Love Notes & "Blue Days"

So most people who know me know I love to make cards.  I really enjoy sending friends and family mail.  Just little notes that will cheer them up, notes of thanks, or some kind of special thought.  Something about going out to the mail box and finding a letter from someone is just very special to me!

Today I got my own little love note in the mail.  I was having kind of one those days, I like to call them "blue days".  Nothing was really wrong I was just feeling a little down and not too chipper.  So when I got home from work I stopped to pick up the mail.  There was a little letter tucked in between some junk mail, I almost missed it because I usually just take my junk mail straight to the trash. There was no return address on the envelope but I did recognize the hand writing....but I wondered why is she sending me a note?

Well it was my sister who sent me a little thank you for her Christmas stuff and Ella's birthday stuff. It was a really super cute picture card with three pictures of my adorable niece Ella.  They made me smile.  On the back she wrote me a special note which was just what I needed to hear today!  It truly did change my whole day around.  Can't help but think she was a bit inspired to write what she wrote because I have had a few topics weighing on my mind.

So thanks my dear sweet Heather, I truly appreciated your thank you note and also the love note you wrote me!

And perhaps if you have taken the time to read my thoughts you should send someone you know a love note because you never know, it might just turn their "blue day" all around!

Spider Cake

Griffin wanted a spider cake for his birthday!  So the above is what I came up with.  Pretty scary but cute looking all at the same time, right?

I was pretty excited when I got this done.  I had an idea in my head and just hoped it worked out.  In the end I think it worked a little better then I envisioned.  I made the spider look hairy, or maybe more textured is a better word, by cutting up Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and smashing some Oreo's.

We found the eyeballs, banana fangs, and sour green licorice at our local candy shop.

After we got it all done Griffin was so excited.  He kept wanting to touch it.  We had to put the spider to sleep in a garbage bag over night so it would be ready for his big day!

I know the cake is real scary looking but I must say it was quite delicious! Joe even said so, and he doesn't like cake!

Thanksgiving 2009

I need to do some catching up on my blogging...I am trying to use my blog as a journal and I am hoping to get it printed in a book each year so we can all enjoy it, so it is important for me to journal some of the happenings in our lives!

Thanksgiving was really fun.  We all went to Nate and Heather's house. I think it is becoming a tradition because we have been there for the last three years!  My mom couldn't make it this year but she was there is spirit.

Heather sent me a picture of our mom and I blew it up and then we put it on a stick just so she could be there with us.  Griffin loved the stick and took it every where, but he did end up getting in trouble with it, so the "mom stick" had to get put away.

Heather made a really wonderful dinner and the jello was my favorite, but I think everyone knows that!

Dinner was completed with magic juice. Griffin  and Ella really loved it!  I really like the glasses we used, they made the magic juice that much better.  Ella got so messy from eating jello she had to be taken out of her clothes.  She still looked stunning!

No Thanksgiving is complete without going thru all the Black Friday ads.  LJ was very excited about getting up early and seeing what all the fuss was about.  Joe and him went out shopping but didn't leave until around 6, Heather and I, well we woke up at 4:30 AM to head to Target.  Most of the items we wanted were at Target so we figured we would wake up early and get there when it opened.

Let me tell you it was CRAZY!  Crazy but lots of fun. When we got to Target the line was so huge, it wrapped all around the building.  We decided we would wait in the warm car until they opened the doors up and then we thought we could sneak in. We were wrong.  They had some really big mean security guards that made everyone go to the back of the line.  It took about 15 minutes until the end of the line finally came to where we were.

Once we got inside we divided and conquered.  Silly me forgot to charge my cell phone so I couldn't get a hold of Heather to tell her where I was.  She was trying to hold a spot in line but then decided to come find me. I decided I would just wait in the toy section and observe the madness, just hoping she would find me.  Eventually we did meet up and by the time we did the line was all the way around the store! It was so crazy!  People were just grabbing stuff!  The workers were trying to restock the shelves and people would just bombard them before they could even get out the door.

We waited in line for an hour, but it was very entertaining. I think my favorite memory was when the strange looking girl came over to the movie kiosk and rummaged around a bit.  All the sudden she looked up with this really giddy look and ran off with some season's of Monk.  It was truly hilarious!

LJ was even able to get some things on his list. However he was disappointed he didn't get the tool door buster he really wanted.  We tried to tell him to make a list and decide what was a must and go for it...but you know when you are a novice Black Friday shopper you don't always listen...

I am sure my mom would have loved to go shopping but I don't think she would have woken up to go with Heather and I.  She would have opted to stay home and watch the babies.

One day we went to a play place.  They had a huge jungle gym, laser tag, and all kinds of video games. Griffin had a lot of fun climbing around and riding some rides.  He used to be so afraid when the little quarter rides started moving and now he is begging me for more money!

Joe found the Dance, Dance Revolution game and was having a fun time.  We all were ready to go but he had to finish his game.

