Christmas Tag (sorry it's a little late)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I am a gift bags girl, but for Hunter I wrap.

2. Real tree or artificial? I just got an artificial pre-lit tree and I love it, it's perfect!

3. When do you put up the tree? as soon as I can after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? probably after the first of the year

5. Do you like eggnog? mmm, my dad's if wonderful!

6. What about Fruitcake? never had it

7. Favorite gift received as a child? a computer

8. Do you have a nativity scene?nope but i wouldn't mind having a willow tree nativity, it's like 300 for the whole set

9. Hardest person to buy for? any of the guys in my life except Hunter

10. Easiest person to buy for? my mom, she's always so appreciative of everything you get her

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a lotion bath set that smelled like rotten pine trees, it was horrible

12. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail of course, how could i send the great professional pictures i got of hunter through e-mail

13. Favorite Christmas Movie? Santa Clause and Elf

14. When do you start shopping for Christmas? well i'm gonna start as soon as i can this year so money isn't so tight this time next year

15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yup, i recycled a lot of my wedding presents, who can really use 5 George Foreman grills...really?

16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? mashed potatoes and gravy and my mom's rolls and homemade noodles!

17. Clear lights or colored on the tree? the ones that are on my pre-lit tree

18. Favorite Christmas song? man i love all christmas music!

19. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? depends on colt's work schedule

20. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? definitely

21. Angel on the tree top or a star? a big bow with ribbons going down

22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? well depends on when colt works once again, this year he had to work 7am to 7pm on christmas day so we did christmas eve

23. What is the one present you want most this year? well christmas is over now, i'm a little late getting this done, but I got what i wanted, my family to come in this year

24. Most annoying thing about this time of year? i live in illinois and my family lives
in West Virginia

25. What I love most about Christmas? being with the people i love

26. What do you miss most about Christmas? the awe i had when i was little, i'm looking forward to seeing it on hunter's face when he is older

New Camera!

I finally figured out how to get the pictures from my new camera, which I love!, onto the computer. So, here are a few that I took, I actually took over 100 in just two weeks. I'll have more after Christmas.

Posing for the cameraSo good at helping me with my laundry.

Playing in the big blanket

Being a ham.

The Abominable Snow Baby....ahhhhh!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas!!!

Computer Malfunction

Playing with his bear "Rupert" in the laundry basket.Talking into a cup with Sharon at the Guthridge get together.

Sunday, we had a bit of a scare with the computer. A thunderstorm lightening storm came through and when I had just gotten up with Hunter, I heard a pop from the computer and then smelled burnt plastic, and guess what, it was the computer. I was so scared that it had fried the computer completely and we had lost all of the stuff we had saved on it including almost all the pics I have of Hunter since he has been born. Since Colt built our computer, he was able to start taking it apart and replacing things that were damaged and we found out that it didn't do anything to the hard drive so thank goodness! Everything was fine and we didn't lose a single thing!
Thanksgiving is coming up and Colt, Hunter, and I are going to WV!!!!! I'm so excited! I miss everyone from home so much and I can't wait to see them. Also, we will go to my Uncle's for Thanksgiving dinner and it will be so nice cause I haven't seen some of my mom's family since before I got married. All in all, I'm really excited and I will let everyone know how it went when I get back.

Pics

Sitting in a little chair at the Guthridge get together.Playing around on the floor in his monkey slippers

Knowing that he's not supposed to get into stuff, there is also a pic like this of me when i was about his age.

We didn't dress Hunter up for Halloween cause I knew I wouldn't take him trick or treating, but Sharon found this little outfit that said my first Halloween on it with a little hat with bat wings. Also, here's a pic of my inlaws Paul and Sharon

The first time Hunter pulled himself up onto the coffee table.

PS, let me know if you guys are reading it, leave a comment by clicking "comment" in the bottom right hand corner of the post you want to comment on.

My Eyes Have Been Opened

Why I thank God every day that I was born in America!

