Christmas Vacation

making a gingerbread house!!!

tim and trav walking along the beach

by one of the pretty winter scene's in the hotel-- see what adam is holding! in front of the beau rivage in biloxi, ms adam's home state

this captured adam's personality!!!

our house is still trying to unpack, do laundry and keep up with everything - so here's a sample of our vacation moments. i'll post more details of our trip this week :)


---------------- oh before we left- we had a quick visit with dad and linda! i mean it was QUICK! we were outhte door and they came in with more presents! thank you pete, bobby & liz and dad & linda for the presents! they were on their way to lake charles, la for some fun :)
ok, so after a few days of rental car issues- for another, post another day- we hit the road friday around 10am and headed to biloxi. tim booked us a water view room at the beau rivage hotel and casino- it was amazingly beautiful! by the time we got there it was just about 8pm- more rental car company issues-and this thick fog had rolled in. so no gulf was in view from our room, lol! oh well. we changed and headed downstairs to the lobby/casino/restaurants and had a great dinner at the buffet. everyone had exactly what they wanted- trav had been asking for pizza and pasta ALL day and that's what he got. cayley was more excited about the fancy desserts, adam brought his own apple to dinner, and tim ate the kids weight in crab legs, lol! adam found the crab legs irresistible- not to eat, but to play with. he ended up carrying a CLAW around after dinner while we looked at the shops and the hotel christmas decor. you can see him holding it in one of the pics!!!
we have to go back and stay during the spring/summer! the pool was so pretty! tim and i took turns the next early morning to play some slots- lost it all, but had fun.
we left for florida the next morning and the fog had lifted! our saturday drive was a breeze! made a quick stop at the florida state welcome center- got some fun maps and info packets- the kids loved that- and a cup of fresh florida orange juice- YUM! kids should not play with big state maps in the back seat- LOL - and got to my in laws and relaxed!

sunday- ginger bread house day! that was a blast! tim and his sister teri worked on the structure and the kids did most of the decorating. - and sampling of the decorations as well.

monday we drove around panama city beach - like tourists visiting in the wrong season, lol! there's an open mall called pier park- where we shopped, did a mirror maze, a laser beam challenge game, cayley & i got hair cuts, and we had lunch at red brick pizza. --oh and dessert at marble slab- haven't been there in sooo long!

then we drove along the beach and hopped out for some quick pics- while the sun was shining! adam wasn 't feeling well and was sleeping in the car- poor little guy!

tuesday- tim, cayley and his mom ran some errands and ate lunch at po folks!!! anyone remember po folks restaurant??? well, it was THE place for my family to go when i was little- after every award ceremony, school function, good grades on report cards, you name it - it was time to celebrate with chicken fried steak and strawberry shortcake at po folks! tim brought me a dessert- which was good, but they make it different now after 18 years- he's a sweetie and brought me one of the old games i use to play there!! i'm bringing it to sa for the shower :)

wednesday- christmas eve! we went to the BEACH! the clouds did roll back in and the wind picked up, but there was no stopping some texas kids from playing the the turquoise water! ok- i didn't let them play too long though. long enough for them to have fun, get some pics and then have to clean them up!!! we cleaned up just in time for a christmas eve dinner at outback! what a great end to a busy day :) the food was super and the dessert was awesome! it was a huge slice of nutter butter pie! after dinner i was ready for a quiet evening. the boys had littletrouble falling asleep, while cayley was so excited about santa's arrival- it took her a little longer to dream of sugar plums. we put out a christmas cupcake- for a change of pace-reindeer food, and milk and left a note. we were in bed and sounds asleep not long after the kids- long day!

thursday- christmas day! santa did a great job! he brought cayley & trav each a nintendo ds and games! they love it :) grandma tami, grandpa chuck, aunt teri and great grandma betty all got the kids some really fun stuff! too much to name and 1/2 still packed in the garage- they did too much for us as well. thank you guys for having us! we shared a huge meal with turkey, ham, stufing, and on and on! super good!

it took me so long to finish this post- so i'll have more when the kids go back to school on wedensday. and now our adam is 4!

This Weekend

This weekend will be filled with cookie making, Christmas movie watching, nap taking, and snowflake crafts! oh and Tim's bday cake is to be baked on Sunday :)
There will probably be some laundry done in between and the dishes are never done, but they are always there. no tv shows or computer games for the kids-- it will be Christmas movies and music all weekend....breakfast for dinner, pizza night, hot cocoa....fun mom is here!!!
Tim's out of town on a deer hunt till Sunday...so mommy will be coffee'ed up asap.

