Mom and Dad (Christmas Eve)

May the force be with you

Just some neat country pictures

We had to go to Vici, OK for my husbands Great grandmothers funeral this week. She would have been 99 in February! She is one lady that has seen it all. Anyhow, here are a few shots that I took on the drive!

Jonathan

Here are a couple of cute pictures of Jonathan tonight! Think he likes his finger much?

Noah the Skater

Noah got skateboard from Santa and here are some pictures of him giving it a go. I do foresee ER trips in my near future!

2005 recap!!

Well, I guess I can say that I stole this from both Kristin and Rachel's blogs. Thanks girls!!!

JANUARY

1. New Year's resolutions? Usually I would make the resolution to lose weight. Not this year, this year it was to be a good mom with 5 kids.

2. Who kissed you at midnight? My wonderful husband, Don!

3. Did it snow where you live? I am sure it did, but nothing to write about really!

4. Have you ever been to Times Square to see the ball drop? Nope and will be OK if I never go.

FEBRUARY

1. Who was your valentine? Once again, My wonderful husband, Don.

2. What did your valentine get you? This year I got a Teddy Bear and silver and sapphire earings and necklace. I always get jewelry! I have a good hubby!!!

3. When you were little, did you buy valentines for the whole class? Most definitely! Valentines in school ranked right up there with Christmas. Mom always made Valentines super special too.

MARCH

1. Are you Irish? YEP! Half I believe!

2. Did you wear green on St. Patrick's Day? Definitely! Didn't want to get pinched!

3. What did you do for St. Patrick's Day? We generally don't do anything for St. Patty's. I think I might have made Corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes.

APRIL

1. Do you like the rain? I am not a huge fan, although we really need it here in Oklahoma.

2. Did you play an April Fool's joke on anyone this year? I doubt it. I usually don't. I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face if I did.

3. Did you get tons of candy on Easter? No, but I bought a ton (well, ok, the easter bunny brought a ton)

MAY

1. What is your favorite kind of flower? I don't know! I love all flowers honestly.

2. Do you like the spring? Love the spring and yes, it does bring tornado season, but I am so used to that after all these years.

3. Finish the phrase "April showers brings . . . May Showers!! We don't get flowers, we get more rain.

4. What would you think of as a spring color? anything pastel

JUNE

1. What year did you graduate from school? 1995

2. Did you go on any vacations in June? Nope, I had just had our 5th son, Jonathan Richard, on the 2nd of June.

JULY

1. What did you do on the 4th of July? Every 4th we go over to Don's Granddaddy Rouse's house for family, food, swimming, food and ... did I say food! This year we also went to Don's dad's house in Guthrie (country) and had purchased $400 worth of fireworks and had our own show.

2. Did you go on any vacations this month? nope!

AUGUST

1. Did you do anything special to end of your summer? Nope, Nothing!

2. What was your favorite summer memory of '05? We spent a lot of time at the lake on my parents new boat and my husbands buddy's jetski.

3. Did you go swimming a lot in the summer? No and trust me, i did everyone a favor. Nobody would have wanted to see me in a swimsuit.

4. Did you go to the beach a lot? Yeah, the beach at the lake. That is as close to beach that you will get in Oklahoma.

SEPTEMBER

1. DId you attend school/college in '05? Online at Thompson Education Direct (hey, me too)

2. Who is/was your favorite teacher? Mr. Teachout. He was our band teacher in Jr. High. I just loved him. I even had a small crush on him. hehe

3. Did you like fall better than summer? I love every season, but as soon as a new one comes, I like it better than the last. I was ready for summer to be over and Fall to start.

OCTOBER

1. What was your favorite Halloween costume ever? Wow, I don't know. I remember dressing up with a trash bag and being a punk rocker. I also remember mom dressing us in her skirts, makeup, and jewelry and being gypsies. So much fun!

2. What's your favorite candy? A snickers minus the chocolate

3. What did you dress up like this year? I didn't... I know.. I am a scrooge...

NOVEMBER

1. Whose house did you go to on Thanksgiving? Mom's, although we only used her house, I did the cooking.

2. Do you like stuffing? YUMMMMMMMMMMM!

3. What are you thankful for? I feel like I am so blessed to have all the things in my life. I have a wonderful family, wonderful friends, a roof over my head and so so so much more!

