Christmas Story

Will be posting about our wonderful Christmas, but right now we're enjoying our family being in town.

So stay tuned.

Magical Christmas Morning

I am going to try to put into words how much joy and love I am feeling right now. I have been blessed from last night to this morning.

God is good!

This year has been one magical Christmas... even my youngest sister-in-law, Ellyn agrees.

This Christmas Eve and Christmas morning were done differently than in the past. Normally, we do Christmas Eve with my side of the family and Christmas morning with Chris' side of the family. Well, this year we decided to have everyone over to our home Christmas Eve all the way through Christmas morning. My mom just got done having surgery done two days before Christmas Eve, so we knew she wouldn't be in any shape to cook nor host, and Chris and I DID NOT want to drive around town all day long seeing family on Christmas day.

I tried so hard to have everything set up and organized just right, but there are bound to be some gaps along the way. Because lets face it I am nowere near perfect... as much as I like to try to be. By time all the food was ready, Karen and Manny had to take off to pick up Poppy and Grammy from the airport. Then when they return, my parents had gone home for the night since my mom was not feeling well. So needless to say we didn't get a chance to sit down and eat as a whole family that night, but at least we were together.

Chris and I wanted this year to be special for everyone, and we're so glad that it was. We were able to decorate the exterior of a home this year with lights. When we were in the apartment, we couldn't really do that. We did not have extra money during this time so we borrowed lights from my parents, while continuing to use our existing light to make the house look beautiful for everyone who came to visit. I have to say... we didn't have tons of lights up like most people, but we were the brightest house in our neighborhood. :)

This morning I woke up to Grammy coming down the hallway into the kitchen and that alone says this Christmas is going to be great. Grammy and Poppy are two people that you just can not help but feel positive, energized, loved, and so much more when they are around. Alright, back to Christmas morning. Grammy, Poppy, and myself had a wonderful conversation this morning while Chris, Tyler, and Logan were still asleep, while the rest of the family was getting ready to come down to our house.

As everybody arrived to the house and woke up, we had orange glazed rolls waiting along with eggs and sausage, fruit salad, little smokies, orange juice, apple juice, coffee, and left over sweets from the night before. Grammy in the kitchen helping me with the orange rolls, and taking on the task of sausage and eggs, Chris in charge of the little smokies, and Karen making her delicious fruit salad... I must admit that it felt so nice not having to really do anything except be with family. Whether everyone realized it or not I felt pampered. :)

As everyone gathered around the Christmas tree eating our delicious and semi fattening breakfast we carried on more joyful conversations. Logan the center of attention as he interacted with everyone. I know I keep saying this but this morning felt so right I can not even begin to describe it. We have not had a family Christmas like this in a really, really, really long time. Chris and I have never really wanted anything for Christmas except contentment during the holidays. This year God worked magic! Everybody was just glowing in the moment of togetherness.

This year money was tight for everyone and we didn't do the usual make a list and tell me what you want. Instead if we saw something within our price range that screamed that persons name we got it. I have learned so much in the last couple of years about gift giving. One, there doesn't need to be a list from someone, and two, once the gift has been given I have no more say or control in what happens to it. Number one has never really been an issue because I used to do that, but number two has been a struggle for me. Chris has to consistently tell me that when a gift is given it's gone... it's a gift. So if that person wants to smash it, lose it, sell it, etc. I have to let it go. This is kind hard for me to come out and admit, but I feel like I'm an open book anyways so why not share. But in fairness, I was brought up to treat things, whether they were mine or not, carefully regardless if it was a gift or not.

Back to Christmas morning...
After the gifts were open and love, gratitude, and thanks were given we just continued to hang out with each other. I seriously felt like I was on cloud nine. I had the biggest grin on my face, a spring in my step, and lots of hugs to share, because my heart was filled with so much joy... it grew three sizes that day. HAHAHAHA!

