It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas

This morning started with a trip to the Legacy Springs clubhouse, which is like 7 houses away from my front door.  The neighborhood was doing a Toy's for Tots Drive and Santa was coming to visit.  I was taking pictures of everyone with Santa, which was a lot of fun.  The boys came up and saw Santa and Mrs. Claus. Danny hung out with me to help me out, which was super awesome.  I love it when my boys help out.

I headed home after we were done and Santa was headed back to the North Pole.  I walked in the door and got to work cooking for the Christmas party.

This is my favorite party of the year and it is simply because there is no stress, it is just fun for everyone.  Next year I am going to be even  more ready.  I already have some ideas.

I was making Taquitos, Coctail Wienies in BBQ sauce, mini corn dogs, and other quick and easy finger foods.  I also made some cookies and fudge.  The elves made some super cute snowmen faces and left the boys the ingredients that they needed to make more.  They were super cute, easy, and yummy.  Definitely three of my favorite things.

The party was a lot of fun, it was great to get together with friends and family and just have a good time.  I am considering making it an ungly sweater party next year, but we will have to see.  I am going to be asking for opinions on Facebook at some point.  I did not take near the pictures that I wanted to, in fact I did not really take any which pretty much was not what I had in mind, but it was nice just talking to everyone and making the rounds.  To those who did not make it you were all definitely missed, maybe next year you can make it.

Making Memories

Danny and Chandler went to bed somewhere around 4 this morning.  They were determined to stay up and they did it.  They were up by 6:00 and so was John Michael. I slept till about 7:00, thank you Brandon.  He took them to Jack's for breakfast and they felt special, I am so glad that he was willing to take them.

The boys played all day.  They rode bikes all around the neighborhood.  Played on the playground, played football, went fishing.  Our neighbors were having a yardsale so they went down there to check out their treasures.  Danny got John Michael a teddy bear, he was so proud.  Chandler also got a little stuffed animal for Emma and Cole.  Those boys are so sweet, and such good big brothers.

Chandler was going to spend the night again, but when it was time for showers he was ready to go home.  I really think that they were exhausted.  I hated to call Chastity, but considering Chandler fell asleep in the car in the driveway I knew that it was a good thing. 

The boxes are adding up

As we continue to pack Christmas stuff up I am realizing I might have to make a trip to WalMart for a few more rubbermaid boxes. Now, the thing is Christmas is my favorite holiday and I tend to get more decorations for Christmas as I collect snowmen, and then after Christmas I tend to get a few more things when they are on sale. I have yet to venture to Walmart and I am not looking forward to going this week, but they do have the best prices on the boxes.

I would rather stick a fork in the top of my hand repeatedly then go to Walmart. I am not a fan on many level and would seriously rather go anywhere, but I also have to watch my wallet. I do not know why as it is always empty. I have learned how to save more at other stores for just about everything, so if there is anyone out there with a way to save on the rubbermaid storage boxes let me know.

Well, back to the chore of taking down the Christmas decorations. The living room is completely back to normal, well except there are still Christmas gifts everywhere but the boys and I will tackle that tomorrow while Brandon is at work. The kitchen and dining room are almost there. The hallway is there. Our room and the bathrooms are there, and the boys rooms are almost there. Basically what is left is the downstairs and the outside.

The outside could not be done, because Chevy Chase...aka Brandon, wants to take a picture from the roof so that later this year when he goes to lay it all out he knows where it goes. Well, there was still a layer of ice on the roof and since a real Chevy Chase moment is not a positive thing, especially since we don't have stuntmen!

So the second picture is Brandon with a Pepsi he had gotten out of the refrigerator downstairs, well he did not know it was almost frozen solid and it went everywhere when he opened it. Before I could help I had to grab my camera!

I was so glad to have the sun and the warmer temperatures, even though they are not quite as warm as I would prefer. Of course the tropics would be ideal for me. Now to get the three men on board. John Michael would be easy he asks to go to the beach daily! I love it now if I could get to a place to tell him yes.

So I am off to bed. Brandon has a full work week, his first since 2010, and the boys yet again have a shortened school week, but we have plenty to do. It will be a great week and I will continue taking the pictures! As always I continue to pray for my family and friends. If any of you find yourselves bored this week give me a call and you can help me out!

The Baking of the Kings Cake

January 5, 2011

Well it is the 11th night of Christmas and this year I wanted to stick to some old traditions and create new ones for our family. This way the plan...bake a kings cake for us to have tomorrow on the 12th day of Cristmas, buy a King's cake for Danny's class to have tomorrow. This is how that all went down. I could not find the baby for the cake anywhere!!! I guess that is what happens when people contribut King's Cake to Fat Tuesdays in Birmingham. While this is also a tradition the reason it is a king's cake is it is in celebration of the three Kings arriving to Baby Jesus. So I did some research and found that you can use a coin in place of the baby. This was doable, thankfully I have several half dollars. So I start going to and calling bakeries and they do not make the cakes until closer to Mardi Gras...again that starts tomorrow, but they sell them for Fat Tuesday. So I decided I would just have to make the one for Danny's class. The one for here...I did it first in case it was a disaster basically fell apart after I baked it, so it is no longer a ring, but it smells great we will see how it tastes in the morning (that will be breakfast). So with the one for the class I baked it like a regular cake, not a round braid. It too smells good and hopefully the second graders at SFX will think it tastes good. Danny helped with the sugar and there might be a few too many, but it is pretty enough for a second ever Kings cake. I will be looking and researching for a year so that next year I am ready. Now to write a note explaining all of this to his teacher...including the coin instead of the baby. I am glad that new traditions for our home were started and as crazy as it was it truly was a lot of fun, as most family activities are.

