i've made my peace

...Yesterday, while painting the bathroom, I had a lot of time to think. And I thought a lot about things that used to bother me but don't anymore.

*Spongebob: I used to promise myself that I would never let my kids watch this yellow sponge who talked funny. But this past year, I wavered. "But I still don't like it!" I would say to myself every time I let them watch it. However, I would listen to the boys and this funny sponge never failed to make them laugh. And although it is sometimes gross, it never is violent. And then one day, I caught myself watching, really watching and...i laughed. Seth caught me. He said,
"Are you laughing at Spongebob?" I tried to deny it, but I couldn't. Then I learned that the voice of Patrick is Dauber (the tall guy off of Coach). I always liked him. So I had to make my peace with him. Spongebob is okay.

*People who don't pay attention: While waiting for my paint the other day at Wal-mart, the person who was helping me forgot to put dye in the paint before she shook it in the machine. When she opened it, she found white paint when it was supposed to be Norway Aqua. So, it took an extra five minutes to fix her mistake. This used to bother me. But, as I was standing there, I realized that it didn't matter if I waited a few more minutes. She probably had a lot on her mind. I think I've become more aware of others and what might be going on in their lives because of blogs. (I've said this before) It is hard to be selfish and get mad at having to wait when you realize that she might be dealing with an illness in her family, or a divorce or some other sad event. So, I just smiled and said it was okay.

*Cleaning the kitchen: I dreaded cleaning the kitchen so much that I would put it off until both sinks were full of dishes. But these past two weeks, I've really tried hard to keep it clean. I mean, it is hard to tell your kids to pick up after themselves when you don't. And I realized that I like it clean. Even more than I dislike cleaning it. (Does that make sense?) So I am trying hard to keep it that way.

So, what are some things that used to bother you, but for whatever reason, they just don't anymore? I'd love to know!

busy,busy,busy

...or at least it seems to me that I am this week. I spent all day yesterday painting my bathroom. I am 90% complete! :) I will post pics when it is all finished. I will tell you this: it makes me happy to be in my bathroom. The color is awesome!
I do have to give a shout-out to my mom-in-law--she called to check on me because I hadn't blogged in two days. Very sweet and made my day. Thanks Sandy!
***
One reason why my husband and I are "meant to be":
Today, we both slipped and fell on the ice, at different times and different locations. He called me a little while ago and told me that he fell hard on the ice with no one around. I laughed and told him I did the same thing! Except mine was more of a "Oh No, I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna fall...Oh, I fell" kind of dance and A LOT of people saw me. See, we are meant to be.

rhett's layout too

...Today is Tuesday and I'm sharing layouts, including one from Rhett.
Here is a Christmas layout:

And here is the inside of the flap:

Noah was using Rhett's old hand-me-down bicycle and it was a little wobbly, so for his birthday, we gave him a new Hot Wheels Bicycle. He was pretty excited!

This layout is about the night I got to see Julie Andrews. If you click on it, you will be able to see the journaling but it is all about how my favorite thing is hanging with these three:

And here is Rhett's first layout. He picked out everything and I helped with the ribbon. Yesterday he said something to the effect that it might be a little girly to scrapbook and before I could say no it is not! he said it was okay because he liked it anyway. I told him that many guys scrapbook and art is not girly, nor is taking pictures. I hope he never stops doing something he loves just because most boys don't do it. Maybe I should get Seth to start doing it, just to reinforce that it is a "guy" thing too, right Seth? ;)

Thanks for letting me share! Have a great day!

TGI...M?

...Yes, I am thankful it is Monday. The roads are clear, school starts up again after a weeklong vacation and yesterday we finally got to get out of the house for a while. It felt good!

***

I watched a few movies this weekend. One was World Trade Center. What a moving, heart-wrenching film. It highlighted the good of people, the heroism of those that risked their lives for others and captured the fear and sadness of families. Oliver Stone directed this PG-13 movie and it is said that this was his first non-R rated film. No bad language at all, which was nice to see.
***
I am not really a person that gets fired up about politics, but I have to tell you some things that are ahead for Oklahoma legislation. They have 2,316 bills and resolutions filed and here are some that the paper said to watch for:
*House Bill 416: Designates English as the official language of Oklahoma.
---Ummm, if English isn't the official language of Oklahoma, then what is? And they have to have a bill for this?
*Senate Bill 874: Would require a voter to produce identification before being allowed to vote.
---They don't already do this? I am new to Oklahoma and have not voted in an election yet, but I thought that was just commen sense.
*House Bill 1587: Would require motor vehicle inspections.
---Isn't it funny? Being from Texas, we got our car inspected without thought. When we moved here and found out that we didn't have to, we were scratching our heads. Think about it-there may be so many unsafe cars on the road. It is scary. Even though getting your car inspected is a pain, I hope this one passes!
And last one:
House Bill 1466: Would enter Oklahoma into an agreement with other states to elect the president of the United States by national popular vote, replacing the current Electoral College system.
---Whoa. I didn't know about this! Did any of you? Replacing a system that has been around since our forefathers? I will have to keep up this one. Especially since the next presidential race will be mighty interesting, especially since 3 minorities are vying for the Democratic ticket.

***

This week I hope to start painting my bathroom. I found some towels yesterday at Kohl's so I am using those for my color scheme. I'll post pictures when I am finished!

Have a great Monday!

happy birthday krista

...for reals this time. Remember when as kids you always said stuff like that: for reals, play like...good times, good times.
Anyway, in honor of my sister's birthday I chose two pictures that I absolutely love of her. The first one is of her with her beautiful daughters. I love it because she is doing what she does best-making everything seem more interesting than it really is. I mean, look, it is a card, a happy birthday card for Mallory. But don't you want to know what is in that card, just by looking at Krista's face? It looks like there is some great secret in it, doesn't it? Krista is really good at that.

That is why she is such a talented writer and a great mom. She adds the special "wow" touches on life.

This next picture is also a great one. She loves her family and loves being around them. She takes the time to make sure they know it too. When Casey and I were younger, she always played games with us and that meant the world to us. I know she does those things for her daughters too. (and niece).

So have a happy day, Krista!

***

More snow is coming. I think it is going to blanket my parents, brother and in-laws first (like 19' inches, so keep them in your thoughts!) and then head our way. By this point, I don't really care anymore. We are in the throes (meaning pangs!) of winter (can you tell I have been reading Lord of the Rings?) and I am dreaming of days where I can actually drive somewhere. I have gotten really down the last few days. Winter blues. Today, I let the boys play out in the front yard while I scraped ice off of our walkway. Not fun, but at least I was doing something. I am so tired of doing indoor things and I am not really an outdoorsy person. I know I shouldn't be complaining either--everyone is getting winter weather, I know. And I am very grateful that we didn't get the worst of it. I am very thankful we still have our power. But I will also be very grateful when we see the sun again...

