The Holidays In Review

This year, the holidays have had a little bit of a different feel. Not necessarily in a negative way, just slower perhaps, quite the opposite from the lighting speed we are more accustomed to during this season. Don't get me wrong though, we certainly have been busy with all the preparations, parties and more preparations that I don't think any of us will ever be able to escape.

But let me rewind just a bit, to Thanksgiving, when my sister, Gib and I ran our first 5K together in the Gobble Hobble. Now that was a great experience.



And better, yet, Gib placed third in his age group!!!



Then, in early December, we reflected on the true meaning of Christmas as we toured the town of Bethlehem. Central Presbyterian Church of Waxahachie offers this re-enactment of the night when "there was no room at the inn" every year, free to all. It was so moving. A sure tradition for years to come.



We also had the opportunity to see the First Annual Tree Lighting at Watters Creek. I love this European feeling shopping center. So very elegant.



Speaking of elegant, just look at those girls. From left to right; Brooke, Taylor, Maren, Zoe and Anna. Yes, I do think there might be a couple of extra's in there but I really don't remember who anymore! :)



Here, Gib is laughing about something that probably shouldn't be repeated, and Blake is pretending not to hear.



Anna, along with Maren and Collin, was invited to perform at Santa's Village this year. Pardon the blurry photo, but if you squint, you might be able to see her dancing in the middle front in the red choir robe. Oh, and I'll also take this moment to mention that she made the drillteam for the 2009-2010 school year! She is sooo excited.



And then the day finally arrived. Oh the magic of Christmas morning. Ryan had almost as much fun as we did watching him. Later that night, as I was tucking him into bed, his eyes were barely open but he muttered,

"Mommy, I had such a great Christmas, and I loved opening all the presents, but why do you think Santa didn't bring me the red robot?

My heart sank. How could I have missed the one present he asked me about nearly every day? So, on the 26th, we (Anna, Maren, Brooke and I) braved the mall and quickly found the store where the red robots were sold. YES! They still had a few left and they were half price! I wasn't sure how to give it to him, though, then Maren had a very clever idea...

After we got home we noticed some large sticks on the roof, so Maren climbed up to toss them down, but low and behold what did she find, but a lonesome present, lying by the chimney! She called for Ryan and he came running outside.

"Ryan, Ryan, there is a present up here on the roof. It must have fallen out of Santa's sleigh!"

(Ryan was literally jumping up and down.)

"What is it? What is it!!!???

"I think it might be a red robot!"

"For me? WOW!"

Oh, the smile he had on his face! Pure joy! And, as you can imagine, that sweet boy hasn't stopped playing with it since. He even commented about how next year, when he mails his letter to Santa, he needs to include a thank you note for all that he received this year. I nearly cried. OK, I did cry a little. But how do you not after all of that?



It was a different kind of holiday season, slower in a sense. Maybe the economy dictated most of that, but slow can be good. And with it all we were reminded, once again, that good things come to those who wait.

Blessings to you all!

The Ugly Sweater Cookie Exchange

Susan brought the gingerbread,



Amy made some fabulous toffee,



Anna and Ryan garnished sugar cookies with silver,



And the infamous zebra nipples made an appearance too!



It was a sugar filled day all around.



But nothing was as delightful as the fabulous attire that children...



and mothers alike came adorned in!


It was a very Merry Christmas! XO

Beware of the doghouse...

Feeling unappreciated, ladies? Click here.

cuteness

cute ⎮kyoōt⎮
adjective
1 attractive in a pretty way: a cute kitten

DERIVATIVES
cute.ness | kjutnes | noun

A.K.A. Duchess Marie, born, July 5, 2008; adopted by the Brown family, November 6, 2008. See picture above.

The Jersey Girl, Blueberry Doll and Clone Trooper

Halloween is a great holiday... for dentists that is! No seriously, I have such fun memories from my ghost, table lamp (that actually lit up) and Cyndi Lauper days. You wanna see that don't you? Perhaps, one day. ;)

Anyway... now I have my own assortment of characters and these three were great sports about letting me take their picture. The older two didn't mind at all, really.



Blueberry Doll was even courteous enough to make sure Clone Trooper had an acceptable smile.

"Are you smiling Clone Trooper?"



"Just one more, OK, Paparazzi Mom?"



Next stop, EO and Ben's for some munchies and a few pics with Ryan's favorite person, Ella, the giraffe.



And finally, the moment arrived! All together now... TRICK or TREAT!!!

Happy Halloween!

And the winner is...

Collin!!!




For the best hair in the fourth grade... on Crazy Hair Day!

Got Mums?

Homecoming these days is NOTHING like it used to be. I feel kinda old saying something like that, but it's true.

The kids that my oldest runs with are actually quite wonderful, though. Their parents are on top of their game which has resulted in a very tolerable bunch. The effort, on the other hand, that these parents put into making each year's experience bigger and better might be a little over the top, hence the incredibly detailed garder his date gave him above, but it's all for the love of the children, right?

And he absolutely did cherish it.



