Drapes

My 55 year old BFF, Linda, made me some drapes (window treatments for you sophisticates!), for my family room. They are so beautiful and I was so excited to get them up. She told me I would need to find an installer. "Nonsense, Leslie says. Phillip hung all of mine. He and Daniel can do it."

Well, the least I could do was feed them. So, I made a good dinner to butter the boys up and then they set off to work. First stop: family room. Here is what the windows looked like before with lovely, dusty, dirty paper blinds.

Here is what the windo looks like now! Beautiful. Now, I just need new windows. I want the big glass sheets with no lines through them. Add it to the list.

Off to Abby's room. Linda also made drapes for her room. Now, when we moved and Abby got a new bed, she picked her own bedding. She is a cheetah print girl through and through. I wanted darling bedding from Pottery Barn, but she insisted on cheetah print. So, Linda helped make me some panels for her windows. Leslie has suggested a darling paint color shade of blue that I can't wait to get up on the wall. Anyway, Abby had aluminum blinds in her room. So, Phillip and Daniel set off to replace the blinds.

Uh oh. The blinds don't fit. They are about half an inch to short. Daniel is getty cranky. Phillip is determined. Daniel said he is trying to figure out what Jerry would do (my Dad). We should get him a WWJD bracelet, but for him it would mean, "what would Jerry do?". Phillip says, "Well, let's go look for some wood!" And off they go.

Look for some wood?? Is he serious? In our backyard? Are they going to bring in bark from the tree or tear apart our fence. Confused.

So we come downstairs to find all of our kids in the kitchen testing out the new bubble game making set Hannah received for Christmas.

WOW! Time for me to jump in and help before they start using the food coloring. Here I am stirring and mixing.

The kids think I'm crazy. I might be. We divide it up and all give it a try.

Yuck. I recommend store bought bubblegume. The kids agree.

Meanwhile, as I look out the back window. The boys are drinking a beer. Looking for wood, eh? Pretty soon, they come in to report that they couldn't find wood.

Daniel reluctantly heads to Lowes and Phillip and Leslie leave. Of course, as they are getting in their car, Leslie looks up and says, "you really need blinds on that window. You can see straight in." Thanks, Leslie!

Lowes is closed, but Daniel figures out a Jerry-ish way to make it work. I'm so proud I'm singing "i'm proud of you".

Of course, the curtain rod is too big and won't go through the curtain. So, I have to head back to Lowes for like the 50th time to make it right. More pictures to come after tonight's episode!

Game On

When we returned from Christmas, one of the things we both noticed was that Coco, our lab, was looking a little fluffy, like a dog who hadn't exercised in a couple of weeks. I wonder if she looked at me and thought the same thing. (Gee, Mom is looking a little soft. I wonder why she stopped exercising?) I eat for comfort. I have always known this. My very first food memory is in 6th grade. We had just returned from cheerleader tryouts and I didn't make it. It had been a long, emotional day and my parents and sisters were both taking naps. I remember standing in our pantry and eating. I remember thinking how I wasn't hungry, but I couldn't stop eating. Pretty sad, huh? Fast forward 25 years and my move to Houston. I was looking pretty good last spring. Then, the bombshell. I don't know exactly how bad it is, because I am afraid to get on the scale, but it is bad. If I had to guess I would say 15 pounds, but it could be as bad as 20. I am happy now. I no longer need comfort food, but food is addictive. (If you haven't seen the movie "Super Size Me" you must! It is so good. If you live near me, invite me over and I'll watch it with you. Seriously, this will motivate you) So, I've eaten my way through the last 6 months and now it's time to stop. I can't start stopping till January 2nd b/c of 2 more holiday parties and out of town family, but I promise to start eating healthier January 2nd.



This is where you come in. I KNOW there are plenty of you out there that are going to go on a diet. I want you to join me on a 3 month challenge. I am going to have my hubby take a before photo of me. I want you to do it too. You don't have to show them to anyone. It's to serve as inspiration. I am going to do mine in a sports bra and shorts. Mainly because my bathing suit probably doesn't fit, and even if it did I would have to tend to those nether regions....tmi? Sorry!



