hallelujah for the hot weather!!!

ok, so anybody that knows me understands that i love me some 90 degree weather. hot sunshine. not a cloud in the sky. windows rolled down. it just makes for a great, great day!

so, i know it comes as a surprise that i would even consider 50 degree weather in the "hot" range. but, it has been so completely nasty, rainy, and cold here for like...ever. and did i mention rainy?!?

well, these past two days it finally made it into the 50s without any accompanying rain clouds. therefore, i shoved the little people out the door. i was going to lock the door and refuse to let them in. but, i could have left the door wide open, and neither of them was going back through it!


so, i did a little laundry and cleaned the kitchen in peace. then, when i realized that they were out for the duration, i finished off the reese's peanut butter cups that filled the little people's stockings (they'll never know) and perused the MS magazine wedding register. in peace.

somebody please tell me that summer is almost here?!?!

december twenty-five!

making cookies for santa on christmas eve


making sure that santa will like them


working off some energy post-bath before hitting the pillow for a long winter's nap


part of our christmas decorations includes a calendar-type thing that hangs on the wall in our kitchen. each day has a pocket, and each pocket has a 3 musketeers in it for each little person. so every day, we would count down the days until christmas...and eat chocolate. who says i'm not a cool mom?

anyway, william knew that the 25 was christmas day. not before. so, when i got william out of bed on christmas morning, i had to convince him that it really was christmas! he made me show him my watch with the 25 on it before he was ready to go downstairs and begin the festivities!

waiting on the ok to head downstairs on christmas morning!


dinosaurs!! finally!!


wes getting in on the action, too!


this kid is in heaven!


they really, really wanted to take a break for this pic!


a rousing game of hungry, hungry hippos! wes is actually pretty good at it (when he doesn't try to eat the marbles)!


the new teepee is a hit. add his sleeping bag, and it's the perfect camp out spot in his room every night!


after all the presents were opened, i heard the back door open. ben walked in, said hey to everyone on his way through the kitchen, and then he and william conquered the world! it was great. they played trucks downstairs. trains upstairs. put a puzzle together. chased each other in circles around the house on plasma cars, and then went outside to ride ben's motorcycle and apparently play in mud puddles. in the meantime, i got dressed, cleaned up and started cooking lunch! come over anytime, ben!!


the obligatory family christmas photo in front of the fireplace!


i hope everyone had a great christmas! we did, but don't think that i didn't get every single decoration and the tree put up before lunchtime on the 26th! while i enjoy this time of year, i also like order in my house. and the 364 days ahead before i have to do it again!!

cousin christmas

a few days before christmas, we went to jackson to celebrate christmas with the henson cousins. it was slightly chaotic...especially at bedtime...but we survived, and the the little people had a blast!

how many kids can you fit in one tub?


the only things william asked for were a rescue pack and some dinosaurs. he was so excited to find a rescue pack in this box! his face lit up as he said, "this is what i wanted for christmas!!"


taking a time-out from presents to hold my newest cousin, alexandra. (both he and wes enjoyed this kid a little too much! william told me that i needed to get him a little sister.)


who knew a blow up bed could be so much fun when turned into a boat on a river infested with crocodiles?!?


the cutest 2 man band i've ever seen


we are missing the little one because she was sleeping, but how amazing is it that all 5 are looking at the camera?? in their matching pjs, no less!

a little pre-christmas fun

you didn't know there was a 10th reindeer, did you?


they don't mind being sweet and sharing a chair when 3 musketeers and gum drops are involved!


rudolph and santa getting a little practice in before the big day!

bark, the herald angels sing

this past wednesday, we had our christmas program at church. william has been practicing his carols in the car EVERY single time we go anywhere. (yeah...mama is ready for january to roll around!) anyway, he was so excited that he was getting to sing with all of his buddies and that his honey and kakki were coming to watch him perform.

waiting backstage with the warren boys...


william is the one in the middle with the white shirt on. this was in the middle of "bark, the herald angels sing." one of his favorites! he sang his little heart out to every song, and we made it though with only a few yawns and one nose-picking episode.


nashville, here we come!

a mighty fine cookie

i found the following christmas cookie recipe on one of chase's financial blogs that he frequents. i'm not sure why they are posting cookie recipes on financial blogs...maybe he needs to not take money advice from this one!! anyway, i thought somebody might like to try these out...

