The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Bruce has decided that THIS is the only way to put up Christmas lights! In shorts, in 70 degree weather! I have to agree though it's taking me a while to get into the holiday spirit with it warm outside and wearing sandals! We put our tree up and were scratching our heads over why it took us 14 years to finally decide on a pre-lit artificial tree! So quick and soo easy and soooo pretty and ZERO needles to vacuum up!

And in the spirit of the upcoming holidays, Sue at Happy Meals and Happy Hour once again took the words right out of my mouth (well ok, right out of my mind!) to explain hubby and my relationship about Christmas!

Last December 1st, my husband sat down at the dinner table and announced, "December is going to be a really busy month for me."

Then I stabbed him with a fork.

So I am launching the first annual Husbands' Christmas Challenge. And here are the rules:
• You must accomplish the tasks IN ADDITION to your regular responsibilities.
• You may not hire anyone to help you.
• You may not bribe your children to help you.
• You must accomplish the following by Midnight, December 24th:

Take a Christmas card photo - choose and order Christmas cards- buy Christmas stamps -sign, address, stamp & mail all 150 cards - Decorate house including wreaths, stockings, scented candles, advent calendar, indoor lights, stuffed Santas, snowmen, Christmas card holder, outdoor lights-Decorate Christmas tree with kids- adjust decorations when kids aren't around - Be sure kids have watched Rudolph, Elf, Frosty, and the Grinch - Acquire each child's christmas list - Buy wrapping paper, scotch tapes, bows, tags, bags, and tissue paper - Buy stocking stuffers, don't forget the dog - Buy and wrap gifts for kids teachers, dance teachers, karate instructors, and babysitters - Buy and wrap all kids' presents - Hide all kids presents - Buy and wrap presents for parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces,nephews and in-laws - Pack & address gifts - stand in line at Post Office - Attend at least one cookie swap - attend all Holiday School concerts - Attend all holiday school parties - Make and deliver Christmas cookies to neighbors & friends - Make a gingerbread house with the kids - Buy & fill money holders for garbage man, mailman, bus driver and cleaning lady - Set out milk & cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve - Read "Twas the night Before Christmas" - Fill stockings, set out presents, eat cookies, drain milk, leave crumbs - pass out.

THEN tell me you had a busy month. ;)

The Dogs...

Evan has been taking lots of pictures of everything lately, so I wanted to share some of the pics he's taken of our awesome dogs with you!

We've had Harley for a long time...he's about 14 years old and still the best dog in the world! He's so friendly with everyone and is very faithful! We were a little worried about moving him so far away from what he was used to, but he did great on the trip down in the car with Jonah and Bruce and he seems to love Florida as much as we do! He especially loves rolling around in the warm grass out in the yard! If I don't keep a close eye on him, he's been know to even go and take a dip in the lake behind our house! He doesn't seem to like the pool, although one day last week I think he was walking around the edge where one side is pretty narrow... and I think he may have tumbled in. I looked out on the lanai and saw him shaking and water flying...but his head was totally dry! At least I know he's a good swimmer!

Harley is so patient with Cooper...well pretty patient! Cooper tries his hardest to get Harley to play with him, but he will have none of it! He barks at Cooper and eventually chases him a few steps, but then Cooper gives up.

We rescued Cooper over Labor Day weekend and he is so much fun! Because he's only about 2 years old, he's still very playful, but also loves to sit on my lap or at my feet. He especially loves to go in the car with us and hang his head out the window with his fur blowing in the wind! You've probably seen some pictures from past blogs that he loves to be in the pool! We were pretty sure that the novelty of a new dog would wear off after a few days, but surprisingly, the kids still fight over who's going to hold him and play with him!

This is how Bruce and Cooper spend Sunday afternoons...watching football!

Cooper tries his hardest to dig through the glass to get inside to be with his people!

One Nation Under God...

Caroline over at Pocket Change put into words exactly how I've been feeling about the election and our new president! With her permission, I've posted her amazing thoughts below. Go visit her blog...and take a peek at her adorable little red head!

I am a person who tends to shy away from political issues. I simply haven't taken the time to learn about political happenings in the world today. Obviously I wasn't in the dark about the election on Nov. 4 and I did a little homework so I could make an informed choice while exercising my right to vote.

And vote I did.

I have to say I have had a really hard time with the election results. The Presidential Election results, that is. Now before anyone decides to write comments about me being a racist, please know that my unsettledness is not about that. Caucasian, African American, Asian American, whatever race the President is - that doesn't determine how qualified he/she is and how good of a job they'll do while in office.

