2009 superlatives

cards.

i love christmas cards. {who doesn't!?} i love making them, addressing them and sending them... but above all, i love receiving them!!! everyone has such a different card and i love getting ideas for my next card!! this year, i had a dilemma over where to display the cards.... after many different trials, this is where they ended up.

no kidding.

i told jeff that i was long overdue on my weekly grocery run. (i usually go on mondays and didn't get there monday and then yesterday the weather was bad....)

do you think i was exaggerating?

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

life as i know it.

{i must confess that i've never watched this show, but when this preview came on t.v. the other night, the hubbs and i couldn't stop watching it. brady does this all day long... even when he's in the room with daddy and needs something... he calls for me}

missing daddy.

hi daddy.

we miss you today. a lot. we had so much fun having you at home with us for 4 days straight! thank you for taking me on the carousel on saturday at the mall... and for letting me drink chocolate milk all day long... and for teaching me to catch the football... and for wrestling with me. daddy, thanks for reading tigger & pooh to me 21 times this weekend and never getting tired of it... and for waking me up just like you promised last night and telling me that tony romo won. thank you for singing songs to me and taking me on walks to see the tacky christmas lights down the street. thanks for putting all of my christmas toys together and for getting me a chainsaw. you're the best. (mommy thinks you are too).

come home soon. i love you.

{the bug}

{so excited to ride wildfire}

{b. was wide-eyed the entire time he waited for the horse to start}

sewing project #1.

so.... i was dying to use my new sewing machine that santa brought me. i finally got it threaded last night and then played around with some scraps of fabric and different stitches my machine makes. tonight, though, i decided i was brave enough to attempt my first 'project'. (i was still using my scrap fabric so i didn't feel too much pressure not to mess up).

i originally got the idea here.

of course meg's is MUCH cuter than my feeble attempt. the pillow part isn't that bad, the circles, however, are another story. but before you judge, please keep in mind this is my very first attempt to use my sewing machine... to actually make something, that is.

oh - and no, i was not attempting to get the circles centered... (the hubbs asked me that question).

merry christmas.

we woke up to a very wintery scene on christmas morning here in texas. highly unusual for us... but beautiful, nonetheless. the hubbs and i had a special time opening our presents with coffee and muffins by the fire early in the morning, and then it was time for b. to see what santa brought him.

{all the loot santa brought brady}

mimi, papa ron and uncle bubba came over to help the bug play with his santa gifts. {they wanted to see what santa brought him too!} sweet brady boy got a tool bench from santa claus this year. it was loaded with power tools and santa even brought him an extra tool - a chainsaw. this was the big hit of the day. {even now, i hear the chainsaw in my sleep!} he chases georgia with it and tries to saw everything and anything in half.

{b. immediately spotted the candy}

after santa claus came, we went over to j's parents' house to open presents and hang out with his family the rest of the day. brady had fun climbing on the presents that filled their living room. {we are all tremendously blessed, and try not to take any of that for granted}. we had lots of food and fellowship all day long. thank you, ron and darlene for hosting us all day. we love ya'll!

{determined to make it on the top of the presents}

favorites.

santa was very good to me this year. {i must have been better than i thought this year, huh?!}

these are just a few of my favorites:

a few weeks ago, j. told me to go get fitted for some new shoes. {i've been wanting to do this for a long time now}. i went to luke's locker and they watched me walk and then watched me jog on their little track. i think i tried on about 9 different shoes. these are the ones i put on hold... and lo and behold, ron & darlene got them for me! {thank you both for these! i think you'll be happy to know they got me across the 4 mile threshold!}

{the hubbs brought me lots of fun running gear - but of course new shoes are the necessity!}

jocelyn talked me into asking for a sewing machine for christmas. after i asked for one, i really started to want one... in the worst way. i already have a project list. {first i need to wind the bobbin, huh?} the hubbs and i picked this one out together, so it wasn't much of a surprise on christmas morning... but he did get me a gift certificate to jo ann's that i promptly spent this morning to get my new sewing gear. can't wait for joci to come over and give me my first tutorial! thanks, hubby!! i love you!

my sweet mom discovered the pioneer woman only a few weeks ago. i received an email from her with a link to PW's website that said, "this is so interesting... i think you'd really like it!" little did she know i'd been reading her blog {okay, obsessing over it} for a while!

after telling my mom how much i loved PW, she got me her new, beautiful, cookbook for christmas. oh, how i love this cookbook. i've been obsessing over it since christmas eve when i opened it... making my menu for next week and reading it from cover to cover. thanks mom. i absolutely love it!

christmas eve.

christmas eve was a busy day at our house! the hubbs had to go to work just for a bit in the morning while i started on brunch for our out-of-town guests!! b. has definitely gotten to the age where he can sense when mommy needs to get something done (or when i have any sort of time frame or deadline). this is when he decides that he wants to be held. by mommy... and mommy only. the hubbs got home from work around 9:30 and his family was arriving at 11. he was being incredibly sweet, trying to keep the bug occupied and busy while i finished getting everything ready in the kitchen... but as soon as brady sensed that there was something to be done, the tantrums began. whew.... we weren't sure how the rest of the day was going to go.

jeff's family from lubbock came in town and i was so excited to get to play hostess - even if only for a little bit! we had breakfast casserolle, tennessee sin (the best dip ever), chocolate chip muffins and fruit salad. oh... and cookies, cookies, cookies!!! we ate in the dining room (the fourth time it's been used) and watched as it started snowing... and not just the texas-kind of snow... the big flake snow. beautiful.

{b's 2nd cousin, scottie}

{mamaw and pops}

{loving on aunt neci}

{watching the snow}

{this is a shirt we made in our very own 'craft week. he kept pointing to the star}

{what does this string go to and can i take it off?}

after b's 'non-nap', we got ready for the christmas eve service at p-wood. it was nasty outside... but we made it (thankfully) safe and sound. the service was beautiful (as always), and we were so ready for dinner. unfortunately when we got outside there was a blizzard, if i've ever seen one! ice everywhere... and brady was not liking the sideways-blowing snow! we headed over to nana and big daddy's house to open some presents and eat some chili and hot dogs! (perfect weather for chili and hot dogs!!!)

{uncle bubba}

{i'm not biased or anything, but doesn't he look cute?}


we had a ton of fun at nana's house (you won't see too much of it though since our camera ran out of batteries almost immediately after we started opening presents!!) thank you nana and big daddy for b's cozy coupe!! we can't wait to pick him up and bring him home!!! we love you guys!

{the inagural present opening of the season}

{b. thought that the 'big deal' was tearing off pieces of paper. after each one, he'd grunt really loud and show everyone. i love my facial expression in these pictures. ooh! wow! awesome!}

{picture courtesy of aunt katie's new iphone - he loved this thing... and loved putting aunt katie's dog in it}