Christmas Crafts

      I've never considered myself the crafty type. I can't draw, have no sewing ability, and creative ideas don't come to me easily. However, now that I'm a full time homemaker I thought that I should try to do something home made for gifts this year. I decided to make hot chocolate mix in a jar, and cake balls. I looked up the recipe and gathered my materials. The mix was really easy to make and quite tasty. I had a couple of jars left over so I made a cookie in a jar. Those turned out festive too.
    For the hot chocolate mix and cookie in a jar I kept it simple and just tied a ribbon around the jar with a bell. Then I added a tag with a Bible verse that seemed appropriate. This idea came from a friend of mine. In the end they turned out really cute and gave me hope for my future crafts.

     I was more comfortable with the cake balls. I love baking and had made these before, so it was just a matter of getting it done and making the presentation pretty. I make red velvet and spice cake balls; Nutter Butter and Oreo mint cookie balls; and cookie dough truffles. For the dipping portion (which is my least favorite part) I tried a new idea and it made the dipping so much easier. I froze the balls for a few minutes first and used a plastic fork without the middle tines to dip.
     Hobby Lobby had some really cute boxes - 50% off which made them even cuter -- that I used to package the balls. I put them in small cupcake wrappers to add to the 'box of chocolates' look.

    Of course Cooper had to help with the dipping part. He enjoyed dipping some marshmallows and licking the chocolate off of the spoon! Overall I was very pleased and think I might try some more crafty ideas next year..as long as they're simple.

 "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Proverbs 34:8

Clever Cooper and Active Alfonso

     I just wanted to share a few of the cute and clever things Cooper is doing these days. Really they are imitations of what he sees us doing, but it's just so neat/cute to see him picking up on things.

     He's at the age of testing the waters to see what he can get away with and what he really isn't allowed to do. At first I would say no many many times and then give him a little pat on the rump. (Discipline isn't my strong suit I've discovered). I'm learning though that firm is better when it comes to discipline because it lessens the number of times he tries something. One thing he was getting bad about was running away when it was time to change his diaper. I decided to use the 'One, Two, Three...' spank method (so technical). It didn't take long before he was running to me at 1 or 2...woo hoo! Now, though, he thinks it is a game of sorts, especially when he's in his high chair. It's really funny so Dalton and I have to work hard not to laugh when he's imitating the counting. It goes like this:
     Cooper will start to rise up and turn in his seat.
     We'll say "Cooper, sit down"
     He looks at us and holds one finger up and starts counting "One, Two.."
     After two he turns around and sits down as fast as he can and grins at us
It's really so cute... you'd laugh too.

     Coop also likes playing in drawers and cabinets (pulling things out of them). We have a couple that are safe for him to get into and one has paper plates and bowls. Usually he gets a bowl and then asks me to get him a cooking spoon so he can pretend to cook too. He's now starting to pretend he eats it after Dalton and I pretend, so that's a neat thing. Yesterday he was playing in that drawer and got out paper plates. When I looked around to see what he was doing I saw that he'd set the table with the paper plates, and then put one of his snack crackers on each plate. It was so neat to see him doing 'big boy' things like that, instead of ripping the plates up or something. He's always been a big helper...he loves unloading the dishwasher with me...so maybe he'll help set the table in years to come. : )

Cooper with his table setting

     Saturday I introduced him to Play Doh. I put him in his high chair and gave him the play doh and a couple of toys. He did really well with it..no eating attempts, and it kept him busy for a little while. Yeah, a new activity for winter days!! This isn't very exciting but I had a couple of pics so I had to mention it.

