A Very Merry Christmas, Indeed.

Merry Christmas! What a wonderful few days we've had around here. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the family time we've gotten lately.

We kept our gift-giving simple this year. Partly because we've been flat broke, but also partly because we're starting to really appreciate that the best gifts are not always expensive or full of the newest technology. The best gifts are usually the ones that celebrate family and give back to others.

This year, we really focused on those two concepts. We gave photobooks full of pictures from our most recent family photo shoot. Now that the recipients have their books, I can't wait to share some of those precious pictures with you.

We also gave Asher Bracelets. Those bracelets were so special to give, and I loved sharing about how God is using this ministry to save people's lives. Asher Bracelets have currently raised $6,000 -- that's enough money to pay for 6 life-saving surgeries for babies in Uganda. And the organization that is performing the surgeries, Cure International, is matching the donations. I am so blessed just seeing what God is doing with a few beads and some scraps of fabric.

We spent our morning at church celebrating the birth of our Savior. What a special time it is when Christmas falls on a Sunday!

Afterwards, we headed over to Dada's parent's house to eat breakfast and exchange gifts. Cohen was very impressed by the tree and the mound of gifts.

He didn't really get it at first. He doesn't care much for pretty boxes, but once he saw that inside those boxes sat fun toys for him, he became more interested. My sweet boy was so overwhelmed by all his presents. He didn't know what to do.

Afterwards, we made to trip to my family's house for dinner and even more presents. By now, Cohen was beginning to master present opening, and by the time we were done, he was a pro.

We took a break from presents to play with the robots. Cohen did not like seeing the robots punch each other, and he was constantly trying to break up the fights. My little peace-maker.

This cracks me up. Cohen got a giant tub of cheese balls. Cohen loves it, and he will put his hand in and take one at a time.

My little music man got lots of musical instruments. He loves banging on his drums and dancing. We're learning how to sing into the microphone, too.

All ready to help Dada cut the grass!

Happy Birthday, Jesus! I hope you were honored through our celebrating. Thank You for the best gift no one else can give -- the gift of salvation!

The Night Before Christmas

The presents are wrapped.

The baby is sleeping.

Santa's goods have been delivered.

The Happy Birthday Jesus cake is baking away in the oven.

Christmas is here.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

An Early Christmas

Last night, we received a package full of Chrismas goodies from my Dad. Of course, we couldn't wait until Sunday to open the presents, so we had Christmas a little early.

Cohen is still trying to grasp the concept of opening presents. He's also still pretty puny from being so sick the past few days. But he enjoyed his presents! Grandpa knew he was a good boy this year.

Linking up with Paper Mama and Naptime Momtog  for Wordless Wednesday.

Dear 16 Year Old Me

Last week, a friend shared this video with me.

It's about the dangers of skin cancer. Each person in the video has survived skin cancer and is offering advice to their 16 year old self.

It's a powerful video. You should watch it. But it also got me thinking about other things.

Like who I was at 16. I wonder if that girl would be satisfied with the way her life is turning out. I wonder what she'd think about all the things that have happened differently than the way she imagined it. I wonder, if I could go back in time and give her the wisdom I've gained over the past 11 years, if she'd take my advice to heart.

I guess I'll try. It doesn't hurt to try, right?

Dear 16 year old me,

Happy birthday. Why aren't you at the DMV taking your driver's test? Don't put it off because you're afraid.

You know that guy who keeps showering you with attention? The one who's 4 years old than you? Yeah, that guy -- forget about him. And do it soon, please. He's going to steal a piece of your heart away.

I know you're not going to listen to that piece of advice. You're a 16 year old me, after all. Well, in a few weeks, he's going to give you your first kiss. In an attempt to do something with your hands during the kiss, you're going to slap him on the back. And knock the breath out of him. You are going to be mortified. But don't be. I mean, that boy deserves to be slapped. What's he doing kissing a girl 4 years younger than him?

In December, your mom, who just had your little sister, is going to announce that they're going to have another baby. I know, seriously? You're going to think your mom is nuts. I don't have any advice for you; I just wanted to ease the shock a little.

