Celebrating!!!

10 years ago today my spouse and I said, "I do!" Geoff and I are celebrating 10 years of marital bliss! We were married at 7pm on Saturday, December 22, 1998. We rented a church in CA, close to my mom and dad and said our vows...

So, I am in Owasso today and G is still in Kansas City, but about a week ago he ordered these to help me forget that we are apart on this special day....



way to go!!! I love you babe!

Tagged...Christmas Style...

So, I'm a little slow...Pam tagged me last week sometime...here are my answers...

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Eggnog? Definitely Hot Chocolate!!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? I am a very gifted wrapper! So, wrapped of course!

3. Colored light on house/tree or white? White lights on the tree, except this year, we didn't put one up and after 10 yrs. we still have not put lights up outside...Kayli makes Geoff feel guilty every year!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No

5. When do you put your decorations up? As soon as we can.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? rolls, does that count as a dish? Mema makes the best!

7 . Favorite holiday memory as a child? Getting my cabbage patch doll when I was little...the birth certificate had my mom's name as the dolls name (by chance), Cecile!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What do you mean? He isn't real? No one told me!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? At both sides, we open one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest the next morning.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? White lights and bulbs

11. Snow. Love it or dread it? I like it if I don't have to drive in it!

12. Can you ice skate? a little

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? a husband and a honeymoon in 1998! Oh, 10 years to celebrate this coming Monday!!

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being with family and going to the vespers service to draw a focus to Christ!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? FUDGE!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to my Aunt's house with the whole family or going to Colorado to see my dad's parents!

17. What tops your Christmas tree? A star

18. Which do you prefer - giving or receiving? I have always loved giving, by now that I am older, I prefer giving! It is so much fun picking out something I know someone else will like and use!!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Oh, Holy Night

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck? not a big fan

21. What do you want for Christmas? a chick-fil-a calendar

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? Geoff's work always has one, wherever he is working, but we usually don't go.

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ’s? Dress up because we are usually going to church the night before Christmas, then we go back to the Slayden's and have shrimp and snacks!

24. Do you own a Santa hat? No

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Family, every other year mine and Geoff's

Static Cling...

Seriously, I've never seen anything like it before!!! My mom and dad sent a box that arrived late yesterday afternoon...inside was a really cool advent calendar my mom made for me (I usually get one every year...the chocolate kind). In the box was a bunch of UPS pink packing peanuts. I usually let the kids roll around in these and then they aren't too bad to clean up. As soon as I dumped these out onto the floor, I noticed something very, very different about them. There was soooooooooo much static in them...they stuck to everything...the walls, our clothes, our hands (trying to pick them up and put them back in the box)....everything...their hair! They had a BLAST! It was too late anyway, so, I got a few pictures of them and then tried to clean up before Geoff got home from work. It was not to be, he got home and was thrilled that I'd done this....but he did help me clean up. It was crazy...the sad thing is that while we were in Owasso, Geoff cleaned up the house and vacuumed while we were gone...the house looked great for about 16 hrs....oh well.

This Is Harder Than It Seems...

So, when posting many photos like this, one must remember that they will be posted backwards...this is so strange to me....anyway, here are our photos from gingerbread house making fun this morning. Well, we didn't have mom's club to go too...but we had fun. Hudson so wanted to join in the fun, and actually ended up sneaking some candy. Kayli decorated this whole thing by herself, she did a GREAT job. I did all the icing, and it's much harder than you'd think. The picture on the box is very deceiving...they should have a picture of one where the icing is falling off and the candy won't stay up...we decided to put the finished product up with the nutcrackers...we had a good time!! Thanks, mom, for sending the "deluxe" kit!!

Camel, Shamel...

Geoff's dad read a story about kids playing with the baby Jesus from the nativity this past weekend. Well, my kids are no different. They both love to use the wise men to play and move the animals all around. The pieces are fragile and two wise men are missing hands, but they try to be gentle. So, here are the pictures I took today of Hudson playing with the nativity. This is how the wise men really arrived, in King from Cars...ha!

Did I see that right?

