Christmas Cookie Craziness!

When I was little, one of the things I looked MOST forward to was the yearly tradition of decorating Christmas cookies! I could not WAIT to share that tradition with Connor! Last year, he was only 9months old, so I didn't really feel like he would be a great participant....but THIS year I thought that Mr. "Into EVERYTHING" would be more than happy to sprinkle a few cookies with Mommy :) And boy was I right! A "few" is all I got out of him, but it was still a TON of fun!

I set up the kitchen table for Cookie Madness 2010 and then headed out for a run while Connor was napping. As I was coming up our street, I noticed that Justin had Connor out playing in the truck. I was informed that they were outside playing because Connor saw the kitchen table and would not stay away from it lol! That made me even more excited to get in there and get down to business! I snatched up my kiddo, rushed inside, put him in his booster seat, and started teaching him the art of decorating Christmas cookies! Here is the first one he sprinkled....he's a natural :) Oh, and you can't do a little decorating without doing a little tasting as well!

I did the icing....


And Connor did the sprinkles! He was able to do the green by himself, but the multi-colored ones came out a little fast, so I provided a little direction :) He also sent this particular sprinkle bottle flying across the table (red, green, and white little balls went flying EVERYWHERE) when he felt a little pressure from being watched by Daddy, Jeff, and Lacy. They promptly left the table per Mommy's request.....Hey, nobody likes to be center stage for their first attempt at anything....Don't worry, son, I've got your back ;)

All finished!!

We were both SO excited to eat 'em up!

Sharing this tradition with Connor was one of the most fun things we have done together in the last 21 months he's been around. I look forward to many many many years of Christmas Cookie Craziness with Connor. Hopefully he will still enjoy it when he's 16 ;)

Scarlet Family Christmas

Merry Christmas from the home of Terry and Karen Scarlet, AKA Pops (or Dad) and Mom, AKA Papaw and Gramma! We had a wonderful prime rib dinner equipped with mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, green beans, peas, and super squishy rolls (my fav...along with the mac-n-cheese!!). After dinner we hit the gifts and Gramma got PRANKED by ME (see story in previous post)! It was a wonderful evening with food and family.

Connor absolutely ADORES his Papaw!

And I absolutely ADORE the man I married :)

Karen stole my Christmas hat/headband....lol...what can I say, it looked better on her anyway :) Here are Justin and Karen chowing down on some of my spicy corn dip! It was delish if I do say so myself.

My little Ham doing one of his favorite Toy Story lines..."Hi, I'm Woody, howdy howdy howdy..."

Connor was posing with ALL of his MANY MANY MANY gifts! (Justin and I were thinking, "Where are we going to put all of this stuff?!")

He got the hang of unwrapping things real quick (with a little help from yours truly)!

I got a Magic Bullet! Now Connor and I can have smoothies for breakfast, and I can make all that other cool stuff they make on the infomercial lol!

Daddy got a Husk-a-varah (I have no idea how to spell it, and quite frankly am too lazy to look)gas powered blower.....just what he's always wanted! No seriously, it is....ever since we moved into this house and he's been doing the yard work ;)

Annnnnd Papaw got his noiseless golf pullovers!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Scarlet home! :)

Scarlet Family Christmas PRANK! :)

Every. Single. Year, Karen manages to prank one or two of us during gift time...I have spent 8 Christmases with the Scarlet's, and all 8 Christmases SOMEONE either gets embarrassed by having Goodwill store underwear padding their gift (ME!), has to search the house after a series of clues, or has to unwrap several boxes to get to one tiny box usually containing some little green pieces of paper :)

This Christmas, it was ON! It was MY turn to get her back ;) The first box she unwrapped led to a piece of scrap carpet with a note attached instructing her to answer a series of questions to lead to prize. Wrapped in the carpet were some items that Connor knows, so he got to participate as well.


After answering the questions and placing the first letter of each answer into spaces provided, she revealed the prize! A NEW PURSE! (And thank goodness....you should have seen the canvas golf bag she was carrying to work each day in addition to one of my old used up Kenneth Cole bags...it was time for a new bag!)

