Our Spontaneous FHE

My husband and I are a little more on the dorky side than your average couple... and we know it. However, we embrace it and have had some really fun times together. I've been sick with a cold/flu this past week and haven't had a whole lot of energy to do much. So, we didn't plan anything real big for FHE last night. We were laying on the couch watching tv when I looked up at him and said, "hey, we should go look at Christmas lights." I think he was a little reluctant at first, but we decided we would. We even made up some hot cocoa and took it with us.

We hit the streets with Christmas music playing in the background. I love Christmas lights, they are one of my favorite things about this time of year. I had a fabulous time last night and hope that AJ did too. I sure love that silly husband of mine.

We think those lights on the ground are milk jugs, but they were covered in snow and we couldn't really tell for sure. They looked neat tho.


It snowed yesterday morning and it really felt like Christmas, looking at the lights with all the new snow. It was beautiful.


This house was pretty intense. There were more lights than is pictured but i couldn't get them all in the frame of the car window I was shooting out of.

McCurdy Christmas

Since my dad's family is usually all there at our Thanksgiving festivities we all exchange Christmas gifts the day afterward. It's a lot of fun and a great way to start out the Christmas Season. Grandpa usually gives one of "Grandpa's Talk" and then it's chaotic pandemonium. Typically, it starts with the kids. Once they have all opened their presents it's the adults turn. It was interesting being an adult this year. Talk about good fun!

The Christmas Tree.

Silly girls... and Kameron's tushie...


Swords... Yay?


More sword action.


Just had to touch all the pretty colors...


I don't remember what she was yelling, but it made for some pretty silly faces.


Finally his turn. We thought he was sneezing or yawning... but he was posing with that face...

Careful... it'll freeze that way! =]

On Saturday, the adults all went down to the Logan Temple and did a session together. My grandparents are temple workers there and they all enjoyed being able to do that together. AJ, my brother Andrew and I went down and met up with them for lunch. Andrew needed to get a few more things for his mission and I wanted to do a little shopping.

I thought the clouds were cool looking and when Andrew said something about it too I knew I needed to capture the 'Kodak moment'.

The Logan, Utah Temple again a dreary gray sky. Looks almost like it's just floating in the air.


My dad's parents, siblings, their spouses and my brother.

Early Christmas

On the morning after Thanksgiving my family exchanged Christmas gifts. My mom was insistent on us opening our presents in her presence and I had wanted to watch them open theirs, so it all worked out. It was fun to have a "Christmas Morning" with them, since AJ and I will be at home for Christmas this year. That's ok too, but it was great to have a family Christmas too.

A Time for Thanksgiving

This year AJ and I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Grace, ID. AJ actually had the whole week off and we had a busy few days before we headed down to Grandma's house. I spent Monday finishing up the shopping for my family's Christmas presents. It took me forever to decide what to get my dad! And Kaiti was a little hard this year too. But, I finally had success and even got a few things for AJ.

My aunt came into town on Tuesday and I went and did a little shopping with her. Mostly I was just along as company. AJ had a few errands he had to run and he even did a load of dishes while I was gone!

We had a few last minute things to do Wednesday and we were on the road to Grace around 3pm. We checked to see if my parents were there yet and when they weren't we made a little trip to "Our Spot".

We had a big dinner with all the family Wednesday night. Nothing too fancy, just everyone came up to Grandma's. It was fun to see all the family again. My parents, siblings and AJ and I went to my Uncle Dana's. We stayed there, as there was more room available and there was a little less commotion than at Grandma's.

My mom, sisters, and I spent Wednesday night preparing and getting everything all ready for lunch the next day. It was fun to chat and laugh with them.

We got up the next morning and finished the food prep and headed over to the church, where everyone was gathering. We ate a delicious Thanksgiving lunch with all the traditional trimmings. It was fabulous and everything I had been waiting for. Yummy to the extreme.

We spent the next several hours just hanging out, talking, playing games, and of course the traditional basketball game. That one I am absolutely content to just watch. There is some serious competitive players and I value my life enough to stay out of the way.

It was fun to spend the day with family and to reflect on all the many blessings we are so grateful for. We truly do live in a "land of plenty", despite the current economy. We have friends, family, clothes on our bodies, roofs over our heads, and food in our bellies. We are thankful for the things we have been blessed with. For all your love and friendships.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

With all my yammering about our Christmas tree I've had a couple requests for some pictures. So, here ya go, pictures of our first Christmas tree.

The base of the tree with all the branches attached.

AJ stuffing the star with lights... before we found the broken one and had to take them back and get new ones... i stuffed it when we got home and that's what's on the tree.


My slightly over-dramatic husband putting the top on the tree. If you notice, the tree is taller than he is... and that's one of the things I was looking for while we were shopping for one.


Our tree... almost completely decorated. We have still added a few ornaments here and there, but this it the general idea. I love to sit on our couch with the tree lit and all the other lights off.


The above mentioned star topping our 7.5 foot behemoth. I think it's just marvelous.


AJ was quite content without a tree skirt, but I'm the woman and I know better. Lol. I love you honey... I'm pretty proud of it, I made it myself.


The tree with the basic decorations on it... glass balls, glitter icicles, red bows, jingle bells and candy canes, of course.


The embellishments to our stairs. AJ thinks I poke waay too many holes in our house what with all the pictures and other wall hangings... that's probably why I do it all while he's at work. Hahaha.


I think this is a cool picture. All the current decorations on the tree are in this photo... but we have a package of blue glass ball ornaments to put on. And I like the angle of this one... it's just kinda neat. At least I think so.


I'm in love with our tree. I'm so happy with the way it all turned out.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

My husband is such a good sport. We went into Idaho Falls yesterday and did some Christmas shopping. I know, you're thinking 'uhm, hello, it's not even Thanksgiving yet!' But my dad's side of the family has a big family get together at Thanksgiving. We also do a "McCurdy Christmas" the day or two afterward. Everyone is already there, we figure we may as well celebrate it all! We exchange names the year before (the adults just rotate) and within a couple days of Thanksgiving we start the Christmas Season celebrations. The ironic part: we open presents and sing Christmas carols and then chow down on leftover turkey sandwiches. Hahaha.

Anyways, so we spent yesterday shopping for gifts for my family and my aunt and uncle that we have this year. It was an all-day thing and AJ was a fairly good sport the whole time. He was so bored, I'm sure. By the time he started getting irritated with my browsing his friend Kevin called, so thank you Kevin.

We don't have a whole ton of Christmas decorations so I have taken it upon myself to correct that. If you've read past posts you know we already have the tree up. I've strung lights and set up nativities. And done a few more crafty projects to make our house a Christmas-ready home. Check it out:

So, this is technically my Thanksgiving wreath.

my christmas wreath

No Christmas is complete without snowmen!These aren't quite finished yet, but you get the idea. The white that is really hard to read says 'happy holidays'.

Yay for our house turning into a home... right before our very eyes!