Gotta Love it.

77 and beautiful yesterday, 25 and sleet/snow today. In just a few short hours our temperatures plummeted more than 50 degrees. Only in Texas I think. Anyway, we are making the most of it. Tanner of course had to go outside and play. He would go outside for 10 or 15 minutes and come in for an hour, then do it all again - about a half a dozen times today. Poor Grace wanted to go with him, but she's on an antibiotic and not feeling well so I wouldn't let her.


We also got our decorations and tree up over the weekend. The kids had a really great time and we only broke one ornament - yah! The countdown begins tomorrow!

HEAVEN.

That's what this is....

Simply heaven. Chocolate Truffle Hershey's Kisses wrapped in dark chocolate. Gifted to me by my girl Angel and I can't believe I denied myself this simple pleasure for 3 whole days before opening them.
Check out the rest of my goods....I can't wait to use them!

This apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.

Who really needs the cake or cookies when you've got dough and batter? That has always been my motto. I truly could care less about the finished product just mix up the ingredients and give me a spoon. And so it is with Grace too. Gotta love her.

The Truth is out! Thanks Angel!

Another quiz from eSPIN-the-Bottle... The eSPIN Personality Test MY RESULT:Cucumber You know - as in "cool as a cucumber." Because there's no cooler vegetable than you are. You've got a great attitude going on - friendly, laid-back, open to new experiences. Anyone should want to hang out with you, and if they don't - well, that's their problem, not yours. Just let it roll off your back. We're pretty sure you do that anyway. Don't be afraid to show a little attitude every once in a while - it's cool being cool, but it's also pretty nice to get your way and influence the people around you. A little bit. We wouldn't want you to lose your cucumber-ness. Take This Quiz!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here are some pics from Tanner's "Thanksgiving Feast" he had at school this week. CJ, Grace and I met him for lunch and a small program. It was very cute. Although I had to keep CJ in line. We're sitting at the table and they are serving food and CJ says, "Is this it? I thought we were coming here for lunch? Where's the rest?" Granted, it was a meager 1/2 cup (literally like the measuring cup) of stew, a 1 inch square of corn bread and a tiny bowl of marshmallow fruit salad - but still - we're sitting at a table with another family, and what did he expect really? After "the look" and a reminder to use his quiet voice and to be thankful for the little things we enjoyed the rest of the hour. :-)

On Thursday, I cooked - yah me! I LOVE to cook so it was a really fun day for me. I made homemade noodles, green beans, stuffing, Sugar Cream Pie and Pumpkin Pie. Brian and Beth did the turkey, rolls, and mashed potatoes. YUM!!! We all had a really great day. The guys worked on Brian and Beth's house a little, the kids played and Beth and I attempted to relax.

What I am thankful for....

There are so many things. Where do I start?

I am thankful for my family. Both extended and immediate. I'm thankful that I have such a good relationship with my parents and I hope one day I have that same kind of relationship with my kids. I am thankful for my sister. I am glad that we are friends and I look forward to the years ahead. I am thankful for my in-laws. They are truly the best. One could not ask for a better "second set" of parents. I am thankful for all the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins with which I share so many fond memories.

I am thankful for a few good friends! Where would a girl be without them. Through good times and bad, fun, anger, sorrow, the loss of loved ones, the birth of new babies - there's nothing like a great girlfriend. Thanks girls!

I am thankful for my kids. Tanner and Grace. What would I do without them. I have only vague memories of life before them and I wouldn't trade them for all the "extra time" in the world. They make me laugh, they make me cry. They fill me with such love it's almost indescribable. I love to watch them learn, I love to watch them grow, I look back and smile - I think ahead and wonder. And the baby on the way - I just can't wait to meet "it". (really wanted to put "him" but I'll resist - I just have such a strong feeling) Will it be a boy or a girl? What will it's personality be like? What will it's temperment be? Will it resemble CJ or me? How will the kids grow and bond together? How will it change the dynamics of our family?

