Not Me Monday 12/22

This is my year end edition of Not Me's...a little trip down memory lane.
A final farewell to some of my not so great moments in 2008.

I did not start a kitchen remodel with one budget and then end up spending 4x that amount...cause that would mean...well I guess that would mean that I have a REALLY AWESOME kitchen.

During the same kitchen remodel, I did not actually have a come to Jesus meeting with my ceiling...knowing of course that such a great and Awesome God would have no time for such idle things. But if I did not do that, then I would have missed an AWESOME work of God in me during the meeting with the ceiling and Jesus...and believe me...I was there.

I did not act a fool when my oldest boy played baseball this season. Cause I am one of those sit quietly-mind my own business-never give the ref my point of view-and I never ever raise my voice....honestly, I am all those and love it. I am actually the mom who will even cheer loud and proud for your kid, if you are one of those that I am not.

I did not cry this year when I realized that my baby girl is growing up. I thought for sure that she would stay tiny and toddler like since I asked so nicely, but no she is 5 going on 15 and even though I am sad that my littlest one's littleness is fleeting, I am so proud of the lady I know she will become.

I did not witness this exchange between Big Daddy and the Beez while trying to get the kids in bed:
"Beez, don't make me come back there and close your door" (she was crying about having to go to bed)
(through sobs and tears) "I don't have a door Daddy"
While remodeling the house, we replaced their doors, so technically she HAS a door, but it isn't hung yet, because we are going to replace her floor also(after the new year)...nothing like a guilt trip for Dad.

I did not almost loose my pants during a boat-turned-swim race while chaperoning at church camp this summer. While everyone was yelling at me to get out of the lake and tag the next teams hand...there I stayed in the mere 18 inches of water, trying to get my black yoga pants from my ankles to waist. Of course, if my partner would have rowed better, we would have never ended up IN the lake instead of skimming along on its surface.

I did not wash my favorite cell phone in the washing machine. Cause when you love something you take care of it. Of course, if I never washed it, then I wouldn't be the proud owner of an iphone...not me.

I did not just get done wrapping 60+ gifts...and I am still not done.

I did not sneak one more gift under the tree that my hubby is totally not expecting.

I am not blogging right now instead of getting ready for our Christmas Party on Wednesday night....because I HAVE NO TIME!!!!

Tea for Two

Quite possibly the best picture of Micah...EVER!!!! This was of course from the Mother-Daughter Tea that we attended last weekend. Isn't she ADORABLE!!!! More to come as I can get them uploaded, but I just couldn't wait on this one.
This photo make my case for investing in a really great camera...a girl can dream right???

Dashing through the snow...

Well, here I am again....just barely. We have been so busy the past two weeks, I have not had the chance to take a breathe, let alone put pen to paper here on the blog.

The kids are through with school....THANK YOU LORD!!!! I need a break, and with family coming in and out over the next three weeks, it couldn't come soon enough.

Here is what you missed. The Beez, my M-I-L, my grandmother and myself all attended a Mother-Daughter Tea last weekend. It was divine. It was held at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast and the three course tasting was marvelous.

The same weekend, the family participated in our annual church Christmas Celebration. More on that when i can get the video downloaded. But to be sure, it was something truly special. It was the Beez's first program, and I was so proud of her singing her heart out....and so was she!!!

I also tackled our bedroom, and believe me tackle is the only way to describe it. I spent all of Monday in my bedroom cleaning from top to bottom and everywhere in between. I was actually very proud of myself, because nothing got stashed away, everything was put in its proper place, and I am happy to say, it has stayed that way.

It was also our 13th anniversary this past Wednesday. It usually sneaks up on us, and this year was no different. I did wake up to a message on my bathroom mirror from my beloved...I need to buy him a tube of Bonnie Bell dollar lipstick so that he will leave my Lancome alone, but who am I to regulate love notes on a bathroom mirror???

