Welcoming 2009!

Happy New Year everyone - We are blogging from Granbury. We have had a great day already and the fun has just begun. We started with a yummy burger from Fudruckers (love those crunchy fried pickles dipped in ranch!) Then we watched Cutter spend his Christmas money at Bass Pro Shop. He had 52.00 and his total was 51.04. He had to upgrade to a larger tackle box for all of his fishing paraphernalia.

We wish all of our friends and family a wonderful happy 2009.

Here is the picture I took to put on my New Year card that I was going to send out. I have reconsidered since I will be busy over the next week getting ready for a very special baby shower.

Blessing to all and a Happy New Year!!!!!

A baby changes everything...

Just taking a few minutes to remember our most gracious reason for celebrating.

Christmas Wishes to Our Troops!

Tomorrow I know I will be so busy that I may not take the time to remember those who can not be with their families this Christmas. I can't even begin to imagine what that must feel like. My thoughts and prayers go out to each and everyone of them. This is my little brother's first Christmas away from home and while it will be sad, I take comfort in knowing that he is safe and warm and just a phone call away.

This is my favorite version of this song - I love that Michael Buble doesn't over sing the words and you can truly hear the meaning behind the verses.

(I found the video on YouTube - it is not my original work)

Someone is a year older today!

My Mother in Law, Jan, is celebrating a birthday today. We actually celebrated last night at their house with homemade chili and tamales. It was great fun. We all wish her a blessed and happy year.

Crazy Eights: Tag Game

I was tagged by Chey-Anne over at the Smarty Pants blog.
Eight T.V. shows I like to watch:
1. Medium
2. Ghost Whisperer
3. Life on Mars
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. Brothers and Sisters
6. Desperate Housewives
7. Man vs. Food
8. The Mentalist
Eight favorite Restaurants:
1. Outback Steak House
2. Vince's Pizza (my new obsession)
3. Green Chili Willies
4. Panera Bread
5. Thai Kitchen (once a week please!)
6. Harvest Bread Company
7. Chick Fila
8. Der weinerschnitzel
Eight things I did this weekend: (including Friday)
1. carpooled (with Chance-it took 2 vehicles) 14 girls to eat lunch at Thai Kitchen after school on Friday
2. had a date night with Chance on Friday (thanks Jill) ate at Vince's Pizza and saw Four Christmases...I heart Vince Vaughn
3. Shopped at Aeropostale....again
4. took Cutter to a birthday party
5. attended birthday party for my MIL, Jan
6. made Oreo Truffles...these were interesting
7. rented Prom Night - what was I thinking
8. watched above scary movie with Chance (have any of you seen the Strangers....take my advice and don't - super scary)
Eight things I look forward to:
1. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - I shop early...I am ready to see some of these gifts opened!
2. Chance being off for 2 straight weeks
3. seeing lots of movies - I am so glad I have a husband that takes me to the movies.
4. being with my family for the holidays
5. holding my new nephew in 2009....can't wait for this
6. taking the kids to Vince's Pizza - they haven't had it fresh yet!
7. reading more of the chapter book I am reading with Cutter
8. the new Harry Potter movie - July 2009
Eight things on my wish list:
1. to someday learn Photo Shop
2. learn to keep my mail and bills organized
3. be a better long distance friend - my friend Brandi is so great at this!
4. planting trees in our yard
5. visiting my brother in New York and taking the girls to see Wicked on Broadway (this is a long term goal LOL!)
6. to remember to try more recipes...the cooking rut stinks!
7. building our shop/barn - delayed to pay off bills
8. a happy and healthy 2009 for all my friends and family

I tag:
Jana R
Lacy
Jessica
Shannon
and anyone else who wants to play...

my word - this is super long LOL!

Happy Birthday Blaine!

Cutter helped Blaine celebrate his birthday at Bear Mill today. He had so much fun. He made a cute tiger named Charlie Brown....please do not attempt to only call him Charlie - it isn't tolerated! I don't have a picture of the birthday boy - you'll have to check out his mom's blog for that. He moved like a whirlwind and the only pics I have of him were blurry. LOL

I loved the top picture of Brooke and Cutter. They are just a few months apart in age.

The Original Cookie Lady!

I just realized that I have been sharing my cookie recipe left and right and did not even give the credit to my Mom's best friend, Marilyn, for giving us the recipe years ago. Before we got our hands on this "treasure", we used the sugar cookie mix that came in the box...poor tragically thin little things that they were. Mom mentioned something the other day about Marilyn reading my blog and just today I realized my lapse in blog manners for not crediting her with the recipe.

