A last post for 2009

I am posting to my blog on this chilly New Years Eve and yet…have nothing really profound to say – just a few little bits and pieces.

I have been putting the final touches on the Christmas “pack-up”. I finally took the Santa down from the shelf next to my bedroom and he is sitting on the kitchen counter waiting to go into the plastic tub – I look forward to seeing him next year since the shelf looks plain and boring without him.

I have finally removed the stickers and tags from a few of my favorite Christmas gifts this year. I have to leave my “pile” out for a few days just to enjoy my haul a little longer before it all gets stored away. This year the haul included some of my favorite types of gifts. I am not a frilly fussy Christmas gift receiver – no way! I like stuff I can use. I got the most adorable cupcake measuring spoons from my sister and family….I may leave them on the counter permanently! They are that CUTE! I also got new spatulas, new whisks, a new cookie sheet, an awesome new cooking pan, and a flour sifter. I am in some serious kitchen heaven. Anyone else like me and LOVE LOVE LOVE the practical gifts? I will take an appliance over diamonds any day. I used some of my Christmas money to buy a new coffee pot – and we are loving it!

My mom and Dad got us a new comforter set and my room now feels like a 5 star hotel – it feels classy and I am in love with it. I am also enjoying it because Chance has made the bed three days in a row (including perfect placement of each and every throw pillow)…a Christmas miracle Ü.

I am having a blast with my new Samsung point and shoot digital camera that Chance bought me – I just discovered that it will edit and correct flaws automatically. I chose the picture of us that I had blogged previously and told it to make it a “beauty shot”. Oh my sweet goodness – it corrected our skin tone and everything. It also automatically corrects red eye – unbelievable. Now if it just had a button to auto-slenderize…LOL

(BEFORE)

(AFTER)

Tonight everyone has settled down after stuffing ourselves with a ChickFila nugget tray, homemade queso, chocolate cupcakes, brownies, and poppy seed muffins (Cambry did all the baking). We have managed to fit in a couple of rounds of Guitar Hero and  two games of Disney Scene It. It is fun to spend time with the kids on New Years Eve – I know someday they will have their own NYE activities and we will be alone. We will finish with a movie (G-Force) and some snuggling. Cutter is the best snuggler – wraps his skinny little legs around you and still gives lots of kisses. I wish they didn’t have to grow up.

 

Happy New Year to all of my blogging friends and family – hope you are super blessed in 2010!

p.s. a blogging tip: if you have not discovered the joy that is windows live writer – you must check it out. It is so much easier to post to your blog and allows you to do some fun things with your photos like adding this cool picture border. Just google Windows Live Writer and check it out.

I Tricked my Kids

Into thinking I was "the cool mom" even if it was just for a few hours and involved graham crackers and canned vanilla icing. They spent a couple of hours on their creations and really had a great time. (finally Cambry can cross off Make Gingerbread Houses on her LIST of fun things ..that she has never been allowed to do!)

All I Want For Christmas is....

GUESS!

Touchdown!

Football is finally over and I can't say that I am disappointed. We are pretty tired....but we will never grow tired of talking about Cutter's first touchdown. It was AWESOME!

Amazingly Fun School Trip!

Cutter's class took a trip to the corn maze today and I went along as a chaperone. We had soooo much fun even though the weather was just a little nippy! Cutter and I both won the corn shucking contest. He was the winner of his class and I was the winner over all the adults. No one knew that the reason I was so speedy is because I am deathly afraid of those fat gross worms that are found in corn ....uuuuhhh......I shudder at the thought of coming across one of those critters.

We went on a hayride, picked pumpkins, and struggled through the corn maze - yeah.... my sense of direction STINKS! They all loved the corn cannon and the cow train. It was just a super fun hands-on activity filled morning.

(I will say that my camera did not like the bright sun reflecting off of the corn fields - my photos are a little washed out.)

