I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Finally we have some real snow!

I just took this picture this morning and I can't believe how much it's still coming down. It's absolutely beautiful. Kayleigh and I watched them plow the parking lot and it honestly looks like it needs to be done again (that was 45 min ago).

So, Friday was my company Christmas activity day. Can I just say that I absolutely LOVE my office! We have so much fun, and, being in sales it can be quite discouraging at times, but we've been able to keep things lively enough and lighthearted that anyone who gets in a slump doesn't get deeply depressed.

Friday morning started like this:

Wake up and get to work at 8:05 (earliest in a long time)
Eat donuts and milk and hot chocolate and told the schedule for the day, while I hand out little gifts I'd gotten for all my co-workers (see pics of cookies and chinese boxes with Pickle Ornament below)



Around 8:45/9ish we start opening company gifts, but in one of the funnest ways. It's almost like a white-elephant gift exchange, but with added "survivor" rules. Essentially, numbers are drawn from 1-14, 14 being the last to open gifts. The first person opens a gift and we all go in sequential order. The recipients have the option of stealing a previously unwrapped gift or going to the pile and choosing a wrapped one. Honestly, funnest game! You have to realize what kinds of gifts were available. There was an XBOX 360, an iPod 4G Nano, a cookware set, CD players, DVD/DVR recorders, overnight stays to bed and breakfasts, surround sound home theater system, camera, 6 airsoft pistols with ammo, a tool set, a portable dvd player pack, a Kitchenaid...seriously, these are the people I work for.

What number was I? Why, 14 of course! I got the pick of the litter. No one could steal my gift from me. It was awesome. I ended up with the camera.

We were all incredulous to the generosity of the company!

So after we opened gifts, we headed out to buy gifts for a Sub for Santa family we were sponsoring and to do it quickly enough to fit in lunch and make it to our mystery activity on time.

Lunch at Training Table in Provo. It was okay, not to die for delicious, but good.

Then we carpooled (meaning, Eric and John drove) to Soldiers Hollow where we went tubing! It was a blast. At first I was apprehensive about having to get all wet and gross, but really, the tubes have a cover over the bottom so snow doesn't creep up through and sprinkle your backside. The best part? The fact there was a tow rope and we didn't have to hike up the hill to come back down.

It was an awesome day. I came home (at 5) tired and sore (from holding onto the tubes, go figure) and happy it was a Friday.

Here are some other pictures from the last week or so. Kayleigh ended up not using this Victoria's Secret box for its intended purpose. Our makeshift Wiseman.




















And I spent my night while my DH was at work making these. They're YUM!

Christmas bells are ringing

Well, I guess since it's been forever....

Not much has happened in the last couple of weeks. Ryan and I told my sister she has until January 14th to move out. We thought her stay was more temporary than it has been and both of our personalities are too strong to be contained in 1000sq ft. Unfortunately, she got laid off a couple days after we told her that. Things don't seem to be looking good for her right now. Sad, but it's a fact of life.

A week ago I set up our Christmas tree, only to find out that the tree I've used since I lived in Centennial (4 yrs ago, now?) doesn't light up. Ryan was swaying toward a real tree, me toward another fake tree.

Ryan: Are you sure you don't want a live tree? They smell so good and they're just as much work as a fake tree.
Chelsea: Nope, don't want it. Our dog would probably chew the branches and get needles everywhere, plus there's the issue of sap and watering it.
Ryan: Watering it doesn't take much.
Chelsea: True, however, we'd spend $80 on this pre-lit artificial tree this year and $50 on a real tree. If the $80 tree lasts 4 years, we're saving $120 over the course of those years, AND it already has the lights on it and we don't have to worry about buying a Christmas tree stand.

I won.

So we got it the next day and that night I set it up and used our wedding beaded garlands and glass ornaments to decorate it. I'm trying to downsize my Christmas decor (much to my DHs delight) and used only the ornaments that coordinated with this year's tree. The others are either being sold on Craigslist or being given away or taken to DI. If you want anything, let me know before I donate it.

I also downsized my decorating overall. Normally I have 3 or 4 garlands placed throughout the house, but because our condo is actually OURS, I don't want to put holes in the wall. I bought some of those command hooks to hang a few things, but really, I'm ready for new decor.

I also attempted to sew our own stockings using a pattern found on familyfun.com, but it didn't turn out quite so well. And I broke the little needle on the sewing machine in the process.

I'm excited for Christmas. Even though Ryan and I decided not to get each other gifts this year because we got a gigantic tv already, Santa is going to bring us gifts in our stockings. Ryan doesn't know it yet, but I found a movie he's wanted forever on Amazon on VHS (who uses those anymore) and I hope he's as excited to get it as I am to give it to him...ahem, I mean Santa to give it to him.

I'll post pictures of our pretty tree later. It reminds me of a pretty glittery frosted cake...but better.

Less than 2 weeks!