melted snowman cookies

because it's 72 degrees out here and we're baking christmas cookies. i mean, could there BEEEE a better cookie to make here than melted snowman cookies???? just perfect i think!

aren't they ADORABLE? thanks to my friend melisa for sharing the recipe. we had so much fun making these with our friend lisa!

and if you love peppermint, the chocolate peppermint cookies are TO DIE FOR! thanks lisa for the FANTASTIC recipe!

carson turned 8

wow wow wow. time is just FLYING.


here are some pics from his birthday party on thanksgiving weekend:

a loving correspondence between brothers

carson and austin were having a squabble. carson was certain he was going to get in trouble when austin handed me the note he had given him. imagine his surprise when he saw me laugh instead.

searyeslea, how can you be mad when you read that???? (and for the record, he's not allowed to say 'pist' and he knows it). ahhhhh, the joys of parenting teenagers and little ones at the same time.

christmas trees and SNOW IN HOUSTON!

last year we were soooo happy to get back into our house on christmas eve that we didn't even care if we couldn't REALLY decorate our tree. so we threw some pinecones on a cheapy one from home depot and it was beautiful in our eyes.

but this year, i am thrilled to be able to REALLY do the tree.

austin and i spent an entire day grooming the branches & putting all the lights on and then that evening all the kids decorated it.

and we actually had some SNOW in houston. south of us, it actually stuck to the ground. but where we are, it just kind of stuck to your clothes for a second before melting. here are the boys just getting off the bus (see why i'm so happy carson finally let us get his hair cut? LOL). and doesn't hudson just look THRILLED by the white stuff? hee hee.

new pics of the kids

my dear friend stacey (of rowan and lucky photography) took pics of the kids. carson was growing his hair out so we had to work ALL of their outfits around his HAT to cover up the scruffy, messy hair (that we FINALLY convinced him to cut off last night...thank you GOD...happy meals are the BEST bribes...cheap and easy LOL).


anyhow, the pictures turned out amazing and as always, i'm amazed to see how much my kids are growing. it seems that from day to day you don't really see the change but then all of a sudden you see a picture and it hits you: THEY ARE GROWING UP :(

if you're looking for a natural light photographer in the woodlands texas, she's definitely your girl :) you can check out more of her stuff at http://rowanandlucky.com/

and the award for most neglected blog goes to...

me.

wow. early november? wish i could say it was because i was just so busy making all kinds of fun memories.

the truth is that november was a reeeeeally hard month and sometimes you just don't want to type all of that out to share, you know? the worries, fears and doubts associated with bobby's layoff got the best of me.

we've lived this before. we KNOW the truth. the fact of the matter is that God has always provided for us, even in the roughest times. we are blessed. our children are blessed. and even if, God forbid, we would lose our home, we still would have family and friends who would be there for us. so compared to so many in this crazy world, we are still far better off.

but it still doesn't change the fact that november was dark for me.

and now december is almost over...and i have some catching up to do.

so get ready for some random updates from the month. will be adding events as i have time.

xoxo.