Today there was a lot of healing done, and Chris and I hope from this moment on the holidays only continue to get better.

Merry Christmas Everyone!








*Click on the pictures you want to see enlarge

This year was my one magic Christmas.

Mr. Muscles!

I do not know if it is kids in general or if it is just little boys. But, Logan loves trying to pick up heavy things, and when he is not trying to lift heavy things he is trying push heavy things.

Things Logan does:

*If someone is on a movable toy car he wants to push them around.
*Sees a heavy big rock he wants to pick it up.
*If he can't pick up a tree or bush outside he wants to climb it.
*Push our dining table chairs around the house.
*Pick up or push the cats around the house.
*Pick up or push around a heavy wooden step stool.
*Tries to pick up the vacuum cleaner and pushes it away from me.
*Do not get me starts on remotes...
*Pushes open a closet or front door.
*Picks up daddy's hammers.

My list goes on and on, but I think I'll stop here. I don't always have a camera present when he is doing this. But I have just recently captured him pushing our cat around in a box. Those who do not know us should know we have fat, lazy, and strange cats. So by all means our cats are not light... especially Pounce.

Below is Logan pushing Pounce around the house.

Fa la la la la la la la Ppppbbtttt!

Yesterday, was supposed to be our night out at the Zoolights. However, a certain nemesis of mine called Migraine sneaked his way into my head, and did not want to leave until 24 hours passed. I don't remember sending him a Christmas invite, but apparently that did not stop him from sharing Scrooge's good times with me. So needless to say I was not in the Christmas spirit to do anything.

I was so excited to go this year, since Logan is older now. He has been enjoying our Christmas lights on our tree and outside we wanted to share our tradition with him, and show him the thousand of lights that they put up at the zoo.

Well, maybe we can try to fit a few hours of Zoolights into our schedule the next couple of days before Christmas. I hope so, but does not look promising for us.

If you live in Arizona, and want a fun night out with the kids Zoolights is the place to go.

No Santa... No Pictures.

So this afternoon after church I wanted to take Logan to go see Santa Claus, since we never got a picture of him with Santa last year. Well, this will be another year without a Santa Claus picture.

Today Logan and I waited in line for about 35 minutes and the line barely even budged. At this point is was Logan's nap time, and I decided that his nap was more important than a picture with Santa. Plus, he would have not only felt miserable because he was so tired, but the pictures would have shown a very sleepy little man instead of our happy little man.

I forgot to bring my camera with me, and the prices that the mall charges for getting your kids pictures taken with Santa is ridiculous. The package starts at $19.99, and let me tell you, the $19.99 package gets you nothing... especially if you have a big family. It is almost as if they know nobody is going to shove every family members name in a hat and draw out two lucky winners for a wallet size photo. (The standard wallets offer four pictures, but two of those automatically go to mommy and daddy).

So needless to say, no Santa, no pictures. :(

Love For My Family

This morning as I was sitting on the floor watching Logan, I got this overwhelming feeling of joy. Everyday when I play, talk, and watch Logan my love for my son grows stronger. I never truly got the concept of a mother's love... until now. Words can not describe how powerful this feeling is, and how grateful I am that God has blessed me with this amazing gift.

God has not only blessed me with this feeling once, but twice now. When I am around Chris, I get this feeling as well, but it's a different kind of joy and love. I look at my husband and I think, WOW, he's mine. I truly do love my family and my life. God has blessed me in so many ways, I do not feel like I deserve it, but I am so thankful that he has given it to me.

Watching Logan grow and develop more, and more each day is incredible. It's hard to think I'll have this much joy and love for baby number two. But I have been told I will, and that too will be different. I can't fully see it, but I know in due time God will show me.

God is good and my life is good!

WANTED...Thief!

So, this morning I decided to have a scone with my coffee. I only got two bites in when a little hand came along side me, and took the rest of my scone off my plate.


