On the Eve of Christmas...

Christmas Eve is always a big event around Mom's house. Friends and Family come and gather for good food and to celebrate Jesus' birthday!


After eating glazed ham, homemade tamales, beans and rice, and other yummy foods we get together to read the story of the birth of Christ, and sing Christmas carols... when suddenly, we hear bells ringing...
It's Santa! Come to bring each kid a gift before he goes out and gets started on his busy night! (We have had this tradition as long as I've been alive!)
Once Santa leaves the party, most of the guests follow... the kids gotta get home and in bed so that Santa can come visit their home and leave gifts for them.
Which brings us to Christmas Morning... 
up next!
2 comments /
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(not so) happy holidays

deep sigh.
This Christmas was going to be difficult. It is the second Christmas that Daddy is in Heaven, although in so many ways it feels like the first. No matter, we were all doing so well, not to stress or overwork ourselves. The gifts were well thought out and purchased, the wrapping nearly done, the baking completed. It looked to be the promise of a very peaceful Christmas.

Moday, my uncle (my mother's brother) had a massive stroke, and yesterday, he went home to be with the Lord, and to sit next to my Daddy at God's Christmas table.

Uncle Arthur (Turtie) Alvarado
April 3, 1950 - December 22, 20111

Our hearts are ripped wide open again, our sadness is deep, but we are all so thankful for the time that we were able to have with him, and so thankful that he is without pain and spending his first Christmas with God himself. Of course we will miss him, and of course we still miss Daddy. And yes, it will be a very difficult Christmas time. But Glory to God in the highest that he sent his beloved son, Jesus Christ, to take on each and every one of our sins so that we may be reunited again in Heaven. 

Rest in sweet peace Uncle Turtie, and Merry CHRISTmas!

4 comments /

fill in the blank friday


1.   The best way to spread Christmas cheer is     singing loud for all to hear   .

2.   The thing I love most about Christmas is   the spirit of Christmas... you know, that warm, loving, and joyful feeling in the air      .

3.  The holiday season is a time for   family and friends to come together and give thanks to the Lord our God for his most precious gift, Jesus    .

4. My favorite thing to eat at the holidays is    tamales! Followed closely by Christmas cookies  .

5.  I will be spending Christmas    at my Moms house with friends and family. We always have a big Christmas Eve party with friends and family, then wake up Christmas morning with our family, and head over to Grandmas to meet up with my sister and her family. Most families have a big Christmas dinner, we always have a big Christmas brunch. Yum  .

6.  Tis better to (give or receive?)   Give, for sure. I love seeing the faces of joy and thanks, but most of all the heartfelt tears of homemade gifts. Those are the favorite ones I (personally) love to receive  .

7.  I'm dreaming of a    joyful and thankful     Christmas.

Link up at Lauren's!!
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christmas quiz



CHRISTMAS QUIZ (idea found here) (taken from here)

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? When I was a kid he used to wrap them, and only in Santa paper. Now, he just sits them under the tree.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored on the house, colored on the family tree, white on the tree in my bedroom.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not really, I did one time.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, we had to put them up the weekend after Halloween (we weren't home, vacations, etc.)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Red Chile Tamales!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Christmas Eve party and Santa coming to visit.


8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. The ones Santa brings us, and we exchange gifts with our Aunt and Uncle that come.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? The kids decorate our family Christmas tree with family ornaments. Well, the ones that didn't break last year when our tree fell down.... twice!

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? LOVE it, just don't want to live in it. lol

12. Can you ice skate? I can

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Oh geez, probably my tea table and chairs when I was a little girl... like 3. Yes, I remember getting it.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? It's all about the kids. I make sure it is special for them.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Peanut Butter Blossom cookies... I eat them all morning noon and night until they are gone!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Baking, Singing Christmas Carols, Santa's visit

17. What tops your tree? An angel

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving... especially to the kids, and my mom.

