December Madness…

For Christmas, Trent and I got tickets to a Creighton basketball game from his aunt and uncle.  We started out Christmas vacation right by heading to the game.  Tim and Jessie accompanied us to the game.  I did not remember this from other games that I had been to, but Creighton fans are intense.  They boo, they yell they call the players by their own nicknames.  The fans around us gave Jessie and I some good laughs.  With all the craziness, we still had fun.  And Creighton won.   And “Dougie” had a good game.  Go Jays!

 

I love Christmas break.  I could get use to this.  Watching movies, sleeping in, working out, taking naps, blogging and going to basketball games.  School has mostly been at the back of my mind with the exception of report cards.  Those nasty little things keep creeping into my mind.  I worked on them a little, but I am trying really hard to wait until after New Years to really get back into the school mode.

{The Launes}

Goodbye December…

In like a lion and out like a lamb...that’s December right?  My first post this month was titled Decemburrr.  It was absolutely freezing out and we even had about 6 inches of snow early on.  If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t believe it.  It was not a white Christmas and the temperatures are more like early spring than late December.  In the last week I have made sure to let Trent know that it is December and I am not even wearing a coat...so unlike me!

The extended forecast is looking pretty good...here are the next three days.  I have a feeling I will be wishing for this weather again in a couple of weeks. 

Finally, a little post Christmas song.  Took me until after Christmas to catch up on my e-mail, but I am obsessed with this!  My bucket list includes one day participating in flash mob.  Keep your ears open for me!

Now it’s on to enjoying the final days of 2011...

{The Launes}

R.A.C.K.…

Random Acts of Christmas Kindness.  I found this little idea online and ran with it this Christmas season.  I wanted to find a way to help others and spread a little Christmas cheer.   I also wanted to put a bigger focus on helping others this season instead of getting caught up in all of the “Christmasness” that is all too common.  I brainstormed different ways that Trent and I could help others.  I wanted to keep as much of it in the community as I could.  I created a calendar with something for each day December 1-25. 

By mid December, I hadn’t started my Christmas shopping and I didn’t care.  I was so excited every time I got to check a R.A.C.K. off of my list.  If Trent wasn’t there I would call or text him almost immediately to tell him about it.  What was even better were the few times when I got to see the pure joy of someone who had just been “RACKed!” 

I got a few pictures throughout the month...

Gloves to keep little hands warm...

At school we have a giving tree where the kids bring canned goods for the food pantry.  I promised them I would match whatever they brought.  92 items later, our class total was 184!

I also enlisted the help of my students for another project.  They made cards and we put together a care package to send to a unit serving in Afghanistan.  A few goodies to help make their Christmas a little more merry and bright. 

Trent and I spent a Friday night ringing the bells for the Salvation Army. 

I also put together a couple of gifts for toys for tots in town. 

I didn’t want to forget the local nursing home so I called to get a couple of gift ideas for the residents and put together a couple of packages for them.

I didn’t get pictures of everything throughout the month.   Some of my favorite ones were when we played Secret Santa and anonymously completed a RACK.   A couple of other ones worth mentioning are making dinner for about 15 football players during finals week, buying coffee for the car behind me at Starbucks and delivering Christmas cookies to some of our neighbors. 

I think I may have started a new tradition in the Laune household.  Even better...it was contagious!  My mom and Jamie both had their own RACKs.  I was so proud of them :) 

{The Launes}

Four Christmases…

So I am like a million and two posts behind and it is taking every last bit of energy that I have right now to sit down and blog.  It has been a whirlwind of a December.  So many things have been going on and I have wrote about zero of them.  Christmas festivities have been in full swing for about two weeks.  If you’ve ever seen the movie Four Christmases, I thought the title was appropriate for this post.  Give or take a few...

I think that for the most part pictures do the telling (except for the moments that I got caught up in all of the Christmas cheer and forgot to take pictures.)

It started with the Mason annual girls outing.  This year we headed to The Zin Room for dinner and then onto the theater to see a Christmas play in the old Market. 

In all the hustle and bustle, most of my Christmas shopping had to wait until I went on Christmas break.  That meant Starbucks and shopping all.day.friday.

Shopping all day Friday was followed by wrapping most of Saturday..

Then Trent and I headed off to his grandparents’ for Christmas Eve dinner, church and you guessed it...church again.

Christmas Day included breakfast at the Launes’ followed by some present opening.  Then we headed into Omaha to Jamie and Brian’s for the rest of our Christmas festivities.

We finished off Christmas with a trip to the movie theater to see Sherlock Holmes and finally a game of Acquire.

I really can’t complain about our Christmas setup.  The farthest we had to travel was Plattsmouth.  Otherwise, it was Ashland, Ashland, Ashland and Omaha.  So lucky to have family so close...especially around the holidays. 

I have a few more Christmas related posts coming before 2012 so stay tuned!

Hope you had a very

Merry Christmas!

{The Launes}

How Lovely are Thy Branches…

For nearly a week, our Christmas tree sat like this.  Lights, but no ornaments.  I kept being reminded of when I was growing up.  Every year, after we put the lights on, my mom would always say, “I think it looks perfect just like this.  We don’t even need to put any ornaments on.”  This year, I know where she was coming from.  It did look perfect just like it was. 