     On to Alfonso. Who is Alfonso? Well, let me tell you. The other night Dalton had a dream...he doesn't remember his dreams very often, so when he does I like to hear about them. He said that he dreamed I'd had the baby. The baby and I were in bed when Dalton got to see him, and he said that the baby had the biggest nose he'd ever seen; and apparently he wasn't very good looking. He just looked at the baby and then at me and said 'that's him huh?'. After the shock of the big nose, he asked what the name was and I told him it was Alfonso. I'm thinking we channeled Gonzo when thinking of a name for our baby. So, now I've taken to calling the little guy Alfonso, or Alfie for short. It's kinda nice to have something to call him. Dalton refuses to call him that. I think he's afraid the name might grow on me and I'll want to call him that for real. Silly Dalton...though it isn't that bad. I also looked up the meaning and found that it means Noble and Ready...I'm just saying. Anyway so bottom line is that Alfonso is quite the active little guy. I can't wait to meet him in the 'real world' and see what his nose looks like!!

"Rejoice in the Lord! Again I say Rejoice!" Philippians 4: 4    

Ho Ho Ho, busy weekend highlights

     This past weekend was full of fun activities to celebrate Christmas. My Bible studies ended at the beginning of the week so Cooper and I had nothing much to do. This is fine when it's warm outside, but with a snowy beginning to the week, and a chilly end, we were getting pretty bored at the house. Friday morning we got out and went with Dalton to Carter Bend to feed. It was chilly but good to get out and about. Cooper and I raced around on the cold ground while Dalton fed, then Dalton talked me into shooting the pistol (22 - no biggie). I'm not a big fan of using guns. I don't mind other people doing it, but for me, not so much. So, this was a good step forward for me. I didn't hit the target (a can) but did get really close. Maybe next time. I guess I should attempt to get more comfortable with guns since I'll have at least 2 boys who'll probably want to use them. I'll work on that.

     After that trip, I was hanging out at the house looking through a Bealls' sale catalog and realized that the good deals that I wanted to take advantage of ended that night. "Oh no! Can't miss a good sale," I thought to myself, immediately followed by "we could all go in and shop then go out to eat." My mind is never far from my stomach, unfortunately. In my defense though, we hadn't been to town in a few days and I was a little stir crazy. So I called Dalton to inform him of the dilemma fully expecting him to say no to a Friday night trip to town. To my happy surprise he sounded like that wasn't a bad plan. It may have been the way I talked up the great deals that we would get..how much money we'd save going in that night (really, they were good sales). So Cooper and I were waiting by the door when he got home and we all headed in.

     The shopping stop was priority, so we did that first. Sad to say...we were that family with the kid running around the store. Dalton had carried him in and I immediately went searching for my items, without reminding him not to let him down. I learned the hard way (and from advice from my mommy) that once you let them down, there's no picking them back up. The next thing I knew a little person flashed by my leg and into a clothes rack. Fortunately I have the best husband ever who dutifully followed and corralled Cooper while I shopped. (I found most of my items and feel pretty good about my choices.) Finally, it was payout time. Cooper had a dirty diaper by this time (shoo wheeee), was squirming in Dalt's arms, so it was a "just in time" finish.

     After the shopping, we headed to Neri's to eat. Dalton had remembered having a supposedly amazing pumpkin delight dessert there last year so we decided to try it out. It's on the square, so that made it more fun to go and eat..more ambiance if you will. Cooper behaved himself for the most part, and the food was good, so it was a success. Oh, and that pumpkin delight....I'm thinking of ordering a pan of it weekly b/c it was so good...Dalton was right!

   Happy Family on the hayride. Disregard my enormous-looking hands..

the gloves are playing tricks on the eyes.

     The next evening was the Echols' Christmas party. They do it every year and it's lots of fun...especially because it's about 1 minute from our house. Usually any fun activities require a minimum of 30 minutes to get to. They had a bounce house, which Cooper cautiously enjoyed, a hayride that Cooper was surprisingly still during (he stared at the tractor and would have preferred to ride in the tractor...he loves tractors), and a visit from Santa in the church. Cooper isn't a big fan of sitting still during quiet occasions and he was getting a little antsy sitting in the church while we sang Christmas songs, so he escaped and wondered to the front of the church. He was happily watching us all sing and contemplating grabbing ornaments off the tree when (dum dum dum) in walked Santa. If you remember, Cooper is not a fan after sitting on his lap a couple of weeks ago, so we he spotted Santa, he quickly made a beeline back to his seat with us. It was pretty comical. Overall it was a great party.

