If I had a camera at the moment (the Houghton's is broken) I would have taken a picture and posted it, but I'll settle for some I found online.
This one is an envelope made out of magazine paper from Cut out and Keep
A christmas present!
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
DIY Christmas Gift Wrap Idea
So its probably too late to be sharing this idea with everyone since Christmas is nearly here (JOY!)... but I went to my parents' house this past weekend and saw the awesome presents my sister had wrapped in magazine pages. She even made little cut-out snowflakes from magazine paper! I have done it before to save on paper as well, but haven't ever thought about ditching Christmas wrap all together in favor of a more green option.
If I had a camera at the moment (the Houghton's is broken) I would have taken a picture and posted it, but I'll settle for some I found online.
This one is an envelope made out of magazine paper from Cut out and Keep
A christmas present!
If I had a camera at the moment (the Houghton's is broken) I would have taken a picture and posted it, but I'll settle for some I found online.
This one is an envelope made out of magazine paper from Cut out and Keep
A christmas present!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The year in review
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HOUGHTONS
Springfield, MO --The Houghtons have had an interesting year to say the least. It was the year that saw significant money “donated” to the local health care system. It was a year that felt like a lot happened, and yet also felt like not very much happened at all. It was the year of our first Christmas letter.
The Better Half
Michelle went to full time with her pursuit of a Masters Degree in school counseling at Evangel University. She shifted to part time at work at Burrell Behavioral Health, running the program she started four years ago called KLASS, which is a great program teaching kids in a group setting about, well, social skills. Jeff is too old to enroll as a student. On the Masters Degree front, Michelle slowed down to a more reasonable pace after half of the year spent learning about mental health while injuring her own.
The Other Half
Jeff still works at the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks as a field representative. In that role he sets up blood drives with schools, churches, businesses, community organizations and anyone with blood in their veins that is willing. He then works with volunteers to make the blood drive a success. He has a territory so he is on the road a lot each day getting caught up on many podcasts that he enthusiastically recaps to Michelle each night.
Jeff still performs just about every Friday and Saturday night doing improv with The Skinny Improv at the theater downtown. He performs a lot of traveling shows on top of that too. In addition, his project, The Mystery Hour is still going really well in its second and now third season. It’s a late night talk show. Some people even say it’s the best monthly non-televised local talk show that happens to be downtown in all of Springfield. Even one of the Houghton dogs, Sammy, appeared on the show last month. In addition, Jeff writes an article for 417 Magazine spotlighting one of the guests who will appear on his talk show. He has shot a few embarrassing local commercials, one of which finds Jeff in a housecoat. Oh yeah, and he calls Bingo at a local coffee shop as a grizzled old man named Burt Machowski.
Why Michelle is Not Allowed Around Lawn Mowers in 2009
Michelle and Jeff had a great 4th of July weekend in St. Louis watching the Cubs beat up on the lowly Cardinals (Go Cubs Go!) and having fun at Six Flags. The next day Michelle was at her parents transporting their lawn mower because Jeff had broken theirs with his ‘run mowing.’ It was lifting the lawn mower into the car that proved to be the mistake. Unbeknownst to her at the time, she herniated a disc in her back. After literally laying down for 8 weeks she finally had surgery in late August. She tried her best to keep herself occupied while she and the bedroom ceiling became well acquainted. She had a lot of visitors, books read, websites checked, and pain… oh the pain! Almost immediately after surgery she felt better. Jeff drove back from family vacation in Colorado to be there with her. Noble indeed, but what was he doing out their enjoying himself while she was laid up anyway? Since then she has been easing back into exercise. She and a guy who looks strikingly similar to Jeff now take a Pilates class weekly.
“We do”
In February, Jeff and Michelle’s good friends Jeff Jenkins and Leah Hamilton got married. In fact, they met at Jeff and Michelle’s wedding. Jeff was a good, artificially tanned, best man. In April, one of Michelle’s best friends, Kesha Quigg got married and became Kesha Alexander. Michelle was a more appropriately tanned maid of honor. Then in May, Jeff’s sister, Cari married Bob and became Cari Everhart. It was a fun weekend in beautiful Lawrence, Kansas. Everyone was tan. Well, as tan as Houghton’s get naturally.
Jeff Becomes a Man
Jeff celebrated his 30th this year. Yep, seriously. They celebrated with a barbecue and wiffleball game, just like a 30 year old should.
Jeff Becomes a Man (again)
Onto a subject that should have been highlighted in a Christmas letter in the early nineties… About eleven months was spent with Jeff holding ceramic, rubber bands, metal, and previous meals in his mouth with his adult braces. He talked through them and about them all the time. Then, on the fateful day on November 10th, 2008, a day that will live in famy, Jeff got his braces off! All told he wore them for 2 years. They had become a centerpiece of the Mystery Hour. He is currently searching for new jokes, and sugar, lots and lots of sugar. Feel free to ask him to smile. He will gladly oblige.
Highlights
Michelle’s twin sister, Jenn, moved back into town and they hang out a lot, along with their other close friends. Yes, they look alike.