I am making this a contest. There will be a worthy prize involved. This is not based on weight loss, but best before and after photos. You don't have to send me your before photos now. You can "weight" until you have your sexy after photo to go with it. Now, PLEASE post a comment and let me know you are in this with me and let me know what program, if any you plan to follow. I plan to follow Weight Watchers. So, Annie, you were my inspiration for this so you should be posting. Leslie, you are my best friend so you have to be in. Linda and Fran, you complain all the time about needing to lose weight so you better be in. (it's not that hard to comment, click on post a comment!) Ali, you are already getting skinny so you should be in. Karen, although you don't have an ounce to lose, you also inspired me so I am expecting a comment. Kim, you are taking a trip with a dear friend this spring so don't you want to play???



Pass this along to your friends. Let's motivate and encourage eachother. I will be posting my updates weekly. Although not as brave as Annie, I will tell you how much I'm losing. At some point, I will post my before picture and some updates along the way.



Alright, fire up (that means to get excited in cheerleader speak)! 2009 is almost here!

Cleaning up the House after Christmas

Today's guest blogger is written by none other than my Mom. Thanks for contributing to my blog, Mom. I echo your sentiments. I was just too busy putting my house back together so I didn't have time to write my own entry today!

I love Christmas. I love the music, the lights, the packages, the food, all of it. But I don’t love putting Christmas away. What is it about taking down the Christmas decorations that is so bittersweet? It is at once both melancholy and hopeful. It is an ending and a beginning.
To me, the Christmas tree always looks sad after all the gifts are gone. When all the presents are piled underneath, the tree seems full of the anticipation of the big day. But once the gifts are all opened, the tree just looks bare. Since I usually put my tree up before Thanksgiving, I am ready to get it down after Christmas. But I love the lights and the ornaments, and all the other decorations that make the house seem Christmas-y, so I am at once anxious to get my house back in order, but sad to see the decorations go.
As I put away the ornaments, I am reminded of past Christmases. Time seems to be flying by. Have we really had eight Christmases in our “new” house? Forty-three Christmases as a married couple? How can that be? I remember all the Christmas Eves I spent at my grandmother’s house. She did it well into her eighties. I don’t think I fully appreciated the work that went into those celebrations. In our sixties now, Jerry and I discuss getting a smaller tree and doing “Christmas lite” next year. At what point will I become one of those little old ladies who merely sets out a poinsettia and a fruitcake?
I remember Christmases when our children were small and I am grateful to have grandchildren who are still filled with wonder. Putting away the decorations is symbolic of letting my children go. When the tree is up and laden with gifts, I am filled with the anticipation of having everyone together, around my table. This year our youngest moved to Texas, so we had the joy of having her family stay with us for Christmas. But they left to go home, and the house grew quiet. Just as I have to let go of Christmas, I have to let go of my children. They are doing exactly what we raised them to do: they are leading productive, independent lives. As much as I love Christmas, I really wouldn’t want to have it 365 days a year. And I probably wouldn’t really want to go back in time (well, maybe for a day or two). There are lots of pluses that come with the empty nest.
Putting the decorations away is a backbreaking job. It’s so much more fun to put them up. But there is also an excitement of getting things back in order, back to normal. Getting the house cleaned up is a reminder of the fresh start that the New Year brings. There is something energizing about getting the job done. Maybe I’ll finally lose weight, write that book, learn Italian. A house in order seems to make all things possible. And there is a new anticipation about what 2009 will bring. God willing, we will all be together to celebrate another Christmas.

