Sunday, November 29, 2009

Christmas Time!




I love getting ready for Christmas and putting up decorations. I decorated way earlier than normal this year but it doesn't really feel like Christmas time until after Thanksgiving. Last night we busted out the matching pajamas (for the kids...not J. O. and I) and I tried very hard to get cute pics of the 2 of them. They both wouldn't sit still and then Bella kept trying to get in the picture too.
We started reading our Elf on the Shelf book last night and I have to tell you I think I'm the only person in the world who finds this book a little creepy. I mean, seriously how scary is it to tell our kids that each day a little man watches over you and at night flies away. Then he somehow breaks back into your house and hides somewhere new each day to make sure you are behaving. Call me crazy but I just find this a little disturbing. However, Trey got a big kick out of it and when he found him this morning lurking on his little tool box in his room he didn't seemed alarmed at all.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

New Moon...WOW


Yes, I will admit it...I am a huge dork and I love to read anything. However, I had a very hard time a few years ago being convinced to read books about vampires and werewolves. It just sounded dumb to me. One day though I was out of things to read and decided to pick it up and give it a try. I will forever be grateful that I did. Mostly because it caused me to go see New Moon and google over a 17 year old who ran around with his shirt off. I realize that may sound a little pedophilish but sorry. I have no doubt that anyone who has seen the movie will agree with me. This was definitely the greatest end to a great Thanksgiving Day!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Guess who's back...

Okay, so I completely deleted the old blog but somehow I was able to keep the same address and everything. It will take me awhile to get this built up to the awesomeness the old blog was but I will try. I really can't believe tomorrow is already Thanksgiving. I really hope to try to be more thankful year around for the wonderful things I have been given. Even when it seems like things aren't going the way we want them to we still have so many things to be thankful for. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Obviously something has gone wrong....

Well, I knew eventually I would do something to mess this blog up. Somehow or someway I have gotten rid of everything on here and I have no clue how. Now, I know how my mom feels when she does something crazy with her phone and Trey has to show her how to fix it. Luckily I archived my blog recently and saved it to my computer so I still have the old posts and pictures. However, I couldn't tell you how to find the old blog to save my life. Blogspot will not win this battle though. I still have my Christmas background and I will prevail. It just may look ridiculous for a few days. I may have to change the name and delete this blog because I don't have any way to customize it like I did on the old one. What I really think happened is someone hacked into my account and cancelled it because my posts were so amazing they couldn't take it anymore. Oh well, I will post on facebook if I have to change my blog name. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Photo Shoot!



Today we had a photo shoot. Amanda joined us too and we had a great time catching up. I will tell you that the minivan was put to good use....4 kids, 3 adults. Although it was hectic at times we got some great shots. I can't show all of them but here are a few of my faves. However, we all agreed at the end that we would not want to trade places with the Duggars. At one point Lane was yelling, Trey was demanding apple juice, Addison was crying for french fries and Kelsey looked like she was very afraid of all these crazy kids. Oh well, great pics as a result.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Razorback Game


Okay, so I realize this in NOT a picture of J. O. and Trey at the Razorback game but this is one of the only pictures I have with proof that Addison really does smile. It was just too cute not to share. And every picture I do have of J. O. and Trey is not really post worthy. J. O. isn't looking (because what if something important happened and he missed it???) and Trey is all over the place.
We took Trey to the game Saturday and he had a great time. He kept asking questions about what was happening and was able to keep up with the game quite a bit. He even made it until the end of the 3rd quarter. Well, actually he made it until after half-time but J. O. wouldn't leave until the end of the 3rd quarter. The 3rd quarter actually consisted of Trey kicking the woman in front of us (who kept staring at us awkwardly anyway) and jumping up and down on the bench. He would also jump into me and I landed on the guy next to us more than once. Needless to say, no one asked why we were leaving when we got up to go.
I have a feeling that Trey is going to love football as much as J. O. Yesterday I asked him what he wanted to watch and he said football. He will stand in front of the TV and scream and yell during games (no idea where he got this behavior from) and get very upset if things don't go the way he thinks they should. It's pretty funny and makes J. O. extremely proud.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Well, you asked for them......







Here they are: Norman Ride 2009.
Sometimes I have to hold J. O. in from hanging out the window with pride. He always knew he would be (almost) 28 riding in a minivan. I just remember to tell him that yes, dreams do come true.

I tried to re-arrange the order but can't figure that out at all.

