Turkey leftovers is just part of the holidays for me. We had so much this time that we have made/or planning to make some of these: Turkey noodle soup, turkey sandwiches, turkey-a-la-king, turkey pot pie, turkey tetrazinni and turkey cut up and put in the freezer for future use in dishes!

We had the soup tonight! Nothing like warm soup on a drizzley cool day!

ps: I dominated the world!!!

Paul took the boys to see the National Treasure movie the day after Christmas and I took Paige to see Enchanted. The boys really liked their movie(I can't give a review since I didn't see it) and Paige and I loved Enchanted. Definitely a chic flick. I then saw, by myself, PS I love you. Another chic flick. I had read the book during the summer and loved it. I cried in every chapter. The movie was good too(not as good as the book). Paul and I went and saw I am Legend with Will Smith. Paul thought it was a super good movie except he wasn't fond of the ending. He said it ended too abruptly. I am not to fond of those creepy type of shows so it wasn't my thing but there was some good action. (Take out the creepy things that pop out at you and I would say it would have been excellent!) I took the boys to see Alvin and the Chipmunks yesterday so Paul could chill out. It was super cute and the kids really liked it. I would recommend it if you get the chance. I started reading a book by the author who wrote "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". I will let you know how it is. I liked the Traveling Pants series(I haven't read the last one yet though) so I thought I would give this a shot.

I am going to start up a new section of the blog starting on the New year. Of course it has to do with my personal training stuff. I am hoping that it will help whoever wants to become healthier this year. I am still trying to organize it in my mind and on paper exactly how I want to do it so that is forth coming. It will mostly be tips and ideas and recipes to help you and me become more healthier!!! I start personal training this week too so that is exciting!!! More on that to come too!

Have a fantastic Sunday! I am settling down for several hours of the game Risk with the kids. Nothing like World Domination to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! hahahahaha

Well, yesterday, Paul went to urgent care for strep throat because his doctor's office didn't do strep cultures. While he was waiting in the waiting room to be seen, his nose started gushing blood. I guess the strep went up into the surgery site and irritated it and it couldn't take it and so he basically started hemorrhaging. They couldn't stop the bleeding there and it was running down the back of his throat and out his nose and so they sent us over to the surgeon's office. Luckily he was right between surgeries so they packed his nose and now it is triple the size it was, poor guy. They were able to stop the bleeding but I think that ranks up as the most painful thing Paul has ever experienced. They packed so much stuff in his nose to create the pressure to staunch the bleeding that it is hard as a rock. He will need to have it in there till next Wednesday when the doctor gets back in town. It seems like the nose thing has been going on forever(its been 5 weeks). The doctor says he has never seen anyone do this 5 weeks post surgery but completely contributes it to the strep(and I think it is because Paul has had a cold for a couple of weeks and has blown his nose far more than he should have causing it to be slower to heal and weaker). Let's hope this heals quickly and he gets over the cold quickly and the strep and gets back on the road to recovery!!

Some of the things we did...

We acted out the nativity story. The kids really enjoyed this.

We ate lots and lots of good food including the chocolate fountain on Christmas eve...

Well my family has come into town. We have 14 kids here and 8 adults. They are not all staying here but it has been great fun. And the food...ah...the food, just what I love about the holidays! We have all sorts of sweets and baked items. Everything from cheesecake brownies to rice krispy treats, pumpkin spice cake and nuts and candy and all sorts of delicious things. We are making candy trains this afternoon and the kids have been wearing themselves out on the trampoline and terrorizing each other. It is too rare that the cousins get together and it is fantastic to see them all get along so well.

I can't help but reflect at this time of the year how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. Some that I live close by to, and some that are far away. I have been super lucky with my in-laws and of course my family...what can I say? I get along with them all and they all mean the world to me.

I hope that you all find joy, happiness and peace at this time of the year and throughout the coming year and that the love of our Savior permeates your hearts.

So Tuesday, I finished Christmas cards and got them sent, and started baking. Yesterday I finished up for the stuff I am giving away. I made white chocolate dipped oreos, choc. covered strawberries, homemade caramel, pretzel rods dipped in caramel, then chocolate and drizzle with white chocolate, and also dipped in white chocolate with crushed candy cane sprinkled on top and pretzel rods dipped in milk chocolate and sprinkled with Christmas sprinkles. Pretzel knots dipped in caramel and chocolate and put some Lindt chocolate truffles and Ghiradelli squares on the plates. I bought clear plates from Wal-Mart and decoupaged(sp?) Christmas fabric on the back. Paul took some to work and we gave them to neighbors and people from church. We got a trampoline for the kids and I started setting it up today. The instructions were impossible to understand and 4 hours later we had the frame put together. All the kids were helping so it made it fun and less frustrating when we discovered we had put it together upside down and had to flip pieces around after they were already bolted together...I got my sharing time put together for primary on Sunday(a little lesson/singing time for the kids at church) and made dinner for someone who recently had a baby.