I'm trying anyway....keep ya posted.

Whoa! Snow!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Yes! it really snowed here last night. the kids had so much fun-- mommy and daddy did too!!! it's 9:35am and there's still lots of snow on the ground- slowly melting away, but still there. amazing! God sure can throw us some curve balls like random snowy nights in texas..... His work is beautiful :)

Cayley's Penguin Debut

Make a Smilebox greeting

i tried to get a little video....she spoke so loud and clear. so proud of our cayley!

December is making my head spin!

i know there are tons of moms with tons more things to do....but gosh- it seems like each day there is something important to do, rememeber to do (or at least remember not to forget!). with 2 in school- there is always a project or activity- all good things! i just pray that i keep up and organized. christmas shopping this year has been relatively easy...can't go into details...but it's going well. trav came home with a family project to decorate this ornament for his class tree. so "lett" in cherrios and trix and sweet tarts to color it up a little. he liked doing this! and they all snacked as we glued!

i have to get cookies made soon! we did a small batch of chocolate chip this weekend- they have mostly been gobbled up with hot chocolate while we watched christmas movies on saturday night! so more have to be made :) and i have to have my "abuelita" hot chocolate!

i have made list of things i have to do and need to pack for florida, and hope to cross some things off this week. oh! tim's birthday is one week away!!!! i need to make a special birthday dessert for him...i'll start searching the web today. hummmmm, maybe a black forest cake? i don't know! tim's bday kicks off the birtday season around here! there's him, baby jesus ;) adam, then trav (oh and stella!!!) & ben in feb, one dad in march, cayley, pat,& linda in april- then i think a break till june. and that's just of the top of my head. i know there's more.

today: finish my grocery list, a couple loads of weekend laundry, work on my coupon binder, and think about starting on the kids rooms- not sure why they have to take everything out of every where?! but they do......throwing on the "twilight" soundtrack- good music for cleaning!

for real :)

on the mend

i am such a dork and reading"new moon" again. just read that they are hoping to get this movie out in 2010.

but feeling way better than i was yesterday! and getting excited about our florida holiday- 18 more days!

cayley started her own blog! the link is in my list over here--->

happy we are having spaghetti and italian sausage for dinner- like i said....dorkiness...

It's Been A LONG 2 Weeks

well, for about 2 weeks now- everyone in my house has been sick at least once. first some kind of stomach thing going around, now the head colds! i am at the brink of exhaustion right now- but we all had a wellness break for a couple of days last week- so thanksgiving was amazing! thank you family for coming to our home and sharing your time with us! it was such a blessing to have each of you here. we all pull things together so well :)

since we won't be here at home for christmas- i'm not putting our tree up and only put out a few decorations in the house. the kids are looking forward to spending the holiday in florida- so look out tami :) we'll be there soon!

tim took me out to the movies- saw "twilight"! not as good as the book- but pretty good- tim liked it too. i could go on and on- but i won't about it.

cayley has a school christmas program this friday and then again on tuesday- so i'll get some pics and video up asap. got some christmas shopping done this weekend and will hopefully finish this week- most have to be mailed this year- and i don't want to be late!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Trav's Field Trip

Make a Smilebox photobook

new love

ok- so there's not much time for reading books in my world, but after some glowing recommedations- i figured this would be a good escape from the daily grind. twilight is a series of 4 books by a fellow sahm :) i read the first book and had to read the rest. i'm so excited about the movie too. not sure when we can go see it, but from clips i've seen, it seems they have stayed true to the book-- and via web news outlets- hear that the other books will be movies soon as well!!! it's nice to read again. i started the third book "eclipse" yesterday and it's so hard to put down....but there are things like laundry and dishes that wait for me.

