Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Okay--these will be the last pictures I post of the snow. It is just so exciting to see it around here. The last time I can remember accumulation like this was more than 20 years ago!!!! The kids had a ball last night. Then when we woke up this morning we went outside to play some more. Sadly, I couldn't help them build a snowman. Perhaps it is because I am clueless. I had seen people roll a snowball around until it gets bigger and bigger. The problem was, that the snow was so powdery that it would NOT stick together!! Oh well, the kids still had a BLAST!!!! The coolest part of all is that last night I had to go to the grocery store. It was so beautiful to drive around and see the houses decorated for Christmas with the yards blanketed in snow. It is beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!!!!!

I won a Blog giveaway!!!!!!

My sweet niece (really a friend) Connie Swinney had a giveaway--and I WON!! Visit her link on my sidebar (The Swinney Family) to check out her blog. It is great!! Here is a picture of the sign I won!!!!!!! Would you believe that I won for having the cleanest sink?? You have to read her blog to get all of the details!!

LOOK WHAT CAME TO OUR HOUSE

We were just minding our own business on Monday and the doorbell rang. When we went to answer it, there was no one there. Jake noticed that there was an envelope on the ground. We picked it up and this is what we found. It is an elf--sent by Santa to watch and see how good Jake and Jenna are. He watches them during the day and flies back to report to Santa at night. The kids named him Puddles. They are excited to wake up each morning and see where he decided to sit when he returned from the North Pole!! Would you believe that the first morning they woke up to find that Puddles had chosen the exact same spot as the day before?? Tricky Puddles--I know!!

Not everything is bigger in Texas!!

I know the saying goes that everything is bigger in Texas. Well, not our poor little snowman.

I don't know if you can see it, but this is my arm and the snowflakes are big enough you can see them in 3D and their individual shapes!!




Jake and Jenna could hardly stand it--they were SO excited!!! Here are some pics of them!! This really makes me ready for Christmas!!!!!!

Christmas Parade

Here are the kids watching our Christmas parade. They collected much candy and really had a good time. Jake nearly wet on himself when the firetrucks came with their sirens blazing!!!

Fun with Friends

We got together at some friends house after Thanksgiving. The kids had a ball. We had a campfire, made s'mores, cooked out, and played! The kids even got to pretend to drive a REAL tractor! It is always fun to be with friends and watch the kids play.

Making S'mores!! Jenna wasn't too sure about being that close to the fire. Jake-on the other hand--had no fear and we had to make sure he didn't get too close!!

Eating the S'mores was GREAT!! Jake couldn't get enough! Jenna started out eating the whole thing. Then she asked if she could take off the marshmallow. Then she decided that she didn't want the graham cracker. By the end of the night she was asking for plain chocolate!




Needless to say--by the end of the night, they were exhausted!!!

I am not lost!!

Ok--I have some posts to post, but my camera battery is charging so I can download )or upload (who knows) the pictures. I will post soon. We had a package delivered to our door yesterday from the North Pole!! I am sure you are very anxious to see what it was, so stay tuned and I will post pics as soon as I can.

My friend Sara Newton had these questions on her blog. I answered them, how 'bout you?


1. What's your favorite Christmas carol?
Silent Night
2. Is your tree up AND decorated?
Well of course!!
3. Is all of your shopping/creating gifts done?
Almost! Just lack my husband, my mom and my in-laws!!
4. What is your most treasured family tradition?
Birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Day!! And watching It's a Wondeful Life with Jason!!
5. Will you go to a candle light service during this season or Pathway of Light?
I will be going to Pathway of Light and attending Christmas Eve Service!

Deer Slayer!

Please note--this post is NOT for anyone who is opposed to deer hunting. For everyone else, you should know that I finally got a deer! I shot this 10 point on Saturday, November 22. He has 2 broken tines so you can only see 8! I am SO pumped! The head and horns are already at the taxidermist!! We do eat venison for those who are wondering. This year we will be processing our own meat!! How about that for living off the land!! Anyway--if you are interested in statistics he was 17 3/4 inches inside. I am proud--it is the biggest one I have shot so far.






As you can see--it is a family affair. The kids were very excited and Jason was proud. Yes--I did kill this deer all by myself. I called Jason after I shot him and he brought the kids out. Several people have a hard time believing that I hunt by myself, but--'tis true!!

I Want a....