Arbys

Well, we made it back in one piece with a ridiculously packed car. It was pouring down rain and that is an understatement. Daniel was admiring all the other cargo racks and luggage rack gear of the other drivers. Guess I'm not the only one getting old. We got the kids unpacked and they wanted to go straight to Walmart to spend their gift cards they received for Christmas. Afterwards, our eating binge continued and we drove thru Arbys. Our order took so long that they made us "pull ahead and wait". Daniel decided it would be better to go in and wait for the order so he could double check it. While he was in there, he did a little bonding with the Arbys workers. He told them a little story which made me think I really needed to share with all of my loyal readers (all 3 of you!). He will probably kill me, but it will be worth it.

When Daniel was 16 he got a job at the Arbys around the corner from his house. Once, an elderly gentleman ordered a coffee, and Daniel, being the dedicated employee he was, filled this man's coffee cup with au jus!!! The man took one sip and reported, "this is very unusual, but delicious coffee". I don't think Daniel worked there much longer.

We're Getting Old

Yesterday I posted about all of my wondeful finds at Soma and how I felt like that might age me a little bit. Tonight I gathered with 6 of my high school friends for dinner. Midway through the dinner I just started chuckling. At that point our conversations had consisted of: divorice, high blood pressure, weight gain, heart attacks, and breast cancer. WHEN did we get this old??? When did I start getting excited when there wasn't a line at the blood pressure cuff at the pharmacy? When did the heartburn start? When will it stop? When did elastic get so comfortable? When will my blue jeans fit comfortably again? When did 10:00 become bedtime and not the start of a big night out? When did those lines on my forehead appear? (One time, a few years ago, my precious Abby was giving me a nice backrub when she decide to roll me over and trace my face. I realized that she was tracing my wrinkles, but it felt so good how could I care? Then she started tracing my "lines" on my neck. Then she started commenting on how many lines I actually had! Kids are so honest!) Anyways, when did I get old???

Misc. Thoughts About Christmas

1) Hannah (10) came down this morning and saw all the loot Santa brought her. She turned around and looked at me and said, "wait a minute. All these things have tags on them." She looked like the lightbulb had come on and I could see her thoughts whirling in her mind. "Does Santa steal?" LOL...wasn't expecting that thought!!!

2) Soma- have you ever shopped there? This probably really makes me an official middle aged woman, but I love it! It is like Victoria's Secret for Moms and Grandmas! Everyone shopping for me did their part to help Soma's stock. I got 2 pairs of super soft, comfy pjs, a wonderful sweatsuit, some other items I won't mention here and I bought my mother-in-law a robe from Soma. You can shop online if you don't have a Soma near you. You will be hooked!!

3) The Pioneer Woman- I have been hooked on her blog all week. She is a darling "city girl" who fell in love with a "country guy" and lives on a ranch. Her website is awesome, but my favorite part is her own love story that she is recounting. It is called "From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". You can read it at your own leisure, but trust me, it's addicting. I spent a couple of hours yesterday mesmerized and couldn't STOP reading.

4)The Rockettes- I took the girls (along with my Mom and sister) to see the Rockettes while we were in Tulsa. They were fabulous. This was my 3rd time to see them and it never gets old! My personal favorite is the Dance of the Toy Soldiers. Awesome!

5) 90 Minutes in Heaven- This is a true story by Don Piper. After I finished reading about the Pioneer Woman's Love Story, I moved on to a true story about a man who was in a car wreck and pronounced dead at the scene. He remained lifeless and pulseless for 90 minutes. He recalls his story of his 90 minutes in Heaven. It is also mesmerizing. I should finish tonight. I recommend it to everyone. It is a very easy read that will send goosebumps up and down your spine!

6) Marley and Me- I really can't wait to see it, but more than that, I hope Jen kicks Brad's rear at the Box office this weekend. Just wanted you to know!

Merry Christmas!!!

Amanda

On the Road Again...