     Mere Mere and Popsey were there, which made it even more fun. It's nice to celebrate with them...and let's be honest...extra hands to help with Cooper the Curious are always appreciated. They came back to the house and visited for a little while afterwards. Cooper entertained them with some tricks until they left.

     Sunday we went to church with Mere Mere and Popsey for the annual Christmas Cantata. They had a  mini-orchestra, and sang lots of wonderful Christmas songs to celebrate the reason for the season..Christ. The music was so beautiful, and as I listened I teared up a little....not because of the beautiful music here.. but just thinking about how amazing it's going to be in Heaven listening to true angels sing praises to the King, and angelic musicians play for Him. When you stop to think that the most beautiful things you hear and see here on earth are only fractions of what they will be in Heaven it really helps you to focus on where our heart, minds and thoughts should be...in Heaven with our King and Savior. I can't wait!!
   
     What a great weekend. And this week we have nothing going on until Thursday, when I am going Christmas shopping. My goal is to not travel to town until then. Wish me luck!! I think I see some baking in my near future....

     "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Rev. 5:11-12

Snow Crunching, Starchspray and Chasing Coons

     

     After a couple of frigid days, Cooper and I decided to brave the elements and investigate the snow situation. By this point it was starting to melt, so I felt like Cooper could play in it without getting miserably cold. So we headed outside, all bundled up, and I let him crunch around.

     He really liked crunching in the snow and feeling it under his feet. He ran around the yard doing that for a while, and then started to try and pick it up with his mitten-covered hands. He had a good time and it was nice to get some fresh air and sunshine after the dreary past couple of days. He never complained or whined...even though I found his boots soaked through when I took them off. Fun little snow adventure.

    Onto the next title portion. I just had to include this little funny airhead moment I had the other day. Let me preface this with the fact that we are out of extra space in our house, so I'm constantly moving things around and cramming more into cabinets and other empty spaces, to keep the house from becoming too cluttered. With that said, one of the things I crammed into a space it didn't belong was our starch for ironing. I had to move the iron out of the laundry room and needed a place to put the starch that was out of Cooper's reach. "Ah ha" I thought, my bathroom cabinet; where I have all sorts of hair and body products. You may already see where this is going...So the other morning I was getting ready, working on my hair. It's pretty curly/frizzy so I straighten it to help it look tame. I usually spray a section with hairspray, use the flat iron, let more down, repeat. So as I was completing this process I noticed that the hairspray was more goupy and it seemed that my iron wasn't working as well. Just the weather I thought and continued on. Halfway through my hair I looked at the 'hairspray' I was using and discovered that, in fact, I'd been spraying starch on my hair. I laughed at myself because I'd been telling myself I was going to do that since I'd moved the starch, then evaluated. For the record, it works sorta ok, just not as good as hairspray.
   Moral of the story...don't store your starch next to your hairspray!

     Finally to the coon story. This one I wish I had pictures of. Since our chicken massacre this summer (we lost all of our chickens in two night attacks), Dalton has been trapping varmints, mainly raccoons, in a live trap and then hauling them off to never never land (as in never will it kill a chicken again). Normally I would feel sorry for the little (or big) guys, but after the massacre my view of raccoons has changed and I no longer want to catch and befriend them (unless they are babies). So, one morning Dalton caught a coon and decided to vanquish it right here at the house, instead of taking it elsewhere. I didn't want to watch, but found myself at the side door window watching. Good thing I did. Dalton opened the door and waited for the coon to run away. He did run, but not where Dalton wanted him to. He took off, promptly veered left and headed straight back towards the house. I was laughing at this point watching my husband chase around a coon with his pistol, trying to shoot it. So he chased it into the yard, under the vehicles, and then around to the front porch. Sadly for the coon (after watching I was kinda rooting for him to get away) he cornered himself and did not escape. But boy was the chase exciting to watch.

