BAKING COOKIES!

This year we once again stuck to our Christmas tradition of baking cookies the Saturday before Christmas.  This year we made sugar cookies (of course) and had lots of fun watching Cole play in the flour and try to eat the cookie dough.  We also made chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and oatmeal raisin.  We usually make something to take to the neighbors, and I had every intention of making homemade jelly this year.  BUT, time got away from me, and well the kiddos delivered some chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies to the neighbors on Christmas Eve.  Someone who will remain nameless (but I will confess that it was ME!!!), ate all the peanut butter and macadamia nut cookies.  What’s funny is I’m not even a cookie lover

Ethan and Cole setting up their work areas.

John Robert getting his scoop of flour!

Maggie working her cookies.

Cole putting flour in his hair.  Of course we had already bathed him!  HA!

Trying to roll out the cookies.

One batch ready to bake.

One batch out of the oven.

Getting cookies ready to give to the neighbors.

Maggie did all of this, from the packaging, to the cards, to the creation of the gift basket.  She is awesome like that!

 

 

Traditions are FUN!  We love making cookies and preparing to celebrate Christmas together!

PLANNING A CHRISTMAS MENU

We are going to be home for Christmas this year.  Robert is on call (for the first time in our 16 years of marriage), and we know that if we go anywhere we will have to leave.  Of course, we are preparing for him to be called out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day no matter where we are at. 

This has prompted us to say HMMM, what do WE want for our own Christmas Day Dinner.  We have decided to eat our “big” meal around noon and to munch the rest of the day.  The big kiddos are planning on getting up at 4:30 or so (we shall see how that goes), so our menu will be conducive to an early morning and a big lunch.  Here is what we have finally settled on.

 

BREAKFAST:
Scrambled Eggs ALL THE WAY!  (That means eggs scrambled with breakfast potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and sausage).

Biscuits!  Yum an amazing breakfast staple here not matter what!

Sweet Fruits and Danishes!  Even if it is breakfast, it is Christmas Day and we need something sweet.

Sweet Tea / Coffee/ Hot Chocolate with Cool Whip!  Well, if the weather permits than the hot chocolate will be a go.  If not, tea and coffee will be it.

 

DINNER:

Smoked Beef Brisket, YUM!  No one cooks brisket like my husband!  He puts it on the smoker, low and slow!  Of all the menu choices, this was the only one that ALL the children agreed to!

Baked Potato Bar!  Everyone agreed that they wanted a potato dish of some kind, but no one could agree as to which kind they wanted.  Some wanted potatoes topped with butter and bacon.  Some wanted smashed potatoes with sour cream and cheese.  Some wanted potato slices topped with onions and cheese.  No one could agree.  This way we can all make potatoes the way that we want them!  Plus Robert can put them in the smoker with the brisket and I won’t have to heat my house up with the oven on for hours at a time.

Spinach Salad!  We all love a good light spinach salad.  I top ours with a zesty Italian dressing, hard cooked eggs, cheddar cheese, croutons, and bacon bits.  If we are feeling adventurous we might add some fresh fruit (like strawberries), but that is not a “favorite” so I’m omitting the fruit this Christmas.

Dinner Rolls!  Anyone that knows me knows that I am a sucker for a good yeast roll.  I LOVE. ADORE, CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT a good yeast roll.  Cole has inherited this trait from his carb loving Mama, so a good roll it is!

Dessert, YUM!  Ok, this one we are still debating.  BUT, I think that we have it narrowed down to yellow cake and chocolate icing, a favorite cake with all of us.  I am also debating a strawberry shortcake or strawberry sparkle cake just to have something with some “red” in it!

Sweet Tea / Water / Sparkling Grape Juice!  We always get the kiddos some sparkling grape juice to celebrate special occasions and Christmas is certainly a special time. 

 

Well, there you have it!  A simple Best Family Meal to spend our first eve Christmas at home with!  I for one, can’t wait, and I know the kiddos can’t either (they are asking for brisket daily!)

THE SNEAKY SNOWMAN!

