Here it is, a little bit of gratitude from yours truly. Most of you know that Judd and I moved into the Money Pit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj15gi7x6mg about a year ago.... Wow, has it been that long?
Originally the venture seemed like a good idea. A fixer-upper house that we could make into a home. Judd and my brother Andrew had a vision of the potential that day they looked at the house. If it were my eyes seeing it I would have seen all sorts of nightmarish outcomes... no visions. Funny how something can look different to two people when they are gazing upon the same thing. After seeing the house Judd returned like a warrior to our tiny one bedroom apartment and announced that he had liked the house, and then with hesitancy followed that with "it has potential". It could have been the pregnancy hormones, or the fact that anything bigger than a one bedroom apartment seemed like heaven that I actually agreed to buy the house after SEEING it. That's right, I did see the house first. Actually, I think that I smelled it long before I saw it, but let's not get technical here. The first three months were what I would call "roughing it" kind of like camping except without a warm fire, hot cocoa or marshmallows. Because there was no kitchen we lived on grilled cheese, tomato soup and anything microwavable. I would load up our dishes into an all-mighty Hefty garbage bag and haul them off to moms to scrub me some dirty dishes. It was that or the bathroom sink and I just couldn't bring myself to do that. There is something innately wrong about doing dishes where you go to the bathroom. After a few months like this we slowly whittled away at the layer of yuck. So for this holiday season I am grateful for:
A warm,
CLEAN, nice home.
For a husband who is such an amazing man to take on this project and come out on the other side in one piece.
For my neighbors who brought us warm dinners to break up our bean and cheese burrito routine.
For my moms dishwasher
For Hefty bags (which can hold quite a few pots and pans with no problems)
Dust masks
Carpet!!!!!! (You know who you are)
Last but not least I am grateful for the family I have to fill this home.
Here are a few before and after pictures, pull up a fire, grab some marshmallows and take a look :)
Front entry way before
Entry way after
Entry after
Hallway before... Blue anyone?
Hallway after
One of the bedrooms before
Master bedroom before
Kitchen... You thought I was exaggerating the "No kitchen" part
Kitchen.... UGH! look at the floor. How do people live like that?
Office before
Office.
Kitchen after (the tile is now done, I just haven't taken new pictures)
Kitchen
Oh, another kitchen before. YUCK
Kitchen
Another kitchen... holy smokes, I didn't realize how many of these I downloaded
Family room before
Family room before
Family room after
Family room after
Family room after
Master after
Living room after
or even a giant sparkling piece of jewelry like in the those cheesy commercials. What I had this year was better than anything a commercial or movie can portray. I had my family. I know that this sounds tremendously cheesy, but I feel so thankful to have such a wonderful and loving family.
I told you the best gifts come in small packages didn't I? Here is Kennedy in a box. She fit so perfectly that I couldn't help but put her in it, and she looks so stinking cute! 
We got Kennedy a snowsuit the other day and decided to try it out. She wasn't sure what to think about the snow.
The three of us.... Only one of us dressed correctly, and that is the littlest one. Judd and I just threw on some snowboarding boots and gloves. We didn't bother to tie the laces or grab jackets because we were too excited to take Kennedy out in the snow.
Kennedy and Mom
:)
Here is our nephew Jameson with Kennedy on Christmas. He adores her, and asks innocently "Wessie, did you bring your baby?" every time I show up at my moms house without her. He also asks "did you bring your Judd?" He always replies "you should go get them, I want to play with them." He just makes me melt.
My little sister Paige doing a puzzle with me, our family does at least one every year as we sit around and talk on Christmas..... Speaking of puzzles, the Zimmermans had an exciting adventure in puzzle making. Judd, G&G (Grandma & Grandpa) Zimmerman and I stayed up Christmas eve making a puzzle..... Well, we tried to anyway. It took a good hour and a half for G&G to put 9 pieces together. I haven't laughed so hard in quite some time. We'll have to make that a tradition :)
Grandma Z and Kennedy on Christmas
Daddy and daughter... I think it is safe to say that she looks like her dad.
Kennedy is on her belly a lot lately. She has started to roll over, before I know it I'm sure she'll be crawling. Where has the time gone?
Mum and baby.
And wrapped up. She likes to chew and drool on her sweater more than she likes wearing it.
I just had to put this in here. My friend Katie gave me this book for Christmas. It's not a book that will win any Pulitzer prizes, but boy is it FUN-NY! It is a step by step How-to on getting fat. Very funny, and unintelligent... Just the kind of book I enjoy. In addition to this book there are others in the "Self-Hurt Series" like "How to Traumatize your Children" and "How to Drive Like a Maniac". 
