Happy New Year!

To All My Wonderful Blogland Friends:

I just wanted to take this time to thank everyone who stops by and reads my blog (even if just this once). It means a lot to me that people actually read the things I write. So, I'm grateful and blessed for all of you. I love reading your blogs too. They enlighten me, educate me, make me laugh, make me cry, inspire me, keep me up-to-date...I can't imagine what I did before blogging! I am excited about the new year ahead of us! I have a few goals, or resolutions I guess you could say, that I would like to share...

1. Draw closer to God. This is not a hard one for me. I strive to do this daily, without making any resolutions, but I like God to be at the top of all my lists☺
2. Spend good quality time with my family...Isaiah, Michael, my grandparents, parents...everyone.
3. Enjoy life. I know this one is broad, but that's kinda the way I like to do my resolutions. I like to keep them broad...it gives me lots of room to move around and go with the flow. So, whatever "enjoy life" means in 2009, that's what I want to do.
4. Take care of relationships. Tend to them like a garden...water, weed, give them sunlight.
5. Drink as much coffee as possible☺
6. Have fun as much as possible.
7. Read lots of new books (or old ones...I just can't get away from Twilight!)
8. Finish at least one scrapbook! It's crazy, but I have tons, I mean LOADS of scrapbooking stuff, but not one finished scrapbook. I guess I should say my hobby is collecting scrapbooking supplies, instead of actual scrapbooking!
9. Be healthier.
10. Be greener.

So, do you have any goals...resolutions? Let me hear them...go ahead just write them in my comments☺

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas 2008

Can you believe that Christmas has come and gone? I'm feeling a little post-holiday blues, so I thought I would download some pics to see if I can get some of that warm and cozy feeling back...Christmas Magic.


For us, Christmas always starts off with a bang on Christmas Eve at my Granny and Grandpa's. See, my grandparents bought this house from my great-grandparents who bought this house from my great-great-grandparents. So, my family has been meeting here, at 13th and Proctor, on Christmas Eve for years and years and years. There are 35 immediate family members counting my grandparents, aunts, uncles, spouses, and cousins. Then add on our extended family who just gravitates this direction and you've got a house full!

Here is a pic of me and three of my cousins (from L to R: Curtis, Kristen, Josh, and me - the 4 oldest grandchildren...me being the oldest)

Here's a pic of my Grandpa. You can go HERE and read a little more about him and my family.

Isaiah tearing into a gift.

My Uncle Tom and Josh playing guitars...this is so typical.

On to Christmas morning...

Here's some pics from my house early Christmas morning:

Santa returned the magic key to Isaiah's mailbox along with a letter thanking him for being good and telling him he would see him next year.

Santa at almost all of his cookie and drank most of his milk...he was REALLY full from lots of Mexican food...err, I mean cookies.

My sweet pea sound asleep on Christmas morning...

but not for long...

Fast forward a couple of hours and here we are having Christmas morning at Memo and Papa's house...

Santa left this HUGE bag of goodies on Memo and Papa's porch for Isaiah!

Isaiah and his Memo.

Now, onto Christmas night...

My aunt and uncle bought the local bowling alley, so for Christmas night they opened it up for all of us to come down and bowl! Too fun!!

Here's my cousin Tracy...taking a picture of me...taking a picture of her. She blogs too, you should go check her out☺(Click HERE)

The newest addition to our family, Emma Shay Kathryn...isn't she a sweetie?!?!

My cousins Victoria and Noah

Some more of my cousins - Natalie, Hannah, Alyssa, and Jeffery

Me and my cousin Kristen

Christmas at Mike's Mom and Dad's:

The new fort my father-in-law built for Isaiah in THE FAMILY ROOM...

Complete with walkie-talkies...
an overlook...
and lots 'O fun! (excuse the no-make-up and nasty hair)

Hope all of you had as much fun as I did over Christmas. Most of all I hope you remembered the real reason for the season! Jesus came as a baby in a manger, so that we could have life! Celebrate life, love, and family as we go into the new year. Blessings and ♥much love♥!

