The Boatwright Family

Catching Up

2012-02-12T07:46:00.000-05:00

I just downloaded photos from my camera and phone for the first time in a couple of weeks to share on the blog.

I had a great time celebrating my birthday last week and over the weekend.

I'll share some photos soon!

Today we are taking the boys and friends to see the 3D Star Wars movie and out to lunch for a little family Valentine's Day celebration.

Over Super Bowl weekend the boys and I did some fun things around town.

Downtown Fun

Each of the NFL teams had an Indy car designed for the weekend.

The St. Louis Ram's car was on display in our town for the 2 week festivities and we stopped by to see it.

Of course, no stop at the Commons would be complete without time to play in the playground area!

Laser Lights

Also in honor of the Super Bowl festivities, one of our high schools was hosting laser light shows in their planetarium. I surprised the boys after dinner.

The one I took them to was called "Summer Jam" and had a lot of Beach Boys and other fun music.

We loved it.

iPhone photos by Thomas

Brennan took David back the next night for the Led Zepplin show.

I'm sure Brennan has no idea who Led Zepplin is, but they had a good time.

Super Bowl Sunday!

We had a FANTASTIC time at a friend's Super Bowl party on Sunday night.

It was so much fun to catch up with friends, meet a few new people, and let the kids enjoy the game and just playing together.

No photos, but we had a really good time - thank you to Tricia for hosting!!

We stayed through the Half-Time show then headed home for bed.

I wish the Super Bowl was on a Saturday night! It starts too late on Sunday for kids and me!

Braving the Ravine

There is a huge ravine behind our house.

We moved in when the boys were 3 and 4 years old and we always taught them not to go back in the woods because they could get hurt. It's a steep drop directly behind the house.

This was sage advice back in the day (especially because Brennan was a wanderer who was known to take off).

Thomas had a friend (a serious Boy Scout) over the other day and it was gorgeous outside.

He suggested they go check out the ravine. My heart stopped. David was at the gym. What to do?

Poor Nathan looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

I said OK but they had to stick together and Thomas had to take his cell phone.

Thomas was seriously concerned about this idea but they took off.

And had a BLAST!

They explored the entire length of the neighborhood, coming back repeatedly for new supplies to take with them.

Several days this week they also went out to the ravine after school, coming back muddy, cold, and very very happy.

It's like a new playground has been built just for them!

Great Cleaning Tip!

Because of the first ravine trip (in their good tennis shoes), I got to use a tip I saw on Pinterest for drying wet tennis shoes without all the noise.

I had to tape them down because to hold them in place, but it pretty well worked!

Now we go to the ravine in our snow boots - since they're not getting any use this year for snow (it's been unbelievably mild this winter).

Bangs!

I got bangs last month for the first time in 10 years. I really like them! Here I am on my birthday, going out to lunch with a friend.

Cool App

Thomas and I discovered the Candy Hearts iPhone app and we've been having fun with it.

I made this one for my girlfriend whose son is in Brennan's class. One week they had an unbelievable amount of homework (above and beyond the usual unbelievable amount). Thomas liked this one as well.

Thomas made this one for me when we were at my birthday dinner the other night. He's very sneaky and can get my phone/ipad/ipod away from me without my noticing. He has a future as a pickpocket.

I responded...

His follow up...

Brennan wanted to get in on the fun. Here was his candygram to me...

Ah, Brennan.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

What I've Been Reading

2012-02-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

Hello!

It's my birthday week, so even though it's cold outside right now, I'm really excited!

I wanted to share all the books I've been reading and listening to on my iPod over the last month.

You can find all my book reviews here.

There's a lot of them, so let's get started!

The Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook

If you follow my cooking blog, you know that I received this book for Christmas from a friend and I tried out several of the recipes. I was happy to hear that I am not the only person who sits down and reads cookbooks from cover to cover. I found some good healthy recipes in the cookbook, and I'm mailing it off to a bookmooch.com requester today.

Liked it

Harry Potter The Prequel

I had NO IDEA that J. K. Rowling had written a prequel to the Harry Potter series.

She apparently wrote this 800 word short for charity.

Someone on goodreads.com mentioned it so I had to look it up and read it.

It's a cute little story about Sirius and James as teenagers.

You can find The Prequel in several places on the Internet. Here's the link to one site to read it online.

Really liked it

The Tale of Desperaux

I lead the "Literature Circle" in Brennan's 4th grade class each month.

The kids read several chapters a week and do a lot of short answer and essay questions in prep for our hour-long discussions.

I had never read this book but saw the movie and didn't care for it.

Now I understand why - this book is not typical children's reading!
With themes of courage, forgiveness, abuse, death, love, and disillusionment, we had quite the discussion.

It's very well written and the kids especially enjoyed the 2nd person point of view (the author speaking directly to the reader from time to time).

Liked it

Crossed

Crossed is the follow up to the very popular Matched that came out last year.

It's a young adult read set in dystopian U.S. as is extremely popular these days.

I liked the light touch of Matched, but this follow-up crossed over into a darker, desperate quest.

It was still good, but I'm hoping the 3rd book is a return to the original feel.

Liked it

The Kitchen House

As I mentioned last month, I recently joined a new book club and we discussed The Help at our first meeting in January.

It's a great group of ladies, many of us don't know each other well yet, but we had a great time together.

We are "As the Page Turns" - a light-hearted nod to the fact that we are a bunch of ladies meeting at 1:00 in the afternoon before picking our kids up from school.

For February we read The Kitchen House. Actually I listened to it on my iPod, downloaded from the library.

It is a story set in the early 1800s about an Irish girl who is indentured on a Virginia tobacco plantation. She lives in the kitchen house with the black slaves, but as she grows up she moves into a more white world.

It's a good book, and I'd highly recommend it if you liked The Help or Southern literature.

Really liked it

Three Men in a Boat

(To say nothing of the dog)

David surprises me for many holidays with a book that he's heard of that he thought I'd like. It's always fun because I've never heard of them.

For our anniversary he gave me this gem that was written in the late 1800s. He heard a reviewer on NPR saying it was the funniest book he'd ever read and he reads it every Christmas.

It is written by a British author and if you like dry humor, you'll enjoy this book.

I couldn't believe it was written so long ago - the humor is relevant, even if the setting is clearly 1800s on the Thames.

The best part (and I'm so glad I saw this suggestion on goodreads.com) - listening to Hugh Laurie (of the tv show "House") reading the abridged version. He is perfect to narrate this book.

Really liked it

Throw Out Fifty Things

I have discovered that I really like audiobooks - they're great for house cleaning, the elliptical, running errands, sitting in the car rider line, etc. I'm amazed at how quickly I can go through them.

I was looking at our library's audiobook list the other day and came across several self-help type books that I downloaded. This is the first I read.

I was drawn to this book because I was finishing up my Spring Cleaning. It starts out as a de-cluttering book with personal and client anecdotes peppering the book, but then it becomes much more of a self-help personal re-evaluation guide with some really good advice.

Liked It

The Levity Effect

I downloaded this book as well, having no idea what it was about, but thinking it might be interesting.

This is a business guide on how levity serves to increase employee engagement, employee retention, and customer satisfaction.

I can see how someone in the business world who struggles with connecting to their employees could really benefit from this book. I skipped through it rather quickly but didn't take away much.

It was OK

The Kind Diet

I really, really enjoyed this book.

If you are interested in losing weight and would consider eating a more plant-based diet, then I highly recommend this book. While the diet certainly is not for everyone, I think just about anyone would think it's a good read. I plan to incorporate a lot of the guidance in the book in my own diet.

Really Liked It

How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less

Another library download that I thought I'd look into (hey, they're free!).

In my goodreads library I added a new shelf for "didn't finish" and this is the first book I put there.

The passionate author is a former fashion and advertising photographer (Vogue, Coke, Paris fashion week...) who became really interested in how some people are more charistmatic and engaging and if it's learned or innate. He became certified in Neural Linguistic Programming and has written several books on how this can be taught.

The reviews are terrific (Harvard, London Business Schools, The Economist, New York Times) but I only listened to a few chapters.

I'd recommend this book for those who would like to improve their first impression.

Didn't Finish

And that's what I've been reading this past month!

What have you been reading?

Superbowl!

2012-02-03T14:13:00.000-05:00

Honestly, we're not huge NFL fans.

David (and most people in my family) are HUGE college football fans, especially the SEC.

But the Superbowl is in Indianapolis this weekend and we're caught up in the fun!

Seriously, when will we be this close to the Superbowl again???!!!

It makes me really proud to see how Indy has pulled out all the stops.

Yesterday after school Thomas and I headed to Indy to visit Super Bowl Village and the NFL Experience.

Brennan's had an upset stomach so he and David chose to stay behind.

Thomas and I had a lot of fun, and I would love to go back but the crowds are already getting insane.

Warning - many photos to follow!

The new(ish) stadium is fantastic. We had a great time there when we saw the Colts play earlier this fall.

The new Marriott has definitely gotten in on the fun.

Indianapolis is the Circle City. Here's the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Monument Circle.

And there's Thomas!

We had tickets to visit the NFL Experience inside the Convention Center before exploring the outdoor Super Bowl Village.

The countdown was cool to see.

The NFL Experience is like a huge interactive museum in a way.

Great for kids, and all NFL fans.

They had a display for each NFL team, and plenty (PLENTY) of photo opportunities!

And tons of athletic challenges.

Thomas (much like his brother and dad) is not one for standing in lines.

We didn't get in lines for any of the challenges but we had fun watching them.

We watched part of this live broadcast from inside the NFL Experience, which was really cool.

Two ladies were lacing up brand new footballs for practices and the big game.

Again, we could have waited in line to get up close and person to the Vince Lombardi trophy, but we snapped this photo from afar instead.

A display of all the previous 45 Super Bowl rings.

A football chandelier

The convention center was transformed.

Displays on the history of professional football from 1910+.

We then headed outside to Super Bowl Village - a free multiple-street party.

I had no idea there was this much leading up to the big game.

Overhead you see the 4 line zip line coming down one of the main avenues.

It was HIGH and LONG.