Your life is going to change dramatically in the next year. Don't leave behind the people who are good to you.

When you start to think about college, don't decide to live with people you already know. You have expectations that they can't live up to. It's not their fault. Do your best to maintain positive relationships with people.

Mass Communication will not be your major in college. Don't stress over it.

On May 26, 2003, try to wear something nice. And for goodness sake, do something with your hair. That's the day you'll meet your husband.

When you realize that you're in over your head, learn when to throw in the towel. Changing direction is not giving up.

When you go away to college, it's going to be hard for you to find a new church. And by hard, I mean, you're not going to find one. God is still with you, and He still loves you. You'll find your home soon enough.

Be selective of who you allow into your life. Remember, if people gossip to you, they'll gossip about you, too.

You will graduate college, I promise. It may take a few more years than expected, but you'll get your diploma.

When things seem impossible, remember that's the perfect time for God to move. He still hasn't let you down yet.

It takes 30 days to create a habit. Don't give up on anything before 30 days.

You have high expectations of people who you let in to your life. Sometimes they can't live up to those expectations. Learn to fogive and to love anyway. Cling to the people who do the same for you.

You're going to have a baby! Can you believe it? He's going to be such a source of happiness for you. Just remember, trust in God's timing -- it's always perfect.

I don't know why I even try. I mean, you're probably thinking about that boy right now as I spill my heart out to you. Typical. Oh well. Well, when that kiss happens, make sure you slap him once for me.

Sincerely,
Your 27 year old you

Sickie, sickie

This weekend, my boy came down with his first real illness of his life. I count my blessings that he is 13 months old and just now getting sick. Although, after this experience, I'd rather he never got sick at all. I'm sure that's reasonable.

Saturday was Dada and my 6th anniversary, and we had plans to go out on a real date. We left Cohen with his uncle, and about halfway through the movie we were watching, we received a text that his grandmama had taken him home with her. By the time we finished up our date and picked him up, the poor boy was doped up on all kinds of good drugs and feeling fine.

Until about 1 AM. My boy woke up screaming. It wasn't a hurt scream or a scared scream. It was more along the lines of a "Mom! Why aren't you in here with me?!?!" scream. I brought him to bed with me, and we snuggled for about an hour.

I put him back in his crib, and he slept for another hour before he started screaming for me again. All he wanted was to snuggle all night. I'm not going to lie, the snuggling did this mama's heart some good. That's probably the only good thing about having a sick baby, those snuggles.

So needless to say, the boy and I were awake pretty much all night long. By the time 6AM rolled around, dada took over snuggle duty and let me get some sleep.

While I slept, my poor baby got sicker and sicker. By noon, his fever had reached 103 and wasn't dropping and he just didn't look like himself. He refused to eat or drink anything. He just laid in his dada's arms, pretty out of it.

I mean, look at that poor baby.
As a sidenote, dada told me not to share this picture on Facebook for fear that we'd look like horrible parents for taking pictures of our sick baby lying on the floor instead of holding him and comforting him. So, out of respect for his wishes, I did not share this picture on Facebook. I'm sharing it on the blog, instead.

So we decided to take him to an after-hours medical center. The doctor ruled out an ear infection, the flu, and RSV and decided that my baby most likely just has a nasty viral sickie bug. He gave us some prescriptions and an official diagnosis of pharyngitis. Soudns pretty scary, doesn't it? Google it. It's a sore throat. I mean, why can't we just say, "Your kid has a sore throat" instead of throwing out fancy words that scare the jelly out of new parents?

After a bath and a large round of medicine, the boy slept all night. His daddy didn't. You know, waking up to go in the nursery and listen for breathing will keep you up. And it did keep him up, which in turn kept me up. And trust me, I'm not a nice person when I'm running on fumes.

This morning has been better. The fever is holding strong at 101, but that's better than the 103 from yesterday. Cohen's been drinking lots of water (we can't for the life of us get him to drink that Pedialyte stuff, and I don't blame him -- that stuff stinks). He ate a few bites of oatmeal and a handful of Cheerios.

