Dear Ms. Andrea,

Thank you so much for the #1 puffy finger. I love it. My "team" and "coach" think that it is great. Tell Christian thank you for running it down to me.

Love, JonahJonah doesn't waste his time on a single imaginary friend. He has an entire football team complete with coaches, trainers, and waterboys. He talks to them often, and apparantely they are pretty good because they score A LOT of touchdowns. This finger will help cheer his team to many victories. Of course if it was for the Bulldogs who play in Athens, we would have to raise three more fingers because we are not #1- we are #4. I will take that any day of the week!!!!! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!
Pay no attention to the fact that Jonah's sleeve is coffee colored from a day at school. Sometimes I don't even ask what he did at school. I sometimes just don't want to know. :)

Christmas Decor

Jonah helped decorate the tree this year.Adding the branches one by one...
Almost there...
Really hard work...
Spiderman joined us for the decorating party...And, take notice of the flotation device that Jonah found in the basement when we were bringing the Christmas boxes up...
And finally notice the cluster of ornaments right at Jonah's height and on the side where he was pulling them from the box.

One last note... these are the shoes that Chris chose to wear when he took the empty boxes back downstairs. Project Runway here we come!!!!!

Polar Express Party

We had our first movie night of the holiday season last night. Grant (and Jaxon and Christopher and Kristina) came over, and Christopher taught us how to make a pallet on the floor, we popped popcorn, and drank hot chocolate while we all watched Polar Express. Daniel is the only munchkin who made it through the entire movie- of course, he started moving around a lot and collecting different toys about 3/4 of the way through it in an effort to stay awake. :) He was successful though!

Other movies that we have to watch this Christmas season to make it "officially" Christmas:

• Elf
• Christmas Vacation
• The Christmas Story (for Chris)
• It's a Wonderful Life (for Troye)
• Miracle on 34th Street (for Troye)
• The Santa Clause

What are your Christmas "tradition" movies?

Head in the "Cookie Jar"

This morning, Brodie went missing. Since it is raining buckets here (praise the Lord), we were really hoping that she had not somehow escaped through the front door. But, she was not responding to our calls- very uncharacteristic of her.
When we went to check the basement, this is what we found...

Head in the "cookie jar"

Caught red handed (or red nosed)

Santa Visit 2007

Waiting in line. That is one cute kid!!!!

More waiting... We really love each other. Can't you tell?

Don't forget to cover your mouth, Grant. We got them to move closer, but Jonah just looks like a dirty old man with that look on his face. I would be afraid, Grant- very, very afraid...

Going over the list with Santa...

What have you got over there, Santa?

Playing around the waterfall after visiting with Santa.

Letters to Santa

We are going to see Santa today! Happy, happy; Joy, joy!!!!!

Here is Jonah's letter to Santa (in his own words, of course) that we are planning to take with us for personal delivery. You never can trust those pesky mail carriers.

Instruments?

On the way to school today, Jonah and I were talking about our schedule for the rest of the week. Tomorrow is no school and we are going to visit Santa. Thursday is Thanksgiving, and Friday is a day to play with Daddy while mama shops. And, guess what we get to do Saturday? We get to decorate our Christmas tree.

At this point my precious son responds, "What about the instruments?"

Hmmm... "What insturments are you talking about, Son?"

"You know the round ones that go on the tree."

"Oh, you mean the ornaments."

"Yes, the ornaments."

Of course I found a photo online that could be labeled either way. :)

Alms to Vonnie

Vonnie Beck is my mom's best friend (they call each other sisters, although there is no relation), and my childhood godmother. She makes the best, Slap-Your-Mama Cornbread Dressing. I really do mean that because before this recipe, I didn't even like dressing. So, here is Vonnie (surfing with my mom in my backyard, of course)...

And here is the recipe (fortunately, I don't have to make it because Vonnie is coming to my house for Thanksgiving, and she is bringing the dressing with her) Woo Hoo...

CORN BREAD DRESSING

1 large skillet of cooked corn bread

2 packages of 'day old' hamburger buns

Celery (about 3-4 stalks depending on how much you like celery)- I love a recipe with options.

Onions (2 medium sized onions, chopped)

3 cans of Sweet Sue Chicken Broth {buy 4 cans, (regular size cans), just in case it appears dry when made up}

1 dozen eggs (beaten)

1 pound of butter (melt the butter in the microware which will make it easier to mix)

Sage (1-2 tablespoons, now this can be increased if you want a more sagey taste or if you don't like a lot cut this down to teaspoons and increase gradually)- More options, and how often do you get to use the word "sagey"?

