Things that make me giddy!

2. My Yultide Camelia tree

Every year I can't wait for this tree to bloom. It took quite a hit after hurricane Katrina and I had a year where it didn't bloom. I nursed it back to health and as you can see is happy this year! I love putting up my christmas decorations while gazing at my camelia tree!!

Things that make me giddy!

1. Decorating the house for Christmas!

Christmas Traditions

Show us your life from www.kellyskornerblog.com

I have so many amazing memories of growing up and Christmas time. My parents always made that time of year so special for our family. From decorating the tree as a family while listening to Christmas music to baking gingerbread houses and decorating them, our family loved spending quality time together during the holidays!
One of the first things that come to mind is the "tree hunt" everyyear. We alway cut down our own trees from a tree farm and it would be an all day event. We would walk and walk to search for the perfect tree before all dropping to our knees to help with the saw. We would then drag it to our car and tie it on top and take the captured tree home to decorate.
Each year us three sisters would rotate turns putting the star on top of the tree after it was all decorated. I remember my dad lifting us up on his shoulders to reach and put it in place!
I don't remember when we started making gingerbread houses but I am so glad we did! I will always cherish the hours spent by my mom making the gingerbread and all of us rolling it out, cutting the pieces for each house, baking them, and spending the entire day each decorating our own with icing and more candy than you can imagine! My mom would slave in the kitchen making batch after batch of the fluffy white icing that held our masterpieces together.
We went to some great Christmas Eve church services and I distinctly remember singing Go Tell it on the Mountain as the church was dark and candles were lit one by one to light the entire worship center.
Overall, growing up in my family was absolutely priceless and I love and adore the memories I have as a little girl in our home.

As a mom now, I am trying to start things that my family will love and cherish like I do. It was actually my husband's idea to have more than one Christmas tree. I thought he was crazy but I love getting out all of our decorations. We have the family tree in our living room that I decorate. A tree in our upstairs window, and even one in the attic dormer window. Last year we put a tree in the boy's room for the first time and they LOVE it. This year I let them decorate it however they wanted to. I gave my OCD a little break and let them place ornaments wherever they wanted til their hearts were content! I hope to continue adding traditions every year.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have fun getting your Christmas decor out and celebrating your traditions!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so thankful for so many things! A quick list before we go spend time with the family!

1. My Salvation
2. My family! (an awesome hubby and 2 amazing boys)
3. My parents (thank you for making me who I am today!)
4. My sisters (built in best friends from the beginning!)
5. My home (more than I ever could have imagined!)
6. My friends
7. My church
8. My big bath tub for wonderful bubble baths!
9. My freedom (thank you soldiers)
10. A wonderful, blessed, full, and amazing life!


Happy Thanksgiving to all! Have a fabulous day!

bummer

Well, the boys are healthy and my hubby is on the road to recovery! Unfortunately, I have been hit hard with what they had. I was hoping that 7 days of caregiver and cleaner being healthy thus far meant I was home free. Nope. So on the couch I lay with this horrible stomach virus, wishing and hoping I felt better. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I can't even let myself get upset about possibly missing my family's amazing get together. I am hoping it will just be a day or two and not the 8 days it took my boys to feel better. SIGH.

At least I have a beautiful tree to look at! Got that up this weekend while everyone else was sick and I was stuck at home with them but feeling fine! Hope everyone has a great week.

sneak peak...

I adore christmas time! It is a magical season with so many wonderful memories, sights, smells, and feelings! I couldn't wait to get my house decorated this year. I have been busy all weekend getting stuff out. Here is a little glimpse into what I've been working on!

This is my living room mantel that I LOVE decorating every year!

A little boring don't you think?

First goes up the green garland (clearance from Hobby Lobby!)

Then I added the berry garland and twisted them together a little!

Some white lights, picks and sprays from a local florist, 2 ornaments and some stocking holders, and TaDa! I love it! What do you think. So festive!

A wreath on the mirror to finish the look and I am sitting on my sofa admiring my work!

daddy and logan are now sick...

Well the stomach virus is making it's rounds through the family. Thank you Jesus that I am still healthy! Hopefully it will stay that way. Handwashing and alcohol sanitizing my skin off! Bleach and Lysol are my best friends this week!

The magic of Christmas is starting to show at my house! I have been a busy little bee ALL weekend and I am giddy with excitement that my christmas decorations of coming out of the attic. Stay tuned for pictures!

Rotavirus strikes again.

