~Thursday Thanks: A Break~

(I can't wait to spend time with the girls all together PLUS Amelia and Penelope-we are blessed)

So, I think I may have mentioned on this blog that I am going home for Christmas, and that I am a little excited about it!!! I know I have talked about it ALOT, but I am just that happy to get to see friends and family. I was going over my schedule the other night, and I am just so thrilled at all the people I am going to get to see and places I am going to get to soak in! Here is a peek at the Christmas Fun Time of 2010 schedule:

• Wednesday: Work half a day, Load up, Drive 71/2 hours home, Stay at my dad's house
  
  


• Thursday: Meet up with my friend Angie Moon and her precious little boy Nathan for lunch/Drive to Athens-have dinner and hang out with The Bush's, Christopher, and Wendy/Spend the night with The Bush's (church family that I LOVE!!!!)!
  
  


• Friday(Christmas Eve): Get up early, get ready, help my sister Danielle get Penelope (her daughter, my niece) First Birthday Party ready!!!/Party like a one year old-hopefully see Hope and Crosby/Get ready, go to Christmas Eve service at Crossway (super excited!)/Stay at my dad's house.
  
  


• Saturday(Christmas Day): Enjoy sweet time with Jennifer Micah and Amelia, Danielle Robert and Penelope, Dad and Marcie/Eat my weight in delicious biscuits!/Go to mom's house in Decatur (really cute, artsy town in a suburb of Atlanta)!
  
  


• Sunday: Get together with Danielle and Penelope and my old roomie Tara! Hopefully hang out in Atlanta-dying to checkout Ikea and H&M!/Stay at mom's house.
  
  


• Monday: Sisters reunited with my mom for some downtown fun Decatur style! Really looking forward to walking through the neat shops and eating some place interesting!/Stay at my bro-in-law's mom's house, so that Jen, Micah, Amelia and I can all hit the road back to Virginia the next morning!
  


• Tuesday- Get up and drive 71/2 hours BACK to Virginia/Miss Georgia like CRAZINESS!
  

It is going to be a WONDERFUL trip! I am so anxious to be on my way already:)! All that said, I have a BUSY last week here before we leave, and I have alot to get together before we make the trip! I am also not really sure how much Internet access I will have when I am in Georgia, so I am going to be taking a little break from technology until after Christmas. Just so I don't get distracted from the things I need to be taking care of (I waste MORE time "glancing" at my Facebook page-ha), and so that when I am in Georgia I can just really focus on everyone-if I was Oprah I would say-"so I could be present in the moment"-;). I have a thousand posts rolling around in my head to write right now, but I am just a little bit off centered right now too. I think a week or so (and TWO 71/2 hour road trips of solitude) will give me some time to regroup a little bit! SO, I am taking a break now. BUT, I will be back after Christmas with more pictures than anyone other than myself will probably ever want to look through, and-hopefully-some fun stories!

Hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas!

~Christmas Favorites: The Movies~

I thought it would be fun to make a list every week from now until Christmas of some of my FAVORITE things about Christmas! I LOVE Christmas, and truly feel like I get as excited as the kids! I don't so much care about the gifts (anymore;), but just LOVE the decorations, food, music, events, shopping, wrapping, food, movies, family time, etc.... This week is all about Christmas Movies! I know some people think they are cheesy, but I say if cheesy Christmas Movies are wrong-I don't want to be right!


My ALL TIME FAVORITE!

I have yet to watch this movie in its entirety this Christmas season:(. Something I will have to remedy this weekend I think!



I wrote about this last post, but I seriously love this movie. I was NOT a fan of the Jim Carrey version. It was just a little over the top for me, but I love how sweet and simple this movie is!



I mean...just this picture made me laugh out loud!



I know this story has been done a billion times, but this is my favorite. I remember as a little girl waiting for when it would come on ABC every Christmas. I would always be SO excited! I just love that Mickey!

Ok, so although Mickey's Christmas Carol is my favorite, I do dearly love the Muppets! I don't know what it says about me that a movie made for kids makes me laugh so much, but if you haven't seen it you need to check it out....it is pretty much HILARIOUS!

Oldie but a Goodie. I still love the part where he goes to the grocery store and has coupons and everything...I know! I am a big nerd, but it makes me laugh!

