Yuletide is near and this is the December picture place
After Irina saying about her Saint name days I looked to see if there was an Amy and yes there is!
'Amata of Assisi was a Poor Clare. After a youth misspent, Amata became very ill and was healed by her aunt, St. Clare. With this miracle she changed her life and entered the Poor Clares, later becoming an aquintance of St. Dominic.[1]"
This is cool because I had a youth misspent and now I'm ill! Perhaps my aunt will cure me and I'll marry Dominic West. Cool beans.
Fun Fact: Poor Claire nuns don't wear shoes!
This is why we can't have nice things.
Although the only pictures of them that I can find showing them with feet visible does, in fact, show shoes. I am disappoint.
Fun Fact: When you google search pictures of nuns' feet, you get some ... unusual ... results. NOT RECOMMENDED.
This is why we can't have nice things.
FOR SANITY'S SAKE, MAKE SURE SAFE SEARCH IS ON!!!
This is why we can't have nice things.
I was wondering what a Poor Claire nun was.
Here's some pics of our tree:
I put up the Nativity scene:
The wife put up these ones (& one of my bookshelves because we ran out of room when the kids came along)
& my brouther gave me this. Nothing saya Merry Christmas like Darth Vader
That's all pretty spectacular.
Sometimes I feel like...
I love Tardar!
So Pretty Don!
And your house looks nice and spacious.
I took pictures of our tree earlier that I will post later.
Yeah I really love your house, well the little of it that I can see. That Darth Vader ornament rocks.
Daamn, those are some serious decorations. Good job!
Our messy tree (I like it that way)
my favorite ornament of all. he lives at the very top near the star every year. That is where he belongs.
other decorations
So pretty! Finally someone who doesn't think a Christmas tree should be mono- or bicoloured.
All of the Colors.
We are celebrating the Light.
Light is all of the colors.
YES! I approve. Our tree is full of colour too. In fact we still have the same lights we've always had. Comes to prove stuff was manufactured way better two decades ago.
I have that Wimpy ornament.
This is why we can't have nice things.
nice
I've lost one of my stooges. If that wasn't noticed.
Our Christmas will be all lime/light green this year. Possibly with silver and gold. My parents are outrageous with shit like this. I miss my old tree, with all my mixed up ornaments that me and my mom made over the years.
I'll never get all practical like that about decorating.
I really like having (fake) fruit ornaments for the tree, I had a whole bunch of pears and apples, but all but two of my apples disappeared and only about five of the pears are left.
I don't know where they went.
The attic gnomes must have taken them off this past year.
The thing is they aren't practical at all. They have 5! ...5! different sets of Christmas decorations. There is no space in the attic/roof right now because of this. We also have 5 complete sets of hot wheels, they have 5 different comforters for their bed....I'm using 5 as a rounded up number but regardless it's a bit obsessive and pisses me off when my mom complains about money. In my head I think well did you really need those pillows that matched the comforter you only put out during the winter? We also have enough wrapping paper to wrap the whole house up.
My grandma is like that as well. And it has, in part, caused her to run out of money. She is absolutely a hoarder/shopaholic, she just has a house big enough for no one to notice unless they open any cupboards. She does have a tendancy to send boxes and boxes of things to people in her family, not because they need them or anything, but to clear space/give her a reason to shop more.
I would be upset with her about it because my grandpa set her up to never need or want again, but I know part of the reason she is claiming to be out and broke is her true generosity to her family, as well, trying to hold on to what she has left to leave to those she wishes to. Also she was so so poor growing up. Raised by a single mother who was a seamstress in the early twentieth century.
My grandpa was like that too, generosity wise. He made his fortune on his own genius and ability, truly, and then spent as much as was requested on anyone he cared for who asked. Even non related people. One man I remember had a series of tragedies happen to him and he was breaking down but told my grandpa that he believed god would provide, somehow, my grandpa decided that god would provide through him, and took care of him. Even though said man had no ties to our family. I always get annoyed with the people I know who think I have been given so much by privilege, when it was by generosity of a man who literally created it with his own ability then gave it freely with his heart.
Why am I talking about this?
Thank you for all the comments. And I like the jester. I have another Darth Vader ornament at that very spot in my tree... Jim Morrison was demoted but still holds a prominent spot.
I really like having (fake) fruit ornaments for the tree, I had a whole bunch of pears and apples, but all but two of my apples disappeared and only about five of the pears are left.
I don't know where they went.
The attic gnomes must have taken them off this past year.
All of our ornaments were gifts aw we grew up (we're keeping that tradition going with our kids) and I have a sets of ornaments from my parents--one Disney characters for the kids (the wife hates them) and one set that my parents bought when they were first married). I, too, like haphazard (I'm not sure if this is a good descriptor for you but definitely sums up ours) decorations.
Family Christmas trees are supposed to be full of all the colors and all the unique and sentimental ornaments.
You guys have some beautiful decorations!
Amber, I bet your house smells like pie and coziness and comfort all the time.
