insta{week}

So it's all over.

Christmas has come and gone, and yes, I'm quite sad about it. 

It never lasts long enough. 

I think this year was especially different because our little boy spent the latter half of Christmas day with a fever. 

It made me really sad to see him not being able to enjoy Christmas because he didn't feel well.

AND we didn't even get a family picture.

Yes, I am sad about that too & yes, we will put on the same clothes we were wearing and recreate the night so we can get that picture...once the sickness has left our house.

Our poor boy is still fighting this nasty flu bug & it stinks!

He's never been sick before so this is new for us. 

We're just taking it day by day & praying that we don't get it! 

Good thing we didn't have big NYE plans! 

Enjoy 2 weeks worth of pics since last week I sort of fell asleep.

 1. Praising Jesus

2. She Reads Truth goodness

3. Visiting a horse

4. Kisses for Dink Dink

5. Socks & a diaper

6. Saving money on gas? Yes, please!

7. New scarf from a friend

8. Wrapping gifts

9. Double-fisting it

1. New game

2. Thinking I might get some quiet time before everyone wakes up....didn't happen

2. Valentine's already???? On Christmas EVE???

3. So much to do but so comfortable sitting right here

3. New traditions

4. Can you imagine this electric bill? 

Christmas morning 

Christmas evening

and pretty much the rest of the week.

 1. New purse (belated birthday gift)

2. Terrible decorations

3. Family white elephant

4. Proud new owner of Tickle Me Elmo gloves

5. Pillow hog

6. The one day we got dressed this week

7. The rest of the week looked like this

Looking forward to a New Year! 

2013, here we come!

Sharing Christmas

Tonight I'm linking up with Julie at Green Eggs & Hammes. 

She and some other gals are hosting a link up party: 

Friends, I love Christmas time.
I just love everything about it.
The decorating, the baking, the picking out of gifts, the making of gifts, the lights, the music.....it's just such a special time that I truly cherish. 
So, I thought it might be fun to join in the fun to share some of our Christmas with you & check out how others make Christmas special in their homes as well.

So this is about as festive as the outside of the house gets.
We don't have any electrical outlets outside which makes it pretty difficult to do anything really nice, so I just stick a wreath on the door & call it decorated.
{and yes, those pumpkins are still there....meshing of the holidays? i don't know!}
This year I switched it up a bit, & I decided to make this frame wreath I found on Pinterest.

I think it turned out pretty cute, but I just can't figure out how to get it to stay up!
Every few days after I fix it, I hear a crash at the front door & find it in shambles on the ground.
I'm on my second frame. The frame in this pic broke.
I will persist though!

Onto the entry way:
{not that people actually enter our house this way. if you came to our house, we'd totally invite you to use the back door just like everyone else!}

This year I wanted to get an Advent calendar & went with one from Naptime Diaries. 
We don't do a very good job of completing an Advent activity everyday, but it looks really pretty!

And here's a look at the living room:
{which is still not complete, so please ignore the blank walls & lack of curtains}

 {ooh sorry for the blurry pic}

 I got this little tree from a friend a couple of years ago & I really like it because the stars are magnets so I can change them around. This year Eli decorated this tree!

 I used to put all of the cards we got around a door frame, but this year I decided to use this planter I had as a card box instead.
{maybe you see yours in there?}

This year our tree came from the lovely tree farm found at Home Depot. We used to cut it down, but found it to be much cheaper {and easier} to just buy one with the work already done for us.
Our tree pretty much looks the same every year, but I really love it.  I have a thing for stars, so you'll find quite a few variety hanging on the tree. I also love the word "joy", especially at Christmas, so there are a few of those floating around as well.

The one thing I did differently on our tree this year was make a new garland.
At midnight. On a Saturday night.
It just had to be done then!

Here's a pic at night, when let's be honest, is the best time to gaze upon the tree.

I've done quite a bit of Christmas crafting in the last couple weeks:

I like how this garland frames the tree when you look at it through the doorway.
{and in this pic, the cute little one playing with the trashcan}

And a few other random decorations...things I've picked up over the years:

Even though we aren't going to "do" Santa with our kids, I really like the vintage look of this little guy. And if our kids ask, I'll call him St. Nicholas.