As I head to bed tonight (if John Michael EVER goes to sleep) I pray for all of my friends and my family. I thank God for the amazing people that He has put in my life! So many times we are stuck with what is normal and do not try new traditions as we worry what others will think, but seriously if you are okay with it go for it. Traditions can be so much fun!

Twas the Last Day of Christmas Vacation

January 3, 2011.

Twas the last day of Christmas vacation and we were determined to make it special. All through the house little projects were happening. The school bags were ready and sitting by the door in the hopes that the alarm clocks would be heard in the morning. The children are restless refusing to go to bed not understanding that the mornings are not something I want to dread. While Brandon and I are ready to sleep but not yet because of the pitter patter of all the little feet.

In all seriousness today was a lot of fun. Brandon and the boys put together John Michael's soccer/hockey goal that he got from Meme, Pop, and Aunt B. The boys had a blast playing outside, well we all did, but I have to admit I enjoyed taking pictures more than anything.

We had a few errands to run, which is just normal. I did find some great buys on a few more gifts for Christmas. I am determined to be ready for December! Yes, I know it is 11 months away, but I also know how quickly it will get here! This makes it so I am not ready for shock and awe when it does. Brandon also got us a new shower curtain rod, which is sort of exciting! Gift cards and sales make shopping a lot of fun! I also got a new calendar just for the business and for that I am super excited and thankful. I love using my iPhone, but I also like to have it written down too! Now to fill it up with photoshoots and just fun!

I loved spending these last 2 weeks with my boys. We enjoyed each other every day and did not take the time for granted. We played, we went to Auburn, we just had a good time. Tomorrow it is back to the everyday schedule, of work and school, but we will enjoy it. We will make time for each other no matter what the situation. There are 24 hours in every day and I play to make sure that they are all used to the fullest.

As I say good night and get ready to tuck in the boys (I hope). I say a special prayer for my dear friend whose husband she said goodbye to today as he gets ready to leave for Afganistan. Her husband, herself, and their son are three of the true American Heros.

Christmas Ends on Sweet 16 Note

January 2, 2011

What a day! Is it possible that Christmas is over. The epiphany was celebrated at Mass, a little earlie than normal, but still a very special day. The 6th is just a few days away and the boys will be back in school by then and Brandon back at work. It is amazing how everything goes from holiday celebrations to the normal hustle and bustle. I plan to keep the treasure in each day! It is the present, and that means it is a gift.

My sweet sister in law is sixteen and we celebrated her Sweet 16 today with family and friends. It was a surprise and I think she was surprised to see everyone. However a few of the cars might have given it away. Oh well, she enjoyed herself and all of her gifts, and most of all I think she was thankful for the people being there who love her. Tomorrow she goes for her license and we will be praying for a pass. So be careful on the roads...just kidding, she is a good driver.

We followed he party with our Christmas party. It was great to see our family. Brandon's brothers live in GA and FL so it takes some skill for everyone to be together, but when we are it is always special. While gifts were exchanged so of course the kids were excited, the greatest gift was all being together to celebrate.

It is amazing how easy it is to take for granted getting together for dinner, or lunch, or any occassion, but so easily it goes from being with people almost daily to catching up only at weddings and funerals. This is something I do not want to see happen with our family, they truly are a blessing.

There is a family picture that captures us all, I have not edited any of these so you will see people looking away from camera, eyes closed, etc. I am sure. The thing is this is family, not determined by DNA, but by love! Love is truly the most amazing gift that God gave to us.

We came home and enjoyed a few minutes of lego fun with the boys for a few minutes before getting ready for bed.

While tonight comes to a close and we get ready to say our prayers, they will continue to be for my friends and my family, and most importantly that everyone remembers family should be treasured!

Counting the Blessings

Hard to believe that 2010 is over. Here is to looking forward!

We have all been told that life is short, that we should live for the day, etc. While many of us might agree we often take the words for granted. I have decided that this year that will not be the case and I intend to not only be thankful each day for the blessing that I have been given, but I will also photograph these moments each day! At the end of the year I will be able to create an amazing keepsake with just a few pictures from each day that tell such amazing stories.

With the blog I hope to show people that each day truly is a blessing and should be enjoyed.

Family time can be done doing anything as long as you do it together. Today we put Danny's Aquasaurs kit together and are looking forward to watching these little guys grow (hopefully). We also played some bedroom basketball with John Michael. The priceless moment for me was Danny asking to play with my phone and John Michael curling up with him! It was the sweetest moment and one that is not seen too often with a seven year old ad a four year old. It truly melted my heart and was the perfect end to January 1, 2011.

Until tomorrow, goodnigt!

No matter how simple or how major the time is remember it is precious and should be enjoyed.