And then he climbed out of my lap to play.

I was so relieved to see him playing that I decided to take care of myself a little and fix breakfast. When I peeked around the corner to check on him, this is what I found:

Apparently the boy is feeling good enough to smear his breakfast into the floor. And then pick it up and eat it.

At least he's getting his appetite back, right?



The Wedding, and My Thoughts 6 Years Later

7 years ago, as I planned my wedding, I knew only a few things: I knew the style of dress I wanted, the colors I wanted, and the man I wanted. I knew I wanted the honeymoon, and I was excited about the cute little apartment awaiting us when we returned back to the "real world."

At 21, I was a baby bride. I had a lot to learn. Heck, at 27, I still have a lot to learn. But as I look back over that precious day, I marvel at how we've changed. The Lord has been good to us, that's for sure.

We got married in our church. I knew then that there was no better place to marry my love than our church and no better person to marry us than our pastor. That's one of my favorite parts of the day. I love that we dedicated our son in the same church 5 years later. I love that we have such strong ties to the building and the people in it. It's my home. There's something so special about worshipping my God each week in the same room where, 6 years earlier, I married my husband.



Look how young we were! Looking back on it now with the perspective I have now, I cannot believe our parents actually trusted us enough to get married, much less gave us their blessing. We were kids! But we loved the Lord and we loved each other, and the Lord has blessed us.

Here's a funny note: 10 years ago, my high school physics teacher made me look him in the eye and promise him that I would not get married until I was 25. I agreed, understanding that a person grows and changes so much in their early 20s. My plan was to not get married until I was about the age I am now. I never wanted to be a young bride. But I met Travis early in life, and we knew. If I had followed my plan instead of His, look at the life I would have missed out on!

My father walked me halfway down the aisle and lifted my veil. He gave me over to my stepfather, who walked me the remainder of the way down the aisle. They both gave me away. It was unconventional, and nobody really understood what was going on, but that was so special to me. It was so important to me that both men shared a part of that duty on that day since both men had shared a part of my life.

My absolute favorite part of our wedding were the men who prayed over us. At the beginning of our engagement, Travis and I sat down and decided on 5 Godly men who we wanted to pray over us throughout our long engagement and for our marriage. At the wedding, they each said a short prayer. I tear up even now thinking about it. That was such a special moment for Travis and I, hearing the prayers of the men who faithfully prayed for us over the past 15 months.

The night was special. I think back on it fondly. But my favorite part about the wedding was the marrige it produced. I am so thankful that the Lord chose to bless me with the husband and the life that I have. Today, I thank God for the 6 years He's given to Travis and me, and I pray for many, many more.

Top 6 From the Past 6 Years

In honor of our 6th anniversary, I thought I'd pull out my 6 favorite pictures from married life. That was a hard task! I started out with a folder on the desktop titled Favorite 6 ... only there were 27 pictures in it. As I slowly whittled the pictures down, it really hit me: what a blessed marriage we've had so far. We've had ups and downs, fruitful times and lean times ... and then really lean times. We've had really wonderful years and years that we were glad to say, "See ya!" to. We've grown up. We've grown together. It can't get much better than that.



Our wedding day, December 17, 2005. We were such babies then. I was 21 and he was 22. We were idealistic and crazy about each other. I love how happy we were to have just been declared husband and wife.



First day of our honeymoon, December 18, 2005. There was a lot of love and happiness floating around.

 

Disney World trip, May 2006. Our first year of marriage was one of learning about each other. And we learned a lot. We argued a lot, too (we were just kids, after all). But even through all that, we loved each other and loved being with each other. Not a day goes by that I could imagine not being with that man.



May, 2005. He really is my Prince Charming.

 

Puerto Rico trip, June 2009.  This was such a wonderful time in our lives. I had just finished my first year of teaching, Travis had just been offered the youth minister job at church, and about a week later, we would decide to start trying for a baby. When I think about the happiest, most carefree time of my life, I think about this picture. And look at how handsome my husband is -- I am a blessed girl, for sure.