Everyone stay warm and snuggle up with the one you love. Unless of course, he has a cold. (Ha! Ha! Seth, just kidding. Sort of...) :)

lost and found

...Rhett was wanting to go outside yesterday to sled. He asked me every five minutes. I finally let him. Now keep in mind that we do not own a sled. I let him use a plastic lid off of a storage box. It works pretty well. Also keep in mind that this is pure ice. It looks like snow, but it isn't. So two minutes after bundling him up and letting him go "have fun," I hear wailing. I rush outside and he walks around the corner, his face red on one side, his new glasses bent and one lens missing. I usher him back inside, make sure he knows he will survive and get him to stop crying. His final words before I go look for his lens: "I don't want to go sledding anymore! I just want to stay inside!" Uh-huh.

So anyway, I go look for a clear lens on the ice. I looked for at least 30 minutes. No lens. I decide to wait until dark. That way I can get the flashlight and the light will shine on it. So, after supper, I get busy cleaning up their rooms and I go outside in the freezing cold with a flashlight. I am sure I looked beyond silly. But still no lens. Seth comes home. Does the same thing. 10 minutes later he comes in...with the lens! Yay! I don't know how he found it but I am so glad he did.

***

Right now I am on hold with a credit bureau company because my student loan company lost some information and it is believed my info was included in the loss. So I have to do the appropriate steps to secure my files. Yuck. Personally, I would rather be looking for a lost lens.

***

My sons are always losing things. I know kids are just that way. But it is so funny when Noah finds something. He says, "Mom! I have been looking for that for years! For years!"

***

Still on hold...

***

Rhett lost his second tooth the other day. I really think the tooth fairy of this household needs to keep her day job because the morning after, Seth asked me to go check under Rhett's pillow (Rhett was sitting by daddy on the couch and had forgotten to look). Thank goodness because the Tooth Fairy forgot to leave a treat. So, I pretended to go to the bathroom, found some quarters, then went to Rhett's room. I looked under the pillow and the tooth was not there! At that moment I was confused. I knew Seth hadn't taken it. Was there a real tooth fairy? No. Rhett just didn't put the tooth under his pillow. I searched for a few minutes for it but gave up and wrote a note saying the tooth wasn't there but here is some money anyway. Rhett bought it. But where was the tooth? On the coffee table in the living room. So I told him to put it under his pillow that night so the tooth fairy could come take it. No money would be left, but she needed the tooth for her collection. Well, I forgot to get it! Luckily, Seth got it that morning before Rhett looked. Sheesh.

***

Still on hold...

***

So between me forgetting the tooth, forgetting what day my sister's birthday is, not being able to find a lens, I am thinking my mind is going. Or maybe it is being holed up in the house for days on end. I don't know. I feel like my brain is lost. And...

Oh, I am talking to a real person! Yay! Just a minute...

...

...

Ok, that is done. Wasn't that bad. Now, what was I talking about?

apology/scrap and share

...uhhh, I have mommy brain. You know the affliction where you forget everything, think things are a certain date, when in fact they are still 3 days away (ahem, Krista's b-day, ahem), then when you get an email from a certain somebody (ahem, Krista, ahem) giving a subtle hint that it is not their special day today, you think she is wrong (just for a second).
So, I've changed the post and save something for Friday. Sorry Krista! And thanks for being so nice about it.

***

In other news, no school again. The boys and I did venture out in the backyard Monday. We had fun sliding down our little hill with the lids off of big plastic boxes. We may have to go somewhere Tuesday. Seriously. Rhett was hoping to go to Burger King or I-Hop. He was very disappointed when I said no.
I feel bad about complaining. I talked to a friend that lives in Denver on Monday night. He said it was -10 degrees in the morning that day. They have really had some kind of winter this year. I think I can handle the teens after hearing that.
***

Here is my Tuesday layout. I almost forgot! This one was fun to do and fun to take the pictures. Noah was helping his Grandmom and was concentrating on the dough and doing such a great job. Then the older boys came and they all started acting silly, punching and pulling off dough. The cinnamon rolls came out great though!

here comes the sun

...This is as far as any of us ventured outside yesterday. To the little ice hill that is right outside our front door. Seth was showing us that it was pretty much all ice. Fun.
Today Seth had to go to work but Rhett had the day off anyway so we are bunkered down for another day. I won't lie to you...I'm getting cabin fever. The boys are too, I can tell. I almost envied Seth-I said almost. He left when it was still dark and I was still nice and warm in my bed. He probably didn't have a fun drive on the highway. I get to lounge around in my pjs for a couple more hours.
But now the sun is shining and it truly is a beautiful sight. Cold but very pretty. I was telling Seth we haven't seen a real winter in almost 6 years. That is a long time to get used to not having one.
One of my friends just moved from the Houston area to the Dallas area and mentioned in an email how cold it was. I feel for her, I really do because once you live somewhere hot and humid, like Houston, where it hardly gets cold and when it is, it really is still okay, you can't believe how cold it is in other places. I am still like that! When the weatherman said that it was going to be winter temperatures for the next 30 days, I was shocked! 30 more days of cold! How do people do this? See, I have turned into a cold-weather weanie. Somewhere, I hear my boys snickering at that word...

100,000+ without power

...but, thankfully, we aren't one of them...yet anyway. I don't think we will be as most of the power outages are to the south and east of us.

Right now, out my window, round #3 has hit. Thunder is loud and sleet and freezing rain (what is the difference between the two anyway?) are coming straight down. It looks too cold. Yesterday, I saw a few kids brave it to have some fun. I wasn't about to let my kids or me go out there though. We had fun hanging out as a family though, watching too much tv, playing games and eating.

It looks like mountain weather outside. Too bad we don't have a ski resort near by. That would be fun to do later when the sun comes out again.

That is all I have. Just a quick note to let you know we are still hanging in and still have power. Again, thankfully.

ice and more ice

...It looks like Oklahoma is in for a huge ice storm. The OKC metro area is expected to get 1-2 inches of ice through Sunday. Catastrophic, as the weather people, the newscasters and electricians and plummers are saying. Because of downed power lines. Which means we may be without power. In 2002, parts of OKC were without power for up to a week when a bad ice storm hit.

Last night, Seth went to Wal-mart and said it was absolutely crazy. No bread, no milk, no D batteries, hardly any flashlights, certainly no generators. Lines very long and people stocking up on 5 gallons of milk and so on. Seth only needed a few things, but now that I think of it, I wish I had told him to get more snacks and canned fruit and granola bars. Maybe I will make some. I am going on a baking frenzy today. Pancakes, bread, cookies, snack mix, anything that does not have to be heated to be eaten, I will try to make. Hopefully, I will be overprepared and we won't lose power. I hope that is the case.

Please pray that our family stays safe through this storm. I am going to pray for those that have to be out in it, like electricians, plummers, and road crews, ect.

