Pictures from the weekend

This was taken on Thanksgiving Day as I tried to get a picture for our Christmas card. Rest assured, I did, but I thought this one was too cute not to share!

My mother-in-law came in Friday to Saturday to do some shopping. Yesterday, we made a trek to the ornament shop. Her sister, Peg, was supposed to come with us, but couldn't make it. The boys were really good in the shop with only one thing knocked over which didn't break! I buy matching ornaments for the boys every year-so they'll each have a full set when they are adults. I also picked up a couple of others as gifts. It was a great day!

Now, we await a snowstorm! We are supposed to have 10 inches by morning! I love this time of year!

Meme

Thanks +JMJ+ for including me in this meme-I was hoping to get tagged for this one!

These are the rules: Pass this on to 5 blogging friends. Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56. Write the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that.

My book: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux: The Story of a Soul.

Page 56, Sentence 5:

One cannot really understand this torture unless one has suffered it. It's quite impossible to tell what I suffered for eighteen months. Even the simplest of of my thoughts and acts become a source of worry.

I pass this on to:

Corinne at Struggling towards Heaven
Evy at Yes, They are all mine
Amy at Escape into my Thoughts
Kim at It's a Dog and Pony Show
Sydney at Diapers and Deadlines

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Besides being Thanksgiving, it is my Daddy's birthday. On the years his birthday fell on Thanksgiving, he would call himself the turkey. We lost him to cancer 2 1/2 years ago. He would have been 71. I miss him terribly, but I take comfort in the fact that he and Mom are together. I know they will be smiling down on us as we celebrate the day together as a family with most of my siblings, their spouses, nieces and nephews. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for many things-my family, my faith and my friends. I am happy to call many of you friends. May God bless each and every one of you and your families. I will include you in my prayers today as I thank God for the many blessings in my life!

More Ornament Fun!

To see the ornaments from last week, click here.

This cute little Santa is from 2002. I have to say I had absolutely nothing to do with this one. It suddenly returned to me why. My Dad was doing chemo and radiation during this holiday season, and I was pregnant with Drew and very pukey. Andy did these all on his own, and did a great job! These are made from your classic homemade salt dough. Santa's head is an upside-down heart, and he is painted. That's it! I think he's cute, don't you?

This wreath was our ornament from 2003. Andy and I enjoy taking pieces and parts from things and putting it together. We go crazy with glue guns-in a couple of weeks, we'll have the burn marks to prove it! Anyway, the greens were snipped from one of those mini trees you can buy at any craft store. The red berries were clipped apart from red bead strings, and the bows are from a decorate you mini-tree kit. This one is one of Andy's favorites, but all I remember is ALL THE GLUE!

Next Monday-my favorite ornament of the set!

More Michael-isms

As many of you know, this is Michael. He is so far, my youngest (God willing, he won't be the last!), and to date, my most challenging. With a birthday of September 2nd, he won't be going to K4 in September, so I get an extra year with him. He is spunky, this one!

See that hat? He wouldn't wear one last year. Even the tie on ones, he work his way out of. Yesterday it was really cold out. It was time. We had to run into Daddy's work. He told me, "I'm not wearing the hat!" After telling him we wouldn't see Daddy then, he relented. However, lest everyone thinks the hat didn't fit, he refuses to pull it down on his head and over his ears. I guess we'll call this progress.

So, in the middle of my dear, sweet Michael telling me "No!" yet again, I told him, "You're not the boss." He replied, "You're not the boss!" I said, "Hey, you don't talk to Mama like that." His response, "Hey, you don't talk to Michael like that!"

Finally, this morning, Andy and I were taking a moment and chatting. Something we never have enough time to do! Michael walked into our room and said, "Dad, stop talking to Mom. Take my hand. Come play with me!" All at the tender age of 3! It is going to be a long 2 years until he goes to school.

Small Fry is having a Contest!

It's Small Fryday's Contest! MckMama is a blogger that I have grown to know and love reading about. During the summer, she was told that her precious baby, Stellan, still in her tummy was not going to live. A few weeks and a million prayers later, Stellan was born, and he is perfectly healthy!!! You really should check out her blog!

Now, Small Fry who is a beautiful little girl is having a contest and giving away lots of goodies! You can check that out here! You'll be glad you did!

Blog Addiction

68%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

H/T to Therese for the quiz.

Too cute! F x 4

This is my little wild boy! Check out more fun at Candid Carrie!

Unbelievable!

I just filled my tank. I was on "E"-light was on and everything. I pulled into the gas station, and to my surprise, saw $1.79/gallon! I checked out the 6 month history, and 6 months ago, we were paying over $4/gallon. I may not like the economy right now, but I sure do like what I am paying for gas! Hopefully, this will start to reflect at the grocery store!

A Retraction!

I need to print a retraction about something I wrote the other day. I had incorrectly written that the "turkeys" (K4 students) in my sons' school were going to be "shot" during their Thanksgiving play. This actually is not going to happen and never had plans to happen.

I never want to picture my sons' school in a negative light-it is an AWESOME school, and we are blessed to be a part of the community. Consider the earlier post a kind of urban legend which has been debunked, and always remember-CHECK YOUR FACTS!

What Color are you?