DECEMBER

1. Do you celebrate Christmas? Yes. Its one of my favorite holidays.

2. Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe? When I was a kid!

3. What did you want this year for Christmas? An EOS Digital Rebel XT! That I got and then some... My hubby loves me!

4. What's the best present you ever got for Christmas? I can't think of a best. I have always gotten such wonderul presents every year. I have a very generous and thoughtful family.

5. Do you like cold weather? YES!!! love it!

6. How would you rate your year on a scale of 1-10? 6 and I only say that because I had a horrible time during my pregnancy. I cried every single day, fed my head with stuff, fought with my husband, couldn't stand my kids to be around me. It was terrible. I did finally talk to my doctor about it though and he put me on some medication that did wonders. Now I am fighting the depression of having gained weight from the meds.

Do you like to read?

I read about this awesome website today. You swap books with others across the US for free. All you pay is media mail shipping costs. Check it out.... Join our club and swap paperback books for FREE - PaperBackSwap.com

Scouts caroling at the hospital

Tyler and Noah are both in cub scouts. Last week our units cub scouts and boy scouts went chrismtas caroling at our local hospital. This is an annual thing for us to do. It is always so great to see the patients and patients family members happy to hear us sing. Doors will open, patients will peer out the doors, friends and family will walk out of the rooms. It brings them such happiness to see these children bringing them christmas cheer. Here are a few pictures from that night.

Our fearless cubmaster (she does such a good job!)


Tyler pushing Jonathan and singing along


Noah being a little shy


Pack 147 MWC (of course my kids are unorganized and not in a uniform)

School Christmas Program

It's kind of funny how emotional I can get. Last Friday was the School Christmas Program. This was so special because it was the first time for Nicolas and Noah to do something like this. I was tearing up everytime I looked up at them on stage. Here are a few pictures.

Nicolas (5th from left in red sweater)

Noah back row singing his little heart out

Zachary looking less than pleased to be there.

Tyler (Front row, red sweater)

He can be so sweet

Don and I were doing some chores this evening and while I was working on dinner, Don was in the living room straigtening up and getting ready to vacuum. He acted all silly to me because I hadn't noticed myself and then pointed out what he had done. Never thought that I would think that carpet fresh could be romantic... lol

C.

No Bake Cookies or Preacher Cookies?

I have always know these cookies to be called No Bake. A friend of mine emailed a couple of her friends asking what they remembered because now that she lives in NC she has heard them referred to as Preacher cookies. I have never in my life heard that term, but after reading the little story at the end of a recipe, I think I like that name better. Here is what I found on Google...


Preacher Cookies
* 2 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick) or 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
* Dash salt
* 1/4 cup peanut butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups rolled oats
First take out a nice 2-quart saucepan. In it combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until the margarine melts, and the sugar dissolves. Bring the pot to a boil, and reduce the heat slightly. Simmer the mixture for several minutes, until the chocolate forms a soft ball when dropped into a bowl of cold water. This is about 234° on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat when it reaches the soft ball stage. Add the salt, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until the peanut butter is dissolved. Finally stir in the oatmeal. The mixture may seem a little runny, but will thicken up as it cools. Drop the mixture from a tablespoon onto a sheet of waxed paper. It should form medium sized cookies. Depending on the size of the cookie, you may end up with as few as 15 or as many as 24.

***From Hillbillyhousewife.com -- This is my favorite recipe in the whole wide world. It got it's name because it could be prepared quickly when a housewife looked out her window and saw the preacher riding up the mountain on his horse. By the time the preacher arrived, the cookies were cooling. I remember family members making them for me as a kid, and I still have people calling me just to request this recipe over the phone. This one recipe could make the reputation of a good cook.

I am actually going to do some baking tonight for home and for the kids to bring to school tomorrow for their parties. Preacher cookies is one type I will be making along with, peanut butter, chocolate chip, puppy chow, rice krispie treats, fudge and possibly divinity. Good thing that Kristin and I aren't starting our diets until after the new year...

C.

New blog song

I changed my holiday song. I figured that Jeff Foxworthy was a bit more accurate for us! We are a bit redneck ya know! ;) I think that this is probably Don's favorite Christmas song. He sure does know every word to it! hehe
C.

Let it snow.. Let it snow... Let it snow...

Here in Oklahoma you get excited about the little things. It has been quite a while since we have had a white christmas. We have had some slick ones, but not white ones. I am starting to get my hopes up now. It is snowing today and still supposed to tomorrow.I am just crossing my fingers that we get enough to last and be pretty!

