Happy New Year!!

I can't believe 2008 is gone!! I'm really excited about 2009...each new year, I feel like I get a fresh start.

I'm not setting HUGE expectations for myself this year because I never really completely follow through and then I feel like a loser. Here are some of my goals. They may seem small, but they will be big adjustments for me...wish me luck!!

* pray more, worry less!!

* no more cokes
* exercise
* organize my pictures
* get back to scrapbooking
* make more dinner
* stay organized so that I don't have to have a major organizing party EVERY two months!!

And last, but not least...I always try to NOT STRESS!! I always fail because some of it is just my personality. So this year I will make no promises to stress less! Instead, I will adopt a new motto...I AM BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!! Haha - I'll let you know how it works out for me!

Happy New Year!!

Our 2008 Christmas Card

I love ETSY!!

Merry Christmas!

Cookies for Santa!!

Dancing, Prancer food and cute, CUTE ornaments = HAPPY DAY!!

Gracie had a little holiday show-off at ballet this morning. She was so adorable with her little jingle bells, tap shoes and big grin!! We love Miss Tera at The Dance Space and we appreciate her so much for helping G have some extra twinkle in her toes!

After ballet, we ran to Southlake to do some last minute shopping and I finally bought the Crate and Barrel heirloom ornaments I've been wanting! They are hand-painted and represent the twelve days of Christmas. I love the bright colors and I think they will be so cute mixed in with the kids' artwork on the tree upstairs!!

And this evening (really it's morning...2:06am to be exact!!!), I was crazy enough to slap together 18 jars of magic reindeer food for Mason's buddies at school! Mike was such a sport...he cleaned out all of the baby food jars and even used the goo-gone to get ALL of the stickers off (my kind of OCD man!!!). I think this is such a great gift for the little ones. We made it last year and M and G had a magical time sprinkling it on the grass!! Here is the recipe and poem:

Baby Food Jars or bags

Uncooked oatmeal

sugar

red and green sugar crystals (some recipes call for glitter, but it's not good for the birds!)

*add ingredients to bag or layer them in a jar, attach poem.

MAGIC REINDEER FOOD

Sprinkle on the lawn at night

the moon will make it sparkle bright

As Santa's reindeer fly and roam

this will guide them to your home!

OK...so, I think I'm all caught up and I can't believe it! I have a little more shopping to do in the next couple of days and then I'm going to sit back and relax!!

MAGIC!!

Mason and Gracie went to visit Santa Claus tonight!! They had SO MUCH FUN!! Mason brought his list and Gracie carried on a 15 minute conversation with Santa!! It was such a magical moment for both of them!! Santa knew their names…knew that they do a little bickering every now and then…and he touched Mason’s nose and it lit up like Rudolph’s!! I got a little choked up as it brought back lots of my Santa memories. I can remember feeling the magic as a child…and I felt it all over again tonight!! We came home and took a great picture under the tree!! It was a merry day for sure!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy 4th of July!

What I loved about this 4th of July weekend: a hometown parade, yummy fair food, a GREAT fireworks show, The Temptations LIVE, being with my family, sparklers, dessert and TWO trips to Canton!! Does it get any better than this???