Our Manger Scene....a Child's Perception

We recently decorated our house on the inside for Christmas....we haven't gotten all of the outside done due to the frigid temperature and not being home.  As Seth gets older each year, his interest peaks in the decorations, recognizing symbols and characters associated with the Christmas tradition.  This year, he has shown a lot of interest in our manger scene.  We have had to caution him about "playing" with the manger scene because he thinks the figures are like his plastic animals and action figures.  The other night after he went to bed, I found this....

Yes, that is a lion and a squishy frog visiting Baby Jesus.  The lion has been put back in the toy box but the frog continues to visit daily.  I decided to take a picture of this because I figured it would make for a great memory down the road and who knows?  Maybe a great Christmas card picture.... Merry Christmas to you!

Five Years Ago Today.....

Our lives changed forever....and in a wonderful way.  We were blessed with a great little man.  I can't believe how quickly those five years have passed!

I never knew how much energy you would have and continue to have...you have kept us on our toes these last five years!

You continue to amaze us and teach us every day.  Thank you for being the blessing that you are.
Happy 5th Birthday Seth!  We love you very much!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

We are truly thankful for all the blessings in our lives!

Seth and his friend Abby at their school's Thanksgiving feast!

Time for a New Post....

Ughhh.....I think apologizing for not posting is a little late at this point, but I do have a few days off away from school, so I will use it to my advantage.  Here lately, my weekends have often felt like work--not that they are any different from anyone else's, but we have been busy with things like.....soccer.

And other things, like birthday parties....Rob celebrated 40 years in October and it seems like we have had many birthday parties to attend on recent weekends--especially Seth's friends.

Here is another good one of Rob's 40th along with his appropriate gifts--denture cleanser, prune juice, senior vitamins and a notebook to remind him where he parked his car--courtesy of Joe!

And we had Trunk or Treat at church the Wednesday before Halloween.  We as a family decided to be the Cat in the Hat (Rob), Thing 1 (Seth) and Thing 2 (me).

This is really A LOT more thrown together than it looks....makeup and white felt with black puffy paint can do a whole lot for a costume!

 And then we had Halloween, where we went over to the Jetts' annual Halloween get together.  They have a great neighborhood for trick-or-treating (ours is pretty good, too) because so many people decorate their houses and yards.

My pregnancy is going well, and I do have some more ultrasound photos to post, although I have not scanned them in yet--maybe I can add that to my list for Friday!  :-)  We are having a little girl, for those of you who don't know.  Seth is excited as are we.  It seems a little tougher this time to get into new baby mode.  There is a lot to be done and I continue to put it off, and BOOM here we are at 21 weeks.  I keep telling myself things will fall into place, and I know they will with the help of friends, family, and especially GRANDPARENTS!  I continue to be tired, but nothing like I was.  As long as I continue to move, I do pretty well.  It's the sitting still that gets me. 
We did have a family photo done a few weeks ago that we plan on using for our Christmas card this year.  This actually accomplished 2 things--the Christmas card and a family picture before the baby comes.  Some childhood friends of mine did the picture shoot and they do a great job--Sister Snaps Photography .  Here is one of our favorite shots:


Rob and I recently celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary.  We shipped Seth off to my parents' for the weekend and went to Raleigh for the day to enjoy ourselves--Christmas shopping, Carrabbas', Aunt Anne's cinnamon sugar pretzels, decaf pumpkin spice latte (me) and hot chocolate (Rob).   It was a nice, although tiring, day! 

Changes.....They Are A Coming.....

Fall Question Fest!

My friend, Katherine tagged me in this Fall question fest.   I love fall, so I felt compelled to participate---maybe if I participate it will FEEL more like fall.

Do you like Starbucks? And are you a fan of their seasonal coffees?
I do like Starbucks.  I am a fan of their seasonal coffees.....the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Peppermint Mocha are great.  I am also a fan of their Caramel Macchiato and their Chai Latte.  I don’t like the facts that they are so expensive and they do not want to serve a small size drink anymore.

How do you decorate and prepare for Fall?
We put out some Halloween decorations around the house and we always get a few pumpkins for our porch.   I hang a scarecrow on the front door and we have a few wooden stick figures we stick in a hay bale in our yard.  I love sunflowers and have a silk arrangement on my kitchen table.

Will you participate in your college's homecoming activities?
Probably not.  I know, I am a party pooper.  Go Pirates!

What is your favorite Fall clothing item or accessory?
My Dansko shoes.

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?
I don’t know if it was my favorite, but I can remember my mama dressing me like a little dutch girl complete with wooden shoes and braids.

Do you like Halloween/Horror movies? Do you have a favorite?
No I do not....I do like a good mystery though.

What is your favorite Fall Activity?
I do enjoy being outside during the fall.  I look forward to spending some time on my screened in porch!

What is your favorite Fall recipe?
Anything with sweet potatoes or pumpkin in it. 

And then she added eight more quickie questions, and here they are:

What movie coming out soon are you looking forward to seeing?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

What will you miss most about Summer?
Me time!  And time spent at home.

When do you start your holiday shopping?
During the summer

Favorite exercise/activity?
I enjoy walking, I just wish I had more energy to do it!

Best book you've read lately?
The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

Do you make your bed every day?
If I don’t, Rob does.

If you could choose a personal chef or a personal shopper, which would you choose?
Personal Chef!

Which TV show are you most excited for this Fall?
Dancing with the Stars, Glee, and Modern Family


I need to tag some folks to complete this as well, but don't feel any pressure to....it's all in good fun!  Please let me know if you choose to participate!

Julie
Katie
Angel
Reiko
LeighAnn
Heather/Whitney
Lauren

Busy Times Make for Busy Lives

Yikes, I can't believe it's been so long since I have posted.  Let's see, school has started and we have gotten over the hump and back into the routine.....that's the hardest part, you know!   Seth is getting along well in his Pre-K class and has taken up a new interest in drawing.  All of a sudden, I see all these stick figures all over my refrigerator.  Seth has also had a recent bout of swimmer's ear....from the bathtub...yes you read that right.  Seth has had 2 sets of tubes and has one remaining tube in one of his ears.  We still put earplugs in his ears for bath and swimming.  One night, the earplug fell out when we were washing his hair, and water got into his ear.  It was still hurting him the next morning so off to the doctor we went.  Soccer season is starting and Rob is planning to coach Seth's team again.  I think soccer will be more meaningful for Seth this year, with him being a little older.  Maybe not so much rolling on the ground and hitting teammates.

I know this post is all over the place, but I would like to put in a prayer request for my best friend, Tammy Curtis.  Tammy suffers from kidney failure and has been on dialysis for a year.  For some reason her blood is still not being cleaned as it should be. This causes her hemoglobin to go down, she becomes very tired, and she has to get blood transfusions every so often.  The doctors are unsure as to why this is happening, but are willing to take some steps to find out. Tammy is having her spleen removed tomorrow.  She has been told that her spleen is enlarged and it is causing her some pain.  We are hoping and praying that this will help the issue of her hemoglobin going down.  Please, please say a prayer for Tammy and her family tomorrow.

 

Janet, Me, and Tammy (August 2010)