Guess Who's Bringing Dinner.....

We are!! A few years ago, we started doing something extra special for the kids' teachers for their Christmas present. We present them with a "menu" form that they fill out by picking their main dish, 2 or 3 sides, a dessert, and a date that works well for them. They return the form, and on the date selected, we deliver dinner to their house. The kids help me prepare the meal, and everyone involved seems to really enjoy it!!!

This week was our week to deliver. Monday night, we took dinner to Parker's teacher, Mr. Casey. Mr. Casey is single, so we told him if he wanted to invite friends or family, we would fix extra. He did just that, and we made sure to send plenty. He chose: spaghetti, salad, french bread, green beans, and apple pie with ice-cream.Here is the recipe for the apple pie:

APPLE PIE

1 frozen crust

1 can apple pie filling

1/2 c. firm butter

1 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

Add 2T sugar & sprinkle cinnamon to filling. Put into crust.

Crumb topping:

Mix flour, butter, and brown sugar until crumbly. Sprinkle on pie. Bake at 425 for 45-50 minutes.

Tuesday night was Ms. Jeanne's turn. Kinlee helped me make: poppy seed chicken, salad, rice, rolls, and sour cream pound cake. Ms. Jeanne also lives alone, so she invited her mother, 2 daughters, and a son-in-law to enjoy dinner with her.

Here is the recipe for the pound cake:

SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE

1 Pillsbury yellow cake mix (with pudding in it)

1/2 cup sugar

8 oz. sour cream

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

Blend all ingredients. Then, mix 2 T cinnamon with 4 T brown sugar. Pour half the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 the cinnamon mixture. Pour the rest of the batter in the pan. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

It was fun to be able to help them out for all of their hard work. We have been blessed with great teachers this year. Thank you, Mr. Casey and Ms. Jeanne - hope you enjoyed it!!!

Oh, But we Weren't Quite Finished...

As if we hadn't gotten enough already....we headed to Mississippi after Christmas to celebrate with my family. My brother was in from Ohio, so it was nice to get to see Uncle Ted. We received MORE presents, and Kinlee and my mom and I went on our annual after-Christmas shopping spree. We found lots of good bargains, and got a jump on shopping for next year. Ugh...that makes me tired to even think about!!

We had a great time there, as well. And, Mark and I even got ANOTHER date!! Can't beat that!!!

Christmas FINALLY Came!!!

After much anticipation, the big day finally came! The kids were up bright and early at 6:00 - anxious to see what Santa had brought! Even before they started opening the gifts, they liked the looks of things:

The opening began. Parker was very excited to see that he received a jersey/football card that HE had been outbid on on ebay - you gotta watch that Santa!!! He also received some Arkansas stuff, more football cards, a couple of Webkinz, and many other treasures.
Kinlee was equally excited over new American Girl clothes (that she didn't EVEN ask for), DVDs, Pet shop stuff, a couple of Webkinz, and lots of other fun stuff.

I think it's safe to say that a fun time was had by all, and it was DEFINITELY worth the wait!!! Thanks Santa - you were GOOD to us this year!!!

Traditions, Traditions, Traditions

As most families do, ours has lots of Christmas traditions. It just doesn't seem right to skip them, either. Sometimes they have to be altered for one reason or another, but they are still there in one form or another. One of our fun activities is making some sort of Christmas treat (or 2 or 3) in the days before Christmas. This year, we made and decorated sugar cookies, and made reindeer noses. The kids both got into the cookie decorating this year, and I must say, I spent a little more time and detail than usual.
Every year, Santa finds a way to deliver new PJs on Christmas eve. This year, the man got pretty creative....he sent them with the pizza guy!! What will he think of next..??? That reminds me of another tradition we have - pizza by candlelight on Christmas eve!! Thanks, pizza guy!!

We can't forget the reindeer food - they would not be happy! This year, it was raining, so the kids hiked up their pajama pant legs and headed out to deliver. I love the picture of Kinlee in Parker's shoes in the bottom picture!!!

Soon after that, it was a quick check for Santa on the internet radar, and then off to bed!!! Fun stuff!!

