Texas Trip

The kids and I just got back from a trip to Texas. Tuesday night we drove to Mt. Pleasant and visited Mary Katherine and her boys. We had a great time with them. She made chicken spaghetti and a wonderful salad and the boys played and played until they nearly collapsed. They made a pallet on the floor and talked Brandon into putting up the tent when he got home from work. They were so cute playing outside in their cowboy boots. Rhett told me today that he wanted to go back to Zac's house and stay nine nights. I think that might wear out our welcome!

Wednesday after eating lunch in MP, we drove south to Tyler to visit Heather and her family. We went out to eat Mexican food that night. We also made a quick trip to DQ for a blizzard and a dipped cone for dessert. Eating a blizzard had been on my mind since I saw the DQ in MP. It's a good thing we don't have one here any more...I'd forgotten how much I liked those! I ordered butterfinger with EXTRA butterfinger--Y-U-M. Heather got a dipped cone. When we got home we worked on our scrapbooks and visited until about midnight. It was so fun to catch up. Heather and I talk on the phone and e-mail and write letters at least once a week, but we haven't seen each other since last March! Yesterday we took the kids to the zoo. It was a beautiful day, and they have a great zoo. Rhett enjoyed seeing animals that we don't have here at our zoo...a white tiger, a male lion, a buffalo, parrots, and long-horn cattle. Last night Heather cooked a delicious shrimp pasta dish and an artichoke dip appetizer. I think I gained several pounds this week.

Thank you, MK & Heather, for your hospitality. Please come see us soon!

Here is a new photo album from our trip: Texas Photo Album

Christmas in February

The barstools that my parents ordered us for Christmas arrived on Friday (backordered)! Rhett loves eating at the bar now!

I wanted red because of the red window treatment in the breakfast area.

Cupcakes

Lane saw the cupcake recipe on Kelly's blog and wanted to go buy the ingredients immediately! He actually even made them himself after church yesterday!  He used a yellow cake mix instead (yellow cake w/chocolate icing is L's favorite).  I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but they were delicious!  

Honoring Lianne

Tonight was a fun night.  I helped with a small dinner gathering in honor of my friend, Lianne, who is expecting a baby girl in April (she has a sweet little boy who is a few months older than Rhett). Lianne & I met through pokeeno group, and we get the kids together often for play dates.  The dinner was at one of my favorite restaurants in town--Capers.  

Delicious petit fours (Ali, Stacy & I couldn't resist splitting one as an "appetizer" while setting things up before dinner).  

3-tiered diaper "cake" with the baby's initials on it.  I'd never made a diaper cake before. Last Wednesday night Stacy & I went over to Ali's house to help roll the diapers.  It was a fun, relaxing night to visit.  I thought it turned out cute.  Ali glued artificial gerbera daisies to it, which tied in nicely with the flowers in the vases.

side view

I thought these were so pretty!  I got them at Fresh Market.  I think they have great flowers for a great price!  

Get ready, Lianne, baby girls are really sweet to dress up!

Stacy & Ali

Going around the table (from the back):  Heidi, Lori, Tracie, Lianne, Jamie, Stacy & Ali

Congratulations, Lianne...I can't wait to meet Lindy!  

Family Friday

My sister & her kids came to visit yesterday afternoon.  Rhett & Jaiden had fun together as always (I hid my make-up bag this time).  After they left, R put his head down on the couch and looked really sad.  I asked him what was bothering him and he said, "I didn't want Jaiden to leave.  She's my best friend, and I wish she could come over every day."  Sometimes they fight like siblings, but they're also very close.  R always has pretend phone conversations with her and asks when she can come over to play.  Alexee was asleep the whole time they were here, and Jeryn took a little nap too...so I don't have pictures of them here.  

 

My sister wrapped up in a blanket as usual because she thinks we keep our house too cold!  

