Christmas in January

I've been MIA for a while.  So here is Christmas in the Shackley Home -- first Christmas here.  God has blessed us with so much in 2012 we are both looking forward to what 2013 brings.  Here is a sneak peek into our home during Christmas time.  Enjoy.  Christmas 2011 is HERE.

Dean and I didn't do gifts this year - instead we spoiled ourselves with a flatscreen TV and sound bar for our living room.  

 A couple of my favorite "kitchen" items (Thanks to my mom AKA Hot Mama)

Our Christmas Card for 2012

Our Christmas Card from last year is HERE.

Xx, Kelsey

Plaza Lights

The week after Christmas my BFF from high school and her hubby came to visit D and I.  We went to a hibachi restaurant and then to the plaza to walk around one last time before they took the lights down.  We enjoyed our time together!  I love this girl. ALOT.  Here are a few pictures we took.

The Deibler's {married 11.11.11}

We hadn't gotten a pic together in front of our 1st tree!  Amy did the honors of taking this picture.

A Little Christmas Quiz

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Neither for me, thanks. I'll take coffee with a fun creamer like caramel for the Christmas season.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Growing up the "Santa" gifts were always the unwrapped gifts under the tree that magically appeared Christmas morning.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White lights for sure!!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No - but I think it would be fun!

5. When do you put your decorations up? Sometime after Thanksgiving... any sooner is just too much for me.  This year it was the first weekend in December!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Baked Ham and My Mom's green bean casserole!  She makes the best!!!  I also always look forward to my Granny K's famous cinnamon rolls! {oh boy, I'm gettin' excited now!}

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Singing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus and blowing out a candle for him!  We did this before opening any gifts!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? In grade school - I heard all the other kids talking.  I remember asking my Mom if it's true.  Her response, "The spirit of giving is the truth in Santa."  {Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE her? cause boy do I!}

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Growing up we always opened our sibling gifts.  This year Dean and I will celebrate our Christmas, Christmas Eve morning and then head to Hutch!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? We bought a real tree from Home Depot and decorated with golds and reds!  See our Christmas Tree HERE

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love it when it covers the ground but doesn't make it a pain to drive it! ha, I'm picky! 

12. Can you ice skate? YES and Dean and I have gone every year we been together.  We haven't gone yet this year but I'm hoping after the New Year we will make time.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I can't remember a specific gift but the one thing I remember and would say is my favorite gift is the gift of being able to be together as a family.  I love family and it means the most to me.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Celebrating Jesus's birth.  Plus, spending time with family and friends, for sure. I don't care much about receiving gifts. I just want to see the people that I love most.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? CHEESECAKE!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I have 2.  The first is picking out our REAL Christmas tree together and decorating it together while singing Christmas songs.  Also, singing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus before opening our gifts! 

17. What tops your tree? For this year, a big red bow.  At my Mom's house - there is an Angel.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving- definitely giving

19. Candy canes: yuck or yummy? I can take or leave regular candy canes but I love Jelly Belly candy canes. Have you tried them? Yummy.

20. Favorite Christmas show? HOME ALONE

21. What is your favorite Christmas song? I have so many.  I love them all!  
 

Can you believe that Christmas is just days away? I'm so excited that I can barely stand it.  It's going to be a good Christmas, I just know it. 

Christmas Card

I wish I could have sent everyone a Christmas card - but since I can't, I thought I'd share a little Christmas joy this way!  Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

Christmas-tastic!

It's finally starting to look like CHRISTMAS up in here!  I had forgotten how much I love turning off all the lights and letting just the Christmas lights twinkle.  It's simply Magical!

I picked up most of my Christmas decor at Hobby Lobby last year when it was a whopping 80% off!  I love rockin' bargains like that!  I've always had a heart for the fancy christmas trees with a reds and golds, so that is exactly what I bought.  My favorite part is the variety of poinsettias I stuff in here and there.  They are perfect for adding texture and depth, plus they fill in all the empty spaces you aren't sure what to do with.
I'm warning you now--- there are lots and lots of pictures!