Isn't this the cutest thing? We went to visit Santa today. The kids were SO excited!! (I would definitely recommend going to The Woodlands!) Jake isn't real sure what he wants. He was just excited to see Santa! Jenna on the other hand, well that is a different story altogether--a very sweet story I might add. A few months ago, her friend Emma got an American Girl doll! I was in love and immediately wanted Jenna to have one. She however was not ready at the time. She liked it a little, but then was on to something else to play with. Well just last week, we were back at Emma's house to play and my oh my how things have changed. Jenna was beside herself--brushing the doll's hair (with a special brush), changing her clothes, picking a name. It was precious. Then--Julie brings out the American Girl catalog and Jenna is absolutely mesmerized. She spent the rest of the day looking through it and telling me which ones she liked and what outfits they could wear and the earrings that would match and on and on! Then she announced that she wants Santa to bring her one. That night she went to bed with the catalog on the table beside her bed. I told her she could look at it some more first thing in the morning. When she woke up, she came into my room. Instead of hearing her sweet voice say "Mama can I eat breakfast" she said "Mama--I dreamed of a name for my American Girl doll--Emily Elizabeth". It made my heart leap to see her so excited about it. She has literally talked about it non-stop since then. She even tells cashiers at the store (whether they ask or not) that she wants Santa to bring her an American Girl doll. I have said all of this to explain the picture of Jenna and Santa looking at the book. The oh-so-clever photographers saw a photo-op and took advantage of me (and my pocketbook). Jenna insisted today when I told her we were going to see Santa that she needed to take her catalog so she could show him EXACTLY which one she wants. When we got there she literally ran over and jumped in his lap and began flipping through the book. I had tears in my eyes and my heart was so full of love as I watched her innocent, child-like excitement as she explained it all to Santa! That is when they snapped the pic. They knew I couldn't say no!! My original intention was to have both kids sit in Santa's lap and have their picture made--hence the other picture. I just HAD to have them both!! I guess you will have to stay tuned to see if Santa brings Jenna the doll, and if so, what she decides to name her. She also likes the names Natalie and Samantha. This is big business you know!!

Happy Birthday Jake!!

It is so hard to believe that Jake is 3!!! It seems like only yesterday we were bringing him home as a newborn! He really is getting big--and is very smart (I know I am biased, but really, he IS very smart! He really had fun at his party!! It was a camo theme, so we all wore camo and had camo decorations. This worked perfectly since it was opening day of deer season too!

I made him chocolate cupcakes with camo icing. He could hardly wait to blow out his candles!!! He insisted on singing Happy Birthday, even though Jenna desperately tried to explain that you don't sing when it is your birthday.

What would a party be without a pinata, right?? He picked out an army man wearing Camo. It took several tries and finally it fell and candy was everywhere!! They each had their loot bags and worked hard to gather it!!!



He loved opening his presents! I think this was the first year he really understood. Of course each time he would open one he would start to play with it and really not be interested in opening any more presents--until he opened the next one and it started over again!! We love you Jake and are so proud of you!!

Trick or Treat

Have you ever seen such a cute kitty cat or such a handsome fire fighter??

Bringing in the plants AND.....

Okay, so the wonderful weather forecasters in our area called for it to freeze Monday night. I decided to bring in my plants, just in case. They have now been inside for 2 nights and I have also left them in during the day. I placed them in front of my living room window so they could have some sun. As I was walking through the living room a few minutes ago, I happened to notice a visitor on my blinds in the window!! PANIC!!! Yes--you read it right, ON my blinds! Needless to say--I had to be BRAVE and capture it. My daughter was there and told me to get a cup. She even brought me a bucket, but no--I had to catch it with my hands. I just knew I could do it!! And I did!! Now, for those of you that know me, I knew you would never believe this, so I had Jenna take some pics!!



I know I look scary, but the important thing is--I CAUGHT THIS LIZARD WITH MY BARE HANDS!!!

Jenna's New Table

I know it has been a while since I posted, but things have been crazy. Here are some before and after pictures!


BEFORE

AFTER

Let me know what you think!!

LOOK AT MY GARAGE SALE FIND!!!!

I decided to go Garage Saling this morning. After the first stop I was somewhat disappointed. At the next one I was just about to leave when I literally stumbled over this trunk. Granted--it is definitely in need of some major TLC, but I am so excited. The best part is----it was only.....are you ready?????? $10 YEAAAAAA!!!
Now--the hard part for me will be knowing what to do to fix this little guy up. I will figure it out and add it to my already long list of existing projects!!

