Zerg's 1st Night at the Blairs

Just as he promised, Zerg brought back some snow-covered donuts from the North Pole for the boys. When they woke up this morning, they immediately walked out and started to look for Zerg. Ryan found him first and immediately wanted to grab him, but we quickly reminded him that Zerg could lose his magical powers if he was touched.

So Ryan left him alone and went over to enjoy his snow-covered donuts. (He put them around his eyes like they were binoculars, which explains the white eyebrows!)

JD wasn't all that crazy about the elf's "hiding place" because he followed me in the kitchen and this was our conversation:
JD: "So that's the best he could do?" 
Me: "What?"
JD: "That was the best hiding place he could find?"
Me: "Well, he still needs to be able to watch you guys, so he can't be totally hidden."
JD: "I think he must have lost some of his magical powers when we touched him last night."

That kid is way too smart for his own good. . . . .and I guess Zerg needs to think a little bit harder about where he "hides" tonight. Haha!

Elf on a Shelf

We are starting another new tradition this year. Elf on the Shelf.  http://www.elfontheshelf.com/
I heard about this from my friend Erica Cerwin - she has done this with her girls for the last several years, and when she told me about it last year, I knew I wanted to start it this year now that the boys are old enough.

So I "wrote to Santa" and asked him to send us an elf. We got the Elf on the Shelf kit today which includes a book and an elf. While the boys were taking a bath, I told them that I heard a jingling noise in the front and when I opened the door, there was something out there for them. They got all excited, and JD got a little nervous - he doesn't like it when he doesn't know what to expect. I assured him it was good and nothing to be scared of, but he was still a little hesistant, so he very carefully opened the door. That's when he saw the wrapped present with a note on top, and his eyes lit up.

They brought the present inside, sat down and tore into the box. They thought the elf was so cute and wanted to play with him. I explained that they're really not allowed to touch the elf or he could lose his Christmas magic. We read the book together and we learned that the elf visits Santa at the North Pole each night and gives him a report on JD & Ryan - if they've been naughty or nice that day.

The note from the elf said that they have to listen to mom and dad, share with others, play nice and say their prayers each night. And each night the elf will also come out to play and when they wake up in the morning, they have to find him. But they can't touch him!!!
Part of our assignment tonight was to name our elf. When I asked the boys, Ryan said we should name him "Jesus." I don't want to confuse the real Jesus with an elf so I encouraged them to come up with another name, and JD came up with "Zerg." And so it is, our own special elf named "Zerg." I love it!

Afterward, JD said that he was so happy that Santa sent such a nice gift and he wanted to do something nice for Santa too. So he asked me to draw a picture of Santa and Mrs. Claus so he could color them and write their names. So we left a note for Zerg, asking him to deliver the pictures to Santa and Mrs. Claus when he sees them tonight.

Thanksgiving 2011 - Great Food and New Traditions

As always, the food this year was TERRIFIC! And even more terrific because we got to enjoy it. We are very lucky because our families live so close, but it also makes it more stressful than it probably should be. The holidays are always so jam-packed and hectic - from the coordinating of multiple homes to visit, and rushing from one family's home to the other - to carting the kids around, and trying not to eat too much at one house because we know we have to eat again in just a few short hours at the next house. It just doesn't always make for the most relaxing and enjoyable holiday experience.

But this year was so much better. We had dinner at Beau & Stacie's house at 5pm on Thursday, so I spent the morning baking. I made my first Homemade Apple Pie - even the crust was homemade. It really turned out beautifully.

 Just finished the crust. Yes, my laptop is out

because I got the recipe off the internet.

The apple filling has been added. I used 5 fresh

red apples, sugar, cinnamon and apple cider vinegar.

Then topped with chunks of butter. Yum!

Here it is -- ready to go in the oven. 

 And....the finished product. It's so pretty!!!

Everyone said the apple pie tasted great. I tried it and didn't think it was sweet enough (go figure!). JD ate 3 pieces of it over 2 days, so that's a great sign. Most of all though, I really enjoyed baking it. And I never would have done it if Stacie hadn't asked me to bring an apple pie to Thanksgiving. I was a little disappointed at first because I have my "traditional" dishes, but after I got used to the idea, I was excited about baking something new. All in all, I enjoyed the process and was pleased with the results.

On Friday, we went to my dad and Linda's for Thanksgiving with my side of the family. It was really nice having Thanksgiving two days in a row, rather than twice in one day. We got to enjoy time with both of our families without feeling rushed - plus, we got to eat a Thanksgiving Feast twice! This is our new tradition - we will celebrate Thanksgiving on my dad's side on Friday from now on!