Short Christmas Post *(Longer one with more pics to follow☺)*

Our Christmas was wonderful. I hope yours was too. We spent it with family (and are still spending it with family). Look, I even got presents wrapped!

Besides the time off from work to spend with family, the following picture is my favorite gift this Christmas (well, except for my iPhone...this was my favorite least expected gift).

It is autographed by Bella (Kristen) and Edward (Rob). From my DH, if you can believe that...does he realize he's just fueling the fire?☺ (I♥Edward)

I'll post more pics on Monday when I'm back to work and have time to download. Thinking of you all and hoping your Christmases were merry.

Twas The Night Before Christmas Eve...Eve...Eve...

all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

Ok, wait a minute, there was one little creature stirring and his name happened to be Isaiah. It was approximately 12:09 early this morning. I was startled and awoken by my husband throwing back the covers to see what was the matter!

Here's how the next 10 minutes or so played out...

Let me set the scene. I'm all snug in my bed with visions of "eye candy" dancing in my head. I'm all warm and cozy in my flannel sheets and down comforter and sherpa blanket. Not a care in the world.

SUDDENLY!

Michael: What in the world is he doing? (he being Isaiah)

Me: I have no idea Michael!!! What ARE you talking about?

(I'm trying to clear my head from my sleeping state and adjust my eyes to the pale light from Michael's iPhone he was using as a flash light. Apparently, he was still awake laying in bed watching videos from YouTube)

Michael: What is he doing?
Michael(again): Isaiah, what are you doing?

Isaiah looks with a glazed expression.

Isaiah: Oooohh, green light (pointing over to the other side of the room...Michael's iPhone.)!

About that time, I look over to see Isaiah standing at my side of the bed...PEEING!!!!!!! Yes, I said PEEING! Michael is flipping out! He runs over and flips on the light.

Me: Michael, calm down. He's sleep walking.
Michael: Calm down? Sleep walking? What are you talking about.
Me: He did the same thing on YOUR side of the bed a couple of weeks ago.

(I'm remembering now that I failed to tell him about that.)

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night to Isaiah standing over on Michael's side of the bed, facing the wall and peeing. I freak out, of course. "Isaiah, WHAT are you doing???" He blankly stared at me and it hit me that he was sleep walking. I calmly (like any good mother would do) walked him back to his bed. Cleaned up the pee off the carpet from Michael's side of the bed (like any good wife would do), put a towel over the pee spot...and went back to bed. Failing to ever tell Michael about Isaiah's new found talent for sleep walking.)

Michael: He PEED on my side of the bed??? Why did I not know this??
Me: SORRY (in my 7th grade FOORRRGIIVVVEE-me-voice...you know smarty pants-ish)! I totally forgot to tell you. Relax. It'll be ok. Let's just go back to sleep.
Michael: (freaking out...again) IF YOU'RE SLEEPING IN A BED WITH PEE, then I'm sleeping down stairs!!!!
Me: FINE. Go get the clean sheets! (forgetting that I just stripped the bed two days ago and haven't washed the sheets or comforter!)
Michael: (yelling from downstairs) THERE's ONLY ONE FITTED SHEET.
Me: (rolling my eyes) Well, that'll just have to do. (As I lay down on the bare mattress...the pee soaked through the sherpa blanket, down comforter, flannel sheets, mattress pad...and leaked onto my favorite pillow!...so, I had to strip the whole bed!!!)

Covering up with my measly quilt, with no flat sheet...laying there, I'm thinking "OK, how did this happen?" Ten minutes ago I was snug in my bed, feeling warm and toasty, dreaming of Edward. Now, I'm laying on a cold sheet with a towel underneath it to keep the pee from leaking through the sheet. NO mattress pad. NO down comforter. NO fuzzy sherpa blanket on top. NO favorite pillow. I CAN't go back to sleep, so NO dreams of Edward. Michael chuckles. "Good night☺" He's now making fun. I'm the one sleeping on the pee-pee side of the bed. Mom's should get Hazard Pay.