Paul has had a cold and is hacking out his lungs so I have created a little jingle for him... here it is:

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me....a day in the ER cuz he broke his nose.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me....sleepless nights due to him snoring.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...another broken nose.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...a crooked nose and more snoring.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...surgery to fix his broken nose.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...more snoring due to the surgery.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me...a trip on a cruise and more snoring.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...a poke in his eye so he couldn't see.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...a sleepless night due to his ailments and more snoring.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...nothing but he got a hacking cough and more snoring.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me...words of wisdom from his bed(because he is under the weather) while he sat and watched me work.(this is joke, he was laughing because I was running around doing everything while he was sick)
On the twelfth day Christmas my true love gave to me...words of appreciation for all I put up with!

I know it doesn't quite go with the tune or probably make sense but we were making up words to the song at the dinner table tonight so I started singing that to him and he thought it was funny. I am still hoping that once the cold is gone, his nose will be healed up enough so he won't snore anymore. I mean that was the point of the surgery after all, to fix his nose so he could breathe better and quit snoring!!!!(thus me sleeping better!)

Last week we ventured to the Bahamas on the glorious Disney Wonder cruise boat. We had a fantastic time. It is extremely kid oriented and the kids had a fantastic time. They had these kids clubs that did all sorts of activities from scavenger hunts, to making flubber and cookies to "ship factor" the Disney version of fear factor. The kids swam and played and went to their clubs and never wanted to go to the cabin to sleep at night.

On the cruise we stopped off at the Island of Nassau(which we did not take the kids to) and did a little shopping and then we stopped off at Castaway Cay which is Disney's privately owned island. We went snorkeling, made sand castles, played games, and buried each other. I took tons of pictures but I just picked a couple to post. We were able to relax and eat a TON of food!!

When we got back, Paul hung out with the kids on the beach at Fort Wilderness and my mom, dad, and I took Paige to this amazing princess tea party at the Grand Floridian Hotel on Disney property. This was the cream of all tea parties. She got sprinkled with real rose petals, given a crown, a Disney exclusive princess Aurora doll that you can only get by going to this tea party, a friendship bracelet, a rose, ate heart shaped sandwiches and given scrapbook pages for her scrapbook and of course autographs from Briar Rose and Princess Aurora. It was absolutely amazing and Paige's eye were as big as saucers. It was definitely worth every penny!

So this is the kids decorating the tree! Always lots of fun.

I went up to Charlotte today to see my sister. I haven't been up in awhile due to the fact it takes 1 1/2 hours to get there and the same back and I have been concentrating on studying. We went to this awesome fabric warehouse and got some Christmas fabric and fabric to remake Paige's blanket that is falling apart. I also know that this is the place I am going to buy curtain material. They had the best drapery fabric selection I have ever seen. They literally had everything.

I have been trying to get the Christmas shopping done. I literally put everything on hold while I was getting ready for the test and taking care of Paul. I know I need to put an updated picture of him on here and have had some people wondering why I haven't yet, but you know, life has been a little crazy!! HAHAHA isn't it always around the holidays???

I have not even thought of Christmas cards, and getting things sent out for gifts and the house is a disaster and I have not even began to pack for our Disney Cruise yet...

Which, by the way, we leave for on Sunday!!! Some of you will try to call on my birthday and just so you know, I will not be home, or probably in cell phone range(we will be in the Bahamas). So if I don't return your call it is not because I am being rude!! Just enjoying soaking up the rays!!!(Hopefully there will be some rays to soak up).

We are leaving Sunday morning and will return Friday! So have a great week next week and I will blog when I get back!

I PASSED MY TEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is now official! I am a certified personal trainer! I took the test this morning and it is all over, no more studying!! Now I get to implement what I have been studying for! I am very excited as you can tell. I haven't had to take a test since Rick's College 13 1/2 years ago! I feel such relief....

Paul's nose is doing much better, the Christmas tree is up and now I can actually think about Christmas and getting ready for it!