It's The Holiday Season - 2016

Isaiah 9:6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Taken at our church's Christmas event

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season!!

Show Us Your Books - December 2016

Here's what I've been reading this month:


With all the holiday hustle & bustle, I've only had time to read one book.

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

From GoodReads: The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays. 

But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise--she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, The Christmas Wedding is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.

It's Christmastime, and I wanted to read something Christmas-y. I remembered that I had this hardcover book in my attic *GASP* Yes, I know I'm an e-reader now, but my JP obsession was on point a few years back and I normally bought his books in non-digital form. Anyway, I finished this book this past weekend. It was just okay though. The novel was too short for my liking. You barely get to know the characters and most of their back story. And because of that, I thought it was odd of who Gaby chose to marry. I didn't see their connection. Anyway, I have this book 3 stars on GoodReads........ 

Don't forget to follow me on my GoodReads page and to link up and show us what you've been reading!

Random Thoughts

This weekend was a very relaxing one! We did go to our churches Christmasfest for a few hours on Saturday night, but it was pretty much vegging in our pajamas watching watching TV, playing games or just whatevering in the living room. It was absolutely FANTASTIC!!!

So I had some random thoughts going, and I'm just gonna put them out there:

1. Our Operation Christmas Child boxes were finally shipped and I found out they are heading to Kenya. That's really exciting news!
2. I constantly am thinking about my sponsor child in Haiti. I'm desperate for a letter back from him, yet I know he hasn't received our most recent responses yet. I see all these ideas on Pinterest and want to do them all!!!!!
3. On the topic of my sponsor child, I was thinking of having like a fundraiser or something, and all the money raised go to him & his family. Or to just donate it to the most needed thing (like clean water for example) through Compassion International. Just an idea floating around in my head. I want to do something MORE than just donate to him monthly and write him letters. 
4. Trying to find a individual bible study is hard. I keep looking and nothing is jumping out at me.
5. I started a new book series, and so far so good. I like books by Tiffany Reisz, she's an easy read, so this one is starting off well thus far. I'm like 4 pages in, haha!
6. I have to order Girl Scout patches for Delaney's vest. She's missing a bunch she needs! I'm hoping to order them this week so I will have them before the new year and can work on getting her vest in order.
7. Only 9 more days until I am off of work for Christmas break. It can't come soon enough! Then the holidays followed by a trip to Virginia to see family.
8. Do a New Years Resolution this year? Ehhhhhh, I make one every year and it never pans out. Maybe this year will be different?

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. I post on there a lot. 

Have a nice Monday, everyone!

Link Up: Currently (December 2016)

Linking up with http://www.anneinresidence.com/ today.

Currently--

Doing: Working my tail off at work, because I am a hard worker like that.

Enjoying: Life. This Christmas season I am really in the spirit!

Cooking: Looking for more gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free recipes for my daughter. Know any?

Wrapping: Gifts like a champ! Thank you AmazonSmile!

Playing: Final Fantasy XV on PS4.

Link Up: Blogmas 2016 - Day 2

I'm behind on the link up, but oh well. Movies are my jam!

Christmas Movies on The 'Must-Watch' list:

Link Up: Blogmas 2016 - Day 1

I decided that I will participate in a few posts of the Blogmas link up. I'd like to do a majority of them, but I'm realistic and don't see that happening.....

Day 1 was two days ago, but I'm doing it today anyway, lol.

Day 1 - The Christmas Tag

Whats Your Favorite Holiday Movie?
My favorite one as a kid is Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Our family likes Elf so that's growing on me, and Home Alone is a classic at this point.

Whats Your Favorite Christmas Color?
Red and White. Like striped together. Love love.

Do You Like To Stay in Your PJs or Dress Up For Christmas?
I ama PJs type of girl. We wake up, go out to the open presents in our PJs and hang around the house in our PJs. The only time we will get dressed on Christmas Day is if people are coming over to eat dinner. And that's more casual than fancy. 

If You Could Only Buy One Person a Present This Year Who Would It Be?
I would have to say my husband, because he works so hard all year round to provide for us. He deserves to be spoiled!

