**Christmas**

i hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! It was a wonderful holiday here...everyone was here at the house...that is everyone but Brandon...so our house was very full! Christmas Eve we went to the 5 o'clock Mass (and came home 2 hours later!!) and had a dinner of tacos...not our traditional Christmas Eve meal, but Shasta and Jon were spending this evening with Jon's mom. And then of course after dinner we opened stocking! Yep, everyone still has a stocking! Dad and Mom make sure that everyone has an equal amount of little treasures in their stockings...home-made stocking at that too!

Christmas morning...the kiddos woke everyone up bright and early (around 8am) and were ready to get started on the gifts! i love Christmas morning because we stay in our pajamas while opening gifts (which takes *all* morning...quite literally!!). The only requirement that we need to meet is that we brush our teeth! i am crazy about brushing my teeth so i don't have a problem meeting that requirement before going upstairs! Soon everyone was here at the house and all the gifts were passes out to each person. Here at our house we take turns opening gifts...so that we can all see what each person is receiving. We opened gifts for a little over an hour and then took a break for breakfast...and then back to the living room! i think we were finally finished around 12:30-1:00!! i think everyone was happy with their gifts...especially the hand-made ones! The younger kids made gifts for each one of us...so sweet and precious!

Then later on, we made our traditional Christmas Eve meal...now everyone was home so we could have the meal...just a day late! Potato sausage and a bunch of other dishes (Scandinavian meal!!) although we did forget the leftsa...oops! But it was still great!

So that was our Christmas! We all enjoyed it...

**how adorable**

When Brandon came up for a visit last time these photos were taken. Brandon was doing some self-portraits and then Marissa, Emma, and i joined in! How cute are these??

**babysitting**

While mom and dad were town Christmas shopping...i was at home babysitting...we had fun! This is the perfect way to entertain kids...it kept them entertained for a good half an hour!!

**dad and me**

dad and i...more self portraits! i love these...dad and i got ahold of mom's camera and we decided to be silly! this first one i altered a little on the computer...i love those enhancement features!

**neon hues**

a self portrait that i altered on the computer...i found this really cool illusion that makes a picture have a neon glow to it! how cool is that!

**me**

Here is my latest page...i created it yesterday afternoon. i suddenly got an itch to create...and this is what came from it. Really neat paper, ribbon, buttons, flower and chipboard arrows. The colours are definately me and large flower and the pattern paper are my style. i had fun doing this page...i am going to do an entry to a contest for the Creating Keepsakes magazine and perhaps this one will be one i choose to send in. We'll see...

**going to Church**

On the way to Church last Sunday...i got really bored in the car. Imagine that...me getting bored with a car ride! yep. It was only 7 miles, but still i just had to find something to do with those few minutes! So...of course i had my camera in my purse...so self-portrait time with the girls! We had fun for those 7 miles!

**the aerial bridge**

A couple of nights ago we went up to Duluth...and since it was night time we convinced Dad to drive down to the Canal so we could take pictures of the lights. And...they have a webcam down at the Canal...so we called Brandon up and told him we were standing in front of it if he wanted to go online and see if he could see us! Well, the webcam didn't really work...it was too dark outside and even with a flashlight all he could see was a little light here and there...bummer. But a few of these pictures turned out really neat! i love it down at the Canal...

**imagine that**

Can you imagine...Brandon and i were taking *more* self-portraits! After we finished decorating the Christmas tree...around midnight!...Brandon wanted to experiment with the shutter speeds on my camera...pretty neat! Actually, we didn't use a flash and the shutter stayed open for a little longer than normal (i cannot remember how long he set it for!) and the picture turned out completely dark! Well, thanks to computer programs...i wanted to see how the picture turned out, so i lightened them and added some other illusions. The results are pretty neat! The first one has a neon glow added to it and the second has another illusion that makes it look like it came out of the newspaper! Wish i had a darkroom now! But then i would have to change my beloved digital camera over to an SLR and i'm not sure i want to do that quite yet!

**ornaments**

This is the finished product...our Christmas tree! We had plenty of lights, but i am afraid that we did lack decorations. We put up the ornaments i had bought while shopping with Shasta, but the tree still looked a little bare! But i like it...

The tree topper...i thought it looked Scandinavian.
This ornament is sooo neat...definately my favourite! Shasta had saw this one at Macy's awhile back and when i explained the type of tree i wanted...with Scandinavian ornaments... we went on over to Macy's and i picked this one up.
A music note...thought Brandon would like this one...and it was the same style as the tree topper!
A little ornament made from tin (i think!) again the red and white colours!

**setting up our tree**

While i was down visiting Brandon and his family this last weekend (seems like i write that sentence a lot for this blog!) we put up a Christmas tree! i love Christmas trees! And this is Brandon and my *first* Christmas tree together...well in a way at least! We may not be married quite yet, but that doesn't mean this cannot still be *our* tree! We set the tree up in the living room on Monday afternoon, but then we had to go to Owatonna on a little shopping spree and visit with some friends since we were so close...and a wonderful visit we had, too! So after we were back in the late evening...Brandon found the Christmas lights and we started making the tree look more festive! Earlier the week, Shasta and i had gone to Rochester for a shopping spree...and quite a shopping spree that was! We spent all day Saturday shopping...but i found quite a few really nice Christmas ornaments at the Hobby Lobby and Macy's...so Brandon and i added those to our tree to put some final touches on it.

i altered this picture so that is why it is lighter.
Brandon opened the shutter for about a second or so...so neat!

