november, WHAT?

I just went to upload some pictures from the camera when I realized I needed to ad a November folder already. I can't believe it's almost the middle of November and 90 degrees here. And Christmas is in the air.

Of course, the boys have been avidly working on their Christmas list. They seem to have it in their head that they are getting everything on their list. Hunter is completely convinced Santa is bringing him not only an X-box but a Wii. I wish I knew who his Santa was. But we've had to go back and remove Batman, Aquadots, and who knows what else. I told Kreg maybe a basketball goal wasn't such a bad idea, especially since Hunter is now playing basketball. This is going to be a fun season.



But I've told the kids, so much fighting has to stop. I can't handle how mean they are to each other. Take yesterday, for instance. We went to the library to deliver some fundraiser items. Hunter decides to shove Jayden in the elevator and start pushing buttons and the next thing that I know I hear Hunter laughing, the elevator door closed and Jayden screaming. In the library. Thankfully the staff knows me and the kids, thanks to my dad, and all had a good laugh. Me, not so much.

Hopefully with Jayden going to school 5 days a week now, things will improve. I had to really tell myself, how much was Jay learning from me on the 2 days he was at home. Not much. He adores school and his teacher, and the opportunity was there, so I seized it. Which means I will be working 5 morning a week now, but I'm looking forward to it!!

We have our last home football game tonight and the boys are looking foward to it. Let's see what La Grange can do ;)

I've been blog tagged!

"Post 5 things that you don't think most of your blog readers know about you"

here goes:

1. I love to cook! LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I actually spent most of today cooking :) One of our members in my MOPS group had a pretty invasive back surgery. We banded together to make sure her family received meals and today was my day. I not only made her family, but ours, my version of King Ranch Casserole. I made her family a Caramel Pecan Cheesecake and I'm about to make Kreg Apple Crisp. How's that for a full day!

2. I collect snowmen.

During the holiday's, my house is filled with them! I pretty much don't have any other decorations. Snowmen are my Christmas passion.

3. I knit.

How's that for something bazaar ;) I can only knit scarves and this is the time of the year that I normally put them in stores to sell. This year I also donated several for the Fall Festival and loved seeing the young girls swoon over them.

4. Fall is my favorite time of the year.

Leaves falling and turning colors. Perfect weather to throw open the windows and be able to smell the fall air. Pumpkins....scarecrows....sweaters....turkey & dressing....is just too perfect.

5. I have a shoe addiction.

'nuff said.

catch 22

so I go back to work and the blog goes to _____, well, you know.

this years Halloween came and went with about 1 million fights. you know......"He got a peanut butter cup and I didn't." He has 2 suckers and I only have 1." "His bucket has more candy than mine." "He ate a piece." "He has some Skittles." Oh the list could go on and on. We even had a few tumbles on the ground but nothing not everyone didn't live through.

I'm not sure who got the most compliments. My twin skeletons or Jezabell.


Jezabell adored getting out and walking and all the attention she received. I feel bad that I can't take her on walks anymore. This was a pleaser.

And I'm just left with, what am I going to do with all this candy:


Today is the first day in about 2 weeks I have to actually be at home and have nothing planned. No trips to Austin or Houston. It sure is nice. Too bad I have mountains of housework to do. Every weekend we seem to have a birthday party that keeps everyone gone most of the day. Kreg is enjoying getting out and meeting more parents. But almost nothing gets done. And I don't think we have another free weekend until close to Christmas. Besides birthday parties, we are also making the shower rounds. Both baby and wedding.

And of course, it's my extremely busy time of the year. Well.....that actually started in September this year, which is CRAZY! And one of the most exciting things about moving to La Grange, was that I could get candle supplies in Houston so NO more searching and paying HIGH shipping costs. Which is great and all, until for some reason there is now a manufacture problem with my jars. ACK! Come on, it's the Holiday season. And I've snagged a couple new accounts........oh the fun.

But the biggest challenge lately has been dealing with doctor's and tests. We seem to have finally nailed down why I keep having "ora migraines." If I stay on my medication, I'm put at a high risk for blood clots, heart attacks or strokes. But if I go off the meds, I'm put at a high risk for uterine cancer. What's a girl to do? Unfortunately, I am suppose to start with a minor surgery that requires a brief hospital stay on November 16. If all goes well, I should be home on the 17th. Let's pray.

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is already so close. The boys are so ready! After Hunter's brief cooking class stint, I'm going to get him in the kitchen this year to help make all sorts of yummy goodies. Cornbread dressing, pecan pies, sweet potatoes. Here come an extra 10 pounds. But it is so worth it.