Well, we have logged more miles in the last 4 months than I think we have in all our 12 years of marriage. I cannot put into words how much work it was doing laundry, packing, loading, getting the shopping finished, etc. in order to get out of town. We left after church on Sunday and headed to Rockwall, TX to see my Grandmother. She is 87 years old and I've started wondering when I see her if this might be the last time. So, as much of a hassle as it was to completely unload the car (gifts, luggage and all), we stayed with Mimi Sunday night. I think she enjoyed having us invade her little apartment and I am thankful to have spent time with her, as well, as my kids being able to spend time with her.

We re-loaded the car early this morning and headed for Tulsa. It is so cold here that it is shocking. I think the high today is 25. yikes!!! I am not used to this. Cold for me now is the upper 40s. Anyway, we are here, unloaded once again, and YES it is all worth it.

In fact, having to get everything finished for Christmas so early allows me time to just enjoy being with family and time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. God GAVE us His Son. I can't even imagine. I love all of my friends and family, but could never GIVE one of my daughters up for them. I am innately a sinner. I try to be good, but I fall WAY short. I am SO thankful that God sent His Son for me and for you!!! Merry Christmas to all!!!

A Picture Post

Abby and friend Quentin on Christmas Light Tour Hayride:


Friends Sarah, Katherine, Hannah and Grace on hayride:

Abby working on her Gingerbread house at her class party:

Ellie Grace at her class party decorating a gingerbread man:

Hannah and her friend Sarah:

Hannah and Mom at her class party:

Ellie Grace and Mom at her class party:

Abby and Mom at class party (yes, I counted this as cardio running back and forth!):

Why I Should Get Lots Of Presents

I found this letter today in Abby's backpack. I love it...

The Family Meal

It is so hard, this day and age, to have a family dinner. Our kids are all involved in different activities, Dad might have to stay late at work, or we have something going on. It seems Sundays after church is the only guaranteed time I have to get my family around the table at the same time. When I was growing up, not only did we always have family dinners, but somehow, my Mom managed to pull off the family breakfast. We were all expected at the table at a certain time and while we were eating my Dad would read a short devotional followed by a prayer and that's how we always started our day. This week I was convicted that my family should be doing this. We started on Monday. It meant getting up about 20 minutes earlier and giving up precious sleep, but we were going to give it our best shot. We told the girls they were expected to be ready for school at 7:00 and that's when we would be starting our breakfast. We have managed to do it every day this week. Not only is it wonderful precious time with eachother, but our mornings have been much less frazzled. We seem to have extra time...I guess this goes back to the property of tithing. We are giving God the firstfruits of each day and somehow the time seems to be given back to us. At the beginning of the year, I plan to add to the tradition. My friend, Katie, keeps her Christmas cards in a basket near her table. They prayer for a different family each day. I can't wait to start this tradition with my family.

It's the Hap-Happiest Season of All

And the busiest too...I've been thinking alot about being busy this holiday season. I've been listening to my friends talk about how busy they are and how much there is to do. I know we all want to keep the focus on the true meaning of Christmas, but the other things are fun too. I've been wondering what I could cut out during Christmas to make life less busy, and I'm not sure that I would. For instance, last weekend we were super busy. We had the Sunday School party at our house on Friday night. I loved it. I wouldn't change that. Saturday I took the girls to the Nutcracker. We all loved it. Wouldn't want to miss it. Saturday night was the church Christmas program. Awesome! Wouldn't want to miss it! Sunday night was dinner with family. Precious time. Wouldn't want to give that away. Yesterday I baked goodies all day. Not only was it fun because I did it with a friend, but now we have yummy treats and gifts. Today I have been wrapping presents all morning. Although I don't particularly enjoy wrapping gifts, I love the way they look under the tree and I love watching family and children unwrap gifts and seeing the looks of happiness and surprise on their faces when they do. Friday I will spend all afternoon at school parties helping kids make gingerbread houses. That's the reason I am a stay at home mom--so I can do these things with my kids. I need to do laundry, start to pack to go out of town, finish last minute shopping, load the car, etc. etc. As much as I dread that, I wouldn't want to miss Christmas with extended family in Tulsa. So, I am going to try my best to NOT complain about the busy-ness. But, I would LOVE to hear from anyone out there if there is something YOU could do without this holiday season. Looking forward to your comments!