I have a bunch of pictures I want to post on here, but I am so busy trying to get stuff done for christmas.... I will get them done as soon as I have some time.

Now... off to get some things done so I can come back here!

Ciao
C.

New posts later

Just wanted to share that I will be adding lots of updates later today, but I HAVE got to get to the grocery store and get a few other things done!
Ciao for now!
C.

Boyish Charm Circle Journal

Somewhere floating around the United States is my Boyish Charm circle journal that I joined with a group of moms of boys. It has a very simple look to it, but I like it. When put all together it has tons of ribbon on the rings.. Guess I didn't get a picture like that...
I have had so much fun being in the circle journal. I am ready to make a girlie one now though. Guess that would have to be something about me.
Hey Kristin ... Maybe we need to do some sort of a weight loss journal when we start our dieting!!!

Christmas Filler - Outer

Stole this from Kristin's Blog! Feel free to steal from mine and post too!

1. Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog? Both!
2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just set them under the tree? Santa has everything opened, put together and set up in everyone's personal area! Not sure what he is gonna do this year with tons of stuff for 5 boys...
3. Colored or white lights on the tree/house? White
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Would if I had some, maybe I need to have the boys climb some trees.
5. When do you decorate? Generally on the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year I had the tree up a week before hand, but undecorated!
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Probably gonna have to say Christmas Breakfast. I will post a recipe for it later. It is the best!!!!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? The thing I can remember best about Christmas as a child was when we would come out from behind the pinned up sheet and see all the goodies Santa left. It was so exciting. You would be looking at one item and all of a sudden realize there was another awesome gift to check out. All the while, mom, dad and grandma sat there happily watching us explore our new gifts.
8. How and when did you learn the truth about Santa? I was in either 2nd or 3rd grade. It was when we lived out in Paden, OK (the boonies). I remember being in the cafeteria at school that day and some kids were teasing me about believing in him still. I went home and talked to my parents about it, upset. Sure enough, they told me the truth. I remember walking up the stairs to go to my room and saying, "guess that means the tooth fairy isn't real either". I hope my kids have a few more years, but my almost 9 year old is pretty sure that we do the presents not Santa...
9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve? The boys open one gift on Christmas eve which just happens to be a new pair of pajamas every year. Isn't that ironic... lol Don and I have started up the tradition of opening gifts to each other also, but since I already got my presents, I might make him wait until Christmas.... We'll see.
10. What kind of cookies do you set out for Santa on Christmas Eve? We usually bake several different kinds of cookies. Things like, chocolate chip (one of Santa's favorites), peanut butter, sugar, oatmeal, no bake and more.
11. Snow! Love it or hate it? Love it Love it Love it!!!! I so want a white Christmas
12. Can you ice skate? Don't know. Never have!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I don't know that I can. I have never ever been dissappointed! Everyone is always so thoughtful and generous.
14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being with family and making them all smile or even cry when getting gifts. Here lately I cry right along with them (or even without them)
15. What’s your favorite holiday dessert? Monkey Bread is awesome, but pumpkin pie is growing on me...
16. What’s your favorite holiday tradition? All of them?!?! I love having New England Clam Chowder on Christmas Eve before going to church. I love waking up in the morning with the kids, having daddy go out to see if Santa came, opening stockings on mommy and daddy's bed, the kids running out and finding all their Santa goodies, Christmas breakfast, opening family gifts, and going to extended family and opening gifts with them! I love it ALL!!!
17. What type of tree? Artificial. I have a beautiful new slim tree from my mom this year!
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?Giving! I love to give gifts! I wish I was rich so I could give to everyone.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? Silent Night is probably my favorite all time classic, I listen to Christmas music non stop from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas though.
20. Candy Canes, YUCK or YUM? YUM!, but not too much!!!

Playing around...

Here are a few more shots that I took tonight that I like the way they turned out!!!

Zachary glad to be out of the nursery at bowling league night!


Cousin Dustin munching on some Fries!


Bowling Alley Food!


I love you, too, Honey!!

It's here......

Well, I got it. Don went to CompUSA tonight and picked it up. I can now say that I am the proud owner of a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. It is the most awesome camera ever. I am still playing with it and haven't had all that much time to mess around, but here is a picture I have been dying to take. I have always wanted to be able to take those cool Christmas tree pictures, but they have never turned out in the past. I think that this picture could be somewhat better, but it is still pretty awesome. I will post more pictures later when I figure more out!