I think for me, the real issue is this...

That so many people are looking to him and holding out hope that he will be their all in all.

But the truth is that he's just one person. And he makes mistakes like all the rest of us.

Can he bring change? I'm sure that he will in some form or fashion because the one thing that never changes is change. And change is not always a bad thing.

But we can't put our hopes and dreams on one person's shoulders because we WILL be disappointed at some point. That is for sure.

During these times of great economic instability, moral crises, and political change, our hope as a nation should rest on this...

The Lord (not a candidate or his promises) is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, O Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.Psalm 9:9-10

I pray that our new President will seek the Lord and that our nation will place its hope in God and not in man.

A Fun-Filled Sunday!

Today was beautiful and sunny, but a crisp mid 60 degrees outside! We spent the day outdoors, but were off in different directions! Bruce headed to Tampa with Jonah for the Bucs vs. Vikings game! This was Jonah's second time at Raymond James Stadium and Bruce's first...Bruce decided this is the best field he's ever been to!

Isabella, Evan and I took advantage of the free mini-golf coupon that Evan got at the awards ceremony last week and went to Smuggler's Cove. I, of course, got my butt kicked, but we had a blast!

Yup...those are REAL baby gators!

Isabella Turns 7!

Yesterday was Isabella's 7th birthday! We keep telling her to stop growing, but she just doesn't listen!!! She's always really wanted to have a pool party, but up north, swimming in November is ...well, impossible! So we had tons of kids in the pool, ate hot dogs and hamburgers, had an awesome magic show by Jonah, Evan and Dad, then cake and presents!!
The boys worked really hard learning lots of new tricks...and are thinking of taking their show on the road!
Everyone had blue tongues after we ate the Camp Rock cake!

All the party guests got blow-up guitars and microphones and had so much fun singing along with the Camp Rock cd!
Hannah, Belle and Maddie rockin' out!

First Video Blog

This is waaay out of my comfort zone because I hate even having my picture taken but whatever...I put the cutest almost 7 year old in the video with me to distract you! So here you go! My first video blog!

Awards...

Evan and Isabella had an awards ceremony at the elementary school today. Isabella got an award for PERFECT attendance! She was so excited to walk across the stage! Evan got three awards! One for perfect attendance, one for HONOR roll and one for being chosen as the student who demonstrated the character trait of responsibility for his class! Evan has had a bit of a rough time at home lately so we are so proud that he's earned these awards at school! At the end of October, he was awarded the CLASS SUPERSTAR award!

Halloween Hangover...

Pretty soon Sue over at Happy Meals and Happy Hour is going to start charging me for stealing her posts! But dang that woman is funny...and I'm well...NOT...so here 'ya go!

Damn you, Halloween Candy.

You win.

Again.

I really thought this was gonna be my year:

The Year I Didn't Touch the Halloween Candy.

I had a 3-part plan.

1. Buy candy to give out that I don't like.

2. Chew lots of gum.

3. Don't touch the kids' loot.

It was stellar. Foolproof. Probably the same strategy Heidi Klum employs.

I rocked step #1.

Bought 2 ginormous bags of Mike & Ike - (blecch.)

After the kids got home Halloween night, Step #2 was launched: Trident Mint, 4 out of 5 dentists, it's all good.

Remember that movie "The Day After"?Yeah. The Day After is when all hell breaks loose.

And you're in your kitchen all mindin' your own business and there's a bright shiny Kit Kat bar just sittin' there on the counter.

And it's all, "Hey! No one's around.....just break off one little piece.."

and you're all :"No way, Devil-Candy."

and the Kit Kat's all, "Come on, live a little, you wuss."

And the next thing you know you've inhaled

2 Kit Kats,

3 Reeces,

2 caramels and some malted milkballs.

And you're all, "CRAP! Heidi Klum would SO not have done that."

And then it's a downward spiral like a heroine addict who just started out smoking a little weed.

First it's just the high-end stuff: Your Reeces, your Twix, your Three Muskateers....but when that runs out and there's no dealer to get you the good stuff, you resort to the "second tier".

The Milk Duds....the Tootsie Rolls....the Starburst.

And before you know it, you've hit rock bottom. You're surrounded by dum-dum wrappers and you're eyeing a Bit-O-Honey.

And your 8-year-old is demanding to know where all her candy went.

And because you are, after all, an adult, and her mother, you look her in the eye and say:

"Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. It was probably your brother and his friends."