Life long friendships

I most certainly have some amazing life long friendships - one started in 6th grade with soccer, some started in high school, others in college, we can't forget FOCUS, and now some amazing friends after marriage! But I can honestly say I do not have any friends that I've known since Kindergarten! Alan on the other hand does! Well the guy above is considered the new friend (he moved to Vancleave in 6th grade). It is an amazing experience for me to see him with these life long friends, guys and gals that he's known his entire life, roomed with in college, they were all in our wedding, I am just amazed! And now they all have families!

Since those who lived out of town (most have moved back to the coast) where home for Thanksgiving we decided to get together, and it was a blast!

we started off at Uncle CC's for the big game - go State! Then after a very eventful afternoon we headed over to Trisha's (remember Walker and Sophie?) house in Alan's old neighborhood for some more playtime and fun time!! I hope my children have the same friendships as Alan does! :)

Favorite Thanksgiving memory.......

It's funny how ever since I met Alan most of my "favorite" memories have changed. Now they are filled with him and our two amazing children! But to pick out one from BA (before Alan) I would have to choose Thanksgivings at my cousin Carl's house! There's just nothing like it at all! Carl is my mother's first cousin, life long buddies, and hilarious stories to prove it! When I was little we lived closer to them so we would head over to St. Louis for a fun filled trip to hang out with my cousins; I love those memories - and I can say that my love for Crab legs stems from these trips! Carl has a legendary crab dinner the night before Thanksgiving, I still miss it!

We are of course invited every year, and now the house is filled with Carl's grand kids, which at this time are the closest cousins in age to my children (one being my god child!) I love and miss them, wish we could see them more then we do! But now our Thanksgivings will be filled with making new memories with our beautiful children and their grand parents! :)

So what's your favorite Thanksgiving memory? Do you have a funny story, a particular place that your family always goes, or maybe a funny dish that your family always eats? Please share! I will post some randomly chosen entries this week to share for all!

The end of a long day....

It's been that kinda week, what can you say? I can say that something has gotten into Stephen this week -

There have been moments all week were I wondered if Stephen was sick - I've taken his temperture so much he now thinks it's a game, why have I done that? b/c if he's acting like this b/c he's 2 then I have to discipline, get frustrated, walk away, put him to bed a little early and open that funny little labeled wine my mom got me for a good laugh - if he's sick, then there's a reason for this sudden change of mood, and I can turn on the tv, snuggle with him, hold him, give him all sorts of special attention

So at the end of this week, after taking his temperature a few times, I know he's not sick (thank God b/c I really don't want him to be sick). But I did have to put him to bed early last night...

But with all of this I wouldn't give up a minute with either one of my amazing gifts from God! I am truly privileged to be able to be with them during the day - b/c I get to witness them growing together, playing together, Abby crawling on all fours (she has been an huge fan of the army crawl for a long time now!) and pulling up on her own! I do love this job! :)

Oh those wonderful 2's!

I would like to introduce you to Stephen - though you all know him! He is 2 1/2 and this post is dedicated to all those mother's with 2 yr olds or have ever had one! :) This was our morning project, paint grandma a get well soon painting (she fell and hurt her leg, but is getting better!) I just laugh how we went from this above to.....

this, then......

back to this; all in about a 10sec span! gotta love it! :)

Save the date - May 2030?

To say that we are somewhat hopeful that Stephen and Emma will fall madly in love with each other and raise an awesome Catholic family would be well.... the truth! Of course we would be as equally pleased if Stephen was called to the priesthood, but that's not what this post is about - it's about these two :) I know it's just young, childlike, Innocent, friendship but sometimes it feels like more! We love the Johnson family so much (Dan and Lauren are Abby's godparents!) And if Emma turns out to be anything like her Mama, and you know she will, then we want Stephen to marry her! :) No pressure of course!

When they haven't seen each other for awhile (a day or so is a while for them) their faces light up with so much joy and they giggle and run to each other for hugs. It's just to cute for words!

I honestly don't want there to ever be any pressure on either one of them to get married, we like to joke around, if it's God's will it will be! I do pray though, that their friendship continues to grow for the rest of their lives and they call each other closer to Christ in all that they do!

That pesky time change

There are things in this world that I love and things that I hate... ok, mommy correction, things that I strongly dislike! I love chocolate, I love my Catholic faith, I love my children and my husband, and I love halloween costumes that are 90% off! I mean seriously pure fun for a little kid for only $1.20! You just can't go wrong with that! I strongly dislike snakes (actually I do hate them), being hit in the head, and the time change!

Why can't my kids get the memo that the time has changed - I mean I keep them up as late as possible to get them back on a schedule and like clock work - Abby is now up at 5:30am and Stephen at 6, if I'm lucky 6:30am. The major problem with that is that that is my coffee time, my blogging time, my Pioneer Woman time - sometimes if I'm lucky my running time

And yet no matter how hard I try this little one wants to wake up with the sun; take a nap by 8am, another nap in the afternoon, and then fall asleep right before dinner! This is not working!!!!

So forgive me if my blogging is not as on top of it as it once was - love you all!

My amazing husband has turned another year older - Happy Birthday Alan; technically his birthday was Tuesday....better late then never to wish him a cyber birthday wish. So what better than a three layered carrot cake made by yours truly and some fun and entertaining dinner conversation?

Our dinner consisted of just that - laughing, loving, and then laughing again. My favorite story is of Stephen; I've told this ten thousand times, but here it goes again - bear with me:)

Stephen has a tendency to want to go potty at Mass; almost everyday he says "mama, I gotta go potty" sometimes I feel like he's being sincere and I take him, and out of those sometimes, twice he has actually gone poo-poo on the potty at Mass! Yippee!!! Well, the other day we were home and he said "mama I gotta go potty" so we headed to the bathroom and I sat him on the toilet, he then looked up and told me he didn't have to go, and he wanted to flush the toilet (of course!) But I reminded him that he just said he had to go and maybe he should try again - he looked at me and said "no mama, I only poo-poo at Jesus' house." I love that kid!

When without - make dough

So here's the deal, I'm not a great cook - I have my moments, and I keep trying but if you really must know I only started cooking when Alan and I got married. And even then it took him pulling me aside and telling me he didn't think Stephen (who was in my womb at that moment) could survive on chicken tortilla soup and I needed to make something else! The point of the story is that I have no need for a roller - or what ever it's called; at least I didn't until this morning, which is why I don't have one. So this morning I needed one, and I needed it fast, I made some comment to Alan and he said - see if you have a long cylinder around.......it takes an engineer :) So the first cabinet I opened was the baby cabinet.... What was I making - well their called frogs. Kinda like a binget,(s/p?) very non-healthy, and Alan grew up on them so I thought I would give it a whirl

Add a little syrup to that and we had a party this morning! :) So now you know what will be on my Christmas list!