:: Happy New Year ::

:: The tic-tock of 2008 has almost finished -it seems like it whipped by in a rush! ::

:: We had a great 2008, lots of fun, lots of challenges too but all in all lots of love. I'm learning to be a better Wife, Mama & Friend and with that I have been challenged to write up my very first New Years Resolution list - I may share it with you but for right now it's tucked away on my heart and in my head ::

:: We are ringing in the new year quiet style. We could go out but we are so tired from all of buzzing of Christmas still that we just want to have a quiet time in without interruption. We are putting our family first this upcoming year and we are ringing it in with that expectation ::

:: Happy New Year All, I pray each day of 2009 is not wasted but lived to the fullest, every moment filled with expectation and God's goodness ::

:: Love to you all and welcome 2009! ::

:: Christmas 2008 House Tour ~ Your Home ::

:: Here are some of my favorite spots from inside your homes ::

:: Amanda's beautiful black front door ::

:: Christy's super cute Christmas day counter ::

:: Carrie's fancy symmetrical mantel - just lovely! ::

:: Charlene's "holy moly now that's a tree!" ::

:: Nadine's lovely tree and fireplace...I love love love the grand feeling of the fireplace! ::

:: My Mom's vintage collection, my favorite one is the one that is always on top of the TV {top left corner} ::

:: Stephs mod feeling decor, simply stated and just beautiful! ::

:: Nickie's candles candles candles...Nick, did you end up lighting them ;) ::

:: Mantel a la Sarah, love the garland, my heart adores shabby chic! ::

:: Thank you to all who joined in my house tour - Y'all have B E A U T I F U L homes! ::

:: Christmas 2008 House Tour ~ My Home ::

:: Okay, so I promised to post, but you know how it is, life gets in the way of posting...at any rate, better late than never! ::

:: Welcome to my home ::

:: Our entry way {looking from our living room into the hall towards our family room} ::

:: My Mom gave me the lovely silver trees that are on my front table, I think they look fabulous, and I put up my new {my b-day present from my bro & sil two years ago, but had yet to make it to a wall} candle sconces on the wall heading into the family room ::

:: The reflection from the mirror in the front hall into the living room ::

:: Our living room from the front hall ::

:: Our living room from the corner of the dining room ::

:: The view from my couch, I really liked the placement of the tree in the center of the room but it was a pain to get my furniture to fit, and apparently moving it was no option to Paul! But it all ended up okay and I loved sitting on my couch and seeing the whole room, it will be this way again next year ::

:: My dining room {without a table cloth, it was still dirty from the night before}, notice anything different? Yup, I got myself a plate wall, it was for my birthday from my parents, nice eh? They are antique plates {most of them} from Lynden WA ::

:: Here's a shot of the plate wall looking into the family room ::

:: Here is the inside of my china cabinet, I needed to protect our nativity, but Jacob got in anyway and broke poor Jesus' arm! ::

:: A few details from around the house ::

:: Our family room, yes, we had two trees....lovely I think so! We got the real one {family room one} for free, but it was soooo lovely while it lasted. As of boxing day it was taken outside to the back deck, it's all lit up out there but just not dropping needles on my carpet anymore! ::


:: Details from the family room/kitchen, I got my apothicary jars on sale from Big Lots in Bellingham {I had my eye on them since August and finally splurged and bought them for myself, a whole $20} ::

:: Thank you for walking through my home with me...coming up next, all of my fav's from your homes! ::

xo, Shawna

:: One Child ::

:: Can you tell me... ::

:: How to post a video? I've tried and tried and tried and nothing works! ::

:: Thank Ya! ::

:: Christmas 2008 House Tour ::

:: Thank you to all who entered my Christmas 2008 Home Tour, it's been so much fun! If you are still waiting to deck the halls a little more, please feel free to email me once you have your post up, I will just keep this running...now next I need to take you on a tour through my home! ::

:: I will also be posting some of my favorite photo's from your blog, so come back to see what photo of yours is featured! ::

* * *

:: Okay, here are all of my blog friends that were able to join me in "Christmas House Tour 2008". I hope you enjoy touring through their warm homes filled with beautiful decorations, but most of all decorated with love ::

:: Amanda ::

:: Carrie ::

:: Charlene ::

:: Christy ::

