A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

I have to say that this Christmas exceeded all of my expectations. It was absolutely more than I ever, ever could have expected. I had a wonderful time. Spending time with those around me was the best. It has been many years since I actually felt that I experienced what Christmas was all about. This year it was all about family.
　
　
Christmas morning at our house started off well. Jasmine woke up around 7am and asked, “Daddy, did Santa come last night?” It was sweet and innocent enough. She still believes in Santa’s generosity. The next question was, “Daddy, how many cookie crumbs did Santa leave?”
　
　
So after her concern for Santa’s cookie consumption, we allowed her to start opening her gifts. She had quite a few favorites from Santa and Mom and Dad. Her favs included: An American Girl Doll, I Touch, Webkinz, and New bedroom décor.
　

 And now the fun begins

Santa brought Lanie this year!

Ken watching his princess open gifts

After Jasmine opened her Christmas gifts, Jon was not too far behind her. He still does not grasp what Christmas is, but he had a good idea that there were things that he liked wrapped in paper and topped with pretty bows. Anyhow, Jon enjoyed simple gifts this year. It was a blessing for him to just be a part of it all.  Binkies, hot wheels and Disney figurines of his favorite characters were a hit.  
　

　Jon just happy to be here.

 Jon carefully inspecting his new hotwheels

　
　
After the maddness at our home, it was then time for us all to head off to my Mom and Dads. Of course at this point Jasmine was in Christmas gift mania mode. She was very excited to see what Grandma had got for her.  She kept commenting that it was taking "forever" to get to her Granny's house.  However once we arrived, it became all about the fun.  The singing, the dancing and the food.  It was all good.  Both kids enjoyed the casual nature of my parent’s Christmas celebration. It was awesome. Casual dress, eating at the Means' family buffet all day (my dad even barbequed) was certainly fun. My cousin Delores even came in from Florida and it was great to be able to see her.


But in the midst of all this, I would have to say the best part of the Means family Christmas was seeing my dad enjoy his gifts. This year, my mom got him a new sony camcorder and internet tablet/ereader. And it was awesome to see him truly amazed.  He was overwhelmed with his gifts and very grateful.
　
　

 Jasmine learning how to do the bump with my Mama

 Aunt Peggy, visiting from Manhattan

 Me with My Dad

Cousin Delores, visiting from Tampa, Florida　

Last but not least we went to visit my in-laws. We had a blast there too. This Christmas was a bit bittersweet.  There will be so many changes in the family next year that this may very well be the last time in a long time that we will all be together. Justin and Erin are expecting their first child, Mark and Tiffany are engaged, as is Lauren and Jeremy. Makes me feel old.
　

With all of Jasmine and Jon’s cousins on her paternal side being adults, they got a TON of Christmas gifts. I can say that they probably SHOULD NOT have been giuven so much for Christmas, but who am I kidding? I can not stop them. Both kids seemed to enjoy their gifts.  But Miss Jasmine thoroughly enjoyed her easy baker oven that Mark and Tiffany gave her, along with the razor scooter and solitaire earrings and necklace from her Grandma Phyllis and Grandpa George.  

 Jasmine hugging her Grandpa

Jon enjoying his new toy from his cousin Nicole 

Lots of beautiful presents from my Mother in Law

My father in law is always hilarious. We surprise him with another flat screen TV this year. Last year we all put in together and purchased one for my inlaws family room at their old house. Now that that they have moved, they need some different things for their new space. Anyhow, as a combination birthday and Christmas gift, my brother in law Dave picked out a great Samsung LED 32” television for their bedroom. It was a great surprise. I truly believed that we surprised him.  He kept repeating "oh no" as he was presented with the gift.  I told my father in law that he was the only person that said “Oh, no” when he gets his gifts. My father in law is a very generous person and he is always concerned about us saving money. And he is a good man. And I so enjoyed seeing him happy. Before the celebration was over, the men of the family all got the television up and going. And it was great.

My father in law and his new LED tv　

This was the best Christmas that I had in a very long time. It was not about the gifts.  It was all about family and togetherness.  There was tons of laughter. There were smiles on everyone's face.  Christmas 2010 was a lot of fun.  It was peaceful and I was happy.  It totally exceeded my expectations.

A White Christmas Eve

　
We were all very much surprised to wake up to a very white Christmas Eve. Fortunately, I was able to get all of my holiday errands done early, so we spent most of the morning relaxing and lounging around the house. It was great.  Rarely do we have the chance to do that.

One of the trees in our front yard

In the afternoon, Ken and I decided that the kids should probably get to play for a while in the snow.  I am not an outdoor person, so it was mostly his idea.  I am glad that I listened. Jasmine spent most of the afternoon outside in the yard with her dad shoveling the snow and building a snowman. Ken also started the fire pit so that she could keep warm which was a great idea. I also got a glimpse of a pretty darn good snow ball fight that she had and it was hilarious. All I can say is that I think that she could very well be a pitcher. She got him good one time in the face. LOL.
　