Thomas would have done it (just a 22 minute wait!) but he was too young.

They zip line right overhead as you're walking through the Village.

The team Indy cars were on display.

The St. Louis Rams car is on display in our town.

We need to head over and see it this weekend.

ABC Affiliate WRTV6 was broadcasting when we walked by.

There's Sports Team Leader Kevin Gregory!

We saw 2 stages set up (I think there are more) and concerts going all weekend.

Thomas was starved. He chose Hooters for dinner.

He had never been to one (of course) and I wasn't sure kids were allowed in (they were).

We didn't have to wait for a table and we were a block from the parking garage so I agreed.

He was completely pink every time a server (in her short shorts and tight top) walked by.

Here he has no idea what he's gotten himself into by choosing Hooters...

Below are photos that have been shared all over Facebook.

They all come from Scottys Brewhouse and I thank them for the cool photos.

Monument Circle at night - so cool!

Jimmy Fallon doing a spoof "Real Housewives of Indianapolis" for his show that's airing all week and weekend in Indy.

Monument Circle

Up close of the Zip line

Monument Circle, Indy Cars, and the Super Bowl!

We're attending a little party with friends on Sunday to watch (part of) the big game.

It's been an exciting last couple of weeks in Indiana!

How to Back Up Your Blogger Blog

2012-02-02T08:01:00.000-05:00

One of the things I have been meaning to do for months was to back up my blogs.

I had no idea how to do this, and the few tutorials I had seen, seemed complicated.

Little did I know that it takes about 1 minute.

I wanted to share the how-to's with you in case you're like me and have a nagging fear of your blog disappearing some day (as I've heard stories of) and Google not being able to help you out. This is one of my February goals and was happy to cross it off the list!

When you back up your blog you will have a huge .html file on your hard drive that you can send to Google if your blog ever disappears. Let's hope that day never comes, but there you go.

On the 1st of every month I:

*Clean up my camera, delete all the previous photos that I've downloaded, and fully charge the batteries.
*Copy our laptop hard drive to an external hard drive.
*And now, back up my blogs.

Step 1:
Go to your Blogger Dashboard

Step 2:

Click on Settings

Step 3:

Under Blog Tools, click on Export Blog

Step 4:
Click on Download Blog

Step 5:
Do a Save As onto your Hard Drive (C: Drive)

And that's it!
If you have more than 1 blog, like me, then you'll need to do this for each of your blogs in your Dashboard.

Really - less than a minute, and you're safe!

January Goals

2012-01-31T05:55:00.001-05:00

I shared with you back at the beginning of January that I was honoring Amber at the Starfish Blog by making a big resolution for each month this year. I also made myself a list of goals for each month as well, and they're listed and crossed off on the side bar of my blog.

January

Spring Clean the Entire House

My January resolution was to spring clean the entire house. Clean out cobwebs, wipe down baseboards, vacuum under furniture, weed out, give away, straighten, and re-organize each and every interior room in the house. I did it. There were many, many trips to Goodwill.

And lots of opportunities to give items to people who would use them and appreciate them.

I bought Thomas a Hawaiian shirt at Goodwill this summer and saw an old winter-y wreath that I had donated. I saw a lady looking at it and when I went to check out, I saw her at another check out counter purchasing it for $2. Love that.

I didn't overtax the 3 boys in the house this year in my Spring Clean mode - but David was a big help in cleaning out storage closets, and the boys helped with their rooms and playroom.

I've shared all the details on how I thoroughly Spring Clean the house in these posts - 2011, 2010, here, and here.

I still tackle a room/day using my calendar approach to keeping the house from descending into madness. I explained that process in this post. To this day that is one of the most commonly Googled topics that brings people to my blog.

This year was not nearly as tough to spring clean as years past.

I'm sure it's because I'm doing a little each month on each room, which makes "Spring" Cleaning sooo much easier.

Done - now I can look forward to February with a new list of goals and a new Monthly Resolution.

February

Add New Classes/Workouts to My Fitness Schedule

Looking forward to tackling this one next month.

Happy February! My birthday month and one month closer to Spring Break!

Downton Abbey Clip, Great Weekend, and This Just Pinned

2012-01-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

I love Downton Abbey!

Here's a great clip of Dame Maggie Smith (Professor MacGonagall!) as the Dowager Countess.

If you're reading this in email or a Reader, you may have to click on the blog link to go to the website.

I'm two rooms away from finishing my Spring Cleaning! I'm so anxious to finish up but these two rooms require Thomas and he's super busy. I need to get a couple of hours with him to finish up!

Random Pins (from Pinterest) this last week or so....

I want this puppy sooooo badly...

I'd love to make something like this...

source

I'm totally making these for the boys on Groundhog Day

source

Have a great weekend!

Brennan's 10th Birthday

2012-01-23T09:11:00.000-05:00

As we left Brennan's birthday party yesterday he said "Well, that's that. I'm 10."

Yes, he is officially 10 now.

I'd like you to notice how many days he's wearing this same light blue Swim Meet t-shirt.

I swear he has a closet full of clothes.

Brennan announced a couple of weeks before Christmas that he wanted a 3DS for Christmas.

My shopping was long done so we explained that if he wanted to go in with us on this gift, we'd get it for him for his birthday.

Within 2 weeks he had earned $90 and handed it over so we could go shopping.

I surprised him that night with the 3DS we'd put aside. Birthday came early.

Day 1 - swim shirt

Brennan's actual birthday morning (Day 2)

On his big day I happened to be scheduled to be at school, leading a literature circle in his class.

His classmates were so good to him. It's a really good group of kids and they are very protective and loving towards Brennan.

Many of the kids made him homemade birthday cards, including this great big one of Kirby (one of his favorite Nintendo characters). He was so touched. He told everyone who called that evening that he received "practically billions of cards from his friends". It really meant a lot.

He opened his family presents that night and the family went to Johnny Carino's for Italian (Brennan's favorite).

Mario poster from Thomas.

A couple of days later Brennan received a camera from Grandma and Grandpa and he was sooo excited! (So was Thomas apparently)

Almost as fun was the bubble wrap it came in.

For his party, Brennan chose to go to the skating rink.

It ended up being a great place to have a party.

We invited his friends and his class. We had a lot of fun.

Day 3

The skating rink brought back lots of great memories.

They even did a couples skate, a backwards only skate, the cha-cha slide, and the limbo!

We really struggle with the "no gifts" policy.

I put a note in each invitation that gifts were not necessary and we just hoped the friend could come to the party.

But, as you see, not a single person followed that suggestion.

I think it's partly because kids love to give gifts, and they love to see what the birthday kid receives.

But really, how do you stop the madness?

A great group of kids.

Thanks for celebrating Brennan's big day!

Final Lightscoop Post

2012-01-18T07:58:00.000-05:00

Last Lightscoop post, I promise.

You can read more about this DSLR add-on in these two posts here and here.

As I was taking Brennan's birthday photo today in our foyer with low light, I was struck by the difference the Light Scoop made.

On Manual (per instructions) with Lightscoop

Manual with no flash (the way I normally take low light photos)

Automatic with flash (the way most people take indoor photos)

I think this might be the best series I've taken in all 3 ways that shows the difference between the 3 normal settings. I certainly feel better about taking indoor low-light photos now with the Lightscoop.

Again, I have been compensated in no way for my multiple Lightscoop posts. All opinions are mine.

Double Digits!

2012-01-18T07:42:00.000-05:00

Happy 10th birthday to our tree-hugger 10 year old!

(Taken in California in July 2010)

Brennan wakes up cheerful and talkative each morning.

He is really funny with his dry humor.

A year ago I had a wart on my finger that I was trying to get off.

He made this post-it note and would stick it on my back when I wasn't looking.

It would then wind up in his backpack or in his bed so he found it at funny times.

I would then find it stuck on our bedroom door or in my purse.

The wart is long-gone by the way.

Brennan loves math, economics, anything Nintendo or Mario related, environmental awareness, music, and is trying to learn Japanese (so he can go to Japan and work for Nintendo one day of course).

He's about 75 lbs and 4'7".

And a big happy birthday to his cousin Natalie who celebrates her 8th birthday today!

It's so much fun having Birthday Cousins!

Happy Birthday, Brennan!

Lightscoop Love pt.2

2012-01-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

Awhile back I shared that I got a Lightscoop for my Nikon for Christmas. I've been playing with it and am finding that it makes a huge difference - especially with indoor, low-light photo ops.

I was waiting for one of our Wine Club nights to play with it because usually those photos don't turn out well. Here are some examples.

In each case the Lightscoop photo is on the left and regular no flash is on the middle and right.

The middle and right ones are really yellow-y, and the closer up I took these photos, the grainier they got. But the one on the left was super crisp and had truer colors.

Again, the Lightscoop photo on the left is crisper, and has truer colors than the other two.

And even with lower light - the one on the left is a better representation of true skin color and less yellow-y.

When cooking the last month I took several samples of

Left - Lightscoop

Middle - No flash

Right - Flash

The one on the left is crisper and has fewer blow-out issues.

The one on the left with Lightscoop is quite bright but it seems to have truer colors.

The middle one is too dark (no flash) but the one on the right with the flash blows out the white.

The Lightscoop one on the left is the truest colors - it's amazing how different the cutting board looks in each photo!

My examples may not offer the best evidence, but I feel like I've got a much better handle on how to take better indoor photos. I'm crossing this off my January goals list!

Connoisseurs - Chardonnays

2012-01-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

Our sweet friends, Roger and Jan, opened their home for our Connoisseurs group this past weekend so we could sample Chardonnays. As always with this group, we had a wonderful evening!

Jan and Roger set out quite the spread. I love party food! Everything was just delicious.

Here's just a small sampling of the great food...

And the great people...

We set up to start the sampling.

We had ten Chardonnays to sample - both unoaked and "oaked".

And the winners were...

#1 - Cakebread Cellars 2010

#2 - Kim Crawford Unoaked 2006

#3 - Simi 2009

Our hosts were the big winners so they presented the second and third place winners with gifts.

I don't usually drink white wines but was surprised with the Chardonnays.