And if you don't hear from me for a few days....well, I guess that means we have no power. And no heat...which means we will be snuggling together under many layers and layers of blankets, munching on snacks and trying to make the best of it.

bits and pieces

...Noah has a sinus infection, so he stays at home from school again. It is funny, he doesn't even act like he feels bad, but he had a fever at the dr's office yesterday. He asked today if he could watch tv and I said yes and he smiled and said, "Because I'm sick!" At least he is happy...

***

It is weird how things work out. I was so concerned about my dentist's appointment today and trying to figure out what to do with the kids this afternoon and finally thought of cancelling. So I called and you know what? They had no record of my appointment anyway! That means if I had shown up this afternoon, they wouldn't have seen me because I had no appointment to them. And if Noah hadn't gotten sick, I wouldn't have called to check. Funny.

***

I mentioned the other day about buying some New York guide books for a trip I was taking with my mom and sisters in honor of my 30th birthday. Well, we have decided we are going in June 2008. I am so excited to plan for this trip! I have wanted to go to New York for at least 10 years now. And in a year and a half I will! Yay!

***

That's all I have today. I am going to attempt to clean another room today. The other day I totally reorganized my kitchen and it looks great. Now if I can remember what this feeling of accomplishment feels like, I will make it stay that way! One room at a time, my house will get clean again.

Have a great day!

from sweet to sour

...One minute I am thanking God for the sweet time that I am getting to spend with my husband and youngest son, who was coughing and couldn't go to sleep so we put him in our bed and laid with him, and the next I am thinking, "Eww...great. So much for the sweet moment!" Noah coughed so much he made himself get sick. On me. Nice.

So today is a change of plans. Doctor time. Hoping that he gets better so I can take him to school tomorrow so I can go to the dentist. Not that I want to go to the dentist, I just really need to. Having to drag him with me to the grocery store to buy some things because this weekend a snowstorm might fall upon us.

But I am still thankful for that sweet moment. Seth and I were talking about how big are kids have gotten. We just love them so much. And because of that, I'll take the sour moments too. As long as there are more sweet to follow! :)

scrap and share

...If you remember, one of my goals for this year was to start scrapbooking again. Well, to keep that goal a reality, I am making Tuesday a Scrap and Share day on my blog. Just so I really will keep my word!

Yesterday and this morning I scrapped two layouts. Here they are but sorry if the photos aren't that great. My camera was running out of batteries and wasn't working for me!

This one is a layout for some of the Christmas cards that we received. I need to do another layout like this one, because not all of them fit, so if you don't see yours on there, that is why.

I am not too fond of the pictures, but I think that is why I chose these. I need to start scrapping more about me because I am apart of this family too. And part of the reason I haven't is because I never like photos of myself. But I need to stop being so critical and think I have to have it "just right". This has to do with my new motto for 2007: Live and let live. Sounds silly to have a motto, right? I just need a daily reminder to be who I am and not let things that happen get in the way of that. My journaling reads:
Live and let Live. My new motto for 2007. What exactly does it mean? For me, it means to live your life being exactly who you are and not expecting others to change for you. It means to seize each day and live like its your last day. It means letting life surprise you. The next 12 months I am going to try to do this. I am ready...

Thanks for letting me share!

i need help

...because I am incapable of putting a book down. Saturday we went to Barnes and Noble to use some gift cards that we all had. I picked some New York City guide books (that is what I am going to do with my sisters and mom for my 30th birthday) and also the second book in the series of The Girls with the Traveling Pants. I was saving that book for Thursday when I have to go to the dentist. But, yesterday, I was tired and bored and I had run out of Thank You notes (way behind on those) so I picked up The Second Summer of the Pants. Then I proceeded to read the entire book! It was a long book. I really thought I could stop. Really. I mean, I stopped when I had to fix supper. I stopped when I had to give the boys a bath. I stopped when I read Rhett and Noah their own books. Then they went to bed and sat down. Big mistake. I read until 12:30 am. Then it all over but me crying, "What have I done?"

Now I have nothing for Thursday. I am going to have to hope they have good magazines. Sigh...

boys with a camera

...Last night, the boys and I had some fun. I finally uploaded Rhett's pictures from his new Disney Pix camera and I had to laugh at some of them. He took many "action" shots of the Bionicle castle and figures. Here are a couple:



And sweet boy that Rhett is, he shared his camera with Noah. Here are a couple that Noah took:


Rhett must like taking stills (like Ansel Adams perhaps!) because there were also many pictures of the snowy backyard:


And now is where the fun began. With the Disney software, you can alter your picture however you want. Here is the picture I did to show them some cool things they could do with it:

And this is what Rhett did:

He had much fun with the stamper. They laughed so hard!

For Christmas, Santa also gave Rhett some scrapbook supplies so he can actually scrap his photos. He is so excited. Me too. It is something fun we can do together!

Thanks for letting me share!

the ride of my life

...After playing with my new toy yesterday, I have found a new favorite song: Once in A Lifetime by Keith Urban. It is beautiful.

In fact, I told Seth last night that I think it is a perfect song for us.
When I got married, I never knew that something would be so hard, so rewarding, so exciting, so unlike anything I've ever experienced. I know how easy it is to stop working on your marriage. I know how easy it is to think it would be better to just quit. But I also know how much I love the man I married. Seth has been through so much in the past few years and I can't say I've always made it easier for him. But I hope he knows that I believe in him and I hope he sees how much I care.

"Don't fear it now, we're going all the way. That sun is shining on a brand new day. It's a long way down and it's a leap of faith. But I'm never giving up. Cause I know we've got a once in a lifetime love."

I know I don't always see the good things in our marriage. I know I don't always realize how lucky I am. But I do know that about 12 years ago, when I started dating Seth, I was driving home from his house and all of the sudden I blurted out to myself: "I am going to marry that man." Then, I didn't realize where that thought came from. In fact, I kind of laughed and thought that I'd better not tell Seth my thought because we were both in high school and I didn't want to scare him off. Only God knows why I thought it at the time. But it stayed in my heart for another 3 1/2 years, until we did tie the knot. Then I forgot about it until about a year ago. Only then did I realize how important that little statement was and is to me. I think now that God put that in my heart because He wanted us to be together and to face life together. And to tell you the truth, life is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. But it is so good too. And I wouldn't want to be on this roller coaster with anyone else.

"Don't hold back now,

just let go

on all you've ever known

You can put your hand in mine"

I love you Seth. I am so proud of you. And I'll be right by your side no matter what.

Have a great day!

my new toy

...I have not got around to uploading Rhett's pictures yet, so maybe tomorrow. I would say that I have been so busy with laundry and putting Christmas things away and that would be partly true, but the main reason is because I have been playing with my new Christmas present from Seth: my Zune. How fun is this thing? Well, I have spent the last hour picking out music for White (my name for my Zune. So original, I know.) And now I am listening to Keith Urban and loving it! Thanks sweetie!!