THANK YOU so much Marilyn for being a sweet treasured friend to Mom and our family.

The picture is from my baby shower (pregnant with Chesley so 14 years ago....no comments about my poofy Reba hair...please!) Marilyn is the one in the white blouse. Hard to believe that it has been so many years since Marilyn has given a shower for one of my family members - and yet she is working on one as we speak. The cute little blondie in the picture is my sister and is having her first baby in February.

P.S. Chance just made Santa's naughty list with the remark "You sure were a big one" when seeing this picture. He must be in the mood for a "doghouse" Christmas!

Nominated for an Emmy!!!!!

The title is a serious joke! I know that my kids are going to kill me for uploading this...it is pretty bad. However, I think the information is worth getting even if the delivery reeks!

I decorate my cookies using little candy making bottles. They save tons of time and give you a pretty professional looking cookie. The consistency is important. It can't be too thick or too thin. Oh! and those sprinkles in the video are my all time faves. They remind me of little Christmas lights. Oh, and listen to the FAKE admiration you hear in my daughter's voice at the end of the video. LOL - I hope I don't regret this post! My cookie and icing recipes have already been posted...October I think.

Stop the Germs

I woke up at 5:15 this morning to start checking the sub boards. I wasn't able to get anything yesterday - it appears that teachers try not to take off the week before Christmas break!(which is great - as long as you aren't a substitute) So, I was determined to catch the elusive absence today.

Hit refresh....drink of coffee...hit refresh....drink of coffee.

I did this for almost an hour before getting Cutter up for school. His appearance this morning stopped my sub search cold in it's tracks. PINK EYE! I guess I'll be cleaning house today after all. Blech!@***@!!!

Lulu's Gum

Doesn't fair well in the washing machine when left in little boy's pockets!

(My grandmother, Nanny Lou, is always sneaking gum to my kids from a big tub that she keeps at her house - this isn't the first time I have had to extract a big wad from the inside of a pocket.)

Metal Free Teeth!

Chesley got her braces off on Monday - Yipppeeeee!!!! Her teeth look so great. She says they feel amazing and a boy at school told her that she has Barbie teeth - she was so flattered. If only we had Barbie's overflowing bank account to fund the 5000 (2000 was covered by insurance) smackers those pearly whites cost. We are not sad to see that monthly payment go away...oh yeah - it's almost time to start on child number 2. Is it wrong to pray for at least one of my kids to have permanent teeth that grow in straight.

The picture has a slight glare on her teeth because she now has to wear clear retainers for the next several years!

He's Leavin' with a U-Haul!

My brother, Jeremy, leaves tomorrow for a new job in the city that never sleeps - the one and the only New York City. It seems so scary to have someone you care about so far away. I know that he will embrace the adventure with bravery,determination and a smile on his face.

In the words of Edward Cullen (Twilight)

- Be Safe

Memory Pieces

Generations from the past were so much better about being sentimental about small insignificant (but oh so important) things - such as the old beat up cake pan that their great grandmother always made their favorite cake in, the special crocheted afghan that always sat over the back of the recliner, or the Christmas decoration that was always front and center on the fireplace mantle. The later generations just seem to be less sentimental about the stuff that is passed down to them. My husband was very excited to receive a small dutch oven from his Nano when she moved to an assisted living center. You could see the memories twinkle in his eyes when he talked about the hundreds of pieces of chicken that had been lovingly fried in that small pan two or three pieces at a time - until a huge platter was filled to overflowing.

My mom in recent years has been collecting some neat pieces to pass down to her kids and grand kids. It made me think about what my own children would remember me using in the kitchen or around our house. What "memory piece" would they hope to have someday. I failed to come up with much, so I made it a mission of mine to collect at least a few of these sentimental treasures. My first piece I added this past Mothers Day. We are always making pancakes! It is one of our favorite breakfasts to have together and with friends. I found this Pancake Keeper in an antique store. It comes out every time we make pancakes and keeps them nice and warm. I love it and am so happy that the kids bought it for me for Mother's Day. It was the perfect gift.

I recently received a few memory pieces from my Grandmother and Grandaddy Roark's house. My favorite is the special Snowman Punchbowl that served the spiked Christmas punch every Christmas Eve. She still had things that she used all of the time that she had received as wedding gifts over fifty years ago. They truly valued the things they were given - we should all make more effort to do the same. Do you have special memory pieces? Be sure to post in the comments and share your special memories.

