"How could they?"

Tonight was our "looking at lights, Utica Square" night. So we packed up dinner and headed out to Happy Land! It was beautiful! We went to all our favorite stores including our newest favorite...Anthropology...and bought this years Christmas ornament there. We made a few other stops then headed to Starbucks. We got our stuff, and I sat down to pour Izzy's chocolate milk in his sippy cup, and we left. Once across the street I realized I didn't have the Anthroplogy bag anymore, that I had left it at Starbucks. Joel went back to get it and Izzy and I went on to Pier1. Joel was taking longer than it should have taken, and so I started to worry that something was wrong. I figured someone had stolen the bag (and ornament) and that Joel was saving the day by buying another one. I called him, and that is exactly what had happened! I was (and am) furious!!!! I couldn't believe that someone would do that at Christmas time and at Utica Square. If you can't be classy, and respectable, then you shouldn't be at Utica Square! I am still trying to calm down over it all. It was an expensive ornament AND it was even on sale!

Well, I have to forgive him/her/they, because I have been forgiven much (and because Joel said I couldn't blog about it unless I publicly said I had forgiven).

Thank you Joel for making it right and getting another one. This will forever stay in our memory and someday we will laugh about it. Here is the twice paid for beautiful ornament.

Petunia perfection

I love bags! They are my weakness. Bags/purses/shoes, those are the things that I could make any excuse to buy, or at least try very hard to find an excuse. I am very picky about my bags. They have to be perfect, and easy to get into, and just the right size for just the right thing, and I HATE it when the lining is not attached very well, so that it moves around and you can't find anything! Last year I got my Vera Bradely purse and I love it. No lining to deal with, lots of pockets, and it slung over my shoulder for easy carrying with a new born. Then I got my Vera Bradely "diaper bag". It wasn't the official diaper bag that Vera Bradley makes but it worked beautifully for me. Again, lots of pockets and no lining, and big enough for everything that I needed to tote around with me. Plus...it looked cute! Well, as Israel has gotten older, I have not needed as much space so the hunt for another perfect bag began. I searched for another Vera Bradley, but couldn't settle on one, and couldn't afford another one at the time. So I made one. It has worked fine, but I gained a high respect for Vera Bradley while making it, and understood why hers were so dang expensive! They are HARD to make! Well, at least for me, and hers have all the pockets, and the different fabrics and...well...wow. But I have been using this other one for a few weeks now, until I went into Gap Body yesterday. I was looking around and looked up to behold some of the most adorable diaper bag in the world. It was a Petunia Pickle Bottom bag, and the more I looked it over I saw that it was Petunia Perfect for me! It was the right size, it still had several pockets, even a mommy pocket where I could keep my cell phone and wallet, a key clip, changing mat and wipe box. AND it was 45% off!!! I called Joel and told him that I knew where we could spend our credit card reward money...to which he laughed, and told me to get it and we would talk about it later. We did talk about it, and he had different ideas of where that money could go (imagine that!) and so I was told to hang onto it until the end of this month and then we would reconsider. But I wasn't holding my breath. Then my mom was over and told me that my sister hadn't found a Christmas present for me, and that she could go in on this with me so I could keep it. My sister was a little bummed that she hadn't thought of it, and that I was telling her exactly what I wanted, and that I would know what I was getting, but she came around. Am I silly???? I don't know. I love my bags, and I use a diaper bag almost like a purse too, so why wouldn't I want something cute and adorable? I would even use this after I was done having kids just for a little bag. Anyway. I figure Christmas presents are for getting something you wouldn't get yourself...and this is a splurge for me anyway, so why not!

Wonderful, Wonderful Day!

Today I felt like one of those rich spoiled Beverly Hills people that they do tv shows about. I woke up this morning to two happy babies...yes two. Joel and I got to keep Izzy's friend Melody while her mommy and daddy had a night to themselves before they move far away...away from everyone they know. We fed two happy babies and then cleaned up the house. In a few minutes I was going to leave my filthy house with dust an inch thick on my ceiling fans, and be gone all day, just to come back to a very clean house. A few days ago, a groupon came through for 82% off Mommy Maid cleaning service. For 40.00 I could get a 200.00 package! I told Joel that I was so tempted to get it since my good friend was coming to visit, and since Izzy had been sick and I hadn't had time to do anything. When I picked Joel up from work that day, he handed me the PURCHASED groupon!!! I was in for a treat! So at 9:30 this morning a sweet lady came to my house, and we left it. First stop...Starbucks. We have made it a family tradition to drink coffee there on Saturday mornings. Then Izzy and I headed out to my moms for Baking day while Joel stayed behind to put up Christmas lights!