I really need to dish on my gift from my love, but I do not have the time to do it right now. Just know this, I washed my Katana II in the washing machine a few months back...it was horrible cause I LOVED THAT PHONE...and my husband has been saying that until our contract was up I would just have to suffer through with an ancient phone from years ago. He has really been laying it on thick...you know me not being able to take care of nice things and all....and it was all for show because guess what he bought me for my anniversary???? Are you ready??? I got an iPhone....yep, little ole me is now the proud owner of an iPhone. I have no idea what to do with it, but I own it!!!

Yippee!!!

Gotta run.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas, I wish I could sit around the fire and chat with you all face to face, both family and friends that keep in touch via this blog...you all mean the world to me.

Until that time, be safe, laugh a lot, and Praise the One we Celebrate this Season.

April

Quick Christmas Quiz

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, whatever works for the given present.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real, it is too much fun to go and pick it out and chop it down
3. When do you put up the tree? As close to Thanksgiving as possible
4. When do you take the tree down? It depends, usually before New Years though
5. Do you like eggnog? Heck NO!!!!! A glass of wine will do me just fine.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Cabbage Patch doll
7. Favorite gift received as an adult? Last year we got a kitchen makeover
8. Easiest person to buy for? Usually my sister KC, but my husband is pretty easy too
9. Do You have a nativity scene? Yes, my grandmother made one when she was in her 70's, it is BEAUTIFUL. It is large, and it is on the DO NOT TOUCH list at our house
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I am a mailer, but this year it has been so HARD getting my kids to cooperate for the picture....I am definitely a picture sender
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? We got a snow ball maker one year...HELLO we LIVE IN MISSISSIPPI!!!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? With Big Daddy as my hubby there is only one answer to this question....Charlie Brown Christmas
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As soon as possible, but it usually around September or October.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Plead the fifth
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Shrimp at my grandmothers on the night of Christmas
16. Lights on the tree? HUH? Who does not put lights on their tree?
17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy, and Christmas Carol by NewSong
18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Always at home...I DO NOT TRAVEL ON CHRISTMAS!!!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yep
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A Star with lights
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Pj's on Christmas eve, everything else in the morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The big stink about saying "Merry Christmas"
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? We only cook a big meal on Thanksgiving..so whatever I can get my hands on will do.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Tresor perfume, and a Spotted Pony Long Sleeve T-shirt

100

I make my own rules. I grabbed this 100 list off of and I am suppose to just highlight those that I have done...but it would be so much more fun to give a little play by play right????

1. Started your own blog...hello you are reading this aren't you

2. Slept under the stars...many times...one of my fave spots was O'Neill Park in Trabuco Canyon CA...our dog Barney even had his own tree that HE could climb....good times were had by all. After years of camping there, our family ended up moving with just a few miles of the place.

3. Played in a band..you should be thankful the answer is NO!!!

4. Visited Hawaii...Yes, three times. Oahu twice, once with family, the other with my senior class...and Maui, the trip of trip with three best girlfriends after our sophomore year at BIOLA University.

5. Watched a meteor shower...many times, my brother and I use to sleep out in the back yard during them when we were kids. Just last year, we took our kids to the Lake to see one. Poor Beez, every time we said, "oh, look at that one." it was gone and she was too late...in the end she caught on and just stared out into the vast horizon and she did finally see some herself.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity...yes, and been blessed because of it.

7. Been to DisneyWorld...in 2005 when Katrina hit the Gulf. We partied on, while all our friends and neighbors had no power for a week. It was turned on about 12 hours before we got home.

8. Climbed a mountain...hiking yes, but like Everest, than no.

9. Held a praying mantis...yep

10. Sang a solo...yes, BUT be glad you were not there

12. Visited Paris, no but I did live in Perris California.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea...not while on the sea, but I have watched one from the rocky cliffs of Oregon overlooking the sea and also from the shore in SoCal

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch, if cooking is an art, than yes

15. Adopted a child, nope but I could see myself doing it

16. Had food poisoning, yes, while on a date...not fun.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty, get back with me in May, we hope to go to the Big Apple in April

18. Grown your own vegetables, yes see this post

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France, Mona who???