Bunk Beds

I forgot to post picks of Cutter's bunk beds in all of the "Cambry Room Makeover" frenzy. After several years of being apart, the matching twin beds were reunited in Cutter's cabin room. I missed them. I had vivid flashbacks of being nine months pregnant and making that top bunk...it was not pretty! It really is kind of cool when you think that you've just added another bed without taking up an inch of floor space. We can't afford to take up and inch in our crowded....I mean COZY little house. LOL!

We still have to paint his walls eventually. Also, take note of Billy the Big Mouth Singing Bass on the night stand. It's one of his most "prized" possessions.

Nothing Better than a Handwritten Note

They say that letter writing and personal notes are a dying art - but not with one small part of the population. My kindergartner has become an author of such little sentiments. I left the house to take the girls to the movie and when I returned Chance showed me the note Cutter had written. He wrote it 100% by himself. We did not even know that he could attempt such a thing.

The first note has to do with his latest obsession with paper airplanes. Chance promptly did just what the letter asked!

I made such a big deal about the letter that I received two of my own. Don't you just love these unexpected little treasures! Now, I think we have a huge pile of notes and I saw that each of the girls have an "I Love You" note waiting for them on their beds when they return from the movies.

Dad will you make me a paper plane

I love you Mom

Mom Do You Love Me?

A Winter Craft

I made this cute little snowman last year! I got the idea off of a blog called FlipFlopMama. I'll have to add her blog to my sidebar so that she can get the credit she deserves. It was super easy to do. You just paint on a snowman with cheap acrylic paints. If you mess up, wipe the paint off with a wet paper towel. Add a bow to the neck of the bottle and then put a string of cheap white lights inside the bottle. The bottle was free, I had the paints and the ribbon for the bow - so this craft cost me a couple of dollars (for the string of lights). If you don't normally drink wine, try to find someone who does and have them save you the bottle. You could even get some from a restaurant.

Note: The picture below is not a great picture, but I wanted you see how the snowman stands out when it is dark. Also, I used a tiny piece of to tape the bit of cord that is showing to the base of the bottle so that you can't see it anymore. I didn't want to retake the pictures. Ü

Stuffed!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving feast at Nanny and Papa Hedger's house. The food was wonderful and we are all stuffed. Everyone is now relaxing in front of the TV watching football...except for me - I'm on the computer. Ü

Have a wonderful weekend and good luck to all of the Black Friday shoppers out there!

No pushing and shoving and no verbal warfare (Mom that includes you!)

Uncle Steve's "Better than Pecan Pie" Bars

Crust: 2 cups flour

2 sticks of cold margarine

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Blend ingredients with a pastry blender until well blended. Press tightly into a 13x9 dish sprayed with pam and bake for 15 minutes at 350.

Filling: 1 (14oz.) can of eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (8oz.) package of Toffee bits

1 cup chopped pecans

Beat egg and milk together and then blend in other ingredients. Pour on to crust and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350. Let cool and then slice into bars. Place in refrigerator to help them to finish setting up. Take out of fridge an hour or two before serving.

These are sooooo easy and delish. Chance had his while they were still warm with a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream. He said it might be the best dessert he has ever had!

Happy Thanksgiving

Things to be Thankful for...

Cutter adjusting and excelling in Kindergarten
Chesley having the confidence to use her gift of singing to bless others
Cambry's smooth transition to Intermediate school and her faithful friendships
Chance and his devotion to us, his dedication to his work, his desire to finish his degree, his ability to make me laugh
Milo for just being Milo
Finding out that working a couple of days a week isn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be
For family that loves us always
For health, blessings, and the promise of new blessings in the year to come

God has been good to us

Cutter Packs His Lunch

Cambry just happened to mention in passing on Thursday night that she saw Cutter packing his lunch. Whhhhaaaattt????

So, I looked for it in the fridge...not there.

Next, I checked his backpack.

I almost peed my pants when I found his lunch. He actually did a pretty good job, but he put it in his backpack the night before school....eeeewwwww!

I should add that he was VERY proud - so Chance and I just bragged and bragged about how responsible he was and we just stuck it in the fridge. Ü

Twilight: The Movie Experience

I can't believe that I am just now getting around to posting about our girls Night Out Twilight Extravaganza! It was a blast. I enjoyed getting out and doing something with just Chesley. It doesn't seem to be something we get to do that often. I know that those times are going to become even more scarce. Most teenagers will pick a friend as a movie date instead of their Mom! This movie was special to us though and we knew that we would go see it together.