**together**

Brandon and i were driving over to Owatonna to buy a sink and faucet at Lowe's...and then go over to Faibault to visit with some of Brandon's friends! Driving...when Brandon drives i become so antsy and bored. If i'm the one driving i don't have this problem, but if i am just sitting in the passenger's seat...yep, ask Brandon and he'll tell you how annoying i can be! Well this trip i brought along my camera...self-portrait time! Taking self-portraits really can pass the time! i leaned over and took some pictures of Brandon and i...i know he is looking at the camera...he really was watching the road too...very talented! We are crazy...but we love it!

**Elaine**

On Thursday mornings i have started going over to Elaine's house and visiting with her. Last Thursday, Elaine and i made banana bread for Christmas...she and her husband are having a family Christmas at their house this year and she wanted to have her children's favourite bread ready for them! Today, i rolled her hair in curlers! That was the first time i have ever rolled hair in curlers! It was kind of fun actually. And then we addressed Christmas cards! i love to write so this was perfect for me! Elaine's handwriting is not as she once remembers it and her hand tires after awhile...so i helped her address her cards. i would write out an address and then she would sign her and her husband's name in the card and seal it closed. And of course all the while we are working we are chatting about everything! i love chatting with Elaine! She tells stories of when her children were growing up, traveling around the U.S. to different military bases with her former husband, different friends she has had throughout the years...i like to listen to her tell stories. And of course she is very nice and will ask questions about my family and how wedding plans are coming along and how my time was down at Brandon's and how cleaning his house went...she is a very nice lady. i am very glad that i have started going to her house once a week and visiting with her since she has unfortunately had severe back trouble within the past year and now must be in a wheel chair and pretty much stays at her house all of the time. i always enjoyed Elaine's company while i was working at the scrapbook store and she would come in to help her daughter's with a few things at the store (her two daughter's own the store)...and i have missed chatting with Elaine for the past year...so i am very happy to be joining her once a week and helping her with anything she might want to do that day!

**Christmas pictures**

Over Thanksgiving, we took our traditional family Christmas picture! Every year we take our Christmas picture at Thanksgiving...everyone is at home so it is the best time to capture the *best* photo to send out to all our friends and family. This year...Jon joined us and so did Brandon! This is the first year that we have had *new* family members join us for this often times *fun* experience!

This is my favourite picture! i did add a little alteration to the colouring though!

Photo trial #1 (and Colter was picking his nose!)
Photo trial #2...oops we're missing mom, i guess the self-timer didn't work!
Photo trial #3...i love Colter's facial expression, it doesn't even look like him!
Photo trial #4...yes! i think we have a keeper!

**candid shots**

A few candid shots from our Thanksgiving weekend together! Emma and Marissa absolutely love Brandon! Missa is playing hand games with him while he is letting Emma climb onto his shoulders! i love this photo...i wonder how he can see with Emma's little hands covering his eyes as she tries to climb onto his shoulders?? Doesn't look like it is bother him though...he loves the two little girls and likes to play with them! So if we ever need a babysitter, i guess we know who to call!

Brandon and i thought perhaps we could lay down on the floor next to each other and finish watching the movie everyone else was viewing...we soon had company! Emma maneuvered her way between us and rested her chin on Brandon's back and finished the movie! And Marissa came over with a mind game she wanted to play with Brandon! i was *just* a sister that day and since they see me every day i must get boring because they didn't pay me too much attention...they had eyes for Brandon! But he didn't mind at all!
Shasta's fiancee, Jon, was here for Thanksgiving as well. Well, both Shasta and Jon went to his mom's house for Thanksgiving dinner, but then came to our house for "socializing" time and dessert! Colter really likes Jon...they can talk about heavy equipment and pickup trucks and that just thrills Colter! i think in these pictures Shasta was trying to bug Jon with sitting on lap...she usually doesn't just go up and sit on his lap...unless it is to try to bug him! They are always playfully harrassing each other...they know just what to do or say that will get the other one going!! You know you are at our house when you look closely at the photo and see the stray foot sticking up just in the frame of the camera in the right hand corner! There is always someone who is trying to "get-in-the-way" of the camera to bug mom!
Dad and Lisa...sitting on the couch together! i liked the photo so i thought i would include it!

**the ring**

Here...is the most gorgeous ring ever! This is the ring that Brandon has chosen to give to me as an engagement ring! i am so excited! Brandon was worried that i would not like the ring...well...i absolutely *love* this ring...i could not have chosen a better one! Isn't it beautiful? It simply sparkles...and it has such a vintage look to it...i truly do love it! i love showing it off to my friends too...i wear it *all* the time!
i'm engaged and i have the best fiancee...he is so sweet and caring and adorable and talented and honest and the funniest guy i could have ever imagined! i'm the luckiest girl!
i love you, Brandon!

**my favourite card**

This is the most amazing card i have ever received! Wednesday night when Brandon came up for Thanksgiving...he gave me this card and said it was for my birthday. He was feeling really bad because he didn't get me a card for my birthday...but i got to spend the entire day with him...and the rest of that week! That was better than getting a plain card!

But this card...is extra special...this is the way Brandon proposed to me! Absolutley amazing, shocking, and special! He bought the ring and then brain-stormed with his parents of how to ask me and when he decided to make me a little scrapbook, he and his mom went to the scrapbook store and bought supplies! Then he made this little scrapbook all by himself...and tied the ring on the last page with a little piece of ribbon! i can tell he put much thought into the scrapbook...he had a picture of his hand signing "i love you" on the front, excerpts of love songs from *country* artists, and used the colours we are thinking about using for our wedding! He did a great job picking out the supplies too...rub-ons (which he said were hard little buggers to use!), special sticker letters, buttons (my favourite to use) although he confessed he used hot glue!

When he gave me the card...i had no idea that there was going to be a ring on the last page! Brandon said my face expressed much surprise when i turned to the last page and read "will you marry me?" and saw the ring! My eyes filled with tears...happy tears...i was so incredibly happy (and surprised!). And of course i said yes...and then Brandon put the ring on my finger!