Here's a picture of all the grandkids over at my dad's house:

L-R: Seth, Boyd, Timothy, (sitting) Sean, JD, Ryan, Sheyenne, (standing) Bailey, Sawyer and Ashton.

I Finally Broke Down . . .

. . . . and did something I said I'd NEVER do! I bought myself a pair of skinny jeans. What are skinny jeans you ask? According to http://www.wikipedia.org/, "skinny jeans have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" depending on size." Back in the 1950's, they had something similar called cigarette pants.

Anyway, I don't think they're a flattering style so I said I'd never wear them. Well, I lied. I bought myself a pair last week. I HAD TO!!! I really wanted to wear boots this winter and boots don't fit over regular cut or boot cut jeans, so like I said, I HAD TO!!!

And the really weird thing is that I like them. Alot!So as the old saying goes --- "Never Say Never!"

24 on the 24th

Thanksgiving is the season to stop and recognize all the wonderful things we have to be thankful for. God has blessed me with so much and since Thanksgiving falls on the 24th this year, I decided to list 24 things for which I'm thankful. So here goes. . . . .


I'm Thankful . . . . .

1. for God's faithfulfulness and unconditional love.

2. for my entire family and extended family, and more specifically the 3 guys in my life (see # 3, 4 and 5).
3. for my husband, Bud. We've been together for over 16 years now and have been through alot during that time. Really good times and really hard times. But through it all, I know he loves me very much and I'm lucky to have him.

4. for my first born, JD. As long as I live, I will never forget that moment when I saw my baby for the very first time. When the nurse brought him around the corner into my view and I saw the most beautiful, perfect baby boy I'd ever laid eyes on. Until that moment, I never realized it was possible to fall in love so quickly.
5. for my baby boy, Ryan. What a joy! With his platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes, he looks like he belongs in Kelli's family, but I'm so happy that he's in mine! He has certainly added a bit of spice to our lives with his spunkiness, energy and loving spirit.
6. for our church - First Baptist Church of Castroville. Before we found this church, we only went to church occasionally. I never thought we'd find a church that would feel like home and change our entire lives. The moment we walked into FBCC, it felt different. We love it there and have gotten so involved - with bible studies, children's activities, AWANA....and Bud even plays in the worship band.

7. for our wonderful church family. We never realized how important a strong church family is to your spiritual strength and growth. We have the greatest group of people at our church.
8. for our really terrific friends - friends we can count on any day for anything. For that, we are so grateful.

9. for our jobs. In a time like today so many people are struggling to find good jobs, and Bud and I both have great jobs with great companies.
10. for our health. We thank God everyday that we have our health and pray that he continues to bless us with strength and healthy bodies.

11. for our nice home on a little bit of land, with room for our children to run and play.

12. for all of our service men and women who put their lives on the line every single day for our freedoms, laying their lives on the line in order to protect our freedoms and defend our safety.

13. for teachers - it's an underpaid and underappreciated profession. They have a big responsibility and our future depends on them.

14. that Bud has been given the opportunity to play in our church worship band. It's something he wanted to do when we started going to our church and I'm so thankful that it's happening for him now. I3

15. for my hobby - scrapbooking. It's something I love to do, and I always look forward to spending time working on my scrapbooks, archiving the special moments in our lives. I just hope that they will be enjoyed for many many years to come - by my kids and their families too.

16. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm thankful for technology. I love my iPhone, and Facebook has allowed me to reunite with some friends that I've lost touch with over the years. I love being able to stay in touch with special people in my life on a daily basis. And what would we do without the internet?!

17. for the relationship I had with Granny and Papa Jack. They're both gone now, looking down at us from Heaven, but my relationships with them while they were here are very special to me and had a huge impact on the person I turned out to be.

18. for my sister and very best friend, Kelli. I don't know what I do without her friendship and love.

19. for coffee! Need I say more?

20. that my boys have their dad. There are lots of kids out there who don't have dads who are active in their lives. Mine have a dad that loves them more than life itself, and he loves to do boy things with them, like wrestling (too much of this!), hunting, playing baseball, drumming, fishing and building things.

21. for the purity and innocence of children. I just wish it would last a lot longer than it does.

22. when my kids say adorable things that bring a smile to my face, heart and soul.

23. that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and because of Him, I know exactly where I'm going when my life here on Earth comes to an end.