The Houghtons can often be seen around town traveling by bike. Michelle got a new basket and a bell for hers but ended up not being able to use it for most of the summer. There’s always next year.
Jeff got poison ivy while Scott was in town in July, which joined forces with the chiggers he got while camping with Bob and Cari, to form an itchiness that proved to be stronger than modern medicine for a good three months. Or as Jeff says, “like a whole year!”
The Houghtons took in a stray dog for what was anticipated to be a short time. He stayed long enough for his named to be changed from “New Guy” to Morris. He was as cute as he was not at all house trained.
The Houghtons started their first garden this year!
Currently, Jeff is facing impeachment after attempting to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat.
By the Numbers
5… Number of months the Houghtons cared for New Guy/Morris
43… Number of doo-doos and poop-poops cleaned up after Morris
0… Number of times Morris offered to help
21… Number of times Jeff got knocked over while filming a bit for The Mystery Hour with theSpringfield Roller Girls roller derby team
4125… Times Michelle has said “Good D-O-Gies” to Sammy and Lucy
4… Number of pops Jeff drank in two years while wearing braces
18… Number of pops drank since November 10th
2009…
Next year Michelle will be graduating from grad school and looking for a job. The Houghtons look forward to visiting their friends the Swinks in Washington D.C in March. That trip will come after their annual trip to the True/False documentary film festival that they looooove going to each year in Columbia, MO. Jeff will be wearing a retainer the rest of the year.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to spend more time with people like you who mean so much to us and are such a big part of our lives!
Sincerely,
The Houghtons
Springfield, MO --The Houghtons have had an interesting year to say the least. It was the year that saw significant money “donated” to the local health care system. It was a year that felt like a lot happened, and yet also felt like not very much happened at all. It was the year of our first Christmas letter.
The Better Half
Michelle went to full time with her pursuit of a Masters Degree in school counseling at Evangel University. She shifted to part time at work at Burrell Behavioral Health, running the program she started four years ago called KLASS, which is a great program teaching kids in a group setting about, well, social skills. Jeff is too old to enroll as a student. On the Masters Degree front, Michelle slowed down to a more reasonable pace after half of the year spent learning about mental health while injuring her own.
The Other Half
Jeff still works at the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks as a field representative. In that role he sets up blood drives with schools, churches, businesses, community organizations and anyone with blood in their veins that is willing. He then works with volunteers to make the blood drive a success. He has a territory so he is on the road a lot each day getting caught up on many podcasts that he enthusiastically recaps to Michelle each night.
Jeff still performs just about every Friday and Saturday night doing improv with The Skinny Improv at the theater downtown. He performs a lot of traveling shows on top of that too. In addition, his project, The Mystery Hour is still going really well in its second and now third season. It’s a late night talk show. Some people even say it’s the best monthly non-televised local talk show that happens to be downtown in all of Springfield. Even one of the Houghton dogs, Sammy, appeared on the show last month. In addition, Jeff writes an article for 417 Magazine spotlighting one of the guests who will appear on his talk show. He has shot a few embarrassing local commercials, one of which finds Jeff in a housecoat. Oh yeah, and he calls Bingo at a local coffee shop as a grizzled old man named Burt Machowski.
Why Michelle is Not Allowed Around Lawn Mowers in 2009
Michelle and Jeff had a great 4th of July weekend in St. Louis watching the Cubs beat up on the lowly Cardinals (Go Cubs Go!) and having fun at Six Flags. The next day Michelle was at her parents transporting their lawn mower because Jeff had broken theirs with his ‘run mowing.’ It was lifting the lawn mower into the car that proved to be the mistake. Unbeknownst to her at the time, she herniated a disc in her back. After literally laying down for 8 weeks she finally had surgery in late August. She tried her best to keep herself occupied while she and the bedroom ceiling became well acquainted. She had a lot of visitors, books read, websites checked, and pain… oh the pain! Almost immediately after surgery she felt better. Jeff drove back from family vacation in Colorado to be there with her. Noble indeed, but what was he doing out their enjoying himself while she was laid up anyway? Since then she has been easing back into exercise. She and a guy who looks strikingly similar to Jeff now take a Pilates class weekly.
“We do”
In February, Jeff and Michelle’s good friends Jeff Jenkins and Leah Hamilton got married. In fact, they met at Jeff and Michelle’s wedding. Jeff was a good, artificially tanned, best man. In April, one of Michelle’s best friends, Kesha Quigg got married and became Kesha Alexander. Michelle was a more appropriately tanned maid of honor. Then in May, Jeff’s sister, Cari married Bob and became Cari Everhart. It was a fun weekend in beautiful Lawrence, Kansas. Everyone was tan. Well, as tan as Houghton’s get naturally.
Jeff Becomes a Man
Jeff celebrated his 30th this year. Yep, seriously. They celebrated with a barbecue and wiffleball game, just like a 30 year old should.