The Time of Year for Giving

Take a look at this crew!!!! A picture is worth a thousand words, I'll tell ya!

This year, we were priveleged enough to participate in what I would hope may become a holiday tradition. Throughout the year, our Bible class collects money to be used to help other families from time to time. Christmas is usually our chance to really go "all out" with the funds we have collected. Since the family that we chose to help had several children in it, we decided to let OUR kids have a part in the shopping. They had a blast! They were each given cards with the kids' names and wish list on them, and with a "budget" in mind, they set off to shop! You should have seen them!! It was so neat to see them getting excited over buying for others, and not ONCE did I hear any of them ask for something for themselves!!
After the purchases were made, we headed back to the church building to wrap the gifts. They worked so well together. When we were done, we all went to the matinee of "Alvin & The Chipmunks" while another mom and her son delivered the gifts. The kids were so excited to hear that the family loved it all and the kids couldn't wait to open their new gifts on Christmas morning!! A great day, for sure....

Christmas in Arkansas

This year, as we usually do, we headed to Little Rock the weekend before Christmas to celebrate the holidays with Nan and Papaw Carl. They traditionally have a huge Christmas get-together that weekend, but due to Carl having surgery, and Nan getting over pneumonia, it was just us....and it was kinda nice that way, I have to admit! Of course, the night we got there, the kids were more than ready to go ahead and open gifts. Unfortunately for them, though, they had to "suffer" through another day before they got the "go ahead". They managed, though, and that made it even more fun when the time did finally come!

So, after much anticipation, gift giving and receiving took place, and I think you'll agree that all were pleased with the outcome.We had a great time visiting, shopping, relaxing, and Mark & I even got to go on a date! Thanks Nan and Papaw ---- we needed that!

Mommy & Me 2010

This year, Kinlee and I were actually invited to TWO Mommy & Me parties. Forgot my camera at the first one, so I only have pictures from the second. The girls had a great time eating a yummy brunch, doing crafts, and exchanging gifts. I like the picture of Kinlee in the bottom left - she was concentrating SO hard on her beaded ornament! I like that at these parties, while a lot of the girls leave their moms "hangin'" on the crafts, Kinlee is right there with me until the end. It is a great morning that we get to spend together! Thanks to after Christmas shopping, we already have our gifts for next year! We're ready!!!

I Did It Again....

I let time slip by - WAY TOO LONG - without blogging. I would love to say that one of my New Year's Resolutions is to blog more often, but that would be a lie. You see, things have to slow down in order for me to have more time, and I just don't see that happening anytime soon. So, for now, just expect the mega-posts that catch everyone up on our lives a month or so at a time. Seriously, though, I do hope to do better in the near future...there, that's as much of a commitment as you're gonna get!!

Our Christmas festivities this year began with our annual class Christmas party from church. We usually do a progressive dinner and then play Dirty Santa at the last stop. This year was no different. As you can see, we had a great time, as usual. Please don't ask about the boxers....it's not worth the answer!!!

Christmas Shopping at its BEST!!

The other day, Kinlee told me that she really wanted to buy gifts for some of her friends. She proceeded to tell me that she wanted to use her own money (all $3.60 of it!). Well, her list (very limited list) began, and she had plans. Well, after she got a 2 day advance on her next allowance and received $5 in the mail from her grandparents, she was excited to realize that her list could grow - to 11 friends!!! Do the math....that's 11 friends, and $12.20 available to spend. So, off we went today to shop. We had the best time and it was so nice to see her sacrificing her limited funds to buy for others. With blue wallet and list in hand, we headed to Wal-Mart (because, you know...miracles can happen at Wal-Mart)!!:) She had fun picking out the right gift, writing it on her list, and moving on to the next name. By the way, may I add that Wal-Mart's collection of $1 earrings and $1 Christmas ornaments ROCK!!! Mission accomplished.....11 presents bought and .50 left to spare. (Okay, I spotted her the 88 cent box of candy canes). It was really neat to see her shop for others. What was even neater, though, was that right after we shopped at Wal-Mart and went to eat lunch, we headed to one more store to pick up a few things. It was an awesome lesson learned when we got up to the register, received our total of $8.07, only to have the man in line in front of us hand the cashier a $20 bill and say, "...here, just take it out of this..." The look on Kinlee's face (and probably mine, too) was priceless. A great lesson in "give and ye shall receive".... Definitely a day to remember...!!!:)

I Killed the Christmas Tree....