It is currently, at 9:18 am, 12 degrees...feels like 2 degrees. And, we got lots of fun snow yesterday. It just snowed and snowed big beautiful snowflakes. Some schools are closed around here but not Kayli's, so we'll have to bundle up and get out!! But it sure is pretty!

Visiting Owasso...

Love the fact that Jon and Kristy live so close now. We have had so many opportunities to see them and spend weekends in Owasso together!!! This past weekend we drove down for Geoff's birthday, the Ladies Tea, and Christmas tree hunting! The Ladies Tea was wonderful!!! The tables were beautiful and the whole evening was very enjoyable. Saturday we celebrated Geoff's birthday and then went to look for a tree. The weather was amazing...so much so that the kids played and played between the trees and didn't want to leave. The kids and the grandma's decorated the tree and it is perfect. Jon, Kristy, Geoff, and I attended the Marriage Builder's Christmas party that night and enjoyed the OU win over Florida. It was a busy weekend trip, but much fun!! And for those of you who have to know...we will be in Owasso AGAIN this next weekend to see the Friendship kid's program and to watch grandma dance in the choir special!!!

Going on a trip...

It seems like every time we pull into Owasso and walk the halls of Friendship Baptist that people say things like, "I didn't know you were going to be here this weekend"... Anyway, this is just for those of you who need to know ahead of time...WE ARE GOING TO BE IN OWASSO THIS WEEKEND!!! We are coming down for Geoff's birthday and to be at the Ladies Tea on Friday night. And guess what else??? Jon and his family will be there too! So, no surprises....we are descending on Pastor and Carla's house for three days!!! Looking forward to seeing everyone!!!

Best Friends...

They may not know it yet, but, Kayli and Hudson are best friends. We really try to encourage both of them to hug and share and get along...we want them to always be best friends. My siblings and I get along GREAT. We had our ups and downs when we were little...well, I am the youngest...and was a GREAT pest! However, now we really get along very well. We love each other. We love spending time together. Geoff and his siblings are the same way. When we all get together, on both sides, we have a wonderful time together...and we love it! I so want my two to have the same experience...to be lifelong friends. So, here is a rare picture of them doing something together. Kayli was playing noggin on the computer this morning, minding her own business. Hudson was playing in her closet with her toys and he wandered into our room to see what sissy was doing. He stood and watched her and then she helped him up onto the chair. They sat like that for the longest time...long enough for me to get a photo just in case it never happens again! And it was a pleasant sight especially because yesterday was such a tough day with them. They were just very challenging, so to have a morning like we did today with them being so lovely together was a BIG BLESSING!
And, here is the most current photo of me and my siblings...sister, shauna and brother, jeff!

Thanksgiving in Arizona...

We took our little family to Arizona this past Tuesday for Thanksgiving time with the Smith side. That includes the Smith grandparents, a brother's family, and a sister's family. There are six grandchildren on that side, 10, 9, 6, 5, 2, 18 months...so, the house was busy with activity!!! We had a GREAT time. The weather was wonderfully warm with some showers early on in the week. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday and then did an early Christmas morning on Friday...it was a very good time. We flew home Saturday night and finally arrived home with kids in bed around 1am Sunday, vowing to never do that again! Here are a few shots from our time in AZ!!

26.2

is the official length of a marathon...yesterday our family celebrated a HUGE accomplishment in the leader of our family!!! G has been training for months to run 26.2 miles in a row, i know, why?? anyway, he had his eye on the kansas city marathon a few weeks ago, however, a chest cold prohibited that run. so, the gobbler grind of overland park came and G registered. He rose early and took off. The kids and I left here around 10 am to catch him passing by the 13, 18, and 23 mark. We just caught him at the 13 and waited for him to run back past us, at the 18, and saw his sooner hat as he came around the bend. He came by and we noticed right a way that something was wrong. His knee apparently started giving him some REAL trouble in the first 3 miles. He wasn't doing so good, but when it went numb he decided to run on it...well, he had a tough time but decided he was too far into it to quit and just kept going. By the time he finished he was hurting, bad! So, the rest of the day was set aside for some recovery. But, he did it, he ran 26.2 miles and he finished...we, who cannot ever imagine running even close to the far, are very proud of our "marathon man".


before the race, ready to go...


mile 18, and a hug from little one...


mile 23, cannot stop now running on a numb knee...almost done!!


glad to be done!!