There were 3 or 4 from this group that I liked - especially #1 above.

It was really great to get together and try some new wines with a great group of people.

Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down in 2011

2012-01-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

I apparently see waaaay too many movies. But it's my vice.

I'm lucky to have a great group of friends who join me a couple of times a month at the theater, a hubby who enjoys a movie date night, and two boys who like to see some of the latest kids movies.

In honor of tonight's Golden Globe Awards (which I doubt I'll stay up for), here are my Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down choices for this year. And another group that didn't really make much of an impact on me, so I'm putting them in my "Eh" category.

Thumbs Up

Black Swan - While it got me with its creepy (I still don't get it) ending, I thought this was a great, well-done movie.

The King's Speech - what an awesome movie! Loved the acting and the story.

Water for Elephants - I realize I am alone in the statement but I think the movie was as good as the book, and that's pretty rare for me.

The Adjustment Bureau - This would have been a just-OK movie were it not for the lead actors. I thought they did a fantastic job.

Bridesmaids - While I don't always love over-the-top movies, I did love Bridesmaids. Every cringe-worthy scene.

Cars 2 - I loved it! I know a lot of people didn't care for it as much as the original, but I thought it was great.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - So well done. A great send-off for this fantastic series.

Crazy, Stupid, Love - My favorite movie of 2011. Great casting in this movie. And speaking of Emma Stone...

The Help - Another movie that did the book justice. The movie had that great mix of heart and humor.

The Ides of March - I really enjoyed this political suspense movie and Ryan Gosling stole the show.

Footloose - I don't remember the original that well except that it didn't make a huge impression on me. I thought the remake was really well done.

The Smurfs - We loved the Smurfs! It's probably a combination of my childhood love for the adorable blue plastic guys, the fact that we had JUST returned from NYC where the movie takes place, and the leads were likable.

Larry Crowne - Wasn't sure going in how I would like this movie, but I really enjoyed it. Tom Hanks is in a different kind of role and he does it really, really well.

Super 8 - A terrific sci-fi movie that was so well done.

Moneyball - Enjoyed watching this with David, who had read and liked the book. It was a little slow in parts, but it was good.

We Bought a Zoo - I took the boys and their cousins to see this over Christmas and I just loved it. It wasn't what I was necessarily expecting but I thought it was great.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - I don't love everything that Tom Cruise does, but this was a really good movie. Hard to believe he did almost all of his own stunts.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I believe if you read (and liked) the book, then you will agree that the movie really does it justice. The acting is incredible and it felt very true to the book.

Eh...OK

Kung Fu Panda 2 - It was OK. Not very memorable.

Beginners - I really wanted to like this independent film but found myself rather bored by it. I think Ewan MacGregor does a great job though.

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Wow, this movie was long and intense. It was well-done, but not one of my favorites.

Arthur Christmas - I know I'll be boo'ed for this but I didn't absolutely love it like the rest of the world. It was cute, but not that memorable.

Breaking Dawn Part 1 - There were scenes that I liked in this movie, and I thought it was the best acted of the series. I wouldn't watch it again though, so it goes in my "OK" category.

Red Riding Hood - My friends and I were anxious for this movie to come out, but it didn't live up to our expectations. While visually pretty stunning, I vaguely remember the plot.

Friends with Benefits - Another movie I wanted to love, but it was just OK. The leads are likable enough but the story is a little over the top.

No Strings Attached - Another movie (that is almost identical to the one above) that I wanted to love. It was rather predictable and slow.

What's Your Number - Oh the sweet chemistry saved this one from my Thumbs Down category.

Puss in Boots - Another one that I know I'll be boo'd for. I thought the beginning was great, but then it got boring f.a.s.t. I was so disappointed!

Rio - My boys loved this one but I barely recall the plot. It didn't leave much of an impression on me.

Hop - I thought I would really enjoy this one but it was just OK.

Source Code - I really like Jake Gyllenhaal and love a good suspense/thriller. This one was good but rather repetitive and anti-climactic.

Rango - I really liked the idea of this movie and wanted to love it but it got old really fast for me. There are some great lines in the movie but just "ok" for me.

Gnomeo and Juliet - As silly as this movie sounds, I really wanted to like it and its Elton John musical numbers. It was OK.

X-Men First Class - I watched this with David and thought it was pretty good but there are better superhero movies out there I think, but...

Green Lantern - This was not one of them. Oh, it was OK but not that awesome.

Thumbs Down

It's really hard for me not to appreciate something about every movie I see.

I can only imagine the work that goes into pulling a movie together and I respect that creativity and passion.

Having said that - there were some that really disappointed me this year.

Midnight in Paris - I really, really, really wanted to like this movie. I didn't get to see it at our independent theater so was thrilled when it arrived from Netflix. I didn't like it. I like the premise (Owen Wilson meets up with great historical characters from the 1920s while he's visiting Paris), I like the actors, and I like Woody Allen usually. But it just didn't work for me. And I tried.

Spy Kids 4D in Aroma-Scope - a bad, bad movie. Of course, Brennan loved it.

Our Idiot Brother - This movie had its moments, but overall I didn't care for it.

These actors have done much better movies.

Cedar Rapids - I had never heard of this movie but a friend recommended it, and we must have very different senses of humor. Salesmen go to a convention in Cedar Rapids and hilarity ensues. I just didn't think it was that awesome.

Horrible Bosses - When we saw this in the theater, one of my friends was in hysterics. I thought there were some funny moments, but it was just too over the top for me. Jennifer Anniston playing against type was fun to see though.

New Years Eve - I could go on and on about how disappointing this movie was. I really liked Valentine's Day but this one was really disappointing. While it's funny to see characters playing against type - this one was ridiculous. The acting was embarassing and the whole thing felt slapped together to me. Oh, I was disappointed.

Take Me Home Tonight - another movie that I really wanted to like. It was just shallow and strange. Great 80s soundtrack though!

Bad Teacher - I don't know a soul who loved this movie. Probably most didn't dislike it as much as I did but wow, this was bad. I must say that Cameron Diaz was convincing in this role but I thought the movie was a huge let down.

Looking forward to seeing if any of my favorites take home Golden Globes tonight!

My Happy List #5

2012-01-10T08:58:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up today for Dandelion Wishes' Happy List party. It's been awhile!

1. Roll Tide!

Congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide for winning the BCS National Championship (late) last night. An unbelievable 21-0 win over LSU. An SEC win always makes me happy!

2. Downton Abbey, Season 2

I love this show! Are you watching it? The first season ended almost a year ago, so it's been a long wait for the British period drama to return to the U.S. for Season 2. PBS Masterpiece Classics has it on Sunday nights. If you aren't watching it, check it out. I read an article yesterday about Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford both saying it's their favorite show - so come on, it's not even a Chick Flick! (But you might want to check out Season 1 first.)

3. Beautiful Weather

We would normally be shoveling snow and watching out for black ice this time of year in Indiana. Instead, we're enjoying beautiful sunny days that reach into the 50s. I'm sure we'll be paying for it in, say, April, but for now, I'm loving it!

4. Spring Cleaning

A funny thing to say I know, but I'm in the middle of it and it's not going nearly as gruelingly as it has in years past. It's because I stay on top of it better throughout the year so I just spend a little time each day on my room-of-the-day. I vow to stay on top of it from now on too, so that it's not such an arduous task each year.

5. Our New Vacuum

Since we moved back to the States 7.5 years ago, we've been through 2 vacuums. When it was time to replace the last one last month we decided to go ahead and get one that will hopefully do a better job and will LAST more than 3 or 4 years. Enter - the Dyson. I absolutely love it. It's lighter, does a much better job, goes from carpet to tile to hardwood without having to do anything but push a button, and it doesn't clog up. Love, love, love it.

Please join us at Mamarazzi's Happy List Tuesday on Dandelion Wishes.

What I've Been Reading

2012-01-08T10:44:00.001-05:00

I had a chance to do a lot of reading over the Christmas Break and it was fantastic.

I now have 7 books started!!! and am making myself finish each of them before I check anything out at the library or start anything new!

But here is what I have read in the last month.

The Litwits (my evening book club) chose Soul Survivor for our January book.

This is not a book I would have ever picked up, but I think that's the point of a book club sometimes.

I have no idea what I believe after reading it. It's non-fiction but it's about reincarnation.

I went in looking for the 'charlatanism' that had to be there. I couldn't really find it.

The parents frustrated me, the little boy spooked me, but it was a good read overall.

Have you read it? What do you think? I'm looking forward to our discussion at the end of the month.

Miss Ricki Jill got me started on the Mortal Instruments series in December and I have been busy working on them. I read the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ones in the last couple of months (really fast reads!)

I know Twilight lovers will really like this series. I can't tell you why I like Harry Potter so much, but can't get into vampires and werewolves. There's no accounting for it I guess.

But if you like Twilight - then check out this series. Who am I kidding? This series is hugely popular. If you love Twilight, then you've already devoured these books.

The 3rd was my favorite so far.

And I shared this next book last month, but we've finished it now and I have to say it was fantastic.

My mom sent it to us to read with the boys. It was a terrific mix of world history, Christianity, famous characters, magic, humor, direct answers to questions, and sweet stories of Santa's/St. Nicholas's life.

I could see many kids might be bored with it, but Thomas and Brennan loved it.

They loved us reading it together, loved the characters and story lines, and surprised me by their enthusiasm over this book. Thanks Mama!

And this morning I finished reading 52 Small Changes on the Kindle. It's the first book I've read on the Kindle and I think I'd like to have a hard copy of this book as well. It's a great book about living the healthiest life possible - from the aspects of nutrition, exercise, emotional and spiritual focus, and environmental health. I'm already looking for ways to incorporate a number of the suggestions in our family's lives.

Finally, I flipped through The Help again this month because I've joined a new book club and this is our first selection this month. A nice group of moms from the boys' school have started a club and I'm thrilled to get to know them better. We all seem to have similar reading interests.

I read The Help awhile back (in fact it was my favorite book of 2010) and I'm looking forward to the discussion next week as many of the ladies in this group had not read the book yet.

Loved the movie too - thought it did the book justice.