* it was so funny to see this little "granny" running the cannon *

* champion corn shucker *

* choo choo moo moo train! *

* Cutter trying to make a "corn angel" in a huge tank of corn *

* nestled in the corn maze - lost between clue 4 and 5! *

* here I am trying to talk Cutter into this big WARTY pumpkin *

* he picked this cute little orange one - pretty sure he found the smallest pumpkin in the patch! *

Cutter's Birthday Part 2

Wow! What a super fun day we had with Cutter and all of his sweet friends from school. They were 100% into the whole jumping thing. I am pretty sure we sent some "tired" kids home from this party. They were all so well mannered and sweet - just a fun fun party. I am glad it is over though - one less thing to think about. Here are a few pics from the party that include the best cookie cake ever! Cookie cake is the way to go - most kids asked for seconds. It was nice not to throw away 15 plates of half eaten cake. LOL

He received some really nice gifts and already stopped by Academy and used his gift cards and money to buy a new trolling motor for his boat.
Special thanks to the family members that endured "death by germs" a.k.a Jump n Jive!

A Birthday Summary: Part 1

I don't know why this is, but we are notorious in the Hedger House for dragging out the birthday celebrations. Every year I tell myself I am going to do better....and then I don't! Cutter has already had a great birthday that will end next weekend with his Jump n Jive party. We let him open gifts from us and my parents on Saturday (Nana and Papa are coming in a couple of weekends so that they can see a little softball and flag football action - so they sent their gifts earlier this month).

We got together last night with family at LuLu's and Papa Check's house to see my cousin Josh and his sweet family. I am so mad that I didn't take pictures. We had yummy green chili burgers and lots of visiting. Cutter got birthday money and the new Wii Sports Resort game....he has been playing it nonstop. It is seriously FUN! (thanks Aunt Jill and family).

The Handsome Birthday Boy!

Cutter and his new IPOD from Mom and Dad

Cutter got a very special gift from Papa Check - his first shotgun

(it went straight into the locked gun safe until he can take safety classes when he is much older)

Cutter got a really cool fish finder that attaches to his fishing rod from Nana and Papa. You can see in this video that he loves opening gifts. LOL

Boating Success

Cutter was up and ready at 7 a.m. for his first fishing trip in his new boat. He was a real trooper when the rain delayed our actually getting on the lake for 2 hours. It was worth the wait...Cutter caught a bass two minutes after dropping his line in the water. His boat floats and runs great too! We had a great time at the prettiest little lake called Lake MacKenzie. It feels like you are surrounded by Palo Duro Canyon and was so calm and peaceful.
I apologize for the yucky camera phone pics...I forgot my camera, extra towels, and Cutter's swimsuit!

Cutter's New Boat

I don't think you could find a more excited little boy on the planet right now. It is not new...not really even new looking...BUT it is new to him and it is his. It has really been joyful to see the "Fish Charmer" a.k.a. Cutter and Chance polish and shine and admire their new toy. It wasn't a great time to make a purchase (back to school is crazy expensive around here) but I think God just helped all the pieces fall into place and it has been a much needed distraction at the Hedger house. I wish you all could have seen Cutter lead me out to see it with my eyes covered. He was soooo proud. It left us all a little verklempt. (The word verklempt used just for Mom and Jill - LOL!)

We couldn't find Cutter the other night and Mom ventured out to the boat and there he was...he just needed to look at the anchor one more time. Ü

Fishing and Kayaking

Cutter getting ready to do some serious fishing.
The hard work pays off! He caught this fish with a lure he picked out himself he was so proud!
Chesley was an expert kayaker. She kayaked all the way to Irbys (the hamburger place on the lake) with Nana. Cambry loved the kayak too! I caught this picture just as she was about to take a spill into Granbury lake.

We are visiting my parents this week and they have a place on the lake. The kids absolutely love coming here to visit. It is like their own mini-resort complete with two doting grandparents that are at their beck and call. Can we say "spoiled"!