Christmas Cooking

Today my friend Leslie came over and we baked goodies ALL day. Literally, we baked ALL DAY! We actually started last night and then got together at 9:00 this morning and she just left and it is 4:30. Baking is one of those things that I don't do that often. I can cook a great meal, but sweets are not my forte. We thought it would be so much more fun if we got together to bake our goodies. And, it was so much more fun! We had to bake cookies for the teacher cookie exchange, some for presents and some for our families. We made red velvet cake balls, thumbprints, peanut butter blossoms, and fudge. We were even able to sneak in a couple of glasses of wine so that also makes everything more fun! Below are some pics of the fruit of our efforts and a cute pic of Leslie in her Santa apron!

Life Is Precious

Today I was able to reconnect with a dear friend. She was actually my babysitter growing up and we were able to connect on facebook. She has a beautiful family with 3 children, 1 of which is in Heaven. He went to be with Lord much too early and I have not been able to get it off of my mind all day. Life is short. Life is precious. We don't know when our last day is. We don't know when our last day with our loved ones will be. Tonight I am going to hug my kids a little tighter and tell my husband how much I love him. Tonight if one of my kids crawls in my bed I will cherish it. I will try to remember not to sweat the little things this holiday season and focus on what is really important. Tonight I am thanking God for my precious family and for health and happiness.

The Nutcracker

On Saturday, my Aunt Raini treated the girls and me to the Houston Nutcracker. I don't think they have ever seen it. hannah might have seen it a long time ago, but didn't remember it. My cousins, Jacque and Courtney, went with us. We started by having lunch at this really nice restaurant inside of Saks. The pianist invited the girls to come sing. Hannah and Abby jumped at the chance and sang Jingle Bells at the top of their lungs for our dining enjoyment.

After lunch, we headed downtown to the Nutcracker. It is so neat to see all of the little girls dressed up with their Moms and Grandmothers (and Aunts!) in anticipation of the Nutcracker. The show was fabulous. I cannot believe how much the girls loved it. They have been dancing and twirling all weekend. We bought Nutcrackers for souvenirs that even went to church with us today! What a fun day!

Meet My Turkey

I would like to introduce you to my turkey. For the past 2 days, I have been washing, brining, turning, brining some more, rinsing, rubbing and pretty much playing with this turkey. It was a monsterous 23 pound turkey that I wanted to cook for our Sunday School class party. I used the William Sonoma turkey brine and William Sonoma turkey rub. When I walked in my door today after it had been cooking for several hours I could not believe how good my house smelled. In fact, I called my friend Leslie and told her she had to come smell my turkey. After telling me that sounded funny, she came right over like a good friend. I practically pushed her head in my oven so she could see my beautiful feat! This turkey was the most beautiful, juciest turkey I have ever made! The white meat was as juicy as the dark meet. The skin was a golden, juicy brown. The rub was delicious. I love it when I spend this much time on something and it comes out just the way you want it!

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Well, the weather outside IS frightful. I cannot believe I am posting about this, but it is SNOWING today in Houston. The kids are SO excited. They have been outside running around in it. We are expected to get an accumulation, but it is still fun. They haven't had snow in 4 years. They hadn't had a hurricane in 20 years before Ike. I guess we brought all the weird weather with us!!!

So Much to Blog About...

Man, do I ever have a jam packed week of activities to blog about...Let's start with the actual day itself, Thanksgiving. What a fun day of family and food! We are blessed to have so much family on each side. We started the day over at Daniel's parents house. Both of his brothers were there with their families, as well as some extended family. It was a beautiful day outside. The kids enjoyed a game of football and red rover outside while they waited on the meal. We had the chance to enjoy a meal with both of his brothers at the same time...which rarely happens since we all live in different cities! The picture you see here is of Daniel's parents with all of their grandkids.