She absolutely loved it!! (And I was glad....I'm not going to lie....she's hard to shop for!) :)

Underneath the scrap carpet was another box....hee hee hee :)

Inside that box was ANOTHER wrapped box that I ridiculously taped down.....I may have used the entire roll......but Karen had the last laugh....see that little tool in her right hand? Yeah, my tape didn't stand a chance :)

Inside that box was a wrapped Danielle Steele book, and a wrapped DVD (The Notebook...one of my favs!). Wrapped around the DVD was a Toy Story shirt that I wanted her to give to Connor. It was pure bliss watching her laugh and enjoy each step of her gift :) I have a lot of respect for the pranks she pulls each Christmas...do you have any idea how long it took me to put that together?! Sheesh! The wrapping, alone, took over and hour!

I am SURE, sure, sure, sure, she will be getting me back next year.....but I have an entire year to come up with something else for her....this could be the start of something very ridiculous LOL! Three words for ya, Karen:

BRING IT ON!

Thank you for making each Christmas so much fun. Love you!

Independence......

This is what you wear when you are a 21 month old in charge of your own wardrobe.......

Who cares if it's 34 degrees outside, right?

Choooo Chooooo!

Last Friday night we went to ride the Christmas train at Creekmore Park! I have always wanted to go and now that we have a little one, it's the perfect excuse ;) Here is Daddy and CJ waiting in line to ride the train!

The Creekmore Express!


Daddy and Connor having a little fun during our short wait :)


One of the MANY large Christmas light displays

Going through the lighted tunnel....he looks a little terrified...he's not though. He had an absolute ball. He was very intrigued by the lights. Now when we mention going to the park, he says, "Choo Choo." I love it when he remembers fun things from our family activities :)

I couldn't ask for more this Christmas.......he's the best gift that keeps on giving :)

Meeting Santa....Again....Sorta'.....

Here comes Santa Clause, here comes Santa Clause, right down Diamond Lane.......

Each year the White Bluff Volunteer Fire Department allows Santa to hop on one of their trucks and come visit the kids in the neighborhood!

Daddy and Connor patiently waited for Santa to come to the house once we heard the sirens! It sure was cold!

Once Santa arrived, Connor decided that he was NOT going to have anything to do with the big guy with the hairy face in the red suit....(do ya blame him? Santa is a little intimidating) lol!

Connor wouldn't even look at Daddy to get his picture made, so Santa had an idea.....on the count of three, he and I would turn our heads, and Justin would go snap the pic from the other side!

So that's what we did.....this is a terrible angle, I look HUGE, BUT, it's all about the kids, right? (That's what I will keep telling myself to make this picture "public blog acceptable"(PBA)...lol)

When Santa left, it was time to check out the goodie bag! He wasn't real sure what to think....

So after peeking in the bag, he strolled over to the foot stool to do a little trick....I think he was doing a Happy Dance :)

Annnnnnd, still not too sure what to think about all the goodies from Santa...lol.

Merry Christmas! :)

Christmas Honor's at the National Cemeteries

Each year, the National Cemeteries in both Fort Smith and Fayetteville, have a Christmas Honors Ceremony to honor the lives of those men and women who so courageously fought for our country....our freedom. I have never attended the ceremony in Fayetteville, but I have been to the one in Fort Smith for the last couple of years. Families of loved ones lost are encouraged to come out early and place a wreath at the headstone. It was peaceful....Josh Groban was playing over the loud speaker. With coffee in hand on that crisp December morning, I observed as people were bustling about, choosing the perfect wreath for their loved one, taking pictures, saying prayers..... heads were bowed in silence, an elderly woman knelt to kiss her husbands grave, and parents and children shared a few laughs about their lost relative. My heart was filled with joy for such an incredible celebration, and also sadness for the loss of my Grandfather, Grandma, and friend, Jason, and for all those missing their loved one (or ones) during the Holiday season.

Today, I stopped by the cemetery in Fayetteville to say hello to my Grandma, and to get a few pictures of her Christmas decorations :) My Grandma had the most contagious laugh. When I was 5, she taught me how to spell Llama. She spray painted her shoes to match her dress for our wedding. They turned out really beautiful! And in the kitchen: Emprovise. She taught that to my mom, who passed that down to me....just ask Justin, I can make anything out of nothing ;) Thank you, Grandma! I love you :)

This year, my dad let me place the wreath on my Granddad's grave. I truly felt honored, since that's HIS dad. And to my dad: Thank you :) This will be our second Christmas without having to wait an hour for him to finish dinner before opening presents lol! He was the slowest eater EVER...but he enjoyed each and every single bite! That's the way it SHOULD be....he reminds me from time to time to just slow down and enjoy life. Granddad, I wasn't ready for you to leave. I miss you so much. I wish you would have had the chance to meet Connor, but I know you probably look down on us and laugh at him.....and probably Justin and I too in all of our "first time parent" glory lol. You had 3 boys....you know how it is! :) Merry Christmas, Granddad! I love you.

Jason, it seems like yesterday when you randomly popped in to town, unexpected, and called me and Julie to come hang out with you at Hog Calls. It had been a long time since the last time I had seen you because you joined the Navy and moved to California. A very short time later, you were gone....forever. I thank God from time to time for allowing me a chance to tell you Goodbye in person one last time. You had a smile that was to die for.....and you shared it with everyone. I had a really nice conversation with your dad on Saturday. We talked about some of the old crew and where time had taken us all, and I told him about the time you and I went mudding behind Southside and the axle broke on your Bronco leaving us stranded in the rain lol! We talked about your brother and how he looks JUST like you, Jason. Only you could survive 3 tours in Iraq and then crash your silly motorcycle when you returned home. I was devestated to hear the news, as I had never lost a friend before. Your funeral was the first one I had ever attended....I stood beside Brian Floyd who let me sob all over his shoulder. I miss you, buddy. I look forward to seeing you again soon! :)

Thanksgiving....a few weeks late! (Better late then never!)

Thanksgiving was fun this year :) We started with out traditional breakfast with the Scarlet's! We went to IHOP, where my son INDULGED in bacon...he is most definitely his father's son. Bacon buddies until the end! Right before we left, I wanted to get a picture of Connor with his Gramma and Papaw, but the boy ate SO much that he ALMOST got sick all over Gramma, so we decided to call it a fun breakfast and head home!

Thanksgiving was a snuggly day this year.....it was very cold and rained most of the morning and afternoon. When we came home, we all put on our PJ's and turned on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I spent the afternoon making Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Bread Pudding that I saw him make on his show, Throwdown, where he went head to head with The Pioneer Woman! It was delicious :)


Connor's latest obsession (and I mean OBSESSION) is Toy Story. He flies around the house saying "onnnnnnnn" which is his version of "to infinity and beyond!" He LOVES "Buh" and "Woo-dee" (Buzz and Woody for all you non Toy Storiers lol...they are the main characters). Here is a picture of the Buzz float from the parade. We also have this part of the parade DVR'd and watch it two to three times a day!

And that evening, we went to our traditional dinner at the Birch household! MMMMM! That and Christmas Dinner are my 2 most favorite meals every year! My Momma can COOK! Connor had his own starch fest...he ate mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a roll...he licked the turkey, made a "bleeeh" noise at the green bean casserole, and wouldn't touch the stuffing :) Hey, sides are my most favorite part too, so it's ok with me :) I was just glad he participated in dinner this year! Last year, Justin and I ate in shifts while we took care of our 8 month old son...this year, he sat at the big table with the rest of the family. He is growing up so fast :)

We are so very thankful for the many blessings in our lives.....Connor, Family, Friends, Jobs.....God is really good to us. Hope you all had a happy and blessed Thanksgiving as well! :)

First "Or-muh-men"