So, what have you been reading?

Lightscoop Love

2012-01-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

I asked for a Lightscoop for Christmas, and my cousin's wife Blair came through!

I was so excited to receive this because taking photos indoor in low light is a real issue for me.

In fact, it's one of my goals for January - to see if I can't improve my photos in this area.

I know it's not the camera - it's operator lack of knowledge.

I read about the Lightscoop on the New York Times website and saw it on a couple of blogs.

I was thrilled with the low price and decided to try it out.

Here is what the Lightscoop looks like,attached to the top of the camera - photo from the Lightscoop website.

And here's mine today. I had to figure out things like exposure metering patterns, spot meter setting, and flash exposure compensation before I could play with it. I've read all these things before but needed to figure it out again since I'm obviously no pro.

After only playing with it for 5 minutes, I have to say I am really, really happy with it.

Here are two quick views that I shot using the:

(left) Lightscoop, (center) No Flash, and (right) Auto with Flash settings

I know from reading Scott Kelby's great intro to DSLR books that Auto with Flash is terrible for indoors. So I never use flash and set the speed high in low light. But I think the ones on the left with the Lightscoop are clearly better.

This is just a real quick look - I plan to do a lot more playing around and testing the difference with and without the Lightscoop in the coming weeks. And the real test will be when I'm in a situation with low light indoors. But for now - thrilled - thank you Blair!

Blog Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated for this post. The opinions are 100% mine.

Christmas Cards to Contact Photos

2012-01-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

I saw this tip on Pinterest and remembered it so I could try it out this year.

Take a photo of the Christmas cards you receive so that you can make the photo your contact photo on your phone!

If you sent me a photo Christmas card this year - then you're photo is now in my phone with your contact information. So call me - it'll be a nice reminder of your family's sweet faces!

And yes, I know in the photo above I have my phone set on video. Oops :)

Linking Up

101 Places to See Before You're 12 - An Aquarium

2012-01-05T13:29:00.000-05:00

An Aquarium

Back in 2006 for Fall Break we took the boys to visit Cincinnati. We had a wonderful time visiting the museums at the Cincinnati Museum Center in Union Terminal. The kids loved the Natural History museum there.

While visiting, we also went to the Newport Aquarium.

Brennan asked me the other day why we hadn't crossed off "Aquarium" on our list of 101 Places and it's because I knew we'd go to another one someday (I love Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and I would love to see the new Georgia Aquarium...), and I'd get better photos! But, really, he has a point. We crossed it off, put a sticker on the page, and I'm sharing it with you below.

Brennan was actually thinking of our trip to San Antonio for Fall break 2007 when we visited our friends Tom and Lorie and went to Sea World.

Oh they were so cute and little

Sea World isn't exactly an aquarium so I didn't really count it by itself, but let's toss it in with our weakly-photographed trip to Newport Aquarium and we'll call it seen!

Brennan really, really wanted to sit in the splash zone so I joined him. The rest of our ~~wimpy~~ smart party sat safely away from the splash zone.

And here we are in Cincinnati.

Brennan's on the right. So little! I miss those little swirls in the back of his hair!

Petting the baby sharks

Stingrays

And here are the boys outside the Aquarium which is right on the Ohio River at the Kentucky/Ohio state line.

They're just so little!

From the Book:

#21 - An Aquarium

It's really exciting to see a shark up close, but it's also nice to have a few feet of reinforced glass between you when you do. Aquariums let you observe all kinds of coll underwater creatures that usually speed away when humans come near, or, in the case of sharks, that make humans speed away! You can see rare tropical fish and sea anemones that only scuba divers usually get to see, and some aquariums even have adorable sea mammals such as dolphins, sea otters, seals, or manatees. Watching all the creatures dive, float, flit, and flock through clear blue water in graceful motions almost puts you into a trance until: snap! It's feeding time and the shark opens up those big jaws for a bite to eat, reminding you that under the sea everybody is somebody else's lunch!

Spring Cleaning 2011

2012-01-04T13:18:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my 2012 Resolutions post - 12 in 12 - my big resolution for January is to spring clean the entire house.

As a couple of you observed - it's not exactly spring yet. But as I've mentioned a few times - I really don't like waiting until spring when the weather is finally nice to do these inside chores. January just works for me. I got started on Monday and it's going really well!

And from the looks of the January magazine covers at Target yesterday - I'm not the only one who likes to clean out and organize in January. And many bloggers are doing the same thing, so I know I'm in good company!

I'm using a combination of my Google calendar approach for spring cleaning that I shared here, and the notebook approach that I borrowed from Sarah at Clover Lane a couple of years ago and that I've shared here and here. The two work really well for me.

I love nothing more than weeding out and taking a load to Goodwill.

Somewhat related, in case you didn't know, you can clean your car floor mats in the washing machine.

I cleaned two cars' worth of floor mats Monday and they look so much better.

If you're looking to spring clean in the near future, here is a great list I found on Pinterest from Kelly at "The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking" that you could modify and follow. It has been repinned numerous times!

And, while we're talking about Pinterest, here are some other gems:

Source article

source article

site that allows you to read books free online/then they donate a book for world literacy

ha ha

source

Have a great week!

12 in 12

2012-01-02T06:48:00.000-05:00

source

I am completely ~~copying~~ honoring Amber at the Starfish Blog in her idea to create monthly resolutions in 2012. I like the idea of focusing on something each month. I also have a handful of goals for each month, listed on the side bar, but big ones are listed below.

So here are my resolutions for the new year!

January

Spring Clean the Entire House

February

Add New Classes/Workouts to My Fitness Schedule

March

Take a Class to Improve My Photography

April

Make Some Changes in the Yard

May

Get the House Re-Painted

June
Journey to See Old Friends

July
Take Up Piano Again

August
Take Up Tennis Again

September
Achieve All My Fitness Goals

October
Complete Basement

November
Wrap Up All Holiday Shopping/Christmas Cards/Decorating

December
Enjoy the Season

101 Places to See Before You're 12 - An Insectarium

2012-01-01T17:22:00.000-05:00

An Insectarium

Here is another example of a 101 Place that I was not sure we would ever get to.

Many zoos have Insectariums but we had not visited one since we started our 101 Places adventures.

And then we found that, actually quite near our hotel in New Orleans, was the Audubon Insectarium.

We were pretty sure Dad was pulling our leg because he took us to the U.S. Custom House.

In fact, the Insectarium is inside the building.

Look at the ginormous cock roaches.

We got to touch the millipedes.

Look at this huge! millipede!

Brennan's not afraid of insects at all, but man, this thing was big.

Example of bad camouflage.

A Roach's History of New Orleans

While not insects, the baby alligators were really cool.

I wasn't sure they were real because they didn't move a muscle for several minutes.

There was a really good "immersion" movie that we attended as well.

Finally we walked through the Butterfly House and watched the beautiful butterflies flying all around us. We had to check our backs when we left to make sure none latched on for the ride.

From the Book:

#29 - An Insectarium

An insectarium can be a very noisy place. It's not the buzzing of the bees or the clicking of the beetles that makes it loud - it's the squeals and screams and shrieks of your fellow insectarium-goers as they watch hairy-legged tarantulas crawling nearby or cockroaches scuttling around a pretend kitchen looking for food. Explore the world of ants, flies, spider, bees, "walking sticks", and butterflies without having to worry about bites, stings, or weird icky secretions getting on you. It's cool and creepy all at the same time. Some insectariums even host bug-tasting events - sweet or spicy bugs prepared by famous chefs. Can't you just hear the shrieking already?

101 Places to See Before You're 12 - A Mint

2012-01-01T16:41:00.000-05:00

A Mint

There are a few of the 101 Places that I had mentally written off as not feasible.

A Mint was one of them - tours are always on non-holiday times (when we're not traveling), and I'm not sure this was something we were all dying to do.

If we are to visit Philadelphia, Denver, D.C., or San Francisco - I doubt touring the Mint would be high on our lists of things to do.

But our brother-in-law Dave told us Christmas night about the old Mint in New Orleans, right in the French Quarter. We knew we had to check it out. We found a surprise along the way as well.

This mint was in use until the early 1900s.

Over the years though it has been a federal prison, and served in other state functions though no longer in use as a mint.

The interior of the first floor is really cool - with the old brick structures still in place.

We enjoyed looking around on the main level and were told we could also look on the 2nd level.

To our surprise, the second level was not part of the old Mint, but was the Preservation Hall jazz museum!

Thomas got to see Louis Armstrong's first cornet.

Preservation Hall is famous for its jazz band where most legends played over the years.

I liked this sign about requests.

Apparently "When the Saints Go Marching In" is a common request.

We really enjoyed walking around the Preservation Hall museum and watching the tribute video.

The old New Orleans Mint, and a Jazz Tribute as well!

From the Book:

#67 - A Mint

Have you ever heard the expression "Money doesn't grow on trees?" Well, it's true - money is made in a mint, and you can actually watch it happening. Find out how designs are developed, models are created, and coins are engraved and "struck". It's really cool to watch millions of newly minted coins just pouring out of a machine or giant blank pieces of paper turn into dollar bills. Even though they have lots of cash around, they're not giving it away - if you want it, you're still going to have to earn it.

101 Places to See Before You're 12 - A Street Market

2012-01-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

A Street Market

A couple of weeks ago Brennan pulled out this book and asked me to sit with him as we went through all of the 101 Places, reminiscing about the ones we've done.

It was a nice surprise because I did not want this adventure to be mine alone - it was nice to see that our travels and experiences have made an impact on my youngest and quietest family member.

As we prepared for our journey south, I glanced through the book wondering if there were any 101 Places we hadn't seen in New Orleans, but none jumped out at me.

But we found 3 one day and we were all pleasantly surprised!

As we toured the French Quarter, we came across the French Market, and I confirmed with David that it would absolutely qualify for #100 A Street Market - starting up the second half of our 101 Places.

The French market is a great place to get a cup of coffee and a snack as you walk through admiring the food, crafts, souvenirs, and other items.

Brennan rarely asks for a souvenir but we found a lady selling handmade bracelets with names on beads woven into them. They had a "Brennan" which is extremely rare. He just had to have it!

