Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas. May it be low on stress and full of love and sugar.

What's up with us

We had a productive weekend - I got a ton of the Christmas baking & candy making done. (Although my peanut brittle turned out chewy instead of brittle) Elena & I visited my aunt on Staturday morning. We got to see her new retirement apartment (very nice) and she took us to lunch. That evening Ronny & Lauren came over to have an early Christmas. This is them with Elena and her new purse, cell phone & sunglasses.
Last night was Kathryn's Christmas Concert. Here's the star of the show in her band concert uniform:

Rob had a work meeting & we were convinced he wouldn't make it. But just as the concert & symphonic bands were wrapping up & the Honor band was coming on, who should appear in the row behind me!Here's both my girls:
And last but not least a video of "The African Bell Carol". If you hear coughing, that's Elena. The little goober has bronchitis. We saw the peditrician today and I am having all kinds of mommy/work guilt issues, especially since I am going to be out next week as well.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I swear we did not do this on purpose

A little humor for the weekend - do I really have to say it - his jugs, they're real.

Rob was moving the milk from one fridge to another and Kathryn & I noticed the photo opportunity. He didn't have to move much to pose. Merry early Christmas, Katie.

Happy Birthday, Evan

Happy 1st Birthday, Little Guy. You're as cute as can be.

We love you,

Uncle Rob, Aunt Heather, Kathryn & Elena

One Word

Nothing much to blog, so I thought I'd do try this . . . The rules: You can only type one word.No explanations, unless asked about it in the comments.

Yourself: Stressed
Your partner: Fantastic
Your hair: long
Your Mother: wonderful
Your Father: there
Your Favorite Item: none
Your dream last night: unknown
Your Favorite Drink: diet
Your Dream Car: Outlook
Your Dream Home: bigger
The Room You Are In: Living
Your Ex: Turtle
Your fear: future
Where you Want to be in Ten Years? home
Who you hung out with last night: hubbie
What You're Not: relaxed
Muffins: sometimes
One of Your Wish List Items: house
Time: flies
The Last Thing You Did: read
What You Are Wearing: jeans
Your favorite weather: snow
Your Favorite Book: Francis
Last thing you ate: hamburger
Your Life: hectic
Your mood: meh
Your Best Friends: Muskateers
What are you thinking about right now: blogging
Your car: old
What are you doing at the moment: typing
Your summer: busy
Relationship status: Married
What is on your tv: Animation
What is the weather like: hot
When is the last time you laughed: tonight

Taken from MBKimmy's Krazy Thoughts.

Keep it coming

Today's ski report from Wolf Creek Ski Area (where we're headed for Christmas)

Current Snowfall

Summit Base Depth : 47 inches
Midway Base Depth : 39 inches

Last 24 Hours : 0 inches
Last 48 Hours : 0 inches
Last 72 Hours : 11 inches
Last 7 Days : 51 inches
Latest Storm : 51 inches
Year to Date : 69 inches

Forecast : Chance of snow flurries developing this afternoon with a high of 33°

Hopefully the snow will keep coming. This is not just a selfish thing, there are a couple of towns that depend on winter revenue from that ski area.

If you've been feeling picture deprived, here are some photos from our last trip up there in March 2005:

I really want to know

The previous post & the DJs on the radio have got me thinking - what's your favorite Christmas song? I had a hard time narrowing it to one. I got four:


Favorite song to sing: Joy to the World (ok, so it's less singing, more joyful noise)


Favorite traditional song to listen to: O Holy Night (especially when sung by Jim Nabors)


Favorite pop-Christian Christmas song: "Joseph's Lullabye" by Mercy Me. He is the patron saint of step parents, after all.

Favorite secular Christmas song: "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" by David Bowie & Bing Crosby


And on the other side of the coin, songs I could live without hearing ever again:


"Merry Christmas Darling" by the Carpenters. Oi, it's overplayed and I think I go into sugar shock when it comes on.


"Ding, fries are done" Cute on the first viewing. Annoying as all get out when your family spends 4 days singing it at random moments.


Seriously, I want to know, click the old comment button and tell me what you like or what annoys the heck out of you. Someone's probably got a kid obsessed with "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" . . .

For Mel

This is Mel at Mel's Haven. The song is "All I really want for Christmas" by Steven Curtis Chapman, a great advocate for adoption. It's hanky time, folks.

Penguins & Polar Bears

A little slice of life from my house:

Last night we're watching "Shrek the Halls" (btw - not a classic, but worth the Carmina Burana inspired Christmas Shopping song) and one of those Coca-Cola Penguin & Polar Bear commercials comes on. The one where the baby polar bear slides into the penguin party, there's a brief moment of tension, they share a Coke and party. We start discussing the fact that this could never happen. I am referring to the fact that penguins and polar bears live on different sides of the planet. Rob brings up the fact that the polar bears would eat the penguins. True, but . . . My response to Rob's thought - "Does this mean I shouldn't put my new polar bear pajamas in the same drawer as my penguin pajamas?" Straight faced as all get out, the hubby responds, "Yes, you can't be too careful."

Yes, ladies & gentlemen, that's my family.

Christmas Portraits

These are the one's we ordered - we're making weird faces and such in the others.
That's Elena's good buddy Penguin Neil. The dinosaur is Kathryn's old toy Rex. He was her favorite when she was 2. It was a bit of nostalgia to put it in the portraits.

