What a great time to be a kid!

Well, it's nearing my FAVORITE time of the year - Christmas! I love everything about Christmas and I think the reason why Christmas is so important to me is because of how important it was to my Mom. This January will be 9 years since she's past away and it still feels like it happend just yesterday. I can just see her when those boxes of Christmas decorations would be brought out again. She loved putting up our tree and putting the angel on top, putting out one of her most prize possesions the nativity scene that she made herself (which I now have and cherish even more) and baking....she always loved to bake and cook but, Christmas were some of her best! And I wonder why I'm smaller now than I was while growing up! hahaha

My parents instilled in me the Real Meaning of Christmas which I pray that Neal and I instill in our girls as well. Family is so important to me and I can't imagine a Christmas without being together. I'm so blessed to have been able to spend every Christmas that I've celebrated with my Dad!
Tonight was the start of our Christmas traditions which was a new one for us.....the girls each have their very own hot pink Christmas tree in their rooms this year. They were so excited to decorate it! It is going to be a very blessed year for everyone!

Yes, one that actually starts with Thanksgiving and giving thanks for all that we have been given...family, health, jobs and much much more.....we are traveling to Amarillo starting tomorrow evening so, had to get some things started tonight!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Football, Friends, Football and more friends - what a great weekend!

Wow - it's Sunday night already! Who knew a weekend could go by so quickly! Thank goodness I am on vacation this week! YEAH!!!! This is my first full week vacation all year and I'm so excited!

We had a fun family weekend which was great! We had friends over to watch some football, eat chili and ice cream too on saturday night and today Neal and I went to the Cowboys/49'ers football game - thanks to our good friend Jamie who gave us tickets! He plays for the 49'ers so it was great to go today! We got to meet up with him for a few minutes after the game which is always a good time too. Now, what to do tomorrow while the girls are at school....huh! It's all about mommy tomorrow! Yeah!

A pre Thanksgiving Feast

Today the girls had "Thanksgiving" dinner at school and the parents were invitied to join them. I wasn't going to go because I was worried that they would cry when I would have to leave to go back to work and they would have to stay at school abit longer. Sydney asked me twice if I would come have lunch with her (so sweet). After explaining that I would have to go back to work and making sure that she wouldn't be upset about it I told her that I would join her. She was so excited! It is so amazing how important things like not being the only kid without a parent show up is to them! It really put things into perspective for me today and what an invaluable role us as parents play in our kids lives on a daily basis. Not that I didn't already know how important being Sydney and Samantha's Mom is but, today it brought it down to a new level for me. I am so thankful for my kids, my husband, our health and that we are together! God has so richly blessed us in so many ways! Hope you enjoy some pictures from today and a very special early Thanksgiving greeting from Sydney's class. The friends above with Sydney are Gage & MacKenzie

I'm going to marry a prince....

Tonight was pretty busy with going to gymnastics with Sydney - we don't get home till about 7:45. Then it's eat a quick dinner, get in the bath, play with Samantha, read books and head to bed. Well, tonight while the girls were playing dress up (like they do nearly every night), Sydney informed me that "Tonight I'm going to marry a prince"!!

The conversation went something like this...

Sydney: Tonight I'm going to Marry a prince!

Me: Really, I've not gotten to meet him yet - I have to meet him before you can get married.

Sydney: Really - okay

Me: Is he nice?

Sydney: yes

Me: is he a Christian? Does he go to church?

Sydney: Yes

Me: is he handsome?

Sydney: why yes, he's little and abit different, but he's funny.

Me: does he have a job?

Sydney: yes.

Me: what does he do?

Sydney: he does lots of things. I do lots of things too...

Me: What's his name?

Sydney: Neal

At this point I was trying so hard not to laugh I couldn't stand it! It was so sweet and she was very serious about all this too! I just love it when I can get the girls going on something!

Have a great week!

Is it munchkin land or Off to see the Wizard.....

This weekend we've shared one of my favorite movies as a kid with the girls....The Wizard of Oz! They love it! Infact we watched together last night (except for the parts that Neal fell asleep) and then it's on again tonight! Samantha was telling me today about the bad Witch and the flying monkeys....and how the bad witch was trying to take "her" glass slippers! She was so cute! Ofcourse one of Neal's favorite songs of the movie is "munchkin land" which he has so thoughtfully given that song to my family as our "theme song"! Not Funny!
Sydney's favorite character is the scarecrow and has now started skipping through the house....we're off to see the wizard!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzw0JEvRA5E&feature=related

Whew....

This week has been a long one already - thankfully it's Wednesday....I think! I started my new job on Monday of this week! It's been a mix of starting my new position and trying to wrap up my old job all at the same time. I'm excited about my new adventure - still at JCPenney but have been promoted to be the Brand Director of our Intimate Apparel private brands. Yes, I'm back in intimate apparel.....I've come full circle now as some have said it.

The girls were really good tonight when I picked them up from school - they were excited to go to church for Veggie Tails and pick up McDonald's for dinner. I think Sydney is going through a growth spurt right now...tonight she ate her cheese burger, 1 chicken nugget that Samantha shared with her, apples and then when we got home she was still hungry so I made her a ham/cheese sandwich....wow! hungry girl!

Well - off to read with Sydney and get some sleep. Have a great week - it's starting to cool off down here for my friends up North....it was only in the low 60's this morning! :)

Happy Halloween

We had a fun weekend with Grandparents in town! Bummer that both of the girls were sick! ugh!!!! Sydney had a temp and wasn't up for much. Samantha carried the entertaining of the grandparents quite well....she just had a cough! Good job Samantha! ;) Sydney is doing much better now and their coughs are nearly gone. I say that as I can now hear Sam coughing in her sleep. Trick or treating was abit limited this year - the girls were both butterfly fairies and really enjoyed their costumes! I even dressed up with them which was fun too. We always love it when Grandpa and Grandma come to visit - we celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday this weekend....just a week early. Happy Birthday Dad! Samantha sang to him - will have to try to upload the video later...it's not working now.