 

Cohen's birth, November 10, 2010. Our very first family picture. I look like a hot mess because I had just gone through a diaster of a birth, but I love the look of sheer joy on my husband's face.



A "Bang Your Head Against the Wall" Kind of Day

Today is just one of those days.

My patience is running on fumes, and it feels like the boy is doing everything he can to get me to just explode.

It's days like this that it feels impossible to come up with 10 things to be thankful for. But, it's days like this when I need to meditate on the good things, thank God for the blessings, and smile through the frustration.

So without further ado, here are the things I'm thankful for today:

1. I'm thankful that my job is to stay home and care for the boy. It's what I wanted so badly; what I begged God for. It's the best gift I've ever been given. It comes with its downsides, like all jobs, but it's the best job in the world, and I'm so glad it's mine.

2. I'm thankful that God has equipped me with the ability to care for my son. When things go wrong, I don't have a spirit of fear or anxiety. I have an indescribable confidence in my ability and in His ability.

3. I am thankful that my son is active, healthy, and independent. He is daring and fearless. He's stubborn and courageous.

4. I am thankful for my marriage. This Saturday will mark 6 years for us!

5. I am thankful for such gorgeous weather in the middle of December. We're talking temperatures in the 60's during the day and clear, sunny skies. It makes it difficult to get into the holiday spirit when you're sweating, but I'm thankful that I can still take my boy outside instead of being cooped up in the house.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

What are you thankful for this week? You can post in the comment section below if you don't have a blog to post to!

Linking up with Candra for Thankful Thursday.

The Christmas Outfit

A little bit of this

an entire afternoon, a Diet Coke to keep me from screaming, and some Goldfish crackers to keep the little guy occupied, and look what we've got.

The Christmas outfit has been made. Now Santa can come.

Falalalala!



Linking up with Paper Mama and Naptime Momtog for Wordless Wednesday.

Meet Booda

Entry in Paper Mama's photo challenge: Pets.


http://www.iheartfaces.com/

He was my first baby. We got him immediately after returning home from our honeymoon, 6 years ago, when owning a dog seemed like the perfect way to spend our married lives together. I loved him from the start, and he loved me. My new husband had quickly become the third wheel.

I remember the day we picked him out. Travis and I sat on the floor, looking on as a multitude of puppies yipped and nipped and climbed into our laps. As we picked through the litter to find the perfect puppy, my eyes rested on him. The little brown mass of wiggles who jumped on his littermates and bit at their paws.

"Oh, let's get the spunky one!"

Those words will forever haunt our lives.

We asked for spunk, and we got it. We got a dog who characterizes the epitome of short man syndrome: weighing in at less than 10 pounds, he has the attitude of a dog fifty times his size. He's not afraid to charge strangers and bark at their feet. He's fiercely protective. He's fearless.

He has a crooked tooth which makes his lip curl up, creating the effect of a continuous snarl. His little brain is consumed with food, and he is quick to steal your lunch if you're not watchful. His breath is horrendeous, and no amount of brushing will change that. He wants to mark everything in sight, creating a lot of trouble in our household. His bark is shrill and neverending.

He is loyal. He is affectionate. He wants nothing more than to cuddle and be loved. He loves my baby and turns into a ball of mush around him.

He is completely imperfect. A stranger couldn't love this dog.

But I do.

He reminds me of God's grace. How very similar am I to this dog. Like Booda, my list of imperfections is long, and my list of positive qualities is short. There's not much to love, if I'm honest. But just like I can't help but love that dog, God loves me. He accepts me; makes me His own. And even though I do the same annoying things over and over again, never seeming to "get it," my place in the family of God is secure.

Oh, how thankful I am today that God loves the unlovely!



Cohen Is 13 Months Old

Dear Cohen,

Today you are 13 months old! Most days I look at you and just can't believe that you are the same little boy who spent 9 months in my belly or who snuggled next to me all day long just a year ago. You are such an amazing blessing, little boy. You are such a light in my world.