I told the boys that when I visited New Orleans the first time with my family years and years ago, I bought a pair of sunglasses with my own money and I was so proud. I told them where the kiosk was and, lo and behold, it was still there - in the same spot!

From the Book:

#100 - A Street Market

From the exotic souks of Marrakech to London's famed Portobello Road, street markets are the liveliest spots in any town. Even on an ordinary day, it feels like something exciting is happening there. The streets are lined with stalls selling anything from inexpensive jewelry to books, toys, or interesting little objects you've never seen before. There's usually music in the air, and the smells, tastes, and colors of everything for sale make it oh so much more than just a shopping experience. Haggling (asking for a better price) is a tradition at street markets, so if you find something you really want, don't let a high price tag get you down. Offer a lower price and let the negotiations begin! Even if you don't purchase anything, you'll leave with a great memory.

New Orleans 2011

2012-01-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

We decided to add on a day to our Christmas trip so we could enjoy New Orleans.

David and I hadn't been there in years and we were excited to take the boys.

So settle back for lots of New Orleans photos.

We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter.

Brennan decided it must be a 5 star hotel.

The boys loved passing this art gallery with a kitty cat in the window.

Brennan's restaurant

Pretty balconies

Cruisin' Bourbon Street

Jackson Square

St. Louis Cathedral

The Mighty Mississippi

We passed a restaurant and smelled this wonderful stock they were brewing for gumbo and jambalaya later in the day.

We rode a trolley for the fun of it, but it made so many stops we could have just walked :)

Canal Street

Two of my three love architecture, and we got to see a lot of great examples in New Orleans.

This is not one of them (in my opinion). I feel for the poor people on the back side of this older building!

TripAdvisor.com told us that the WWII Museum was the most popular tourist attraction in New Orleans, so we had to visit it. Loved this sign - only in New Orleans!

The Museum had a large focus on D-Day. The videos were terrific. Smaller than I expected, but well done.

The Higgins boat was designed by a New Orleans native and had a major impact on the war on European soil.

We had a lot of great Cajun food while we visited New Orleans.

Brennan had his first gumbo and loved it - ordering it everywhere we went.

Thomas liked the red beans and rice the best.

I need good Emeril Lagasse style recipes for both!

David enjoyed the etouffe and jambalaya, and I enjoyed the fried oysters.

We saw lots of "Best Gumbo" signs!

Bourbon Street at night.

We arrived the night the Saints were playing a home game - it was pretty wild.

But nothing to compare to the upcoming New Year's Eve, Sugar Bowl (Jan 3), and the Bowl Championship (Jan 9). I'm glad we got out before all those festivities began!

David and I have been to Mardi Gras numerous times and have experienced the nightlife.

The boys didn't need to beyond this sedate walk through the French Quarter!

And no visit to New Orleans would be complete without beignets and a cafe au lait!

Christmas #5

2012-01-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

We always enjoy heading to south Mississippi to visit with my extended family.

It seems like every year we are adding a new addition to our Christmas drawing lists, and I love it!

This year AvaGrace joined our family.

Part of the family couldn't celebrate with us because my cousin Jay has been in the hospital since Thanksgiving day. He is doing well though and is on his way to (hopefully) full recovery.

The boys with their great-grandmother

Danielle

Natalie showing off her new DS

Mamaw and Danielle

Grandma Nan and Brennan

Brennan holding AvaGrace

Cousins

Danielle and Audrey Beth

Brennan, Noah, AvaGrace, Natalie, Danielle, Thomas, and Audrey Beth

Wade, Blair, and Audrey Beth

Merry Christmas!

Christmas #4

2012-01-01T08:33:00.000-05:00

We had a great time visiting with my family in Ridgeland Christmas night.

The kids all took turns with the camera, so I have a lot of out-of-focus moments.

We had a ton of fun catching up, having a non-holiday meal (thank you Aunt Shelly!), and opening gifts.

I enjoyed watching the cousins play together.

Thomas (11), Brennan (9), Natalie (7), and Danielle (5)

The new princess make up table was a huge hit with the boys who always have a lot of fun playing with the toys at Natalie's and Danielle's!

Every kid loves a play kitchen, don't they?

Yeah! Another 101 book!

Brennan couldn't believe his luck - more Mario and Kirby gifts!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-31T23:32:00.000-05:00

We had a really great time, as always, visiting with David's extended family in Canton.
Our family from Mississippi, Florida, and Virginia get a chance to catch up and have a delicious meal.

Here are a few photos from our day together.

The kids table

The gift exchange

Thomas loooooves this gift. He has played with it for hours. If you have a Lego fan in your home - I highly recommend it.

Daniel??

Nancy and Brennan

The cousins - Sara Brady, Thomas, Allison, Taylor, Brennan, and Ellie

Carolyn and Annie

Christopher and Amanda's wedding photos from 2 years ago

Love this picture

Group Photo

Brennan, Joe, and Nancy

Christopher and Amanda (expecting next year!)

Brennan, Elizabeth, Taylor, and Sara Brady

The girls with Bernie

Elizabeth, Sara Brady, Allison, and Bernie

My Christmas sweetie

A wonderful Christmas with family!

Christmas Part 2

2011-12-31T22:09:00.000-05:00

We had a great time visiting with David's mom, sister and family in Mississippi for a couple of days before continuing our state tour to visit other family members.

Christmas Eve service, Christmas dinner, and presents, presents, presents.

Taylor read the Christmas story from the Bible.

Everyone gave and received some great gifts.

See the lighted ornament tree I made from David's mom, Carolyn, a few years ago there in the background?! I love that she loves it.

David's sister, Donna, gave him a very special gift.

It's a framed photo of David's dad that David had never seen.

We'll find a special place to hang it at home.

Great Christmas #2 - so nice to enjoy our time with family!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T21:17:00.000-05:00

Excuse our hair in these photos.

Because school got out late this year, we decided to have our family Christmas on the 23rd, then jump in the car and drive south 10 hours - hopefully all during daylight.

Success - but we didn't bother to primp before opening gifts.

Brennan had a very Mario Christmas.

Every gift he opened (even his new belt and gloves) was very exciting.

I love that he still sits in my lap from time to time.

Wouldn't be Christmas without our mischievous ~~elf~~ reindeer.

Thomas was very excited about his coach-selected new tennis racket.

And of course - no Christmas would be complete for Thomas without multiple Lego-related gifts.

A great game from Aunt Jeanne.

You may laugh, but this book is a thrill.

At one point in Mississippi 2 of my 3 were arguing over who got to read it before bed time.

Like I said - a very Mario Christmas for Brennan this year.

My sensitive son cried when he realized he'd eaten his chocolate frog from our trip to Harry Potter World in Orlando before I took a picture of him holding it. So I surprised him with two more for Christmas - and took a photo this time.

My big boy was very excited because he got a new coffee maker.

It's pretty awesome.

Then we took off for a big trip to see family and sight see.

Here are the boys on our way home, 8 days later.

No lack of energy for these two!

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

2011 Favorites

2011-12-31T19:54:00.000-05:00

Last year I captured some of my annual favorites, so I thought I would attempt it again this year! Many bloggers capture their top DIY or craft projects, or recipes, or decorating projects and I love reading about them. Mine are just more my own favorite things.

It was a fantastic year - even with turning 40! - and I'm very much looking forward to 2012!

1. Favorite Book - this was tough because I read 55+ books this year. It was great to have them all identified on goodreads.com so I could remember what all I read! I'm going with the one that was the most surprising and entertaining of them all. You can read my review here. I would read it again, and I never do that. I still don't know a soul who has also read it, but I'm waiting patiently because I want to dish :)

2. Favorite Movie - This was also hard. With my chick flick group I saw a few really good ones this year, and a bunch of not-so-good ones. The one I liked the most this year was Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Runners-up would have to be The Help and The King's Speech.

3. Favorite Trip - We had a great time in Florida (Key West and Orlando), but my favorite trip this year would have to be our family trip to New York City. Exhausting (lots of walking) but really fun. And pre all the Occupy Wall Street insanity.

4. Favorite TV Character - Kalinda from The Good Wife. Do you watch it on Sundays?

5. Favorite New Hobby - I didn't really take up anything new this year so I thought of changing the category, but I'm going with Cooking for the Family. I took it up a notch this year with the new blog and have really enjoyed the meal planning/cooking process more this year. It's been fun to get the boys in on the fun as well.

Wishing you a very happy 2012!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T05:52:00.000-05:00

Anniversaries and a Concert

2011-12-20T09:01:00.000-05:00

David took off Friday and Monday for a nice 4 day weekend.

While it wasn't planned this way, these days happened to coincide with a couple of our anniversaries.

On Friday, midday, I thought about the date and realized it was the 20th anniversary of the date we got engaged!

After we got engaged on 12/16/91, I had the date engraved on the back of a watch for David.

He pulled out the watch to show the boys.

So that was cool!

Then yesterday we celebrated the 19th anniversary of our wedding on 12/19/92.

We had a great day, getting things done that we needed to around the house and for our trip.

We went to lunch together, did a little shopping together, and went out for dinner with Brennan before Thomas's band concert.

I never did get a great photo of Thomas in the concert, but he's on the left side, about 8 kids in from the front playing his trumpet. He saw us and waved and smiled a lot.

All the 6th graders who take band in the 10 local public elementary schools came together last night for a group performance. They played 8 Christmas songs and did a fantastic job.

After the 6th graders were done, the 7th graders from one of our two middle schools performed, and then the 8th graders. Everyone did a beautiful job.

Christmas Events and Fun

2011-12-19T04:48:00.000-05:00

We've had a really fun month, with lots of Christmas activities. I wanted to share a few photos!

On November 29th we got an unexpected snow! Maybe 2 inches. I took these photos on our way home from school - we got more later that afternoon. Of course, phone photos just don't share the beauty. It was really pretty that afternoon, and of course, the boys couldn't wait to get out and play in it, even trying out sledding!

Speaking of the sled, Brennan left it out for a couple of weeks. When he and David were stringing Christmas lights recently I reminded him to put his sled away. Lo and behold - this is what he found hidden underneath - a huge sled-shaped chunk of ice!

