Today is New Year's Eve and I am looking forward to a fun night out with some great friends. This will be the 5th NYE we have spent together and it has become our little tradition. We usually pot-luck it and play card games until the wee hours of the morning, but this year we are going out, baby. A meal that doesn't require me to cut any of my food into bite size pieces to share with a toddler. A meal where I don't have to apologize to the waiter for the mess left on the floor. We're also going to a grown up movie. Not sure which movie yet, but truthfully, it doesn't really matter. I know it won't have singing frogs or the Jonas Brothers in it, so it's already a great movie to me.

Before I wrap up 2009, I wanted to share some of my favorite gifts from Christmas. Everyone needs birthday & gift ideas for the year, right? (Spoken by someone who has 7 birthday gifts to purchase in the next 6 weeks.)

Boots bought my mom, picked out by yours truly at the huge Macy's black Friday sale at 6:00 a.m. The bonus that makes them so fabulous is that my hubby will only refer to me as "officer" when I am wearing them. He's goofy like that, but I can't lie. I actually feel a little more "in charge" when I wear them and he makes me smile, so it's a win-win.

Love this Tickle Monster book! It comes with fuzzy gloves with the holes cut out for your fingers so you can tickle along with the story. The actual story isn't so great, but my little man already comes running to me with the book and gloves in tow, begging to sit in my lap and be tickled. Elevated to great gift status instantly.

Stitch-it-Owl Kit, by The Little Experience. These are great little projects to get some kiddos interested in the sewing world. (My oldest got a horse pattern, but no picture as she's already cut up the box to use as a trough.) They come with a fabric pattern, kid friendly scissors to cut them out, stuffing, floss, and step by step directions. The age on this box says 6-10 and I would put it in the 8-10 category. I had to do most all of the stitching on the owl. Thank goodness it is made more charming by the "made by a child" look. The website has lots of great ideas for girls AND boys. Priced under $20, these will be making some birthday party rounds this year for sure.

Jessica Simpson purse bought by my mother-in-law. Perfect for spring and way more money that I ever would have spent on a purse for myself. Love it!

Teavana Perfect Tea Maker. I am jumping on the loose leaf tea wagon. You can go to a tea store, watch them scoop out your own custom tea mix, and then brew it all right in this pitcher. It has an infuser at the bottom, so you just place it on top of your mug and viola - the tea strains right into your cup. Right now I am hooked on the Rooibos-Chai Tea, but my next flavor to try will be the Toasted Nut Brulee Oolong Tea. Doesn't that just sound yummy? In the summer, I'm going with something more fruity like Imperial Acai Blueberry White Tea. Thanks mom, for getting me jump-started!

Saved the best for last - something I've drooled over for a few years now. Thanks to my sweet Marty, a new book is as close as a few clicks away. I've read one complete book, and no joke when I got to the last page, just went to the next book on my wish list, clicked away and was holding it in hand in a matter of less than a minute. I also downloaded the Bible and loved that I could look up references, take notes, bookmark verses, and underline in church without ever having to fish around for a pen in the bottom of my purse. Can't wait for the kids to go back to school so I can get some serious reading accomplished!

A few of my favorite things

Stockings hung by the chimney with care


Beautiful new ribbon bought 75% off after Christmas last year


Ornament given to me when I started piano lessons at 6 yrs old


Yummy Christmas treats waiting to be eaten


Little boys in Christmas pajamas with chocolate on their faces


The beginnings of a beautiful white Christmas


My 2 girls going to sleep hoping to catch a glimpse of snow and Santa

God has blessed us so much this year, but the most treasured gift of all is the gift of salvation provided to us on that first Christmas night so long ago. Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!

some Christmas mischief

My husband has been pestering encouraging me to update my blog with a new post, but in all the frenzy of Christmas related activities, I have been waiting for something truly blog-worthy until I made an update. Quite unexpectedly, this morning, I was gifted with the next blog post. True to the words, Christmas break, the girls have been given a break about bed times and sleeping rules. We don't allow the girls to sleep together during the school year because it is too difficult to enforce actual sleeping times instead of just bedtimes. So, for the past 3 nights, they have been allowed to stay up and watch Christmas movies and then sleep together. Last night, I tucked them into bed around 10:15 and told them lights out and stay in bed. This is what I found this morning:










Not sure what gave them the bright idea to put on a winter coat and sleep together crammed into a little closet space, but it made me smile this morning. It does this mom good to know that amidst all of the bickering and fighting between them, there is a little friendship growing.

a look of need

It's a look I see a hundred times a day.
A look that conveys a need.
A need for a diaper change.
A need for food.
A need for a nap.
A need for a sippy cup in exactly the right color.
A need to play with his sister's markers.
A need to be understood.
A need for comfort.
It's an intense look, because toddlers are intense, needy, little people.
And I need him to stay looking this way for a long, long, time.