That's right - killed it dead! Despite my smiling picture above, I am quite bummed that Christmas is over and that it was time to take down the tree! I think it's the fact that we put it up so early, that when I have to take it down, it looks like we've been robbed. I get so used to all the decorations being around!!! Everyone went back to school and work today, so that was my cue that it was time to put up the tree. I know I am probably one of the last ones to do it, but as the scriptures say, "....the first shall be last...." - See, I'm just being Biblical.....

Anyway, the stockings are no longer hung by the chimney with care, the lights and ornaments are now represented by a few boxes that will soon be put back into the attic, and the tree is in its body bag until next year. (I do have a box for the Christmas tree, but I would love to meet the person who can actually get it back into the original box once it's taken out for the first time). So, thank you for allowing me this vent-post to show my gloom and despair at another Christmas season come and gone. Until next year, happy tree-killing.....:(

After the Presents.....

Even after all the presents were opened, the fun was still not over! It was time to see what else Santa had done the night before....On the fireplace, we found MOST of Santa's cookies eaten, and the question was answered that, yes, he prefers chocolate milk to plain milk. Also, we were VERY excited to see that Santa had, indeed, taken the time to leave his autograph - very neat writing, Santa - we were impressed! Out in the yard we went to see if the reindeer had taken us up on our food offer. Well, they must have been some hungry dudes, because it was all just about gone!!! A couple of dogs wandered by later in the morning to finish it off - glad we could help.... As a bonus, the reindeer seemed to have lost some of their bells, as we found them sprinkled in the grass RIGHT NEXT TO where we had put the food - they are so generous!!!!

Christmas Morning!!!!!!

Well, all of our hard work paid off, and it was finally here!!! Christmas Morning!!!!!! The kids were so excited - up at 5:52, to be exact!!! That's okay - we got naps later in the day. They came downstairs to a full tree - we are so blessed. The kids sat side by side and took turns opening presents - they said this made it take longer :)! Any little bit helps, I suppose.

One of my favorite things about Christmas morning is watching and looking back at the expressions on their faces as they open their surprises! Parker, our animated child, gave us some good ones to look back on this year. Among some of his favorites were his Matt Jones Arkansas jersey (which he changed into immediately after opening it), 2 Webkinz, Star Wars Legos Nintendo game, and and Arkansas Razorback basketball goal (which the boys are playing with right beside me as I type - no, that's not distracting!!)

Kinlee was full of smiles, too, as she opened her presents. Among her favorites were more fuse beads (which she has been working on all day), her 2 Webkinz, and her own alarm clock (notice the "dance" in the picture above, as she was singing, "Now Parker won't have to wake me uuuupppp..").

It was a great morning, and we are very thankful for everything we have - presents, health, and family time together on this special holiday morning....

The Days Before Christmas....

With all the excitement of the "big man" coming on Christmas morning, we had to find plenty to keep us busy around here to make the time go by faster!! You know what they say - "time flies when you're having fun!" We decided to give it a shot, and I think it worked..Thanks to an idea from Becky, we made "Reindeer Noses". We couldn't find the big pretzels here in town, so we used smaller ones that we already had. Only problem - they were just the right "poppable" size - dangerous this time of year!!! You take a pretzel, put a Hershey Kiss on top, stick them in the oven long enough for the chocolate to get soft, pull them out and place a red (or green) M&M in the middle. YUMMY!!!!

Okay, after the snack was made, we needed more! I pulled out some of my games/activities from when I taught Kindergarten, and Kinlee had a blast. Parker wasn't interested, but it was just what Kinlee needed. She kept saying, "This stuff is easy, but I bet for a Kindergartner, it wouldn't be..." She had fun...