And this time change is killing us. The kids are up at 6:30! Granted, last night they were in bed at 7:30 but this morning was crazy. We've got to figure out something.

the week in LOTS of pictures

We had a blast last Saturday @ Chaloupka Farm.



but's it's never a good idea to let your 3 year old lead you through a corn maze



kreg figured we would be okay since he could see over the corn, WRONG



the true HARD maze


the boys and their pumpkins



oh the FUN slides



and jumping over hay bales



who doesn't love a train ride



we later painted those pumpkins


then headed off to the Haunted Jail at the old jail




of course I was ridiculed for taking my 3 and 5 year old to a Haunted House. oh the nightmares they were going to have. but ............... they LOVED it and wanted to go again!! by time we got to the car, they couldn't quit laughing. same for the Haunted Hayride we went to in Austin friday night. <-----more on that in a bit.

Sunday, we spent all afternoon and early evening helping my aunt pick up pecans. we picked up 2 50lb bags of pecans. and this was before the norther blew in. everywhere you look in town this week, people are picking up pecans. we have more than we know what to do with at this moment. our backyard is nothing but pecans.

Hunter attended his 1st cooking class this week and LOVED it. He made spaghetti, garlic bread and sugar cookies. I told him I can't wait for him to cook me dinner one night.

our BIG toys-r-us holiday book arrived and the kids ripped it apart like mad.



they have been working very hard on their Christmas wish lists.

last night we headed straight to austin right after Hunter got out of school. we were meeting the Yorks for our annual Haunted Hayride. lord ....... I never thought I would say it, but let me say it LOUD AND CLEAR: I do not, in any way, miss living in Austin/Leander. I will take my Friday night high school dinners and football game any day over trying to get around in Austin and going out to eat. It was a nightmare. The traffic, the people, the rushing. ARGH! and of course, I went with a misson. The kids absolutely had to have winter coats. It's been pretty chilly around here and we were going to be outside that night on a hayride. So I'm thinking $25-$30 for a coat. praying less. so we head to Old Navy. $42 each. holy mother. not what I was looking for, which-damnit, means I've got to go to the outlet mall. no sweat, I have my Children's Place 20% coupon. except there, the jackets are $49.50. okay......we are going in the wrong direction here. so I'm rushing from one end of the mall to the other because I've only got 30 minutes before I have to meet Kreg for dinner. no luck at GAP, Carter's or Osh Gosh, so we jet into Gymboree. where, thank goodness, I'm able to score basically the last jackets in my kid's sizes for $30! woo-hoo! we then went and enjoyed a super yummy dinner at La Margarita's out on the patio. and finally made it to the Yorks for our next trek.

the hayride was great and the kids laughed the whole time. but let's just say it was a L O N G night. we arrived at 8:00 and didn't get to take our ride until 10:00. which means we didn't leave until 10:30 and arrived home around midnight.

and I've been up since 8 am trying to bake for the Fall Festival. which kreg and I promptly start volunteering for at 4:30! you know, though.......we wouldn't trade it for the world. Hunter loves Sacred Heart and Jay is more than ready to go. I've put Jay on the waiting list for next year. He's the beginning of the 4th page! thank goodness priority goes to siblings and members of the church. it's also so great that the community as a whole really supports the kids fundraisers which helps keep tutions low. nothing worse than having to hear someone complaining about the boys trying to sell things. those who have ordered and been so supportive deserve the biggest THANK YOU! you keep their hearts and spirits up.

okay....pictures from the hayride

the boys all decked out and WARM




crazy kiddos, excited to finally ride

Help the kids.

Chocolate Chunk.....Peanut Butter Crunch.....Double Chocolate Brownie.....Heath Toffee Crunch.....Lemon Cooler.....Chocolate Mint Chip.....

Do I have your attention yet?

Oatmeal Raisin.....Sugar.....Chocolate Chip.....M&M.....Snickerdoodle.....Chocolate Chunk Pecan.....Peanut Butter Cup

This is the cookie dough Jayden is selling for just $14 per box of 48 ready-to-bake cookies from Little Lambs Gourmet Cookie Dough. This helps support his preschool.

And wouldn't it be kick-butt to have a personalized pan to put those cookies in. My MOPS group is having a "That's My Pan!" fundraiser. Your lid is personalized with a design and with the saying "Made with love by" or "From the kitchen of" and your pan is personalized to match. There are darling!

On the 27th, we have one of our biggest fundraisers with Sacred Heart, our Fall Festival. Hunter is selling meal tickets for a chicken fried steak dinner and tickets to win a nativity.

We are fundraising fools right now! So if you are in the mood.....help the kiddos out ;)

I'm so proud of my Hunter. Yesterday was his turn to take up gifts at Mass. He was stellar! Of course, we had our 1st chilly morning and the kid refused to wear pants. It's going to be a fun fall/winter.





And the boys did some fishing last night. I'm must say they are improving. They will now at least dig the worms out of the dirt and break off a piece and they are trying hard to put the worm on the hook. Less messy work for mom!