David suggested they throw it really high and let it shatter.

Of course, Thomas had to get in on the fun.

Standing back...

See it way up high?

Completely shattered. Of course, the largest pieces are being preserved in our freezer for some future use.

Brennan and I attended a neighbor's Christmas party a couple of weeks ago. He snapped this photo of their decorations along the wooden path to their home.

Their piano teacher gives her students homemade Christmas Crackers each year and it's quite a thrill.

The letter on the package reminds kids not to open them in the car on the way home :)

They are filled with confetti, small trinkets and candies, and of course, a crown.

Our church had its Children's Christmas performance last week and Thomas was a part of the choir, playing hand bells and percussion.

The children did a great job with their original play and great music.

Thomas's junior high youth group had its Christmas party yesterday, hosted by Evan's family.

I helped with food and had a great time.

Here's most of the group with youth Pastor Peggy, playing Apples to Apples.

Then instead of heading to the basement for video games they chose to head outside for a kickball game.

Then they had a gift exchange. Everyone bough a $1 gender-neutral gift and they were able to trade off if they rolled doubles. Thomas took a homemade Christmas songs CD.

We were thisclose to bringing home the air horn. ~~Unfortunately~~ fortunately Eli rolled doubles at the last second and was the air horn winner.

A fantastic group of 6th-8th graders!

Hope you're enjoying the Christmas season!

The Trumpet

2011-12-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

Thomas has been taking trumpet in the 6th grade band since August and really likes it.

He had a mini concert for us this morning.

Tomorrow he's in his first real concert with several other bands at the High School.

We're looking forward to it and wish we had other family nearby that could enjoy it with us!

I took a few videos but didn't capture one of his flawless performances.

He's doing a nice job though and we're proud of his enthusiasm.

I love it because the trumpet brings out his dimples :)

If you are reading this in email or a Reader you may not be able to see the Video Clip.

Please click on the link to the blog to watch the 30 secnd clip of Thomas playing "Jingle Bells".

Blitzen in the Kitchen

2011-12-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

We still don't have an official name for our reindeer, but we've been enjoying him since December 1st.

I say WE but it's really all of us except Brennan.

He'd like to ship him back to wherever he came from.

He usually perches on a bookshelf in the kitchen where he looks over us as we eat.

I thought ALL "Elf on the Shelf"'s got into a little mischief, but apparently not.

Most just move from spot to spot in the house, waiting for the kids to find him each day.

Our "Reindeer on a Shelf" gets into a little bit of mischief and I love seeing David and Thomas's faces when they discover him on those mischievous days. And I love seeing Brennan getting annoyed :)

He got into the mini marshmallows one night.

And he tp'd the Christmas tree one night.

He hung the boys' underwear on the tree (Brennan was not amused).

We found him in a bag of goldfish one morning.

Waiting for us by the milk.

And hiding in the cereal.

He spent a couple of days on top of the coat rack.

I love seeing all the clever Elf on the Shelf ideas on blogs.

There are some creative ~~parents~~ elves out there!

Christmas Decorations 2011

2011-12-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

I really don't go overboard with Christmas decorations (not that David would agree).

I like to have some out, and of course our tree, but as I read all the great decorating blogs I realize ours are minimal!

We start decorating the day after Thanksgiving.

David chose to put the house lights up a couple of weeks ago though, when it was freezing outside.

He had a great helper.

I love them. This photo doesn't really capture the light.
It's really pretty strung along the lower roof line.
We also had tea lights in pretty luminaries along the driveway the night of our wine club get together.

Two new additions this year that I really like.
The little tree is something that I've been thinking about for awhile to have full-time on the front porch. Found it at Lowe's for 70% off!
I also bought this new, larger, Christmas wreath for the front door on sale at Lowe's.

Thomas and I added lights and a bow for Christmas.
Love it!

This year the boys really wanted to put up the Christmas tree downstairs on their own.
We let them and then they found the ornaments and started working on it.
They chose a Santa hat for the top this year.
Before we realized it, they were practically done (they chose to only use half our ornaments this year).
Then I realized we hadn't strung the lights yet.
We made a decision that this year we would go light-less and do lots of lights next year.

And at night.

This is another new purchase this year - from Willow House.
We've got it hanging on our coat closet when you first walk in.
It's holding all of our photo Christmas cards this year.

Now it's pretty full so I think I'll display any more that come in in the kitchen.

We bought this at Bob Evans a couple of years ago and the boys love updating it each morning.
Santa comes a couple of days early for us because we are with family on the 25th, so they enjoying updating it with OUR Santa date.

And this is an important part of Christmas for us.
Jeanne gave it to the boys several years ago and we put it out each Christmas Eve (OUR Christmas Eve) for Santa, along with carrots for the reindeer.

I bought mistletoe this year from mistletoe.com.
Brennan ducks under it this year because he is afraid of getting kissed under it.
I snatch him and kiss him any chance I get.

I made this Eddie Ross-inspired ornament wreath a couple of years ago.
It hangs near the screened in porch now.

Our Advent calendar is always filled with Hershey's Miniatures and hangs with the platter my sister-in-law Donna made for me a few years ago. I've been inspired by all the great Advent calendars in blog land and would love to try a new one, but this one would have to be a part of our lives as well. The boys would never give it up.

I plant paper whites each Christmas.

This photo is from a few days ago, they're blooming now.

The first year that I planted them (we lived in Memphis), they smelled fantastic.

The last few years though, the ones I've purchased have no fragrance. Hmmm.

I tried hanging ornaments from the light fixture in the dining room this year.
Thomas was a big help.
Not sure I love them but they're fun to have as something new.

My friend Kari brought back this gorgeous Advent candle holder a few years ago from Germany.
I love it and it lives in our living room. I decorate it for the holidays.
These are the original decorations Kari decorated it with for Christmas.

A few gifts from over the years.

And our important stockings.
Santa comes down our chimney in the living room and leaves a gift for each of the boys and fills their stockings. We start there and then go downstairs to the tree to open our gifts to each other, and those our friends send.

Then it's off to Mississippi for 5 more Christmases!

Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season.

Connoisseurs - Holiday Favorites

2011-12-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

Our Wine Club changed its focus just a little bit starting this month and we're now the Connoisseurs.

One of the reasons for the subtle shift is that, after 10 months of wine themes, we're going to quickly run out of wines, or have to start over, or move on to something else.

So we were looking for a way to mix in some flexibility.

Now we ask our hosts to choose whatever theme they are interested in and we all bring a dish and/or drink to share. It worked beautifully this month as David and I hosted "Holiday Favorites".

Per usual, I did not take a lot of photos because we were hosting and the camera slipped my mind, but I wanted to share the few that I did get.

Robin, Lora, and Roger getting ready to sample the delicious dishes.

John, Vinita, and Jan

I think everyone brought a holiday drink.

I made Gluhwein.

We had a Chocolate Wine drink that I loved, and Pomegranate Martinis (yum)!

Mike brought his homemade Australian Chardonnay (delicious), and Leigh and Barry brought a great port. I'm enjoying ports these days after my Pride and Prejudice party experience with port!

Roger brought Moscow Mules (mm!), we had Bourbon-spike cider which I really liked as well, and gosh, I think I might be missing a cocktail. They were all great and fun to try.

Great food

Great Hawaiian Hammies

We celebrated a birthday that evening as well.

Roger surprised his lovely wife with cake and ice cream made my a local baker.

We had just about got the surprise all set up when Jan walked into the kitchen to chat with someone.

Here are our nonchalant guests hiding the cakes from Jan's view.

Barry, Leigh, Jeff, and Mike

Red Velvet (Jan's favorite)

German Chocolate

The (genuinely) surprised birthday girl

Celebrating a birthday that evening was the icing on the cake.

As a small token of my appreciation to this great group of friends, I put together a little gift bag for each couple that included some favorite photos of the past year and the top wine choices each month.

Here are clips - I did them in Excel which here shows the grid lines.

When printed they don't.

An awesome group of friends, a great year of tastings, and excitement for next year!

Christmas Fun 2011

2011-12-14T05:21:00.000-05:00

We have had a really great month, attending lots of Christmas events.

A couple of weekends ago we went to the Christmas parade. It was great that it wasn't freezing outside that evening!

A huge crowd was there, partly because local boy Tony Stewart was the Grand Marshall of the parade.

I took some grainy iPhone photos of the evening.

A huge, locally-built Cummins engine

From my vantage point, I realize you can't see Tony Stewart. He's riding in the car with our Mayor, waving to the crowds. His photo was all over our local paper, so I know it was him :)

And Santa himself!

After the parade we went for Japanese food with another family and watched some of the fireworks.

A really fun night!

Over the last weekend we attended several parties and I'm looking forward to the coming, laid-back, weekend before we travel south for Christmas.

We hosted David's new staff and their spouses at a local restaurant. The food and company were terrific. I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time.

Saturday night we attended our friend's annual Christmas Cookie Exchange party.

We've missed it due to conflicts the last couple of years so we were happy to make it this year!

Every family brings 3 dozen cookies and a large table is set up with the various kinds with place cards identifying the type.

The kids get a plate of cookies and hot apple cider and then play in the basement.

The adults enjoy cookies and some more adult beverages, in addition to cider, hot chocolate, and coffee - and college basketball on t.v.

The cookie nameplates are put into a drawing and two winners are drawn for prizes from the hosts.

Then each family gathers in front of the Christmas tree for an annual photo.

Sarah then sends the photo, along with a hard copy, to each family.

Isn't that thoughtful?!

I loved seeing the album of Cookie Exchange party in years past.

I took Melissa's Chocolate Chip cookies this year and they were a hit!

On Sunday afternoon we had our neighborhood Christmas party at Dr. and Mrs. Able's house.

There was a huge turnout and the food and catching up were great.

I took a Feta Dip and sliced whole grain baguette. It was so good!

The boys have attended a number of parties at school and they have two big ones with church coming up. It's a busy time of year, but I love it!

Favorite Christmas Movies

2011-12-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

Our book club, the Litwits, met at Tricia's house this month.

Instead of reading a book and discussing it, we took the month off and got together to watch a classic Christmas movie.

Tricia has the perfect set up for a movie night in her basement!

Lora and Barry are our classic movie experts.

They chose for us, and settled on "The Bishop's Wife" with Cary Grant and David Niven.

Most of us had not seen this film, and it was a real treat.

Any scene the two male leads had together just cracked me up. What great actors.

Watching this holiday favorite, and reading Chris's post of her favorite holiday movies, got me thinking about my own.

Do you know Chris at Just a Girl? If you don't, then run over and follow her. I think we are destined to be best friends. We have a lot in common, including our movies.

So, in no particular order are

My Favorite Christmas Movies

(12/8/11 - because my list is always subject to change)

Home Alone

The original is just a classic. How cute Macaulay Culkin was back in the day!

It stands the test of time. In fact, I want to watch it sometime soon with the boys and David.

I didn't realize John Hughes made this movie. No wonder I liked it so much.

The Charlie Brown Christmas Special

Love it! Have many, many of the lines memorized.

I could watch this every year, even though it's been a couple of years since I've seen it.

Note to self - TiVo this since our old VHS copy is kaput.

It's a Wonderful Life

Remember when Columbia House Video was popular?

I signed up in college and this was one of the first free movies I got.

It's certainly not feel-good all the way through, but I just love it, especially the first half hour or so as George and Mary are going to the dance.

*interesting note, young George Bailey in this movie is also in "The Bishop's Wife". We all saw him and couldn't believe it!*

The Family Stone

Confession - I saw this in the theater and didn't care for it.

I watched it again about 6 months ago and really loved it.

Not sure what happened the first time, but this movie really grew on me.

Have you seen it?

I love, love movies with ensemble casts like this one.

Claire Danes played the only normal character in the whole movie, and that's awesome.

Elf

I love, love, love "Elf". This is an absolutely hilarious movie. "I like smiling. Smiling's the best!"

I dare you to watch this movie and not crack a smile.

We haven't taken our portable DVD player on a Christmas trip in a long while.

I'm thinking about taking it this year and just this DVD.

And making my family watch it over and over.

Love Actually

Potentially my favorite movie of all time.

As I said, I love ensemble movies, and seem to watch more British-made films than American.

Confession - I like the "clean" version better than the one with "that" couple in it.

I can't let the boys see the original. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about.

My favorite storyline is the stepdad (Liam Neeson) and the little boy (Thomas Sanger).

Of course, Colin Firth declaring his love in Portuguese ain't bad either.

And two other favorites, but not really what you might think of as Christmas movies.

Die Hard

What a great movie.

Bruce Willis is at his best, and Alan Rickman is one of my favorite actors of all time (see "Love Actually" above). Love this movie. Classic.

Finally...

The Early Harry Potter Movies

Not Christmas-themed movies, but the early ones have great Christmas scenes.

My friend Lisa said a few years ago they always remind her of a great Christmas movie, and the holiday school break is a great time to curl up with the family and have an HP marathon.

So now I think of them as holiday movies as well!

So those are my favorite holiday/Christmas movies.

I know I'm leaving out classics like "White Christmas" and family classics like "Rudolph" and "Frosty". It's harder to make a list than I thought!

What are your favorite holiday movies?

Living Room Updates

2011-12-08T05:43:00.000-05:00

We've recently made a few changes in our living room that I wanted to share with you.

New T.V.

We added a t.v. and that was a project in itself.

I talked to David about it one night, and the idea seemed unnecessary and unfeasible.

The wall where I wanted it hung already looked nice, and did we really need a t.v.??

And, there was no cable outlet. Seriously? Why take on such a project?

The issue was - we entertain quite a lot and we have a t.v. downstairs where the kids usually congregate, and we have one in our bedroom.

Not at all conducive when friends are over and "the game" is on.

At Wine Club last year, three men sat on our bed to watch the Colts game off and on.

Really.

After a lot of work and two trips in by Comcast - we were set.

David did the research and bought a good t.v. and we haven't looked back.

It's a great spot for a t.v.

We watched Pride and Prejudice movie clips during Book Club last month.

We had football on when we hosted Thanksgiving.

Brennan and I were out one night and we came home to find David and Thomas watching Lord of the Rings together on it. I'm glad we did it. I know it'll get used.

Before...

....and after.

We switched out the two carts in the room.

We might have an electrician put an outlet behind the cart so you don't see the cord, but for now, it's awesome.

And the other cart is being used on the other side of the room.

It was great using what we had instead of having to purchase an entertainment center.

Rearranged Bookcases

We have, what I think are, beautiful built-in bookcases in the living room.

We have an assortment of books, photographs, items from our travels, the boys' trophies and awards, and other random stuff "decorating" the shelves.

These shelves have been fine for 7 years, but I secretly wished I had someone to help me improve upon my good start.

Then my friend Ginger introduced me to a friend who does just that!

Wendy is a busy mom of four who loves to do interior projects on the side.

So Wendy came and helped me with my shelves.

I am so much happier with them now!

Before

Except for the empty shelf where some Fall decorations were, this is pretty typical of what it looked like.

And After.

There are actually more items on the shelves now than before, but because Wendy removed some shelves and changed the heights of others, it really works.

Wendy asked me to take everything off the shelves and lay out the items that were important to us like from our travels.

Her husband says that you want to be able to say about your displayed items, "oh remember that trip to Hawaii?" not "oh remember that trip to Hobby Lobby?"

The lamp is a "I'm thinking about it" lamp. It's the only purchase I made for this project. Wendy suggested an interesting textured blue shade (because there is blue in the surrounding rooms) but I haven't been able to find that. So I'm sitting with this (still with the price tag), for now.

I'm also thinking through the pottery on the top middle shelf. Maybe adding something else?

She also brought in some pieces that brought out the colors throughout the house, like this wall.

And I created new shelves downstairs for Thomas and Brennan to put their awards on.

I'm not sure you can see much of a difference in photos, but the impact in person is huge.

And the only cost was a $13.99 lamp.

I love the idea of moving stuff around the house to spruce it up.

Here are two more before and afters.

I'd love to know what you think!

What I've Been Reading

2011-12-08T04:51:00.000-05:00

I am coming out with my recent reads list a little early this month.

It's such a busy time of year, but I've been finding time to read a little and I wanted to share a couple of books with you!

Ricki-Jill recommended the Mortal Instruments series to me ~~repeatedly~~ once or twice!

I finally got the first one from the library, City of Bones.

This "young adult urban fantasy" series promises to be fast-paced and engaging somewhat along the same vein as the Twilight series.

As with the Twilight series, I can't say I was as swept up in the storylines as others have been, but I am invested enough in the characters to keep checking my library hold list to see if the second is yet available!

I don't remember where I first heard about Ready Player One but since I've been reading it, I hear about it everywhere I go.

I absolutely loved this book.

And really, there's no reason I should have. It's about video gamers, of all things.

But it's a riveting adventure, so well written, full of nostalgia, underdog characters who are persistent and hopeful, and such a different world than I know.

This is, sadly, destined to be a movie that will in no way live up to the book or the great time I had reading it.

Finally, the Autobiography of Santa Claus.

My mom sent us this book a few weeks ago to read as a family in December. It's in 24 chapters.

We got a late start, and I wasn't sure we'd get through the whole book, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

What a surprise how much we're all enjoying it!

Brennan does not like to be read to.

Since he started reading on his own (years ago), he has not enjoyed having to listen to someone else read.

As with many things with Brennan, we gently insist on him trying some things, and he is usually surprised how much he likes something he didn't think he would.

This is a perfect example of that.

I thought we'd all take turns reading chapters from the book, but everyone is enjoying me reading it (in the car coming home from Terre Haute last weekend, on our bed at night, at the dinner table while everyone else is finishing their dinner...).

And I can't get over it, but they beg for just one more chapter each time.

It's been fun to read this together. It's holding all of our attention.

My mom's book club read this last month.

This well-written Santa-narrative weaves world history, geography, Christianity, self-less giving, humor, and intrigue very well.

We still have several chapters to go, but I highly recommend this book - or pick it up for next year!

I'd love to hear what you've been reading lately!

Magic and 20 Days of Giving

2011-12-08T04:20:00.000-05:00

Our boys are at the ages now where they should be questioning all sorts of people who visit them when they lose a tooth, when they put out their baskets, or a plate of cookies and milk.

But we haven't had this conversation in our house yet and I'm OK with it.

I'm not sure it's necessary for us to sit them down and have a serious discussion.

Because I want them to continue believing in the magic of the season for as long as they want to.

This is complicated by the fact that our 11 year old is naive and gets wrapped up in the traditions, the family time, the excitement, and never thinks to question things. His 9 year old brother is always going to be way ahead of the game in terms of reality.

And sure, the 11 year old is in 6th grade now and I'm sure they all talk about it in school, don't they?

Maybe he is savvy but still believes in the magic. And that would be fine with me.

The worst thing I ever heard (ok, maybe I exaggerate) is the phrase "If you don't believe, then you don't receive". Meaning - once you question your parents to death about it, then you no longer get a Santa gift for Christmas. What the?! No way. The magic of Christmas is real.

I think this is part of what prompted me to get a "Blitzen in the Kitchen" (Thomas's name for him). We can still enjoy the magic and have a ball with our traditions, even if some of it seems slightly implausible :)

Last month on facebook I participated in the very informal "Thankful Month" daily status updates - what I was thankful for each day. It was a good reminder to myself each day of what the Thanksgiving season is all about.

This month Thomas, Brennan, and I are participating in the "20 Days of Giving" program that a lot of people are talking about in the real world, and in the blog world. I thought I'd share a few of the things we're doing this month. It's been important to reinforce that while our own Wish Lists are important, this is really a season for Giving.

December 1st - Mitten Tree. We donated new gloves and hats to the 5th/6th grade Sunday School class mission project. They set up a Christmas tree at the church and are asking families to decorate it with donated gloves, hats, mittens, and scarves. The items will be taken to the local food bank after the holidays.

December 2nd - Cheer Fund. Thomas and Brennan went through their toy box and donated 3 grocery bags full of toys to the Firemen's Cheer Fund in town. They fix up the toys and deliver them to families on December 23rd.

December 3rd - Preschool Donation. I am the chairperson of our church's preschool Board of Directors. We joined our church because of their preschool. They are collecting items for a family in need. The four year old son has Autism and is only asking for Matchbox cars for Christmas. We have a slew of them that the boys wanted to donate to the little boy.

December 4th - Coats for Kids. We donated coats to the preschool's collection drive.

December 5th - School Hat Tree. The boys' school has a large Christmas tree in the lobby. (It's gorgeous to look into the glass entrance, especially at night.) They are collecting mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves for local families in need. They get to hang their items on the tree tomorrow.

December 6th - Salvation Army Kettles. We went shopping and stopped at 3 stores where Salvation Army volunteers were ringing their bells. We never miss a chance to drop change in a kettle.

December 7th - Book Drive. The United Way asked for gently used holiday books that they could share with the local Domestic Violence Shelter, Transition Shelter, and with area children who are learning English as a second language. We took a bag of books yesterday. It is hard for the boys to part with books, so remembering why we're collecting is important.

December 8th - Poinsettias. We ordered two poinsettias through our church in memory of my father-in-law, Don, and my grandmother, who both passed away in 2011. They'll be displayed throughout the holidays and will then be delivered to elderly church members on the 25th to have in their homes.

I wondered at first how we were going to come up with 20 different ways to Give this month, but the needs are great, especially this time of year.

I hope you're enjoying the Magic of the Christmas Season!

Bathroom Mirror Frames

2011-12-05T19:40:00.000-05:00

This is a project that I am thrilled to have done!

I did not do this project myself - we had a contractor suggest this to me and then he did all the hard work.

I still have a little bit of touch up to do, but overall I'm really happy with the results.

Three of our bathrooms had unframed mirrors.

We've lived with them for 7 years and I had no plans of purchasing all new mirrors.

Then I saw on several blogs how families had framed their mirrors, or used an online service, and how much better they looked.

When Matt the Contractor suggested he could do it pretty easily, I took him up on it!

A couple of months ago he dropped off the framing boards that he purchased at a local Lowe's-type store called Menards. I needed 8 boards total for the 3 bathrooms.

I stained/painted them one morning.

Then Matt got busy and the stained boards waited on the screened in porch for several weeks.

But last week Matt called and asked if he could come complete the project for me.

You bet!

Half-Bath off Kitchen

Here is what the mirror looked like before the frames were built and nailed in.

And after.

So much better I think!

The other view...before

...and after.

This one I stained ebony because we have a number of black accents in the room.

Master Bathroom

Our master bathroom has undergone a number of changes, step by step, and we have a couple more underway. I think the addition of the mirror frame was a nice touch.

See the below and after!

And just as a reminder - here's what it looked like the day we moved in. Blech.

Brennan's Bathroom

I am not sure about the mirror frames in Brennan's bathroom.

The frames themselves are great but I think they might compete with these light fixtures David chose a few years ago.

Keep in mind this is a little boys' bathroom.

We kept the blue counter tops because they work for now.

Double mirrors.

Without frames.

And with frames.

The cream color matches the cabinets and goes well with the paint color (pale blue) and flooring.

Not sure I loved it before.

But now, not so sure either.

So we're going to live with it for awhile and then make a decision!

This was not an expensive project and I'm sure a handier person than I could do it him/herself.

It took Matt and his colleague about 3 hours to cut the boards and install them in all 3 bathrooms.

If you decide to frame your mirrors, please learn from my mistake - paint BOTH sides of the boards.

They're installed on top of MIRROR - so you can see the back side.

I need to figure out how to fix that on two of the mirrors, but for now, I'm concentrating on Christmas!

My INTJ's

2011-12-05T13:18:00.000-05:00

Are you familiar with the "Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator" (Myers-Briggs for short)?

You can take the personal test online.

I used to train this for teams at work.

It was highly popular.

I'm pretty good at determining someones preferences (personality) once I get to know them.

David - I have always known - is a strong INTJ.

We had the boys take the test online the other day and my suspicions were confirmed.

I have two very strong INTJ's.

I had to snap these photos because they were even dressed alike!

Analytical, prepared to lead if no one else will. Pragmatic, logical, creative. Low tolerance for marketing or emotionalism. Stable, reliable, dedicated. Reserved, quiet and prefer harmony.

Prefer the abstract. Designers vs. builders.

Are pretty sure they're right most of the time (OK, I threw this one in).

Being the ESFP that he is, Thomas had to get in on the fun.

You can see my oldest INTJ about done with the impromptu photo shoot.

Thomas (ESFP) and I (ESFJ) are very, very similar as well.

The only difference is that I'm organized and he is not.

Thomas is super creative and can live very well in chaos.

Otherwise, our scores are very similar.

ESFPs live in the moment, experiencing life to the fullest.

Enjoy people. Excellent team players. Like to complete a task with maximum fun and minimal discord.

Others see ESFPs as gregarious, playful, spontaneous, and resourceful.

ESFPs get a lot of satisfaction out of life and are fun to be around.

They are flexible, adaptable, congenial, and easygoing.

They seldom plan ahead, trusting their ability to respond in the moment and deal effectively with whatever presents itself.

Like to bend the rules.

Really fun to see how different and alike we 4 are!

Our Visit to Meet Adelynn

2011-12-05T12:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend we headed to Terre Haute to visit Melissa, Gary, and new baby Addie!

Melissa is the daughter of one of my oldest friends, Renee.

We love that Melissa and Gary live in Indiana!

We got to attend their wedding!

And last year they were sweet to stay with the boys while we celebrated our anniversary in Indy.

I visited with Renee and Mikayla (Melissa's sister) a couple of weeks ago when they were visiting Indiana, but somehow we neglected to take a photo! Dangit!

It was so fun to get to hold a baby for awhile.

I could have done it all afternoon!

Thomas and Brennan love babies.

Everyone wanted to hold her first, but I got to!

Look at those cheeks!

Addie was so sweet the whole time we were there, sleeping and stretching.

So sweet!

In addition to getting to catch up with our friends, Gary introduced David to the XBox360 and David was hooked! David and Thomas went out to check them out last night and we are the proud new owners of our very own.

Thanks Gary :)

It was a wonderful visit!

Rein-deer in the Blend-eer?

2011-11-30T20:42:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've heard of the Elf on the Shelf.

We have never done that tradition at our house, but thought this year it would be fun to do, starting tomorrow when we also start our Advent calendar.

Of course, I decided this while sitting at Swimming tonight and had no idea where to buy an Elf on the Shelf at 7:15 p.m.

So instead we bought a Reindeer.

Doesn't he have mischievous eyes?

He's perfect for watching the boys and reporting back to Santa for us.

Brennan would love it if I took him back. He doesn't need anyone watching him or creating havoc in our house. Or reporting back to Santa for goodness sake!

Over dinner (Pizza Hut take-out because I spent quality dinner-making-time on this idea) we had a hilarious time trying to name him.

The "Elf on the Shelf" is just perfect.

David is having a ball with this. He came up with several good ones.

Gotta settle on one though.

What do you think?

The Doe by the Do'

The Doe on the Flo'

The Reindeer on the Chandelier

The Fawn on the Lawn

Comet (his name) on the Carpet

The Deer on the Stair

Of course the boys love:

The Reindeer in the Blendeer

and

Comet in the Vomit

No idea what this cute guy will be named just yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing what mischief he gets into tonight!

Teacher Gifts and Pinecone Flowers

2011-11-30T12:23:00.000-05:00

I've had lots of visitors to the blog from Google and Bing the last few weeks.
The searches are many times related to making pinecone flowers and teacher's Christmas gifts.
So, I thought I'd share those links here, in case you're looking1

Teacher Gifts:

I made these last year and am making more this year. Signature antibacterial gel containers. I make them for new moms too. Everyone loved them. Link here.

I made these a couple of times in the spring as well. Chalkboard paint. I see a number of the teachers are using them for pencil holders now. Link is here.

I made wrapping paper and monogrammed coaster sets one year.

I get tons of searches for these.

And I made this last year but am thinking about making them for the boys' teachers this year.

Everyone gets a kick out of this math-inspired Christmas craft.

Pinecone Flowers:

And finally, how to make pinecone flowers. We turned ours into a wreath, and 3 years hanging, it's still looking good.

November Comes to a Close

2011-11-30T12:16:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago on facebook a friend posted this:

"Every time a Christmas tree is lit before Thanksgiving, an elf kills a baby reindeer. True story."

I got a chuckle from it because I know it's aggravating to see all the Christmas displays and decorations up way too early.

As I mentioned last year, the fact that Thanksgiving and Christmas sort of run together these days doesn't bother me in the least.

To me The Holidays start on November 1st and run through January 1st.

It's a time of family celebration, being thankful, giving back, parades, travel, relaxing, decorating, cooking, and parties.

We don't start decorating until the day after Thanksgiving for Christmas, but I'm in full swing now, hoping to finish up our Christmas cards today!

I am happy to have completed almost all my November goals, including a couple of house projects I'll share with you soon.

And finally, November 30th is always about my Mawmaw.

Today would have been my grandmother's 100th birthday and I miss being able to call her to wish her a Happy Birthday.

She loved birthdays and would have been tickled to reach 100.

She passed away in June and we know she's in a better place now.

Lighting the Advent Candle

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Our church celebrates the Advent Season by asking a different family to light the Advent candle(s) each Sunday during Advent.

Yesterday our family was asked to light the candle at the beginning of the service.

In addition, one member of the family is asked to serve as Lay Liturgist throughout the service.

Thomas stepped up and served and we were very proud of him!

Thomas practiced his many speaking parts before church and sat at the front of the church between our two pastors for the entire service.

Stealthy iPhone photo

Here we are after the service.

Everyone had wonderful things to say about Thomas.

Sometimes it's hard to hear the kids when they speak sometimes, but he did a fantastic job!

After church we took the boys to Red Lobster.

They love that iPhone (so do I!)