look.  They are funny, but have a good point.  

My newest obsession is YouTube. Have you noticed all the videos I've been posting???

On the 6th Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Six Geese-a-Laying

We went to our Sunday School Christmas party on Friday night.  The theme was the 12 days of Christmas.  Each couple was given a day and they had to dress up like that day.  Everyone's costumes were so funny!  

We chose to do a little play on words.  You can't really read our name tags, but they say "I'm a goose." We came in with 6 "leis" each but as soon as we got to the partying we started "leis-ing!"  Get it!!!

We had such a great time at the party.  We've just recently started going to The Heights Baptist Church.  We've joined  class called The Hooneymooners, and it's a perfect fit for us.  We have met some really great people and we look forward to lots of fun times with them!!

Seriously

Who takes their dog to go see Santa??

I went into Petsmart to get some dog food and there was a long line of people waiting to let their dog see Santa.  I love Izzie alot, but she won't ever get to visit Santa.

Shasta Wants a New Bed Too

Izzie loves her bed that I bought her to sleep in by our bed.  Since she loved it so much, I decided to get her one to put in her house outside.  I took it over to my parents house one day and this is what I found.  My Mom's 90 lbs Labradoodle, Shasta, wishing she fit in Izzie's new bed.  

Good Thing My Husband Doesn't Clean Our House

This evening Izzie wanted to go outside, but I didn't let her because it was wet outside. When it's wet outside, it's impossible to keep my floor clean when she comes back in.

She kept begging to go outside. I wasn't going to give in, but Matt decided to let her go out. So I told him that he had to clean her up when she came back in.

Of course when she came back, she brought in some grass on my clean floor. Do you know what Matt did??

He swept it under the rug. SERIOUSLY??

It's a good thing I clean our house!!

(I still love you though Matty!!)

Play Ball

Izzie makes me laugh every time I play with her!! 

Just ignore my voice....

Football Playoffs

My high school is going to the State Playoffs! They play Katy High School next Saturday in Houston at the Reliant Stadium.

I remember when I was in a senior in high school and we went four rounds in the playoffs. That was one of my favorite memories in all of high school. Because Wylie used to be a small town, practically the whole town comes out to support the Pirates. There is only one high school to cheer for, so we are all for the same team. I'm glad that the Pirates are going to State this year, because starting in 2 years there will be 2 high schools in Wylie and things will really start to change. It's crazy how much Wylie has grown. When I was in school, there were only 3 elementary schools. Now, I teach at one of the nine elemetary schools and they are going to be building another soon.

Go Pirates!!! AHMO!!!

Retooning the Nativity

Another great video from church. It's a couple minutes long, but really funny and worth your time to watch. Enjoy!!

Listening Ears

Today at school one of my students got very upset when I gave almost everyone in the class an M&M for listening.  He was not listening and following directions so he didn't get an M&M.  After he calmed down, this is how our conversation went.  

Me: I'm very sorry you weren't listening, maybe next time we play this game you will listen better so you can get an M&M.

Student:  But......it's just that I didn't have my "listening ears" on.  

Me:  Well you know that you have to have your listening ears on all day while you are at school.

Student: But I did have them on when I came to school but they just went......"kkrrrrrrcccchhh" and turned off.  They ran out of power!!!

Me:  (trying not to laugh) Well, you better get a new battery or something to keep your listening ears powered up all day.

Don't you just wish you could turn your "listening ears" off for a little while???

Wedding Pictures Are Online!!!

Wedding Pictures

www.pictage.com/589310

Engagement Pictures

http://www.pictage.com/495155

Bridal Portraits

http://www.pictage.com/540337

If you have any problems accessing the pictures, just leave me a comment, and I'll see what I can do.  Enjoy!!

Journal Entries

This year has been a hard year of teaching so far, but it's these funny journal entries that my little 5 year old write that keep me going. 

The little boy that wrote this is actually Vietnamese.  And he said the hats on the guys in his picture were sombreros. 

The little girl that wrote this said that she couldn't remember how to spell glamorous because she couldn't remember the song that spells it.  (GLAMOROUS by: Fergie.....she spells the word out in the song if you didn't know)

Just note the drawing of the mom "with child".  

What Is The True Meaning of Christmas?

This video was shown at church on Sunday. It really made me think of what the true meaning of Christmas really is. Every year I start to get caught up in the shopping, the parties, the trees, the decorations, the lights and everything else that comes along with Christmas. But every year, I am reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. This year, this video really hit me.

If you go to their website www.adventconspiracy.org, their "About Us" section simply says...

WORSHIP FULLY

SPEND LESS

GIVE MORE

LOVE ALL

I couldn't have said it any better. 

Advent was never something my family did growing up, nor did our church do it.  To be completely honest, I have no idea what it really is.  All I know about it is that you light candles on a wreath.  We have started going to The Heights Baptist Church and they are doing it.  

With this being mine and Matt's first Christmas together as a married couple. I want to start traditions now. I want Christmas to have true meaning in our family.  

I am eager to research some on what advent really is and start it in our family.  

Happy "I've Know You For a Year" Day!!

Last December 1st I met the love of my life.  I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like without Matt.  He makes me so happy and brings so much joy to my life.   He's always there for me and loves me just the way I am. 

I'm so glad that God crossed our paths last December 1st. 

Happy "I've Known You For a Year" Day, Matt.   

I love you SO SO SO much!!!

It's Christmas Time!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Like Mother like Daughter

Every one says I look just like my Mom.  We don't think we look anything alike.  We may or may not look alike, but we are alot alike in many other ways.

We both love a good deal.  (i.e,  Hobby Lobby's 40% off coupons, Marshall's, Ross, Garage Sales, and any store that has good sales)

We both like ice in our milk and our juice.

We both like chick-flicks and don't understand any other kind of movie with out asking our husbands a million questions.  

One most recent things I've notice that my Mom and I do alike is so silly.  I have no explanation of why I do this except for...."that's just how my Mom does it"

These are my cute red canister in my kitchen.

And this is what me AND my Mom put in them...

Yes, you saw that right.  Ramon Noodles, Tea, and Sweet 'N Low.  

But one of the good things I have copied from my Mom is how I decorated our Christmas tree this year.  My Mom always does a fabulous job, so I just decided to copy her.  

Thanks Mom!!  I love you!!!

Always a Good Meal at Mom's House

On Sunday, Matt and I went over to my parents for lunch after church.  We always enjoy a nice meal at Mom and Dad's.

We also took Izzie over to my parents house so she could play with their dog, Shasta.  Izzie enjoyed a little home cooking too.....