And we are off to the pumpkin patch this morning. Pictures to come later.

working girl.

and yes, I'M LOVING IT. how terrible am I? I'm considering putting Jayden in school full-time. Why are the decisions we make as mother's so hard? more on that later..............

my whole entire body is still completely bruised. and riding a 4-wheeler this weekend wasn't the smartest thing ever to do. but it was so much fun for the boys.

waiting for your turn is the hardest thing to do:







Jay kept yelling at me to go faster. but my butt hurt just too much.

fall of the year

so we get decorated for the shower yesterday and are getting ready to leave when I realize we need to hang up one more thing. after hopping on tables all morning long to reach the ceiling, I don't think twice about hopping on that last one. and it was the one to knock me off my feet, literally.

needless to say, I am black and blue bruised from my low back to my right knee. I can barely move, yet alone sit or sleep on my right side. my right arm also has a very nice cut on it and is swollen above and below my elbow.

I didn't know ones thighs could swell so terribly bad.

a menace, a job and a scare.

a menace.

that would be my son Jayden. all week we have been talking about how he had school picture's this morning. so last night I finally tackle him down for a hair cut, iron his clothes and get him all ready for pictures. of course, he crawls out of bed at 6:45 this morning. we drop off Hunter, having to miss church and head over to his school. where, of course, he decides to finally show his true colors, and starts screaming. hanging onto me. wanting me to hold him. I sit patiently because I really want him in his class picture. the photographer gets all the other kids situated and goes to bring Jayden in last. I can stand behind him and then duck to not be in the picture. Great. Except for the fact that Jayden is screaming and kicking and refuses to turn around and is trying to hang onto me. Frustrated, I leave. Now I'm going to have a class picture, minus my child.

a job

yes, I've finally scored one!!!! I've spent countless hours sending out resumes and doing phone interviews for companies in Austin only to land a job right here in La Grange. I'll be doing what I've always done, working in real estate. I'm so excited and can't wait to start next Tuesday. I'm only going to be working on the 3 half days Jayden is in school. But it's a GREAT start to getting my sanity back.

a scare

so yesterday afternoon, I'm out working in my utility room/workshop. The boys are in the back playroom watching TV and playing. I hear Jezabell start barking and it sounds like she's barking outside the playroom windows. I figure she's barking at the boys but then all of a sudden I hear leaves crunching on the side of the house. I stop my working for a moment and realize it can't be Jezabell walking in the leaves because her barking isn't coming from there. So I pop my head in the playroom and look at the window to see Jezabell barking towards the gate and the crunching. Somebody is on the side of my house! Good Lord! I tear into the house to see my Dad walking back to get in his truck. I ask him what was he doing as he scared the dickens out of me. He said he rang the doorbell and knocked and rang the doorbell again. My car was in the drive way and he didn't figure I would walk to pick Hunter up from school. Since we didn't answer, he thought we might be in the backyard. My good for nothing children said they heard the knocking and ringing and just didn't want to answer the door. ARGH. kids.

We went up to the hospital last night to see Clifford the Big Red Dog. The kids had a blast and we ran into my friend Jill who has the most precious 5 month old little girl. Seriously. 5 months is such the beginning of a fun age. Little Sadie was nothing but laughs and smiles.

Here are the boys and Clifford:


And here are my burp clothes I made for the baby shower this weekend:


I still want to add some finishing touches but I think they are adorable for a daisy theme!

Well, it's Friday night and we are getting ready for another High School Football game. LG is playing the #1 team in state. Should be a fun.

On Monday I decided to finally take my not-so-happy, miserable butt to the doctor. 2 ear infections and a diagnose of pneumonia later, I'm finally starting to feel better. Thank god because, of course, I procrastinated about the baby shower I'm hosting this weekend. Praise to my mother who took the boys all day Monday and let me get some much needed rest. I'm so glad she can always tell when I need help the most and I can always count on her. But now I'm back to getting last minute shower errands done. It's always great when your sewing machine doesn't work, I've called for back-ups and none of them have even responded. okie, dokie.

I also went to a much needed dentist appointment this morning to get my teeth cleaned. you would think after ALL THAT WORK, I'd be in good shape. I guess we can dream can't we. I've got yet another cavity to be filled.

Since the annual MOPS consignment sale is coming up, I've been doing some much needed fall cleaning. And since we are now talking about going away for Christmas again, I needed the boys to try on their snowsuits this weekend. they actually wanted to live in them all weekend:


I'm guessing he thinks he's a gangster.
if only cooler weather would arrive.
Hunter was so happy to see the fake Uggs.

of course it was another Saturday and Kreg was gone. This time to play golf with my brother in a charity golf tournament. and I was a little bored.



I told Kreg he'd better start spending weekends with those boys.

But we also did some leaf painting.



and during my cleaning, I found the Dance Dance Revolution mat for the PlayStation. The boys had a blast.



so glad it's finally getting some use.