While the cats away...

we had two extra little ones this past night and Saturday...it was a fun slumber party for i, k, h, and a...we played at the mall, watched a movie and slept over, ate chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, went to the movies, had popcorn and candy for lunch, made crafts, took naps, played noggin.com, and just had a fabulous time!!! thanks to jon and kristy for loaning the kids to us for a short while!!! We enjoyed it!!





hudson just couldn't keep up...poor guy

How the "other side" lives...

So, I have eyebrow issues...the sad story is that if bushy brows comes in, i will be in-style...however, it is not genetic, or in my blood. When I was in 8th grade I was in a vanity class at school. We learned how to sit up and cross our legs and conduct ourselves as ladies...if you'd know me then you would have put me in that class too. Anyway, our class took a tour of a salon one dreary Monday afternoon...the ladies working there took time to choose girls and do their hair or some other salon service. Well, guess who got picked for eyebrow wax demo??? Yes, me, so there I was at what, 13?, and some lady waxed the non hair above my eyes...from then on, growth! So, when I went to CA to get married, my mom encouraged me to have them waxed before my wedding, you wouldn't believe what we found under there. A pock mark too!

So, ever since then they've had to be dealt with. Usually I just go to the lady doing my hair and let her wax them at the sink. Yesterday I was in desperate need of a wax...so, I call this place to see if they can fit me in and they did. You cannot believe the experience. This lady took about 40 min to do the "shaping". There was a couch to lay on, soft music playing, and warm wax. She knew what she was doing...and she did a GREAT job. I was amazed! So, this is how the "other side" has their brows "shaped"...wow, count me in!

To be completely vulnerable I have included a before and after shot!


BEFORE


AFTER

Finally, a jack-o-lantern...

Well, we bought kayli's pumpkin as soon as walmart was selling them, which means that it rotted and had to be thrown away long before Halloween even arrived! So, on our last visit to Owasso, grandma gave kayli another pumpkin from the front yard display. We brought it home, colored on it, and cut out the insides to cook the seeds. When daddy got home, kayli and daddy cut a face and made a jack-o-lantern...finally. We put the candle in and set it outside. The season is complete, now we can move on!!




we didn't really let her use the knife! daddy did all the cutting...





Just some shots from today to leave you with...


mommy and sissy...so sweet


daddy and his little man

Trick-or-Treat!!

I finally got to attend a party at Kayli's school. She had a Halloween parade yesterday and class party. Geoff was able to stay with Hudson while he napped and I walked up to her school...here are a few pictures from the parade and the party...







Well, finally, a Halloween without too much drama from either child. And, a Halloween with Aunt Becca and Uncle Lance...even Roman dressed up and joined us for a trip down the block. We meet at Becca and Lance's house to knock a few doors on their street. Hudson was a little confused about what to do but chanted "candy" up and down the street. He never did catch on that they were putting candy in his bucket, he just knew he wanted candy and didn't want anyone to touch his stash. Kayli accepted candy graciously after a "trick-or-treat" followed by a "thank you". We even did a "don't tromp their lawn" lecture...

After a few houses, we emptied the buckets and drove to Abundant Life for their annual 'Trunk-or-Treat'. I must say, I've never seen sooooooooooo many trunks full of candy...and some had even gone home already. We walked around and got even more candy. Before we could make it to everyone, the kids gave up and decided they were done...even Kayli. So, we grabbed some burgers on the way back and had dinner at Becca and Lance's house. Whew!! What a night...Lance fed Hudson bunches of candy and Becca took Kayli door to door...it was fun! I keep realizing how special this year is and how we really need to take extra joy in these times we are spending with Becca and Lance! We love sharing these holidays with them for the first time!!!


we let her wear the mask for a while but she finally went as JUST a princess