Revelation Song - Kari Jobe

We sang this song at church last Sunday and it has been on my heart all week. It just connected with me. Thought I would share. -Lane

Random Things

Tagged by His Doorkeeper...here are my 7 random things (and they're very random...for some reason I had a really hard time thinking of ANYTHING to write!?):

1. A really embarrassing moment was when I fell in the dust during P.E. in the 3rd grade. I had on (what I thought was) a cute new outfit of black jeans and a hot pink and black checkered button down shirt. I've never been one bit athletic, so I always HATED every P.E. class I've ever been forced to participate in. So we were playing kick-ball outside in the fall (it was too hot to be wearing my new outfit, but I was excited about fall clothes), and I was running when someone kicked the ball back at me and it went right between my feet. I fell face first in the dust, and when I stood up, my black jeans were covered in dust and I had dust in my mouth. Everyone was silent, and I was trying not to cry. My teacher told me I could leave and go up to the classroom and clean up.

2. Since I have no athletic ability, my hobbies have always been more on the artistic side...I love to paint (I took art lessons from 2nd grade to 12th grade I think. Oil paints are really my favorite, but not practical these days). I like to scrapbook and sew and bake (I used to like to cook, but I think for now I'm going to revise that to "bake" because making meals is just more of a chore in this season of life). But I do love to bake sweets...and eat them. We pretty much always have homemade cookies or a cake or brownies, etc. at our house. It's nice to have a good dessert after eating a microwave pizza or microwave popcorn! :)

3. I don't really like to shop for clothes. I always leave the store depressed about either a) the way the clothes look on me or 2) how much everything costs...or both. I don't mind shopping for shoes because I always wear the same size.

4. I do love to shop for little "stuff" like stationery, candles, home decor, kids' clothes, seasonal/holiday decorations, fabric, scrapbook paper, etc. I can spend $5 on cute note cards or decorative Easter napkins at Target and come home really happy.

5. I like Harley Davidson motorcycles. I've always thought motorcycles are really neat, and my Dad bought Harley when I was in college. We went on lots of rides and had a great time. He rode to Arkadelphia to visit me in college and we went to Hot Springs, etc. I was terrified to learn to ride (drive) it myself, but I wanted to. So one afternoon Dad & I went out on the bike, and he told me we weren't going home until I drove it! So I did. (It's really heavy.) But I haven't been on the motorcycle in a really long time because of Rhett and Alexee. I know accidents can happen any time/any place, but with kids I just can't bring myself to ride now--it just seems too risky. The other drivers on the road are just so careless! (I trusted Dad 210%). He's talked about selling it, but I hope he doesn't--it would make me sad because it has such great memories to go with it.

6. My college degree is in accounting. I don't really know why other than I planned to go into business, and I liked my Freshman principles of accounting class. Debits and Credits seemed "fun", so I moved forward with that degree. I worked for two different public accounting firms doing audits (and some tax work) for 3 years, then worked in private accounting for our church for a year (I loved that job!). I'm glad I went the accounting route because that is how Lane & I met (at the first accounting firm I worked for)...but that's another post, another day.

7. I like doing laundry. I don't like ironing it, but I like the sorting, washing, moving to the dryer, hearing the dryer bell ring, and folding the nice clean clothes. I like to try new scents of detergent and fabric softener...this makes the laundry process a little more exciting. Right now I'm loving Tide with baking soda and white lilac (I think that's what it's called) and the orange bottle of Snuggle (I don't remember the scent, but it's a good one). Household chores that I DON'T like include.............well, everything else I guess. :) Once upon a time, I kept my apartment really clean and organized and neat. But that was when I lived alone. That seems like an impossible task now.

I'd like to tag:
Heather
Flo
Lisa
Darcy
MK (have you done this already...I know you hate having to do them again--ha!) :)
Ashley P.

Thursday Pics

Rhett pretending to be in jail (he called Alexee, the locksmith, to get him out):

I finished two more paintings tonight. These bunnies are also for Marlee's nursery. My sister is planning to deliver them for me when she attends the baby shower. Jessica (the mom) said she'd email me pictures of the room once the paintings are hanging. I'm excited to see them in their home!