Gib and Nikki have known each other since we moved here 5 1/2 years ago. Besides her darlingness, she also happens to be the cousin of his best bud, Kent, which is common in our neighborhood. Cousins, that is. Children grow up here, leave to seek what the world has to offer and then return to raise their own families. The cycle is about three generations deep, as far as I can tell and no, we do not live in Arkansas.



Now, back to our regulary scheduled program... homecoming.

See these lovely little bonbons? Just a sample of what was offered to our privileged teens the evening of the mum exchange. Last year, they had a chocolate fountain.



Taylor and Anna at the victorious game. Go Mustangs!



Anna's date was also a long time friend that she has actually known since kindergarten. Noah is the kind of boy that moms and dads alike fall in love with. Intelligent, respectful and charming. Hmmm...



Most kids have a "group" that they dine, dance and after party with for the weekend. This was about half of Anna's group.



Anna, with her "All American" friends in their red, white and blue!



Sam and I had the pleasure of chaperoning Anna and Noah's dinner at Texas de Brazil. It was delicious and we were able to dine in the wine room which added an exclusive touch.



Gib, always the trend setter, in his suspenders.



And, if you'll notice, he, fourth from the left, is the only one not wearing a jacket. What a maverick, although, I don't know how impressed Nikki's parent's were of his fashion statement.



~Sigh~ The prettier half of the his group. And yes, they are only sophomores.



Nikki and Gib, right before they left in the limo. I should mention that one mom in the group is a wedding coordinator...which might explain some of the lavish details. ;)

And now, the festivities are behind us and I believe all i's were dotted and every t was crossed...until next year!

Beavers Bend

Isn't it beautiful? I think water is one of the most relaxing things on this green earth. So peaceful, serene and tranquil. My name, Jennifer, actually means white wave, which is significant, I think.



We left Sunday, later than we expected and arrived after dark. There was only starlight to help guide us to a suitable campsite. The boys set up camp like the pros that they are and we finally rested our sleepy heads well after midnight. It all seemed like such a good idea. The kids had Monday and Tuesday off from school and rumor was that this land in Oklahoma provided some of the best trout fishing known to man this time of year. So there we were, dreaming of what the next day would bring and then...

it started to rain,
and our air mattress popped,
and rocks were beneath us,
and the rain guard on our tent didn't guard... at all
and did I mention it started to rain?

As much as we wanted to wish it away, it continued drizzling raining pouring. Oh sure, intermittently the boys would fish (in the rain) catching some bass, but the glimmering trout was no where to be found. Eventually, our tent filled with over a foot of water and nearly slid right down into the river. Sam's entire bag of clothes was soaked as were all of our blankets and sleeping bags and of course our shivering bodies.



So, we spent about the next 6 or 7 hours together in the car waiting for the rain to stop, playing games and eating all the food we brought while laughing about our pail of luck because we certainly weren't willing to get any wetter from a shower of tears.



And then, just as the steam rose from the forest above and as Murphy's Law would have it, the sun came out to bid us farewell.

Without a doubt, I know everyone would agree when I say, this was by far the worst vacation, that none of us will ever want to remember,



without a smile.

I agree with George...

WASHINGTON!

Hello Fall

To be perfectly honest, Spring is actually my favorite season. But if I had to choose a second, a close second, it would definitely be Fall, for obvious reasons of course. I also LOVE the fact that many of my dearest friends were born during this beautiful season, making each crisp, color kissed day a personal reminder of what amazing chums I have the honor of claiming. Furthermore, given that I was born and raised in this here, Lone Star State, Fall could never be properly introduced without the opening of the biggest, tastiest, one-and-only, State Fair of Texas. Mmmm, I can smell the Fletcher's corny dogs now. And speaking of food and corniness, of all the reminiscent flavors, including pumpkin pie and caramel apples, nothing instantly immerses me into this time of year like candy corns. Controversial I know, but I do treasure them. And I have my grandaddy to thank for that. :)

So, this fall, slow down, breathe deep and stop by sometime so I can catch up on the seasons of your life. No need to call ahead...you are always welcome.

I'll have a hot cup of cider and the candy corns waiting.

Farvegnugen

It doesn't seem that long ago that I learned to drive behind a wheel like this, however, it was a 1973 canary yellow VW Beetle, before my dad painted it Porsche red. That was the second Beetle my family owned. Come to think of it, there wasn't a time in my childhood that we didn't have a VW, or what we so affectionately called," the bug". And understandably so. These little german beauties have long been known for their fuel efficiency, and air-cooling placing them in an ecological category before green was green. But, their most notable feature has to be that charming habitual hum in the motor that we, as a family, and enthusiasts alike will forever embrace.



It wasn't until just a few years ago though, that Dad took a new direction with his love for this classic. No longer was it just a vehicle to get him from point A to point B, but somehow his occasional tinkering and cumulative knowledge lead him from the metropolis of ownership to the quaint vista of collector.

Suddenly the necessity of having an engine so clean that one would guarantee it had never been driven, was of utmost importance. Hours of searching for the rarest of parts, and detailing every square inch of his current 1962 Beetle demonstrated more passion than most of us know in a lifetime.



And eventually, his perseverance, blue ribbons and simple love of the hobby, paid off.



Earning him a worthy spot on the red carpet.

"The difference between try and triumph is a little umph." ~Author Unknown