24. for all the changes (improvements) God has made in our lives over the past year. God is actively working in our lives, and for that, we are eternally thankful!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!!!

JD's 1st Deer Hunt

Finally. . . . . it's the day Bud has been anxiously awaiting for the last 5+ years. When we found out we had a baby boy on January 30, 2006, Bud immediately couldn't wait for the first time to take him deer hunting. While 5 years old might still be a little young, he decided to give it a shot (no pun intended). So last weekend, on Sunday, November 20th, Bud took JD out for his first deer hunting experience. They went to the Keller's Ranch in DeHanis where Bud has been going with Kory Keller.

Before he left the house, I gave him the camera and looked at him with the sweetest, puppy dog eyes I could muster, and asked him if he'd take a couple of pictures. I didn't want to interrupt their hunting experience, but I really wanted some pictures of JD's first time. Bud obliged, and I think he's glad he did too.



Here's a picture of JD's first climb into a deer blind.




Here's a picture of him getting ready for a couple hours of sitting still, being very quiet, and watching for deer.





And here's a very proud Daddy moment.

 


Watching out the window . . . . patiently and quietly.  He already looks like a pro.

 Bud said JD did very good - he was as quiet as he could expect an energetic 5-year-old to be. And he only fell asleep for a little while, and when he woke up, there were deer at the feeder. They didn't shoot at anything on their first hunt, but JD said he definitely enjoyed going. I think he really liked being out there with Dad, and he's looking forward to their next trip this season. Hopefully they'll get to shoot something that time. There's a whole other part to the deer-hunting experience that he's yet to learn.

Turkey Time

We had our first school project this past weekend - Our Family Turkey. JD's teacher gave us an outline of a turkey and we had to decorate it with things from around the house, ie. feathers, paints, fabric, uncooked noodles, etc.,  I didn't have time to go to the craft store to buy materials, so we had to use whatever we had around the house.

I asked JD what he wanted to use and he just wanted to color it with crayons. That wasn't gonna fly, so I came up with the idea of using scrapbook paper for the feathers. I cut small pieces of paper in each color category and we made little collages on each feather.

Then we used brown pom-poms I had leftover from a Halloween project last year. I cut the fur off each ball and we pasted that for the body of the turkey. It really helps to be a scrapbooker because I had all kinds of cool stuff on hand to use for decoration. The eye is a sparkly blue brad, and the beak and gizzard are colored in with Stickles (glittery puffy paint).

I really liked our end product. I think JD liked it too. . . . . I think.

A Day of "Firsts"

Today was a day of firsts for me:

• First time I volunteered for the Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) at JD's school
• First time I rode in Bud's hunting truck (the white one he bought a couple months ago)
• First time I went deer hunting
• First time I sat in a deer blind
• First time I put crosshairs on an animal  :(

I didn't shoot though.

We only saw a doe and a spike, and they walked up right before dusk. Bud was hoping something bigger would walk up, so we waited. Then it got too dark. Bud wants me to go one more time and try again. I think I was a good hunting partner. I stayed quiet (it wasn't easy) and patient (also, not easy). But all in all, I think I did pretty good. Especially considering I didn't think I'd ever go hunting.

Ever since Bud and I started dating 16+ years ago, he's been asking me if I'd ever go deer hunting. My answer was always "no way." This year, when he asked, I said I would consider going. I just saw the pure joy he had for deer hunting, and it's been a long time since he's had an opportunity to hunt, and I guess I got caught up in his excitement. So I told him I'd go. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed hanging out with him doing something for which he has an obvious passion.

JD's 1st Bus Ride to School

Today is a big day for JD. He got to ride the school bus for the first time ever. 

Ever since he started Kindergarten in August, I've been taking him to school each morning and dropping him off. Then I take Ryan to Nanie's. Every once in a while, JD will ask me when he will get to ride the bus. I wasn't sure if he was gonna have the chance or not.

Well yesterday, we were leaving the neighborhood and saw the school bus stopping near the mailboxes to pick up some kids. I stopped and told the school bus driver that my son wanted to ride the bus every now and then, and asked if I needed to let anyone know. She said to call the school and check. So I did. They said as long as a bus comes to his neighborhood, he could ride anytime he wanted. So we had ourselves a plan.

I'm off work today and Monday (Nanie and Bada) are taking a weekend trip to the coast, so I told JD he could ride the bus both days. He wasn't nervous about it at all (Bud and I were), but he did want to know if the kids in his class would be on the bus. I explained that bus is for kids that live in the area, not necessarily the kids in his class. But I reassured him that it would be fine - he would make new friends because he makes friends easily. He agreed and said "you know why I make friends easily? Because I'm super nice." That's right - JD is super nice and has such a sweet heart!