Isn't she lovely?

I get to spend this entire, crazy busy weekend with my baby sister. We have big plans to Christmas shop, see New Moon, eat sushi, drink coffee, gush about wedding plans, and oh yeah, run a 5K. Not such a big deal for Kellie, since she's been a marathon runner and college athlete and all. But a HUGE deal for me. Not an athlete, not a runner, not a lover of exercise or physical exertion in general. But I want to run to say that I've accomplished a goal and to feel good about succeeding at something way out of my comfort zone. It's an even BIGGER deal to have Kellie run it with me. Not only am I comforted to know that she will be by my side the entire time, but she's been by my side for every major event of my life.

Born 10 years after me, we are forever stuck a generation apart. I always sound like the old, mature, almost-mother and she always sounds like the young, naiive, full of life, almost-daughter. In spite of the age difference (or maybe because of it), I couldn't imagine having a more supportive or encouraging sister. As a kid, she tagged along to many band and piano concerts, college classes and even some of my dates. It's quite funny to look back at my wedding pictures and see the awkward 12 year old that was so unsure of herself. As a teen, she was there for the birth of my children, there to see the transition of her sister from a young married girl to a busy mom of 3. Today she is still here, now supporting my kids at every birthday party and major event for them, and in turn, still supporting me.

The difference between us is that I haven't always been able to be there for her. Always the one it has seemed with more responsibility and ties, I couldn't always pick up and travel to important soccer games and track meets. I didn't see every prom dress in person and yes, even missed the all important college graduation. It's for this reason that I am so excited about this next step in her life. In a little over 4 months, she is marrying a super, great, guy that I couldn't have hand picked any better for her. It hasn't always been an easy road for her in the dating department and I am so proud of her for not settling and for not losing sight of her standards. It's the reason I can't wait to be there for her on her special day. The day she starts a new life and I get to be right by her side cheering her on. It's a little tough to be another bridesmaid (excuse me, "Matron of Honor", which sounds even worse than bridesmaid. Who came up with that name anyway?) admist a sea of beautiful 20 something year olds who seem to have trouble gaining weight and who are probably blissfully unaware of the world of Spanx, but I would do it for my sister even if I was 50. I am even starting to get a little bittersweet as we spend some of our last times together with her as a single girl. Now I know why she clung to me so tightly in tears as I was trying to disentangle and leave for my honeymoon. We might be a generation apart, but the feelings and experiences we share are always mutual, always reciprocated, just always delayed. So thankful God blessed me with her beautiful smile of encouragement, so thankful for the man He brought to her life, and so thankful to be the one standing by her on her big day.


By the way, Kellie, don't expect any kind of crazy toast at your wedding that would include any of this mushy stuff. The most gushing you're going to get is right here. In April you won't be shocked when I sit quitely while toasts are being made. I refuse to be the matronly, Spanx wearing, mother of 3, 30 something year old that fell apart and became a mess while toasting her baby sister at her wedding. Not going to happen. :)

Love-Love

I remember this guy.


I remember this commercial.

I remember being quite taken with the hair, the attitude, the marriage and divorce to Brooke, the image. After this week, I see someone different. I see the story of a boy brainwashed from birth to pursue a sport he hated (his words) and the life that ensued from the pursuit of money, status, and peace. He was always chasing a dream, even if it wasn't his own. Less of a rebel and more of a lost soul. It's a truly fascinating read and well worth the $20 bucks. I love, love it.

A speech from a future president

Tonight, my oldest daughter informed me that she had memorized her first speech that she will give when she becomes President of the United States. I knew this was going to be good stuff, so I grabbed a pencil and paper to document this monumental occasion. Something tells me that we will enjoy reading this "speech" 20 years from now. ;) Here, I have shared the 3 main points of her speech as told by a 9 year old presidential wannabe with my own comments appearing in the italics. Enjoy, and God bless America.

1. I don't care if you vote for me or not, I'm really just here to have fun.
Ha! A candidate would probably be more likely to get my vote if they came out and said something as honest as that statement! Sure, there's the whole pressure of being leader of the free world and all, but let's face it, the job has some perks. Why would someone want to be president anyway unless it was a job that was going to be fun?

2. God has special plans for people's lives and if you vote for me, it will be a part of God's plan.
The wisdom of this astounds me. Yes, God does have special plans for our lives. Thank you Mackenzie for reminding me that God doesn't just have plans for us, but special plans. Yes, no matter who you vote for it is always a part of God's plan. He is always in control, no matter who is sitting in any elected seat. That is why I never really get too worked up over political issues. I will always do my part by voting, praying for our elected officials and staying current on issues, but I am certainly not worried that the government's plan for my life will circumvent God's special plans for me.