The boys are back at school today. They were both pretty excited about it. Getting to see their friends was a big thing for them. Rhett was such in a hurry to get to the bus that he tripped getting out of the car. He got right back up and no tears were shed, but I know it must have hurt. He still smiled at me through the bus' window so I know he was okay.

I know this was a quick post, but I really do need to start some laundry. Another exciting day in my life! :)

happy new year!

...and a shortened vacation to us! I thought the boys didn't have to go back to school until Thursday but I was wrong. I looked this morning and they have to go back tomorrow! I am glad I decided to come back from my parents' house yesterday and not wait one more day...I would have been stressing!


Anyway, here are some pictures of our holiday away from home. (That makes it sound impressive doesn't it?) We had a great time but I am glad we are back home. And my husband made sure the kitchen was clean and that our bed had clean sheets on it---that was a great surprise for me! :)


I think the big boys had more fun with this than the little ones. Seth and his brother worked hard!

Seth tried so hard to get Sara to laugh. I think she chuckled a little finally. He was cracking everyone else up though!

Rhett with his gift from Santa. He has wanted his own camera for awhile and so far is enjoying this one. I will post some pictures that he took tomorrow and let him comment on them.

Noah, in front of his gifts from the family. He still had some of the "Santa came" excitement left in his face.

Pop and his only granddaughter. Sara is adorable and so sweet. We were all in love with her!

The boys and their cousin, Nicolas, "helping" Grandmom make cinnamon rolls. They still turned out wonderful as always! A special thanks to my mom for making them just for me! :)

-------------------------------------------------------

And now it is the new year. I am never good at making and keeping resolutions but there are several things I want to do and get in the habit of doing.

1. Keep up with my blog--this one will be easy. I love writing a blog and keeping up with friends and family this way.

2. Become a yogi--or just start doing yoga every day again. I was doing well last year until we moved and so I need to start back up again.

3. Scrapbook at least twice a week--I love creating and if I don't do it, I feel "blah". I want to make this a priority for me.

4. Find a church we love--and get involved with it. This is one of the hardest things about moving to another place. But it is something we need to do and want to do.

5. Take time to have fun--that sounds so funny, but it is something I need to do. Sometimes I get caught up in having to get things done, but I need to remember that having a good time with my sons or husband is very important too.

So, what is one resolution that you have?

just hanging out

...Since it has been a week since I've posted, I thought I'd better check in.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I think my favorite moment was when Noah went to check if Santa had come. He looked at his loot, which included a new Batman backpack, and his face lit up and he said, "Wow! A backpack! That's what I wanted! And I didn't even tell Santa that! How did he know!!?"

Other fun moments:
*making a gingerbread house with the boys
*watching my husband, sons, brother-in-law and nephew make a snowman at Nana' house
*watching my husband, sons and Cameron make a snowman at Grandmom's house (lots of snowman making!)
*munching on chocolate goodies
*finally getting to open my gifts from Seth :)
*just spending time with family
*watching Rhett complete a 100 piece puzzle. He was so proud!

I will post pictures later but right now I am at my parents' house, hanging out with my sister Jana and her kids. General consensus: we miss Krista and her family! :)

Tomorrow is a wonderful day because my parents celebrate their 40th anniversary! Wow! We are so proud of you and love you both! Happy Anniversary!

my favorite things

...the taste of homemade cookies, the smell of cinnamon,
the red, green and white decorations around the house,
the boys putting ornaments up on the tree...
These are a few of my favorite things.


Opening Christmas cards, wrapping gifts for my loved ones,
the chill of the air outside means its the first day of winter,
packing up tons of clothes to go home...
These are a few of my favorite things.


Things don't always
go the way they should
but instead of being sad,
I simply remember my favorite things
and then I don't feel so bad!

(I'm in the mood to watch The Sound of Music. Does anyone know when its on tv?)

Merry Christmas!

merry and bright days

...This will probably be a long post. I have a lot to share and this will probably be my last post before Christmas so let's get started.

First...here are the birthday boys, being silly. They look so grown-up compared to the baby pictures of the two that I shared in the previous posts, don't they?

The birthday party was a big success! I think everyone had a great time, save the child who got sick and had to go home early. Poor kid, he was so sad that his dad made him leave. :)


Hopefully, you can tell from the pictures that Rhett had a Spongebob cake and Noah had a Superman cake. I actually made these by myself and although, if you looked close at Superman, his face was messed up, I think they turned out pretty well. Not something I plan to do every birthday but at least I can say I did it once.

And since we had a party on Rhett's birthday, on Noah's we went to the movie Charlotte's Web. It was fantastic! So, so good. Such a sweet movie about friendship, promises and love. I felt like a kid again. And, of course, I cried. (The following contains a spoiler so if you have never read or watched this or ever heard about it, then I am warning you: Don't read if you don't want to know what happens!) During the movie, Noah looked at me and said, "Why are you crying?" I told him it was sad and he hugged me. Sweet kid. Then at dinner, Nana and Pop called to wish him a happy birthday and he had me tell them that I cried during the movie. Apparently, he thought it was funny or weird. Rhett asked when did I cry and I told him when Charlotte died. I asked, "Didn't that make you sad?" He said, "No, it made me happy. I knew she was with God."

Whoa. Talk about perspective. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I have two amazing kids.
_______________________________

On Friday night, my mom (who came for the party) and I went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you haven't seen this group or heard of it, then you need too. It was an amazing lightshow full of wonderful music and fabulous singers . This is something I can take my husband and kids too and they would enjoy it. And it is even more wonderful that they are Christians, it was a clean show, it spread the word of Jesus, and that they raise money for different charities. Just amazing!

And, by the way Mom, Noah got your message and loved it. He thought he was pretty special to get a message from the phone! :)
________________________________

And finally, here is picture of a Christmas goody. The Hot Chocolate Mix is from Food Network's Alton Brown and the Peppermint Marshmallows is a Martha Stewart recipe. Have you ever made homemade marshmallows? This was a first for me and it really wasn't that hard. Something different anyway. I gave away these three tins to some neighbors and friends, but I kept one for my family so we could enjoy it over Christmas. I hear it is going to be cold for Christmas where we are going, so this might be just what we need.


I am also making my very favorite Christmas cookie--the Chocolate Crinkle. It is gooey and delicious and my mom would make these every year. So I thought I would make them this year. I hope to make a few more goodies but I am running out of time. Having the boys' birthdays so close to Christmas takes it out of me. Right now the house is a mess and I have a ton of laundry to wash and fold and only 2 more days to do them! Aack! _____________________________

And a family picture. This was right after Rhett gave us gifts from him. His school had a Santa shop and so he went in, picked out gifts for his family and was so excited, he just couldn't wait for Christmas for us to open them.
Do you see his face? He gets it. He gets that Christmas is about giving. He is holding the lotion and body wash with an octopus massager that he picked out for me. He sure does know me well! He gave Seth some shoe polish, which Seth loved and gave Noah a whirly toy. (Don't know the correct name for it but Noah loved it!)