We then went for meal #2 over at my parent's house. Only one of my sisters was able to be there this year, but it was still fun. Her teenage girls were excited that they got to be promoted to the "big table" since Allison and Scott were with Scott's family. We ate until we couldn't eat any more. In fact, I had to put on elastic waist pants just to do the dishes...those workout pants came in handy after all!!!

I don't want to miss this opportunity to list the things I am thankful for: my husband's job in this economy, healthy kids, new friends, old friends, the grace of Jesus Christ who forgives me each time I mess up, and many other blessings that are too numerous to count. Oh, it's a tradition at the Carona house that each year one of us says we are thankful for Coach Bob Stoops, and this year is no different! Boy, we love that man!!!

We headed back on Friday, which was really nice. We had Friday evening to unpack and do laundry and get settled so we could enjoy our Saturday, before settling in to watch OU beat OSU!!!

Obnoxious, Bragging Mom Alert!

Ok, this is really obnoxious, I know, to brag about your kids, but it is, afterall, my blog soooo.... Hannah is on a gymnastics team. While we were in Tulsa she had some private lessons at her old gym. We absolutely LOVE the coaches at SSB and highly recommend them! Anyway, she mastered her back tuck on the floor and can now do a full twist on the tumble track. She was pretty excited. I think I am so excited because I was such a terrible tumbler. I did what I could to get over safely on my backhandsprings in order to make the cheer squad, and really never improved after that. My poor parents shelled out thousands on that backhandspring. Luckily, this comes more naturally to Hannah. I am attaching a couple of videos...very short...they just show her tumbling passes. Thanks for humoring this proud Mama!

The Game!

When we found out we were moving this summer, one of the things that bummed us out the most was missing OU football games. We decided then and there that we would come home early for Thanksgiving and go to the OU Tech game. We knew it wouldn't be a huge game, but thought it would be fun--well, boy, were we wrong! We would have never dreamed it was THE GAME of the year. My whole family went, which is unusual. Allison and Scott hardly ever get to go because of Jack's football schedule and the fact that their kids are so little. We had a GREAT tailgate party. Dad smoked brisket and pulled pork. I got to see my cute niece, who is now a freshman at OU. Daniel got to wear that lovely parka. I got to spend time with the family. AND, we got to watch the best football game ever!!!! What a blast! Hoping for a repeat this weekend!!!

Mother Knows Best

We got in VERY late Friday night after driving all day from Houston to Tulsa. Saturday, we loaded up and headed out to the big OU Tech game. (More on that later!) As we were walking out the door, Daniel's Mom asked him where his coat was. "I don't have one, but I have on several layers and this big sweatshirt." To which she replied, "Here, take this lovely parka with you. I saved it from your high school swimming days. It's really warm. I used to put it on you when you got out of the pool." Daniel said, "Mom, I don't need that". I advised him to make his mother happy and take the parka. It turned out to be pretty cold and although not at all fashionable, the parka provided warmth. It also provided for lots of laughs!!! Check out my little cookie monster below!!

Careful, we can hear you laughing!!!!

Things I Wish I Could Check Off My List

Going to the grocery store- we always have to go back

Laundry- there's always more

Exercise- why can't we ever be "done" with this?

Cleaning- Erma Bombeck said housework is like stringing beads with no knot at the end. As soon as you put one on another one is falling off

What do you wish you could check off your list? Would love your comments on this one!

Deck The Halls

Sunday after my parents left we dragged out all of the Christmas stuff to start decorating the house. I know, you are thinking this is ridiculously early. It is, but since we are leaving town Friday for a week, this was really our chance to do it. It's kinda tricky decorating in a new house. You have to find "new homes" for all of your decorations. Most everything has found it's place and the house looks very festive, but I do have one last box and a few items on my dining room table. This is quite a bit of work for 4 weeks worth of decorations!!!