Exhibit A


Exhibit B




Exhibit C

I here by find Logan Ryan Heald guilty of taking my breakfast scone. He will serve a life long sentence of cuteness. :)

Christmas memory... This memory will not be one from my childhood, but from my adulthood.

Christmas of 2008
Last year's Christmas was the worst Christmas I have ever celebrated so far in my life. I remember being so hurt that I was in no shape or form to continue celebrating Christmas anymore that night.

Thanks to my husband he made the rest of my night special. When Chris, Logan, and I got back home after a long day of running around trying to please our family we celebrated our own Christmas. Chris turned on Christmas music for me, made us some hot chocolate, turned on our Christmas tree lights, and all three of us sat around our tree snuggled close together, and opened Logan's first Christmas present from us. Those last couple of hours left of my Christmas made this into my favorite adult memory. The picture of my wonderful husband sitting next to me and our two month old at the time sitting on my lap. <3

What could top that?

Still Haven't Learned

So, I thought that it would be okay to leave Logan alone with his food, now that he is thirteen months old.

Well, I was wrong... again.

Today, during lunchtime I thought Logan's plate of spaghetti would be safe, and when I define "safe" I mean still on his plate right side up and nothing spilled.

Well, Logan had other plans in mind. Allow me to show you.


I would have taken more, but the batteries died in the camera, and I did not want to walk out of the room again to put new ones in. So I'm sure you can imagine what the inside of the chair and floor looked like.


Maybe if I look cute mommy won't get mad.


Acting like everything is normal. Mommy didn't you know that plates are supposed to be upside down?

Christmas memory...
Every year at Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve my grandpa, Pop would sit by me on the couch, and watch all the Original Christmas Classics with me. One right after another until dinner was ready.

This included: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Frosty the Snowman,Frosty Returns,Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol,Little Drummer Boy,Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, and more.

Unfortunately, he is no longer with me and my family, but I still keep his memory alive. Even to this day I still watch my Christmas shows, because it brings back those special memories that I have of my grandpa. They make me feel closer to him some how.

I love and miss you Pop! <3 Merry Christmas!

Traditions We Cherish

For as long as Chris and I have been together we have had little holiday traditions that we enjoy.

One of the traditions that we do every year (or I should say, try to do) are the Zoolights here in Phoenix. This is a tradition we started when we were dating and have continued to carry on. We look forward to sharing this with Logan each year.

I remember one year we had every intention of going to see the Zoolights, but I had tons of schoolwork to get done, so we never officially got to go. Chris decided to bring the Zoolights to me that year. He went out and bought all the materials to make a small rendition of the zoo and then placed lights around it. :) He even went to the extent of making stick people (out of popsicle sticks) representing he and myself, and he added the little concession stand where we get our Starbucks fix for the night too. I think we took pictures of it, and if I can find them I will post them. This was one of many favorite gifts he has given me through the years.

Other holiday traditions that Chris and I have are:

*Placing the dozens of wedding bells that we had left over from our wedding on our tree each year.
*Chris gets to place the star on our tree each year as the final touch.
*We pick out one unique decorative ornament for our tree each year and write the current year on it.
and...
*As of last year we have picked out a personalized ornament for Logan as well.

They may not be big traditions, but they are ours.


Christmas memory...
Yesterday, riding around with my dad in his truck brought back another fond memory of Christmastime. I can remember being nine years old, and I was riding around with my dad somewhere at the time in his little blue Chevy S10 pick-up truck. This truck could only really seat three people total, but two people were preferred for comfort. :)

Alright, so back to the story, but before I do let me give you some extra information first so you can understand the rest of my story later on.

Each year my grandma would give my sister and I McDonald's dollars. I don't know if my sister ever enjoyed this, as she was six years older than me, which would make her fifteen at the time, but I sure loved them. Happy meals were my thing! So I remember driving with my dad one day and we were talking about Christmas lights, and I was asking him if we were going to be putting up the outdoor lights that day.