And finally, a word. One word. BELIEVE. I love this word. It holds so much promise, so much hope. Believe in Christmas miracles. Believe in the spirit of goodness that happens this year. Believe that next year will be better than the last. Believe that someone loves you, and that you matter to someone. Believe that you are doing some good in your life. Believe that you are important. Believe that your dreams can come true. Believe in everyday surprises.

I do. I hope you do too. And I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas!

Love to all!

and Noah is 4!

...Noah was born December 19, 2002. For Rhett's 2nd birthday, we went to the Houston Zoo and walked all over that place. I was so worried that I would have Noah on Rhett's birthday (didn't want to miss it by being in the hospital) but at the zoo, I started hoping to go into labor just so we could go. I was so tired! Rhett had fun though. 3 days later, Noah came quickly into this world.
And Noah is quick--with his emotions. He can turn a smile into a mad cry faster than you can say, "What happenend?" Very quick to get mad, he gets over things pretty quickly too, unlike his brother who stays upset about something for some time! Noah is a charmer--he will capture people's hearts just by giving them a hug and his smile. He is stubborn too. When he was 3 months old, Seth and I went to a concert and my parents kept the boys. I thought he would take a bottle (I'd been giving him one every so often) but no-he cried the whole time I was gone, never once took the bottle and I guess to show me how wrong it was for me to even try something other than nurse him, he never took a bottle again! He likes things his way for sure. But he is so sweet and lovable. I can't believe he is already 4. He is my baby. And now he can write his name, count up to 20 and do so many other things that I can hardly believe it. He is growing up, that's for sure.
Happy Birthday Noah! We love you and even though we have already had a party, we have a couple of surprises for you left for tomorrow!

________________________________

Speaking of the b-day party, I will have pictures for you on Wednesday.
Have a great day!

Rhett is 6!

...Rhett was born on the 16th of December in a small town in Kansas. A week later, we moved to Amarillo. Looking back at that now, I don't know how we did it, but I know God blessed me with a sweet baby who hardly ever cried and was pretty happy-go-lucky. Rhett has since moved 3 more times in his life. He has lived in every kind of weather--from hot and humid to just hot, from breezy to blow you over windy, from cool at night to freezing during the day. He has seen an ocean, the mountains, has visited 3 other states for vacation, has lived in 3 (which is remarkable because I lived in just one until I was 22). He has flown in an airplane many times and occasionally says he wants to go to the moon someday. He is smart enough that I think he really could if he wanted. Other times he says he wants to be a policeman, a spy, a dinosaur hunter. He is a dreamer and I love that about him. He is like me in that way. Mostly, he is like Seth. He looks like him, wants to be just like daddy and he is just as sweet. He is the most unselfish kid I have ever met, always thinking of ways to help, even if you don't want it. He is sensitive and friendly and funny. He likes to get into things and he always wants to know how things work. And questions--he has asked a million. And he still is curious! He always wants someone near him and he is such a wonderful big brother. He loves Noah so much and comforts him when he is sad. Noah thinks he is the coolest--I know because I asked. He didn't even hesitate. Noah knows what Seth and I know--Rhett is a one cool kid. And we love him. And we hope his 6th birthday is the best!
Happy Birthday Rhett!

only at Nana's

...Yesterday, Noah asked me if a kid from his school was going to be at Nana's house for Christmas. (I had already told the boys that we were going to Nana and Pop's house for Christmas and Santa would come there on Christmas Eve.) I said no he probably would be with his own family. Then he said, "Well, I guess he won't get any presents."

It took me a minute but then I realized something: Noah thought Santa was ONLY going to Nana's house for Christmas Eve. No where else. I quickly said, "Oh, Noah, Santa goes to everyone's house on Christmas Eve. Not just where we are." Oh.

The irony of this situation is that I decided I wanted to have Santa go to Nana's in an effort not to confuse my children. They have talked a lot about how Santa comes on Christmas Eve and I didn't want to have to explain why he was coming early to our house (because we would be out of town) because I know I would have to keep explaining (but doesn't Santa go to Nana's house too?) Well, turns out, Noah was confused anyway.

It is just so funny. I wonder if he thought, "Wow, I must have been a great kid this year. Santa is only coming to see me."

no girls allowed--except mom

...Being a mom of boys, I've noticed some things. For instance:

1. I am always picking up legos off the floor seconds before they become sucked up in the vacuum.
2. There is not one conversation where I don't hear some sort of potty talk.
3. Boys scream just as shrill and loud as girls do. At least, I think they do.
4. Boys start hating the color pink at an early age.
5. I will probably get all sorts of flack for sharing my love of Broadway music with my sons or any other "girly" music for that matter. I had some Christmas music blaring the other day while making Christmas cookies and Rhett went to his room and turned on his own music--even louder.
6. Ballet and probably musicals are out too. I've missed my chance on taking the boys to see "The Nutcracker." I thought I had a couple more years. But no. They found out it was a ballet and gagged.
7. There is nothing they do that lasts longer than 15 minutes. Always on the go.
8. Little boys love to cuddle. Especially at night when reading books. That is my favorite part of the day.
9. If it is gross, it will find its way into my sons' life. Somehow.
10. They will always allow their mom into their "no girls allowed" club. Even if the only reason is because she provides the snacks.

I have now been a mom for almost 6 years. I probably will never have Barbies to pick up, or get to choose a girly movie on "movie night," and I will have to start liking sports (or at least pretend to) but that doesn't mean I will stop blaring the Christmas music or not even try to get them to watch a Julie Andrews movie. I am a girly girl at heart, you know. I like putting lipstick on and drinking from a flower cup. And it is kind of nice being the only female in the house. Especially because I am a mom (and wife) of some pretty incredible males.

in need of a christmas miracle

...I've been following a couple of blogs lately and want to ask for some big prayers. Both blogs have something in common: a fight with cancer. A little boy is fighting for his life right now and I just want them to have a Christmas miracle so badly. And a friend of a friend, who is also in the fight of her life, just wants to be home from the hospital in time for Christmas with her family. I really love the world of blogs and I'll tell you why. It has really helped me see how many people out there are going through a journey that may be the toughest they have ever seen. It has helped me realize how many people are survivors, brave and strong, just trying to live their lives with their family. It has made me less selfish with my prayers, more appreciative of what I've got and hopefully, more aware of how many need support from others. So, if you have a little time, say a prayer for these two families. God is listening....

signs, scrapbooking, and Santa

...Happy Monday! In 5 days, Rhett will be 6 years old! I can't believe it. In 8 days, Noah will be 4. My babies are getting older and while I am so happy, I am also very nostalgic. I can remember holding their little warm baby bodies close to me and now I can barely pick them up. I remember Rhett coming into the hospital room to see his new baby brother and I thought he looked so big then. His hands were huge compared to Noah's. I never had that shock with Noah and so I still think of him as my baby. I told him that the other day and jokingly said that when he was 65, he would still be my baby. He thought that was funny, especially when I said that he'd probably be a grandad by then.