I love that effect with the lights off and just the Christmas light glowing. It does make everything seem warm and cozy. You guys put a lot of effort into Christmas. People need that for the winter. I have a hypothesis about needing holidays. Good for morale. Its a dang shame some family drama incurs. Because mostly, the idea of holidays is really quite beautiful.
I'm so sad to not have a christmas tree with all the wonderful colors and lights and smell of pine
We haven't gotten our tree as of yet. Its kind of our new tradition that we get one after Emma's b-day on the 9th. So maybe this coming week if we have time that is. We have Emma's 2yr b-day party Monday and my companies Holiday party on Wed. I like my tree to be blue, only cause I got vetoed on hanging Black Lights from the tree with accents of dead holly... sorry had a type o moment. But yeah I really wanted black lights on the tree, but blue will suffice.
“The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Its an old drawing from a few years back. Ill edit it up laer
but for now
Merry Christmas.
As your attorney, my advise to you is to start drinking heavily(er).-Tuffy
I wish I had room for a lovely big christmas tree, but I don't, so here is my lil baby tree:
Kit I love your little tree. I always have this urge to have a little tree, not because I don't want a big one, but because a little one just sounds like fun to have.
Maybe I should get a little tree for my bedroom. That wouldn't count as doing the several trees thing exactly, which I always like in other peoples homes but always feel just isn't right for ours. It would be more of a smaller decoration than a second tree, maybe.
I really like having (fake) fruit ornaments for the tree, I had a whole bunch of pears and apples, but all but two of my apples disappeared and only about five of the pears are left.
I don't know where they went.
The attic gnomes must have taken them off this past year.
All of our ornaments were gifts aw we grew up (we're keeping that tradition going with our kids) and I have a sets of ornaments from my parents--one Disney characters for the kids (the wife hates them) and one set that my parents bought when they were first married). I, too, like haphazard (I'm not sure if this is a good descriptor for you but definitely sums up ours) decorations.
haphazard! I love that description.
The majority of our ornaments were from growing up too, or ones that have been given as gifts over the years, at births and whatnot. Then a few that I have bought this year or that, one here one there.
The Jester is my favortie because he was my grandpa's favorite. It was "his" ornament, in the tradition of decorating the tree as a family that one was just know to be his to hang and he always put him at or near the top. I always put him at the top.
Amber, I bet your house smells like pie and coziness and comfort all the time.
I like to think it does!
Sometimes it smells like boys and dog and cold muddy rain though too!
I like this and I agree.
I like you.
Me and my baby when he was still a baby
we were young and beautiful once
I have to wake that kid up now. 10:30 is plenty to sleep in. I must cook for him now.
You still are beautiful!
I love those photos, Amber. You're a babe then and now.
I seriously admire you so much, Amber, and you know it. I was such a scared little bird at that age, I'll never understand how you had the strength to raise a child.
All I wanted was a happy family, ever. It is all I ever wanted. When I had him I decided I would have my happy family even if I couldn't be the child, I would have it now.
Thank You ladies.
You're just amazing.
He is very excited about his new iPod.
And I gave him just from me Tales of Beedle the Bard, translated from ancient runes to english by Hermione Granger, and side notes by Albus Dumbludore on life and symbolism. 
Awesome!
This reminds me of the discussion I had about childhood books and a particular series that I was obsessed with.
He was such an adorable baby. It's crazy to think he's almost a man.
That's one of my all time favorite pictures posted, Amber. Timeless.
Christmas market in front of my university
the big tree
elves' house
merry-go-round
holly
Europe
self-explanatory
found a polar bear in the park
and an eskimo
And I voted.
The other stickers are for Parliament (November 2008), European Parliament (June 2009), President - two rounds (November & December 2009) and Mayor (June 2012).
No matter how difficult our political situation, no matter I wouldn't like any of the candidates, I'll NEVER stay home on an election day. Nobody died in vain in 1989. To me, voting is not a right, it's an obligation to the heroes.
Bad quality picture, but here are the traditional Norwegian mittens that my boss made for me! 
I love all those pictures. Those mittens are cute imke.
I love those mittens! and hand crafted, too. That was so sweet of your boss.
I want to go to Bucharest someday for Christmas.
Awesome mittens!
Here's outside (front only. There's stuff on the back patio but I didn't take a picture of that yet).
I need to take pictures of the inside too.
The blue tree to the left was Anthony's idea because he wanted something solid blue, and Drew used some plant holder upper garden thing to construct it.
It is beautiful.
Beautiful Pepper.
Beautiful house.
Christmas has always been a strange time for me. Too much tension with the folks. And gift giving. Family drama. Aunts and uncles, grandparents and so forth all hating eachother. Plus massive aggresion.
I wish I could like Christmas I just have to put myself around people I care about and want to be around.
Sadly I am going to be working this Christmas. Whoow.
As your attorney, my advise to you is to start drinking heavily(er).-Tuffy