This year we have been visited by the Sneaky Snowman Sneaky again.  That silly snowman has had a lot of fun with us this year!  So far he has tried to make cookies a week early, He has redone the Christmas Village with Batman’s Boat and Cole’s new choo-choo train.  He has toilet papered the kiddos bathroom (I guess he was ready for Mama to get it decorated).  He  has even exchanged all of our Christmas stockings with everyone’s underroo’s, yes even Mama and Daddy’s!

In spite of all of his antics, he has done some really sweet things too!  Like the night he left us a new Christmas book.  Or the night he left Mama a grocery list of all the food that snowmen need to eat, like marshmallows, ice cream, and cold cuts.  Last night he hid in the tree and put candy canes all over it since we FORGOT to do that when we decorated it!  (SILLY US!)

Our new book, "A Charlie Brown's Christmas", a NICE gift!

A SILLY trick exchanging our stockings for underroos!

 

However, his best gift arrived the other night.  That silly little snowman wished us a Merry “KISS”mas and left us chocolate!  Oh what a gift that was!!!  I wonder if he had a conference with Mama and asked her what she has been craving.  After all, Mama has tried to be good her entire pregnancy and not eat a lot of junk, but sometimes, well a little chocolate goes a long way!

Just what we needed, a little bit of chocolate and a lot of love!

 

We all can’t wait to see what he will be up to these next few days until Christmas!

TIME FOR CHRISTMAS 2013!

I must admit that I am having a very hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.  Maybe it’s the pregnancy exhaustion.  Maybe it’s the fact that all of the cold weather is stopping at the Florida state line and we are still in the mid 80’s.  Maybe it’s the fact that I am overwhelmed from birth preparation and from laundry.  Who knows, why, but I am just struggling to get ready for Christmas this year.

BUT, in spite of my lack of Christmas spirit, I have four little kiddos that are excited and ready to be blessed by Christmas.  I have one kiddo in particular that is my Christmas boy!  I actually heard him singing a mixture of a Jingle Bells and the Gilligan’s Island Theme Song the other day while he was watering the tree.  HA!  That’s my E-Man!!

This year the children would not let me “break” from tradition and decorate early.  We had to wait until Black Friday to decorate.  Unfortunately, Maggie and I went shopping early Black Friday and I was so exhausted that I couldn’t keep up with the kids.  After only an hour’s nap, just getting the live tree, a tradition that Robert started last year, wore me completely out.  So, we waited until Saturday to decorate.  The kiddos had a ball getting everything out, especially Ethan my Christmas boy.  This year Cole had a lot of fun helping Ethan set up the village too.  As always the first thing to come out was the Little People’s Nativity set.  It is played with and rearranged daily!

Time to go Christmas Tree hunting!

First off, following our new tradition, lunch out!

This year Daddy and John Robert picked out the perfect tree, and Daddy even remembered to bring the string to tie it to the roof!

Putting the tree in the house.

Ethan starting to decorate the fireplace with "HIS" Christmas village.

Even Cole helped get houses out and put up this year.

Ethan is so proud! 

The completed village and fireplace.  All that is missing is the stockings!

 



 

After the fireplace was done, it was time to tackle the tree. In keeping with tradition, each kiddo got a new ornament.  This year our theme was the squirrel.  The reason that we chose a squirrel is because the kiddos named our homeschool the BFS Academy (Best Family of Squirrels Academy).  We actually did this last year, but with the loss of Samuel, Robert wanted them to have memorial ornaments.  This year we did the more traditional “FUN” theme.  After a short amount of time the tree, living room, dining room, most of the kitchen, and the kiddo’s bathroom were all decorated and ready for Christmas. 

As he did last year, Cole wraps himself up in the garland.

Maggie with some of my all time favorite ornaments.

All four kiddos with their new ornaments.

Decorating the tree!

Cole untangled himself to help decorate as well!

But, Daddy had to help him get the ornaments to stay on the tree!

 

Being as out of it as I am, the Sneaky Snowman forgot to make his appearance on December 1^st. Luckily, he showed up on the 2^nd, after all he lost track of time being in a box for a full year!! So the new tradition that was started last year has continued onto this year.  Every morning Ethan gets up and hunts for the snowman.  Every morning we “let” him find him and laugh at the lectures he gives the little man over his Christmas antics.  It is a contagious joy even Cole is getting into the spirit and saying Snowman more and more!