     In case you were tempted to feel sorry for the coon, look at the joy a coon took from us when they killed Cooper's buddy, Miss Emily, just one of the victims. No, she isn't a swimming chicken. She just got overheated this summer and we put her in the pool to cool her off. That's when Cooper decided to join her. It was pretty funny!

    I know what you're thinking. This was a pointless post. And you are right, but in the scheme of things I thought including funny moments in my 'journal' would prove handy one day. Luckily I don't have a following that will disapprove. : )

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess 5:16-18

Decorating the Tree

     This weekend was a busy one for us, and really got us into the holiday spirit. Well, I was already in the spirit, but it got Dalton in the mood for Christmas songs and pretty lights. Saturday night we picked up a tree. It was a pretty easy process, and since it was wrapped when we bought it, a gift of sorts to see what it looked like when we got home. Then Sunday we had church, potluck and a family picture. We dressed in our Christmas duds and got Dalton's parents to take our picture at their house. They turned out pretty good. The hardest part was picking out which card I wanted to send out and which picture to put in it. Dalton was shocked that it took me so long..I told him he just doesn't understand. I did get the job done though, and now I have lots of cards to address and mail this week. Merry Christmas!!

One of the picture options that didn't make the card. Love that sweet Cooper!

     Back to the tree. We unwrapped it Sunday, ready to decorate it. The weather cooperated very nicely...it was cold and wintery, perfect for decorating a tree. The tree is pretty cute; not the fullest of trees, but just right for our little family. If you're wondering why we, living in the country, didn't go chop down a tree ourselves....well, we tried that once and wound up with a Charlie Brown tree. It looked really pretty in the woods, but once we got it back to the house, it was a bit lacking. Because Dalton went to all that trouble, it was our first Christmas together, and (most importantly) my parents told me I'd be mean to tell him to take it away, we did have the 'local' tree that year. Since then, however, Dalton has agreed to buy a tree, so here we are.

Daddy getting the tree ready to come inside

     We weren't sure how Cooper would do with the tree and ornaments, etc. but he has been great so far! He was curious about the tree at first, then wanted to help put the ornaments on. He did a pretty good job for his first time. He even got to help Daddy put the star on top. We're going on 3 days now and he hasn't messed with any ornaments at his level or above, so I think it's going to be a good season.

 Cooper putting on his first ornament

 My turn to help out

 Putting the star on top

Practicing at Mere Mere and Popsey's

   

    I let him help me put presents under the tree too, and he enjoyed that. Every once in a while he'll grab one and carry it somewhere else in the house, but he's good about taking it back when I ask him to. He might not be so helpful if he knew that inside that paper are toys and goodies, but for now it's just a pretty mystery.

     Not forgetting the true meaning of Christmas, we also have a cute little Nativity scene that my mom got Cooper. It's Fisher Price toy brand, so he can play with the scene all season. What a great way to talk to him about what Christmas is all about, and the pieces are so cute too!

     Almost forgot...the next morning we awoke to this scene; our own little Winter Wonderland!

 Dandy cleaning up every bit of feed

   

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world...So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child." Luke 2:1 &4-5

The Park

   
     Today I had a Dr. appt; baby checkup; and since Cooper had to go with me I told him that we could go to the park afterward. This was the first Dr. visit that Cooper attended with me and he did GREAT. He was so quiet and hung close - not his usual behavior. He wasn't too sure about things when the nurse listened to the heartbeat, but he managed ok.

     It was so cute...when the Dr. tried to listen to little guy's heartbeat the baby kept kicking at her and moving away. She would get the heartbeat on the doppler and then he would kick and move. He did this several times, and we all got a kick out of it (pun intended). She said that I had a gymnast or soccer player in there. I did measure small as far as 'belly' size goes. I'm supposed to be 24 cm but was only 22. She didn't like it but said it was still in the normal range. That's my luck you know...my womb is small but if she would have measured my hips they would have declared me ready to deliver today. I thought your hips and thighs were supposed to expand more with a girl, not a boy?