The fun part was finding several things that we "lost" when we moved. I think the packers just stuck some random things in the Christmas boxes so it was nice to reclaim those items (i.e. the shelf that goes above our toilet!)

Oh, and I promised my friend Karen that I would decorate my tree in my I love Tulsa tank top...sorry Karen, I failed you!!!

Gold Medals

Hannah had her first gymnastics meet of the season on Saturday in Victoria, Texas. Daniel, being the great husband and dad that he is, agreed to take her to the all day meet so that I could spend the day with my parents. She is on a tumbling and trampoline team. You might not know, but trampoline is actually an olympic sport. And, if you are laughing at that, go outside on your kids trampoline and try to bounce without moving all over the trampoline. Throw flips and twist in the mix and it's really tough. She LOVES it. The girl can go for hours jumping and tumbling and never wants to stop. She was so excited, she got first on the Double Mini (it's basically like a spring board and your run, jump on the board and do some sort of twist down) and she got 1st in females on the tramp. (a boy beat her!) They didn't compete on floor this time. She was super excited and even wore her medals to school today.

A Dining Marathon

My parents came in town this weekend. We had such a great time, but all we did was eat! No wonder I can't lose weight!!! Friday night, my Aunt had us over. She promised she would keep it simple, but she managed to work all day and come home and throw together a wonderful meal of prime rib, homemade mac and cheese, salad, and asparagus. It was delicious.

Saturday morning we went out for a great breakfast and then headed out to The Nutcracker Market. Now, for those of you who live in Tulsa, this is like the Holiday Mart times 1000! It is HUGE!!! And that's an understatement. We got there about 10:15. The doors opened at 10:00. The line to get tickets was at least a quarter mile long. Crazy! It was so packed when we got inside that you could hardly shop. Now, some women love this kind of crazy, deal finding, fight with stranger shopping, but not me. In fact, I can't stand it! We lasted about 2 hours before heading out to much less stressful shopping.

Saturday night I had invited my good friend Leslie to go have drinks with us before dinner. Her hubby was out of town so she came solo. My Mom wanted to meet the gal that saved me from my loneliness here. I guess they passed the test because we were able to convince Leslie to go to dinner with us. As luck would have it, it was her birthday so I'm glad she had a night out.

We went to a great Italian Restaurant called Amici's in Town Square here in Sugar Land. It was absolutely delicious. My Mom was quite smitten with the Maitre'd, Bruno, pictured next to Fran. I was quite smitten with the food!!

This morning they went to church with us and then we went out for a HUGE brunch at the club. Seriously, all we did was eat! It was a great weekend and I am thrilled they came!

Blog Award

I have been tagged with a blog award. This might be my first and only blog award ever!!!

The rules of the award are as follows:

1: Post the award on my blog
2: Link to the person who gave it to me...http://paperdolldesignsblog.blogspot.com/
3: Link to the originating post - here
4: Pass the award on to 5 people.
5: Post the rules for the recipients

So, I am awarding my sister, Allison, who gave into peer pressure and started a blog. Number 2 goes to my friend "P", who has two great blogs. The third award goes to my friend Annie, who was part of my inspiration for starting a blog. Fourth goes to my friend, Alethia, another one who gave into peer pressure. And last, but not least, my childhood friend, Lori, who is in the process of adopting from Ghana.

Pass it on, girls!!!

Hormones

Being the mother of 3 girls, I have been bracing myself since the first birth for the day the hormones kick in. Poor Daniel, surrounded by 3 daughters, 1 wife and 2 female dogs. The other day I heard Hannah crying in her room. I went in there to check on her and she said, "I don't know why I am crying!" Oh brother..not this. The other day, when we were on our way to College Station, she started crying and said, "Mommy, it's happening again." To which I replied, "what is?" and she said, "I'm crying and I don't know why!" Oh goodness. Puberty is going to be long and rough. And, Hannah, if you are reading this, please don't cry!!!

