Christmas Pictures~

We had Christmas eve dinner with Gregg's cousins~we had a great night eating and playing board games.

We got the Xbox 360 with the Kinects. It is soo much fun but we are all sore today! Lots of good games with so much action ;) New meaning to family game night!!

I had to work on Christmas eve, Christmas day and the day after but in between we had magical moments of time! The boys got everything they wanted and more...Logan has a little more belief in SANTA :) Happy New year!

almost Christmas

We are soo ready for Christmas this year! To Logan it is new and exciting which is making it magical for all my boys this year. We aren't sending out Christmas cards this year we just couldn't get it together with all our busy schedules ;(

I LOVE Oklahoma!!!!! It was a wonderful 70 degrees just a day ago and yesterday it was snowing!!!

It was a beautiful snow that didn't stick or last long but while waiting for Max's bus we all played in the big beautiful flakes.

My oldest made the paper as STUDENT OF THE WEEK~ we had the article clipped out and when he want to the bank they had it laminated. The article is also posted up at our church. We are so very proud of him.

It has been hard realizing this is the LAST Christmas all my boys will be living under my roof. Getting Zach's Senior pictures and preparing for things like PROM make me go straight into denial mode (this isn't happening, this isn't happening). But it is time, IT IS HAPPENING and I couldn't be more proud of who my baby has become. Zach and I have overcome many things and it is beautiful to see him flourish. Did I mention I was PROUD??~ well I am overwhelmingly proud and can't believe that in a few more months he will be leaving me to go to college.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

friends and family

My friend Crystal came out for an extended visit over Thanksgiving break

So happy to have her here~we are having a ball eating, drinking vino and telling childhood stories. It makes me miss Brianna and we wish she was here with us laughing about old times.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at the house. I was so happy to have a relaxing weekend with friends and family. Gregg's cousins came over, my friend Crystal and the boys~We had a huge feast~it was awesome

I am working lots and trying to get everything ready for Christmas~This week we are going to have our photo shoot for the Christmas cards~ TIME is flying I can't believe it is already December~

gettin ready for some all nighters

Trying to get my body prepared for some all night shifts at work~ One of the guys who works the over night shift is going on vacation and needed his shifts covered. I said "I could do it!" this was several weeks ago~ the 1st night is coming up tomorrow 9PM-5AM!!!!~For those of you who do not know~ I go to bed like clock work around 9:00-10:00 EVERY NIGHT. I have been trying to nap during the day and moved my workouts to the evening but still I go to bed at like 11:00~ WHAT WAS I THINKING???~ I have not stayed up all night since my 20's and even then I was partying with my friends so it was easy to be UP~

On another note~ I caught 2 thieves on Sunday!!! One was a girl trying to get a pair of head phones out in her 1/2 eaten Cheetos bag and the other well... he stole a 1/2 used bottle of hand sanitizer that we keep up front~YES he lost his job over a 1/2 used bottle of hand sanitizer!! I must mention these are TEMPS we hire this time of year~ the actual employees won't risk their jobs~ but I am on the look out~ Happy to catch the PERPs

my shift starts tomorrow night~Hope I am UP for it!

Halloween Prep

I have been working lots over the last month~ been working out almost everyday, working 40 hours at the new job, teaching Sunday school and WWJD on Wed. nights. We are looking forward to Halloween and LOVE sitting outside by the fire pit in this fall weather. The leaves are changing and it is sooo beautiful out here in the country.

Today is my day off and it is PAY DAY so... we are all going shopping!!!!! Haircuts for the boys, I AM GETTING MY NAILS DONE, buying everyone new underwear and we are getting some last minute Halloween stuff. We are planning on having a TRUNK at our church Halloween party "Trunk or Treat" and Thursday we are going to a cool OPEN HOUSE at Best Buy. The boys will be able to see the HUGE warehouse and see where Mommy works~ it is a rare opportunity and I am excited to show them off to my co-workers. Happy we can attend all these things because there won't be much trick or treating out here in the country! Zach is having a HUGE Halloween party with all his friends they will prob. stay up late,watch scary movies and eat junk.

This year Logan will be a NINJA (he has been wearing his costume for the entire month of October), Zach will be a Evil Jester and Max is going to try and find a costume today!!!

Workin' GAL

I am NOW currently employed at Best Buy Warehouse here in Ardmore. My town is too small to have an actual Best Buy store but the main shipping warehouse is here. I am working as Loss Prevention Officer or Asset Protection (My Dad who always wanted me to be a cop is thrilled at my new POWER) I really lucked out getting this job, most of the people I work with had to work at this company for YEARS to get this position. I was originally hired just to work Saturday and Sunday evenings but I have picked up several hours for training and have a feeling it will be more of a full time gig especially during PEAK season which is coming up.

I pretty much search EVERYONE who exits the warehouse,watch them walk through the metal detector and wand them if they continue to make the machine beep,watch over 60 surveillance cameras and eventually I will be checking semi trucks in and out of the facility.

I was sort of resistant to going back to work at first, feeling like I would be leaving my boys and not doing my MOMMY duties. Gregg however has worked so hard for us over the years and just can't work as hard as he used too do to his recent neck surgeries. Once I started back I REALLY LOVED IT!! I love working with ADULTS again~ I am so used to volunteering at the church with kids and dealing with my lil guys going to all kid functions, I almost forgot how to have an adult conversation. I still felt guilty that first night I worked but when I got home the house was still in tact, kids were fed and everything was good.... they barely missed ME!!! Ok I thought to myself they will not be able to function when I take on all these hours next week~THEY FUNCTIONED. They really love being home with Daddy and he is a great Mr. Mom. He packs my lunch , does laundry, cleans the house, makes the beds , takes the boys to football practice and even went to Max's parent teacher conferences.