He was moving around a lot, so here is my creative attempt at showing his motion.

Here is my ever so fabulous sister sitting with Ella while we all went out and had a bit of fun.  After our play day we went to the Olive Garden where we had some of the slowest service ever. LJ was the one who reminded us to enjoy being together.  I think we were all just hungry and suffering from low blood sugar.

We made lots of fun memories this year and a good time was had by all!

I believe in Santa!

The other night LJ, Griffin and I went out to do a bit of Christmas shopping. LJ was showing Griffin all the animals and the fish tank when a man with a round belly and a long white beard came over.

Griffin was naming of the different animals and as soon as he saw "the man" he shouted, "Santa Clause!"  Then rushed over to start talking with him.  LJ apologized and a few innocent bystanders had to scurry away due to too much laughter.  "The man" just laughed and said it happens to him all the time.

Once we all met up both Griffin and LJ wanted to show me Santa Clause, but of course for very different reasons. I think LJ was completely mortified!  I must say he did look a lot like Santa except his outfit was more fit for Santa's wood working shop than Santa's sleigh!

Santa Clause is making a list, he's checking it twice he is going to find out whose...

Naughty and Nice.

Griffin was naughty tonight.  He was playing really good for awhile and I should have known he was up to no good.

Well he kept sneaking from his room to the tree...I told him not to play with the ornaments and he would slink back to his room.  There must have been quite a few times this little bandit snuck some ornaments because when I went to check on him this is what I found...

He said he was playing baseball.  Hmmmm....he went into the naughty chair and we had a little chat.  He was not happy and hopefully he learned his lesson.

From what I can tell he broke seven ornaments.  This year I decided to decorate with my cheap glass balls instead of my good red and silver ornaments.  I learned my lesson with those last year.

The five steps to eating marshmallows...illustrated by Griffin

First put all the marshmallow's in your mouth.

Second chew with your mouth closed.

Third show the camera what's inside...

Fourth laugh really hard.

Fifth, once it reaches your tummy smile big!

Trash or Treasure?

Griffin got some mail! He was so excited to get a car magazine, ummm actually it was junk mail, but to him it was like finding a hundred dollar bill on the street.   It even came with a special key. He sat right down and flipped through every page.  He then put his key in the trunk of his trike and rode around and talked about all the cars and trucks in his "naggazine".

This is the perfect example of how one man's trash is another person's treasure.

P.S. As a side night you may notice how the focus of the above pic is not on Griffin's face, it is on the "naggazine". I did this on purpose, it helps showcase the junk mail...

Happy Cleaning Memory

When most mom's do a Saturday cleaning I think they typically find toys, socks, clothes, and miscellaneous dishes their children have "inadvertently" forgot to put back in their proper places.

Well, today I worked on vacuuming and sweeping up the main level of our home and I found a collection of tires.  Not large tires but small ones.

Anyone who knows Griffin, knows he loves to take apart his toys and put them back together.  Several of his cars look like they spent the night on the wrong side of the tracks.  I am not sure why he loves to take things apart but he does.  We've spent many nights looking for the parts and pieces of his tractors, cars, and airplanes so he can put them back together.  In fact, one time at work he put a tire in the little hole of a plastic Playskool toy.  He just would not let me do anything until we got the tire out. Unfortunately, it is stuck in there forever.  Sometimes I catch him peeking in the hole and trying to stick his finger in there to get it out.  The kids got a superb memory!

He is going to be really happy when he is sees this little collection I have found!  There are only six tires in this photo but I am sure as I venture into the bathrooms, his room, and downstairs I will collect more.  These little tires were everywhere I had to be careful not to vacuum any of them up, even though I was tempted.

One of the funny little things he enjoys doing is switching out the tires on all of his toys.  He has made some very interesting rigs.  I will have to remember to take some pictures of his creations.

Also, when we are driving around town he can always spot tires!  If there are tires in the back of a truck he sees them and makes a comment, if a Jeep has a spare tire on the back well that is just cool, he loves going to the tire shop and touching tires.  He loves looking and crawling around in tractor tires.  I think he just has a passion for tires.

Just wanted to take the time to journal a little moment I want to remember forever!

Snow Cookies

Griffin was looking forward to playing in the snow with his daddy all day long!!!  They played out in the front yard and made tracks and tried to catch snow flakes in their mouths.

I don't think this is the first snow of the season, but I could be wrong.  I am grateful the temperature dropped and the snow started falling. It really helped me to start feeling more in the holiday spirit. I've been cruising around town listening to my jazz Christmas music but it just doesn't feel like that time of year unless it is cloudy, snowy, and nippy.

Griffin was even lucky enough to find some snow cookies! Nobody knows who makes the snow cookies, but if you are lucky enough you might just find some in your own yard.

Yummy! He's been talking about his snow cookies all night!

Ditto on Christmas

Sometimes around the holidays I feel like the below "ditto".