A Little Bit of Happiness

When it Comes to Home Decor...

Well, I really have neglected my blog quite shamefully haven't I?
Life has been treating me fairly well, although sleep is something that I've had quite a lack of lately and while for a few days that is alright it is starting to catch up to me. Also this morning I (again) managed to injure myself moving some boxes. Really I'm beginning to feel like I should just have my family wrap me in bubble-wrap and never let me out of the house.

We broke our New Year's Eve tradition this year and spent it with our church family. For as long as I can remember we always had done pizza, m&m's, and watched movies till midnight, just our family, although when we were younger we usually did not actually make it to midnight.
I quite enjoyed spending it with friends, played ImagineIff (And found out what everyone really thought of everyone else.) Then several rounds of Mafia(And found out who everyone hated.) Had a time of prayer and singing, very enjoyable, I love singing with people who actually enjoy it and so do it quite well. Later on played more Mafia, my favorite part of that game is dying so that you can just sit there and watch everyone else, it really is most amusing. Most people left between 11 and 12 o'clock, my father got caught up in a game so we were there till after 1 a.m. and played Worst Case Scenario( where we found out how long we would all survive in various situations.).



Yesterday we had all planned to go skating, but unfortunately things had warmed up and created slush on the pond then frozen, so it was unskatable. Instead we did a sledding party in the afternoon, I'm not really much for sledding myself, I find it to be more work than it's really worth, but I enjoy watching others spill, and amuse themselves with it. Although for the most part yesterday was not all that interesting.

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." L. M. Montgomery

A Carstensen Christmas

First of all I have to show off our gingerbread village! We had so much fun building it and are enjoying eating it too, though that part is rather bittersweet.



Above the village, looking over on our skating pond.


I love details, like the icicles and window frame here.


And our sweet little mercantile, seems like it would be a fun place to visit.


Caitlin's log cabin, it also had a stone chimney, made from chocolate rocks.


The Meeting House, as we like to call it.


Christmas was fairly quiet, because all of our family is in California and Oregon, for the past few years we've spent it with friends usually people, that, like us, have no family in the area. This year was spent with the Cunninghams, and an older woman who was recently widowed.
Hayley woke us all up bright and early, around 5 o'clock. We had a pretty leisurely morning, having cinnamon rolls for breakfast(yummy!). Then straightened up everything and were able to Skype with our grandparents, the first time we've seen them on Christmas in 8 years.
Here's a few pictures.

This year we decorated in a more natural look, with berries, "snow" clusters, pine cones, and these little woodland creatures.

Also some snowflakes, including these lovely frames my mother got last year.
And here's the tree Christmas morning.
The fun socks we all got!
And playing Jenga with the Cunninghams.

It's About Time

Okay, so I haven't done anything in a while(obviously), blogging has not really been on the top of my To Do list.
Here's a little bit on what I've been up to lately...
Our Thanksgiving was pretty quiet we had the Cunninghams over for the meal, after which we all went out and took a walk, then came home and played games while enjoying coffee and pumpkin pie. Here I'm teaching Caitlin Cunningham how to play Backgammon.
John and his friend Matthew also joined us in the evening, and spent most of it around the chess board.
Sweet Jillian and Rachel! I love having a baby around so much, it is so fun!
Hayley and Jacob taking their turn at the chess board.
And last Saturday we trekked out to get our tree. I'm very glad we did that before we got 8 inches of snow, and fortunately we didn't have to go too far to find it.
Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland!
Jillian doing her sign language at the choir concert.
My lovely and wonderful parents!

I'm hoping to do some more posting soon. Please forgive the lapse of creativity I've had lately, and also laziness on my part, just can't seem to get myself to get things together, I'm working on it though. God bless you all!