Pretty Thrifty Christmas and the Old Year

   My very late edition of Pretty Thrifty for Christmas.

 All our snow melted the week before Christmas.

Then we had an ice storm. That didn't last long enough to have a White Christmas either.

So here are my pictures in my wonderful brown and grey Missouri wonderland.

 Disclaimer:

Amy's to blame for that twig!

Amy took these pics on my mom's Ipod.

I then went on PicMonkey and edited them.

Hopefully I will find my camera soon.
 I wouldn't mind if you prayed I would find it... really!

 I found this scarf at Salvation Army for $.50. I found the sweater last year at the same place.

Earrings (giveaway)

Sweater (thrift store): $2.00

Scarf (thrift store): $.50

Tank (given to me)

Skirt (made by me): $1.00

 Shoes (garage sale): $1.00

Total:

$4.50

So much happened this year. Honestly I don't have the time to narrate it all, so I'll just going to make a list.

~smile~

We got a minivan!
(This in itself is worth an enormous hallelujah!)
I won 2nd place for dance at Teen Talent Expo.
Amy joined me on the dance team.
 3 year anniversary of the Joplin tornado.
I started driving!
Michael and I became CPR certified.

I bought a camera for $5.00 at a garage sale, and it worked!
Rukia had her final batch of kittens.
I went to Youth Camp for the third time and enjoyed it the most this year.
 I started Pretty Thrifty.
Amy got her ears pierced.

We went on the first real family vacation we've been on in, well, a very along time.
Mom started eating the THM way.

Rukia, my cat, died.

I turned sixteen, so I got to start wearing makeup.

I broke a mirror.
~giggle~
Started my Sophmore year in high school.

Grandma moved to Heaven!

Michael and I finally got to see the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Jack Sparrow...
"There should be a captain in there somewhere."

The first year my mom did not make doll clothes for Christmas or buy Legos.

We started to realize this is the end of an era;
from Legos and doll clothes, to knives and electronics.

I saw all three Lord of the Rings and finished the Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers.
(I'm going to start The Return of the King very soon!)

What have I learned?
(Ok. What am I still in the process of learning.)

God is faithful even when I'm not. 

I have to keep fighting without giving up.

God is the only one who can fill loneliness.
I want to love deeper with all purity.

That's what happened this year.

What changed this year for you?
Leave a comment below and tell me about it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Emily

Shared:

Modest Mondays -  Proverbs 31 Monday  - Mom's the Word - A Mama's Story - Mix it Up Monday - Make it Yourself Monday -  Feminine Mondays - Inspire Me Monday  

Christmas: over?

  This year it doesn't seem like Christmas should be over. We only watched a quarter of our traditional Christmas movies (list below), which is SOOO not normal in our house. But this has not been a normal Christmas anyway. I think we are going to be celebrating the 12 twelve days of Christmas this year. So if I still say Merry Christmas and it annoys you...
Sorry.

   About Pretty Thrifty. I've misplaced my camera. It's somewhere in my house, but I don't know where yet. Oops! I also have been just a little lazy about it. But I'll get on top of it!
   Until next time;
   Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! (?)
   God Bless! 

   Movie List:
   It's a Wonderful Life
   Miracle on 34th Street
   Holiday Inn
   White Christmas
   The Santa Clause
   Christmas Carol (George C. Scott)
   Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
   Christmas in Connecticut (Old Version)
   The Bishop's Wife
   The Preacher's Wife
   Frosty the Snowman
   The Nativity Story
   
   What movies does your family watch every year?
   Emily

Let it snow!

A new Pretty Thrifty!

 Our lovely woods... my very own winter wonderland!

  

Twirly! 

Thanks for the pics, Amy!

Faded Glory Sweater (garage sale): $1.00

Skirt (Good Will thrift store): $4.00

Boots (garage sale): $1.00

Leggings (given to me)

Total: $6.00

We Got our first snow of the season! 

 "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"

Merry Christmas everybody!

Emily

Teen for the Lord

Can we go inside now?

Shared:  Modest Monday

Tradition! Tradition!

 Christmas traditions...
~~sigh~~
We all have them, and those who don't need to develop some, and quick. 

In my family, we have LOTS of traditions. Some of them are not even known to the whole family. Some are personal and that person doesn't even realize it until they say, "But it's tradition!

One of our traditions is decorating the tree. 

Traditionally, we kids put the tree together...

 Mom does the final fru-fru...

and the lights... Well, that varies. 

But it eventually gets done and then comes the fun part...

 Ornaments!

My parents get a decoration for each of us kids and one for them every year, so we have a lot. 

By the end of this year we should have (approximately) 91 official ornaments.

Not to mention all the extras. 

 But in the end, it's worth it. 

Next we decorate the outside of the house.

 Trying to put up the lights without a trip to the E.R. is somewhat challenging, huh?

The finished product! 

Yeah!

 We don't usually make cookies as a family, but we did this year and it was voted to be a family tradition from now on.

 My prize cookie.

 My sister Amy with her "Minions".

The first snow!

 Our woods.

 Tiger

Tiger decided that he was going to test the ice on the creek, but since we live in Missouri, we never get thick ice. I knew that if he jumped and couldn't swim out, then one of us would jump in and rescue him.

So we caught him and carried back home. Obviously, he wasn't thrilled with the idea. 

~grin~

These are only a few of ours. 

What are some of your favorite traditions? 

Leave a comment below.

Merry Christmas!

Emily

Christmas Time!!

  My favorite time of the year! Christmas is finally here! We set up our Christmas tree Saturday, and I spent about an hour and a half making sure we had all our ornaments from every year. A few are broken or missing, but nearly all were accounted for. We have an awesome family tradition for decorating the tree. It is one I will continue with my family one day. I think we are going to decorate  tonight. Yeah!
 Merry Christmas!!

 Sweater: $1.00

Lace top: $.50

Shoes: given to me

(All at the same garage sale!)

Tank top: $.50

Jeans: $1.00

Jewelery from my Grandma

 Total: $3.00

  Photography by my sister Amy. Visit her blog here.

Emily 

Teen for the Lord