The first night he came, the Sneaky Snowman read our "special" Christmas Eve book to all the Little People in the nativity.

On one of his visit's he brought us a new Christmas book.

On another visit, that silly Sneaky Snowman decided that daddy's deer needed some Christmas cheer!

 

So our family is busy as always during this season.  We are mixing old and new traditions and continuing to make Christmas a special and important time of year.  More than that, the children are counting down the days until they can tell Jesus Happy Birthday and celebrate the life of our Risen and Living Savior in the Best Family style!

Cole is 2!

Cole is TWO!  Where has time gone?  We were all set to celebrate in our true Best Family Birthday Style.  I made all the invitations, the party printables and decor, had everything ready for the candy buffet, rented the bounce house, got his Little Monster outfit (to match the theme), and ordered the most adorable cake and cupcakes I have ever seen.  Then the regrets came, so we had to cancel his birthday party.

BUT, being the family that we are, we didn’t let it stop us!  Yes, I canceled the bounce house, the cake and the cupcakes.  I put the bouncy balls, bubbles, play-doh, and decorations away (we did have some of the candy).  Maybe we can use them next year.  Then we spent the day together as a family, just the six of us.  We played outside on the trampoline.  Robert had rearranged his work schedule and worked on Sunday so he could be home all day and Cole LOVED having his Daddy home.  We all napped together too (that was a HUGE blessing to this Mama!). We opened presents, ate chili dogs (some of Cole’s favorite food), and played on the trampoline some more.  We baked brownies and then celebrated more when my parents made the trip to our house after work to see Cole.  They brought cupcakes, we shared the brownies.  We laughed and enjoyed a short visit before Cole told us night-night and fell asleep. 

Daddy helping to open his present.

Cole trying to see what it is!

Beating the ground with a golf club!

Time for Daddy to put everything together!

Our 2 year old "monster" ROAR!

Ethan bouncing with Cole....

Cole getting some air!!!

Thank you Nana & Papa for my gift!

Another present for Daddy to put together!

Cole LOVES his choo-choo!

Curling up and telling us night-night!

 

No, Cole’s second birthday wasn’t what I had imagined.  BUT, the day was perfect for him, chasing chickens, naps, and all!

SWEET SIXTEEN, A HAPPY MISTAKE!

I was 16 when I met Robert.  I can remember that day like it was yesterday.  I walked to the Ag Department with a friend of mine looking for another boy.  Robert was there with his good friend Scott and told us that boy wasn’t there at that time.  We walked away, like two girls will, giggling.  I told my friend that the short one (Robert) was the goofiest thing that I had ever seen.  That was at the end of my 10^th grade year. 

Fast forward past summer break (when I got all my hair cut off) to the start of my junior year.  There was a mix up with my schedule and mid week of the first week of school I was transferred to Mr. Allen’s class.  I walked in and saw that “goofy” looking boy; as a matter of fact the only desk available was right in front of his.  Being the thoughtful guy that he was, Robert leaned forward thinking I was a new student and offered to show me where my next class was.  Being me, I told him that if he wanted my phone number all he had to do was ask.  He turned red and sat back down.  That’s how we started.

I can still remember Robert telling his friend Scott that dating me was a mistake.  I can still remember knowing two weeks within us dating that I “KNEW” he was the one for me.  I can still remember being amazed by him and his talents.  I can still remember graduating high school and his huge hug.  I can remember begging God to have him ask me to marry him.  I can still remember his proposal, I was 18 and he was 19.  It was before a church league softball game he tossed me the ring box across the living room and asked me: “Ya want to?”

I can still remember the excitement of my wedding day until they put the veil on my head when I looked in the mirror and thought HOLY COW WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?  I can still remember our wedding, the simple beautiful ceremony where two young “kids” said that they would stay together forever.  I can remember our honeymoon, when Robert called the front desk looking for the Pro Rodeo finals for that weekend.