My Thanksgiving Vacation by Laney

Thanksgiving got started early with my day care Thanksgiving feast. Mommy came and had lunch with me on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

My Mama Janie and my Daddy Ron came to have Thanksgiving with us.

I tried Thanksgiving food. I liked the cranberry sauce the best.
I played in the kitchen cabinets. That's fun!

My Uncle Ronny & my Aunt Lauren came over on Friday.They made tamales with my parents & grandparents.
And the Aggies won! My family tried really hard to teach me to make a "Gig 'Em" sign with my hand. No luck there, but I did learn to say "Puppy", sign "Baby", and I started calling Mama Janie "Mimi".

Best of Blessings To You All

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude - Thanksgiving dinner edition

1. Pillsbury pie crust - the roll out kind. While not as yummy as AM's real thing (complete with lard) it's tasty & easy and I don't regret volunteering to make the apple pie.

2. My apple corer - makes apple pie mentioned above easier. Cuts down on the slicing significantly.

3. My mom's making the dressing - the one Thanksgiving food I don't know how to make. I should learn at some point, unfortunately Mom's not going to be around forever.

4. Reynold's Turkey bag - faster cooking time, easy clean up. 'Nuff said.

5. Leftovers - my family has an awesome tradition of making turkey tamales during Thanksgiving weekend. Once again, yummy & it generates several dinners that can be prepared in about 15 minutes.

6. Our relationship with Kat's mom - I thank God for this on a regular basis, but I've been hearing so much about family strife during the holidays. I am very happy that it is so easy to organize the holidays with her

7. And looking on the bright side - Thanksgiving isn't turning out to be what I hoped. Some family members are ill, some have obligations with their other families, etc. so ours will be a small celebration. But I love the folks who will be here dearly and I am so happy we will be together. The others will be in our thoughts, prayers and on the other end of the phone. And we have less dishes to do, a smaller turkey to cook, & more pie to go around!

Bathtime Bride

Laney escaped from Daddy after her Sunday night bath and wandered into the living room like this. Who wouldn't take a picture? (Note Dad's indignant pose in the background)

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Our good buddy Andrew turned 3 on Saturday and his birthday party was Friday night. This was Laney's first birthday party for a friend and she seemed to have a good time.

Andrew with his new tinker toys from Laney
This was the coolest present, his 12 year old brother made him a wooden puzzle at school
My girls nosh on cake
Laney did way better with this cake than her own - no tears
Laney & the Birthday Boy. I had hoped to get them closer together, but this was it.
Laney had to be in the middle of EVERYTHING! This was one of Andrew's gifts - a race track. She helped the boys race cars and apparently Andrew is still saying "Laney knocked my cars off!" days later.

By the way, Mommies, this track is awesome, it folds out easily and is about 4 feet long. No snapping together. And it folds up to be about 18 inches long and 4 inches wide as its own carrying case. All 3 boys thought it was cool.

Playing dress up

No, we haven't gotten over excited about the fact that the high was below 70 degrees today. Although that was nice, bt the only thing I did special was dress Elena in long sleeves. My e-bay order came in and I thought I'd show off my bargain hunting skills, which are not those of some, but they'll do . . .

This is the sherpa hat bought on clearance last winter, the coat my mom got at a consignment store (okay not my shopping skills) and the snow boots I bought on e-bay. I also got some cheap toddler long undies at Wal-Mart (during the trip from HADES) but I chose not to photograph those.

And why pray tell, does our little Texan need all of this? I give you the next picture:

We're dreaming of a white Christmas - all goes well and it 'll be a ski vacation for us come late December. Woo hoo! (The bib was one of the first things my mom bought Laney, I was only about 3 months pregnant.)

Random Musings of Mommy

SLIMMED-DOWN BACON CHEESEBURGER MEATLOAF 'MUFFINS' are yummy. Even cold when your flying down the road to get in and out of Babies R Us during lunch.

Why is it that Laney's favorite past time is turning her sippy cup upside down and slamming it until enough water comes out to play in?

And on a related topic, soggy Goldfish crackers are one of the nastiest things on Earth.

What the heck happened to Thanksgiving? I've seen Christmas Ross commercials. Cathy dressed her dogs as Santa and an Elf today. And I heard a song on the radio called "Sometimes I Cry at Christmas" or something like that.

Pumpkins & Punkins

First our pumpkins:

My witch

Kathryn's Janus Pumpkin: Comedy
TragedyIrony
Rob & Kathryn's vomiting pumpkin. (Fabulous ain't it?)
Laney as a pumpkin - note the produce tag

My punkins off to trick-or-treat
Laney had more fun playing on the front porch after they got back. (BTW - I bought the monkey costume)
Laney & Daddy
Our girls. It took some work to get this shot. I may post the trial photos later - the joys of digital photography.

An update & the reveal

Well McCall's fouled up pretty good on their sizing with Kat's costume - I had to take 2 inches out of the back and put a pleat that ranged in size from 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide. But after what my costuming professor would have called "Meatball Sewing at its Finest" it is done! And it won first prize at the Jr High Music Department's Halloween Dance.

And without further adu - Happy HalloweenFrom the Monkey:

The Star:

The dress that inspired Kathryn's costume, as Yvaine from Stardust. And a couple of fuzz balls: