It’s almost 2011

I’m still trying to get used to writing 2010 and now I have to train my brain to write 2011.  Not cool.

But as you know, time flies when you are having fun – or not, cause it’s flying with or without you.

Have you started to think yet about goals or dreams for 2011 yet?  I have.  Not going to call them resolutions because I think then you are just doomed to fail. 

Goals is a better word…Dreams is catchy.

1- I want to work at getting organized around the house again.  I used to keep a very organized and clean house.  Somewhere towards the end of 2008 that went to hell in a hand basket.

2- I want to clean out all the riff raff in the closets and etc.  Doesn’t that always need to be done? 

3- I want to stick to my cooking and planning meals.  I truly think that my family is happier and more functional when I know what we are eating each day before dinner time.  Ok, I’m happier and more functional. 

4- I want to stay on an exercise routine.  I was doing really well for the fall.  Started to feel good, clothes were fitting that hadn’t fit since oh, somewhere around the end of 2008 (sounds like I blame a lot on the end of 2008 huh, I don’t, it’s just that’s when my life took a 180)  The cold weather has really thrown a wrench in the walking everyday first thing in the morning….which is a lame excuse since I have an elliptical INSIDE. 

5- I want to continue to make time for me and my hubby.  I enjoy hanging out with him.  There are only a few times that I want to smack him upside his head :-) Just kidding (Not really)  Love ya honey. 

6- I want to have more fun with the kids.  These are such neat ages for all of them…and Pootie is growing up right before my eyes.   In a couple of years, he’ll be off at college.  God Help Me!!! 

 

So that’s my list so far……

Happy Almost 2011!!!!

SNOW…….

So for those of you that have been living in a cave without TV or internet access, North Carolina got snow.  Some new record for this day or something like that. 

For those of you who don’t know, I hate snow.  Truly, I do.  And please don’t do the whole “but it’s so pretty deal with me”.  I remain true to my “I hate snow” status. 

But, as I always do, I sucked it up and went outside for some pictures, it was after all, the babes first time “in the snow”.  (Last winter it was more ice and he was so little, so it doesn’t count)

I want sunshine and 80 degrees if anyone cares!!!!

On a side not, the big kids are not in the pictures because 1- the biggest of the bigs didn’t want to go outside. 2- Crash took off to be with his buddies and 3- Lola stuck around for 2.4 seconds before she took off….leaving the babe to be the “lone” subject.

Headed out the door with Daddy’s help – we kept waiting for him to say he couldn’t put his arms down…

Lola’s little snowman

 

       and Lola making bunny ears on her snowman.  (I still don’t get why kids do that…)

Sissy helping….yep he calls her Sissy… 

 

          No, the pictures is not upside down, he fell over..and couldn’t get up! 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Ok, so my brother did get to come home from Fort Benning for Christmas.  He will be home until January 9th ish, I believe.  The guys in charge gave them extended time off because they will not have leave again before they are deployed sometime by the end of January.  As always, we are not sure where he is going or exactly when…but please continue to pray for him.  As you can see, he needs it.  This is from “Army Training sir”.   That’s our story and we are sticking to it.

last night at Ninni and Poppa’s house…

Sitting in Poppa’s (or as he calls him, BOAT) lap trying to help them play Ace-y Duece-y. 

Two Ace-y Duece-y games going at the same time….we’re serious. 

 

Cutest thing is that the Babe now says Ace-y Duece-y and calls for six’s and double’s.  So funny.  Twisted but funny.

BRING ON THE SUNSHINE!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Or as my Gram’Mabel, god rest her soul, would have said……

Mer’ Cri’ma Chil’ren.

 

We went to Itsty and Poppa Dave’s last night (Neil’s mom and stepdad) and then this afternoon we will go over to Ninni and Poppa’s house…that’s my mom and dad….

But for now, all the presents are opened here at the house.

All the kids are happy.  Lola got a gorgeous antique desk for her room and lots of desk-y type things…just as she wanted.