You are busy, busy, busy. There aren't many moments in the day when you are not doing something loud and destructive.You sure do have a lot of energy! I try to keep up with you, but you are already wearing me out! This month, you have started to understand that things are used for certain purposes, like the cell phone is used to talk to and the remote is used to change the pictures on the TV. You only need to see how something works one time before you start practicing on your own.

You get so proud of yourself when you do purposeful things. You know that I put your legos in the wagon, so when you put the legos in there yourself, you celebrate by clapping and saying, "Yay!" You know that doors and drawers should always be closed, so whenever you see one opened, you will promptly close it, clap, and say, "Yay!" Sometimes, when things don't work the way they should (like when you break my cell phone into 3 pieces), you will bring it to me, and say, "dah." You know that I will fix things.

Speaking of cell phones, you love to walk around with mine up next to your ear. A few days ago, the phone rang, and you picked it up and put it to your ear and began to jabber. You are so funny and smart! This month, you have also learned that when you hear the garage door opening, that means dada is home. When you hear it, you stop what you are doing, get very excited ("Dada!Dada!") and walk over the the baby gate to wait for your daddy.

You are still a really good eater. You eat a lot! You can eat 2 waffles in one sitting, or a whole sandwich, or a hot dog. You discovered peanut butter this month, and you love it. You love peanut butter and banana (or applesauce) sandwiches. You still love milk, and sometimes you get grape juice as a treat, and you love that too. You could eat your weight in graham crackers.

You are still in size 3 diapers, but I think very soon we'll move to size 4. You still wear size 12 month clothes and size 4 shoes, but you're starting to wear more 18 month clothes and your size 5 shoes. I don't know if you've gained much weight this month, but you are getting much taller. And your feet are getting bigger. Your poor toes get smushed up in your 12 month pajamas!

You are learning new words and how to use them. You've recently started telling me "night night" when you are sleepy and ready to go to bed. You say "shoes" and "socks" when you see those items, and you know to stick your foot up in the air for me to put them on you. If I ask you what a monkey says, you say "ee eee eee!" We're trying to learn what Santa says before Christmas is over. You love to hear me say "Ho ho ho," but it just doesn't seem to come out of your mouth the way you want it to. You listen to everything and imitate us all the time, even when you're in the backseat of the car and we're totally ignoring you.

You are still a people person and not afraid of anyone. You get a little shy, but you are still very personable. You met Santa and weren't scared at all. You will willingly let strangers hold you. You don't get that upset when I leave you with other people.

You love music and dancing. You have become quite the dancer this month! Any time you hear music, you stop what you're doing and sway and clap. You love to watch me dance, and you try to imitate my moves. I think you sing sometimes, too, especially in the car when the music is loud. I have already told Santa that you need a microphone for Christmas.

My favorite part of the day is when you get sleepy and climb into my lap. I love the snuggles you give. Your kisses, though very wet and sloppy, are so incredibly precious they make me cry every time. You are an amazing hugger -- especially when those hugs are unexpected. Gosh, I love you. You are the best little guy in the entire world, and I am so blessed that you are mine! As always, I love you to the moon and back, forever and ever.

Until next month,
Mama

A Big Ole List of Thankfuls

Today I am thankful for...

1. After weeks, literally weeks, I finally finished my pinterest-inspired tree skirt this weekend. And it's so pretty. But it just goes to show you that, one day when people look back over my life, "Oh, that doesn't look too hard" will be my famous last words. I mean, I guess I did bring it upon myself, this difficulty. I'm the one who decided to sew a No Sew Tree Skirt. Hindsight, that probably wasn't the greatest idea, but I try to avoid situations where I burn the top layer of my skin off. And I can guarantee that I would, most definitely, have burnt my skin off had I tried to hot glue this sucker into submission.

2. We got our tree up, and it's only a few weeks past Thanksgiving. Back in our "Pre-Cohen" days, the tree was up and the house was decorated immediately upon waking up from our Black Friday afternoon nap. I fear those days are behind me, at least for a while. You know, crazy destructive toddler and all. He kind of puts a dent in my holiday decorating endeavors. Yesterday was the first day the tree was up, and within 30 minutes, the boy had uplugged the tree and was pulling it across the living room floor. Today, he hasn't paid much attention to it, so that's nice.