My heart hurts tonight....

Today has been such a depressing day. It doesn't seem that much on the news is ever good. Don was working last night and heard a call go out for an apartment fire. He went to check it out and was so devastated to see the firemen working on children. He called me around 3:30am to tell me about it. The fire burned down an entire apartment building. A woman lost her whole family. She was trapped in her room and her only way out was to jump out of her 2nd story window. She nearly broke her ankle but that is nothing compared to what she has lost. She lost a 5 year old child on the scene, her 7 year old died shortly after arriving at the hospital and her 10 year old died earlier this evening. I am not sure when, but her boyfriend died from the fire also. I can't imagine losing everything so quickly. My heart hurts so badly for her and I have been crying all night thinking about it. I keep thinking that last weekend I could have been in a very similar situation. This woman seems to have a large support group of "sisters" to help her in this time of need! I will be praying for her! I believe another 19 people are without homes tonight. They will also be in my prayers.

I'm gonna be a Rebel

Well the owner of a Digital Rebel XT that is. I can't believe it. I have always been so envious of those that own one and the awesome pictures that they can take with it. I have been talking a lot lately of.. when I get my rebel this and when I get my rebel that.. I never thought I would really get one. Don did some figures for the company tonight and figured out what his Christmas Bonus would be and said... Looks like we can go get that Rebel for you now!!! Yay... We are gonna go shopping for it next week. I hope I can find a good deal with lots of accessories!

What a scare!

I sure am counting my blessings right now. I am usually so good about waking up when something is not right. I don't know how many times in the past I have woke up because I smelled something burning, like electrical, would wake up Don, who would not smell a thing and have to go to bed because whatever it was couldn't be found. Tonight, I didn't do that. I woke up because I was being kicked out of bed by 4 kids and Jonathan was starting to get hungry. Jonathan and I got up and headed to the living room. I smelled something and before I had time to even think about it, we were consumed by smoke. I couldn't even see through the living room. I thought for sure that it was coming from something in there. I opened doors, windows, turned on fans and was panicking because I couldn't find the source. Finally I walked further into the kitchen and on the stove was where I found the attached pictures. Thank God, our house didn't burn down. Shadow, Don's dog, who is only 8 months old even though she looks so much older than that because she is huge, had got up on her hind legs and was trying to steal the chicken bone that was left, she managed to push down the knob and turn it to high on the stove. I just can't believe that this was the worst damage. We could have so easily been on the news this morning. And, yes, that is actually one of my dinner plates on that cookie sheet. It isn't a plastic plate that just melted away, it is a porcelain dinner plate. I am going to try to get some more sleep now. It is 6:30 and I have been up dealing with this since 5am. I need a nap! Here is a picture of Shadow, the culprit...... Our, I mean, Don's 100+ lb lab/akita mix puppy....

Noah turns the big *6*

Wow, six years ago. Man how the time flies. He looks like such a big boy now. He has the most adorable looks, but boy oh boy, they can be deceiving lately. I guess with the age of 6, also came an attitude. I don't remember this as much with Tyler, but maybe that's because Tyler has had some pretty bad attitudes with his age. Of course he isn't all attitude. He is my most nurturing child. He loves Jonathan to death and wants to be with him all the time. He takes it upon himself to pic Jonathan up and change a diaper, even if it is dirty, dirty. He is very affectionate too, more so than the others.

Noah had a pretty good birthday today. He got some goodies from his teacher today at school. Then for dinner tonight we had all kinds of goodies... hot wings, a bean dip tray, digiorno pizzas, chips, salad, orange and strawberry pop and of coure cake. One of Noah's friends came over and gave him a remote control toyota celica. He has been driving that thing around all night. Right now he is laying down in my bed with the baby.

We will have a little family party for him tomorrow at my mom's house were we will have even more cake and more goodies. Guess I better go decide what to pull from the Christmas pile to give him tomorrow.... Ughhhh...

Here are a few pictures to enjoy of Noah being goofy! Have fun!

My start in the blogging world

Well here I am with my very own Blog Spot. All my friends are doing it, so why not me too! Now to just figure out how this thing works! Be patient with me while I figure out all the ins and outs!