And here they all are in their new jammies.  Pooite got Batman, Crash got Spiderman, Lola got Hello Kitty, and Little Bubba got Superman.  And of course the big boys humored me by putting them on for a picture.  (The jammie pants are super soft so they will actually wear them.)

with a child size snugglie – the big boys each got one too.

looking a the little things Santa left….big boys got exactly what they wanted…clothes…..new sheets (they each want their rooms re-done)

My favorite pictures are from Thursday.  We took the kids to the mall to see Santa.  Again, the big boys humored us….

The babe was so NOT afraid of Santa….

 

 

Big Brother finally had to pick up the babe so others could have their turn….he didn’t want to leave AT ALL.  

And the culprits are….

Every year Hubby makes about 100 little 3 inch Chocolate Chip Bundt cakes to give to his employees as gifts.  It is a tradition now, he’s been doing it for 10+ years (or something like that.)  It typically takes him a couple of days to get all his baking done – but he always gets it done. 

I DO NOT HELP until the very end when he ALWAYS ends up asking me to help him do the wrapping and tying.  That’s a story for another day….

So this year, he started last Sunday night, got 1/4 of the cakes baked, wrapped in their 1st layer of plastic wrap and he placed them in a big container on the kitchen sink.

Baked another batch on Monday night before he headed out to referee 2 soccer games…wrapped in plastic wrap, and he put this batch on the dining room buffet.

Tuesday morning after the kids and Hubby leave for work and school, I’m sitting in the dining room and I notice 1 small piece of plastic wrap on the floor.  Didn’t think anything of it.  Bent down and picked it up.  It was then that I noticed that there were 9, NINE, little Bundt cakes sitting on the buffet. 

So I called Hubby to ask where are the cakes were….here’s a VERBATIM (haha) account of our conversation

ME:  Hubby, where did you put all the cakes you made last night?

HUBBY:  The dining room my beautiful,  gorgeous wife, why ever do you ask?

ME: Oh no reason my darling.  I’ll have your slippers and dinner waiting for you, my love, when you get home from a long, stressful day at work. 

HUBBY:  Did the dogs eat one of the cakes?

ME:  Nope.  By the way, how many did you make last night?

HUBBY:  23, I think.  Did the dogs eat one of the cakes (a tad more forceful with me this time)

ME:  NOPE (thinking to myself, heck no they didn’t eat ONE, they ate 14!!!!   FOURTEEN freaking CHOCOLATE CHIP cakes with PLASTIC WRAP!!!!!!)

ME:  Ok, gotta go, I love you oh sexy Hubby.

HUBBY:  Goodbye my love.  I’ll think of you and your long beautiful legs all day until I walk thru the door and see you again.

And we got off the phone and I had to reschedule my day to NOW have to re-bake the damn cakes!!!!!

Stupid stupid stupid DOGS.  

I love my dogs.  I really do.  I ought to, I brought both of them home.  (Technically, I convinced Hubby to “let” me have them.  Stop laughing.  I swear if he had said NO, I wouldn’t have gotten them.  Yet.  I just would have worked harder to convince him to say yes)

I told the kids that if they got sick and flipped over on their backs (the dogs, not the kids) I was NOT taking them to the ding dang vet.  They could choke on the cake and plastic wrap for all I cared.  I was so mad!!!!

I didn’t stay mad long and they didn’t die or anything.  And Hubby didn’t kill them so all is well. 

Except for the backyard.  The big kids are NOT going to like having pooper scooper duty this week at all. 

Every stinkin’ year….

I really am going to start just skipping December.

Every December something breaks.

Two years ago, the furnace.

Last year, the water heater.

Today, the washing machine.

I want to throw myself down the stairs. 

 

 

I might look for a new one on Craigslist….will figure it all out tomorrow.  I’ve called the repair guy, will see what they say tomorrow morning.

Cutts gets married, take 2!

So remember back in April when my friend, Cutts, got married? Well she wasn’t super thrilled with the wedding photographer’s pictures.   Lots of people are in that boat.  She just decided to do something about it!  How cool is that. 

So over Thanksgiving, she and Grimmer  and Justine (her step daughter) got dressed up in their wedding day finest and went back to the hotel, with an incredible DIFFERENT photographer…and did it again!!!

The pictures are amazing…

here are some of my favorites.  Cutts had written (like she did back in high school) on the bottom of her shoes

This one is my absolute favorite…

and this one….gorgeous…

this one is so Cutts it just makes me smile….