This year has been so different and I don't know why I fight change~One of those major changes is my teenager ~Zach is a Senior and doing all the things I remember doing NOT SO LONG AGO, I can hardly think of it with out being in tears but I am slowly embracing the new changes like working again. I am grateful to work for such a good company in such a good position.

Mom's visit

Mom and Lyla came to stay for the weekend. Bawpa Chris took Max and Zach to 3 Yankee Baseball games in Dallas. So we had a girls weekend ;)

checkin in

Ok I haven't gotten my camera cord yet so...no new pics.

We have been super busy with school starting ~I pulled Logan out of his 3 year old class, he just wasn't ready and the teacher was not the best for him. Max however is LOVING his new school the first day he met a bunch of friends (he wasn't nervous at all), he is on the football team so we have been filling these nights up with football practice. Zach is growing more and more into a man he is taking a few hours at the high school, is taking 2 college classes and he recently got a job helping tudor and watch kids in the afternoon. He starts next week and he is super excited.

I too will possibly be entering back into the work place~ I have applied for several part time jobs and got 2 good offers rather quickly (which was a good feeling). My husbands health has been a concern so I am excited to work a few days a week. I like my sister Tara have been working out HARD~ I run 2miles every other day, lift weights and do pilates on the other days I give myself one day to rest during the week. I have worked out everyday for the past month in a half~ praying I can keep this up!

he is 16 gonna be 17

Happy Birthday to my 1st baby boy~ I am sort of in shock (& denial) that he is turning 17 tomorrow and that he will be a Senior in a few weeks~

We are having a small quiet family party with a carrot cake tomorrow. We already celebrated last weekend when his best friend came to stay the weekend. So... Happy Happy Birthday baby!!

Morrocan Carrot Soup

My camera cord has been chewed up by miss FIONA so... there are NO pictures of this wonderful soup. My sister Tara sent me this recipe and I just loved it~ I must admit at first it looked unappetizing~ sort of like carrot baby food. I can tell you it is WONDERFUL ~I have been on a hiatus from my Vegetarian diet and I have paid for it.
So I am back on the wagon (or off the wagon which is it?) with some minor changes~ NO CHEESE period (which is very sad for me b/c I love cheese) trying to just incorporate proteins like chicken & fish on occasion. When we moved I was eating alot of meat. I found myself grilling hot dogs and hamburgers because they were cheap and easy~ I love summer time BBQ food but my body does not. So Thanks again to my lil sis for this AWESOME recipe to get me back on track~ here it is give it a try :)

Moroccan Carrot Soup

2 TBS Butter
1 cup chopped white onion
1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch dice~about 2 2/3cups
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (I just used ground cumin)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred to loosen

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add onion saute' for 2 min. Mix in carrots, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.
(stir cumin seeds in skillet until fragrant about 4-5 min then cool ~put in grinder) I used ground cumin I had on hand.
Remove soup from heat. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in Honey, lemon juice, & allspice. Season with Salt and Pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle yogurt over top and sprinkle liberally with cumin ENJOY :)

making jam

My friend Helen

Helen and Momma Patsi

Our jam session :)

Our grape and plum jam!!

Pasti at my church agreed to help Helen and I do some canning. This has sparked alot of attention and we may be starting a "Lost Arts" Ministry at our church.

Thank you Patsi for teaching us this craft~ it really wasn't as hard as I was thinking it would be :) I had a great time~

the 4th

We had a wonderful time this 4th~ we live outside city limits so.... we invited some friends and family we shot fireworks for 3 hours STRAIGHT!!! They were big, beautiful and in our back yard. It was a wonderful night~ Logan will remember what fireworks are from now on... he loves sparklers the best! ;) My pictures weren't that great so here are just a few shots

CCC~VBS

Here are our Christ Community Church VBS kids!

I was sooo blessed this week~ I taught Crafts to all these children all week. Zach was a helper and he is super good with kids and they all loved him. Max had an absolute blast learning, playing, crafting with all his friends.

Logan and his buddies~ These guys are hilarious ~they were brought in to the sanctuary at the end of every day to sing songs and they did such a good job. These babies are growing up so fast.

I am truly blessed to be in this great church family, I met new Mom friends and could fellowship with all my friends this week. We wrapped it up with a huge swim party at the local water park last night! It was an amazing week. Can't wait to do it again next year~

finishing tile on father's day weekend ;)

I am so happy to be married to a handy guy~he knows how to do all these chores and he makes it look so easy

We were lucky enough to borrow a tile saw so we can finish up the floors

My husband is such a wonderful Father to my boys~ he teaches them all sorts of things~

We are finishing up projects around the house this weekend. I am sealing the granite counter tops and the boys are finishing the tile work in the kitchen and hall bathroom today ;)

Happy Father's day to my wonderful husband and Happy Father's Day to my Dad~I was so happy to see you last weekend~

family time

This weekend my Dad, Lyn, my sister Abigail, my sister Tara and my 2 beautiful nieces (Vi and Rory) came to visit the funny farm. Baby Aurora was so beautiful and such a good baby~

Violet is wonderful and silly~ she would only let me take her picture if she was upside down ;)

Here they are putting together my house warming gift~

Abigail is all the sudden a beautiful young woman~

Zach and his Aunt Abigail~

I love love love my new bench glider~ thank you so much Dad and Lyn ~ Tara for some reason I don't have a picture of you ~ the trip was short but I am so happy they came to visit the new house~The new header was a gift from my sister Tara~ and we just love it~