20. Slept in an overnight train, don't think so, but possible when I was a child

21. Had a pillow fight...yes, but I ban them in my house

22. Hitchhiked, surprisingly, yes

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill, heck yeah, maybe i will tell the kids I am taking one tomorrow!!!!

24. Built a snow fort....man, yes..angel, yes...fort...no

25. Held a lamb, yes

26. Gone skinny dipping, most memorable time was in the a fore mentioned Maui trip

27. Run a marathon...does shopping day after Thanksgiving count???

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice....no

29. Seen a total eclipse, yes

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset yes and every time I am astounded at the beauty the Lord gives daily

31. Hit a home run...no

32. Been on a cruise, no but hoping to on our 15 year anniversary

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person, yes with my Grammy and Pops...amazing memories

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors...no

35. Seen an Amish community, yes but not as close as I have wanted

36. Taught yourself a new language...I am the BIGGEST GRINGA you will ever meet

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied, yes

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person,no

39. Gone rock climbing, yes at Joshua Tree

40. Seen Michelangelo's David,no

41. Sung karaoke, once again, be glad you missed this one, but I do enjoy it with my daughter

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt, yes

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant, yes, ask my husband about that one

44. Visited Africa, no

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight, yes

46. Been transported in an ambulance,nope

47. Had your portrait painted,no

48. Gone deep sea fishing, yes and puked the whole time, they say that draws the fish in

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person,no

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris,no

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling, yes at Hanauma Bay in Oahu, at Catalina Island, and in Maui

52. Kissed in the rain, yes, its how I knew I loved the man I married

53. Played in the mud, yes

55. Been in a movie, no but my beloved was in Underseige

56. Visited the Great Wall of China,no

57. Started a business, not officially but I do make cakes and I use to run a daycare from our home

58. Taken a martial arts class, no

59. Visited Russia,no

60. Served at a soup kitchen, yes

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies, one of my greatest regrets(and funniest stories)...I sold Girl Scout Cookies fraudulently, I was NOT a GS...my sister and I just wanted to make some money.

62. Gone whale watching, yes it is AMAZING

63. Got flowers for no reason, yes

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp,no

67. Bounced a check, who??? ME???

68. Flown in a helicopter, nope

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy,yes but I wish someone would have saved my Corn on the Cob rider...it was like a car, but it was a cob of corn instead

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial, yes and the all the other great monuments and memorial in the D.C. and Virginia area

71. Eaten caviar, yes, I am not a fan though

72. Pieced a quilt, no but I hope to one day

73. Stood in Times Square, nope, but get back to me in May

74. Toured the Everglades, no

75. Been fired from a job, I don't think so

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London, no, but I have seen the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

77. Broken a bone, yes, my toe

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle, yes, not a good memory for me

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person, we went cross country 7 years ago, and that was one of our stops...breath taking

80. Published a book, I hope to one day, but not yet

81. Visited the Vatican,no

82. Bought a brand new car, never have and never will

83. Walked in Jerusalem, how beautiful that would be, but no

84. Had your picture in the newspaper, yes, we live in a small town, so a couple of times

85. Read the entire Bible, not ever from cover to cover, but yes, each book

86. Visited the White House, yes, but if you ever gave me three wishes, I would love to see the private quarters

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating, yes fish and and a dove

88. Had chicken pox, yes, I broke out the last day of sixth grade and I missed all of our end of the year parties

89. Saved someones life, I was a lifeguard in college, and I did run lead on a possible spinal injury recovery...oh yeah, I also did the Heimlich Maneuver on my niece when she was chocking on a starlite peppermint...that was really scary, but she chucked it across the room and was fine.