3. And while I'm on the subject of Christmas trees, I love having it lit up all bright in the living room, especially at night when all the other lights are turned off. If it were up to me, we'd have Christmas lights in the living room all year long.

I know, right? Enough with the Christmas tree pictures. Ok, I'll stop. For now.

4. It's been cold around here lately. Like, take your breath away cold. It's lovely. Of course, I'm not spending much time out in it; I'd much rather enjoy the cold winter weather from the comfort of my couch, under a blanket. But I love this weather. I love this time of the year. Remind me I said that in February when I'm cursing the cold and wishing for Spring.

5. Have I mentioned lately how much we love peanut butter over here? The boy is obsessed with it. He literally giggles when he sees me pull the jar out of the pantry. And now that it seems that he's gone on a meat strike, and I'm so worried about him not getting enough protein, peanut butter is the stuff. The boy loves himself a peanut butter and mashed banana sandwich.

6. I'm so thankful for God's grace. And that He extends His salvation to everyone, even the people who do absolutely horrific things we can't forgive. Around here, we're hearing the news stories of a 7 year old girl who was abducted last Friday. Soon after, she was raped, beaten, and stabbed. They found her body on Monday. Yesterday, they arrested the man they're confident did this. My heart is so heavy for what happend to this little girl. I am so sad. Naturally, I think things like, what would I do if he had gotten to Cohen instead? I'm seeing people around here say things like they hope this guy "rots in hell" and how there's a "special place in hell" for guys like this. And that hurts my heart even more. I don't think if people truly understood the eternal torment of hell and what that means, they would wish that on anyone. Don't get me wrong, I hope this guys gets a very fair punishment for the horrors he put that little girl through, but I also pray for his soul. I pray that he gets at least one more opportunity to hear the Gospel.

7. I'm thankful for new beginnings. 2012 will really be a time of new beginnings over here, and I am so thankful. God keeps us all in His hand.

8. Even though the boy's new teeth haven't broken through yet, he's feeling much better. I'm getting my happy boy back. Just look at that face, all happy and covered in mashed banana. I love him.

9. I'm thankful for toddlerhood. I know, remind me I said this next year when I'm pulling my hair out. But I really am thankful for this stage. I love watching my baby learn and process things. I love teaching him how to make animal sounds and point to the color red. I love the independence he is gaining and that he is so determined to do things I don't think he can. It's all such a blessing.

10. Sunday morning, God spoke directly to me. I love that feeling. And the realization that I am still significant enough to Him that He would use an entire church service just to encourage my heart. There truly is nothing better in life than to be a beloved child of God.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

What are you thankful for this week? You can post in the comment section below if you don't have a blog to post to!

Linking up with Candra for Thankful Thursday

Sometimes the Best Pictures Can't Be Planned

Photo entry for Paper Mama's "Favorite Photo of November" Photo Challenge.

Linking up with Paper Mama for Wordless Wednesday.

Holiday Desserts With Friends (or, What can I do with all this cake mix?)

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! http://www.duncanhines.com/.

Those of you who know me know that I am a couponer. The most basic premise of couponing is to only buy products when they are at their lowest price, and then buy a whole heckofa lot of it. So when cake mix went on sale a few weeks ago and I just happend to have coupons for cake mix, well, you know I stocked up. We're talking boxes and boxes of cake mix.

There's something about buying a product for just a few pennies that throws moderation out the window.

So as we enter the holiday season, I enter it with a pantry full of boxed cake mix. And that's not a bad thing, really, when you think about all the holiday parties and Christmas gifts that will consume my days very shortly. Because I don't know about you, but when I think of holiday parties and Christmas gifts, I think desserts.