Now we're talkin - Christmas Eve!!! We have several family traditions, of sorts, and most of them happen on Christmas Eve. The kids ALWAYS get new PJs delivered by the big man, we leave milk (chocolate syrup, optional, this year), and a Little Debbie Christmas Tree cake. They decided on something new this year - they decided to leave Santa a note asking for his autograph - tune into my "After the Presents...." post to see if he obliged......

The most important tradition comes right before bed. Reindeer food!!!!! We actually mixed it up before church, and sprinkled it when we got home. They really seem to like it, so we'll keep makin' it - tune in, again, for "After the presents...." to see if they ate it.....

Christmas in Arkansas

This past weekend, we traveled to Little Rock to be with Mark's mom and stepdad. Their family always has their big get-together the weekend before Christmas. It was a quick trip this time, but we had a lot of fun! Since the biggest part of the family was all coming over Saturday for lunch, we decided that we would do our family Christmas presents with Nan and Papaw after we arrived on Friday night. It was late and we were ALL tired, but we enjoyed it. The kids got some great gifts, Nan and Papaw liked theirs, and Mark and I even loaded up!!! Thanks, Carl and Charlen, again!!!

Saturday night, after the family meal, Mark and Parker took a quick, early Christmas present, trip to Fayetteville to watch the Razorbacks play. They had a great time! They said this team looked really good and they expect great things out of them the next few years. Like I said, it was a quick trip, but a full and fun one!!!

Our Own Little ELF!!!

We have had a visitor in our home for the past few days. His name is Elbert, and he is an elf. That's right - you heard me - an ELF straight from the North Pole. He was "mysteriously" delivered to our house a couple of nights ago, and we woke up to find him sitting on the TV with his special book. For those of you who do not have your very own elf, here's the scoop. This elf was sent from Santa to remind us of his coming and how we should act. The Elf on the Shelf normally shows up around Thanksgiving (ours was a little late) and stays until Christmas Eve when he hears Santa's sleighbells. He then flies back to the North Pole until next year. While he is at our house, he sits and watches. He cannot be touched, he cannot talk to us, be he is listening and watching. Each night, he "flies" to Santa to make a report on the day's activities and behaviors, but always manages to fly back and land in a new spot before we are awake. It has been a lot of fun looking for him each morning. Parker and Kinlee have been "shaking in their bed" ALOT, they say, because he makes them a little nervous. They like him, though, and have asked him in person to please not land anywhere in their rooms. So far, he has obliged. I think he'll continue.

I have enjoyed the acts of kindness around here while Elbert has been present. Yesterday, I walked upstairs to find Kinlee cleaning the bathroom - I can get used to this!!! We have had many talks since Elbert's arrival of how these acts of kindness will continue even after he leaves because we know God is always watching, not just between Thanksgiving and Christmas!!! Elbert has been a lot of fun, though, and we will welcome him with open arms next year!!!

Ornament Party

Last Thursday, I attended a Ladies Ornament Party with some women from the congregation where we attend. We had a great time! There were so many great-looking packages to choose from, great company, wonderful food, and beautiful ornaments. Here is a picture of me and some of the "girls" that were there, along with the ornament I came home with.

Here are two of the older ladies that were there, too. Yeah, I know what you're thinking - they are so sweet...... DON'T BE FOOLED!!! These ladies were out to get just the ornament THEY wanted and they formed an alliance to do it!! I was pre-warned that Ms. Fern (the one on the right) really gets her feelings hurt if you "steal" her ornament. Well, someone else obviously didn't get the memo, because her ornament was taken! GLOVES OFF!! The sweet-mannered Ms. Fern got mean! She and her cohort beside her proceeded to steal from practically everyone in the room that night, and somehow ended up with what they started with!!! Don't know how that happened exactly, but noone argued (we knew better!) All joking aside, they really are sweet and seemed to have a really good time - we all did!!!

We've Been Jingled!!!