Vividly remember going to see this movie with my middle school Sunday School Class (yes, I am that old;)! Shout out to Heather Hildebrand (Long), Rebecca Aldrich, Gina and Kerry Rowe, Jeremy Johnson, Matt Rutledge, and Eric Green! We were totally awesome with our 14 yr old selves!

JUST the Kate Winslet/Jack Black story line! I could fast forward through the whole Cameron/Jude section and be able to enjoy a perfectly sweet, lovely story.

This is a fairly new Christmas Favorite (my mom and older sister Jennifer would be mortified-ha). I did not discover the hilarity of this movie until I was older in life, because my mother believed it to be "base" and "crude". I can't say that she is really wrong, and I apologize that as her daughter I have developed such a sense of humor-ha!

To be Honest I don't really like this movie, but I wanted ten movies so I thought I would give this one as an honorable mention. I know lots of people who LOVE this movie, and I am sure it is very encouraging and sweet for them. BUT, it STRESSES me completely out the whole movie! I finish the movie and have to sit for minute telling myself that everything ends up ok over and over again-it is traumatic!

*I forgot Rudolph! I usually find the Claymation movies a little creepy, but I love Rudolph! So, He can be my number Ten and It's a Wonderful Life just a Honorable Mention;)*

So, those are my favorite Christmas Movies! I have yet to see any of them all the way through, but there is still time!

~ A Day in Pictures: Christmas Wrapping by a Mediocre Crafter~

I don't know what came over me this year, but when I thought about wrapping gifts for Penelope and Amelia I REALLY wanted to do something special. As these pictures will testify , I am NOT a crafty person...BUT really believe in my heart I should be-ha! Thus, I give you a lovely example of what mediocre talent and determination will get you-ha!

The Blank Canvas

The Tools

love that they are pretty...maybe I thought they would help me paint pretty;)
Note to others: Pretty Paintbrushes does not a Painter Make!

The Colors for Christmas

-I don't know how I ended up without a true red:(!-

Pretty Tissue Paper

A Lil' Ornamentation

My Craft Spot
Wish I was as crafty as I am organized!


A Lil' inspiration

Finished Product #1

Now, think of how super cute this would be if done by someone who could actually paint!

In my mind I have how this COULD look if done by someone with some skills, and trust me it is very cute;). SO, if you are crafty you should use these ideas and let me live vicariously through your creations!

Final Product #2

When I was done with the Christmas bags, I was still feeling a little bit artsy. Apparently unachieved vision (ex:above bags) does nothing to dampen my spirits! So, using below as an inspiration-I got to wrapping Penelope's First Birthday Gift! She was our special gift last year on Christmas Eve:), and I can NOT wait to celebrate that sweet girl! I just wish I could invent a instantaneous portal between Virginia and Georgia so that I could be unbelievably rich(oh, I'm joking), and so I could see that little girl more!

Thanks InStyle Magazine for the Wrapping Ideas!

(I am addicted to that magazine! It has GREAT fashion ideas without all the inappropriate articles most magazines out there have!)

My Supplies

Finished Product#3

Turned Out a little more "Bridal" than I hoped, but still a little more special than just a bow(I think)!

To top of the Wrapping Extravaganza, I got to watch one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies in the midst of the fun!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cartoon version of this movie-cause apparently I am still five!

So, that is my attempt at being crafty! Hopefully it will be some fun ideas for someone to use who possesses the crafting talent I forget I don't really have-ha!

~Thursday Thanks: HOME~

(this photo is courtesy of http://www.kipperbush.com/blog/archives/158 -thanks Kipper)

I am thankful that in two weeks from today I will be in GEORGIA!!!! I am going to get to see my good friend Angie and her son Nathan-YAY! Then head to the beautiful city pictured above-Athens, GA! I have missed Athens like CRAZY! I LOVE that place, and what makes it even better is getting to see my Athens' "family"! I CAN NOT WAIT to see you Jack, Susan, Wendy, Christopher, and Daniel! I have really missed fellowship with other believers (I have a wall when it comes to finding a new church-a wall called laziness, judgmentalness, and fear), and am desperate for some good conversations! I LOVE these people, and feel blessed to get to spend some time with them! Two weeks could not pass fast enough!