:: Mom ::

:: Nadine ::

:: Nickie ::

:: Sarah ::

:: Steph ::

:: Ps. I'll be posting my home later on tonight, so if you still have a warm drink in hand, come back to see my tour ::

:: Also, if you didn't get a chance to enter your home into my tour, please feel free to submit your home/post once you finish it and I'll keep this post open and add them when I get them in ::

:: Happy Decorating and Merry Christmas! ::

:: E N J O Y ::

:: House Tour ::

:: I'm extending the house tour, I will write up a post late this evening with all of the homes you can tour through...So Laura get your photo's up! ::

:: XO, Shawna ::

:: Advent ::

:: Everyone has different things to celebrate ADVENT and this year for me I have been thinking quite a bit more about what advent means to me and my family ::


:: Since my babes are still quite small and don't really "get" what advent is all about {for instance when I asked Jacob where his advent was he went to our nativity scene...or maybe he really does get what advent IS all about!??!}. So I have been thinking about what traditions we can start surrounding the count-down to Christmas and the day we set aside and celebrate our Saviors birth ::

:: What are your idea's for advent, did you do anything great growing up, did you have a calendar that your mom made and filled with treats? Did you have a story that you read up until Christmas day? ::

:: What I was thinking of doing {along with the cute traditional countdown chocolate calendar} is taking out one piece of our nativity until Christmas day when we place Jesus in the manger ::

:: Let me know your thoughts! ::

:: Oh, and it's snowing here...it's absolutely beautiful, 'tis the season and I love it! ::

:: Your Invitation ::

:: I don't know about you guys, but I just LOVE Christmas {for obvious reasons!} and along with all of the noble reasons for celebrating Christmas, I love re-decorating for Christmas and I delight in seeing how other people decorate and the ideas they have ::

:: So I invite you to share with us your home and hold and open house via the internet ::

:: Here's how it works, you take pictures and blog about your home and the little details that makes your home more homey for the most important holiday & if you include a cute crafty thing you did or a deal you got you get brownie points! ::

:: So, once you have blogged your home you can email me at paulandshawna@telus.net with your blog address and I will post all of the homes in our "Open House Tour" on Wednesday evening, you can then sit back with a cup of hot something-or-other and enjoy a Christmas Home tour without leaving your home! How fun is that! ::

:: So if you read my blog but have yet to leave a comment and have a blog of your own...come on people let's tour through our homes together, I KNOW you're as nosy as I am! ::

:: Can't wait to see and share with all of you! ::

* * *

:: Note: The cut off time is 4:00 pm on Wednesday the 17th of December ::

:: Busy Busy Busy ::

:: Well we have been busy around here doing what we do best, living! ::

:: Here are some shots to get you caught up on the action that has been our life in the past week or so ::

:: We enjoyed the Christmas Train @ Stanley Park with our friends M&C and two of their kids, after the train we went to the Old Spagetti factory, this has been a tradition of ours {as in my family} for years, and I'm sure glad we started it with our family now. The boys had a blast and we had fun watching their excitement ~ Thanks M&C for a great night! ::

:: Jacob enjoying watching the toy trains go round and round ::

:: Cole & Paul enjoying the lights ::

:: Me and my boys ::

:: The boys watching the tracks go by ::

:: Waiting to leave the station ::

:: "Mommy Mommy I lost my mitten!" 10 points for you if you know what book that quote is from ::

:: The clan {sans me} enjoying the display ::

:: We "decked the halls" around our place with all things Christmas ::

:: We've enjoyed watching the weather get more "winter" like around here, here is our house as of Saturday night. Paul just put up the lights just in time....they were finished about 4 hours before it started to snow ::

:: We enjoyed a lovely brunch @ Uncle Michael & Auntie Jen's Place,with Santa & all! ::

:: What a great time we had M&J, thanks for the fun and the memories! ::

:: I made these cute little guys to take to the brunch, they were super easy to do and so much fun to eat, plus they even tasted SO good! You can find the tutorial here on Bakerella ::



:: We took in the production with Paul's Nanny & Papa, his parents & my parents at our church and then met up with J&L for a light turkey dinner after ::

:: Okay, so that brings us almost up to date, however I have one more thing to say, so I'll post this then be right back with a fun post to get you guys in the Spirit! ::