So today was the day. He drove down to the bus stop and got there just in time to see the bus pull up. JD jumped out of the car with the biggest smile on his face. We walked across the street and he climbed on the bus. I only got one picture though :( because my memory card was full on my camera. And it's not a great picture either. Bad Mom!!

As the bus drove away, we waved to JD and I got a little teary-eyed. 

School Bus = Official Big Boy

Thanksgiving Feast

Today was Thanksgiving Feast Day at JD's school - Potranco Elementary. We had a quite a showing - Papa, Nanie, Amo, Aunt Kelli and I all went up there to have lunch with JD.

I think JD was surprised to see all of us there. He knew I was coming, but didn't know that everyone else was coming too. So it was a really nice surprise for him. We had a really nice Thanksgiving lunch, and surprisingly, the food was pretty good. Oh, and JD really enjoyed his peanut butter & jelly sandwich too.

John 3:16

The other day after Bud picked up the boys (Ryan from Nanie's, and JD from school), they were on their way home and JD asked Bud what John 3:16 was. He'd learned it in Awana and even though he knows it and recites it all the time, it must have slipped his memory for the moment.

Bud said he couldn't remember the verse, so JD reached into his school bag and pulled out his little green pocket Bible. He flipped through the pages, looking for "John" at the top of the page. When he found it, he searched for Chapter 3, Verse 16, found it and read it to Bud. 

What a proud parent moment! Sometimes we wonder if we're doing the right things as parents. We are constantly questioning and doubting our tactics. Then we have a moment like this, when God shines right through the eyes of our children. All we can do is smile, nod and enjoy the feeling of pure joy in our hearts!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Bud turned 35 today. The Big 3-5!
Today, he's one year closer to his 40s.  :)
I wanted to make his birthday a special day, so I left work a little early around 3:45, stopped at the store, and rushed home to make him his favorite dinner - the same dinner I made for the first time on his 32nd birthday. He LOVED that dinner.

I made him Steaks with Peppercorn Cream Sauce. It's delicious. It's made with whiskey (reduced down), heavy whipping cream, minced garlic, crushed peppercorns and other spices. The steaks are cooked on the stove, then topped with the yummy peppercorn sauce. I also made his favorite sides: rice and corn. I know, lots of starch, but it's what he likes.

For dessert, we had fresh-made and still-warm chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. The boys helped blow out the candles. Gosh, that cake was so good. So much for the diet.

Happy Birthday Daddy! We Love You!

Dancing with the MonStars

Every year at work we have a Costume Contest. Over the last couple of years, it's become more of a highly-anticipated entertainment show than a contest. Teams get together and put on well-orchestrated, elaborate dances and skits. Last year, our Middle Market team re-enacted the famous flash mob scene from Oprah's Black-Eyed-Pea episode. It starts with what appears to be a crazy lady dancing to the music in the very front, then others near her join in and it eventually spreads and the entire crowd is dancing a choreographed dance. (It really is pretty cool - you should google it.) So we did that as our skit. And of course.......I was the crazy lady that got it started. Our team won first place which was $75 to use as we wished (we bought breakfast for the team).

So this year, we had a big name to live up to, and had to top it. We decided to do a Halloween edition of Dancing with the Stars. Complete with hosts, judges, crowd control, and of course, dancers. We had a couple of vampires that danced to Michael Jackson's Beat It, Frankenstein and his (pregnant) Bride dancing to I've Had the Time of My Life, and me and my prom zombie partner dancing to Footloose. After about 20 seconds of our dancing though, the entire group joined in and we did the classic Footloose end-of-movie dance. Needless to say, we won again. Two-time reigning champs! We're already trying to figure out what we're going to do next year.

Halloween Treats

I was feeling a little crafty so I made a couple of treats for Halloween. I made these Spooky Bottles for my coworkers, and also gave one to JD, Ryan, Ashton and Timothy. There were a total of 24 of them. I used the Piece of Poison stamp set from Stampin' Up for the skeleton and "Trick or Treat" message.

I made these for the kids in the boys' classes. They're clear cellophane bags and I filled them with candy corn or Reese's Pieces, then topped them with a cute stacked topper. The spider was cut out with my Cricut and pop-dotted for dimension. I really like how they turned out and they were super easy to make.