"Where we love is home,

Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. "

~Oliver Wendell Holmes~

~Christmas Favorites: Carols~

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear"

~ Buddy the Elf

I thought it would be fun to make a list every week from now until Christmas of some of my FAVORITE things about Christmas! I LOVE Christmas, and truly feel like I get as excited as the kids! I don't so much care about the gifts (anymore;), but just LOVE the decorations, food, music, events, shopping, wrapping, food, movies, family time, etc.... Today is all about Christmas music! I am one of those people who start listening to it as soon as it hits the radio -right after Halloween (my dad would be SO disappointed! Along with morals and good behavior, NO Christmas till after Thanksgiving was something he made sure to drill into his girls-ha!), usually I get tired of it around end of November, and then listen full force till Christmas! These are my ALL TIME FAVORITES!!

• Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel- I love EVERYTHING about this song! I have talked before about living in bondage and captivity. For me it was alot of bondage to perfectionism, self-hatred, and striving to earn salvation. What a wonderful moment when the true nature of Jesus' love and cross dawned true! "REJOICE, REJOICE-Emmanuel has ransomed captive Israel!" I like this version by SELAH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPfdD3pBUig
  
• Oh Holy Night-( song by someone who doesn't' put in all the fancy voice modulations-just sings it plain and beautifully-sound like a cranky old man-ha;) Just makes me feel in awe of what the LORD accomplished!
  
• White Christmas-Bing Crosby version! TRUE STORY: back before Thanksgiving Jennifer and I were walking through Kohls and this song came on, and NO LIE I was immediately in tears-ha! I am NOT a big crier, so it was a little unusual. This song just brings back SO many Christmas memories, and I think I was feeling a tad homesick;)!
  
• Little Drummer Boy-Jars of Clay! LOVE! This was always my FAVORITE song when I was a little girl...maybe cause I thought the little drummer boy was just a kid like me:).
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lasUhPa07w
  
• Carol of the Bells-Cause it's just pretty.
  
• I'll Be Home for Christmas- Harry Connick Jr. (spelling?-I'm too lazy to look it up-ha). LOVE, and this year I am SO ready to be home!
  
• Walking in a Winter Wonderland-makes me thing of decorating the tree when I was just a little girl-I like the Nat King Cole version.
  
• What Child is This?-a different perspective on the nativity.
  
• Silent Night-again, awe inspiring for me!
  
• Away in a Manger- sang by My Mother! I have vivid memories of her attempting to sing this song while our family drove around looking at Christmas lights! Let's just say there was a lot of starting off, stopping because the song had gotten too high or too low, and beginning again-ha! In her defense, that is a TRICKY little song to try to sing!

*That's my list....what are your favorite Christmas Songs?*

~Quotes from the Classroom:#5~

*I have spent ALOT of time taking care of children! I have been a nanny, a first grade teacher, and a preschool teacher. Throughout my experience I have been delighted to hear many hilarious quotes from children as they try to understand the world around them. Many times I have been able to take a little life lesson away for myself from their observations.*

This quote happened during Bible story time-this seemed to be the best time to gather funny quotes! I love heaing how children try to understand Scriptures! There were a couple of particularly funny quotes regarding the Bible lesson about the ten lepers, but I will have to save that for another post-ha! Anyways, on this day we were talking about making good or bad choices...

G: "Ms. Michelle sometimes I make bad choices...."

ME: "You Do?"

G: "Yeah, sometimes I Pick My Boogers!"

ME: "Oh....yeah, definitely NOT a good choice!"

G:"I know...but I just want to EAT them!"

Gross, I know! BUT, it got me thinking about how alot of times I will make BAD choices. Choices that are pretty gross, but I will lies to myself about why I am making the bad choices. I am not honest like G. I will tell myself-"I am being careless with my finances, time, relationships, conversations-BECAUSE I am tired, I work and deserve a treat, I need ME time, I am not really gossiping if I only tell so-and-so, etc....

The truth of the matter is most of my bad choices are based on self-focus. My eyes are on myself and what serves me best, NOT on what serves the LORD or others around me.

Truth of the matter I make BAD choices, cause I want to EAT them! I want to taste and be filled up with them.

But, with every sin, once I am caught in the bad choices, or the consequences catch up to me they are not so tasty after all!