Most of all I am thankful for CJ. As tears of joy fall from my face onto the keyboard as I type it's hard for me to express the amount of love and emotion that fills me when it comes to him. He is perfect for me in every way. He fits me like a glove. He knows what I want and need without me saying anything. He knows when I am sad, and knows how to help me through it. He knows what makes me happy and makes that a priority in his life. He loves me unconditionally, he always puts me first, he makes me feel so special that I can only hope that I do the same for him. We laugh, we play, we have very frank and candid discussions, we work together to raise our kids the best way we know how, we yearn for a little alone time (I know, maybe in about 20 years). The way he wears his heart on his sleeve, his honesty, his integrity, his character. He makes me a better person. I love him with all my heart and every ounce of my being.

Shopping Frenzy!

I LOVE Christmas shopping! Last week I hadn't even started and after three major trips this week I am about 2/3 of the way done! I love sales, I love shopping, I love doing it all NOT on the credit cards! That's our goal this year and so far it's working out nicely. The kids are going to have so much fun this year. It's not even Thanksgiving and I'm already so excited I can hardly contain myself! No, I haven't started decorating. That's a comittment I make that I'll never do that until after Thanksgiving, but the day after - watch out baby! I hope you all are having a great week too!

Slow and Steady.

Not really what CJ had planned when he started but that's how it's turning out to be. We're hoping only one more weekend on the brick and we'll be done. Here's the progress picture from the end of weekend 2:



Brian came over and helped and Tanner was a very big help to CJ too. He was so cute and did such a good job. He scooped mortar out of the wheel barrow and put it where CJ needed it and he stacked bricks for him and he picked up trash from around the yard.

Not a whole lot going on this week. I'm going to play Pokeno on Tuesday - YAH me! I started about 5 or 6 months ago and it is SO much fun. We play the second Tuesday of every month and it'll be my turn to host it in January. I can't wait! And, I have a PartyLite show on Thursday for my friend Stephanie (whose house burnt down in August) - in her NEW house - YAH Steph! Have a GREAT week!

Awesome yet Exhausting.

WOW! I had an awesome turnout for the first night of my open house. I had 14 people come by and purchase products - YAH! But now I'm so exhausted that I must go to bed so I can make it through tomorrow.

Sweet Dreams.

Busy. Busy.

Here are the kids on Halloween....Grace, Lily, Tanner:

They had SO much fun! In other news our neighbors barn burnt down the other day, we had fire trucks everywhere! Everything is fine for us but it was definately too close for comfort.
CJ and Brian worked all day on Saturday and Sunday putting brick on the garage. YUP! I said it - the brick is finally going on the garage. You know, when we built this thing CJ said, "it might be a year before we get the brick on it." I told him he was out of his mind if he thought that I was going to let that thing sit there for a year without the brick - that was 3 1/2 years ago.

But since he's decided to do it himself instead of paying someone else to do it we'll have the money to put the garage doors on too. We're getting closer and closer to being able to put the "For Sale" sign up!!!!

How Fun!

Wow! We had a blast "trunk" or treating last night. We went to Brian, Beth, and Lily's and then went to their church. Tanner was a firefighter, and Grace was a bumble bee. (Pics will be here shortly, but for now I'm at Beth's mercy because I forgot my camera! Can you believe it?! Too much going on when I was trying to get ready to go)

Tanner did a really good job saying "trick or treat and thank you" this year. Last year he would not speak and barely got close enough to the people for them to put candy in his bag. We've come a long way baby. Grace caught on REAL fast! About half way through she was not only getting candy from each "trunk" she was trying to get candy from each person at each trunk! And by the end she was holding her bag open to any adult she could find - haha!

Having a safe environment at the church is great, especially for us because we don't live in a neighborhood, but I sure do miss those door to door days. It's just not quite the same.

Happy snacking, and eat a piece of chocolate for me!