　
Later in the afternoon, I took Jon out to enjoy the snow and he had a blast. I saw him taste and feel the snow. And he was just grateful to be out and about in it. I am thankful that he is getting to a point where he is more aware of his surroundings.
　
　

　

Working and trying to earn five dollars.

After some down time. Jasmine joined her grandparents at the Christmas Eve Mass and I went to service at Rooftop Community Church. Pastor Matt preached a wonderful sermon about protecting the gift of Jesus. It was right on time for Christmas.
　

The evening ended with Jasmine and I going to my brother and sister in law’s house (Dave and Donna) for Soup, Chili and making homemade gingerbread cookies with family. This is their tradition and it is always a lot of fun. Jasmine even got to hang with Riley, her friend but more like cousin and her brothers Kyle and Ryan. Riley the daughter of Donna’s brother Kevin and his wife Debbie. She is adorable and we haven't seen her in forever it seems.   Unfortunately is seems as though she is sick around the holidays and has missed the last few Thanksgiving celebrations.  :-(((
　

 Jasmine with her Uncle Dave and Grandparents

 Jasmine and Riley

 The finished product



All in all it was a great Christmas Eve.

Busy, Busy, Busy... A Mother's Work is Never Done!

We have been super busy around here.  I can not believe that Christmas is in just one week.  Every year I say that I will take a step back and relax, but once again it didn't work out for me.  Fortunately I was able to get a lot of things done early as far as the shopping goes, so the fast pace of this season has been bearable.  I  have put less thoughts into gifts this year.  It's not that I don't care, but the truth is in the past I have stressed over getting everyone the perfect gift and that is just down right silly.  Besides, isnt it the thought that counts? 

Anyhow, this week started off crazy.  I was sick. So sick that I took two days off work.  I was down for the count on both Monday and Tuesday.  I usually feel guilty when I have to miss work, but this time I am so glad that I did.  I managed to sleep quite a bit and it was exactly what my body needed for a speedy recovery.


Jasmine's Awanas (church version of the scouts) Christmas party was the first task on the agenda this week.  It was Wednesday night.  Jasmine had a ball at the party, especially making cupcakes with her friends.  The kids also went nuts in a relay game where they were allowed to wrap the leader like a Christmas tree in a boys versus girl contest.  I had never seen that game before.  But the kids managed to have laughs and a great time using simple decorations and teamwork in this game.  Kind of makes you wonder what else kids would enjoy if we took all of the conveniences and electronics and hig tech gadgets away from them. 

 Cupcake Table

 Decorating the cup cakes

 Jasmine getting in on some relay action!

          Team of the wacky girls!

                                         

                                    Jasmine and her friend Grace                                

So after being sick on Monday and Tuesday, then volunteering at the Awanas party on Wednesday night, I had a night off and then it was on to the next event.  Next on the agenda was the Christmas Concert at Jasmine's school.  The concert was Friday morning.  Jasmine and her classmates sang their little hearts out and it was a delight to see them perform.  Somehow that never gets old. 

Ms. O'Rourke and the second graders before the concert.

                                          

 Jasmine and Ellie

The second grade chorus

Later that evening, my mom, Aunt Pat and Timothy babysit the kids so that Ken and I could go my corporate Christmas party.  It was also a lot of fun.  Nothing like seeing your coworkers get hammered and make fools of themselves.  Unfortunately I could not stay as long as I would have liked to.  It was one fo those moments that I realized that Ken and I can't party like we used to.  We were back home in bed by 10:30 PM.

Ken and I before the party. 

And if it did not seem like my week was busy enough,  I woke up the next day and worked at the MAC once more as a photography apprentice.  It was like waking up and being right back into a party.  Doing the photography gig at MAC was a lot harder this second time around.  Last week we had 80 children.  This week we had 120 children who needed photos with Santa.  Before I started to get paid as a photographer, I did not understand why the professionals charge such high rates.  All I can say now is that they deserve every penny (within reason of course.)  People sure do expect a lot at times.  It seemed like all the moms wanted the perfect photo.  I felt bad for Santa.  However, it was worth it.  The best part was seeing the looks on the faces of the young children who truly believe in the magic of Christmas.  At the end of the event, we sold 100 photo packages.  Not bad if I do say so myself!!!

After the MAC photography gig, I went home and rested for about two hours with my kiddos and then got dressed for my niece Kailyn's first birthday party.  This was something that I had been looking forward to all month.  Simple kid parties are always nice.  And it is always nice to celebrate.  Jon and Ken stayed home while Jasmine and I attended the party which was a blast. 

 Kailyn and her cousins and brother Cameron



 Kailyn

 Kailyn and her favorite Aunt Cara

 Jasmine and her cousin Kai

 Me and Cindy.  Jas took this photo.  LOL

My princess on her special day.  What a cutie! 

Like I said earlier, this week was busy, busy, busy.  What a week.  What a great, busy, exhausting, rewarding week.  A mother's work is never done.