*These thoughts-I realize- come back again and again in posts...think God is trying to tell me something;)!?!*

~A Day in Pictures: Oh, Hair~

Growing up getting my hair and nails done was no big thing. The thought of not getting a new haircut was the same as not getting a new wardrobe for every season-unthinkable! Alas, times have changed since the teen years of Daddy's money-ha! I guess that is how I found myself with some long, unmanageable hair that had not been cut in TWO years (unless you count the time I tossed my hair over and took my crafting scissors to it...SHUDDER! How far the bratty, spoiled girl of my youth has fallen-ha!)! I will say I am glad I don't take things-like new clothes and haircuts and pedicures- for granted as necessary for living now! BUT, I am also glad that-thanks to Job-I was able to get up this morning and have someone professionally care for the nest on my head disguising as hair-GROSS!

Before I get into the hair experience, I thought it would be fun to review the numerous updo's that have punctuated my hair's life these past two years;)! I think I tried them all!

The ever classy pony tail with head band do...

The bit more involved braided updo with head band look....

The Crazy Do...

I don't know what to say about this updo...its a little crazy! not sure I checked the back in a mirror before leaving the house-ha!

The basic pony-always a good choice.


The Headband with bun option...

I would like to note that apparently along with a good updo, I also like to hold babies and look at them in pictures-ha! In my defense, I will say that almost everyone of my close girl friends had babies over the last two years. So, that is my excuse for the extreme amount of Michelle looking at baby pics.

The Twist...

The Fancy Bun....

The Basic Braid...

and finally~ The French Braid!

It has been a fun time of hair experimenting, and I would like to thank no-metal hair elastics and bobby pins for their endowing me with the ability to wear my hair up every single day for the past two years!

With that acknowledged, on to the Hair Cut!!!

I got my hair cut by a lady from Jennifer and Micah's church, named Susan. I think she may be superwoman, because along with cutting hair in her home she also home schools her three children! WOW! I cannot even imagine! Anyways,I was a little afraid at first that when she saw my frizzy, no-cut hair Susan might be too disgusted to go to work-ha! Thankfully, she jumped right in!

This is what she had to start with-AAHHH!

(note: this hair had just come down from a bun, so it was a little extreme in it Knapp!)
Onto the Washing! My favorite part of the Hair Cutting experience! This was taken after the foils(Susan did a wonderful job subtly highlighting my hair)-we missed the photo for that step;)!

(thanks Jen for being my hair cut photographer;)

Taking the first snip-snips!

FINISHED PRODUCT!!!

I really like all the layers!

A pic from the front (Im not sold on the bangs yet...we shall see)-so, happy to have socially acceptable hair again!

and, five minutes after getting home from hair cut-gasp-its all pulled back again! What can I say? I'm a creature of habit!!!

And, on a totally random note...

YES, that is SNOW in the picture!

SNOW...in December!

I don't know if I can handle snow already!

I like Georgia snow, cause you get to stay home and make snowmen....

here you dig your car out and go to work:(

Help me LORD!

~Thursday Thanks: Coffee~

"I don't know how people live without coffee. I really don't"

~ Martha Quinn

Can I just say that I am TIRED today-ha! I think I am still adjusting to working full time. The last couple of weeks have seemed like a crazy whirlwind of activity! I am not complaining, because I am glad to have a routine everyday. What can I say, routine makes my world happy-which is actually a little sad, but I confess I have always had some granny tendencies. Like going to bed at 8:30/9:00, so I can get up around 5:00, my love of all things routine, my nightly grapefruit to keep the germs away, and the need to have a glass of water by my bed at all times of sleep in case I awake parched-ha! It is an exciting life here! Anyways, all that to say, I have been tired lately and am super thankful for coffee!

I am actually kind of a new coffee drinker. I used to only drink Tazo Chai Tea in the mornings-which was probably healthier-, but then I had a coffee addicted roommate-not mentioning any names, TARA-whose love of the beverage made me curious to see what it was all about. There was also a really great coffee place in Athens-I miss you and will always love you Jittery Joes!-that had coffee so yummy! Anyways, between the two, I have found myself out to be a coffee lover.

I have really missed drinking Jittery Joes coffee with Tara since moving to Virginia. Starbucks is fine, but I only like their specialty drinks which are like $82 and have to be ordered in such a way as to guarantee they are not loaded with 23 grams of fat-ha! To my delight I have recently discovered the coffee mate holiday creamers, and I am in LOVE with this one...

I heart all things ginger bread!

I am also in LOVE with this coffee cup....