The Real Tailgate Party

Saturday we drove to College Station to watch OU and A&M play. It was an easy drive...only about an hour and a half. I was really excited about this because my Uncle Larry is infamous for his tailgate parties and we invited ourselves!! His daughters both went there and he now has a son there and one that's a senior in high school. Kristen, his oldest, couldn't go to the game, but Kelly, Josh and Jason were all there. It had been so long since I had seen them. They have grown up so much, and Kelly is just beautiful!! Anyway, I mentioned how excited the kids were about this. When we were getting close I announced that we were 5 minutes away. Ellie Grace asked "5 minutes from what?" I replied, "the football game". To which she said, "Oh, man! When are we going to do that thing where we sit in chairs?" Too cute!!! They absolutely LOVED the tailgate party. He puts on quite a spread. They get there the day before the game to set up the tent and claim their space right across from Kyle Field. He brings in a whole set-up. We feasted on brisket, shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, pasta salad, cole slaw, dips, cookies, brownies...you name it! They even had some little games set up like horseshoes, etc. The kids didn't want to leave. We did make it to the game. Football speaking, it was a blowout, which was nice because we were sitting in the sun and it was hot! We stayed to watch the bands. The A&M band was AMAZING and the kids loved watching them. It really made the OU band performance seem a little high school! We stopped back at the tailgate party and stayed for awhile. It was just so much fun. We are going to go back next season and not even go into the game!!!

Tailgating

This weekend we had plans to go to the A&M vs. OU game in College Station. My uncle Larry tailgates there every game so we made plans to tailgate with them. The girls have never tailgated. So...I described what we would be doing at a tailgate party. "We sit in these chairs, eat lots of food, visit with friends, listen to football on the radio..." The girls had a precious idea of having a "practice tailgate party". We got out the chairs and set them up in the driveway, they brought the cd player outside and we rocked out to High School Musical 3 while the girls cheered with pom pons and danced in the street, waiting for Daddy to come home with Chik-Fil-A. We had our very own block party! It was super fun!!!

Electric Houses

Today Daniel and I had the privilege of going to school to view the 4th Grader's electric houses. This was something they have been working on in science. They had to start with a shoe box and wire the house using a battery to make the house "work". They had light bulbs and ceiling fans (miniature, of course). It was really quiteimpressive. They then decorated their rooms for fun. Hannah was assigned the game room. She did a great job and she loved having us at school to show off her work. She also loved that we brought her Chik-Fil-A for lunch. I have attached a picture of Hannah with her BFF from school, Sarah. Sarah is a darling girl that we met at Meet the Teacher and they have been inseparable ever since.

Trick or Treat

We started off our Halloween at a friend's house. She had a little get together from 4 to 6 which was just great. We would have been sitting at home asking how long till it gets dark. They had dinner, arts and crafts, a pinata and cupcake decorating. It was a lot of fun and a great way to pass the time. When it was time for trick or treating, Hannah went with several friends in the neighborhood. I was thrilled for her that she was included, but the Mom in me was kinda sad we got dissed. Daniel and I took the girls to church for a carnival. It was fun..they had lots of inflatables and games. We topped that off with trick or treating in the neighborhood. The weather was absolutely perfect. Abby and Ellie Grace both dressed up as different versions of Gabriella from High School Musical, and Hannah was a gymnast. Oh, and I guess I should mention it was Daniel's birthday. Poor Dad! He always gets the short end of the stick. We will be celebrating this weekend!!!

Scooby Doo

I know you probaby figured I would be posting pictures of my kids, but first things first. Daniel and I were invited to an awesome Halloween party. We dressed up with our friends, Leslie and Phillip, as the gang from Scooby Doo. I cannot believe I actually got Daniel to get into a costume, but he really got in touch with his inner Shaggy. He did a great voice to boot! The party was at this beautiful house complete with buffet, full bar, and d.j. When we walked in the door, we received applause and the d.j. immediately started playing The theme from Scooby Doo. It was really hilarious!