Little Mountain Goat

She's a climber! And she's always proud of herself when she gets to her destination. You'd never know it by looking at these pictures, but she was really fussy today...I think she might be getting a molar? I always blame everything on teeth though. I did the same with Rhett.

I think she looks so snuggly in these (Rhett's) PJ's. I'm tempted to go wake her up and give her a big squeeze. :)

An Old Friend

("Old" as in I've known her since I was six...she's actually 12 days younger than me!) :)

I was really excited to get an e-mail today from my childhood friend, Darcy. Darcy & I were best friends all through school, K-12. Her e-mail included the link to the new family website that they started! I really wish we lived in the same town--I know we'd have fun getting together and letting our kids play (my mom and her mom were friends in school, too. I've always thought that was neat!).

Here are just a few of the many memories I have of my friendship with her (in no sort of chronological order):
--Meeting the first day of Kindergarten in Mrs. Dieslinger's class.
--When she cut my hair for me the night before senior class pictures (way shorter than my hair is now). I think my Mom cried the next morning after we left for school.
--Going to Florida with her family--she has such a FUN family...her parents and two older brothers are hilarious and always fun to be around
--When she saw presents on my desk at school and asked me what they were for...I think she felt really bad when I told her it was my birthday :)
--Riding around in her Honda Prelude
--Being in each other's weddings

School Days

Lately R likes to play school.  He "teaches" movement class (like at his MDO) and he leads circle time and then my favorite...snack time.  Today he brought two boxes of raisins upstairs to have at the little table.  We practiced the letters F and T today.  I made signs that had words that started with those letters and he taped them to those things around the room (firetruck, fishing rod, frog, etc.  He loves tape!)  

Mirror, Mirror

Pictures from Sunday:

Chocolate Gravy

I can't remember if I've posted this before? It's yummy...you should try it (Mom makes it for Christmas breakfast)! I made it Sunday morning for Rhett. Lane had already left to drive the shuttle at church, and he was sad to find out that he'd missed it, so I made it again this morning.

Chocolate Gravy
--Mix in saucepan:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour (sifted to prevent lumps)
2 Tablespoons cocoa (sifted)
--Add 1 1/2 cups milk (I usually use 1% milk, but I only had whole milk today for Alexee, so I used that and it made it extra creamy...just FYI in case you really want to splurge!)
--Heat over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken (I use a whisk to stir with while it heats)
--Remove from heat and stir in:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon vanilla
--Serve over toast or biscuits.

Yours now for only $19.99!

I've never been one to fall for infomercials, but the same cannot be said of Rhett. He has been interested in Pancake Puffs for a long time...the infomercial is on every night during Sprout's Goodnight Show. He often calls us in to the playroom to see it, and quotes things like, "Kids love them!". So this evening we were in Bed Bath & Beyond shopping for a wedding gift when he spotted the Pancake Puffs display just as we walked in the door. He pleaded so sweetly and politely that I couldn't tell him no. So we came straight home and made puffs for dinner. The kit comes with several recipes, but I took the easy route this first time and mixed up just-add-water-pancake-batter. They didn't turn quite as perfectly as the commercial shows, but they were easy and good...and Rhett was happy! (Alexee liked them too.)


Sampling the powdered sugar while the puffs cooked.


A satisfied customer! As the commercial says, "they're PAN-TASTIC!"

Painting

I finished another name canvas today. "Zoey" is big sister to "Marlee". I like the big butterflies & dragonfly in this piece. I hope Zoey & Marlee's Mom is pleased with the paintings!

More V-Day Fun

Valentine cards from Grammy & Bobba (thank you!) and from Ella (Melody, the picture of E is precious!)


Bogart with a fresh haircut and a festive bandana

Lane and I ate our "special occasion dinner" (see post on New Years Eve) :) I love it--no cooking required! We watched The Biggest Loser (while we ate pie--sad!) that we recorded earlier this week. By the way, am I the only one that cries every time I watch that show? Who are you cheering for?...my first choice went home in this episode so I'll have to choose a new favorite.

