holidays are here

The holidays are officially here. This year has been a mixture of feelings. On one hand it is exciting to start our own tradition with Huston, yet on the other it is hard to let go of our traditions we've had with our families in the past.....and get used to each others. I didn't make gravy for the turkey because I never do. Doug has never gone a Thanksgiving without it. I like to listen to classic country while decorating. Doug thought I was nuts. Doug wanted to get pictures with Huston on Santa's lap. I thought won't the mall be crowded? Doug likes to lay out cookies for Santa. I thought, really? We had so much going on last year, that none of this came out and with the addition of Huston, we've been trying to decide what we want to be sure and hold on to.

I'm excited to see what our traditions will look like a few years from now as we blend what we've done before and add some new ones. One thing we know we are starting this year - Breakfast for our Christmas dinner!

thanksgiving beards

it's the time of fall that i look forward to every year. about a week or so before thanksgiving, you notice men that are normally clean shaven start growing out their whiskers. being a country girl myself, i know it originated from hunting season starting and it's good for camoflage and warmth. now i think it's also a bit of men not only taking advantage of it being acceptable to be lazy and not shave for a few weeks, but also a bit of a contest to see who has the thickest beard in the shortest time. i find it to be quite humorous - if you've never noticed before, take a look around....

Happy birthday to me....

it should have been an awful birthday. i got laid off yesterday, i'm in a city where i know no one and doug had to work until 10pm. what a way to celebrate 34.

somewhat to my surprise, it ended up being a great day....lots of friends and family called, huston and i hung out, then took a three hour nap in the afternoon, when he woke up he was full of smiles and laughter for the rest of the day. since daddy was working, he also took me to taco bell for my birthday :)

there are so many wonderful things about being a wife, and then you add motherhood to it, and it becomes so much more. i wake up everyday to two handsome men that love me and need me. as much as i have always enjoyed working and moving up the ladder - it doesn't even compare to the feeling that i get when huston rolls over or finds his hands.

although it never feels good to be told that you are not "needed" anymore, being laid off has made me reevaluate what my priorities are. if we can find a way to have me be a stay at home mom, i would gladly take on the challenge. i can't even imagine sending huston off to daycare - i've been lucky that he has been able to stay home with me this long.

doug and i are still talking about what our options are with this new development...in the meantime please keep us in your prayers. alanda told me about a quote a lady told her and it really hit home with me. "God protects those that take care of a child". no matter how things go down the road, i know i have doug and huston there with me and that is what really matters. and because of that, 34 doesn't looks so bad.

broken hearts and broken tailbones

it all started about 13 years ago. i was going on a triple date with my first "adult" boyfriend, jeff. we'd been going out for awhile and things were going pretty well. when the boys went to get us girls a round of drinks, i scooted over to a different bar stool (if you have ever been to the bricktown brewery, you know how tall this is). when i saw them coming back out of the corner of my eye, i hopped back over to my stool....only to find that someone had moved it. i fell straight on my butt. when i realized what had happened i looked up and they were all standing over me, and my pride hurt way more than my butt did. jeff and i eventually broke up and i had my first adult broken heart. i got over the broken heart, but apparently not the broken tailbone.

i went to the doctor today and i must have fractured it back then and then the pregnancy aggravated it. 13 years ago, i never imagined i'd be writing about that night sitting on a donut.....

recipe of the week.....roast beef and cheddar wrap

now that doug is working nights three days a week, we aren't really cooking dinner as much. we have brought back an old recipe we found in real simple - it is quick and easy!

INGREDIENTS:
tortillas (we use wheat)
thin cut roast beef
cream cheese
tartar sauce
romain lettuce
cheddar cheese

ASSEMBLE:
put a thick coat of cream cheese and tartar sauce on the tortilla, add the lettuce, thick slices of cheddar and your roast beef, roll up and ENJOY!

no monkey business

We had a great first Halloween! Huston loved his monkey costume that grandma Vicky got him and helped us pass out candy. In between trick or treaters, we played Beatles RockBand and taught him some new tunes.....

Fall is here

Fall has always been my favorite time of year! Windows open, pumpkin candles, fleece and flip weather, beautiful colors, and the holidays (including my birthday) just around the corner.

This has been one of the best falls ever! The colors in Ohio are amazing. Having a little monster to share Halloween with is awesome. I can't wait until we dress him up tonight and pass out candy!