Tara brought that back for me from Chicago, and I love how big and cozy it is! I am a little OCD and will only drink coffee out of my three "coffee cups". I know I am weird! This cup, though, is my All Time Favorite! It always makes coffee drinking that much more enjoyable.

My two loves together.

Dear Coffee and Creamer~

Thank you for always being my support in the early hours of the morning. Thank you for the subtle way you wake me up to a new day, and thank you for always being low maintenance enough for me to fix you while I am half-asleep. You are a jewel and I thankful for you both in my life.

Sincerely,

Michelle

~Quotes from the Classroom #4~

*I have spent ALOT of time taking care of children! I have been a nanny, a first grade teacher, and a preschool teacher. Throughout my experience I have been delighted to hear many hilarious quotes from children as they try to understand the world around them. Many times I have been able to take a little life lesson away for myself from their observations.*

Today's quote came from one of my favorite little people ever-Mr. G. This kid was always up to something, and usually it was something hilarious! This particular moment happened while we were outside playing on the playground.

ME: noticing G approaching with cupped hands and PRAYING it was not some sort of insect-"What go you have there G?"

G: showing me his empty hands-"It's a tiny horse named, Little Foot, cause he has TINY FEET! You can be his mommy!"

ME: "Well thank you G!"

G: "Yeah, he's too small to fly, but HE can POOP a RAINBOW!!!!!"

There are only about a million observations and life applications I could make about this particular quote. Mostly regarding how sometimes it seems like we can't succeed and are just making messes everywhere only to discover that it actually is a well orchestrated plan that is very beautiful-blah, blah, blah-ha! BUT, since this is my favorite quote, and obviously open to a myriad of analysies-ha, I will leave the final interpretation up to you!

~A Day in Pictures: A Virginia Thanksgiving~

I spent the night before Thanksgiving house/dog sitting for a couple at church, so my routine was not what it would usually be. I woke up and went for a quick run in the neighborhood.

There were mountains everywhere, and it was COLD!

This sweet puppy joined me!

(don't let my poor picture taking skills fool you-the dog is not possessed , and actually very sweet-ha!)
I had a SWEET quiet time on the back porch, and then got ready to go spend Thanks giving with this sweet girl....

I walked into the house to find Amelia watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! How sweet to get to pass on traditions! I think we BOTH enjoyed dancing around to the musical performances;)!

I also found this picture on the table....


Apparently my sister, Danielle had asked her husband Robert to ship a package to Amelia, and he sent his own special gift! If you notice he has labeled himself, and Danielle in the picture....what can I say...He is special-ha!

Robert's actual family-ha!
We missed them SO much, and cannot wait to see them at Christmas!

After the parade, we got ready and set out to find some Thanksgiving Dinner!

Amelia says, "Let's get Going!"

Since it was just the three adults and Amelia, cooking a full Thanksgiving meal seemed a little ambitious! We let these people cook it for us...

Couldn't ask for a better Thanksgiving Table mate!

(this was the first picture we took. it wasn't perfect, but I loved Amelia's expression! She was SO sweet and smiling to everyone!)

Picture Fun Time: Take Two!

Deciding what to eat is a serious job!

Jennifer and Micah

Parents of Amelia, and Virginia Family to Me!

Soon, the food came, and picture time was put on hold....

Jennifer and Micah got the Thanksgiving Dinner, and both said it was delicious!

I am not a fan of Turkey, so I went a different direction...

SERIOUSLY! There was SO MUCH food! I am ashamed to say I ate most of it!

(true story:when I first ordered I asked for the Cornbread Dressing instead of Green Beans, but then realized my whole plate would be BEIGE...a big no, no according to nutritionists everywhere! So, out of respect for health I ordered the butter covered Green Beans instead-ha!)

We came home where we took a little break from all the eating, and festivities before we got into a little of this...

That is Pumpkin Cheesecake! Thanks to the cooking talents of my bro-in-law, Micah!

I guess we needed a little sustenance to get us through the next thing on our agenda....

White Christmas!!!!

I LOVE this movie! Nothing says Family and Holidays more to me than this movie!

Jen, Danielle, and I grew up with this movie, and could sing you the "Sisters" song complete with some awesome moves;)!

Sadly, we were all so tired we didn't make it through the whole movie! We will have to try again when we are not on the verge of a food induced coma!

It was a nice first Thanksgiving in Virginia, but I CAN'T WAIT to have a Georgia Christmas!

"For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson