New Years Eve 2011

Yum Homemade Pizza

Polar express

Cookie time

Ollie Jingle has arrived

We adopted an "Elf on the Shelf" this year. Sean is LOVING this new tradition. Everyday, Ollie hides in a spot in the house, to watch over Sean to make sure he's being a good boy. Then each night, he flies back to the North Pole with magical Christmas powers and reports back to Santa about how the day went. Before dawn each day, Ollie flies back to our house and hides in a new spot for Sean to find him. These are a few of his hiding spots so far...




There is just one rule... No one, meaning children, are allowed to touch Ollie or he would lose his magical Christmas powers and then he would no longer be able to fly to the North Pole. Other great attributes: Ollie is a great listener, but is unable to speak, this cuts down on any additional noise in the house. While he appears to be a weakling, Ollie really has the stregth of an Ox, just look at him holding himself from that fan... he's been there for HOURS! He brings great JOY to Sean... and lots of Fun to Mom and Dad, who have fun assisting him find new hiding spots. :)

My turkey visited me at work on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving. It's the first Thanksgiving Day that we have not celebrated ON Thanksgiving day... and let me tell you...it will be the last. It feels so blahhhh. I know it's just seen as a day to EAT. But it's more about a day to get together with family. And today I am realizing how much I am missing out on that tradition....And when I say Family... I mean ALL Family, extended Family, friends, neighbors, people who aren't really Family by blood, but have been around so long that I feel their absence this year.

Marti and Bob have moved to Montana, so they won't be with us this holiday season. I can't think of a Thanksgiving or Christmas that Marti hasn't been with us for one or the other or both... or at the very least our baking party. I know their family up north will be more than thrilled to have them with them this year.. but I must say, the selfish side of me is very sad.

Grandma Susan and Grandpa Steve are on a fabulous trip to Turkey. ( I know, right? Turkey on Turkey day...hilarious!) And I hear they are having a wonderful trip. But I so wish they were here with us, making a big dinner.

Not that any of this would have mattered.. Mom and I are working this Holiday... so had Marti and Bob been living in AZ and Steve and Susan been in the US, we still would have been working.. but it just doesn't feel like the same Thanksgiving holiday as when I was growing up.

I remember the best Thanksgivings. We were usually at either my G-ma & G-pa Jennings or G-ma & G-pa Glass' house... and the house was FULL! I SOOOO appreciate those days and those memories. I hope that one day, Sean looks back at our holiday memories as fondly as I look back at mine. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

So I leave this blog with this one last thought... it's not a holiday about EATING... and maybe it should be more about "Giving Thanks"... But for me it's about making memories that we each look back on fondly as moments that we had the opportunity to do nothing but just enjoy each others presence and know that there is no other place that I'd rather be than with "Family", no matter how that term is defined.

Hold the one you love

Grandma Susan and Grandpa Steve came to visit this past weekend. It was a short but sweet visit. Sean LOVES when his Grandparents are around. He has such a special relationship with each and every one of them, and as he gets older, it's started to become more defined. It's so interesting and charming, and I just love to watch how he interacts with each of them. I snapped this photo of him snuggling with Grandma Susan on the couch... and I just love it.

It's so interesting to me how the most precious pictures that Sean takes, he holds the faces of those he loves..... here are a few other picture so show what I'm taking about...

November, how did you get here?

I know that November comes right after October, and Halloween is at the end of October.. but it feels so weird to be in November! November feels so OFFICIALLY, "Holiday Season". Thanksgiving and Christmas and just weeks away. My co-worker has a countdown on her desk, so I'm reminded daily that Christmas is 49 days away, as of today. Holy Moly!

I will be working this Thanksgiving, but thankfully, I'll be off for my requested time off for Christmas, and without having to use any vacation time! (the perk of my job)

As for any fun and exciting happenings around the house... Well one funny thing going on is that I have been made aware that I have got to be VERY careful about not only WHAT I am saying... but the "context" of what I am saying. For instance... I have a habit of saying, "what the...? " and leaving an open ended question. It could be for anything. It's usually not a cuss word. Generally I say, "what the heck?" or something along those lines... but to hear that phrase come from your 3 yr old's mouth EXACTLY how you say it... in exactly the proper context... makes you realize that it's probably not the best thing to blurt out. ( i think i formed the habit to try and stop myself from cussing in the presence of Sean)... Well Sean thinks it HILARIOUS.. and just regular conversational lingo and is saying it ALL THE TIME... (it is kinda funny.... but I cringe thinking other parents must wonder what I'm teaching my child.)

Spooooky

Sean says we have the scariest house EVER!

Happiness Project, out the door.