Last year, Nana gave Connor an Elmo ornament, but he wasn't quiiiiiiiiite old enough to put it on the tree. Well, this year is clearly a different story....He has gone from 8 months old to 20 months old (closer to 2, than 1...YIKES!) We put on some Christmas music and let the little guy go to work! When the job was done, he was VERY proud! :) He hung his first "or-muh-men"

This adorable kid is talking up a STORM these days! There's not alot he can't say. I love talking to him :) He is also able to communicate one very important piece of information during the week when I'm at work: what he had for lunch! Now when I ask, he can tell me :) He is quite the little sponge....time for mom and dad to start incorporating that filter into daily conversation that takes place in front of C! Lol :)

A New Perspective.....Thank You Connor and Spiderman :)

Sunday we took Connor to the mall to buy new shoes! We walked into Finish Line and started discussing various pairs of Nike's, Air Jordan's, New Balances, and Puma's....all very neutral, very versatile shoes. Connor was sitting in his stroller, grunting and stretching, trying to reach this hideous pair of red Spiderman shoes. He started throwing a fit, so I got him out of the stroller and let him walk around while Justin and I discussed shoes. Meanwhile, Connor is trying to put on the "Meean" (that's Connor talk for "man") shoe that he got off the shelf. He finds a bigger shoe and slips it on. I tried to slip a Nike and later a New Balance on the other foot. Connor was NOT having it. He was VERY insistent on these Spiderman shoes.....I absolutely cringed. The LAST thing I wanted was for my son to be walking around in these terribly tacky red shoes, but he really loved them. At this point, I had to put myself aside (and Justin did too), and buy the shoes....We could have gotten out of the store without them, but the kid that was helping us had made several trips to the back, so we kind of felt obligated. We were going to just take them back the next day (hush, don't judge lol). I decided to put them on Connor before we walked out of the store, and that's when my whole perspective changed.

I had never seen him so proud....he picked his feet up high, puffed his little chest out, marched out of the store, and even threw in a couple dance steps.

When you become a mom, you have this image of how perfect you always want things to be. It's absolutely baffeling to me, still, how one tiny person can change every single aspect of your life......for the better. Thank you, Connor, (and Spiderman) for the little wake-up call. I love you, buddy, and your super cool "Meean" shoes!

Heeeeeeere they are :)

"Look, Mom, they make me SUPER fast!"

Anniversaries GALORE!

November 12th was our 5th wedding anniversary! We celebrated a night early by sharing fajitas at one of our local Mexican restaurants! After that, we wandered around Best Buy, picked up a few things for Connor at Old Navy, and went home to a quiet, kid-free house :) After 5 years, anything we want we usually just go out and get, so we decided to give each other the gift of landscaping :) Ellis Landscaping (awesome, by the way....message me if you want their number!), planted this 3-stem River Birch, knock-out rose bushes, and pansies in a beautifully crafted rock circle :) We absolutely love it, and Connor does too! :) It will provide beauty and a great picture backdrop for many years to come.

In a couple of years, we will be able to remove the support sticks. In the meantime, it will grow like a weed! Well, not like a weed....more like a tree...oh hell, you know what I mean :)

November 22nd was my parents 30th wedding anniversary! 30?! 30?! That's 25 more years than Justin and me! WOW!!! 30 years....as with 5 years....comes with some good years and some bad years, but regardless, they are years of commitment to each other and the promise made in front of God, friends, and family, and that's something to be incredibly proud of. For their anniversary, I created a steak, potato, and salad dinner basket :)

It came equipped with 2 ribeyes, potatoes, cheese, sour cream, a bag of tender greens salad, capers (yuk!! But mom and dad LOVE them on their salads), croutons, Uncle Chris' Steak Seasoning, mushrooms, and their favorite little pies for dessert :) I also added a bottle of "Hooked" Pinot Noir, and personalized a little tag for it :) I loved it, they loved it, and I loved that they loved it! :) Happy 30! Here's to 30 more!!! :)