But if you see me approaching you this season with a pretty little gift bag, don't expect a cake. And if you find the two of us at a holiday party together, don't scan the dessert table for a sheet cake. Nope that's not how I roll. Here are 3 more creative ways I like to use my mixes:

Cake Batter Dip

via

Y'all. If cake batter dip were the only thing I shared today, it'd be enough. It's that good. When I was a kid (ok, ok even today), my favorite part of making a cake was swiping my finger around the bowl and licking the batter off. And if I was ever offered the spoon? Forget about it. So you know I'm going to be all about something called cake batter dip. I made it for the baby's first birthday party, and it did not disappoint. Just a box of cake mix, some plain yogurt, and Cool Whip. That's it. I used vanilla mix and added sprinkles for a confetti dip, but I really want to try out a chocolate dip. Serve it with graham crackers or animal crackers and be a rock star.

Cake Truffles

via

A fellow teacher introduced me to cake truffles a few years ago when his wife made some to sell. She is a professional baker, and a small box of those truffles cost over $20, so I just figured I'd be in way over my head if I ever tried to make them. I couldn't have been more wrong. All you do is bake a cake, crumble it up and mix it with a tub of frosting. Form into balls and dip into chocolate. Seriously, that simple. But soooooo good. I love the chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, white chocolate coating truffle, but red velvet with cream cheese icing and white chocolate coating is also fabulous. The varieties are limitless, and they make the perfect Christmas gifts.

Cake Mix Cookies

via

I don't know of an easier way to make cookies than with a box of cake mix, some eggs, and oil. I mean, seriously? No excuse to not make cookies after learning about these little gems. The possibilities are endless: ice cream sandwiches, whoopie pies, or plain old decorated Christmas cookies. And who doesn't love a plate of homemade cookies at Christmas? I heard Santa loves 'em.

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website Duncan Hines to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Not Me (I'm still shamelessly denying stuff)

1. I did not give the boy over to his grandparents on Friday night so Travis and I could have a real dinner with real adults. I was not giddy about the whole idea.

2. I did not go to said dinner and stuff my face. I would never eat 2 appetizers, a salad, 2 biscuits, an entree, and a dessert. I did not make the classy comment towards the end of dinner that I needed to unbutton my pants.

3. When my husband got up to go to the restroom at dinner, I did not announce to the entire table that he has a tiny bladder. It did not embarrass him. He did not seek sweet revenge when my bladder suddenly shrank a couple sizes and I had to visit the little girl's room 3 times in less than 15 minutes. My new nickname now is not Suzy Smallbladder.

4. When dada offered to take over morning baby duty on Saturday morning so I could sleep in, I was not over-the-moon excited. When he and the boy were a little too loud and woke me up, I did not come downstairs and moan and complain about how loud they were being. And you know I did not go back upstairs and sleep until 11:30. 11:30, y'all.

5. I did not knock my husband out while whipping my hair back and forth(seriously, he did not fall to the ground unconscious for a few seconds). And even if I did, I would never laugh hysterically at the situation and share the story to our students on Sunday.

6. I do not have awesome family who love my baby almost as much as I do (OK, you got me there, I really do). They did not take the boy home with them on Saturday evening so Travis and I could have another baby-free evening.

7. We did not enter the evening with romantic plans which soon turned into clean-the-house plans which ultimately ended in lay-in-bed-and-watch-House-Hunters plans (both of the domestic and international variety).

8. I did not roll my mother-in-law's hand up in the car window while we were in the church parking lot.

A Fourth Man in the Fire

"And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20

The Pizza Made It Such A Good Day.

The boy and I had a fabulous, busy day yesterday.

We started the day off right: we went to see the big man himself, Santa. I had been anticipating his reaction to Santa for a while. My boy is not one to know strangers, so I didn't think the fat guy in red would scare him, but, you know, I see all these kids screaming their heads off on Santa's lap, and I just start to wonder.

Cohen was a Santa pro. He walked right up to Santa, let Santa pick him up, and promptly pulled on his beard. That's my boy. Nothing says, "I've been a good boy all year" like tugging on Santa's facial hair.



