New Year's Eve Baby!

Happy New Year's Eve to me!  My beautiful niece, Hannah Noel Fowler was born early this morning, holding strong at 9 lbs. and 21 in. filled with love.  I don't know if I am going to be able to wait a whole month to bite those cheeks.  I am so proud of my little sister and brother-in-law and cannot wait to watch (and learn) from them as they become parents.  Happy Birthday Miss Hannah!

I think I will be her favorite aunt, I mean we do share December birthdays and the same middle name!

10 months!

This monkey was 10 months on Christmas Eve.  It took until today to finally get a picture where he was not crying from a fever, coughing his little lungs out or sporting snot down his chin.  Nothing is worse than your little one being under the weather.  If something is going around, Nash gets it.  Maybe this means his immune system will be strong and he won't be as sick next year, right?  When he is not sick he likes to walk.  Not so much in his walker but while holding my hands.  If he isn't walking he likes me to hold him while I am walking.  Good thing he covers me with mouth wide open slobbery kisses and shares all his stocking candy.  

Dirty-thirty

Someone is the big 3-0 today.  I wish I could say I don't feel 30, but some days I feel more like 33.  I think people feel bad for those of us who have birthdays around Christmas, so instead of getting 'combined' presents I actually get extra presents and celebrations and cakes and drinks and loves.  This birthday was fabulous, complete with a little 'surprise' birthday dinner, and I hate surprises.  But I loved every minute of this one, well done my love.

 Lord have mercy on my next thirty years... 

(good ol' Tim McGraw, I couldn't help myself)

Merry Christmas

 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

santa!

Jackson went to a Santa Pancake supper this weekend with his dad, grandparents and cousins.  Nash and I had to stay behind because of a lingering cough, runny nose, fever Christmas festivas.  Jackson told me he asked Santa for a guitar but he did not want to sit in his lap ever again!  

Let up on that tight grip Santa!

Just how many cookies can I fit in these cheeks...

cookies!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

1/2 bag mini pretzel twistsd
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 bag of chocolate chips
Sea salt

Line a pan with aluminum foil and spread pretzels evenly over the bottom Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Set aside, and melt butter and sugar in a medium sauce pan on medium heat.  Bring to a boil, and stir continuously until mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan and forms a smooth caramel.  Let it bubble and get nice and thick before you pour the caramel evenly over the pretzels.

Place sheet in oven for 5 minutes, remove, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top, and place back into the oven for 1 more minute.  Spread the chocolate around with a spatula until it is mostly melted, then sprinkle generously with sea salt. Let the pan sit on counter top for about 5 minutes, and then place in the freezer to harden for at least two hours.

So the picture does this Christmas bark no justice.  Just trust me, make some now and try to not eat it all!  I made some for a 'Cookies & Cocktails' get together.  They almost went faster than the wine.  For something a little more kid friendly how about Candy Cookie Cones. Yep flip over a waffle cone and turn it into a Christmas tree.  Jackson is pretty disappointed in my lack of Christmas tree 'decor.'

We need M&M's! Tat-Tat has M&M's!

Christmas Performance

Jackson has been practicing his Christmas songs for a few weeks now.  He has been telling me about his 'moosicc' and singing jingle bells, wisp you a muerry christmas and red nose reindeer.  Apparently no one told him that he would be singing this in front of an audience.

His Uncle asked him this evening how did his singing go. He said 'ohh noo I did not sing.  I did not sing anything.'  Maybe next year.

I told Nash about what happened.  In true brotherly fashion he thought it was pretty hilarious.

Jackson said if you want to see something so 'hilarious' take note of those big gap teeth.

snoozin

Every Thursday Grand-mama comes over for an afternoon visit.  I usually hit up Target for some alone time.  (yep Target is my go to 'me' time, you know you do it too)  They all 'play' and get all their 'energy' out. Last week I came home early to a very quiet house.  I figured they must be outside and then I discovered this...

Grandmama got caught.

welcome back

Jackson and Nash have welcomed us back loud and clear.  Nash won't let me out of his eye-site and Jackson keeps requesting 'sumfin special' to do?!  They woke early again this morning and in a sleep-deprived mishap I pulled out the pots and pans.  Anyone want to join me for a few cups of coffee? 

  Rise and shine

And give God the glory, gloryRise and shineAnd give God the glory, gloryRise and shineAnd give God the glory, gloryChildren of the Lord

vacation!

Ohhh Mexico...  Charlie and I took a post 5 year wedding anniversary trip to Mexico.  All-inclusive goodness at the Excellence Rivera Cancun.  All inclusive food, all inclusive drinks, all inclusive sleep, I repeat, all inclusive sleep!  We booked through cheapcaribbean.com which I highly recommend.  We were there 4 nights, just long enough to start aching for my babies.  We also had to get out of there before the Mayans really started celebrating for December 21st, the end of the Mayan Calendar!  The boys were in good hands with grandparents doing more crafts and baking and venturing than I will do with them all year... Glad they still like me!

Christmas Cards

I love Christmas cards.  Once a year we get some real mail!  The past 2 years of Christmas cards have been a huge success (2010) (2011).  This year not so much.  I am wanting to get the boys picture together, in Christmas gear, maybe smiling?  This is what I am working with so far...

Get me out of here, my brother is crazy!

Now mom you know Jackson is not gonna look at the camera while Dinosaur Train is on. 

Hey, stop grubbin on my puffs!

Someone please help me.

What you mean we can't eat the lights?!

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree!

 

workin'

 

 

We got an entertainment center for our den.  I did not know just how bad our den looked until we got this, wow.  Slowly but surely this house is coming together.  Jackson was just as excited as me about this new cabinetry.  He came down from a nap one afternoon and saw it spread out on the floor.  He started climbing on everything and when I told him to get off he told me, "It is time to use your imagination."  I obliged.  We decided to wait until he went to bed before we put it together, but he just wasn't having it.  Maybe we have ourselves a future construction worker.  He is very serious about what he does.