He packs our lunch too!

this is from family life mom blog

Monday, October 20, 2008
The economy: Putting it in a trust
by Janel Breitenstein
I was talking to my friend again last night—the one who's very concerned about the economy. She's doing some good things about it: streamlining her lifestyle so that she can save money for a rainy day, for example. But I see and hear that the worry still consumes her.
When she asked for the second time if I was worried, I related what my mom told me in high school.
"Janel, you know how I've packed your lunch every day?"
Of course. That blessed woman packed a lunch every day of the week except for spaghetti day—her only lunch-packing reprieve.
"Well, it'd probably seem a little silly if you came in wringing your hands every morning, begging me to pack your lunch. I think faith and trust are a little like that."
And that's what I told my friend. God had taken care of us, for example, even during my layoff when I was pregnant and John was scheduled to end his internship in a month. Then we owed $500 in taxes. Then our computer crashed. Then we got in a wreck when I was 37 weeks along ... in the nice car. (Well, nicer car.)
God used the money from the accident to pay our mortgage that summer. I'd prayed that God wouldn't let us go in the red—and sure enough, God "packed our lunch" every day that summer. And that hasn't been the only hard time He's seen us through.
So I smiled at my friend. "I guess God's packed my lunch so many times that I don't need to worry. I don't want to cheapen the great stuff He's done for us. He's been too good."
Thanks, Mom—and thanks, Lord.

The Apple Story by Adam

when mom looked in the fridge:

as told by adam

"so my mom made breakfast for me and my brother and sister this morning- like she does every morning. i'm a constant snacker, so i graze along through breakfast and move into post breakfast snack mode when "the others" are off to school. mom keeps the apples in the fridge where i can reach them- healthy snacks she calls them and so she doesn't mind so much if i pop into the fridge and grab one :) so i grabbed 2 after breakfast!

well, later that morning- not sure where mom was was at the time- probably moving clothes from the washer to the dryer- she's really good at that- i needed more snacks. back to my apple friends on the lower shelf in the fridge i went. i know we just had a big bag of these things....what happened? she just bought 10 yesterday! oh well....look chips...."

when mom looked in the living room

Tagged Blogging

Sarah Smith says: Post the sixth picture from the sixth file in your photos.

that's cayley the night before Ike hit wiggling out another tooth! she's so brave :)





2. Sarah Smith says: basically you are now supposed to share 7 pieces of random information about yourself on your blog. It's kind of fun!

1.well, right now i am struggling to find the balance between who i am and who i am needed to be. all ok though- just going through one of those mom phases and remembering that's not the only role that defines me.

2. i am way too much of a tv junkie.

3. there's always something good to watch on food network. i love to cook- most days- and finding new recipes makes me happy :)

4. i can't remember my last haircut for some reason!

5. i am so excited about my movie date with cayley coming up in 2 weeks! got our tickets and ready to go see high school musical with my girl! i am really trying to make some special time with each child and tim too.

6. i get butterflies when my husband sends me a simple " i love you" email from work. ah, the little things in life!

7.i have soooo many boxes of pictures that it's scary. i really need to organize and scrapbook them!!!!!

Something to make ya smile on Friday

So Super Excited!

just found out that my little sister-who's 19 weeks along- is having a baby GIRL!!!!

now to start baby shower planning and shopping! can't wait to meet you baby Stella :)

love,

your auntie sarah

Crosby made the news~

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080924_ks_crosby.a9bcd87d.html?npc

postive kudos for crosby :)

more hsm3 fun!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

a little hsm3 fun

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Ike Blogging: Tuesday 9/16/08

got the call last night that school would be out till at least next monday! praying that the power will be up way before that! good news from penske- everyone that works with tim is ok. tim shines his brightest through adversity and his quick thinking & decisions are second to none. he got a call from his boss's boss and he thanked tim for all his hard work & dedication :)

last night was another family-neighbor dinner at my in law's house. we had some awesome stew that tina made- * note to self- get the recipe for the soup we had the night before & the stew :)* salad, fries, & fried catfish. between 4 families- we had a feast! tonight we are pulling together & having spaghetti and meat sauce. i'm so thankful that we had our deep freezer filed with goodies to be defrosted.

the weather today is even cooler than yesterday! God's perfect timing! but i had to get some laundry done, so i pulled out the detergent & washed some clothes in the kitchen sink this morning. they got done & hung outside to (hopefully) dry sooner than later. they got done none the less. house is fairly clean and everyone slept so well last night. i can't help but compare ike to katrina experiences....how unprepared we were, how people were fighting over gas, food, ice...here we see so many people pulling together and helping each other.

on a kinda selfish note- i am praying for power to be restored for us all, but also- the new season premiers come on soon!!! but the kids are keeping busy with coloring, drawing, putting on shows & reading. i have actually finished a book that i had been trying to finish for a while now and will start a new one soon :)

Ike Blogging: Monday 9/15/08 10:40am

a new week has started & God has revealed His blessings to us again. i'm not sure if my spirits would be as high if the storm had come as early as lat week. there's a wonderful cool breeze flowing through the house right now. fall is coming!