Me: GOOD NIGHT.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

...everywhere you go. The weather feels Christmas-y. The streets are full of Christmas traffic. Christmas music is on every station. Family is in for Christmas. There are Christmas parties and get-togethers. Christmas really is everywhere you go. Over the weekend, my mom, my aunt, and I hosted a Christmas party. I love hostessing, it is way fun. We served a really light menu of chicken salad on croissants, meatballs, raw vegetables, olive tempenade, dips w/ chips and of course yummy desserts like divinity and a variety of cookies. We sang Christmas carols and then a little variety of other music. My cousins are all very musically talented...and hilarious. So, they are always entertainment...you never have to worry about a dull moment. They have a band and they all play instruments. They wrote a couple of Christmas songs and produced a small Christmas album this year. I'm not being biased or anything, but it's really good. (OK, maybe a little biased). My cousin, her husband, and their new baby got here late Saturday night. I'm so excited! Her baby girl is the sweetest thing EVER! I waited up until 1:00 in the morning, just so I could be on of the first people to hold her...bragging right, you know. I wish I could say that I cleaned my house from top to bottom and that all my gifts were bought, wrapped, and under the tree; but I can't. Oh, well. I've just decided what gets done, gets done and the rest will just have to wait! (maybe until next year☺) Hope everyone is already enjoying Christmas! I'm trying to savor each moment so it doesn't go by too quickly.

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

Friday Confession (Christmas Edition)

So, this is the last Friday before Christmas. I thought I would make these confessions...well, you know...Christmas-y. Here goes...

• Although I procrastinated (big time), my tree is up and my cards are on their way out the door. It may be just one week before Christmas, but it's done!


• I was wondering. I got this REALLY cute vinyl lettering at Target that says "Merry Christmas" in fancy writing. Do you think it's too late to put it up on my wall? Is that a waste, seeing that Christmas is just 7 days away? I feel this sudden urge to go all out and put up all my decorations even though they'll all have to come back down in just a couple of weeks. What do you think?


• Isaiah and I made cookies for his class, from a tub...and called it baking. Hey, we rolled them in little balls and pressed them out with colored sugar...and BAKED them in our oven! At least we didn't buy them at Merritt's and call them our own. Now that would have been bad. (Why didn't I think of that earlier?)


• The only gifts under my tree are from Starbucks...is that a problem?


• Last night while purchasing a gift for a co-worker, I handed the cashier my debit card...she handed me the receipt to sign...I started signing my mother's name. She probably thought I was totally using someone else's card...maybe she called the cops after I left?...maybe she thought I have an alias? Who knows? Now, in my defense, I work for my mother and sign her name ALL DAY, so it's not like I'm totally crazy. Just a little.
• I'm still buying gifts and probably won't finish until Christmas Eve. Can you say "procrastinator"?
• I'm receiving my 3rd Amazon.com order today. I really love Amazon.com.
• Last night I almost started wrapping gifts, but then I realized that most of the things I was going to wrap are supposed to be from Santa...so, I scratched that idea and curled up on the couch with Isaiah and watched Rudolph...for the 3rd time. (Like there was NOTHING else to do...dirty dishes, dirty laundry, CHRISTMAS DECORATING...pssshh...whatever.)
• On Christmas Eve, I still feel like a little kid (even though I'm 31...yeah, 31). I still feel the excitement and the anticipation. When I wake up on Christmas morning, I like to just lay there in bed with a smile on my face and just soak in all the goodness...enough to last all year. Oh, the magic of Christmas.

*Remember, Christmas without Christ is just "mas".*

Enjoy the magic of the season!

Happy Friday

Santa I Can Explain...

Here's the picture I decided to use on my Christmas cards. I finally went and made copies of it and I have all the essentials for getting my cards out...pictures, cards, labels, stamps. They should make it there before Christmas...but I'll be sure to tack on a "Happy New Year"...just in case☺

Christmas Tree Pics

I seriously feel like the last person on the block to have my tree up...literally and virtually speaking, but it's up...and before Christmas☺

Pics from the rest of the house tomorrow (ok, or Friday...I'm not a very good blogger right now)

Now, where did I put those Christmas cards...