90. Sat on a jury, no, been called once, but did not serve

91. Met someone famous, heck I married a movie star, see

92. Joined a book club, I am my own book club

93. Lost a loved one, yes

94. Had a baby, had three via c-section, lost one in miscarriage, and one in a ruptured ectopic

95. Seen the Alamo in person, yes

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake, yes but it was really cold

97. Been involved in a lawsuit, yes but it was from a car accident, nothing too exciting

98. Owned a cell phone, owned one, washed one, lost one, need a new one

99. Been stung by a bee, yes

100. Read an entire book in one day, yes more than one

Blue...Blue...Blue...Come on Blue!!!!

This is the weather that is HOPEFULLY headed our way. The weather channel said last night that we could get 3-5 inches of SNOW but alas, it is 1pm and nothing but cold, wet, and dreary weather.
The schools have closed, which really shouldn't matter since we homeschool, but my friend had surgery this week, and her kids have been staying with us at night while she is in the hospital . And since they are not in school, my kids get a free day off too. Believe they are NOT complaining!
The Beez has been asking, "Mommy, when is the snow coming?" LIKE EVERY 10 MINUTES!!!
Please let it snow....PLEASE!!!!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday...Flashback Christmas 2004

This is all of my siblings, and their spouses and kids, on my Mom and Stepdads side with the exception of my sister Lisa and her family, and my sister Jaimee's husband, Andrew. In case you are wondering, I have 6 sisters and 4 brothers...more on that when it is not WORDLESS Wednesday.



Snake, Big Daddy, Laughing Momma, the Beez and Crack

Mom and Stepdad with 3 of my sisters and two of my brothers.

The grandest of them all...Pops and Grammy

Wacky pose with the g-kids.

Real Giving

This year I have tried to do one thing different for Christmas. Along with spending less and buying fewer gifts for fewer people, I have really tried to buy things that are not just "things". I have tried to find some type of attachment, or some memory that makes this particular gift, really a gift. I have not been able to do it with every gift, I mean what kind of attachment can there be with a Wii game or a baby doll for the kids, but for others, I have tried to pick something out that shows them that I thought of them, or us, when I saw the gift, and that it brought me happiness, and therefore hope it does the same for them.

I also got involved with World Vision for the first time and did some Christmas shopping through their site. you can buy llamas for families in South America, or ducks or cows, or like this video you can buy a well for clean water for families. Check out this site if you would like to do the same.

Merry Christmas Friends

Not Me Monday 12/8/08

Is is Monday already??? Goodness, where did our weekend go??? Here are my official confessions for the week...oh wait, I mean, my official denials for the week.

+++UPDATED at 10:47pm Monday Night+++++++
I had to add one more Not Me since it is so fresh and the evidence is still on my lips...literally.

I DID NOT send the kids to bed and then go into the kitchen and make a batch of chocolate chip cookies just so I could eat the raw dough.

I did not get literally giddy while shopping when I purchased $2195.00 worth of high end clothes from Dillard's for only $225.00...cause that would mean that I only paid 11% of retail...and as good of a bargain shopper as I am...I am NOT THAT GOOD!!!!



I did not run over my sisters FAVORITE stroller...cause that would be ridiculous...surely I would have remembered that I placed the stroller behind the car, so I would not forget it....and having NOT forgotten it, I surely could NOT have backed over it.



I did not sleep till 10:30 on Saturday while my husband got up and not only watched over our boys, but also over their friends who had spent the night...and he made them breakfast. Oh, I did not have the same husband bring me coffee in bed(@ 10:30 am) cause I was surely up and about.



I did not watch iCarly when I was home alone last week...cause it is a kids show...and I am so not into that kind of stuff...truth be told I LOVE iCARLY!!!!



I did not show my kids the "safe" way to be pyro-maniacs last night while we sat around the fire pit...."because ONLY YOU can prevent forest fires"

TIMBER!!!!

Every year we head out to cut down our Christmas at a local tree farm. It never fails, it is either raining or freezing...this time, it had just finished raining and was now in the low 30's. We hopped on the "Sleigh" and headed for the same field we found our tree in last year. The cold egged us on, as did the setting sun, and we had her picked out in no time. Every year I claim to have found an even better tree than last year, and of course this was no exception. My one request was that it be on the skinny side, as not to take up the whole living room like it did a few years back.



This is Big Daddy, Laughing Momma and Beez freezing their booty's off.



This was Beez's first year helping with the cutting...she was really excited...and so strong!!



This is Crack taking a whack at it. He informed me today that all my blog readers would think he is a drug addict with his code name...but I assure you...drug usage is NOT where that comes from.


Snake getting into the action...that other guy is not my kid..I am NOT THAT old yet.

Big Daddy always gets the first and last cut...He is Man...Hunter and Gatherer...Man of steel and all that stuff.


Me and My Girl

Me and Crack

Momma and Snake

Here it is just before its life is forever changed...It'll never be the same after a season in OUR house!!!!

Oh, and just in case you are wondering....this outing marked the millionth time I have tried to get a FAMILY photo...but it was too cold and even I couldn't make everybody suffer through countless automatic timer photos in the hope of a good family shot.

Thanksgiving,Black Friday,and Krispy Kreme

Here is part 2, if you missed part 1 you are so out of the loop, you may never recover. Just kidding, I am the one out of the loop and this is my attempt at catching up. Today's make up topics include Thanksgiving, Black Friday and even our "field trip" to Krispy Kreme.

Every year we head to the Outlaws house down south and spend the Thanksgiving holiday with them. It is not really a HUGE gathering, usually just the Outlaws, my husbands two uncles and their wives, and the 5 of us. BUT, you would NEVER know that by how many things we prepare every Thanksgiving, or the shear quantity that we surround ourselves with on this day every year. Here is the rundown:

Turkey
Spiral Ham
Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Homemade Mac-N-Cheese
Green Bean Casserole #1 with water chestnuts
Green Bean Casserole #2 with artichoke hearts
Corn Salad
Fruit Salad #1 with coconut
Fruit Salad #2 without coconut
Deviled eggs - appetizer
Pinwheels - appetizer
Pickles and Olives and Pimento Cheese on celery
Raspberry Jello Salad
Panseet-uncles wife is Filipino and this is like a rice noodle chow mein....so yummy
Lumpia - same wife, these are like tiny egg rolls, more like a taquito...also super yummy
Rolls and Gravy
Pumpkin Pie #1
Pumpkin Pie #2
Pecan Pie

So, basically we had 13 people and 20 items....that is so INSANE!!!! In our defense, this is the ONLY big meal we make all year. We don't do an Easter meal or a Christmas Feast...we just do Thanksgiving in a HUGE way.

This year we also had a first.

This photo is serving as PROOF that my husband actually helped with the cooking once in 13 years. Of course after this photo op he was back to watching the parade and eating the deviled eggs(his normal activity of choice during the prep)

This photo is NOT a first. My F-I-L (half of the Outlaws) ALWAYS cleans up behind me on Thanksgiving day...I love a man with dishpan hands!!!!



This is Crack and Mamaw(the other half of the Outlaws)


I love this pic solely because it looks like I am shorter than my Man...which I am, but only by an inch...this pic either makes me 5'8" or him 6'4"...I'll take either.


Saturday we trekked to Krispy Kreme, where the boys handed in their report cards(yes, even homeschoolers get report cards) and received a donut for each "A". Beez was not pleased that I left her out of the report card/donut give-a-way...but cut me some slack, she only eats the sprinkles off the donuts, not the donuts themselves(such a travesty, I know) I promised her next time I would have her a report card too.

Husband and the Outlaws...can you tell he loves Krispy Kreme?


Mamaw, Beez, and Pappy


He is his fathers son...the kid LOVES Krispy Kreme.

He is SO NOT JOKING...he claims the fallen glaze is like fries in the bottom of a Micky D's bag...you have to eat them..and so it goes with the glaze. Although I did make him restrain himself enough from actually LICKING the box...instead he licked his finger and dipped it in the pile of yummy goodness.

