Christmas Is Here!!

This past week has been crazy fun. We finally did go cut down our tree last week, that was quite interesting because it was 80 degrees outside, just a couple days after it snowed. I was sad when we left cause I wanted a real good picture of all the kids together at the Christmas tree farm and I didn't get one, one was looking away, or one was spitting up, or Cole was doing his own silly thing. So, on the way home I was sad about the picture thing and Nicky told me something that was so true. He said, "Amber, all the pictures are good because they are pictures of our kids and who they are." He said, "This is our family." He smiled real big, like he was so proud. Then I realized that every moment is not going to be picture perfect, and it is those moments that aren't that we will remember.

Nicky and I also celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. My parents and my sister and brother in law, Danielle and Chris, kept the girls. And Jacob and Anna Claire kept Cole. So, we went out to eat at a new place, walked around Perkins Rowe, slept really late the next day and pretty much hung out by ourselves for 24 hours with no kids! It was weird and fun to be together. I don't think we have ever done that. It was very special to us- So thanks to all of our family!

My sister Jodie and her family left this morning to go back to Austin, Tx. It is so sad when they leave. We had the best time when they were here. Claudia absolutely loved playing with Maggie. She loves her Uncle Mark and Aunt Jodie so much too. She was soooo hilarious when they were here. Last night we were having dessert and Jodie wanted Mark to stop eating cake. He told Jodie to not be mean, and she said, "I am telling you because love is kind". lol. Then he said, "Love does not keep score." And then Claudia shouted out, "Amen!" It was hilarious.
So for the first time this year I cooked Christmas dinner while they were here. I made a ham, homemade macaroni, cauliflour casserole, green bean casserole, dressing, and a homemade pound cake from scratch. It was so delicous! We had a beautiful Christmas dinner and we went around the table and all said what our favorite Christmas memory was. I had two. My first was when I was a kid, about elementary school age, me and my siblings woke up Christmas morning and there were presents everywhere! So many that some were not even wrapped! I just remember us freaking out and being so excited that we didn't even know where to go first. I can still see all the board games stacked up on the couch.
My other favorite Christmas memory was me and Nicky's first year we were married. We got married on December 18th, went to the Bahamas and came home Christmas Eve. I remember we were 19 and 20 years old, both in college and had no money. We found a tree at a tree stand on the side of the road for $25, and then we went home and made ornaments out of things around the house. I still have some of those ornaments and I still put them on the tree.

I am so excited because I thought I was going to have to work Christmas morning and I don't now!! YEA!!!! So tonight we are going to my parents, Lendie and Jason and Emmy will be there, Danielle and Chris and their little bun in the oven will be there! We are gonna have so much fun. My mom is cooking and I can't wait to eat. Tomorrow we are gonna play with the kids all day with their new stuff and then we are going to the Varnados for Christmas dinner. This is my favorite time of the year ever.

I have to say- I am very very very upset about something. We ordered a wooden kitchen for the girls for Christmas from Walmart.com. We had it delivered to the store. Nicky went to pick it up and it was missing parts. They can not replace it because you can't buy it in the stores. All they could do was give us our money back and tell us to order another one online. Which will not be here in time for Christmas!

Since I didn't post on Tuesday, I will say today, I lost another 2 pounds! I was hoping for more but I am still glad. So, goodbye to 7 pounds in all! Yea!

This will be my first official post! Finally! This week has been so crazy! First of all, I want to say that my baby sister, Danielle, and her husband, Chris, are pregnant! They are gonna be the best parents ever. Danielle is the best nanny to my kids and I can't wait to see her as a mommy.

So, next week is Christmas and we still do not have a tree!! We usually have lights all over the house and a tree up the week after Thanksgiving. Nicky has been remodeling our bathroom, so he has had no extra time. But we are definitely getting one tomorrow. I tried to talk him into us getting a pretty fake tree, but he would hear nothing of it. I even tried to get him to grab one from Lowe's last night and he would not. lol. We have to go to the Christmas tree farm and cut it down. I suppose I prefer that. We also like going to his family's farm in Mississippi and gathering pine cones and real greenery to make wreaths. They turn out so pretty. This Christmas just came so fast.

I am going to say this on my blog so I will be accountable for it. I am pledging to lose 20-25 pounds. Every Tuesday I will be posting what I have lost, or gained. So, I started last Tuesday, so as of today, I have lost 5 pounds. So if anyone sees me eating pound cake over the holidays, snatch it out of my mouth! Thanks.

I am really excited that my older sister Jodie and her family is coming this weekend from Austin to stay with us and visit. I can't wait. Also, the day after they leave, my sister Lendie and her family is coming from Georgia. So, this holiday is going to be awesome. I really miss Lendie not being here. It's weird how long they have been gone. I just think of all the fun stuff we could be doing with the kids. I always try to get Jodie to move here, but they won't, they just try to get us to move.

I would really like to move somewhere beautiful and fun, I just can't imagine leaving our families. Our friends, BJ and Sam came down from Washington and we hung out with them a couple times. The things they told us about up there sounded so wonderful, it made me want to move!

Nicky came in here earlier, he has now mangled up his hand with a tile cutter. Then instead of worrying about his bleeding mangled hand, he preceded to make fun of my title, the Varnado Version. He was like, "the Varnado Version of what?" I said, "Of life". lol. I know it is corny, but that is why I like it. I like really corny stuff.
I just do.

So I guess if I am able to keep up with this blog, it will be about our life, day to day. So- so long for now.

Today I am blogging for the first time. So this should be fun. Okay, the baby just woke up so I have to go. Lol, we will see if I really have time for this.