Tag You're It!

I have been tagged by the lovely Lisa over at the Pumpkin Pink Cottage. I think I have to list 7 random things..

1. I'm a Libra in every sense of the word. Everything you've ever read about a Libra applies to me.
2. I'm indecisive...this characteristic probably annoys my husband the most.
3. I really should not be blogging right now. My desk is piled so high with work.
4. I've ordered about 75% of my Christmas gifts on-line. My office looks like Santa's Workshop (for any last minute gift buying try a few of my favs - www.uncommongoods.com or www.amazon.com or www.redenvelope.com )
5. I love Anne of Green Gables. I have all the books and all the movies. Sometimes I just feel like having an Anne of Green Gables marathon.
6. I also love dance movies. While Isaiah was with my mom and dad on Saturday, I watched Stomp the Yard...2 1/2 times. Encore kept playing it and I kept watching it.
7. I shouldn't drink Diet Coke. It makes me burp. So un-lady-like.

Pass this on to five people...

1. Christy
2. Renee (Where have you been? This will give you a good excuse to blog☺)
3. Feather
4. Shelly
5. Brainella

Here are the rules...

• Link back to me for nominating you.
• Lisa 7 random things about yourself.
• Nominate five other bloggers.
• Link to them on your blog.
• Post these rules.

Happy Blogging☺

Weekend Review

I'm so thankful for Saturday mornings that are unplanned. Of course I had my huge to-do list, but it was MY to-do list and I could finish it when and how I wanted (and if I didn't, the only person who would be disappointed was me). So, I chose to be lazy and make some yummy french toast that I had wanted to make every since I read about it on Fresh Mommy's blog. She posted a recipe not long ago using egg nog to make her french toast. A big THANK YOU to Tabitha, because it totally made my Saturday morning! It was super yummy!! I'll definitely be making it again. (Notice the mug...there was a little egg nog for the recipe and a little egg nog for me☺ Kinda like when you're cooking with wine☺)

FreshMommy's Egg Nog French Toast
1 egg, slightly beaten
1C eggnog
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp sugar
1/2tsp nutmeg
1/4tsp cloves

Saturday evening, a whole mini van full of us went to see the Christmas Kingdom and Garden of Lights in a town about 15 minutes away. The Christmas Kingdom is located at a place called The Castle, where they host a Renaissance Festival every year (which is really fun). During Christmas they turn the whole place into the Christmas Kingdom and have every kind of inflatable you can think of...it's crazy!

There are penguins...by the hundreds.

Polar bears and igloos
Snoopys in airplanes
Grinches in chimneys
and reindeer...lots and lots of reindeer
and this little guy...oh, wait he was with me☺
Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

(Oh, and my tree is up, just in case you were wondering...I'll post pics tomorrow☺)

Sunday Comics

Friday Confessions and My 100th Post!

No preliminaries, just straight to confessin'.

1. I blog (and read blogs) too much, really it's ridiculous.


2. I still have poison ivy and refuse to go to the doctor. I hate going to the doctor, seems like such a waste of time.


3. I still don't have my Christmas tree or decorations up. They are neatly stacked up, sorta in the shape of a Christmas tree...does that count?


4. I'm tired and grumpy. Stay away.
5. I sing Beyonce really loud in my car.


6. I still haven't sent out Christmas cards. Happy New Year cards are sounding better by the minute...just sayin'.

Happy Friday (I use the term 'happy' lightly)

Kansas City - Part 3

Sunday we finished up our trip by going to eat at T-Rex. We were just prepared for another kid restaurant with over-priced-not-so-good-food, but surprisingly enough the food was delish. It was a really cool atmosphere with dinosaurs hovering over, making real life noises. They had a paleontologist area where kiddos can dig and explore. There was also a Build-A-Dino inside the restaurant. It was definitely worth the trip. I think even the big kids had fun☺