I don't know what it is about our family, but if there is a virus or germ out there to catch, my boys are going to get it. Jackson has been sick since monday. This mean old rotavirus is having it's way with poor baby's gut. Monday and Tuesday were bad. Wednsday he perked up and I thought we were through it. Nope, yesterday it hit him with a vengence and today I fear we are nearing dehydration and lethargy. We are pushing the ice, popsicles, and water but he is losing it all so fast in gross ways that I won't detail. Poor guy feels a little better in the bathtub so that is where he has been most of the last few days. So I am off to snuggle my sickie and hope that tomorrow brings him closer to recovering.

M,M&M Our First Date (part 5)

The day had finally come. Mr. M called back (after help from Miss M to encourage him). Our first date was approaching and I was a nervous wreck. My mind raced, thoughts swirled, stomach churned every time I thought about MY FIRST DATE!! What to wear? What to say? I was so excited and scared all at the same time. We agreed to meet at Macaroni Grill which was half way for both of us. He lived in an apartment about 45 minutes from where my townhouse was. It was my idea to meet as a "just in case". Don't ask me what I thought I would need to escape from. Mr. M and I had learned a lot about each other just from working together for so many months. I knew this guy was special. I wouldn't go out with someone I didn't think was husband material. I had already decided that years ago. Yep, Mr. M certainly qualified in my book as someone worth spending time to get to know better.


So the day finally came. A friend came over to help me stress about my outfit. After about 10 clothing changes I decided on a long black skirt and red gap t-shirt. Dressy casual, can't go wrong with that. The excitement had been building all week and I could hardly stand it. I got in my car and headed to the restaurant, only to realize when I got there I was 45 minutes early! I was so nervous I had miscalculated the time it would take me to get there. I paced the lobby of Macaroni Grill, glancing out the window every few minutes, my heart in my throat. Each minute that ticked by made the nausea just a little bit worse. I tried to pray, talk to myself, deep breath. I'm sure everyone who saw me thought I was crazy. Here I was, 23 and on my first date with my potential future husband. The thought was overwhelming.

When Mr. M strolled through the doors, my heart skipped 3 beats. He looked so handsome, clean cut, will dressed, and overall what I had always dreamed of. We sat, chit chatted, and ordered. I don't even remember what I ordered. All I know is that I couldn't eat even one bite. My nerves had the best of me and I didn't think puking on our first date would be very glamorous. The evening at the table flew by. He was charming, witty, funny, sensitive, vulnerable, and very honest about what life had been for him thus far. As he talked, I was intrigued, drawn in, and felt deep in my heart that this guy was something special.

Dinner ended, he payed and we walked to the parking lot. Not wanting the night to end anytime soon, we decided to go to a movie and left together in his car. We had no idea what was even at the theater and walked in hoping it was time for a movie to start. We decided to see What Lies Beneath with Michelle Pfieffer. It was the worst movie I have ever seen but I didn't care. All I could think about was sitting next to Mr. M and our arms almost touching. I stared at his hand hanging off the end of his arm rest and wondered what it would be like to hold it, fingers laced between mine! I was giddy with how the evening was going and sat next to my date totally content that we were sitting next to each other.

After the movie we thought ice cream sounded good. Funny thing was we didn't know where to go so we just drove around. We ended up at a gas station that sold TCBY yogurt. Again, I didn't care where we were or what we were doing, I was on a date with Mr. M and nothing could go wrong! (we found out later we were 2 minutes from a Marble Slab and had missed it!) There was never a dull moment or awkward silence. We shared, talked, laughed. As it neared almost midnight, it was obvious the night needed to come to an end. I still had to drive 25 minutes home and Mr. M wanted me to get home safely. We headed back to the restaurant to pick up my car. As he pulled next to my car, I turned to say good bye and thank you to him. My heart again fluttered with the thought of a hug, or more. Would he try to kiss me??!! Nah. A hug? Kiss on the cheek?! I froze, panicked that I didn't have a clue what to do or how to end the evening. It didn't matter though. Mr. M sat confidently and casually in the driver's seat of his blazer, smiling as he said goodnight, his hands planted firmly on the steering wheel.

I got out, waved and got in my car. I floated home. I was so excited I couldn't stand it. My first date was amazing. Everything I had hoped for and more! And what was even more exciting was that I had kept this night a secret from my family. I didn't want the stress of expectations and what my mom and sisters would think. I couldn't wait to go home and tell the world I had met someone. Someone special. Someone I wanted in my life for a very long time!!!

Happy Birthday Baby!

It seems like yesterday I had baby #2 growing inside of me. Jackson wasn't even two yet, and we were so excited to find out he was going to be a big brother!