Life with 2 kids....


You know, I don't really feel like enough people prepare you for life with 2 kids. Sure it's great and I wouldn't change a thing, but wow. Here are just some simple things that are so much different when you add a second in the mix.

You don't think about having to stop at a gas station so your 3 year old can run to the bathroom and having to haul the baby in there too. Imagine how filthy gas stations are anyway and then you have to haul an infant carrier in there, somehow balance it on your leg so it doesn't rest in filth, unbutton Treys pants, button Treys pants and haul them both back to the car. And this is just on a short ride home from Searcy. You try convincing a 3 year old we are almost home and just hold it. You will have a mess to clean up for sure.

Getting out of the house for church. This is THE most challenging thing in the world. We have to be in our car by 8:45 and I swear this gets harder and harder every week. Addison is usually screaming because she's been up since 5:30 and needs a nap, Trey is usually refusing to get up to get dressed because he is watching T.V., and J. O. is usually reading the Sunday paper until 8:30 and he realizes he better jump in the shower. By the time we actually make it to church I usually throw them in their classrooms and tell the teachers good luck. More than once I have gotten them there and actually can't remember if either one has had breakfast. Why anyone with kids doesn't go to church is beyond me....you have wonderful people to watch/teach your children and you get some Jesus before you do it all over again.

Getting dinner made/kids bathed/put to bed. For some reason I never realized that everything you do at night would double. Why I didn't realize that?? I don't know. The simple act of bathing both of them and getting them to bed is one of the toughest things. Especially when we don't get home until 5:30 and we are late before we even start. That's where J. O. comes in handy...he handles Trey and I handle Addison. It works great.

2 kids are great. They play so well together and have so much fun. There is nothing in the world I would do different. However, I have so much respect for people with 3 or more!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Christmas Decorations




Well, decorating started early around our house! I put my tree up last weekend but just finished decorating everything this week. I have to admit I like putting it up this early. I am able to enjoy it longer and plus it just gets me in the spirit! This year I finally discovered the mesh wrap. I'm about 3 years behind the times on this one, but once I discovered it I simply can't quit! I put 2 rolls on my tree and then decided to use it on my mantle. It is so easy to use (obviously...if I can do it.) For my mantle I just wrapped it around a piece of garland, put a few things around it and called it done. I'm also considering making my wreath out of it. I can't be stopped. I'm so ready for Christmas to actually get here!

Being Content

This is another one of those random posts, but hey it's my blog. For some reason lately this has really been on my mind. I think it's because every year around the holidays everyone is talking about all they have to buy and get done and it just seems like we do more and more each year. When does it become too much? What is enough? Lately, I have been really bad to look around my house and think about what all I would buy if I had more money, etc...It seems like I continuously come up with a never ending list. Where does it stop? At what point do I sit back and say, "Wow, I have SO much stuff. Sure, some of it was the first piece of furniture ever invented, but it's mine and I have it." I get so caught up in wanting to have what everyone else has, or wanting to have new, cool things that I can't see past my own big head. Lately, I have just been feeling really guilty about this. If I gave away 1/3 of the money I blow on things I could probably do some actual good things.
One thing I worry about is my kids growing up and thinking they have to have everything because they see that in me. I want them to be content and happy and grateful for what they have instead of always looking to what other kids have. That's one of the reasons we only give them 3 Christmas gifts each. That probably sounds absurd to most, but think of how greedy most kids are and it starts at home. We also try to buy for a kid who doesn't have much and that's one way we are able to do that. Plus, we are blessed to buy what they need (and usually want) year around. Anyway, I told you this was random but sometimes it makes me feel better to get things off my chest. Does anyone else struggle with this or just me? I really hope to be better at this and appreciate the wonderful things God has blessed us with.

P.S. I won't feel guilty about the Minivan....my negotiating husband handled that one and made sure he was CONTENT with the price we paid!!

It Has Arrived....

Yes, the van is here. I will make no excuses, beg for friends, or try to justify it any longer. I haven't felt this happy since I gave birth to my children (and married JO!). It is single handedly the best thing I have ever ridden or driven. There is nothing like holding the keys up in the kitchen and automatically starting your car and letting it heat up in the cold mornings. Or, holding a baby in one hand and a toddler in the other and your doors automatically sliding open. Or, letting a toddler crawl in on his own because it's so low to the ground. Or, not having to worry about having new DVD's to change out because you can watch T.V. instead. Or, not having to pay as much for a Suburban as you would a house. The list could go on and on. I will forever be a minivan driver and I am a better person for it. You can all make fun of me and vow that you will never drive one, but I feel sorry for you all. Just allow yourself to give in for one test drive and you will be hooked. I will never be afraid to go on a road trip again.