19. Candy canes: yuck or yummy? Yummy in my tummy!

20. Favorite Christmas show? White Christmas, followed closely by Elf and The Polar Express

21. Saddest Christmas song? The Christmas Shoes by Newsong

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Oh wow, either Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland or White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
1 comment /

fill in the blank friday


1.   My most favorite "little thing" is     handmade gifts, from the heart   .

2.   I give anything to   visit my fabulous friends in England      .

3.  I can't believe    that I am a Mama to a teenager... eeeeek    .

4. The one thing I'd like to achieve today is    getting through my teenage daughter's Coed Christmas Party tonight hosted at my house   .

5.  The last thing I want to do today is    work, lol  .

6.  If I were writing my own blank today, it would say:   The best meal I've had all week was...   .

7.  My favorite candle scent is    (right now) Winter Garland AND Tis The Season by Bath and Body Works (I have different favorite scents for each season)  .

Link Up At Lauren's!
1 comment /

100 things: part 7

61.  Sparkly Red Velvet Cake

(found at Carrie's blog)


62.  Salvador Dali




63.  Etsy

Source: etsy.com via Brooke on Pinterest



64.  You Are My Sunshine

Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest



65.  Houseboat Vacations

Source: google.com via Merilee on Pinterest



66.  Doodling




67.  Massage

Source: google.com via Beth on Pinterest



68.  The Way You Look Tonight by Tony Bennet



69.  Ann Taintor




70.  Cooking (together)

1 comment /

100 things: part 6

51.  Taking a hot bath

Source: flickr.com via Lisa on Pinterest



52.  Bath & Body Works

Source: google.com via LaDonna on Pinterest



53.  Candles (so romantic and pretty)




54.  Frank Sinatra




55.  Working (having a job, especially in this economy)




56.  Can't forget to add my Family (not all pictured)

57.  And my friends (not all pictured)

58.  Pink   &   59.  50s Style Dresses
  


60.  Dancing
1 comment /

100 things: part 5

41.  Waking Up To Hot Air Balloons




42.  Tabasco

Source: kveller.com via Denise on Pinterest



43.  57 Chevy Bel Air (Convertible, of course)

.


44.  Old Movies




45.  Gettin' My Nails Done




46.  Baking




47.  Reading (in bed)




48.  Surprises




49.  Records




50.  Arizona Sunsets

Source: google.com via Janea on Pinterest
1 comment /

100 things: part 4

31.  Sophia Grace & Rosie on Ellen



32.  Starbucks




33.  My Black Sparkly Toms

Source: toms.com via Brandi on Pinterest



34.  Kohls




35.  Shutterbean



36.  AZ Cardinals Football 

Source: google.com via Laura on Pinterest



37.  Mad Men




38.  HGTV

Source: hgtv.com via Kathleen on Pinterest



39.  The Food Network (especially Chopped)




40.  Words With Friends

1 comment /

fill in the blank friday


1.   Love is    the most important thing in life   .

2.   Being in love feels like   you're walking on air, happiness and joy reek from your every pore, nothing in the entire world can bring you down      .

3.  My favorite quote about love is   "Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particulary dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually IS all around." -Love Actually Quote      .

4. The most important thing in a relationship is    communication, and laughter... lots of laughter    .

5.  A "deal breaker" for me in a relationship is    not having God in your life, in 'our' lives as a relationship and family   .

6.  The way I show love in my relationships is    by small things, like leaving little notes of love or inspiration, making a favorite meal, or just spending time together .

7.  I love   all the people in my life!
No comments /

100 things: part 3

21.  Yoga

(found at LacyLike)


22.  Varga Girl art




23.  Butterflies




24.  Disney




25.  Sushi

Source: google.com via Gretchen on Pinterest



26.  Twilight Saga

Source: pinterest.com via Amy on Pinterest



27.  I Love Lucy




28.  Kauai

Source: google.com via Julia on Pinterest



29.  Coach

Source: google.com via Jackie on Pinterest



30.  Laughter




Stay Tuned for Part 4...
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Maira Gall