3. If you vote for me, we will be in the Guiness Book of World Records - your votes and my picture.
Well, I guess there is a little ego in every politician. What can I say? She's a little obsessed with the World Records right now and I she figures that being president will be the best way to guarantee her a spot in the book. I guess this is a better option than deciding to grow out her toenails or making the world's largest ball of ear wax.


I know I'm biased and all, but I would totally vote for this kid.

The best 30 days ever

The next 30 days of my life are set to be some of the most fun times! It's been a while since I have traveled anywhere exciting (unless you count Little Rock and the roach in our bed exciting), so I am giddy about all the next 30 days entails.

A ski trip to Colorado with a group of friends. I have no plans to ski since the little man is traveling with us, but I am looking forward to some fun adult conversation, time in a spa, and well, just some downtime. My hubby loves Colorado and he always makes our trips out there so fun and entertaining.

A day spent with the best sister a girl could ask for is planned, complete with Holiday Market shopping, sushi, and New Moon!! I'm not sure there could be a greater combo than that. I could think of no one I would rather gush about Edward with than my little sis. Yeah, we're one of those people. Don't hate.

A Thanksgiving spent with the greatest family on earth. We have so much to celebrate in our family this year with an upcoming wedding and a new brother-in-law-to be added to the mix. The boys always have a ton of fun, and the girls, well let's just say we are spending some time in a major shopping mecca. The day after Thanksgiving shopping? We're there. Can't wait.

A solo (plus little man again) trip to Florida to see my bff for my birthday. I love this girl and I cannot wait to jump on a plane and spend some time on her turf. What an awesome birthday gift I gave myself! Late night chit-chat sessions, watching movies, running around Florida. Counting down the days already!

Fall is for Apple Cake!

This morning was yet another gloomy, cloudy, rainy day, so against my better judgment I decided to skip the gym and make an apple cake instead. See how seamlessly one bad decision can lead to another? I love baking in the fall. There's just something about the crisp coolness in the air, looking out your window to see beautiful red leaves falling and the smell of cinnamon and apples coming from your oven. This weekend we had a Halloween/birthday shin-dig at the house and we played some kid's relay games with baskets of apples. I had been looking for the perfect recipe to put some of those leftover apples to good use. Of course, me being the huge Pioneer Woman fan that I am, it was straight to her website to find a recipe. (Can't wait to get my hands on her new cookbook, by the way! It's on my Christmas list, hint, hint.) Here's a warning: the following cake should not be consumed by anyone remotely interested in their health as it's loaded, swimming in, smothered, drowning, in tons of butter. My advice is to pair it with some broiled fish, brown rice and broccoli for dinner just to offset the adverse health implications. Enjoy!

New respect for photographers

A few weeks ago, we took the kids to a fall festival held by a local nursery. The set up was adorable with old fashioned wagons and carts, handmade scarecrows, and pumpkins and gourds galore! Since we went on the fly after church when the kids were still semi-clean, I though I could get some nice fall pictures. In the back of my mind, I even entertained the thought of accomplishing the holy grail of pictures: the all 3 children looking at you and smiling shot. Here are a few samples of what was accomplished:

This was one of my favorites. Love the shirt, love the pumpkins, love the little spaced out teeth. Makes my heart beat faster.


This girl was in quite the foul mood and really didn't want to participate in any photo taking activities. So, what I got was a smirky, half smile that said, "I know what you are looking for and I have ability to give you a great picture, but I don't care and this is what I'm giving you. Work with it." I love it anyway, silly girl.


My oldest is usually the kiddo that could care less about posing for pictures. However, she was in quite the model mood, so she kept proposing ideas to keep my attention on her and away from the other two who were trying to determine the best way to de-arm a scarecrow. I love these pictures of her, but I can't stop wondering who turned on the time machine to produce this grown-up looking girl. Everyone knows that she's 6, right? What? She's 9? Sigh, I wish someone would help me keep up with these things.


Another favorite of the little man. I love the serious look and those chubby little cheeks. I dread the day when he is 9. Somehow, I don't think he's going to let me kiss those cheeks all the time when he is 9.


Anyone ever hear horror stories about the mood swings of a toddler? These 2 pics were taken one frame apart. Total frustration to total delight in the matter of .2 seconds. Life with a toddler, caught in action.

And now attempting the elusive 3 happy kids shot:

Can you feel the attitude radiating from the kiddo on the right?


Sure, nothing says "great picture" like a pair of bunny ears.


I guess I'm not the only one who didn't like the ears.


And, if your brother didn't like the ears the first time, it means you are forced to do it again.


Dad gets the bright idea to get their attention by clapping. Great idea. Moving hands are always welcomed in photos.


More attitude from the girl in the back. She gets this from her father.


This was the best of about 200 pics. Managed to get everyone looking the same general area. It helps if you squint when you look at the baby. Professional photographers around the world, my hat goes off to you. You earn your money, that's all I'm sayin'.