It's day 2 of our vacation cruise to paradise.  We have had nonstop pouring rain since the second we boarded the bus to leave for the ship. Black clouds and heavy rain. We have now docked in Key West where we have a fun day of walking and bar hoping scheduled in tank tops, shorts and flip flops. But instead I'm wearing a fleece. No sun in sight. And they expect this to last til at least Wednesday. AWESOME!!!!  half our trip. I am NOT happy. I am trying so hard to not let it ruin our time.... but this is what we came for... laying out on the serenity deck enjoying the sun. And we haven't been able to do that for even 1 minute. We'll be lucky if we steer clear of this turning into a hurricane. I'm so upset. 5 YEARS and we're stuck in soaking wet, misery. You can't even see the beauty of where we are, its so dark and gray.  Please Lord, open up the skies and bring us sunshine.

One hell of a lucky girl

Yesterday was Saturday. I was at work, and Sean asked Daddy to drive him to my work so he could deliver a gift to me. To my surprise, he showed up with this beautiful green ring. He handed it to me, batted his eyes and said "I have a present for you... is it beautiful mommy?". "Oh my goodness, It is Sean, thank you."

Today, I was at work again. Sean and Daddy were getting donuts and were going to bring some by for me and my co-workers. So they pulled up outside, I walked out to the parking lot and the back window rolled down, Sean reached deep in his pocket and pulled out this beautiful white beaded ring... "I have a present for you... is it beautiful mommy?"... " it sure is beautiful Sean, I love it! Thank you so much." I have the most loving and thoughtful son. And a fabulous husband for driving him down to work to give it to me. Thank you.

The big count down. 7 days

Steve and I will set sail for our first real vacation since our honeymoon. We've made such a big deal about just going on vacation that we've completely forgotten that this is actually our 5th year ANNIVERSARY. It's so wonderful. I can't believe that it's been 5 years since we spent that beautiful day in Spreckles park with our family and friends. I'll never forget the excitement I felt, knowing that Steve had chosen me to spend his life with. How lucky I felt that I found someone that made my life feel so complete and balanced. I feel that way even more so today. Even as we sat and ate dinner last night, I looked across at Steve and said, "I love our life". It's not full of riches or abundance. But it's a good life. I love our small family. I love that our parents and my sister stay so involved in our lives and want to be involved with us and Sean as much as possible. We have wonderful friends, we live in a fantastic neighborhood. I couldn't ask for more. I love you Steve. I can't wait for our trip.

I AM HAPPY.

Fall Family Fest/ Block Party

The Allans and the Hakes put together a mini block party! Big success!  We all had so much fun.

Maybe it's working ...

So tonight my sister, Dad and I went to see Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs in concert. We had a fabulous time. Well first thing I grab my sis and dad a drink, deliver the rum and coke to dad and the red wine to Andrea. I run to use the restroom before the concert, and quickly return as the first song is starting. Well as I skooch over to my seat, my beatiful Coach purse catches my sisters red wine and pulls in out of the holder and on to my blouse, pants and a tiny bit of my purse. ....   *pause

Damn

Well, there's no sense in worrying about it. Probably nothing is going to clean it.  All getting up is going to do is make me miss out on several songs that I would have otherwise enjoyed.  Everyone else is just gonna worry about me being upset about my stupid shirt.  Instead, I decided, oh well... we'll see if it comes clean later if not, then its a good thing I liked the shirt as much as I did... I got some wear out of it.

So tonight it's soaking, and smothered in stain remover, but my guess is, it'll be in the trash tomorrow. I don't think this red wine is coming out!!!

But the best part of the story is... my sister turns to me at
intermission and says... " Wow, that happiness book is really workin" referring to The Happiness Project that I just finished reading. LOL.  That was hilarious. Nice one Andrea.

Prince Sean will be Captain Hook for Halloween.

Costume courtesy of Nana.

I tell funny jokes

Me: You're so silly Sean

Sean: I'm funny, because I tell funny jokes.

Sean's new brother. We decided to adopt

"I will call him Friend"

Sean and I started Halloween decoration shopping. We plan to get into the Ghoulish SPIRIT this year. So we did a little shopping yesterday. I let Sean pick out a Giant Furry Spider, he will likely go on the stair railings as decoration. Sean turns to me, and says... "I will call him Friend"..... I have a feeling this thing is going to be more than just a decoration.

Something else happened when we were shopping yesterday that is definitely worth noting that absolutely blew me away. We were in a craft store, and we walked down an aisle that had a iron cast of the Eiffel Tower, which I didn't even notice as I was looking at some decorative knobs. Sean shouts out "Mom, the Eiffel Tower!" ... I stall, and look ... he says it again. The other lady in the aisle looks at me... and look at her.. I said, what did you say? He repeats...I said, How did you know that...? He said... I taught myself! LOL. We used to have these Landmark flashcards that we would do. Well they still use them at school... so he is familiar with famous landmarks, pieces of art (ie the Mona Lisa... which he also shocked me with recently) but I just can't believe how this information sticks in his brain. OH TO BE YOUNG and SMART!!!

Plow the fields

Finally getting this boy to pull his weight around here