     On to the park. After the appointment we headed to Normandy park for a little exercise time for Cooper. It's a cute little park in a sweet neighborhood and has just enough things Cooper's size. He loves going down the slides..but bigger is better for him, which makes me a little nervous. The slides were riding fast today, so I had to catch him at the bottom before he bounced away. He loved it and just smiled and squealed each time.

                                                              Ready Mom!

                                                 Wheeeee!! He may be airborne here

     He also tried out the little spring animals. He rode them well and didn't get bucked off. Practicing for when it's riding time at home.

   
     They also have a little 'fire engine' area with steering wheels. If you didn't know, Cooper loves steering wheels and will play with them for a while. So when he got to those he spun them and spun them.

                                     
     I made the mistake of introducing him to the Seesaw. I say the mistake because that turned out to be his new favorite piece of playground equipment. He loved holding on and going up and down. The problem is that his weight is not quite enough to push me down so I had to push down and up all by myself. It's like doing weighted squats over and over...not what I was in the mood for. I toughed it out for a little while and then enticed him away with another slide ride.

                                                The joy is all over his face.

     Overall we had a great time at the park. Since we live out 'in the country' we don't get to go to the park very often, so it's a real treat. I get tempted to complain about that fact; not being able to go to the park whenever we want; but then I think of what a blessing it is to live out here where we can take nature walks and play with the horses and ride around with Daddy feeding cows. Overall, I think I have the better deal. Besides, if we lived in town I'd probably still not make it to the park that often. On that note I'll include a scripture from Philippians, the book I'm currently studying. So great how God puts it all together for us.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God, without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe" Phil 2:14-15


    Gotta run. We are going to the Christmas Stroll tonight in downtown Graham. Cooper gets to have his picture taken with Santa...I'm thinking there might be crying involved. Until next time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

     I know that Thanksgiving has passed, but at least I'm writing about it before December officially starts. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, I would say favorite but as the Christmas spirit is permeating the air I have to love that holiday more. It is of course the second most important holiday...the birth of our Savior. What's the first, you ask? Valentines...just kidding; Easter because our Savior rose from the dead! Yeah. Enough about holiday trivia; back to Thanksgiving.

     This year we stayed in Graham for Thanksgiving. It's hard being married and doing the every other year thing with families, especially when Dalton and I both are used to spending holidays with our own family every year. But it works out fine, especially this year when my family decided to come up after Thanksgiving to celebrate with us..so we get to see both sides of the family in one weekend.

     We went to Aunt Jackie's house for Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday with the Pitcocks. There was a nice crowd and we got to visit with some of Dalton's cousins that he hasn't seen in a while. They have kids too, so Cooper had a couple of playmates. The food was wonderful (of course), and we left feeling satisfied; ok more like plump as a turkey, and headed home. On the way home we had a depressing thought...because we went to Jackie's for Thanksgiving we wouldn't be having any leftover turkey foldovers or sweet potatoes that night. A problem that will not happen the next Thanksgiving...I now plan to have a backup turkey (or chicken at the least), dressing, etc. at the house so we can enjoy the feast for multiple meals. You have to think these holidays through.

     The next day Cooper and I cleaned and readied the house for my parents and brother. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. Mom had to work until three and then I got the call at 4:50 that they were leaving....yuck! That meant 1. we had to wait even longer for them to arrive; 2. we had to stay up past our bedtime; and 3. less visiting time. After a quick pity party, I snapped out of it and enjoyed the evening with my boys. We tried to wait until they arrived to eat the yummy potato chicken corn chowder I made, but we caved. It was worth it. Cooper took a late nap so he could greet the visitors, but when 10 pm rolled around and he was in a daze, we decided he just had to go to bed. He gave a great sigh of relief when I laid him down and off to dreamland he went. 5 minutes later they pulled up..of course.

    I forgot to mention that they were in Dad's truck, hauling 23 round bales of hay to us; which always delays things. When the road weary travelers got in the house we found out that they had a flat in Weatherford and lost an hour...poor guys. They chowed down on the chowder (I may or may not have had another small taster --for the baby) and we went to bed. Oh, but before we went to bed we got an early Christmas present..new duds (possibly for a family picture at some point this holiday season). I had to mention them because Cooper got a new belt and is quite taken with it. Below you will find the cutie pie in his new duds..I think he's digging them, don't you?