But oh, I am so enjoying my boys. They are so funny and full of life. The other day, I told Rhett and Noah to sweep up under their stools and then went into the other room. Later that night, Seth went into the kitchen and asked if Rhett wrote this:


I looked and just burst out laughing! First, I think it is great that Rhett is writing his own notes. But it was so hilarious because how he spelled it and to think of writing his brother's name too, when, I know, Noah did not help at all.

_______________________________________

And here is something I created for Christmas. I used leftover tiles (Seth said next time, let's buy some cheap ones and not use the ones leftover--he wasn't too happy that I did that!) but I think wooden squares would work too. It was fun to do, especially since I haven't scrapped in a while!

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And finally, the boys saw Santa on Saturday! Our neighborhood had sleigh rides and a visit with Santa and it was really neat. Rhett and Noah knew exactly what to do.

Santa: What do you boys want for Christmas?

Noah: A remote controlled spider!

Rhett: Uh, umm, umm, oh, a Legos Knight Kingdom.

....

Rhett: No, an IPOD!

Noah: Yeah, an IPOPE!

Santa: Ho! Ho! Ho! An expensive year....

Just so you know Santa, they are not getting Ipods. Not this year anyway. :)

Have a great day!

And the bags go to...

...Sandy and Krista! Totally randomly, I drew for the red bag first, so my mom-in-law gets the red one and Krista gets the charcoal one. I'll ship them out to you today so you can enjoy them sooner!

Thanks to everyone who wrote about their favorite memories. I loved them all from Sandy's boots to Mom's tear-jerking memory about my dad to seeing Christmas through the eyes of children to the first Christmas with your new husband to getting to cut down your own Christmas tree with your grandfather to wondering how Santa knows when your family is celebrating your Christmas and finally, to hearing the most beautiful rendition of a Christmas carol, even when your heart was wanting to be home.

I had thought that I, too, was going to write about my favorite Christmas memory, but I don't know which one is my favorite. Every Christmas always has a special moment that makes me realize that this time of year is pure magic. People are nicer, love is shown more openly, the giving heart is in full swing.

I can remember getting a huge set of crayons one Christmas. The crayons were on this turn table and I was in awe of it. That was also the year we had "adopted" an older couple from our church as our grandparents. The looks on their faces said it all--they were so happy to be included. That was when I learned that gifts don't have to be physical things. Just a simple invitation was a wonderful gift to them.

I remember all those Christmases when we would go out to buy a real tree and my dad would work for hours trying to level it, put it in the stand, un-tangle the lights, put the lights on the tree, all while 4 eager kids and their mother would stand impatiently waiting to put our own ornaments on the tree. And we were listening to cheesy Christmas music. That is love, folks, especially when my dad would rather be doing anything else. And after all of that, one Christmas, the tree actually fell over after all the ornaments were put on. I learned from my dad that sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, even during Christmas.

I remember all those Christmases that my brother and I would get up so early to see what Santa would bring us and then, as we got older, we still had to get up early because my dad had to go check up on cattle. Cows don't know it is Christmas. And my mom would take these pictures of us, looking tired and rumpled and smiling with our eyes closed, holding up our big gift. Every year. I learned from my mom the importance of tradition.

I remember when I started celebrating Christmas with Seth and his family. They were so glad I was there. I was surprised that they even had gifts for me--and not just a "here is one generic gift for my son's girlfriend" --an actual pile of presents for me. I knew that this could be a family that I could spend many Christmases with. I learned that "family" does not just mean your parents and brothers and sisters and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins (I have a really big family, but my point is the same) it includes anyone that loves you and cares for you.

And, finally, now I am celebrating Christmas with my own children. I am doing the things that my parents once did (and I totally agree with dad--putting up trees and lights are a big pain) and I love that my kids are so excited about it. I love sharing traditions with them and making new traditions with them. I love finding the magic of Christmas--something different each year.

Here's to the magic of Christmas.

tis the season

...to give away a gift to my blog readers!


I wasn't going to blog today. I was tired and didn't feel like it. But then, I went to the mall with the boys to get my son new glasses. We ended up not getting the glasses because Seth, whom we met there, had to go back to work. However, I did go to a little store called Bath and Body Works and fell in love with these:

These lovely bags are so cute and holiday-ish and I had to get...3. One for me and two for...two of you! If you want one, post a comment about one of your favorite Christmas memories and I'll put your name in a drawing and randomly draw two names. Then I'll post the 2 lucky winners on Friday.

Have fun!

PS--This is to "just another reader": I haven't forgotten that you asked me to post a link to the instructions on how to make the trees. I just don't have a link. I got the idea for the trees from the December issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Then I just improvised from there. I will tell you the supplies I used:

*stryofoam trees from Hobby Lobby (different sizes)
*assorted holiday scrapbook paper
*glue
*pearl beaded garland
*paint for the beaded tree
*glitter

Hope that helps some.

a nasty cold and a biter

...has made my life a little more difficult these past few days. First, let me tell you, never try to do something constructive while your head is foggy from a cold. Yesterday, I picked up some invitations at the gym where the boys are going to have their birthday party (they provide the invitations and even though it is 15 minutes further to the gym than the nearest party store, the invitations also have a waiver on it so I went with those), addressed at least Noah'a friends' invitations, stuck a stamp on them and put them in the mailbox, 10 minutes before the postman got there. "Yea for me!" I thought, until 10 minutes later, I realized that I had stuck a 37 cent stamp on those invitations, not a 39 cent stamp. "Boo for me!" I thought again, mad at myself that I had even kept those silly stamps.

Back to square one, I decided that today I would have to go back to the gym. But, I emailed all of Noah's friends' moms to tell them about the party so they would at least know about it. I mean, it is the Christmas season, people have parties, I just didn't want them to make other plans, you know?

The mailing of invitations is another story. Apparently, one cannot go into a public school and ask for addresses of other children. I guess it makes sense, but how in the world am I going to invite Rhett's friends to his party? Luckily, the secretary was very nice and said she would mail them. I gave her $2 for stamps (she almost didn't take it because it was too much, and almost made me go to the cafeteria to get change, but I firmly insisted at this point to just take the money!)
So, now, hopefully, the invitations are mailed and someone will make it to the boys' birthday party. Fingers will be crossed.

And now to the second part of my story, which, strangely enough, has to do with the party too. Apparently, one of the kids that Noah wanted at his party, bit another kid, who is invited also. And the mom of the bitee is pretty mad at the biter and the biter's mom. I can certainly understand, but now I have this problem. What if the bitee doesn't come to the party if the biter is coming? Selfish of me to have that thought cross my mind, but I really like the bitee and his mom. She has become a good friend of mine and I really love her kids and want them to come to the party. But I had never seen her so mad. And the biter is, what I thought, a good kid too. Noah really likes to hang out with her and she lives in our neighborhood so they see each other more. And I can't univite the biter, that would be worse than the biting offense! I just don't know what to do. Hopefully, things will get better before the party.

