Our Christmas Tree!!!

A bit smaller than we'd remembered

but its perfect!!!

I've finally decided to show case our Christmas Tree for the Holidays. I absolutely love it and couldn't be more happy with the way it turned out. Being able to put up the tree & decorate it together this year was perfect. Last year having to do it all on my own kinda stunk but I did it because my MIL was coming in town. We have a few personalized ornaments from the years past and they are my favorite, I wish those I could keep out all year. But I know I would get tired of seeing the tree up all the time. Last Christmas I told Gabe I would leave the tree up till he came home for r&r but that didn't last really long. Right after the new year I took it down, I was ready for my house to be back to normal. This year things feel normal it feels like Christmas and I am loving it. I haven't figured out if its because we are in a cold environment or the fact that we are together in our new home. Regardless I know one thing is for sure I'm SO HAPPY that we are together this year and knowing will be together for the next two Christmas's after this just warms my heart.

SHE'S HERE!*!*!*!

DAY 65

The Spouse is in the South!!!!

I don't know that I've been this excited since moving to SC at all. The time had finally came to go pick up my Spouse from the airport. She was coming in for a visit for a few days before heading home to WV for Christmas and then back to HI for some much needed R&R w/ her hubbs. With my sign ready to go we loaded up the car and were on our way. Since we drove to SC we hadn't found the airport yet so we felt a bit early to allow extra time to get there.

We arrived a bit early so we went searching for coffee, the hubbs pulled a all nighter the day before so he needed some caffeine to keep him going. Going back down stairs to the baggage claim to wait we looked around checking out the airport and next thing you know I turn left, then right then LEFT again and THERE SHE WAS!!!!!!!!!!!! Her plane landed 10 minutes early and the monitor had not updated the arrival time. I was so excited, I wasn't dreaming she was really here and we were going to have the best time.

On our way home I don't know that Gabe got much of a voice in we were chatting away. We showed her around post a bit & made a stop at the PX. Home for some dinner and relaxing it was a long day for her and both Gabe & I. It was just like back in Hawaii I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, she was sitting at the bar keeping me company and we were catching up on or daily gossip. The hubbs kindly poured us a glass of our favorite wine to enjoy while hanging out. Things were as if there hadn't been a time laps of seeing each other, I guess that's how it is when you are as close as we are.

After dinner we swapped gifts between each other and from the Mistress as well. Last year this time it was The Spouse her hubbs and me now this year its Gabe instead of B. Next year for Christmas they will both be home Thank goodness. I got some of the cutest Christmas ornaments, the best part is one of them isn't christmasy at all so I can leave it out year around. And a few other super fabulous goodies which I'll save for another post.

The rest of the evening was spent just hanging out chatting and doing a bit of pinteresting. I swear that website is so addicting but I love it. So many fun ideas and recipes to try, once the holidays have passed I am going to start working on a few more.

I just want to freeze time and keep her here forever, nothing wrong with that right?!?!?! lol Its awesome having S here, I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Loads more to come highlighting our time together over the next few days so stay tuned!!!!!!!!

Cookies Cookies Cookies

DAY 56

This is only the first of many to come.

I had planned to bake these in the morning before work but since I was asked to sub tomorrow I had to make them tonight. Tomorrow night the At Ease group is having their December get together. Instead of doing a Pot Luck dinner we are doing a cookie exchange & making ornaments. I wanted to do a cookie that I hadn't made yet but that would be simple and semi easy to make as well as make a large amount. When skimming through my cookie books I came across a recipe for these French Christmas Cookies and they fit my criteria to a T.

I gathered up everything I was going to need to make them and got to mixing. I was a wee bit nervous because there wasn't much to the batter but I had faith. With the first batch in the oven I was still nervous, wondering how they were going to turn out. They smelled great & set up really well in the mini muffin cups with out any issues. I have to say they turned out a 100 times better then I though they would. I seriously think I have a new favorite cookie, not to mention Gabe LOVED them and couldn't stop raving about how good they were. The recipe says to store them in the refrigerator so that I did, later that evening before we went to bed I helped myself to another one and let me tell you they are even better after being chilled in the frig.

I really think I could go on and on about how delicious they are but I'll let you try them out for yourself. I've included the recipe below.

It says it makes 9-1/2 dozen but I managed to get about 78 cookies out of it. Hope you enjoy and please fill free to let me know how yours turn out.

French Christmas Cookies~

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, soften

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup milk

2-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups milk chocolate chips

2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in milk. Stir in crumbs, chips and walnuts. Fill miniature foil baking cups about three-fourths full. Place 1 in. apart on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool on a wire rack & then store in the frig.

I noticed that I had to cook mine for a bit longer, 14 minutes and they were perfect.

They wont last long at all I can promise you that one so be sure to make a double batch!!!!!

Holiday Traditions

DAY 53

What's Yours???

Every year since the hubbs & I have been married we have gotten a new ornament or two to represent that year. Of course I couldn't help but pick one up in Hawaii before we left. I am absolutely in love with the Sea Turtles also known as the Honu in Hawaiian so I went with this cute little fellow above. While decorating our Christmas tree this evening I made sure it found its place front and center for all to see.

I am still on the hunt for a South Carolina themed ornament for this year as well, I'm determined to to find something OTHER than those darn Gamecocks seriously it like consumes the lives of these people. BLAH.

This is just one of a few Christmas Traditions that we have started, I know its been around for ever but it will be neat 20 years from now to be able to have a tree decorated from "around the world".

What are some of your Christmas Traditions with your family????

Christmas Ornament

Every Year since Gabe & I have been together we tend to get a new ornament at the beginning of the holiday seasons. I make it a big deal that we get one together that represents were ever we are at the time. This year again we find ourselves in the Land of Aloha. So were else to go for our ornament, Non other than the NEX were they have the personalized ones. I absolutely love personalized items over anything, any day. This year being alone and my love not with me I took it upon myself to pick up a couple different ones. I can't wait for him to come home and see the tree all decorated to perfection!!!!!!!

~this one hangs on the wall near the kitchen & has the different names of the islands on it~
~i have to show my support to my husband & all our troops~
~the famous hawaiian santa & palm trees~


These two are from a friend of mine and Gabes. She is so sweet to do something like this for us, I just love them.

Ornaments

Since the first time I went to the NEX, I have said that I wanted to get a ornament from the booth that they have right when you first walk in. The booth is there year around and so every time we go I always say I'm gonna get it today and then never end up getting it.
Well today was the day finally I got my ornament and not just one. I got 3 for us and one for my mom and one for Jared's parents. As I was going to check out and pay there was another one that I wanted to get, on top of the 2 we had already picked out. Then the sales lady processed to tell me that if I buy 4 you get one free. SWEET, but it took me long enough just to figure out which two I wanted in the first place how am I going to pick 2 MORE?????
That's when I decided it would be a perfect idea for my mom & his parents.
I love the ornaments because they have tons and tons of different ceramic designs to pick from. Once you pick the one you want then you can have it personalized. Of course they have every day traditional designs but then they have the Hawaiian one's as well and that's what I was going for.
Every year since Gabe & I have been together we have gottan a new ornament or two and these were our special ones for this year.





Two of them were for the tree and then the other was to hang on the wall.