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup or brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Directions:

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl,
check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,
pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter
in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point
it’s best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another
cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup
of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry
it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves
a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can
find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall
over.

Don’t forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the
Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas!

must be a good hiding spot

william (14 months)


wes (18 months)

33 degrees is a little cold

on saturday morning, we attended the much anticipated christmas parade in downtown. as most of you know, i am not a fan of cold weather. so, when i looked at the temperature that morning and saw that it was 33 degrees, i was not exactly over the top excited about sitting out in that weather watching trucks and marching bands creep by me. but, i donned the long johns, about 4 shirts, and no telling how many pairs of socks and ended up making it through in one piece!!

this is our crew hanging out on the curb waiting on the parade to get started...


do you think my kids actually sat on the curb and quietly watched the parade with the rest of their friends? absolutely not. if you are sitting down, then apparently you are unable to dance to the music of the cars and the bands...


after a while, though, the dancing had to take a break, and daddy made a nice chair...


2 hours later (yes, 2 whole hours) santa FINALLY made his arrival. it had to be the longest parade in the history of the world!!


but the little people loved it, and we are already looking forward to next year's parade. actually, we're looking forward to the end of the parade! sadly, william's favorite part of the entire parade was what followed santa...

i think all the adults there would agree with me...we were glad to see that street sweeper, too!!

who knew bass pro shop was so entertaining?

a few weeks ago, we went to bass pro shop with honey and g. the intent was to "see" santa. neither of my boys gives a flip about santa, so they glanced at him and moved on to better things! what a great place for free fun!!

look at the fish, g!


mama, i want this!


and one of these, too!!


and while wes is off chasing remote control jeeps, my other kid is trying his hand at a red ryder bb gun!


then he finds yet another shooting station!

dad and br, y'all better watch out! get him in the woods, and he may put y'all to shame!

how wrong is this?

ok, i saw this on a few different blogs, and i had to give it a try. you upload the parents' pictures, and then it creates a picture of what your kid will look like.

every blog that i have seen this on has been a blog of a pregnant person. let me just make it known to those preggo people that makemebabies.com doesn't even come close to what god made. thank goodness!!!

i'll take my two cute kids...




over this poor thing anyday!! i mean, what's with the elf ears?

happy 2nd birthday, walt!!

train cake, ice cream and trains all on a rainy, sunday afternoon. does it get any better? happy birthday, little man!!



this picture has nothing to do with the birthday boy, but i have never, ever, ever seen ben and william sit this still...ever. (well, except for the one time that they shared a sucker while sitting in the rocking chairs on the front porch...obviously i wasn't paying enough attention!) anyway, i had to post it as proof that the two of them (while together) can be still for more than a millisecond. it may very well never happen again!!

the safest tree on the block

a present to myself

a few weeks ago, i made a purchase online, and i am still oh-so-excited about it! i was actually looking for a magnetic doorstop, but instead i found my new most favorite thing!

i know that mandy is going to read this and roll her eyes. and actually, i think the only person that will really appreciate this is my mom. and maybe marty. i'm not sure why i think marty would like this, but it seems like something that would be right up her alley.

anyway, for as long as i've known me i have had a huge box full of wrapping paper, ribbons, tags, gift bags, tape, etc. it has always gotten on my nerves because it was so unorganized, and i swore to do something about it every time that i wrapped a gift. yeah...never happened.

until now!!!

yes!! this is my new handy, dandy wrapping paper organizer. complete with a zip top spot for ribbons and whatnot. and side pockets for tags and tissue paper!



i was so giddy when it came in the mail that i sat down immediately and got everything in its spot. so unfortunately i do not have a before picture.

but i do have an after pic of the aforementioned box and the nice organization of the gift bags and gift boxes that now occupies that space!


yes, i know i'm a dork. but i can say with confidence...bring on the christmas season. i am more than ready!!