A GREAT day to start Twilight

I turned my sound machine onto thunderstorm for a little added drama and voila I was in Forks.

I was so distracted by my desire to get back to Twilight, that I didn't pay attention to the sugar cookie recipe and accidentally doubled it. Ops. The cookies were for the kids to decorate at a Christmas party. Once again Trisha pulled off a fabulous party complete with a cocoamotion (hot chocolate making machine = Mormon heaven)

Cookie decorating
Present pass

Happy Adam...his shirt says bah humbug but he slobber all over it so it's hard to see.
Ho Ho HoAdam's favorite pass time...chewing on his hand, but he sure was eyeing those Chick Fil A nuggets. Steve later dipped his pacifier in hot chocolate and he REALLY appreciated that. Forget the fact that he hasn't started on rice cereal yet.Adam's slept in his crib two nights in a row...a new record.Some daddy/daughter time. Steve feels the need to introduce Shannon to new electronic activities. The latest has been PBSkids.org. She's already a master at mario cart thanks to the wii at Best Buy.

He's a maniac

Just a day in the life of Adam

It's my party

AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO...

This was the theme for Shannon's 4th birthday. It was a week long extravaganza for various reason. It all started with her school party, Nov 20th, because it was the last day before Thanksgiving break. She insisted on a pink cake.

Cake #1Then on Saturday was her party at the clubhouse. Since we were leaving for Thanksgiving and wouldn't be back for her birthday, we had to have it a week early. What a mess! She cried. She whined. She ran and hid. She wanted to throw kids out. Two words...NEVER AGAIN! Unfortunately I'd already arranged a little cake and ice cream get together in Chattanooga on her actual birthday and it was too late to cancel. That went the best of the three.

I still can't believe I made a total of 5 cakes over the course of the parties. I was pretty proud of my "pink" themed food, which included strawberry milk, pink yogurt raisins, pink rice crispy treats, strawberry and white chocolate cookies, terra chips (the veggies chips, some of them pink/red), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the shape of crowns, crown sugar cookies with pink icing and pink "S" sprayed in food coloring, and last, pizza with "S" shaped peperoni's. I'm glad I went all out seeing as how we will NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!Cake # 2 and 3

Activities included relay races, a pinata, candy bar unwrapping contest, and sword shaped balloons for the boys and flower balloon corsages for the girls.

Someone told me later and rule that would have been helpful when planning the party...only invite the amount of kids as the age of the child. So for Shannon it would have been 4 instead of 13. Oh well, live and learn.

Cake #4 and 5 (I put my foot down and stopped with the strawberry cakes)

Shannon loved every present she received

BEAT YA!

We've actually had our tree up for a week now. Before you start thinking we're completely insane (because you know we kind of are), remember that we'll be gone for Thanksgiving and then two weeks later head out for a little while too. So we had to enjoy it while we could.

Setting up the tree was our family home evening...but we were multi tasking and getting Shannon ready for her bath too (hence, the nakedness)

Swaddling clothes? No, just a diaper blow out and mom didn't have time to get him dressed. Plus, I don't think baby Jesus was this hefty.

Adam looks THRILLED about being dressed like his sister.

My Sweet, Patient Adam

A Da Vinci in the Bathroom

Posh Spice inspired me with the Andy Warhol she hung in her closet. After receiving a copy of a Da Vinci at the art museum, I framed it and put it in my bathroom to compliment the Renoir that was already there.

An apple a day

My dad and I took a trip to the local apple orchard and came away with a bountiful harvest. We've been going to the Fairmount Orchard since I can remember. I even carried on a gallon of apple cider to BYU (back when you could do that stuff). If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, the 3 a day I'm eating is considered life insurance.

winesap, mutsu, granny smith

Yes Dana, this is an Arkansas Black...jealous?

A "Melissa" day

1st stop...Penzey's spices

2nd stop...Birmingham Bake and Cook

3rd stop...Whole Foods

Adam already HATES shopping

Araskya and I had a great day indulging our senses!

The Things We Do For LOVE

I made fun of my brother for buying soy milk (he was always a bit of a hippy). But with my dairy/wheat free diet, I've been dying for some cereal. I broke down and bought the silly soy and was in heaven with a bowl of Kix (there's something about cold milk and crunchy cereal the makes me weak). Then, at Whole Foods I bought some soy ice cream (or as I call it foe cream). Definitely not the same, but it'll do.

A New Roll

Check out the new hunk of chunk above Adams' wrist

Up To

I've been MIA lately from the blogging world. Here's why...Shannon's birthday is coming up; I'm trying to get a Christmas present finished in order to get in here in time; and Steve's been hogging the computer do so school work (so selfish!)

A Soft, Sad Goodbye

This past weekend, on a perfect fall day…blue skies, crisp breeze, changing leaves...our friends said goodbye to their 4 month old son. I haven’t been to a funeral in quite some time, but as Clancy kissed the casket and Christie took a rose from the top, I was reminded that heart ache is a physical state of being.
To Zander…you taught us much; we are forever changed; you will never be forgotten.

The Great Pumpkin (week)

This week my mom came down to help out and spend time with the grandkids. Unfortunately Shannon had a cold, but we managed to have some fun.

Made Bread

Araksya taught us to make her special whole wheat bread that doesn't resemble a door stopper. This woman can smell how much salt there is when she's cooking. That's my next goal.

Sweet Success

Attended Shannon's preschool Halloween party.

Carved some pumpkins and made roasted pumpkin seeds.

Steve and Shannon demonstrate what the pumpkin will look like

Attended the Ward Trunk or Treat
Planned a date...then ended up at the Honda dealership getting our car fixed. We EVENTUALLY made it to the Cheesecake Factory after sitting in rush hour traffic on 280(in seperate cars but continuing our date via cell phone), but darn it, we were going to make it because we have so few opporunitites to eat without children.

Went Trick or TreatingThe GREAT BIG Pumpkin

Adam sleeping on the job

Stared at this cuttie
Who is that good lookin' boy?

Thanks for a great week Mom!