SURPRISE LACY!!

Tonight was a BLAST! We planned a little surprise party for Lacy. (Her real birthday is Saturday, but this was the best night for us to really surprise her!!) Not to mention that we took her lunch at school today (Perky Pimento & Pecan Cobbler) and I think that really threw her off. By the way--Hillary is very sly and quick on her feet. Lacy nearly busted us trying to get the gift ready and Hillary came up with a very believable story and never missed a beat or cracked a smile!! (Scary I know!! :)) We have been emailing all week to set this up. Thank you Kris for helping us pull it off!! Julie called Lacy and told her she needed her to come over and help her paint something.

Here we are hiding in Julie's kitchen when Lacy came to the door. Isn't that hilarious?!


The food was delicious!! Here is the famous Cornbread Salad!

And then, the Catalina Salad with Fritos!! Mmmmmmm!!!





And of course we had chips and dip!! How cute it the Dress Me Up plate in the corner!?! As is the case any time we get together, there was PLENTY of food!! We also had delicious dessert. Pumpkin Dump Cake and Turtle Brownies!!



Even though the food was GREAT, the best part was giving her a gift. She got a Gift Card to Hobby Lobby so she can have fun picking out things to continue her makeover on her house. It was really a great time for a PRECIOUS friend!! We love you Lacy and we hope you had a wonderful time and that you enjoy your birthday weekend!!

Help Wanted

Ok--so here are some pics of the latest projects I have started. As you already know if you know me--the only taste I have is in my mouth. I don't know what to do with these next. The suitcase I bought at a garage sale. I was originally wanting to use it in Jenna's room for her dress up clothes, but I want it to be cute so it can stay out and be decorative and functional. The round thing is a planter that was from a plant given to my mom when I was born. I want to put it in my living room, by my front door, but don't know how to jazz it up. I thought about taking the legs off, or just painting it and adding fringe or ribbon or something--I just don't know. The last one is a table. I had painted them white to go in Jenna's room, but now she has new bedding. Her room is pink and brown (toile bedding). I have painted the table pink, but don't know what to do next. PLEASE give me ideas!!!! Stay tuned to see how they turn out whenever I decide what to to with them.

Step 2--still not complete

Here is the next step in the bathroom makeover. I am taking it gradually because we will be getting new flooring and ceiling (thank you Ike) and I don't want to do too much before the workers get here and make a mess!! I realized that I have some touch up to do around the hinges (where you can see white). I have decided I am going to paint the hinges black like the handles. I will also be painting my trim in the same brown. You can see to the far left of the picture that I haven't done trim yet. Please stay tuned because I have started other projects and I need input as to what I can do with them. I will post the pics and let you all offer suggestions.

New Project

I know it has been a while since I posted last. I have been a busy bee. I have decided it is finally time to start the kids' bathroom makeover. Due to damage from the hurricane, we will be getting new floor and ceiling. I figure this will be the perfect time to paint and get the makeover complete. Here is a picture of the bathroom cabinets before the paint. I will keep you posted with the progress.

Guess Who??

Does anyone recognize these girls?

SURPRISE!!!

We decided to have a surprise birthday party for Leslie's 35th. The cool part was that she had NO idea. She thought she had organized everything so we would all meet at the local Mexican food restaurant. Instead, we had all gathered at my house (except for Lacy because she was taking Sada to her "Walk"--thanks Lacy!!). Nina tricked her into thinking that she was just dropping something off at my house! Even Leslie's sister, Shelly was in on it! We had Taco Salad with all the fixins and my personal favorite--DESSERT!! Thank you to everyone who helped get it put together. We love you Leslie--HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

All Tuckered Out

Have you ever seen anything so cute? They played hard all day and then we went to Church tonight. Needless to say, they were ready for bed. I must admit that I am addicted to blogging now that I have joined the blogging world, but tonight I am off to bed! Night Night Sleep Tight--Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!!!

My Husband is The BEST!!

Well, Jason has been working out of town. I wasn't expecting him home until late Friday evening. At about noon, my doorbell rang. I was wondering who in the world it could be. When I opened the door, there he stood with a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of flowers. He said he just wanted to brighten my day!! Isn't he wonderful??