The other night, my husband and I decided to watch a movie and the one that won out the vote was "Blood Diamond". If you don't know of this movie, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connoly, and Djimon Hansou (spelling?) they are all in Africa in the late nineties. The movie is about African conflict diamonds and what the people of the African nation have to go through so that diamonds can be provided basically for everyone but themselves. It mainly tells of the story of a man, Djimon Hansou (the d is silent) who is ripped apart from his family and forced to work in the diamond mines of Africa. While working, he finds a beautiful pink diamond the size of a birds egg and tries to hide if for himself so that he can get his family back and not ever have to worry about being plagued by the civil wars of his country. Well, the movie goes on to show his struggle and along the way meets Leo's character, a diamond smuggler, who also wants the diamond mainly for himself. I won't go into too much more detail about the story cause my purpose for this blog if for you to go out and watch it, but I will comment on the horrors that I saw. Now, I'm sure that for this movie they upped the gruesome parts and exaggerated a few things, but I'm pretty sure that for the most part it was dead on. This movie showed what awful horrible tortures that most of the African people must go through in order to meet the world's diamond need and it was heart-wrenching! Families ripped apart, children with missing arms and legs, mother being shot and killed right in front of their children and the worst part was the ones who were doing the killing, young little boys! These boys were taken from their families and brain washed with drugs and lies into believing that they families and countrymen were the enemies and that they should shoot and kill whoever is not in their "army". I know the magic of Hollywood can be disillusioning, but I am pretty sure that there was very little exaggeration for the horrible things that were depicted in this movie. After viewing what other people, mainly children, have to go through in order to provide me with a pretty piece of jewelry, I no longer wish to have diamonds. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to get rid of my wedding rings, but no longer will I ask or purchase diamonds for myself or anyone else. I urge everyone who reads my blog to go out and rent this movie and see what others are put through in order to provide us with something that is definitely not a necessity. This will be a difficult movie to watch, but in the end you will appreciate being made aware of the horrors that others have to go through and hopefully if enough of us pray and refuse to buy conflict diamonds then perhaps something will change. And just to add a little actual truth to this post, at the end of the movie they stated that there were still over 200,000 children soldiers!!! Little babies used to kill!

What's Been Going On

I had a pile of drool on top of my head after this...

All of us visiting the Yosts

My Mamaw Miller with Hunter

Hunter playing on the 4-wheeler, I'm sure he'll be driving it in no time.

Dad and Hunter were buddies that whole trip!

Well, it's been a while since I have written a blog and people are probably like well she never writes one any more so why should I look so I figured that I better get to writing. So, in the time that I wrote a blog and not just listed things a lot has happened. My mom and sis came to visit me and that was awesome! I love it when they can come. We just hung out around here and went to Tuscola, they have an outlet mall there, and just played with Hunter and ate food of course. But the unexpected surprise was that I was able to go home with them for a visit! Mom agreed to drive me back after about a week and begrudgingly Colt said that I could go. So, we left on Monday and I stayed till the next Tuesday and we, Hunter and I, had a really nice visit! We didn't really do too much but just being able to be home is so nice. One thing we did do was go see the hot air balloons up in Morgantown with mom dad Manda, Hunter of course, Cindy Brian Caleb and Hunter Luke and that was great; although, Hunter did not think so. He screamed and cried and shook all over every time they lit up. But it did make me feel good that I was the only one who could get him to stop crying (it's a momma thing). Mom especially loved seeing the balloons cause she's always wanted to.
On Tuesday we came back, we were gonna leave on Monday but it was mom and dad's anniversary and dad asked if he could see his wife on their 31st!!!! anniversary so how could I say no, and on Thursday mom went back to WV. Wednesday mom, Hunter and I went to run a bunch of errands and one specific one was that I needed to trade in my cell phone to Best Buy before the 30 days were over. Well, guess what I did!?!? Got all the way to the Champaign parking lot of Best Buy and realized that I left the bag with the phone box charger and receipt in my kitchen...I was soooo mad! But Friday Colt and I went up and exchanged it and now I like the phone I have so it all worked out, but I was still annoyed!
I have a lot more to go in here but that is enough for one post I'll write more later and I plan on taking some pics this weekend so hopefully I'll have some more to put on. We're having a Guthridge cookout and I don't have any pics of Hunter with Colts family so I need to start clicking away!

Colt

The husband tag
1. Who is your man? Colt
2. How long have you been together? since February 15, 2002
3. How long did you date? 9 months i think
4. How old is your man? 24
5. Who eats more? hopefully Colt
6. Who said "I love you" first? Colt
7. Who is taller? Colt beats me by a good foot
8. Who sings better? i do
9. Who is smarter? colt, but i can definitely clean better!
10. Whose temper is worse? definitely me...thanks mom...hahaha
11. Who does the laundry? mostly me, colt will do it sometimes and always keeps up with it when i'm away
12. Who takes out the garbage? colt
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? i do
14. Who pays the bills? i used to but it was just too stressful and i hated to be the one who said no all the time so i gave it up to him and he's doing a really good job!
15. Who is better with the computer? colt colt colt...i can't figure out anything anymore, hunter has fried my brain cells
16. Who mows the lawn? colt's papaw
17. Who cooks dinner? mainly me, but colt loves to cook and is very good at it, i've just been doing it longer
18. Who drives when you are together? colt, he doesn't like my driving
19. Who pays when you go out? whoever gets the debit card out first
20. Who is most stubborn? colt wins that one hands down!
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? we're both pretty bad about that, i am stubborn too
22. Whose parents do you see the most? his, course we live only 2 mins from them
23. Who kissed who first? colt
24. Who asked who out? we were set up by friends on a blind date
25. Who proposed? colt and it was sooooo sweet and very original
26. Who is more sensitive? i am, but i like to put up a tough front
27. Who has more friends? colt
28. Who has more siblings? same
29. Who wears the pants in the family? me, i hate wearing skirts and dresses, ha ha ha. we try to be equal but we both get our way most of the time, but i am a girl and try to get my way. :)