Last but not least, and really this should be a post in and of itself. We are those crazy people who go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We are the REALLY crazy ones. We were up 2:30am, and were the FIRST in line at Target at 3 am. By opening time (6am) there were 500+ people. We split up and had all of our loot and were checking out at 6:04(me) and 6:07(him). We had everything in the car and were heading back into Target at 6:09 for a potty break when the local TV station stopped us for an interview for their live broadcast. (we had already been interviewed for being the first in line)

After that we headed across the street and made a quick dash into HomeDepot. I grabbed a buggy full of items, and even three 99 cents poinsettias and checked out. While I was doing that, my husband found one more item and got in line himself. Now, while we do set aside cash for Christmas shopping every year, we actually charge everything the day of because the one year we carried cash I was a nervous wreck. It also makes it easier for returns so that way if we buy something and then find it for less somewhere else, it is no problem and doesn't tie up twice the cash.

Anyway, I say all that because when he got to the checkout our credit card was declined, which was shocking beacuse I KNEW we had 4x the amount of what we had budgeted for Christmas free our our credit card, and it was weird since his amount was only $20. I told him not to worry, just use the debit card instead.

Well, 8 hours later, when we got home I was checking email and I received a notice that our card had been frozen due to fraudulent usage. I was worried because my credit has been hacked into before and it is such a headache!!!! But, I called the number and this is what the nice lady told me (after verifying like 100 different things from age, address, 2nd born's birth weight, what I ate last night(see previous list) and so on....and I quote, " Mrs. Laughing Momma, we froze your account because BOTH of the cards assigned to this account were used minutes apart at the same store, and then again just a few minutes later at a different store. Can you verify if you did indeed make these purchases???? They were at Target- 6:04 am and 6:07 am and then HomeDepot at 6:13 and then 6:15" I replied, "Yes, I am happy to say that my waiting in line for three hours paid off, we are guilty of power shopping,(and later dropping) the day after Thanksgiving" Mrs Credit Card closed our conversation with, "Well, Mrs Laughing Momma, I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you(that would be a glare from my husband...you know the kind that turns him into the Incredible Hulk...and a hundred questions on whether or not our last bill had been paid....not so pleasant) and we hope that you continue to enjoy our services...I will flag your account so that next year when the computer tries to falsely accuse you, the card holder of fraud, it will overlook the fact that it is practically impossible to be 4 places almost simultaneously, we will remember that you are Super Woman...just out looking for a good deal."

"Thank you, please see to it, cause I may be Super Woman, but I am no match for the Incredible Hulk"

What we did last night(and this morning) 12/3

We decorated our Christmas tree last night. You would think we could do somethings normal but there is always HIGH drama at our house. It started with one male child, who will remain unnamed, deciding that behavior worthy of a good whooping was the best way to start the evening. We actually had to stop the video camera so that he should get some "wise council" in our room.
Once we did get back to it, I was so excited because I bought some new lights day after Christmas last year and I was excited to see them on the tree. I should stop here and say that my Mom was kind of a Christmas Nazi when it came to decorating our tree when I was little. Every year the tree had a theme, usually based on a common color theme....Red and White, Blue and Silver, Purple and Gold. So we never were able to just go hog wild...until she finally wised up and got us a tree for our room that we could decorate with anything we wanted(except that years themed items) In the end, I was not warped or anything, and actually I really love symmetrically decorated trees. Even ones that are multicolored but maybe only have glass balls, or stars, or Santas, or Crosses.
If I was brutally honest I would have to say that I would love to have a tree like my Mom use to do, but my husband is a purist when it comes to decorating and that means ANYTHING goes.
For years, my only say so was that we had white lights. I lost that battle when the boys got older and decided that they wanted multi-colored lights(one of my least faves) and so the past 3 or 4 years, rainbow lights have adorned our tree.....But last year I found solid red lights and solid blue lights for like a buck a box. I was so excited to have unity at least in the light department. SO there I am, ready to do the lights...when I open the boxes and find that the cords are WHITE!!!! Hello, my tree is green!!!! How in the world am I going to cope with WHITE electrical cording all strewn through my already cosmically created explosion of every color and type of ornament known to man??????
The answer...colored lights again this year. I knew the white cording would bug me in an OCD neurotic way from now till tear down day and I couldn't do it...even for red lights.

