There's No Place Like Home

There's no place like home....it has been 4 months since we were last home in Milwaukee.  This time we were home to celebrate Christmas with dad, mom, Alan, Katrina, Zach (Katrina's boyfriend), the Myers family, Grandma Harrington, stepsister Dana her family.  It was a busy weekend.

In keeping with tradition with my dad, Bryan, Katrina and I went with dad to Candy Cane Lane.  Candy Cane Lane has been going For more than 20 years in West Allis.  It's a neighborhood consisting of about a miles worth of street transformed into a winter wonderland to benefit the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund.

After we go through Candy Cane Lane we go to Country Christmas, which just happens to be where my sister works part-time these days for the Country Springs Hotel.  They put on a wonderful display that you drive through and it takes about 20 minutes to get through it all.  Afterwards we went inside to see their Nativity scene which is a replica of the one that's in the Vatican.

Then we head inside to look at the train set, polar bears and the neat trinkets they have. They even had a city backdrop...perfect for photos.

Saturday was the annual Myers' family Christmas.  This year we had it at the Oak Creek Manor in South Milwaukee.  My mom's family all gets together the 3rd weekend in December.  She's one of 16 children and each child has children and their children have children.  We each bring a side to pass.  The great-grandchildren all exchange names and bring gifts.  We read the Christmas story.  This year I was selected as the reader.

Then we sing Christmas carols...Lucas loved sitting on Bryan's or my lap.

Here's Zach (Katrina's boyfriend) and Lindsey (my god-child)

And here's Lucas with me.

Katrina, Zach, Lindsey and Jeremy...such brotherly sisterly love!

After signing carols Santa comes and visits.  All of the children get to have a photo and tell him what they want!

We have such a wonderful time at the Christmas and it always seems to go too quickly.  We don't necessarily get to catch up with everyone we would like, but are thankful to see everyone is doing well and happy around the holiday season!

When we were done at the Myers' Christmas we went to visit my Grandma Harrington.  My step sister Dana, her husband Andy and their kids all came (Jacob, Eric, Madison, Amanda, Sammie and Noah) too!  It was great to see everyone and catch up!  Later that night we headed home to mom and Alan's house to exchange presents.  For the first time...Bryan and I got a photo in front of the Christmas tree!

Bryan's funny face opening his gift from mom and Alan.

Mom and Alan opening some of the gifts from us...a personalized photo book from the wedding with photos of the Myers and Harrington family and then an 8x10 photo frame with the Myers family photo!

Oreo the cat...keeps Mom and Alan company with us kids being out of the house!

Zach got his dream PS3 and Katrina got some not too bad gifts too!

As always, the time home in Milwaukee was short and quick.  We love being home, but there never seems to be enough time to see everyone.  Some day we'll get to take a week and go home....We are thankful for the time we do get to spend home and thankful that we are able to make the trip home.

Merry Christmas to everyone!  We're off to Harlan for Christmas to see both sides of Bryan's family!

Christmas time is Here...Our favorite time of the Year!

I cannot tell you how happy I was that Thanksgiving was here and I could begin my Christmas music and movie extravaganzas! :)  Bryan always gives me a hard time about watching the Lifetime, Hallmark or ABC Family Christmas movies...and this year there are sooo many new ones I can't wait to watch them all (or at least what I can).


We love this time of year because of all of the family we get to see, celebrating the birth of our Saviour and giving of gifts.  It brings such great joy to our hearts to see people excited.


To begin the holiday season festivities our friends, the Millers, invited a small group of us over for a tacky Christmas party. :)

Bryan wore red with a reindeer tie his sister Chantel gave him last Christmas along with the Iowa State Santa hat.  I went as a present wrapped in ribbon, topped off with a bow.

 Tonks, the Millers' dog, was even dressed up with a jingle bell collar and Santa hat!

Megan and Chris Coffey and their adorable sweaters.

 Eric, Lindsey and Tonks Miller with their cute outfits!

Santa and his elf (aka. Matthew and Kandace)...awesome outfits they found at K-Mart. 

We did a white elephant gift exchange.  Kandace selected mine - a Scripture art canvas decoration and the book "Heaven is for Real".  I had two of the books! 

Lindsey took the time to create a Christmas game for all of us to play which was a combination of HumDingers, Sherades, Pictionary, Guess who the Person Is, and Christmas trivia.  It was so much fun. 

They guys trying hard at the scavenger hunt that completed the game...needless to say, the ladies won! :)

Jimmy and Kaitlyn Balough, the new couple in our small group, joined us later that evening for more games and spoons.  FYI - if you ever play Spoons with Bryan, be careful...he's viscous! 

The next day Bryan's mom, dad, sister, Grammie Mikels and Aunt Danette came down to visit.  Grammie and Danette had never to been to our house.  We met them at our church as we were taking them to our church's Christmas program called Christmas at Resurrection.  It was a wonderful program filled with a great story, songs, talent and the Christmas story.

That evening Bryan and I had the annual Turner Holiday Party at the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.  We took our first family Christmas photo.

What a wonderful weekend and start to the Christmas festivities!  We had such a great time with Bryan's family in town, even though it was short.

Happy Thanksgiving and It's Christmas Time!!!!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to you all!  We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday weekend with family and friends!  


The week before we hosted a small group dinner at our house and it was the first time we got to use our everyday dishware that we had received as wedding gifts and some other platters.  I actually set the table the night before the dinner.

I made an apple glazed pork loin for the main dish.  It turned out perfect...the meat was falling a part! We had a blast with our small group members that evening!

This year we went to Harlan to celebrate Thanksgiving with both of Bryan's families.   This was Ryder's first time in the back of the Murano and he LOVED it!  Slept like a baby the whole way!

We had Thanksgiving with the Mikels side at noon and then the Schmidt side at 4 PM.  Then we all went home and finalized the game plan for shopping on Black Friday.  No we didn't go out at 9/10 PM or midnight (mom and Katrina did though)!  We did go out at 4:30 to Omaha and shopped with Bryan's mom, dad, sister, aunt Denise and cousin Jenna.  It was a fun time and was one of the first times we were able to shop for ourselves using gift cards we received from people for our wedding!  Thank you to those of you that gave them!


We enjoyed the time with family over the weekend, celebrating Chantel's 16th Birthday...watch out on the roads in Iowa!  On Saturday we went to Grammie's house to help decorate the house and take down the Thanksgiving decorations.  The guys worked out in the shed, starting to put insulation on the interior so Dean has a warmer space to work!  It was a great weekend with all of Bryan's family!!!!

Lexi oversaw the Christmas Tree decorating.  Diane and Danette helped out too!

 Monday after we got back from work, we brought out our tree to decorate.  Ryder helping me put ornaments on the tree.

Ryder was depressed that all of the couches were taken up by boxes and wanted some attention, so he decided to lay down right in the path of decorating the tree.

The finished product!

 Our fireplace mantel - we even have a stocking for Brent!  Willow Tree Nativity and cross to the right that have 1 Corinthians 13 with Bryan's and my name and wedding date is from my Aunt Barb...thank you!  The Schmidt sign is from my cousin Allison, her husband Tony and their kids Jeremy, Lindsey and Lucas...we love it!  The house is beginning to look like home! 

 Perfect place for the beginnings of our St. Nicholas town buildings.  My aunt Bonnie has given me these as presents for the last few Christmases.  Don't forget to check out the Iowa State Santa Clause hat! :)

Entrance in to the house looking in to the front room. 

The piano is decorated with a countdown to Christmas and our first wedding photo hung in the house!

More pictures to come as we get settled in to the house!