Start of Christmas Season

Okay, so today I was able to put up those fall decorations without guilt. Hubby tried to avoid getting down the Christmas decor from the attic, but finally after running out of excuses he got them down this evening:) Yesterday we stuffed ourselves with yummy turkey and all the trimmings so we were all a little slow out of the gate today!

Here's my two cuties: hubby with Little One as the snow began to fall today.

One last picture with Mr. Gobbles!

Then we all hurried back inside to sit by this roaring fire hubby made.

What a nice day it has been and best of all we are all together, and nobody has been called in to work!

Thanksgiving Blessings

Well, with Thanksgiving a cold front blew through. They are predicting snowfall by tomorrow and today it is very chilly. The dogs large water tub was frozen this morning, first time this season. The quail and deer have been visiting our piles of corn and I even caught George wandering about yesterday. I felt sorry for the fellow because I bet the lizards are hard to find when the weather turns frigid.

Hubby is about to make his famous pecan pie, yum, yum. Last night the poor man came home with chills, body aches etc. He's had his flu shot, but I'm thinking his working 26 straight hours this weekend may have had something to do with how he was feeling. He went straight to bed and seems much better this AM. The girls and I made pie dough last night and I'm about to make Amy's Taco Party mix to take to our friends this afternoon. Some new friends of ours invited us over, taking pity on our orphan selves! We're having fried turkey!! Tonight we may go to another friends whose husband is going to have to work to prepare the plant for cold weather (the refinery where my hubby works). I'm praying my husband actually gets the next 4 days off and doesn't get called in on an emergency!

And so today I count my blessings...

• I'm thankful for my family, whether they are gathering in Austin or Houston or somewhere on the east coast this day.
• I'm thankful that I'm healthy and that my family is in good health (for the most part) today.
• I'm thankful that hubby and I are about to celebrate 11 years of marriage and that even on the worst days, through our faith and commitment to each other we remain a constant.
• I'm blessed by amazing friends.
• That I've been blessed by three beautiful children.
• That God continues to guide me even when I veer off course.
• I'm thankful I started this blog and have met so many wonderful friends through their own blogs.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Have a blessed day! And hugs and kisses to our loved ones who are celebrating far away. We wish we were there:)

Works For Me Wednesday

So as a teacher I used to get asked during the school breaks, especially the summer, "So what did you do all day?" Now as a stay-at-home mom, especially with the first child, I would get the same question. I've talked to others and they sayit happened to them too and it drove them batty. Like we were all sitting at home watching soaps and eating bon bons. And I have to say the question was not always from hubby, but from other working moms etc.

So here it is the solution I came up with years ago. A list! List all the things you do in one day and leave it out on the counter where wandering eyes will see or carry it in your purse to pull out when the question comes up over lunch with your working out of the home friends.

Sample list:
Woke up myself and three children.
Made breakfast while nursing youngest.
Got kids dressed.
Found missing shoe.
Found matching pair of socks.
Helped brush hair.
Found and signed papers for school that were due today.
Got everyone loaded into car within 45 minutes of waking.
Nursed baby again once home.
Changed dirty diaper.
Cleaned breakfast dishes.
Swept floor.
Changed another diaper.
Called phone company for better rate, put on hold for 20 minutes.
Got dinner started in crock pot.
Ran to grocery.
Nursed crying baby in car at grocery parking lot.
Had lunch at school with kids.
Did a load of laundry.
Changed dirty diaper.
Took my only bathroom break of the day.
Picked up kids.
Got afternoon snack.
Did homework.
Put finishing touches on dinner.

Okay, okay you get the point. Put a check mark by each item for good measure. Not only is this list helpful for others it sure is nice for you. Because sometimes at the end of the day I look around my cluttered house and even I wonder "What did I get done today?" Then I look at my list and I can't help but feel accomplishment:)

For more great tips head over to Rocks In My Dryer!

Baaa Humbug

So here I am and it's not even Thanksgiving and I feel overwhelmed by Christmas being around the corner. My Halloween decorations aren't even in their boxes yet and I'm worrying about who's going to string the Christmas lights. In fact I had to force myself to leave my Thanksgiving decorations out as I was picking up earlier because, come on we haven't even celebrated it yet!!