i am truly drawing from lessons learned from our katrina experience. this morning i cleaned the fridge out completely . over night things were getting a little gross, so first thing after making the kids breakfast i hit the fridge with awesome lavender cleaner- thanks mom!- & trash bags. it wasn't yucky, but would have been if i had left it for a little later.

tim's working today. i haven't heard form him yet, i'm hoping all of his employees are safe too. oh- tears filled my eyes and ran down my face- the kids were all eating breakfast & coloring at the table today- listening to our Christan radio station ksbj when a familiar song came on. cayley & trav started singing "blessed be your name" with such joy! i honestly thank the Lord that our children know that we are being blessed even through these difficult days. i feel Him strengthening our fab five of a family every minute throughout this.

No Power Blogging: Ike Sunday 9/14/08 11:50am

so here's my attempt to blog- a written old school account of the next few days. thursday- kids went to school. it was grandparents day for both cayley & travis. tim called that morning and strongly suggested that my mom head home to lv that morning instead of waiting till after lunch time- traffic was already picking up as as few zip codes were being evacuated. so she left for home after taking cayley to breakfast :)

the automated school system called & let us know that there was not going to be school on friday and then a little later called again saying there would be an early release @1145 on thursday. so i rushed around here at home making sure the house was clean & all laundry done. after katrina 3 years ago- i immediately thought of what made having to go w/out power even more miserable- so i made sure we had a clean house to spend the long weekend in with each other. for sure we were better prepared this time around. still no generator, but the house was boarded up, clean clothes were put away, & the fridge & freezer packed with meals for the next few days.

we lost power at home earlier than i thought we would. no wind or rain , but lost it at 6pm! so kids got a shower and i got a margarita :) & all went to bed. the wind and rain picked up around 10pm and lasted all night. knowing our windows were boarded up gave us some peace of mind when we'd hear crashes & banging on the house. the kids slept soundly in our bedroom and i was up around 3am-4am listening to the battery powered radio for storm updates. the eye of ike had yet to pass us- so things were very loud & rough sounding in the dark outside.

i went back to bed and woke again @ 6:30am - everyone was ready to see what was going on and eat breakfast- so pancake day! then the sky began to lighten up so we could see what the wind & rain were doing. we sat by the kitchen window and watched as our back gate was ripped off it's hinges and thrown into the air. besides a few trees down, broken gate, lots of limbs & branches around, & no power- all in all we are doing well. - a tad uncomfortable, but so incredibly grateful that we are safe & well. we can weather this storm , as with God's help in all life's"storms".

thank you family & friends for prayers & concern! tim's back to work tomorrow & by the listening to the radio- lots of businesses are opening & getting our metro area up & running again.

thankful for: a wonderful cool breeze, cold juice boxes & frozen propels, radio stations & tv news that work 24/7, & gas stoves!

Weather Watching is getting OLD!

Just had to post this pic I did of my wedding ring. I did this a while ago, but wanted to share what I was thinking about when I saw this again. In Hebrew it says "My beloved is mine and I am his." There should be an added verse somewhere saying - and so is my big, wonderful, slightly silly, amazing family. and vice versa :) See the big Lopez-Chetwood-Lett Family Photo!!!

We made the long awaited trip to SA for Labor Day weekend. Our main goal was to meet up with some of my family for a big group portrait. It was fun! A lot of corraling, bribing, yelling "cheeeeese", and laughing. I was exhausted afterwards for sure- and I know I wasn't the only one, lol. Most of our trip was spent chatting, eating great food at both parents houses, and watching the weather channel. Yes- another hurricane is now heading our way again. Our area was spared a week ago, but here's another one coming to test us.

This is a busy school week. It's grandparents week - my mom is coming up to spend some time with us, it's open house at Cayley's school on Thursday, I'm running up to the kindergarten to help with grandparent's day pics on Wednesday, and of course watching the weather!!!

For the little girl who has everything...

My baby niece turned three at the beginning of August and I know she has 2 of everything!

So I made her these wall hangings for her bday. I do get some random creative streaks and need to get working on some real scrapbooking soon. I'm trying out a digital photobook online that I can journal a little in as I go- so we'll see how that goes. All I knwo is that I have sooo many pictures that I need to keep for my little ones. Oh- I'm making a name thing for Cayley this week :)

ok- the glare got the best

of me- but Cayley's says

"A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart"

First Day Of School!

Make a Smilebox postcard