my christmas gift

so chris & i don't like to get caught up in the abundant commercialization of our Savior's birthday so we basically just get a single item for eachother. this year i am the PROUD recepient of the Zak Recycled Plastic bowl set (seen above) They are much like the indestructable bowls my grandmother owned at one time, with some snazzy colors added to the mix :) i love, love, love them!

christmas day 2008

today was a quiet, reflective day-just what i believe it should be in order to remember WHO we are celebrating...Jesus-our Hope, our Peace, our Love, our Joy, The Christ. We did manage to select some festive attire for the day and Silas participated (as usual)

a family tradition... o christmas tree

so it has become an official family tradition of the nichols' household to claim the neighbor's christmas tree after they put it out on the curb for the garbage truck before christmas day arrives. last year we were able to adopt the tree the day after thanksgiving but this year the gift did not arrive in our home until christmas eve day...beautiful! on wednesday i was driving through the neighborhood and happened to pass by the home were we had found our last little treasure-there she was in all her 6 foot glory, propted up against the snow mound, just waiting on me to come and take her home. 8 months pregnant, I threw her on top of the car, tied her down and told the gentleman spectating the whole adventure to let his neighbors know that they have started a family tradition for us and that next year we will gladly take it a few weeks earlier! (he chuckled)So, we made it safely back over the hill and i managed to get her in the house, placed in the tree stand and decorated in a total of less than 5 minutes (including getting the stand out of the attic...i know, i know, i am not suppose to be going up there but I just couldn't wait to have it all in place before Chris made it home from work) When he came home, he opened the door exclaiming "what in the world!!!" we both started laughing because he knew i must have found it on the side of the road. memories

first snow storm of the year...

our house covered in snow with more yet to fall


Chris on his way to work...
business as usual, life doesn't stop when the snow arrives


Why having a jeep in New England isn't the greatest idea:(

my amazing husband

Chris made it back safely from his 2008 winter mountaineering adventure. He and 3 other guys made the trek to northern Maine to submerge themselves in the elements of -10 degree weather (plus windchill..you know it's cold when your tuna in oil packet is frozen solid!) I am so proud of him and thankful that he was able to get away one last time before our daughter makes her big debute. Although I don't understand why he enjoys doing such difficult, painful and draining things "for fun"-I know that they are so life giving to him, so refreshing and rejuvinating in their own special way. I am thankful for a husband who is willing to take risks, be courageous and adventurous and pray that Amelia is much more like her father than her overly cautious mother!

"If you treat a man as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become the bigger and better man"-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Here's to my bigger, better man!

just taking a breather on his way to the top

the crew making their way over and down

much gear needed, so each man pulled a sled

tent covered in snow...oh how i love my cozy bed

'tis the season

for our community family meal night this month we decided to do a little christmas party pizza and the "works"...works being any special holiday goodie that you find great delight in and would like to bring extra of to share with others a.k.a a night full of junk food and sugar highs! we had a great time watching christmas movies and a few of us with attention span issues laughed our bottoms off playing mab gab. even silas, the dog, decided to join the festivities. (i think she's still overloaded from all the crumbs she cleaned off the floor throughout the night)

one more month...

here's some shots taken this week as we had our first drizzle of snow. of course Chris was so excited that when i woke at 7am and looked out our bedroom window, there he was out in the middle of it all:) it's hard to believe that we're in the final stretch of awaiting our daughter's arrival and yet it feels like it's been forever since I walked (or ran for that matter!) or sat like a normal human :) i must say i will be oh so happy to wear pants with buttons in the near future!