Jeff Becomes a Man (again)
Onto a subject that should have been highlighted in a Christmas letter in the early nineties… About eleven months was spent with Jeff holding ceramic, rubber bands, metal, and previous meals in his mouth with his adult braces. He talked through them and about them all the time. Then, on the fateful day on November 10th, 2008, a day that will live in famy, Jeff got his braces off! All told he wore them for 2 years. They had become a centerpiece of the Mystery Hour. He is currently searching for new jokes, and sugar, lots and lots of sugar. Feel free to ask him to smile. He will gladly oblige.
Highlights
Michelle’s twin sister, Jenn, moved back into town and they hang out a lot, along with their other close friends. Yes, they look alike.
The Houghtons can often be seen around town traveling by bike. Michelle got a new basket and a bell for hers but ended up not being able to use it for most of the summer. There’s always next year.
Jeff got poison ivy while Scott was in town in July, which joined forces with the chiggers he got while camping with Bob and Cari, to form an itchiness that proved to be stronger than modern medicine for a good three months. Or as Jeff says, “like a whole year!”
The Houghtons took in a stray dog for what was anticipated to be a short time. He stayed long enough for his named to be changed from “New Guy” to Morris. He was as cute as he was not at all house trained.
The Houghtons started their first garden this year!
Currently, Jeff is facing impeachment after attempting to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat.
By the Numbers
5… Number of months the Houghtons cared for New Guy/Morris
43… Number of doo-doos and poop-poops cleaned up after Morris
0… Number of times Morris offered to help
21… Number of times Jeff got knocked over while filming a bit for The Mystery Hour with theSpringfield Roller Girls roller derby team
4125… Times Michelle has said “Good D-O-Gies” to Sammy and Lucy
4… Number of pops Jeff drank in two years while wearing braces
18… Number of pops drank since November 10th
2009…
Next year Michelle will be graduating from grad school and looking for a job. The Houghtons look forward to visiting their friends the Swinks in Washington D.C in March. That trip will come after their annual trip to the True/False documentary film festival that they looooove going to each year in Columbia, MO. Jeff will be wearing a retainer the rest of the year.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to spend more time with people like you who mean so much to us and are such a big part of our lives!
Sincerely,
The Houghtons
Monday, December 8, 2008
Update
Oh, how life has been busy! Its been good busy, but so much of my free time these days is taken with Christmas shopping, holiday get-togethers, and reading the Twilight series (yes, I am a fan). Plus I am sort of sick of hearing myself talk (or reading what I write, in this case) that I haven't felt like updating much. I go back and forth with this blog, not knowing whether I even want to keep it up or not. Well, not much else to say. My classes are finished after tomorrow for the semester, but I'm still plugging away at my internship at a Springfield middle school as well as work and my graduate assistantship at Evangel. I'm exicted for Christmas just to have another break.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Christmas wishes!
So, its Thanksgiving, but I am thinking of Christmas. Jeff and I are in Iowa at the moment sitting around the living room watching Home Alone movies (Jeff's dad's personal favorite) and digesting our dinner with his family. Its been pretty fun so far. Yesterday I went Christmas shopping downtown and found a few fun things. More than anything I like getting my closest family and friends presents. If you'd like to know my personal Christmas list, (and even if you didn't) I am going to post it here. These are just a few things that popped up into my head today...
An orange throw for my room
New dinnerwear and bowls
Soap and Paper drawer liner paper
IPod Nano 4th Gen. Armband
A new robe
An orange throw for my room
New dinnerwear and bowls
Soap and Paper drawer liner paper
IPod Nano 4th Gen. Armband
A new robe
Friday, November 7, 2008
Several things
I had a bad week and I'm so glad its over. I finally went to see the "Sensi" (Jeff and I see a guy that does alternative therapy-- healing-- accupressure that we call the "sensi") yesterday and he helped my leg a lot. He gave me some Dit Da Jao to take away inflammation. It smells horrible but is helping.
In other news:
I am at Cafe Rendezvous and just finished working on a big assignment for my Internship class. Glad thats done with. Its cozy in here. I tend to prefer Coffee Ethic for coffee, but they have good food here.
The new downtown movie theater opened today which I walked into-- it seems cool. I might go see Changeling there tomorrow night.
Its getting colder out which I like at the moment.
There is a Mystery Hour tonight.
I've been thinking about what I want for Christmas.
I'm glad the elections are over.
I watched my dad's dog Lilly play with Kesha's new pup Bosco forever last night and that was fun.
I slept in today and spent most of my afternoon in bed.
I am listening to a really good song by Iron and Wine.
That's about it.
In other news:
I am at Cafe Rendezvous and just finished working on a big assignment for my Internship class. Glad thats done with. Its cozy in here. I tend to prefer Coffee Ethic for coffee, but they have good food here.
The new downtown movie theater opened today which I walked into-- it seems cool. I might go see Changeling there tomorrow night.
Its getting colder out which I like at the moment.
There is a Mystery Hour tonight.
I've been thinking about what I want for Christmas.
I'm glad the elections are over.
I watched my dad's dog Lilly play with Kesha's new pup Bosco forever last night and that was fun.
I slept in today and spent most of my afternoon in bed.
I am listening to a really good song by Iron and Wine.
That's about it.
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