The movie itself was great. I know for anyone who has NOT read the books - it will seem a bit cheesy in places. Please read the book and then see the movie - it will make all the difference. The love story in the movie is truly magical. I thought that it was admirably portrayed in the film by Robert and Kristin. I must say that for anyone who was doubting Robert Pattinson as the lead character, Edward...I hope that you can now admit you were wrong. He was PERFECTION. One of Chesley's friends said that when Edward first appeared in the movie she "almost stopped breathing" LOL. He is pretty darn dreamy!

the countdown has begun!

Twilight Countdowns

Another One Bites The Dust

Tooth number 2 has left the building - the tooth fairy is feeling abused.

Rumor has it that the fairy is better prepared and has smaller bills on hand this evening. Cutter raked in a brand new five dollar bill last night....ouch!

a FIRST and a LAST

Is there anything more exciting than losing your first tooth? Cutter lost his first tooth today with a little help from Mom and a piece of string. The one next to it is just holding on by a thread. He'll be a double snaggle in a matter of days. It does make me feel a little sad - this is the last first tooth to be lost at our house. On a lighter note, bedtime will be a little easier because if Cutter is anything like his older sisters - then he will take great pleasure in robbing the poor tooth fairy of a few of her precious dollars.

Out with the Old...

Old Room

Is there anything like spur of the moment redecorating! Chance and I have been anticipating a birthday bedroom makeover for Cambry and decided at the last minute to just go ahead and DO IT! Aunt Jill was moving the furniture out of the "soon to be" nursery and we were going to have to find a place to store it until January. I just have a hard time "storing" mattresses. I can't seem to erase the image of a little mouse family - homeless and cold - taking up residence in our perfect condition pillow top mattress.
We picked up the furniture at 11:00, ran to Weinerschnitzel for some needed fuel, ran to Lowes to match paint, and back home to start the project. We finished with minutes to spare and were sitting at On The Border at 6:00 to meet my family for supper (thanks again Dad!)
We couldn't wait to surprise Cambry - who was expecting the furniture - but nothing else. She loved it and is so excited to finally have a room that matches her FUNKY personality!

**** Everyone that knows me, will not be surprised to hear that I have had the bedding (clearance from Penneys) hidden in the attic for 6 months. Ü
**** the antique furniture is just Cambry's size and is so adorable. It is on long term loan (thanks Nana!)
**** the lamp is recycled from her old bedroom and I added the flowers.
**** the color on the walls is Lilac Ice
**** I recycled all of the shelves and just repainted them Metallic Canyon

New Room

Honoring Veterans

Hostess with the Mostess

Cambry may not be the spitting image of her mama, but she is like me in so many other ways. She loves to craft and create! The girl is asking for hobby lobby gift cards for Christmas. I refuse to let her have them, unless she has a specific craft in mind. You all know the horror involved in walking an average sized store with a kid that has a gift card and they don't know what they want, just imagine a store as huge as HL!

Cambry and her school art project

Cambry loves to fix people snacks and goodies. She made homemade chocolate chip cookies and took Chance a plate with a cold glass of milk!

For the Calendar

Please notice that the date has changed to Tuesday!!!!

Junior High Christmas Choir Concert

Tuesday, December 2nd

7:00 pm

school auditorium

*** rumor is that it is a "can't miss event"

because of a certain soloist that will be performing!

*******

Show and Tell

I mentioned to someone the other day through e-mail that I had crafted a few decor items for our new house. I thought that since I seem to lack anything meaningful to share tonight that I would post a few pictures of my "works of art" LOL! I'm encouraging all of you to share a post on your blogs too and show us something you've crafted.
Warning: I am not an artist...anything I have done you can do. You just need a big old bottle of Modge Podge and some paper - I'm being serious - if you want to see real art talent check out the blog called Endless Possibilities. She does the cutest name canvas' and more. I always get a bad case of "Talent Envy" when I cruise her blog.

I made this altered H to go in our master bath. I bought it at JoAnn's for 2.00 because it had a hole in one corner . I just modged some paper over the hole!

These letters are in Chesley's room. I loved the way they turned out. They now sit on an orange shelf above her headboard.


This is Cambry's name canvas in her room. We will soon be saying good-bye to it because she is getting a room make-over in January.

This canvas was created after I spent hours searching the net and local stores for the right picture for the kids bathroom. They have a very hard to match shower curtain. I finally resolved myself to the fact that it didn't exist...now it does.
So - that is about all I have to offer! Anything else that I have crafted has already been shared (there is a large picture in Cutter's room, but he has already gone to sleep).

Now, pretty please could at least a couple of people play along and share something handmade!