And, to top it all off, I still have a brain fog from this cold. Everytime I get a cold, I promise myself that I will start taking vitamins and making sure I eat better, blah, blah, blah. Then, I start feeling better and I forget to take vitamins and well, you know. And then, I end up blogging about my cold, which can't be a fun read. Sorry.

As my great-grandmother wrote in her diaries, "It will be a better day tomorrow."

snow day pictures

...Yes, I can read. And that is how I fixed the problem of the disappearance of the icons. Yea for me. Anyway, here they are:

Thursday morning

Friday morning

All bundled up. I made them put on 2 of everything. It took at least 20 minutes to get everything on.

Noah tasting the snow.

I love this picture. Rhett was this excited!

I had to include a picture of the dogs. Scout actled like an excited kid--she was jumping around, chasing Brinkley's tail with much more ethusiasm than usual,and loving every minute. Brinkley was like Noah: he went out, played for about 5 minutes, then went back inside.

Rhett goes back to school today. I think he got used to the snow days. He was kind of grumbling.

Have a good Monday!

technical difficulties

...don't you just love them? I was going to post snow day pictures here but all of my icons disappeared. And I don't know how to get them back. So I don't know how to get my pictures here. Frustrating. Especially since I got up early to do this.

help me celebrate

...Abbey's birthday! Abbey, I hope you had a great one! Happy Birthday friend!

just for fun/Mallory's b-day

...Today is another snow day for Rhett and it is so beautiful outside--the snow is just waiting for little boys to come mess it up. I'm waiting until 10:30 or so though because it is "bone-chillingly" cold, as the weatherman put it. I'll post pics tonight of our fun snow day. Or snow minutes, because Noah won't last too long. Yesterday, he lasted all of 5 minutes.

Anyway, I thought I would answer my friend Holly's email to me in this blog. It is a Christmas survey.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate. Egg Nog does not sound appealing to me at all.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He wraps every single one.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White lights on the trees, inside and out. I did add a little colored rope lights to our sidewalk. Just for the boys.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. Isn't it poisonous?
5. When do you put your decorations up? The Sunday after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Hmm, I'll have to go with my Mom's Fruit Salad on this one.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: The year we went to DisneyLand for Christmas. I was 8 or 9 and I loved that place! The first thing I bought was a pair of mickey mouse ears and I wore them practically the whole time.
8.When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth??? What do you mean? :)
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. When I was a kid, my brother and I would bug mom so much she would finally relent on Christmas Eve. Honestly, I am still like that, except now I bug my husband.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? With all of our ornaments from years past.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! But only for a day.
12. Can you ice skate? Yes. Not well, but I can do it.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I have two favorite gifts---Rhett, born on December 16 and Noah, born on December 19 just two years later.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with our families.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I am a big dessert person so anything. I love homemade apple pie, anything chocolate and also pepperminty.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I think it is going to the Christmas Eve service at church. I love getting to sing Silent Night and light a candle. It is beautiful, magical and now that my kids are getting where they try to sing along, it means so much more.
17. What tops your tree? A silver star. That always leans.
18. Which do you prefer? -- Giving or Receiving? I think giving. I love shopping for that perfect gift for someone I love. I love surprising people.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I have a long list. Seriously, I love Christmas music.
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum!

I want to know your answers! You don't have to answer them all, but pick a favorite or two and let me know in the comments or answer them in your own blog. Just for fun!

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I want to say a special "Happy Birthday" to my 5 year old niece, Mallory. I was going to save it until tomorrow, but I just got finished reading Krista's blog and have to recommend that everyone go and read what she wrote. It is a beautiful letter to her daughter on her fifth birthday. It is heart-warming, sweet, funny and honest. Mallory is a lucky girl.

Happy Birthday Mallory!

holy jellybeans

...That is what my sons are saying this morning, "Holy Jellybeans! Look at the snow!" "Holy camoly! Look at the trampoline covered with snow!" "Holy smokes! Look at the street!" You get the point. My kids have been watching too many superhero shows, I guess. But I love their excitement!

They were also excited to find out that school had been cancelled. It is funny, last night before any of this started, they were cancelling things. I remember when I was in school, you had to wait until the snow was actually falling to cancel anything. Don't get me wrong--I was hoping they would cancel. Two hours of school is not worth driving back and forth in ice and snow.

So hopefully, this afternoon, we will get to go out and play. I don't know how long the snow will last, but I hope at least a day. I will try to get some pictures.

If the weather is bad in your neck of the woods, stay safe!

ahh, memories

...I uploaded my pictures and discovered that I didn't take that many pictures. I guess I was too busy enjoying the moment. And, I am okay with that. Here are a few that I took of our Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Krista is the lucky one in the middle of all the cute kids!

Good-bye time. That is why Cameron and Noah are so sad. Well, Cameron was sad because he didn't want to go to the potty, but Noah was very sad that everyone was leaving that day. Me too.

Rhett and Noah helped their Grandmom with her apple coffee cake. This was before everyone else got there. I think they had fun. They also helped their Great Gran make rolls. That kept them busy for a while! Who knew dough was so much fun?

storm's coming!

...So it looks like today will be the last 70 degree day for awhile. A cold front is blowing in tomorrow and it might even snow! I bought the boys some snow boots which means it won't, but that is okay. Be prepared.

I actually like snow. I don't like to drive in it but it makes things so beautiful and it is so fun to play in. Last year, it snowed on Rhett's birthday and we spent the whole morning outside building snowmen and having snowball fights. In Midland, the snow lasted all of the morning and then melted away, but hopefully here, it will last longer.

Some of my favorite memories are of Casey and me going outside in the snow to play. Mom would make us wear bread bags over our shoes to keep our feet dry. We would get our overalls on and get all bundled up and then out the door we would go to make fresh footprints in the snow. What fun.

I still haven't uploaded my pictures. Maybe tomorrow....

Off to tend to my mad child. Any guesses of who it is? :)

a little recap

...for you. The Thanksgiving holiday was so much fun. We had 7 little ones running around, jumping on the "jump-o-lene" as my niece Isabel called it, playing video games, opening Christmas presents and celebrating their birthdays. I loved getting to spend time with my family and was pretty sad yesterday when everyone had to leave. It just went by too fast.

Some highlights:

Downtown in December: Oklahoma City's Bricktown had a Christmas tree lighting ceremony with fireworks. That was pretty neat by itself but we also all went for ice cream and for a boat ride around the river. I loved that Rhett and Nicolas kept asking questions on the boat. I loved that Cameron was so excited to be on the boat. I loved that Isabel thought that she would get to see dolphins on the boat.