As far as traditions go, the biggest one is a big family breakfast on Christmas morning.
And because breakfast is my absolute favorite meal, this is one of my favorite traditions.
And with the invention of Pinterest, there are so many recipes I want try this year.
We also host Christmas for my mom's side of the family, so in the evening we'll have everyone here to eat dinner & exchange gifts.
Mike & I exchange one gift Christmas Eve and then do the rest before our families come over Christmas morning. 
I'm excited to see how Eli reacts to opening gifts this year. I'm sure the paper & boxes will be a huge hit, which is ok, because honestly, he's not getting a ton from us.  Between grandparents, aunts & uncles, I'm sure he'll get more than enough!

I'm sure there is more that I could share, but I feel as though this post might just be the longest post ever.
So, thanks for allowing me to share Christmas at the Rubin household with you.
May you be blessed this Christmas season & experience true Joy in the birthday celebration of our Savior!

The Answer is Real.

My heart has been heavy the last 2 days, but probably not why you think.

What happened on Friday was an absolute senseless tragedy. I can't begin to even imagine what the community is feeling right now, however, that isn't what is weighing me down.

What's weighing me down is that people take a tragedy like this & begin to point fingers & place blame, but the reality is there is already an answer to the problem.
It's not a matter of gun control or second amendment rights or good parenting or too many violent video games or troubled childhoods.
The answer to the problem was given to us over 2000 years ago.
The answer to the problem has a name.
His name is Jesus.

My heart grieves because people ignore the answer to the problem.
My heart grieves because people pretend like He doesn't exist.
Last night I read a terrible article that proves it.
Have you seen this?

 THIS is what makes me grieve.
THIS is what hurts my heart.
Dump the MYTH?

In a time that families are searching for answers and crying out for comfort, a billboard is raised telling us to "Dump the MYTH".

JESUS is NOT a myth!
JESUS is so very, very real!
I'm so very positive that as Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to die a horrific death on a cross for every single person in this world, He most certainly would attest that it was not a myth.
When Jesus became sin and paid the penalty by enduring hell for us, I'm sure that separation from his Father was very real.
It was so very real.
The scars on his hands and feet and in his side are so very real.
His love that He pours out so lavishly is so very real.
The way He transforms lives is so very real.

If we want to see change in this world, we need to embrace the One who is able to bring change.
Because the reality is, senseless tragedies will happen again.
It doesn't matter what law is passed or how many safety precautions you put into place.
 There is an Enemy in this world that will use whatever it takes to deceive and destroy.
He doesn't play favorites, and he doesn't play nice.
Until Jesus comes back, we will continue to experience pain and heartache in this world.
But He offers us hope.
 He offers us peace.
He offers us comfort.
He offers us friendship like no other.
He offers us to make us whole.
He offers to take our burdens.
He offers us Life.
He offers us freedom.

How can He be a myth?
Love like this is not a myth.
It is so very real.

{insta}week

busy.

this has been my excuse for everything lately.

forgetting to make phone calls.

forgetting to pay bills.

skipping workouts.

feeling slightly exhausted.

we've started the redo of our living room & this has consumed just about all of my free time the last couple of weeks.  

we're probably about halfway done & won't make our christmas deadline, but that's ok. 

i have discovered that while i love projects, i'm not quite cut out for full time interior design!

i am excited to share some of said projects with you in upcoming days, so stay tuned.

 for now it's time for:

1. cuddly kitty

2. cuddly puppy

3. rockin' daddy's hat

4. using mommy as a footrest

1. nervous about getting a haircut

2. unhappy about the haircut, hence a ponytail

3. "fixed" haircut that was not quite fixed

1. getting ready for a pinterest party

2. big boy helper

3. the original muppet movie

4. his & her hot chocolate

5. hot chocolate & pj's

5. handmade ornament

i'm hoping this week won't be quite so busy because i probably should do some christmas shopping for those things that i can't make. 

{i'm thinking my husband probably wouldn't really appreciate or have a use for felt ornaments or garland or felt flower pins.}

and i have tons of photos on my camera to upload to share!!

have a great week!