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas and feel a lot like Christmas around here.  I have been super busy the last few days.  Today I was fortunate enough to work as a photography apprentice at the Missouri Athletic Club's Breakfast with Santa.  In the past I have attended as a guest.  It is different to be there as hired help.  LOL.  It was a lot of fun working with the children and getting them prepped to take pictures with Santa but  it was a lot of work.  People definitely have an idea of what they want.  I was grateful that most all of them were satisfied.  Apparently I did a good enough job because I was invited to come back next week and be an apprentice all over again.  :-)


On the home front, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.  We (I) have completed putting up all of the indoor decorations and most of outdoor decorations.  Although I love having a ton of outdoor decorations,  I think that we may pass on our Santa and snow globe inflatable this year.  I cant bring myself to have the energy to deal with it.  It's been very cold and the idea of getting it all set up is not appealing to me.  I am also passing on decorating the game room and play room area.  Hoping to keep it simple but nice.  Below are a few photos of what we (I) have done so far.

                   The exterior lights, minus the inflatables.  The dear husband did hang the lights.

                                             Our "grown up" tree in our formal living room.

                                                     Jasmine's Christmas Themed Bedroom

Jasmine's Christmas Quilt

After decking the halls (the house) the kids and I even started to work on some Christmas crafts.  Even little Jon got in on the action.

                                           Jon getting some coloring done in the family room.

                                            

                                         

                                         Jasmine painting some ornaments for family and friends.

This holiday season is passing way too fast.  I cant believe that we will all be celebrating in just two weeks.  Fortunately we are all in relax mode. All of the shopping is done.  Christmas cards were mailed last week.  Now off to enjoy the festivities and coast into the holiday.  Something that I am truly looking forward to.  

Making Room for the Home Studio

Photography is my hobby.  Photography is my passion.  In many ways photography is my life.  I enjoy life.  I enjoy capturing moments.  I have been a serial snapshot taker since my kids were born.  Like I have said before, I rarely leave home without my camera.  You never know when you will need it or when it will come in handy.


After years of being obsessed with taking pictures of my kids and carrying around my camera like a third child, I have finally decided that I need to do something with my hobby.  My love for taking pictures is no secret to those closest to me, as I am usually the person who has no problems with taking photos of my friends for their Christmas cards.  I have also been known to take birth announcement photos as well.  And even in a moment of desperation I stepped in and photographed a small wedding.  Yea, I know that all sounds crazy considering I didn't get paid for any of it.  But I would have to say that I enjoy all of it.  I enjoy being trusted with special moments and milestones in people's lives. 


With Christmas fast approaching, many people have asked me what I needed.  I cant really think of anything that I need, nor can I really think of many things that I would want.  I live a simple life and there isn't much to me. 


After pondering for days what would be most useful for me, it all came back to photography.  There is always something that I would like to have but in the past has never been a priority.  Now that my baby is six, I am finally at a point where I do not feel as guilty about doing things for myself.  After talking it over with the dear husband, he has agreed to allow me to have a small home portrait studio.  Saying home portrait studio makes it sound fancy.   However, it probably is best described as a home portrait corner which happens to be in our game room.  Its nothing to brag about, but its mine and I will happily take what I can get. 


Picking up this photography hobby isn't exactly cheap.  So far I have invested in studio lighting, a few inexpensive backdrops, some diffusers, and a couple of props.  This is more than enough for me and it more than meets my needs.  My plan is to take photos of my kids in lieu of spending money by taking them to a portrait studio.  So at the end of the day I can save money and improve my technique.  Sounds like a win, win situation to me!


Below are a few pics that I took of the kids in our new home studio.  They are far from perfect.   I have some slight shadows on a couple of the images.  I also have to learn how to better prepare some of the backdrops by steaming them and securing them a little more tightly (Im not one for the wrinkled backdrop look) and increasing my light source, as a couple are under exposed.  But I am proud of myself.  It took a lot for me to branch out into uncharted territory .  I'd say it was a success.  It is is pretty darn cool to be a part of the memory making process.  My kids were happy and they felt like I was doing something special just for them.  Even little Jon had a blast rolling around on the backdrops.   And the best part of it all  was that I was able to get some my favorite poses developed for a whopping $2.  Below are a just few of my favorites from the shoot.

                                                                      

Jasmine in her Mrs. Claus pose. 

                                                                    Jasmine cheesing it up!

 When you need a prop, go grab something from under the tree. 



My handsome little guy!

                                    Jon absorbing all of the attention and loving it!                                                          

Jasmine wanted to pose and Jon wanted to play.  Guess who won?

After spending a couple of hours as the subject, Jasmine asked if she could "get on the Nikon."  I thought for sure that the dear husband would pass out and to be honest I am never a fan of allowing a seven year old to use expensive equipment.   At the end of the day, fairness won out and I let her shoot away.  Here is one of the pictures that she took of me.



Needless, to say we have been having a lot of fun around here.  There has been a lot of learning and a lot of goofing off  which equates to good times in the Bouckaert household.  As an added bonus, my mother in law,  gifted me tuition for a professional class taught by area photographer Donnell Probst.  That is something that I am truly looking forward to!!!