But Friday night Trent and I finally decorated the Christmas tree.  I put on some Pandora Christmas music and my fireplace DVD (totally dorky, but I thought it was all necessary to get into the Christmas spirit!) and we decorated away.

Trent carefully placed each of his ornaments strategically on the Christmas tree...

Now as long as I can keep Bella away we are good to go!

Last night I finally got started on my Christmas shopping.  In case you haven’t noticed, I’m running a little behind this year.  I don’t think I even made a dent and not sure when I will get to go again.  Life is cah-razy!  But, on the bright side, tomorrow is Friday and that means only 5 more days of school until Christmas vacation!  Praise. the. Lord. 

{The Launes}

Craftivities…

I have  been more than a little MIA lately, a) because things have been crazy busy and b) because Trent was in Texas all week recruiting for football and took the computer with him.  No computer means no blogging, or e-mailing or facebooking...

But yesterday was the day...craftivities day with Jamie!  In anticipation for our big day, I rushed Thursday after school so I could head to Omaha, get an early start and spend the night.  However, the snowflakes started falling around noon and I am a little more than a baby when it comes to driving in any kind of inclement weather.  However, everyone assured me I would be just fine.  After a little white knuckle syndrome and 40 minutes, I arrived at Jamie’s ready for the fun to begin!

Jolly Old Saint Chuck was more than thrilled to grace us with his presence in his Santa suit...

We headed out to grab a few supplies that we would need and then hit up Panera Bread to do some carb loading for our craftivities festivities. 

Panera bread bowls and broccoli cheddar soup...one of my favorite meals on a snowy December night, sorry Jamie...

Then, it was early to bed so we would be ready for our big day.  It was up and at’ em about 9, a quick trip to the gym and then a stop at Caribou Coffee for festive holiday Mochas.  (you will begin to notice a theme of lots of food in our day) 

Mmmmm... Mint mocha!

Then, it was on to crafts.  I was nearly covered from head to toe in modge podge...

All the while...

Thank you Jamie for a great craft day!  None of our crafts were completely finished, but it was fun none the less!  We ate, we laughed, we listened to Christmas music and we crafted.  Does life get any better? 

Now it’s time to start Christmas shopping...only 15 days until Christmas!.

{The Launes}

Oh Christmas Tree…

I had big dreams this December...to go to the Christmas tree farm and pick out the perfect Christmas tree.  Usually we just go to Home Depot, load one up and come home so this was  a new experience for Trent and I. 

Theoretically, it seemed like the perfect day.  Snowflakes falling and all, we headed out to Prairie Pine Plantation.  But in reality, walking through a tree farm in snow is not the easiest task.  It’s also tough to tell how the tree looks when there are several inches of snow on piled on top.

So we looked, and looked and looked.  Finally settled on one thinking it might be a little short, but it would do.  It is a little short and wide, but it has character!

I am thankful for the experience on the “perfect” December day.  I can’t wait to decorate the tree and watch Elf and drink hot cocoa.  So much to do, so little time!

Happy decorating...from our home to yours!

{The Launes}

Decemburrrr…

Happy December.  It came in true winter fashion.  Cold temperatures, wind chill in the teens and flurries at afternoon recess.   My little girls were shrieking with excitement.  One boy playfully rolled his eyes as he said, “Girls.”  I know deep down inside his little heart he was just as excited :) 

November finished up quick.  Monday night Trent and I had a potluck for a bible study I had been going to in Omaha.  I gave baked potatoes in the crock pot a whirl and I was pretty excited at how easy they were to make.  With a few (ten) left over Trent and I had baked potatoes for lunch and dinner two more days this week!

I had to steal this picture from Amy because I was making a completely ridiculous face in the picture on my camera.

Thanks Amy for asking me to join you on Monday nights!

{The Launes}

Happy Thanksgiving La, La, La…

Hope you had a good one dum, dum, dum!

I promise I’m alive and that I haven’t given up on blogging. I am currently in the midst of a writer’s block.  I have not had motivation, time or energy to write.  On top of that, I have failed in a  major way at taking pictures lately.

However, this past weekend Trent and I went out in full force to celebrate Thanksgiving and all things turkey.  Turkey Day number 1 was at Trent’s parents’ house.  I made stuffing, we had turkey, ham and all kinds of sides and good company. 

Then I spent Black Friday working at the Gift Niche in town!  Definitely not as crazy as most major retailers, but I got all kinds of good ideas for Christmas presents!

Saturday was Thanksgiving take 2.  This time at Jamie’s with my family.  I made stuffing and we had turkey plus all kinds of yummy sides!  And again, the company was great :)

Jamie, mom and Brian displayed teamwork as they put the finishing touches on dinner...

Part of Thanksgiving feast waiting to be devoured...

Love.love.love.

Tough guys.  Enough said.

Coming up this week...Trent and I stopped by Menards tonight to pick up a little lumber for a project I want him to help me make.  We are also planning a trip to the Christmas tree farm and of course lots of decorating for Christmas!

{The Launes}