Now if I had been consulted when the calendars were made I would have suggested Thanksgiving be moved up a few weeks to allow for plenty of time between it and Christmas. As it is now the Christmas decor goes out with the fall decor in September and I really just, well I just think it's wrong. I would like to savor fall before I get thrown into tidings of joy and good cheer. Speaking of good cheer do you know who really becomes not cheerful around this frenzy of tinsel and mistle toe. My husband!


Now don't get me wrong he is all about Christmas, celebrating our faith, being with family, advent wreaths etc. But he has difficulty with the undo stress it puts on our pocketbook, the busy malls (not that he enjoys them at any time), holiday traffic, fattening food (now that he has lost over 30 lbs.), well and lets face it, the constant harassment that tends to go on at this time of year.


So after several years of marriage I finally caught on that this is not his favorite time . But in order to make it joyful for the rest of us I've learned a few things... Sit down as far ahead of time as you dare and make your Christmas budget. Whether all the money comes out of one paycheck or several spread out over time, but have your cash stash before you go shopping. Never use the credit card, because those pretty diamond earrings or top of the line camera do-hickey that made you weak in the knees on Christmas morning will make you sick at your stomach when the bill comes in. Focus on the reason for the season instead of stressing over whether or not your gifts are big enough or if the receivers will like it. In fact, with the kids they get one gift from Santa and one big gift from Mom and Dad (I'm thinking my friend Connie from Smockity Frocks gave me this idea). And you know what, it works great and it seems to actually help them to decide what it is they really want. Plus, hubb's family sends out e-mail Christmas lists which takes the stress out of which brother-in-law really wants socks for Christmas and which one would rather choke on them if he gets one more pair.

So around here we are focusing on family, remembering the birth story of Jesus, lighting our advent candles, and having fun making goodies and homeade gifties. And we are waiting until after Thanksgiving to put up our decorations so we can savour our turkey in autumn bliss, thank you very much!

Memorable Moment Monday

This moment happened while visiting my parents last week. I heard some squealing and some giggling and when I went to investigate this is what I found.

Apparently Gramp was giving shaving lessons!

Please join in with your MMM, just leave a comment with link to your blog.

High Intensity Pay

My husband's company gives high intensity pay to salary employees if they have to work 14 days straight. For every 14 days straight they work they get a good bit of extra change added to their paycheck. My mother, as a nurse, can get paid more if she works nights or she can receive double time for working holidays. Hmmmm...

So I was thinking I've worked (doing the math here, give me a sec)...

• 192.8 high intensity periods
• 2700 nights
• 43 holidays

since being a mother.

Because as we know we are on call 24/7, work straight through the holidays, and never take a day off.

Hmmm... I wonder if I could write my senator and see about getting us stay at home moms some sort of paycheck. The government seems to fund all sorts of programs and gives out pay for just about anything and after all, we are raising the future generation, which will be responsible for keeping this planet going.

On second thought, never mind, they can't afford us!

We're Back!

Sorry I haven't written in a week. We just took a marathon trip to Houston to see my parents and for me to go have a check-up with the world's best ENT (I've been to a lot and he really is the best). 11+ hours in the car with our three kiddos can sometimes test even the patience of a saint. We no longer have a DVD player in the car and I'm thinking we might look into getting another of those. But for the most part the kids were really good, I think the parents had a more difficult time then the kids this time:)

But we had a great visit with Gram and Gramp and hubby even got to hit some golf balls! I, myself, took a trip with Gram to go shopping at Rice Village. I have not shopped like that in a long time ( you'll notice my absence from the normal frugal Friday post, maybe it's guilt). Actually, I didn't spend a dime, it was my birthday shopping spree, gift of Mom and Dad. It was selfish, probably even a little bit gluttonous, but I've got to say I enjoyed every bit of it. If only my sister had been along it would have been the perfect shopping day!!

Soph is going to have to have her tonsils out the day after Christmas. I truly cringe at the thought, but I know how much better she will feel once they are out. And we are really ready to be feeling better around here, enough sleepless nights and colds and coughs, thank you!

Well, I still need to unpack, do more laundry, etc. Better see what's for dinner too!