 

So, Courtney – KUKOS to you for capturing an incredible moment, that yes, was re-created, but they look as happy and in love in these pictures as they did in real life on that day back in April!!!

Make sure you check our her website!!!!! 

http://www.courtneyaliahblog.com/

Way to go Joshy

 

This is my cousin, Josh…(you can check him out at www.joshcox.com  he’s pretty amazing.)

Josh Cox, 35, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., shows off the winner's tape like a boxer's title belt while crossing the finish line to win the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon on Sunday. 

How cool is he?  How cool is it that he is my cousin and I cannot run a lick……  I’m just saying…

For the complete article click HERE.

Let’s recap how much our lives have changed…

This is what i had to say 2 years ago at the time…

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Careful what ya say.

As you can read below in my post dated December 4, you, ok , well, I, need to be very careful what I say. See that last line, look down, where I said and I quote " When I say I am maxed out, I really mean it. Can't. Take. Anymore."
God has a sense of humor folks. Why do i say that you ask...How about this for a laugh..
I am 9 weeks and 2 days pregnant!!!
Now let me tell you why this means God has a sense of humor. I was on those nifty little things called pills. And no, I didn't forget to take one, thank you. I was like of those dumb little teenagers who goes into the doctor for one reason or the other and finds out she is knocked up. I went in for an ultrasound to check for female plumbing problems, which I don't have. And while doing the ultrasound, Oh look, there's a baby, in a bar.
Hubby and bebe's have taken it quite well. I am still a little stunned. Getting used to the idea of the fact that I will never be done at the elementary school (which thank goodness I love it there) but still, I'm going to be the old lady that gives tours and says "I remember way back when this school opened all those years ago".)
Seriously. I am truly maxed out now.

Chips and dip and dip and dip

Even if I didn't know that the baby was mine, I would know he was mine because he LOVES chips and dip. 

Ok, it's really just the dip that he likes.  He thinks the chips are a goofy fork or spoon.  Whatever works I guess.  Here he is on Sunday night licking the dip off the chips.  We give him his own dip bowl - double dipping lessons will come when he is 2........oh - he also plays peeky-boo..yes, peeky-boo....bit camera shy.....you might need to turn the Christmas music (on left sidebar) off to hear him......too cute!

Some family pictures to share

Thanksgiving for us was a trip to Disney World for a Soccer Tournament.  After getting very very very ticked off at us, my mother finally relented and made a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast for us on the Wednesday night before, so we could get up early on Thanksgiving morning to drive to Disney.  We were very Thankful to be able to spend the evening with my family, and especially my brother. 

My brother does NOT like having his picture taken and insisted on making goofy faces every time he saw me try to take a picture.  So, here he is, silly faces and all.

And this is protecting our country…….

And here he is with Crash (who is quite snaggle tooth-ed right now.  His braces will be on by July 2011…) And with my Daddy

Nothing like a finger in a pie……

My brother in the middle of all my bebe’s.  That’s Pootie’s soccer buddy in the top right.  I call him my little Burrito.  We just love him and were so excited that he got to go with us for the tourney.  Sadly, he is moving this coming week back to California. 

Lola at the stairs to the soccer fields at Disney/ESPN Wide World of Sports.  She had the best time, they had a DJ and dance floor – so girl was happy happy happy.   

Crash during his first Friday morning game……

 
And My Little Burrito  holding and being so sweet to little Bubba.  Bubba has asked for him repeatedly. 

 
And this is Bubba with one of his favorite girlies in the world, Maddie.  Bubba LOVES her and she is so sweet with him.  He knows he can say please really sweet to her and she’ll take him to the slides. 

Is this not the cutest thing – he was falling asleep on his Daddy’s shoulders.  And let me say, I think my hubby looks kind of hot in these pictures!

And Lola looking over the parking lot…. I think it was still early one of the mornings….   

Here is Little Bubba Baby eating a banana.  The boy loves bananas – but don’t try to help him or take it out of the peel.  He gets very angry.  And we don’t like it when he gets angry. 

And blowing kisses….

These are from today – I was out blowing leaves in the front yard and yes, holding a camera at the same time.  Thought it was so sweet because Crash and Lola were outside with little Bubba.