P.S. I'm sure everyone wants pics but I actually haven't taken any good ones yet. It's a silver Chrysler Town and Country if you are curious.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

To dining room or not to dining room.....



That has been the question around our house for the past few weeks. Well, I say it like J. O. and I have been actively discussing it. When we were searching for our house we had a long list of requirements and wishes. At the top of our list was location and easy access to J.O.s work. We also had a few other things that were must haves and top priority. Something I would have loved would have been a 4th bedroom or great room. However, when we found this house it had everything we were looking for at this time except the extra room. We decided that we loved it anyway and didn't really mind the missing room.
Well, the other day when I was cleaning my dining room table and cabinet I realized I hadn't stepped foot in there since last week to clean my dining room table and cabinet. It kinda hit me that while I thought the room was very pretty it was completely useless at this time. As long as I have a mother and grandmother willing to cook for me, I generally don't volunteer to host dinners. Now, I realize we have friends over from time to time, but we have a table that seats 6 in the kitchen. I decided to move my precious furniture out of there and it actually looks better in other parts of the house. I laid down some ABC mats, replaced the chandelier with a ceiling fan and added fun curtains and called it done. Then I was able to move our toy "closet" to the toy room. The hardest part is getting Trey to realize this is where he needs to play....yesterday as he was moving all the toys out he told me he would rather play in the living room. Go figure.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Baby Items...

This may be the most random post I have ever posted by far, but I was doing laundry and saw my old bottle of Dreft sitting on the cabinet and started thinking. Do you ever wonder who the genius was that invented baby products? I imagine the meeting began a little like this:
"Okay, we need a new money making product. Who is the most paranoid group of people on the face of the earth? In unison a couple of people yelled out moms. Then the guy said, "How about we take normal detergent and leave out one ingredient, charge $10 more per bottle and tell people it's good for babies! People (moms) will think since it costs so much and comes in a cute bottle it has to be good. The dads will be too scared to tell them this is silly because they are too hormonal. Even moms who don't understand the purpose for it will use it because they will feel like a bad mom if they don't" Thus, Dreft was born. I imagine the same went for nursery water...(lets take regular water, change the name and bottle it. Moms will be convinced they are feeding their babies sewer water if they don't use it.) Diaper Genie...(lets convince moms that it's impossible to walk dirty diapers to the trash can. We will only put in a few bags per package so by the end of the week they are already out. Plus, we can keep coming out with newer models each year so people will update theirs) The list could go on and on. I mean, don't get me wrong I used my diaper genie just like the next, Trey didn't wear clothes that weren't washed in Dreft for a year, nursery water....well, I can't even act like I understand this one. Sometimes it just seems like it gets out of control! Oh well, someone made a ton of money off all of us moms!!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

HALLOWEEN!















Trey had so much fun on Halloween this year! He started practicing trick or treating the week of Halloween and could hardly wait for Saturday night. As some of you know I don't really get "into" Halloween and would never go out and spend a lot on a costume. However, when Trey was practicing around the house wearing his costume I was starting to get a little embarrassed. I had gone out and found an amazing deal ($4) on a scarecrow costume. My dear friend (you know who you are) assured me it was fine and so I bought it. Meanwhile her little boy was dressed absolutely precious in a dinosaur costume (I will admit she bought it for a couple of bucks too)....Anyway, after he was running around playing in it I realized it was slightly too small and looked like the person had sat down and sewed it while she was cooking dinner, changing a diaper and fixing her hair. It looked awful. Not too mention the hat was an old witches hat that had a few pieces of fabric sewn on for straw.
Well, enter Cece. She called on Friday and said the cleaners had a lot of leftover costumes that were donated and she could get him one if we needed it. I tried to act cool so I didn't bust myself out for being cheap, but deep inside I was screaming YES! So, as you can see he was a super cute cowboy riding a horse who wouldn't slow down for a second for a good picture. He played at our fall festival and then went trick or treating in the neighborhood. Addison enjoyed wearing her pumpkin shirt and attacking Treys candy when we weren't looking! Hope everyone had a great time!!