Do You Open Your Present Christmas Eve Or Christmas Morning?
Santa's gifts are opened on Christmas morning. But us Italian's make a big deal of Christmas Eve, and we've ALWAYS gotten together with my mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve to eat dinner and open presents. 

What Do You Like To Do On Your Christmas Break?
Re-freakin-lax! We go to my mom's on Christmas Eve and do all that and that's all fine and good.... but on Christmas I wanna be HOME, opening our gifts and enjoying them and the time with my family.  Then we usually go to see Steven's family on winter break out of state, and we are busy bees there.... and I'm sort of okay with it, but sometimes I just like to sit around the house doing nothing.

Any Christmas Wishes?
I wish for my family to have a happy and healthy year, and for my extended family to become believers in Jesus.
 
Favorite Christmas Smell?
I got this candle from Yankee Candle called Balsam & Cedar and I'm in love. Usually tree smells aren't my thing, but this one put me in the Christmas spirit right off the bat! I also like the smell of Yankee Candle Magical Frosted Forest. 
 
Favorite Christmas Meal Or Treat?
Christmas Eve dinner at my mom's.... lasagna for the win! 

What are you doing for the holidays this year?
Christmas Eve at my mom's. Christmas Day is just home relaxing. No plans for visitors as of now.

What’s your favorite holiday drink?
Mint hot chocolate.

Candy cane or Gingerbread men?
Candy cane.
.  
What’s your favorite holiday/Christmas song?
I just heard Danny Gokey's 'Mary Did You Know' on the radio last night and it's my new fav.

What is most important to you about the holidays?
That Jesus is the reason for the season. And being with my family, basking in the glow of Christmas cheer that comes on Christmas morning. 

Catching Up

Yes, yes, I'm well aware I am a flip flopper. Wordpress just wasn't doing it for me.

Lets play catch up, shall we.

November is pretty much a dead month, as far as working goes. I had the first week of November off because the NJEA teacher conference. I get Thanksgiving Eve off because it's a half day of school, as well as Thanksgiving and Black Friday off, of course. Then I also get the last week of November off for Parent Teacher conferences. I literally worked 11 days for the month of November. I am not complaining, lol.

This week off of work was very productive. Got a ton of Christmas shopping done (thank you cyber Monday), as well as write up a few blog posts and set up a new blog page.  I keep saying I'm gonna sit down and tend to my blog but then just never get around to it because #life.

Gonna go back to the end of October and make my way forward.....

Halloween 2016 was a success. Delaney dressed up as Harley Quinn and Dylan ended up throwing together a soccer player outfit and calling it a day. They came home with way more candy than anyone would ever need, lol.

The four of us had off the first week of November. One day we went to go see Samson at Sight and Sound Theaters in Lancaster, PA. It was absolutely amazing! The kids loved it and already want to go back next year. Sounds like a plan, I say.   Another day we went on a nature walk at a beautifiul place called Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ. It was nice.  We made it a day trip kinda week....

I wrote a response letter on behalf of Steven and myself to our sponsor child in Haiti named Michelton. The kids also wrote him their own separate letter. He probably won't receive them all till a little bit after Christmas, due to turn around times from Compassion International.  We are continously praying he and his family are well.  I hope he writes us back.

Steven and I celebrated 12 years of marriage on November 20. We went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, followed by dinner at a local restaurant we wanted to try. The movie was amazingly good.... the restaurant, not so much.

I took NO pictures on our anniversary, so a wedding photo will have to do, lol.

Thanksgiving was a success. Woke up and watched the parade on TV, followed by my parents coming over for dinner. Nice and easy. I do miss my sister for the holidays though (she moved out-of-state).

Delaney mashing potatoes.     A rare photo of my mother and I.

It's now December. Christmas shopping was mostly done online via AmazonSmile*. We put up and decorated our tree this past weekend. This year I am REALLY in the holiday spirit, and early, both of which are unusual for me. I'm just gonna roll with it.....

*I wrote a post about AmazonSmile & it can be found here

Okay, so now that I took the whole afternoon to write this post yesterday, I have to actually go and adult. Laundry needs to be tackled and the kids are fighting. One of those days, lol.