Me: Dad are we going to put up the outdoor Christmas lights today?

Dad: We could. But, why should I?

Me: Please dad. I "promise" I'll help you out this year.

Dad: Every time you say that you are going to help me, you never really do.

Me: But, but, but!

Dad: You go back into the house while I'm outside freezing my butt off ever year.

Me: But, but, dad I "promise" I'll help out this year. Pleeeeease, pleeeeeease, pretty pleeeease with sugar on top.

(yeah, my asking went to pestering to begging fast. I'm not proud to admit this, but since I'm telling you everything I might as well share everything)

Dad: Okay, but if you go into the house once we get started then next year you're putting the lights up if you want them up. I'm tired of putting them up by myself and taking them down by myself.

Me: "Promise"!

and well... below is what happened.

Yep! That was our yearly conversation, which carried all the way into my early 20's. Hahahaha! You all should know that I would always find some way to go back into the house too. :) Now in my defense, if I even have one, I did stick around longer and longer each year, but yes, I did always go back inside the house.

Okay, so we were pulling up to a traffic light on Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard when my dad asked me if I wanted a McDonald's happy meal. Naturally I said yes, and I pulled out my McDonald's dollars, while my dad and I continued having our "yearly" conversation about the Christmas lights while we ate our McD's. Alright, maybe this story doesn't scream Christmas, but it was around the holidays and about Christmas lights, so my mind filed it under Christmas. But yesterday brought back some great memories I have had riding with my dad. <3

If you have Christmas memories you like to share with me, I love to hear them. Leave a comment.

Deck The Halls At The Heald House

Well, the house is finally coming together with Christmas decorations. We don't have a lot of extra money lying around right now after having to pay two rents, electric bills, trash, water, etc. So with that said the house doesn't have really anything hanging on the walls, nor are the walls painted, but that is okay. We'll get it all done little by little. However, I am very thankful for what we do have. :)



Guest Bathroom


Our Tree

We're going to try and get the outside lights hung up tomorrow, but Chris has been very busy with blippr, so we'll see. I am so excited! This is our first year we'll be decorating the exterior of a home. EEEEEEE! Not sure what our electric bill will be for this month/ next month, but as of right now it is totally worth it.:)

Christmas memory that is short and sweet...
Again, I think I had to have been five or six years old, but I remember this memory like it was yesterday. Okay, so maybe it isn't quite as clear as if it were to have happened yesterday, but still clear enough for me to remember. My sister was letting me sleep in her room the night before Christmas. I was so excited. My sister wanted me to stay up with her to try and catch Santa Claus. I had a pallet (pillows laid side by side making a bed) all laid out on the floor next to her bed. With her unicorn light on above my head on her nightstand. I remember us whispering back and forth to each other trying to stay awake. We would keep asking each other if we could here anything, but neither of us heard a peep. Unfortunately, we never did catch Santa Claus because we fell asleep, but I got to do something with my big sister that Christmas Eve night that has stuck with me to this day.

Those who do not know my sister and I are six years apart, and we didn't have much in common with that big of age gap, so for my sister to even want to hang out with me, let alone offer me to sleep in her room, was a very big deal.

Hard Lesson Learned

Tonight I learned a painful lesson. Never ever get close to a gas grill. I made the mistake tonight to not only get to close, but let the gas run a little too long before lighting the ignition. Lets just say I was very lucky that the only thing that happened to me was first degree burns. Some of my hair got burnt, but the painful burns of all were my nose hair getting singed off and getting the burn on the outside of my nose and inside my nose. I don't think I have ever felt so much pain in my life and I could compare this pain to giving birth, but I cheated and had an epidural with my delivery. :)

So I'm in pain, but I'm trying to treat my burns as best as I can. Again, I am very lucky that this painful experience didn't send me to the ER. God was watching over me, and continues to watch over me. Thanks God.

I can laugh at my situation now, so here is a picture that kind of describes how my nose feels.