Santa was a champ though. He was really sweet with my boy. And he looks like what I envision Santa to look like, too. Not one of the typical creepy mall Santas.  I will say Santa's elves need to take a photography class or two if they're going to charge that much on the pictures. It took all I had to keep myself from grabbing their camera and snapping away.

I've become that person. I'm slightly ashamed.

How perfect was it that I got the same pose two years in a row? And how grown up does my boy look this year compared to last year?

And, let's be honest, how snuggly does 2010 Cohen look? Makes my ovaries sigh just a little bit.

Afterwards, we headed to the playground in the mall. That boy loves this place. See? I'm not even joking. The first thing he did when we walked in was hug that giant pink pig.

He's becoming a bit of a wild man. I blame it on him watching all the big kids and desperately wanting to be like them. By the time we left, he was climbing on top of that caterpillar. Not kidding. He also learned how to climb the steps on a little slide and slide down. All by himself. I mean, does he even need me at all anymore?

I knew it was time to go when I saw the little man in the corner with the look of concentration all over his face. You know what I'm talking about. So after a quick pit stop at the family restroom, we decided to share a slice of pizza. Only, the boy didn't share. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that my son ate the entire slice of pizza, leaving me maybe a bite or two.

If the pizza slice didn't cost $5, I would have gotten myself another one. But alas, I'm poor, and even as I was paying for the first slice, the little voice in my head kept reminding me that I could feed my whole family a meal for $5. I should have felt quilty, but those few bites of pizza that I got were good.

Later on, we headed up to the church to pass out free food and share the Gospel to the people participating in the Christmas parade. I am so proud to to be a part of my church and those faithful people who show up to do the work of the Lord.

We skipped the parade because, at the risk of sounding un-American, parades don't do it for me. Instead we snuggled up under a blanket and watched a few episodes from Season 4 of The O.C.

I don't really know how a day could be any better.

Still Finding Things to be Thankful For!

Today I'm thankful for:
1. SANTA! We're going to visit him this morning, and I am so excited. I cannot wait to see what Cohen thinks of him and how he will react. Last year, Cohen was only 4 weeks old when he met Santa, and he was mesmorized. Sweetest thing.

2. Dada has been home for the past 7 days. It was nice to have him home, but it's also nice that he's back at work and we can get back to normal. We've been pretty lazy this week.

3. It is December! That means lots of family time, holiday parties, good food, pretty decorations, and Christmas music. Love it!

4. We have finished our Christmas shopping! It's so nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the holiday season without having to worry about getting in those crowds. We actually had a family date night at the mall on Tuesday night, and it was a ghost town. We got everything accomplished and didn't have to get frustrated by all the crowds.

5. I've been reading up on the dangers in some trusted baby products. The chemicals in baby soaps and wipes and shampoos and diaper creams is scary. On one hand, I know I can't protect my child from everything, but I don't know that I'm going to last long using products that I now know contain such dangerous chemicals. I'm thankful for this new information and that there are all-natural alternatives out there. We will probably start exploring those alternatives soon. You can read more about what I'm talking about here.

6. I'm thankful for the exciting opportunities this blog is creating for me. More about that soon.

7. The boy is getting one of those scary back teeth. We've been dealing with it for almost a week now. it's horrible! He's cranky and refuses to sleep. He screams throughout the night. Just not fun. On top of that, I'm afraid of using pain relievers and orajel for fear that he might overdose (I know of firsthand instances of babies overdosing from both). So we are all suffering through. But you know what? I am so thankful that I have a baby who is getting teeth! I am thankful that this isn't the way things are normally around here, and soon I'll have my happy-go-lucky baby back again. And I am thankful that we don't that many more teeth left to come in!

8. I'm thankful for fires in the fireplace and big blankets to snuggle up in.

9. I'm thankful for overwhelming feelings of hope.

10. I am thankful for ministry and the differnent ways God allows us to serve. I am always humbled when I think about just how blessed I am to be able to serve!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

What are you thankful for this week? You can post in the comment section below if you don't have a blog to post to!

Linking up with Curious Georgi for Thankful Thursday.