Logan Maxwell was welcomed into this world exactly 4 years ago today! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I miss him being little. He was such a good baby and definately a mama's boy!
Why do you have to grow up so fast? I do love though, that your personality has developed and you are so happy! Such a joy in our family. You are the little man who makes us all smile!



Happy 4th Birthday LOGAN! We love you!

another crazy week!

it's been another crazy week and i'm hoping to get some stuff posted, but for now a picture of my baby...who will be 4 tomorrow (sniff sniff)

M,M, and M (part 4) The Call

Trying to get a post in...I have to echo Rachel's excuses. Saints and hurricane watching, add a busy life with 2 boys and I haven't gotten to the computer to compose another Marriages, Meetings, and Memories post. Wanted to write something so I am attempting to put something together after dinner and before baths on a night my hubby is working late and the boys aren't playing very well together. So bear with me...


Fast forward from our January meeting to February then march, skip April and get to May, months went by of flirting and learning more about each other, but never with an official date planned. I started to wonder if I was missing something, or misinterpreting the obvious "he's into me" cues. I was baffled. He was shy, or scared. A little peek into his life had revealed pain and heartache over a previous relationship that I won't go into detail about now, but I had learned that he was taking his time navigating the world of love for very good reason.

Then it happened!!! He called. My house. My heart stopped. Then raced. It was him! On the phone! Asking me out!! I had dreamed about this moment for months! And here it was. Hi, Sara, just wondering if maybe you wanted to get dinner and catch a movie sometime?! There is was, him asking me. Just the way it was supposed to be. I froze. My head was screaming YES, YES, YES!!!! But I didn't want to sound too over excited and wondered how our work schedules would be since I worked days and he worked nights. I casually responded, Just let me check my schedule. WHAT?! did I just say that? Let me check my schedule?! Like let me see if I can squeeze you in between all the other guys in my life. NOT. Or maybe you aren't' important enough for me to miss my favorite t.v. show. Well, I eagerly awaited the OK how about this date. It never came. We chatted and hung up. I thought it was understood that we would be going out just as soon as i checked my schedule and we could plan a day, like this week. I had honestly meant, I will look at my work schedule and see what night will work. This week turned into next week, and then another. Had I missed something??? Yep. He thought I meant no. Stupid me!!!

Mr. M actually started to show less interest and I was confused and heartbroken, too shy to ask what the deal was. Then I heard through the grapevine that he was "seeing" a friend of a friend back home in Mississippi on the weekends and I thought my chance was over, done, finished. How could I have messed this up? It had seemed so right. Did he really think I had said NO????

hurricanes and things...

So living in Louisiana is crazy sometimes. August 2005 is a prime example. Hurricane Katrina changed our lives forever. Now it is November 8th,2009 and we have an unheard of storm in the Gulf headed this way. It is impossible to explain what that does to you unless you have lived through a hurricane. It messes with your head. I'm thinking we won't have to evacuate but you still have to stress a little, plan a little, have a "what if" plan thought out just in case. As Monday approaches and everyone heads back to work and school, we will have the weather channel on...waiting and watching. Wondering if it will hit and how bad it will be. The cool fall gulf waters will help us out a lot but it is still no fun to watch the big, swirling CAT 2 storm on satellite and get a little nervous.
How ironic that my front doors are in the middle stages of getting stripped and sanded and re-stained after hurricane damage took it's toll and we are finally getting around to fixing them. The workers came Friday and took all the weather stripping and threshold off and need to come back tomorrow so we don't have a flood in our living room from driving rain, even if it just a tropical storm that hits. There is laundry to be done, gas tanks to fill up...oh, better cook the chicken in the freezer in case we lose power!!! That is no fun to come back to after you've had to evacuate and abandon the house only to forget the freezer was full and now has spoiled and nasty meat. Still have flashbacks about all of that from Katrina! Anyway, if I'm not on here for a few days, that is why! Hope you have a great week and I'll just be checking the weather more closely than most of you!

please pray for stellan...

go to STELLAN'S mommy's site to read about this sweet baby who needs prayer!

busy week...

It's been a busy week. Just wanted to check in. We are still alive. I am behind on posting and need to get pics uploaded. I worked last night and got pulled to the nursery. I enjoyed holding and loving on those babies. Jackson is enjoying soccer. Logan loves cheering his brother on. I have more piles of laundry than I care to admit. I'm excited about Christmas already. LOVE the christmas season. Hope you are having a great weekend. Go saints!

Go Saints!!!