The poinsettia's mentioned above.

The most cost effective decorations are things you already have at home and then adding cut off tree limbs and scented (cinnamon) pine-cones = Christmas!

So, between our Real Christmas Tree, Cinnamon smelling pine cones, and my Coming Home scent for my scentsy pot --- We have the smell of Christmas in the Shackley home!!  And I love it.

My Favorite Holiday decorations:

My puppy dog - Molly with her RED bow in!

 The next 3 glass bulbs were a Christmas present from my Mother!  They were $20 bulbs that she caught on sale after Christmas last year for $1.99 - Nice job Mother dear!

 

This bulb means a lot!  We received this as a gift last year from our good friends Stephanie and Brad King! 

 The Christmas China was a wedding gift from my favorite sister!  I love them and couldn't wait to use them during the holiday season!  Thanks Janessa!

This Christmas apron I got on sale at Hobby Lobby!

Preparing my vegetable beef soup!

Merry Christmas y'all!

Our Christmas Tree Hunt

Friday Afternoon Dean and I went tree shopping.  Now, I grew up ALWAYS getting a real tree - we'd make our way down to Lowe's or Home Dept to find our perfect tree.  Dean on the other hand grew up with an artificial tree.  Neither is bad and I understand some have allergies to the real tree.  But - I HAVE and I mean have to have a real tree for Christmas.  I just can't live without it.  There is nothing like a real tree, there just isn't.  So we agreed on a real tree - and the adventure begins! :)    We started by going to a local tree farm and they all looked diseased and sick.  They had holes in them throughout and they looked like they were dying.  I thought about buying one and getting the "Charlie Brown Tree" but for $50?!?  So, we decided to go to Home Depot and that's where we found THE TREE.  We were so excited to make it part of the Shackley household!

Yes, that's my super strong hubby!

And she's home!!!!

Thanksgiving

Thursday, Thanksgiving, Dean and I went over to Me maw’s to celebrate with his side of the family.  We had a blast – I got to catch up with his family (some in which I hadn’t seen since the wedding).  We ate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and then I enjoyed Granny’s famous cherry cheesecake!  

Makenzi (my new Sister!) and her boyfriend Ryan

Dean's Grandpa Rick "Honey" and Aunt Kelley!!!!

 My Mother-in-law!

Dean's Granny!

Afterwards, we grabbed us a coffee and headed to the Country Club Plaza to listen to Christmas music and ring in the celebration with fireworks and the Christmas lights all turning on!  WOW – it gave me chills it was so beautiful!  (sorry these picture were taken with my iphone - so slightly blurry)

Later, we headed home for a quick nap and then off to our Black Friday sales.  We only hit a few stores (Target, Old Navy, Best Buy and Sears).  That was my first venture out on black friday and it honselty wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I may just do that again!  Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonian 5:18

I'm thankful for...

A relationship with God

A Husband that loves me unconditionally and makes me feel special

A Family and in-laws that love me

A group of friends who accept my bubbly, fun, quirky personality

A church that really feels more like family

A job that allows me take care of kiddos - I adore the child-like faith

A dog that keeps me company and makes me laugh

A life that I love living!

Louisburg Cider Mill

Every year, since I've lived in the KC metro area, Dean and I have gone to a pumpkin patch of some sort.  So far the Louisburg Cider Mill is my favorite.  I enjoy it for many reasons: 10-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, apple cider dounuts, apple cider (with no preservatives), Lost Trail Root Beer and many other goodies in there country store.  They've been making apple cider since 1977; they have a barn where you can watch the process of how the apple cider is made. NEAT uh?!  So, this past Saturday we ventured out to Louisburg with another couple.

Yes, I'm only 5 foot! 

Corn Maze

Hay Ride with Mitch and Megan

The barn where you learn how they make there famous apple cider

The pumpkins made it home!