Christmas baking day is very special. All growing up we had a special day of baking our favorite holiday cookies while listening to Captain Kangaroo. Even after all these years, and after 3 of us have gotten married, we have still managed to all get together, and all bring our ingredients and have a messy but fun filled day. Our dear friend Val has joined us for the last several years and it wouldn't be the same without her now either.

(left to right): Val, Becky, and Abbie! Wearing aprons is a must too!

Mom and Wade and Ella always make the snowman cookies

Fun times!

 

 

 

Israel and Michael are cooking up their own special recipe!

It was so much fun! We came home to a house so clean that the floors squeak! Thanks babe for spoiling me, and thanks mom and sisters for some wonderful memories!

Twinkle Lights

I love Christmas time. I love that everyone gets in the mood. I know that one could argue it has been over commercialized, but I still love it! I love going to the mall and seeing the decoratations and knowing that all of us, or most of us are there for one purpose...gifts! I love all the festivities, and parties. I love the twinkle lights, and the house decorating and the cookie baking. And I love love LOVE, the smell of Christmas trees! We got started a little early this year because I was worried that this season would pass us by in the wink of an eye. Every other month as, so I decorated a couple days before December and we went shopping for our tree on Monday night. We waited though to put it up last night (December 1st). Oh! How wonderful my house smells! I smile every time I walk in to the living room. My house is so small that the smell fills up most of the house so I don't have to go far to get a wif of the pine. Last night it was so fun to see Izzy see a tree coming inside our house. He was so excited. He kept yelling "tree, tree"! We kept him up a little longer so that he could see the lights go on, and then help put an ornament up, but we stopped after going around the tree twice because he was getting tired. But it was already too late because he had no desire to hang something on a tree. So we settled with him sittle on my lap and ME hanging the first ornament. To bed he went and Joel and I finished the decorating. We then sat down to admire our work with some Egg Nog and an episode of The Closer. This morning Izzy woke up and when I showed him the tree, all he saw where the many 'balls' all over the tree. Hopefully he will remember that those all not balls we can play with.

I am so excited about this years Christmas and I hope you are too. Put up some lights, and turn on some music, and have a Holly Jolly time!

special Memories

I love to hear my dad sing and play the guitar. Growing up he would pull it out and we had our favoirtes: Grandma's Feather Bed, You can a Line, I'll Get a Pole, Lady, etc. I always wanted to marry a guy that could play the guitar, and have my children grow up with the same memories. Well, I did, and Izzy loves to hear Joel play. We sing Suggle Puppy, Jesus loves Me, and any others. Tuesday night we were out at my parents, and we were getting ready to leave, but before we did, I asked dad to play some guitar for Izzy. It was so precious to me to see my dad playing songs that I grew up on and my son enjoying them, and dancing to them. It almost made me cry. We have a CD of my dad singing, which I try to play for Izzy so that he will grow up knowing and loving not only the voice that I love but the man behind it. I love you dad.

The Dish Ordeal

And let me tell you, it was an ordeal. I didn't mean for it to be an ordeal but it turned into one. I have been wanting to sell my set of dishes for awhile now, and have tried to sell them on Craigslist for awhile with no takers. We had one bite, that just turned into a little nibble, but nothing came of it. That was really disappointing, but I am glad now that it didn't happen. I decided to keep most of my dishes and just go back to Pottery Barn and get the "salad" plate that is the size of a regular dinner plate. (That is what I didn't like about my dishes...that the dinner plate was so huge!) We had some extra money that we were using for household stuff and for any extra dishes that we might need, and so it worked out perfectly for me to be able to get the smaller plate. We are now just going  to sell 11 - 4 piece place settings. But the reason why it turned into such an ordeal is because I asked Joel's opinion. Usually that helps, but this time his opinion was different than what I wanted, so after buying some different dishes...that Joel wanted, I went back and exchanged them for the ones that actually matched my set. But not without hashing it out and making sure that he wasn't going to be mad at me. Anyway, it ended last night with many tears and me balling about how I was trying to make the best decision and keep everyone happy. I flet like a fool, and was convicted about making such a big deal about earthly stuff. Anyway, the ordeal is over, I have the dishes...now I just need some red cerel bowls, and sell my other dishes!!!

Goodnight Moon

I am sure that all of you have heard of the book Goodnight Moon. It is one of my favorites especially since my mom read it to us. So now I get to read it to my son. But...there is a special way to read it. There are certain voice inflections that must be followed while reading the list of things to say goodnight to. The first time Joel read it, it just didn't sound right. It almost ruined the book for me. So now I am teaching him how to read it the right way, and he is being such a good sport. I am so gald that he understand or at least humors me in this area. Tonight he was reading it to Israel, and he looked up and asked "am I doing it right?" I told him he was getting better. I know it sounds silly, but I am sure that all of you have something like this, whether it is a book that needs to be read a certain way or something else. What is one of your peculiar or special request?