     The next morning I made biscuits and gravy and then the guys unloaded the hay while Mom and I played with Cooper and got dressed. Then we all loaded up and headed to town to go bowling. Woo hoo!! I had been looking forward to a bowling date for some time. Everyone had a great time and bowled pretty good. Our lanes were by the arcade, so it was nice for Cooper. He just wandered around while someone kept an eye on him.

                                            Garrett keeping an eye on the little guy

     Merann came too, and she was nice enough to let Cooper bowl her last turn. He knocked down 3 pins...go Cooper!  Why didn't his mother let him bowl? you ask. Well, I didn't want to bring it up, but since you asked...I bowled my best game ever..169!! Because I'm pregnant I tried to take it easy and focus more on precision rather than power (usually I'm a throw it harder and you'll know more down type), and it paid off. We'll see how the next time goes. I was pretty impressed with Dalton too. He won the first game.

                                               The lean, mean bowling gang

So focused

                                                                  Look at that form

Intensity personified

                                                           It's all in the flick of the wrist

The most graceful bowler by far

                                                                    Easy does it

    After bowling we ate lunch at the alley. Cooper particularly enjoyed dipping his french fries in ketchup..he has some Moore genes for sure, loving the ketchup. Then it was back to the house.

                                                          Going in for the dip

                                              And the sweet taste of a ketchup loaded fry..

     Mom whooped Garrett and I at Kanasta, while the others took a nap. Then it was time for more cooking and eating (still don't think I'd felt hunger pains in a couple of days at this point). Mom helped me make a ham, sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole and (per Garrett's request) and apple pie.

                                           Working hard in the kitchen

     Dalton has been asking me when we were going to use the china that we have never used (I'm a little afraid of it to be honest), so I decided that tonight was the night. So we had our fine china and crystal, delicious meal, and sparkling grape juice for a nightcap..fancy I know.

                                                          Ready to eat!

Apple Pie...yummm

    The next morning Garrett left early and I made a quiche for the rest of us. It was a really good recipe...Cooper even ate lots of it. Then we said goodbye to Mom and Dad and waved them off.

    What a great weekend with the folks. Next time I hope they can stay longer. : ) Now, it's officially Christmas time and I'm super excited. Hopefully I'll have a Christmas tree post this weekend...

And now to ready ourselves for the true Christmas spirit:

"But the angel said to Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." Luke 1:30-32a

**Note: the reason I mentioned so many food specifics is because I took lots of time to pick out what I was going to make (new recipes) so I want to remember the good ones. Corny, I know.

Aggieland Part 2

We left off with Cooper napping as we traveled around College Station. After his nap, we met the fam at the airport to see the Osprey up close and personal. It was pretty neat!

                                                                     The Osprey

                                         The whole family with Captain Justin

                                        Cooper and Karper in the seats ready to fly

                                           Dalton trying out the pilot seat

                                     Looking at the gang from the back of the plane

                                        Cooper's climbing in the plane

                                       And Popsey helps him with the last few steps

          After we toured the plane, we all loaded up for dinner. We went to Chicken Oil for dinner. It was a neat little place with lots of personality, and the food was good too. Then we all headed back to the hotel and visited a while.

     The next morning we packed up and prepared to head home. We were on a schedule to leave because Cooper had a birthday party in Graham that evening.

                                            "Come on guys, I have a party to get to"

                    There goes Cooper with his suitcase. It's so cute watching him pull it!

     We made  stop in Waco to eat at On the Border..yummmmm, and then it was on to Graham. It was so weird to watch the temperature as we traveled from muggy College Station at 80 degrees to crisp Graham at 45 degrees. The party was super fun..there were bounce houses and Cooper tried them all.

    And so ends our travels to College Station. It was a fun time with family!

"Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 106:1