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Poultry seasoning (1 Tablespoon)

Crumb up the cornbread, and the day old buns. Then dump all the other ingredients in a large bowl and MIX WELL. Consistency of the mixture should not be dry or cumbly - it should be just a little thicker that a cake batter. If it appears dry, just add more chicken broth. (if you are out of chicken broth, use turkey dripping where you have baked your turkey). I cook this in a glass baking dish. Fill the dish about 1/2 way because it will rise. Spray the baking dish with PAM or grease the pan if you do not have PAM. This batter will stick if the pan is not sprayed or greased. Cook in a preheated oven @ 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until golden/toastey brown around the sides, but not burned. Serve with giblet gravy or whatever gravy y'all like.

Burgers?

Jonah: "Mommy, could you please get me a tissue? I have burgers in my nose."

Beauty Secrets For Women

Beauty Secrets For Women
by Patricia Bankhead © 2007
Cleanse your heart by repentance
And bathe thoroughly in the word everyday
Stay moisturized with prayer
Apply forgiveness to keep wrinkles away
Sprinkle yourself with love daily
It is the sweetest perfume
Dash on plenty of patience
It will keep away stinky fumes
Remember worry can cause disease
And bitterness can make you sick
So keep your heart in tune with God
And don't fall for Satan's tricks
Put on the garments of praise
Faith is the key to aging gracefully and slow
Always be kind and wear a beautiful smile
To give your face that perfect glow

I finally did it!!!!!!!

Can I just tell you how difficult it is to pull a surprise over on my husband, the auditor? I have never been able to surprise him with anything because he is "snoopy." I don't blame him-he can't help it. It is in the fiber of his being to know all things financial that go on within his company, and that transfers to our home as well.

But, I finally did it last night. I ordered him Dave Ramsey Live tickets, and he had no clue until he got home from work yesterday. It was really just pure dumb luck that he didn't check the charge on the debit card- he was just busy enough to miss it. Yippee for me!!!! He really enjoyed it, and he is parading around in his "I See Debt People" t-shirt today (yes, Andrea, he is working from home again today). :)

Dave was very funny and quotable, so here are some of my favorites:

• "Wisdom is knowledge applied."


• On diversification: "Money is like manure- left in one pile, it really stinks; but, spread it out and it grows stuff."


• On budgeting: "A budget is telling your money where to go instead of getting to the end of the month and wondering where it went." John Maxwell


• On giving (and having the wealth to give by freeing up debt): "No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he didn't have money." Margaret Thatcher

Shop til you Drop

Since I LOVE to shop and I am ever in search of the best bargain, I have to steal from another blog and pass on this exciting information.
It is a free website called SHOP IT TO ME, www.shopittome.com and it acts as your very own personal shopper. We need to get the word out!!!!!!!! :)
The site asks for all your fashion information. The type of clothes you’re looking for, brand names you prefer, and the sizes you wear in everything. You can even enter information for your children and your husband. Once all your information is in the system, Shop It To Me will send you an email every Tuesday and Friday letting you know what’s on sale in your size and where you can find it for any brand that you chose in your profile. It’s BRILLIANT.

Big props to Big Mama for posting this on the Fashion Friday post in her blog...
You can read more and enjoy her blog at http://bigmama1.com/

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!!!!

I started a new tradition this year to make a table runner and have everyone that comes to our house during the Thanksgiving season write something that they are thankful for on the fabric. Here is the "before" photo, and as long as Andrea will remind me, I will post an "after" photo "after" Thanksgiving. :) This will be a great way to look back at people who were a part of our lives that year and what they were thankful for. What are you thankful for, and when are you coming over to record it on the runner?