I did bake our traditional (8th annual) cherry pies

We even had "real" ice cream to go with them. (Extra time at the gym required tomorrow)

Happy Valentine's day to my family & friends--I love you all!

Happy Valentine's Day

I'm thankful for my sweeties:

The kids each had a balloon (tied to a bag of candy) at the breakfast table this morning. R volunteered to eat A's candy since she's too little to have it. R's MDO class had their Valentine party this morning. I dropped him off, ran a few errands, then Alexee & I dropped back by school to hang out during the party. Alexee enjoyed cruising around the kids' table looking for snacks...she had the most success with pretzels from her brother. We'd signed up for sweets, so Rhett & I made rice crispy treats and cut them out in heart shapes (in the basket below).


One of the other moms made the teacher this super cute paper "basket" it was filled with little goodies. It was so cute--I hope I can catch up with her sometime and ask her to show me how to make these. It looked like maybe one piece of 12x12 cardstock with other coordinating papers cut for the triangles and squares.

My friend Melody made the kids these adorable treat boxes. They were tied up with fun ribbon and had great stuff inside (Rhett was excited to look at it when he got home).


Melody & Ella

The kids' ladybug valentine sacks on their table

Rhett enjoying his rice crispy treat

Date Night

Tonight my friend Stacy came over after the kids were in bed so that L & I could go to a movie. We saw Fools Gold. It was really cute and funny. I like romantic comedies because they don't stress me out. Sometimes at serious movies I get really stressed and feel like I'm going to have an anxiety attack because I start thinking about the things in the movie happening to my family, and I can't get out of the theater fast enough (does this happen to anyone else, or am I strange?). So movies like the one we saw tonight are just relaxing and fun for me, and I like both Kate & Matthew (I know them by first names). It was a fun date night. (Thank you, Stacy!)

Facing Forward

Lane & Rhett went to purchase a new car seat for R on Saturday at Babies R Us (so glad we have that store now!). L also took R's old seat apart and washed the cushions so that Al would have a nice, clean, forward-facing car seat too. He got them installed last night, so both kids were excited to try them out this morning. Alexee is obviously proud of her new set-up in the photo below! (Thanks, Daddy!) I love the big grin on her face. Rhett says he likes his new seat, but still likes his old one better. But he said that he's "glad it's still in the family with Alexee riding in it." ha! He did think that the mesh pockets on the sides were a cool feature.

I've gotten a laugh out of some of the things R has done to "help" A the last few days. Yesterday he came upstairs a few minutes before me when she woke up from her nap. When I walked into her room, he was getting a diaper out of the changing table because he said he smelled a dirty diaper. Then this morning I was getting things out for breakfast, making coffee, packing L's lunch, etc. when I looked over to A's high chair to see R feeding her yogurt. He was not wearing a SINGLE article of clothing (he was in the process of changing from PJs/diaper to play clothes/underwear), but he'd gotten the yogurt out of the fridge himself, grabbed a spoon and started feeding her. I went to get the camera, but I wasn't fast enough...he'd moved on to something else by the time I returned. He's never tried to carry her anywhere...until today. She was in the hallway and he wanted her to be somewhere else, so he picked her up under her arms and moved her! The people in the church nursery told us yesterday that they laugh about how rough she is...they said they can always tell the little girls who have big brothers. He might be a little bit rough, but he is so good with her, always sweet to her and loves her very very much. He's always patient and understanding with her--it's precious! And she loves him too. She wants to go everywhere he goes, and she thinks he's hilarious. He can always make her laugh.

They are such a joy:

Name Art

I finished one name canvas tonight!  I think it's a fun piece...makes me want to do one for Alexee's room!

Color samples, ideas, bedding, etc. provided by the customer:

Color samples, etc. for the second name canvas: