Thankful

I am Thankful for......












This........





and this........




Tonight while cooking a few things for Thursday's Thanksgiving dinner..... Yes I am cooking now, why; we will be at the deer lease and the trailer has a very small kitchen and an oven that will only reheat not cook things, I realized how THANKFUL I am.

I am thankful I have a God that lets me live, a wonderful husband whom I adore, two little angel boys who are the light of my life, health, great family, a successful business, and sooooo much more.

Sometimes we all....well most of us, sweat the small stuff and choose to look at the bad vs. the good. I am trying, each day to be grateful and happy with ALL I have and not want more. I have so much to be thankful for, the Lord has truly blessed me!!





I hope everyone has a Blessed Thanksgiving weekend!!!

Quick Lufkin Weekend

Ryan headed to the deer lease this past weekend. The boys and I didn't want to hang out alone. So, we headed to Lufkin on Friday, my sister and the rest of the family were there and we thought...why not!





I happen to be running some errands and see that the lighting of Rudolph the red nosed oil rig, was having the lighting ceremony on Saturday night. Yes, I said oil rig. For those of you not familiar with Lufkin. The city has an oil rig pump that they painted and lit up to be Rudolph. I thought that would be fun for the kiddos. Well I thought wrong. It was so crowded and it started kind of early and then you have to wait until dark for it to be lit up. So needless to say.......... we went, we waited, but we didn't stay to see ol' Rudy lit up.

The kids got their cute little antlers and I got my pictures, and that's what counts!! We went to pick up some Hibachi dinner and then drove the kids by so they could see him lit up!! It all worked out well, and we made it home just in time to see the Rebels pull of a VICTORY against LSU!!!!!!!!!! HOTTY TODDY!!!!!

We also went to see my Grandmother in her new place. We recently moved her to an assisted living apartment. We took the Great Grandkids by to visit Nanny, it is so hard to get a picture of all of them with her, but we did our best!!

Last Soccer game of the Season.....Thankfully!!

Go Falcons Go!! Go Eagles Go!! There are alot of birds of prey going on in this post.



Barrett had his last soccer game of the season today...THANKFULLY!! Not that I don't enjoy getting up and out of the house early on Saturday mornings. Barrett had a hard time with soccer this year. My little man is so shy, and this contact sport was new to him. Luckily the Coaches were very patient with him and he is coming around.




Today at this last game was the first time he really enjoyed playing. I had to make him go to all the others. It's so funny at home playing with other children I am always telling Barrett to share and be kind. Then on the soccer field I find myself yelling "kick it, get the ball, STEAL it!!" How is this right???? Oh well it's all in good fun HUH???



The Falcons pulled out a win today. Barrett played so well and came soooo close to a goal!! I am so proud of him. Maybe next season it won't be like pulling teeth.

Friday night we headed to Van to watch the District Champion Lindale Eagles play in the playoff game. The eagles didn't win but we had a great time!!

Opening Weekend 2009

It's that time of year again. For our family it has been that time of year again for awhile now.

HUNTING season, but this past weekend was the opening weekend for gun season. It's just is a little more fun because everyone comes down to the deer lease and begins the season. This past weekend was also Barrett's 5th birthday. I really can't beleive that I have a 5 year old.....CRAZY!!!

We had a great time in North Texas. My mother in law AKA Nana, graciously came down with us so that I could hunt. She kept the kiddos and cooked for us, it was so nice. It was Jack's first trip to North Texas, first of many I'm sure.



No one killed any deer...really. We did have a crazy experience though. Saturday morning Kolby, my brother in law dropped Ryan and I off at our stands. He was going to sit on on of our other stands since he wasn't hunting. He called me on the radio as soon as he got to the stand. He told me that there were bobcats all over the place and then he said "Oh wait there are two deer here locked up!" This was so crazy I have heard of this happening but never, ever seen it. Two buck had apparently been fighting and got themselves or antlers locked up. It is really so sad. One of the deer was already dead and Kolby shot the other one, because there is nothing else to do in that situation. They were both 10 point bucks. Just the circle of life, the battle of the fittest. Sorry if this picture offends anyone, but it is what it is....nature.






Here are the bucks after the guys finally pryed them apart, which was no easy task. There is no way the deer could have gotten free on their own.



Saturday night we celebrated Barrett's birthday with a "rainbow cake" that I made. This cake was not hard to make, but it was a very, very long process. I found the recipe from MckMama's blog.





We had such a fun weekend. Barrett will be story telling for days. Some of the B-Doodleism highlights were....

- "Mom, there is a jack rabbit pop him!" Barrett wanting me to kill a jack rabbit.
- "Look at all those turk-a-lurks!" Refering to all the turkeys.
- "Mom these bucks are dead cause they were fighting over a girl???" Asking why the deer were fighting.

I'm sure Barrett's teacher just loves it when he comes back from the deer lease, because he is more talkative than normal. LOL!!! Ahhh....to be the only woman in the family, just wonderful.

Happy 5th Birthday Barrett!!

Happy 5th Birthday to my first little man!! You continue to surprise and delight me everyday. I cannot believe you are five years old, I don't know where the time has gone.



Here are a few thing your are up to at five.....

- You LOVE to work. Outside, in the dirt, at the dealership, at the deer lease.

- You are in Pre-K and are learning your letters and how to write.

- You are so funny, constantly talking about everything.

- Love to tell stories

- You love singing, you know every country song on the radio.

- You are a GREAT big brother!! You try to teach Jack all that you know.





You spend your days outside in the back yard. People make the comment all the time that you entertain yourself, and you do. You stay outside all day and just come in for snacks and drinks. You love guns, shovels, clippers, rakes. Love riding your 4wheeler and Polaris Razor. OBSESSED with trucks, backhoes, tractors and all equipment. We love you more than you can imagine! I am so proud to be your Mom!! You are truly a blessing from God!!!

Barrett's School Birthday

Today at school Barrett celebrated his birthday. He was so excited saying "I'm five today!" No buddy, this is not your real birthday. This is just a party at school since your actually birthday is on Sunday. This was somehow very confusing, never the less he celebrated anyway!!!




He wanted a pirate themed cake, and since this wasn't his real party I thought a "store" bought cake would been fine. When ordering the cake I mentioned the pirate theme and the lady said we have two, Pirates of the Caribbean or Peter Pan. Since the kids are young I thought they would prefer the Peter Pan version. Upon inspection of the cake today, Barrett informed me "this is not a real pirate cake. Real pirates have peg legs and these pirate don't." Well buddy, you got me there.



The kids liked the cake anyway. They enjoyed their favors the most. I gave each one of them a foam sword. It was mass chaos, kids were whacking each other and screaming. Luckily, Barrett's teacher was so sweet and didn't mind. Now hopefully the children's parents won't mind either!!



Shi' Shi' and Mary Micheal came to join in on the festivities today at school. The babies enjoyed the icing on the cake. I couldn't find Jack for this picture he was hiding under tables exploring.



This weekend we will be heading to North Texas for Opening weekend of Deer Season. I am planning on making a Rainbow Cake for Barrett. If any of you read Mck Mama/My Charming Kids blog, you realize what I am talking about. It is a six layered rainbow cake, pictures will follow from my attempts at this endeavor.

For dinner tonight I am still obsessing over The Pioneer Woman's new cookbook and decided to make Potato, Bacon and Leek Pizza. Even the crust is homemade and that is new to me, I usually use the premade.


Here it is, looking beautiful about to go into the oven.....



Mmmmm. Looks good right?......


WRONG! I don't know what I did, the crust was soggy and the potatoes were not even cooked. Oh, well. I might try it again. It is really hard to cook with children hanging on your legs.

My Newest Obsession

Here lies my newest obsession.................




I am in love with this cookbook!! I have read "The Pioneer Woman's" blog for awhile now and have made a number of her dishes. When I found out she had a cookbook coming out I quickly preordered on Amazon and patiently waited.

I received it a few days ago and have been madly making every dish I can. I love the way she has written it with pictures of each step, she does this on the blog too. She is a woman after my own heart with the food she cooks. I'd have to say in my book she's right up there with Paula Deen!!

I am going to try and work my way through her cookbook so if my upcoming posts start making you hungry or gain weight, don't say I didn't warn you!!!

So far I have made: Pumpkin Spice muffins with Cream Cheese frosting, Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls, Rosemary Rolls, Penne alle Betsy, Egg in the Hole and tonight is Pot Roast!!







Stay tuned for more posts on my attempts to recreate these heavenly, err sinful dishes!!

Happy Halloween!!

Our Halloween didn't start off too well. In the early morning hours Jackaroo woke up crying and running fever. I get a little paranoid, and immediately diagnose him with swine flu. I get on the phone and made a doctors appointment for 9:00 the next morning. The poor little thing was up all night. He slept, laying on my chest. So at the Doctors office she goes thru the normal questions and asks, " has he pulled at his ears?" I said no, no. Not at all. She looks at the first ear...nothing, and then the second. "OH Well, here is the problem!" And I have to say I was relieved. I hate that he has an ear infection, but so glad it's not the flu!!!

So our Halloween started a little like this........






Barrett and Jack dressed up as "Max and Moishe", from the book Where the Wild Things Are. Come on people read the book it's a classic and it's now a movie. Sorry, that was for the people who called my son a bunny while trick or treating last night. LOL!!!







We had so much fun. All of the Grandparents, Shi Shi and Mary Micheal and Kolby came over. We just went around our neighborhood, that's all the babies could handle. Then we all ate pizza and watched the Texas vs. KU game.

Here are the boys Halloween Treat baskets. I thought they were so cute!!

Trunk or Treat!!

Thursday at Barrett's school was Trunk or Treat!! The Mom's set up in the parking lot and the kiddos come trick or treating at our trunks. Barrett was so excited about this he LOVES anything to do with candy!! So, of course Thursday it was raining.....AGAIN! We were driving to school and I commented, "Barrett what are we going to do? It' raining." Him.. "Mom it will be okay, we'll figure it out." This child cracks me up!




And we did figure it out. We had "trunk or treat" in the gym, it's not the same but it works. Barrett was "Max" from Where the Wild Things Are, for those of you who think he is a Bunny??????

I didn't dress Jack up for this it was too early to break out "Moishe" just for a few minutes. Plus, it was close to nap time and trying to get the costume off and on is an act of congress.



This is Barrett with his best "girl" friend Sophia (far left). These two are hilarious together. They have been in the same class since they were three. One day Barrett came home and said, "Mom, Sophia tells me she loves me!" Me: "Well what did you say?" Him: "I said, I love you too." Sooo cute!!