Our little Christmas in the South...

This year after living in a hotel for the better part of the summer and being unemployed for a long time (a long time for us anyway) Jaxon and I decided that we wanted to see our savings account with more than cobwebs again and chose not go get each other gifts. Instead we did extra nice things for each other all day. Well, mostly just he just did nice things for me. I got to sleep in a bit, I got a nap, I got to take us to my friends house for a meal of scones and quiche,(which I like) and I got to sit on the couch after I put our dinner in the oven and read while Jaxon did the rest. Tomorrow will be his day and I think breakfast in bed will start it out dandy.
You see my one of my biggie 'love languages' is 'acts of kindness' This goes a looongg way in our house. He buys me flowers that will die in a week and I'm thankful. He vacuums the house and I'll pretty much do anything he wants. We have been trying to get the children to understand that service is another way to say 'I love you'.
This babies woke early (KORBIN WOKE EARLY) and in this house we have an eight o'clock rule-if you wake before eight you can tip toe to the fireplace (yea, we have one=) and get your stocking and bring it to mom and dads room and open it in there but you have to wait for everyone else for gifts. FYI Our tree is in a different part of the house than the stockings so he wouldn't pass the gifts!!
When we woke Miss. Allie we could hardly pry her from her stocking to go and see her wonderful play kitchen!! She just was not interested! Jaxon finally picked her up and carried her into the formal sitting room with the tree and the lovely display of gifts and ONLY THEN was she happy we took her away from her stocking!
We didn't have tons to open but what the children got was everything that they wanted. Korbin hasn't asked for anything else ALL YEAR-just a wii. In the spring it was 'If I'm good Santa will bring a wii' in the fall it was the same and last night in his earnest prayers he spoke with reverence 'Heavenly Father I am a good boy and I listen to my mom and dad and teachers and I really really want a wii-but I'm gonna need lotsa controllers for my friends, so don't forget about that too.' We laughed as we put it under the tree and wrapped all the nun chucks and chargers and games. Im not a 'gamer' and after giving Game Stop enough money to pay their rent for a month it doesn't look like my chances are good.
Our Christmas was a quiet one-as quiet as we get and I loved it. I like that we read several Christmas stories throughout the day and I like that its focused on Christ and we don't go crazy with gifts.(I like it when the kids aren't overwhelmed with junk that parents think they should have when the kid really only wanted this or that) I like the way we do Christmas. I like that I get to spend it with people I adore. I like that the swaddleing babe who saved the world, saved me. I love Christmas.

Salvation...

My last Christmas was very different. Jaxon and I weren't doing so hot (understatement of the year) and things were very hard for me. Feeling in the Spirit Christmas was not super, AND I FREAKING LOVE CHRISTMAS! If someone would have told me that I would be in Georgia with Jax. Happily! In a new pretty house and a new career and we WOULD BE PLANNING FOR A SPRING BREAK SEALING. I would have told you to stop being mean to me.
The year before last-everything I'd ever known and believed in was challenged. Last year-it was coming slowly back inside of my heart and this year, Its here. In abundance. I have had an intense 27 years but I choose to look at my crows-feet (damn things) as coming from the wonderful joys I have experienced. I have always loved Korbin and Allie but to know inside, what I have endured for them to have the life they have- makes me love them more. To look at an imperfect (by allot) face in the mirror and know that its still a good face. A face that knows Father in Heaven intimately, a reflection that knows despair and has slowly risen out of the ashes being held by Him is a face I'm okay with seeing tomorrow.
To look at my lovey. Who was, is, and always will be-my lovey. To see how he works himself in every aspect now. Spiritually, mentally and physically. To witness someone who had everything-lose it and then day by day earn it back. In my book he deserves to be looked at now with honor. I cant wait till we have the priesthood in our house for the first time. I can't wait to see him want to baptize our children.
Christmas is about the world finally receiving it's salvation. Salvation comes. Slowly or quickly it does come. This year I am very excited to be celebrating it with my lovey, my Korbin and my Miss. Allie.
If I were to die tomorrow I'd want the people I'd loved to know without any doubts-I loved my Savior and I worked for that relationship. I loved the Gospel, in the scriptures it says 'we are delivered from our sorrows' and I get that. Ive felt it and not only tasted it I chewed and swallowed it. I never want to die and have the door open and have Christ say 'Do I know ye?' My goal is for him to throw those doors open before I've hit the sidwalk and shout 'Brittney, we've been waiting! My friend, my sister,-Welcome.' I would want you to know that Im totally innaproptate and totally fine with that-If I want to wear a big hat Im gonna and I love what I love with no excuses. I have always felt that you only have one life-you'de better hustle if you wanna make it awesome. But, for the first time in my adult life I can say that Im feeling it (watch someone's gonna call me cause I ticked them off=)) I have worked so hard to learn and grow and like who I am and where Im at and there have been many road blocks but I just collect them now and keep on goin-cause at least finally-I know where I am going...

Santa Keys...

Every year for The Mommy Entourage I want to do something Holiday Specific and creative. This year I picked Santa Keys. I have the antique skeleton key shipped from the United Kingdom and then I clean it and glitter it. Then it goes into a natural wood keepsake box with a Santa poem and ribbon. It makes a great gift and the fact that they are one of a kind cant be beat. I loved making them. Each one is so different from another and I was able to get a bunch of different styles of boxes as well. They've sold decently well here but now I have a few left I posted on facebook. Aren't they charming?

Thanksgiving Break...

Thanksgiving came and went. I didn't feel amazing and my fancy friend from London Mrs. Nyia Hicken came over for dinner in a skirt while I dined in sweats. Poor thing-she will have to come over again when I don't suck!Dinner was okay but the next day was the best. The kids decided on oven smores-best idea ever...

HALLOWEEN in DECEMBER!

Yes-on top of candy I had to bake 'monster' cookies. I bake them for every holiday and call them something diffrent!
Then Miss. Allie and I had luuch with Ninja Korbin at his school.
Then Miss. Allie had a meltdown-this is usual. Notice not a real costume? Refused to wear leotard, crown and tore her fairy wings. That was nice. So, she rocked a regular outfit from Gymboree. A fairy ballerina-sorta.

Southern Nuclear

I was going through pictures of this summer and I found one of the only photos my Jaxon has with his new colleagues. These were taken at the time we accepted the position as instructor for Southern Nuclear. Jaxon is now learning how to teach Nuclear Power the civilian way. I thought there was just one way but apparently the Navy likes to do things their own way and jack things up. Here he is (the youngest man ever to do this-I think its awesome/he thinks I'm lame) at the Pinnacle Club (wicked high-end restaurant on the top floor of huge bank) and then at the actual site of Vogtle 1&2. He works for Vogtle 3&4 which haven't even been built yet. They hired 12 guys to go to school to teach power the way they want it taught and then they will be ready when they are hiring for Reactor Operators. Ever since we got here Jaxon has been studying like a crazy person. This school is like the whole 2 years of Nuke school in 6 months. He tests every Friday and has to make a great GPA or we lose our job. Usually, Jaxon does beautifully but we are always holding our breath Thursday night. Last week was the last of those types of tests and now, I believe, they are on to the presentation part of the class. He has to teach his class and instructors on any topic the instructors decide to give him and the fun part is no one has ever done this before. This (Vogtle 3&4) will be the first Nuke Plant to be built in over 30 years in the United States and all the little knobs and switches that you see in the movies are now all being done by huge flat panel touch screen monitors. (sorta like Star Trek) That sucker costs Billions of dollars so these boys are really the pioneers of this new technology in the states. I love that he loves this job, I love that it challenges the heck out of him, even on bad days, because I can see his growth and confidence. We are very lucky and I am happy that after 6 miserable years in the Navy-something paid off!!!