Now for my pictorial review of the night. Every year the Outlaws buy the grand kids Hallmark ornaments. They usually buy something that represents what each kid is loving or into that year. Well last year was the best year ever because Hallmark did ornaments from DC Comics. You all know that we are secretly a family of Super Heroes right? Especially Beez...She loves Wonder Woman. Now, while the rest of the DC crew had really cool figurines-each hero in a really cool pose- I guess the best they could come up with for WW was her clothes.
Yep, in case you were wondering if you missed the rapture, here is proof. Hallmark designed the WW ornament to be a testament to her outfit and nothing else.


Don't ask me why, but I guess since we got married the week before Christmas 13 years ago, somehow we thought that a laminated copy of the newspaper announcement should be stored with the Christmas decorations...that makes sense right? So here it is...don't laugh.


Halfway through the kids decided we needed some comedy relief...so they posed a few times...They are total nut cases when it comes to Christmas...that is SO not my side of the family!!!!


Lastly, I have been itchen' to get my sewing machine out and I finally did this morning. I whipped this up in about 2 hours, half of that was spent ironing the the seams and basting the initial on....isn't it adorable?????

If you are on my Christmas list...you might be getting one of your very own if I can find time between now and then.

I was super pleased...I didn't use a pattern. I am kind of pattern illiterate sometimes...all the sewing jargon throws me, so when possible I just wing it.

Cakes and Closets

Every year, just before Christmas, I do a thorough closet cleaning. This year was no exception, and Snake's room was the one I really had my eye on. The kid is growing so fast I can hardly keep him in clothes(hint to a OK friend...need more 12's and 14's?) Anyway, I tortured him and required him to try on EVERY pair of pants...which of course is pure misery for an 10 year old. I finally wittled the massive pile down to just what was needed and even made him give up all but four pairs of shorts for the winter.
The best part about the whole closet and clothes ordeal was that the following weekend, my husband was volunteering at a local ministry and as he was leaving someone was unloading a BEAUTIFUL maple dresser with matching mirror that the manager said he could buy for $60 bucks!!!!....did I mention that Jake is the only one without a dresser???? He has had a 3 drawer Rubbermaid on wheels in his closet for underclothes and jammies but everything else was either hung up or on shelves in his closet.
It was perfect timing since everything was cleaned out and gone through...I couldn't be happier to say that all the closets are cleaned out and toys gone through...that is always such a huge undertaking and to have a checked off my pre-Christmas list is a weight off my shoulders.

Now to cakes. I make cakes as a hobby. It is very relaxing for me and I love the creative part of it. This month I had a bunch of cakes to make and even had a Wilton character cake in the mix...which I have not done in years. In addition to the following cakes I also made two cakes and 4 plates of gourmet jumbo cup cakes for a cake auction that our church has every year. My Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake went for $75 bucks and a Red Velvet Crumb Cake similar to the one below went for $65. Each plate of (4) gourmet cupcakes went for between $20 and $35. I was super excited...mine didn't catch the highest bid(that was $120 for a cheesecake) but they were highly sought after which made my day.

Red Velvet 4 layer Crumb Cake....it was suppose to have five layers but in the middle of making-baking-frosting 5 different items...I misplaced one of the layers...I found it after I had frosted the stupid thing!!!!

My Niece, the Beast turned 2, and we celebrated with a Wilton Dora Cake. The recipe called for a different color for her skin, but it was super orange....so I altered it and ended up with a Caucasian version of Dora...I was cracking up...totally not a politically correct thing to do..but it was so funny to me after a late night and cramping hands from icing the darn thing.

Well, that was not so bad. I knocked two off of my list...more later.