Are We There Yet?

OK I know that the only reason most of you look here is to see pics of my wonderful little monsters. But I'm too lazy to get them on right now, so deal. OK really I will get some soon I know that I have made several posts without them but it just hasn't been real high on the to-do list.

Christmas morning was great the kids were so much fun they are really at great ages where there is a lot of magic about Christmas. Parker was the first one up and he came in the loving room still half asleep and saw me sitting on the couch, which freaked him out because I am usually still in bed at the crack of dawn but for this day I was up early and he late, go figure! When he woke up enough to remember it was Christmas he looks over to see the goodies Santa has left by the fire place and runs back to his room screaming "Marshall, Carson, Get up Santa came, You got a blue one, you got a green one, and I got a red one. Come on get up come see." The above were light sabers that they asked Santa for. They also got Buzz Lightyear light up shoes and BIG pencils scooby doo movies and to Parker's surprise... "Santa brought us Sugar?!!?" OK People you know I don't keep them from junk but it's nice to know that they see this as a treat, by the way "sugar" is candy. We opened gifts and I fixed our yummy Chicken and Biscuits and gravy then played, played played. They got so many games and more movies and wonderful clothes. Like I said before they fall in the over privileged category. Nanno was wonderful to us to. It felt odd with out Grandad and Boppie but It was fun to open the gifts they sent.
Thank you mom for telling us to wait till Christmas.

We all piled up to watch a movie and I got lunch together. Nothing big just brisket, mashed taters, and asparagus. But it was yummy. We got things cleaned up and packed for our mommy and daddy present. Instead of gifts for one another we went away for 2 nights. We had a great time we didn't go far but Gruene (you say it green) was fun for us. We got there about 7 Christmas night and the only things open were IHOP and Burger King which was fine but our waitress at IHOP quit in the middle of her shift! We really got a much nicer girl so good for us. Then Friday we walked all day finding treasure in all the little shops. We got to go see a movie and then had a wonderful dinner at the Gruene River Grill. We stayed up late watching stupid people hurt themselves and attack others all to save the whales! I don't know who is worse, us for been pulled in like a bug to light or them. OK it's them but some times its fun to watch stupid people and say "do you see how dumb they are?" We got home late Saturday afternoon, then the whole lot of us went to see Bedtime Stories. It was great I really enjoyed watching them watch it. Now here we are less than a week from a new year, where we will get to do it all over again only it's as if we have to move up to the next level. I some times wish we could just do this one again now we know what we're doing and know where the "secret" passages and extra points are. But no we go one to the next level, it will be harder. It will have new fun surprises. We will probably have to take turns trying to get it right, and one thing I have learned is while there is no Cheat Book, it is very helpful to find some one who has completed this level before! OK enough video game analogy, my real goals for this next year are 1) To keep my head in the book to get the book in my head. God is Great and because he lives I can face tomorrow. 2) To let my light shine brighter than ever. So I can continue to teach my children what this life is really about. Getting to the next one.

It's Chtristmas it's Christmas!!!

It is 6am here and I am up the cameras are ready the presents are wrapped and Santa has been here!!!!! But no one else is awake yet, Ugh! Anyone who knows me knows my intense love for Christmas morning. Well now I have the kids, and I think I love it more. As my sister and I always say, "If you believe he will come!" So yes folks I believe. Although here in the big Tex the weather makes it harder to get in the mood, there in nothing like the night before to get my adrenaline pumping. It was so funny last night we let the kids open a few gifts and they were having so much fun. They kept saying, "One more, please Nanno." But Daddy finally said we had to go to bed. Then I, being the Christmas Eve freak that I am, asked if we could go set up their new Webkinz first. I mean you can't go to bed without naming and adopting you new toy right? Any-who, he lovingly said yes and even did the dishes while we played a bit longer.

Can I just take this moment to say how very lucky and loved I am.

Well at this point in our evening it's just after 10pm (Which is very late for my children but they had had a great nap so they were still in good spirits) after the last pet was named and they were still begging for more play time I gently reminded them that if they wanted Santa to come they must get to bed. It was like Wylie Coyote just lit a fuse under them. Parker ran faster than I have ever seen him run, and had brushed his teeth and started to pray before I could get into the next room. Marshall and Carson did not move so fast so I showed them on NORAD where Santa was, at that time he was in Florida. This prompted Marshall to get a move on, and Carson being the copy cat that he can be figured if they are running I should too. They went to bed and to sleep faster last night than I think they ever have. We stayed up a while to make sure they were out and it did not even take 30min. The grown ups no let me rephrase that the adults stayed up awhile longer and enjoyed the fire as it burned down and then a little after midnight said good night. At which point I felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin ready for the kiddos to wake up. I woke up several times thru the night and at 5:30 couldn't take it any more thus I'm here blogging !! Lucky you.

Let me ask you what are your traditions? How far back do they go? I hope you will all comment and share you traditions with me. We have some from both sides and a few we have started on our own. For instance, on my side of the family we have a breakfast tradition of fried chicken and biscuits and gravy. Yes my friends it is very yummy. Even to me who usually is not a huge fan of breakfast. I recently found this goes back at least 3 generations and I hope to keep it going. My mother tells me her Granny did this and she thinks it's because on the farm they always had sausage or bacon for breakfast so fried chicken was a real treat. This makes sense to me and I am so glad to know that even if it was a matter of privilege that this started years ago. It serves to keep alive the memory of loved ones and I love that. One that I have made my own is chili. Growing up we usually had stew but my dear sweet love doesn't care for stew, so I started making chili and it has been a hit ever since. In my family we could only open one present on Christmas eve and it didn't matter how much you asked, that was just that. On my loves side they opened everything but their big gift so we have blended. At first it felt very wrong to me but hey now I kind of like opening several on Christmas eve. And I must say it does spread things out for my overly indulged children. One other thing that we keep from his side is the game "Christmas gift", or "Christmas eve gift", or really "any holiday gift" What you do is try to say Christmas gift to someone before they say it to you and if you do they owe you a gift! Now I don't know that there has ever been much pay up on the owed gift but it is very fun to beat every one. I'm sure there is more we do every year that would be called tradition but like a mindless robot who just does what I do I can't think of any more at this point. Well it is now just before seven and the only sound is the keys but I have a feeling it won't be much longer. So for now I will leave you with warm wishes and a prayer for the new year. Now to go get my coffee fix!!!!!

My ABC's

A is for age: 28 for two more months
B is for burger of choice: In my tummy
C is for the car I drive: Ford Expedition
D is for your dog's name: Bluedreaux
E is for essential item you use every day: Husband
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Lost
G is for favorite game: Anything played with loved ones
H is for home state: TX now formally CO
I is for instruments you play: I played Piano, Flute, Tuba, Organ
J is for favorite juice: White Grape
K is for whose bum you'd like to kick: I could tell you but I'd have to kill you
L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Bush's Chicken
M is for your favorite Muppet: I really can't chose
N is for number of piercings: Currently 5
O is for overnight hospital stays: I know 6 maybe more
P is for people you were with today: My husband & children
Q is for what you do with your quiet time: Catch up on my shows on http://www.abc.go.tv/
R is for your biggest regret: My health bums me out but I don't have complete control to change that so no real regrets
S is for relationship status: Very married 7 years
T is for time you woke up today: I could tell you but I'd have to kill you-We were up late
U is for what you consider unique about yourself: My goofyness
V is for the vegetable you love most: Asparagus
W is for worst habit: procrastinating
X is for x-rays you've had: So many that you may want to stay back for fear of radiation exposure
Y is for yummy food you ate today: Gumbo
Z is for zodiac: Aquarius