The weather: It was so beautiful. Not cold at all. We had our pictures made by a friend of a friend (and now a new friend of mine) outside at a park and I think she got some good ones. The ones she posted at her blog were good anyway. I am excited to see the rest. I know it was really difficult to shoot 16 people--7 of them being impatient children--so thank you Kim for this! It means so much to me and my family! Anyway, after the pictures, we enjoyed the park for awhile and took a little stroll on the hiking path. I love those kids!

The jump-o-lene/trampolene: The kids spent most of their time outdoors on this thing. They loved it! I think this was one of the best things we have ever gotten for our kids. The trampolene helped us bond with Phoebe, who wasn't too sure of all of us. It was so funny to see them interact with each other on it. Cameron and Isabel just loved getting on and off of it. The bigger boys played rough on it, even tackling Grandmom, which made Isabel cry. Mallory loved jumping on it with me or her mom.

Late night talks: We were wiped out most of the time but I am so glad that we stayed up to talk and catch up. My sisters and brothers (including Chris) are so interesting to me and they mean the world to me!

I will post some pictures soon. But for now, I am going to finish decorating for Christmas. It is raining right now, so I can't finish the trees outside, but that gives me a chance to clean up in the house....

Have a great day!

gobble, gobble

...This will be my last post for this week. Family starts coming today and I am so excited. Krista, see you tomorrow. I love getting to say that!!! Absolutely!

I hope everyone has a fun, fabulous Thanksgiving. I will be surrounded by my loved ones, good food, and I know we are so thankful for that. Remember to be thankful for what you have.

Oh, and one more thing on my thankful list. I am thankful for...

YOU. My blog reader. You could be my faithful friend, an occassional reader, one of my lovely family members, someone I don't know or someone I know very well. Whoever you are, I am thankful that you make time to stop by and read this thing. I love blogging. It has brought me closer to friends and family and has made me record events that would otherwise be forgotten. So, thank you. Have a great, great holiday!

a little conversation

...This morning Noah came into my room. I haven't shared a conversation with one of the boys in awhile, so here it is:

N: Will you scoot over, Mom?
(I look at the clock 7:13 am. It is okay. I need to be awake anyway).
N: Thank you!
silence for 8, 9, 10...
N: Mom, what are cheeks for?
me: Uhh, for holding your food in your mouth.
N: Ohhh. That's what they are for. I LOVE cheeks.
...
N: What are tummys for?
me: For holding your food inside your body. (Can you tell I was hungry?)
N: What are these for? (pointing to chin)
me: A Chin? So you can open and close your mouth. (have you ever tried to explain why your body has parts to an almost 4 year old? It is hard).
N: Ohhh. So if you didn't have a chin your mouth would just do this. (holding mouth open)
me: Yes.
N: Look. This is my Little Dog. See it has my name---Noah Houston (on the tag)
me: Yeah.
N: How do you spell Noah's dogs?
me: N-O-A-H-'-S D-O-G-S
N: What is a chee?
me: G!
N: Ohh. I get it. A G!
me: Yes.
N: Look. Rufus is a hairy dog. You can sleep with Rufus.
(hands me Rufus)
N: Joker's hair is spiky. He could poke Rufus with his hair....I wish Rufus was hard. Like a robot.
N: Mom?
me: Yes Noah?
N: I wish Rufus was a robot dog.
me: Ok. I am going to go to the bathroom.
N: If he was a robot dog, he would be hard and bark and move.
N: (a little louder now) Can I have a robot dog for my birthday? I want a big one!
...
N: MOM! Did you hear me?
A: Noah! I am in the bathroom!
N: Okay. Okay. I just wanted you to know about my robot dog.


I am thankful for the random minds of my children. I love that they can jump from one thing to another. I am thankful that they are so curious, although I wish I could come up with better answers. But how do you explain to a little child where water comes from? They don't understand elements. The first time Rhett asked me where water comes from, I said it came from the ground. (I was using the hose at the time). No, he said, where does it come from? Totally stumped. Then the 2nd time they asked I remembered (Ok, Seth reminded me) H2O. So I told them. Huh? Yeah, exactly. I am thankful for my kids. They keep me on my toes, they keep me laughing, they keep me on the move, and they always remind me how much I've got in this life. I am thankful that in less than 4 days, I will have my nephews and nieces here and we'll have 7 kids making us laugh and feel blessed. Thank God for kids.

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We are going to see Happy Feet today. The boys were so good yesterday while I cleaned the house, so this is their little reward. I'll let you know how it is. But I know it will be cute. I love penguins.

Happy Birthday Mom!

...So, my mom turns 30 tomorrow! At least, that is what Rhett thinks and I am too good of a daughter to tell otherwise! :) I do have to say my mom does not look her age at all and that is good for her daughters. Hopefully, we got her genes.

My mom is someone I am very thankful for. I have many reasons why so I'll just write a list. Can you tell that I like lists?

1. She is a fantastic grandmom.
2. She helped me realize that you never stop being a mom--no matter how old your kids are.
3. She is always there for her kids and her grandkids.
4. She is a wonderful role model.
5. She has great taste.
6. Her love of Broadway musicals, The Beatles, and great musical movies.
7. She always makes her pies from scratch. And there truly is a difference.
8. She always made us a home-cooked meal--even after a full day of teaching. I never realized how special that was until I became a mom.
9. She is beautiful, inside and out.
10. She is an awesome teacher.
11. She believes in us.
12. She dragged us out of bed at 3 am in the morning to see (or not see) Haley's Comet. It was cold and we could not see a thing, but the point is she and dad made us try.
13. She passed on her love of books to her children.
14. She let us get real Christmas trees for many years. I love that smell.
15. She took pictures of us every year on the first day of school.
16. She made Casey and me two different cakes for our birthdays. That was a big deal. She could have just fixed one. But she made two.
17. I only heard her curse once. But when she did, it made me love her more. Why? Because I was a teenager and thought it was cool. :)
18. She is creative.
19. She has played the organ for the church for as long as I can remember. I don't even think she gets paid for it anymore, but she just does it. She taught me to do things for others and do right by God.
20. Because she is my mom. And because of her, I strive to be the best mom I can be. I love you Mom!

Have a wonderful birthday!!!!

days like this

...are good just to stay under your covers, not go out at all. Unfortunately, we had to get up, go to work (Seth), get on the bus for school (Rhett), drive Noah to school (me), and be carried into school because it was so windy and cold that we had to hurry (Noah). Yes, Noah got off easy. The wind is terrible--we had to make sure everything was secure outside last night and thank goodness we did because our trampoline would have blown away by now.

It is hard to be thankful for days like this, because I don't like the wind. It makes my head hurt, my hair messy and my bones cold. But I guess it is days like this that make you appreciate the comfort of your home, the warmth of your bed, the roof over your head. It makes you appreciate all those things you have that keep you safe and dry and warm. Others aren't so lucky.

Here's hoping you are safe and warm today. And here's hoping we don't blow away...