I can remember our first anniversary, our 5^th anniversary, our 10th anniversary, and now our 16^th. 

I can remember the joy on his face with the birth of our daughter, our firstborn.  I can remember the joy on his face as we have had each additional child.  I can remember his sobs when we had to say goodbye to our son.  I can remember the doctor’s awe when Robert insisted to know if we had lost a son or a daughter.  I can remember his joy when we found out about Jacob’s impending arrival, and the very real fear he expressed over this new baby.

More than anything, I can remember that Robert has always been my rock.  He is my steady, my comfort, and my joy.  No other person on this earth has been able to calm me with just a touch on the shoulder or by holding my hand.  No other person can infuriate me more or make my knees melt faster than Robert. 

I always thought that marriage was drudgery.  I always thought that life would be dull and boring.  For us this is not the case.  I can honestly say that because of God’s grace I love Robert more today than when we married.  Because of Robert I have learned what love is, what love looks like, what tears, laughter, and joy a life shared can be.  Because of Robert, I know that marriages can work, even when times are hard.  All because of this one man who took a chance and made the biggest mistake of his life!  I am forever grateful that I was that mistake!   

MOTHERHOOD IS NOT A COMPETITION!

I have purposed to do my best to edify and build other people up.  I am NOT PERFECT in this area by any stretch of the imagination. But I do try.  In spite of my best efforts, there is something that puzzles me greatly within the confines of mothers in our society.  Instead of edifying or building each other up, often we perceive that we are in competition to have the brightest, best dressed, perfectly fed, healthiest, and what we think of as happiest children; at the risk of ostracizing others in our quest for perfection.

Mother’s, please let me be frank and speak to you directly from my heart:

I don’t care how many children you have!

I don’t care if you home birth, hospital birth, go all natural, or have an epidural!

I don’t care how you diaper your children!

I don’t care if you exclusively nurse your babies or if you supplement with formula!

I don’t care if you wait until your child is a year old or four months old before you offer them “real food”!

I don’t care that your six year old is a math whiz and competing at a high school level!

I don’t care that your child is “behind” in their classes and is struggling and just can’t keep up with whoever they “should” be keeping up with. They are learning at their level and THAT IS ENOUGH!

I don’t care that you are an all organic totally natural no vaccines mother!

I don’t care that you give your kiddos chocolate and Little Debbie’s daily and have them up to date on all vaccines!

I don’t care that your child is on four sports teams and is a whiz at every ball game he or she plays!

I don’t care that your child is more interested in books or video games than sports!

I don’t care if you send your children to preschool or public school!

I don’t care if you homeschool your children!

To be honest, I don’t care what choices you make!

But wait just a minute there Jennifer!  HOW ON EARTH CAN YOU SAY YOU DON’T CARE?

I can say it because truthfully, I am not here to judge you as a parent.  I think that all of us struggle to do what is best for our families and our family dynamic on a daily basis.  When we throw in our guilt over what we perceive to be a lack of perfection onto another person because they homeschool, bottle feed, make their own laundry detergent, or eat processed foods daily we are NOT doing what we need to do as women or moms!  In our society that demands perfection, we should not be looking to tear each other down, to compare ourselves to others, or to believe the lie that we are better or less than someone else because they choose to mother differently.  Instead, we need to be supporting each other.  Sadly, most women choose the comparisons and competition game over the support game (especially within families).

I am not the MOTHERING POLICE!  Truthfully, I often feel like I am drowning on this journey that I call motherhood and I just don’t have the time to tell you what you are doing wrong!  Some days it takes all I can do to get laundry and dishes done with children dressed and fed!

  I can, however, tell you some things that I do KNOW for sure!

 YOU ARE DOING GREAT BEING YOU!

THERE IS NO OTHER WOMAN DESIGNED TO BE A BETTER MOTHER TO YOUR CHILD OR CHILDREN THAN YOU!

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND CREATED FOR THIS TIME AND THIS PURPOSE!

YOU DON’T NEED TO COMPETE WITH ANYONE!

YOU ARE A MOTHER, YOU ARE ENOUGH!

I think that it is time that all women STOP the competition and start the edifying!  What do you think?