It's so much fun to see something you've started actually "take root" and grow! Since I am NOT a gardner by ANY means, I'll settle for this instead... Sunday when we came home from church, we were happy and surprised to see a mysterious gift bag sitting by our back door. In it, there was a note (kind of funny - it was a color copy of the one WE had left before - hmmmmm..wonder who "jingled" us?! :)), a "You've Been Jingled" sign, a beautiful ornament for our tree, and even some candy canes and CHOCOLATE!!! The kids were so excited (I was excited about the chocolate, for sure!) !! We immediately hung the ornament on the tree, divided up the candy, and donned our sign on the front door for all to see! Then we realized - we have to Jingle two more!!! Our wheels are turnin' and as soon as our little ice storm clears up, we'll be on the prowl again!!!

Mommy & Me Party

This weekend, Kinlee and I were invited to attend a "Mommy and Me" Christmas party at a little girl's house down the street. The girls had a really good time. We were invited to the one last year, but it ended up being on a day that we were going to be out of town, so we had to miss it. I was really glad we got to make it this year!

At the party, we ate a wonderful breakfast, the girls exchanged gifts, and they got to do some Christmas crafts. They made snowflake and snowman ornaments (out of a wash cloth), and they made red and green fleece blankets - Kinlee has slept with hers every night since then! It really is warm. Some of the crafts got a little tedious and long, and while most of the girls left their mommies "high and dry" to finish them alone, I am proud to say that Kinlee stuck right by me from start to finish!! It was a fun morning, and I enjoyed spending it with her.

Bible Class Christmas Party & Mark's new Friend!!!

Last night, we enjoyed time with some friends from church at our annual Progressive Dinner/Dirty Santa Christmas party. I think we had even MORE fun this year because we actually KNEW the people we were hanging out with! This time last year, we were new to the congregation and still putting faces with names. It is amazing how much difference a year can make! These people are to be commended (okay, maybe not for their lack of Christian attitudes during Dirty Santa), but for making us feel at home at Main St.. Thanks, guys! We had a great time.

Here are some pictures of Mark and his new-found friend Andy (aka: Andy's 1400 inch big screen TV). Mark and Andy (Andy's TV) really bonded last night. Mark and Andy (Andy's TV) found that they have so much in common and should really spend more time together heading into this new year. Mark and Andy (Andy's TV) had a great time last night - he is so glad he found Andy (Andy's TV) to fill a void in his life that he didn't even know he had!!! Thanks, Andy (Andy's TV) - Mark loves you!!!!! :)

Inexpensive Teacher gifts

Do you ever find yourself wondering what in the world to get for your kids' teachers for Christmas?? Here are a couple of ideas that I have used over the course of the past few years. They are easy, inexpensive, and the teachers we've given them to have really seemed to enjoy them. First, after Xmas each year, I am on the "look out" for inexpensive ornaments that are marked WAY down. This past year, I happened upon some flat, glittery snowflakes at Target that were very simple, but were .50 for a package of 8!!! I also bought some clearanced wired Christmas ribbon. Put the two together, pop it in a celophane bag (why do things always look better in a celophane bag?), tie it with a little more of the ribbon, and VIOLA! - an ornament for less than a dollar. We usually do these for Bible class teachers, but since Parker has several teachers at school this year, we did some for them, too.

Second is one of my favorites! The picture is kind of hard to see, but basically, we give the kids' school teachers a "night off" from cooking for their family. We send a note to school, similar to the one above, a week or so before school is out for the holiday. This gives them time to fill it out. We open the note with some encouraging words to the teacher, thanking her for the time and effort she has put into the school year thus far. We state that we would like to give her a "break"this holiday season, and want to bring dinner to her house one night. Then, I give a list of choices: Main Dishes (they choose 1), Sides (they choose 2), Desserts (they choose 1), and about 3 dates that work for us (they choose 1). She returns it to me before the break, and on the night chosen, we make and deliver dinner to her house! They love it! I like it because the kids get to help with it, and we just make a little extra for our family to have for dinner when we get back from our delivery!!! If you didn't want to do a full meal, I have thought, too, of just having choices for a delivered dessert, or something like that........Hope it helps!!!