Christmas Craze

The tree is up, the lights still in the process of being strung (outside at least...), the shopping nearly complete....the hustle and bustle of the season is in full motion!

 

Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday but oddly enough, it's taken me a while to get  wrapped up into the grand scheme of it all (no pun intended). Well, the baking and gift-wrapping side of Christmas anyway. Usually by now my counter-tops have been festively outlined corner to corner with enough baking necessities to open our own Christmas eatery, along with the ever needed go-to cookie recipes with a few "maybe I'll try these this year" recipes intertwined in the mix. Until today, not a cookie. I also like to put out a gift or two under the tree. Just to tease. ;) Thankfully the boys have helped in that arena and the day after our tree was up they got busy on some hand-made gifts.

I think it's due in part to the fullness of the calendar, the lack of snow/cold/wintery-like weather, or the thought of having "more time" since Thanksgiving fell a few days earlier this year. Maybe it's partly because of that holiday "home" sickness that bubbles to the surface. Maybe it's a little big of everything. Either way, I've been feeling a little 'behind'. Despite it all, there is no hum-bugging in this house as it has reached capacity of being decoratively Christmasy & cozy, the holiday music on nearly every waking hour, egg nog in the fridge, the stockings hung, and those cards finally mailed and packages ready to ship to family.

 Even with the "lack of", there is still "plenty of"....we enjoyed a bit of Christmasing this past weekend and it's just the beginning! My amazingly talented hubby took to the pottery wheel once again, hand-crafting his ceramics for all to enjoy. It was countless hours spent over these past weeks making those perfect mugs/bowls/vases/coasters/etc for the 3rd Annual Art Showcase and Sale at the Humboldt museum! I have a severe lack of humility when it comes to this particular thing.....

so proud of my man!

The boys and I also took to the streets of Winnemucca for the annual Parade of Lights--a yearly tradition! Thankfully it wasn't too chilly but still required a cup of hot cocoa and Christmas movie when we got home afterward. 

Carson and Daniel--cousinly love :)

Santa!

Mason's favorite--the "sparkly tractors" :)

The Anderson Christmasing will continue in full force with plenty of holiday movies to be watched, traditions to follow, more cookies to bake, presents to wrap, carols to be sung, all the while keeping in mind the real reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place! This was made years ago by one of our boys and it still adorns our tree every year, right in the very center...right where HE should always be in our lives. 

Carson is 6!!!!!!

It was yet another birthday celebration in the Anderson household, this time for our sweet 6 year old Carson Jeffrey!! And I find myself being repetitive when I say that I have no idea how we went from this....

12/02/06

CJ at 3 months

                                                               
                                                                  ..........to this............

.....all too quickly in this mother's eyes.  Carson is our car-loving, distinctive-laughing, won't say no to daddy-wrestling, quiet yet sensitive, sentimental, always thinking of others little man. This precious little guy nearly brings me to tears a few times a week as I kneel down next to his bed praying with him before bedtime. His prayers consist of everything from "heal PJ's back" to "help the Cubbies finish their books so they can come to Sparks" to "keep Grandpa safe as he drives the tractor and haybales" to "thanks for keeping me and Austin and daddy safe at school and for mom and Mason at home" to going through the family line (mine and Andy's) giving thanks for each one by name!

It was a lego party theme this time around--a fun Saturday afternoon with a few friends over...

....and then it was another party with family on Sunday evening, his actual birthday!

having pizza with cousins

 THANKS GRANDMA!!!

the cousins checking out all the cars!

Star Wars legos!!

 LEGO GALORE!!

time for the blindfold....

...to reveal the Dukes of Hazzard bike!!! :)

checking out his new lego light from Pappy

Lego Cake time!!

As many of you know, Carson was diagnosed earlier in the year with a congenital cholesteatoma in his left ear. (a cyst he was born with that wrapped around his inner ear bones) He had surgery back in April to remove that cyst (you can read about that experience if you look back at postings in April) and in 2 weeks, he will be undergoing surgery once again to make sure there is no regrowth of that cyst. He knows what lies ahead and his optimism and "matter-of-fact" dealings with it are already helping me and Andy prepare. Or maybe it's the fact that he is anticipating a stop at Target the night before to pick out a little something for him to enjoy after his surgery. ;) Regardless, we've already seen God's hand in this in so many ways--the biggest being how his inability to hear out of his left ear has not really interfered with his schooling or his speech or his everyday way of life as a 6-year old! We praise the Lord for our Carson Jeffrey and are so blessed to be given the opportunity to raise this little boy all the while placing him in His tender hands....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARSON!!