My friend, Evy, posted this quiz. Curious, I tried it.

you are seagreen #2E8B57

Your dominant hues are cyan and green. Although you definately strive to be logical you care about people and know there's a time and place for thinking emotionally. Your head rules most things but your heart rules others, and getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy some days. Your saturation level is higher than average - You know what you want, but sometimes know not to tell everyone. You value accomplishments and know you can get the job done, so don't be afraid to run out and make things happen. Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Wordless Wednesday

Drew to Michael, softly, "Michael, don't ever do that again. It is dangerous." (Sorry they are a little out of focus, they were moving!)

Untraditional Traditions, Candid Carrie style!

Candid Carrie: Untraditional Traditions, The Snowflake Cake

Candid Carrie is having a contest and all I have to do is post about an untraditional tradition. Well, I have heard there is a new one starting at my sons' school this year. It is always the custom at our school for the K5 and 1st grade classes to re-enact the first Thanksgiving and have a feast. The K5 students are the Native Americans and the 1st graders are the Pilgrims. My son, Drew, is in K5 and has been practicing his line, "I'm a little Indian boy, I will cook the meat."

Last year was the inaugural year of our K4 program. Drew was in it. This year's K4 class has been invited to the Thanksgiving festivities-as the TURKEYS! Their role in the play? They are going to be shot. Yes, that's right-shot! I am chuckling over this, but I have heard that some of the K4 parents are not happy. Well, at least we're learning how the turkeys get to the table! :)

Christmas Preparations!

Andy and I have begun our annual Christmas project. In 2000, we began a tradition of making ornaments. We make a ton of them, 50-60, and we primarily give them out at Andy's office, but we also give them to family and friends. At Andy's office, they are already asking what this year's ornament will be. It is a lot of fun. On the boy's last day of school before break, I pick them up, and we go to the college and go office to office handing them out.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share what we've done leading up to this year's ornament. It is hard to believe that this is our 9th ornament, but we have a lot of fun designing them and making them. The kids like to help, too! My secret ambition is to one day have them published in an ornament making guide. Our first ornaments were OK, but as the years go on, we have come up with some really great ideas.

Today, I am sharing our ornaments from 2000 and 2001.

This reindeer was from 2000. It is the one that started it all. It is made from 2 clothespins, paint, googly eyes and a bit of ribbon.

This one was from 2001. It is very simple, and honestly, not one of my favorites, but it is a part of the collection, and as such deserves to be shown. Since 2001, we have thought and designed a lot, so as never to have a repeat of 2001!

Check back next Monday for more ornament fun!

Which Board Game are you?

You Are Checkers

You are very logical and rational. You are able to understand what is and isn't a factor. You're able to compartmentalize and focus on the essentials. You appreciate simplicity. You can see the layers of complexity and beauty in anything. You are also playful and good natured. You don't take life too seriously!

What Board Game Are You?

The funny thing is that I usually lose at Checkers!!! Thanks to Therese at Aussie Coffee Shop for finding this one!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Today is my Mom's birthday. She would have been 69 today, but God decided to take her home in 2004. This picture is from early 2001. My Mom is holding my oldest, Peter (left), and my nephew, Tim, my sister's youngest. They were born 12 days apart, and my Mom loved holding both of them together. Mama, to me, Nonni to my boys, also called Nana, Mimma, and Grandmaw (had to add the Texas drawl to that one!)-we miss you and love you! Happy Birthday!

Thanks a lot, Lisa! ;)

I was on the phone with my friend, Lisa, this morning, and she mentioned a show that she and her husband watched this week. It is new to SciFi channel-called Cha$e. It is another reality show, but it takes gaming to another level. She raved about it and even said it was family friendly.

I checked out the website, and watched the first episode with my son, Peter. It is like a real-life video game. Ten contestants-runners-have to run from the hunters. The end goal is to avoid the hunters for 60 minutes (if they tag you, you're eliminated) and make it through the exit point first. The hunters are dressed like they are from Men in Black. Runners have utilites to keep the hunters at bay. It was really on the edge of your seat fun! So, like I said in the title, thanks a lot, Lisa, another must watch show!

The monkey in the room! F X 4

This picture was taken in Peter's room in the reading corner. For students who complete their reading goal every month this year, they will receive a stuffed monkey. All the kids in the class love the one in the reading corner!

Time of the year

November is a hard time of the year for me. It used to be the busiest because between my family and Andy's we have literally like 10 birthdays. Couple that with the holidays and our anniversary-it is a lot! Within the past few years, we've lost 2 very important birthdays, my Mom and Dad's.

I've been in a bad mood today. I've been trying not to focus on the fact that Sunday is Mom's birthday. She would have been 69. She was only 64 when she died. I always think of the movie Stepmom, and the line where Julia Roberts is talking about the teenage daughter being an adult and saying, "I miss my Mom." That line so resonates with me because not a day goes by that I don't think that. I miss my Mom.

This morning, Andy told me that he had been talking with a co-worker who actually used to work with my Mom. She was telling him how Mom would come in every day, sit down (always at a different cubby), pull out all of her pictures of her children and grandchildren and arrange them in her workspace so she could see everyone. I never knew she did that. She never had the opportunity to do that with my kids as by the time my oldest was born, she had had to stop working because she was losing her vision. My oldest, Peter, has vague memories of her. My other two, nothing. Drew was only a year when she died, and Michael never knew her. It makes me so sad that my boys are growing up without my Mom and Dad here.

My Mom suffered so much her last four years of life. Her vision, her COPD, and finally the cancer, and the complications of the surgery that should have saved her. She told my sister that she was going to offer up her suffering so that none of her grandchildren would lose their Catholic faith. She offered up her pain and suffering so beautifully. I love you, Mama, and oh how I miss you and Daddy!