Bible cover

How to make a book/ Bible cover:

From SEW NEWS December '82/January '83 IssueBook covers to make for everyone Carol Nanninga

If you don't have a prayer of completing Uncle Avery's half-finished sweater before the holidays, a sew-fast book cover may be the answer to your Christmas traumas. This quick gift can be made in about a half hour, using fabric scraps and trims leftover from other sewing projects. The instructions below specify lace for the trim and ribbon as the tie closure, but use your imagination to customize your gift to the recipient. A birdwatcher would enjoy a cover of coated pack cloth for a well-worn manual. Instead of a ribbon tie, use nylon webbing that slips through two small metal loops or a buckle. A suedecloth cover with -an embroidered monogram in the corner makes a dignified-looking cover for a Bible or prayerbook. For a cook, use lightweight, plastic coated fabric--without interfacing--and slip it over an exotic cookbook. Dress up your mother's worn address book with a cover of synthetic leather or suede. A little girl would love her favorite book of fairytales covered in a Strawbeny Shortcake print, edged with lots of pink trim. Cover a school notebook with a sturdy denim cover piped with orange trim. Or make it from an old pair of jeans, with a back pocket centered on the front to hold pencils or notes. Use the piece of waistband with the snap closure in place of the ribbon closure. Most paperback books are 7" in height (top to bottom) but vary in thickness. If planning to cover a specific paperback or hardback book, you'll need the height and wrap-around length--the measurement from the edge of the front cover, around the spine to the edge of the back cover.

Instructions

Materials

1 cover, the height of the book plus 1 1/2 ", by the wrap-around length of the book plus 1 1/2"

1 piece of lining the same size as above, in the same or contrasting fabric

2 inside flaps, 4" wide by the height of the book plus 11/2"

1 piece fusible interfacing cut to match the main cover 2 pieces of fusible interfacing cut to fit the inside flaps

2 pieces of ribbon, about 10" each, for tie closures

1 piece of ribbon the height of the book, for a bookmark

Ruffles, piping, lace or other trim, as desired

1. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the cover and the wrong side of the inside flaps.

2. Press under 1/2" on one long edge of each of the inside flaps, and machine stitch along the pressed edge. 3. Pin and baste the ruffle or piping along the edges of the cover, easing extra trim into corners, and matching the edge of the trim to the cut edge of the fabric (Figure 1).

4. Baste ribbons to the edge of the center front and back, so the loose ends trail to the middle of the cover. Baste the book marker slightly to the right of center on the upper edge of the cover (Figure 1).

5. Pin the right sides of the flaps, sewn edge toward center, to the right side of the main cover. Pin the lining over all. (Figure 2)

Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew only the upper and lower edge seams, keeping trim free. (Figure 3)

6. Turn inside out so the cover is on one side, lining and flaps on the other. Press.

7. Flip only the inside flap so its right side faces the right side of the main cover. Pin edge, keeping trim free. Stitch the end, using 1/2 seam allowance (Figure 4).

Repeat on other side.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It is soup weather in Georgia, so I wanted to share a great recipe for On The Border Chicken Tortilla Soup...
1/2c. salsa
2 large ripe avacados, mashed with 3 tbsp salsa
3 14oz cans chicken broth
3 chicken breasts
4 tbsp uncooked rice
1/2c. chopped onion
1/2c. fresh chopped cilantro
1/2c. shredded monterey jack
Heat broth to boin in large saucepan. Add chicken and cook until opaque. Remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Add salsa and riceto broth. Cook about 15min. return chicken along with 1/2 of onion. Simmer 5 min. Just before serving, add remaining onion and cilantro. To serve, break up tortilla chips in bottom of bowls. Ladel soup over chips and top with cheeze and spoonful of avacado mixture.

I LOVE SOUP!!!!!!

UGA Homecoming

We took Jonah to his first full Dawg game in Athens today. We had a blast!!! It was Homecoming so there was a lot of excitement, but I think Jonah's favorite thing was the snow cones-
Oh yeah- and ringing the victory bell after the game!!!

Halloween 2007

We had a blast for Halloween this year. Grant and Jaxon came to trick or treat with us, and because of the non-time change, we kind of set the trend for early trick or treating. A lot of people were not ready for us because it was still so light outside. We loved it! The boys' favorite part of the evening was returning home and getting to pass candy out to the other trick or treaters. Such servants' hearts!!! :)
Just in case you can't figure it out... I was a jailbird, and I talked Kristina into a pointy hat. Aren't we cute?
And finally at the end of the evening, we ended up with a mixture of costumes as the boys swapped props and Jonah became an "off-the-clock" masked Jedi Knight and Grant became a Jedi Mutant Ninja Witch- Can't you just see them popping open the beer and reclining with their hands stuck in the waistband of their pants? Even Jedi Knights and Ninja Turtles have to relax. :)

And finally, the funniest part of the evening was the fact that they (especially Jonah) were particularly frightened by anyone wearing a skeleton costume, which Grant decided to call "Boners." So we had two four year old boys running around the neighborhood yelling that they were afraid of the Boners. We are going to be asked to move...