It's over???

Is Christmas really over??? It feels like just yesterday that Thanksgiving ended and thoughts turned towards Christmas. We had a really good Christmas. It was nice to be able to spend time with family. On Christmas Eve we spent a few hours at my parent's house. Well, I had good intentions of taking pictures of our gathering and game playing, but I didn't take any pictures. And that's not all...I LEFT our camera at my parents. So I wasn't even able to take any pictures on Christmas! Oh, and I wished that I had my camera last night when we were opening up gifts at Mike's family. My little nephew (who will be one in a month) was having a rough day and was standing next to a box that came to his armpits. He all of the sudden then folded his arms and put his head down on the box and started crying. The poor little guy! We found out a little while later that his first tooth broke through. But it was such a Kodak moment and I didn't even have my camera.

This may sound silly, but the gifts that were the best were the electrical outlets and wiring that we got so we could start working on finishing our basement. For the last year I've heard my husband say that he was going to start at least doing the family room downstairs while it was winter. It has yet to formulate into actual action. But I'm hoping that it is the right amount of motivation for my hubby. We've also planned out that the money we received from various family members is also going towards building supplies for the downstairs.

Another gift I just LOVED is the KitchenAid that my parents gave us. I've always wanted one, but they've been too expensive to ask for. My parents also gave me a mixing bowl set with measuring cups and spoons. They are great gifts...but are my parents trying to tell me something??? I mean, my mother has always known that I don't like cooking. I have fond memories of my mother trying to persuade me to cook dinner for our family so I could have the practice and know how to cook for when I get married. So I guess cooking macaroni and cheese and Top Ramen doesn't count as cooking. I will admit that since being married I've cooked more and more of a variety as well, but that doesn't mean that I like cooking. I love making desserts, but that's a different story. My cooking frustration is that all while I was in college I was able to make bread. But since I've been married I've struggled and can never get my dough to rise. I cannot figure out why, but part of me thinks that it is because of how cold our house is. But then again one year in my basement apartment in college we didn't turn on the heat above the set limit because we didn't want to pay more and my bread still rose. Who knows?! So, it is my goal that this Saturday I'm going to use my new KitchenAid and attempt (yet again) to make bread!