Ten on Tuesday

Don't worry, there will be other posts coming very soon, that will include pictures, but until then lets enjoy this weeks Ten on Tuesday. I usually get my questions from Chelsea, but today I have decided to write my own questions.

1. What was the highlight moment of 2009?

I have two and they both involve new additions to our family. First, we welcomed our little girl, Taylor, into the world on March 17th. I have always wanted a little girl and God new the desires of my heart and gave me more than I could have ever have asked for. Second, I have a new little brother, Kris. If you didn't know, I have always wanted a little brother and this year our family received the best early Christmas present of all. If you can't tell, it's been a pretty special year for us.

2. What was the worst moment of 2009?

I don't like to focus on the bad, the saddest moment was definitely not being able to spend Christmas with our family in Texas. Although, it should be noted that we had a fabulous Christmas and that would have been the only thing we would have changed.

3. How do you plan to celebrate New Years Eve?

We aren't really sure yet. Adam & I mentioned making a nice dinner together, after the kids go to bed, but we still don't have any set plans.

4. Do you eat anything special on New Years Day?

My mom always made black eyed peas, ham, and some other stuff that I wasn't ever a fan of. I do like ham, but I never really liked the foods served on New Years Day. This year we will eat whatever I make, which reminds me that I need to make a menu for the next couple of weeks.

5. Do you set New Years Resolutions and if so, wanna share a few?

No, I never have. My thought is I would rather make goals all year long and can start them whenever I want.

6. What are you looking forward to the most in 2010?

It's going to be a big year in our house. Adam & I both turn 30 this year. I used to think that was old, but now I look at it as just a number. I feel young and plan to embrace turning 30. I have some exciting things planned for this year and that will be explained in detail very soon.

7. Name some highlight moments of the last decade?

I remember spending New Years Eve at my friends house when the clock stroke midnight in 2000. Y2K was all the rage and no one knew what would happen. It's hard to believe that was 10 years ago. The three biggest highlights of the last decade are marrying my hot hubby, Adam, and giving birth to two beautiful children, Mason & Taylor.

8. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

I'll be 40, now that is crazy! Honestly, I don't know. I would like to say that we will be living back in Texas and have a house full of kids, I'm thinking at least one more, maybe two more.

9. Do you stay up til midnight on New Years Eve?

Yes, although I try to go to bed soon after that. I like to watch the ball drop on TV and kiss my hubby.

10. What did you learn in the last decade?

So much! The biggest lesson I learned is you can't go back and change your past, you can only change your future. So don't dwell on the past, because it shapes who you are today.

Happy New Years!

Ten on Tuesday

Today's questions come from Chelsea. Feel free to do your own either on your own blog or in the comments.

1. When do you put up and take down your Christmas decorations?

We put up our Christmas tree either the day after Thanksgiving or that weekend, depend on how much shopping I get done. There's something about having your house all decorated for the holidays that makes it magical and puts everyone in a great mood. We take down the decorations the weekend after Christmas. It's very sad.

2. What do you do to simplify the holiday season?

I try to get all of our Christmas shopping done as early as possible. I don't like to start any earlier than Black Friday though. I feel like doing the Christmas shopping isn't stressful, I enjoy it. I also wrap presents the night after I buy them. That way I'm not waiting til last minute. I make the most of it and put on Christmas movie, while I'm doing it.

3. What do you do to remind yourself and your family what the Christmas season is all about?

Our children are very young, but never to young to hear the Christmas story about Jesus. Everyday, we share the story with them and I point the pictures out in the book. I love when Mason comes home from church on Sundays and he has a handful of pictures that he made in Sunday School and points out Jesus and Mary to me.

4. How do you spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

This is our first away from family, so this year we will try to incorporate some of our families traditions with the news ones we want to start. Since we haven't found a church that does a candlelight Christmas Eve service here, I'm going to make dinner and then we will go look at Christmas lights. Mason & I already made Christmas cookies to put out for Santa.

Christmas morning, I'm sure we will be up bright and early to open presents. We will read the Christmas story to the kids and make breakfast (because I doubt my son will eat anything if he opens presents first), and then open presents. For lunch we are heading to our friends families house. We also plan to skype with my family that afternoon, when they open presents.

5. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Christmas Eve, my family would always go to the Christmas Eve service, then go out to eat, followed by looking at Christmas lights.

6. Did you do the whole Santa thing growing up? What do you like or not like about continuing the tradition?

Honestly, I know we did, but I was pretty young when I realized that Santa wasn't real and my parents always did a good job at making us aware that Christmas isn't about Santa, but about the birth of Christ.

We are doing the Santa thing, but we aren't putting a lot of emphasis on it. I think it's fun for the kids, but at the same time, some of my most memorable Christmas' didn't revolve around what Santa brought for Christmas.

7. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

Sugar cookies decorated with icing and sprinkles.

8. How do you take your eggnog?

I do not like eggnog.

9. What is your favorite Christmas carol and why?

It's a tie between O' Holy Night and Silent Night. Anytime I hear either of those songs, I get chills listening to the words.

10. When is the last time you had a white Christmas?

2004. It snowed on Christmas Eve and there was still snow on the ground Christmas morning. It's very rare that it snows in Houston, so we loved every minute of it.

Flashback Fridays

Since it'sChristmas time, I thought I would continue to post pictures from our Christmas past. Here's Adam with one of his younger sisters, Laura, and younger brother, David. We believe this was taken when Adam was nine. Adam especially likes the photo because he is wearing footsie pj's. He loves them! I wasn't a fan of them growing up. I didn't like anything covering my feet and still don't.

I realize why parents loves them so much - great for keeping the kiddos warm, without having to worry if they are still covered up on a cold winters night. I have to admit, Mason & Taylor look so cute in their pj's. But I'll give them a choice as they get older.

Ten on Tuesday

I have several blog friends that have been doing or recently started Ten on Tuesday. In order to spice up the blog a bit, I thought I would write my first Ten on Tuesday. That means, this will most likely become a weekly thing. This weeks Ten on Tuesday questions comes from Chelsea. There are 15 questions this week, but I always say "the more, the merrier!" Be sure to stop by and check out her blog.

1. If you could change anything about your physical appearance, what would it be?
I have decided that too many woman focus on the negative about their bodies, instead of embracing what God gave them and I'm trying to do that. I haven't always been good at it and I wouldn't say that I am now, but for my children's sake, I want to do a better job at it. That doesn't mean there aren't things I don't like about my body, so please don't be fooled. So because you asked, I wish I didn't have dry skin. I was born with really dry skin and no matter how much moisturizer I use, I will always need more.

2. Is there a bad habit you find annoying in others?
Just one? I really don't like when people are late! To me, it's a lack of respect. However, you can get around this pet peeve of mine, if you call to let me know you will be late. Just don't make it a habit!

3. What is your favorite recipe using ground beef?
Texas Chili! It is such a comfort food and perfect for those fall and winter evenings. The spicier, the better.

4. What was your favorite book as a kid?
I loved the Romona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary. A close second would be the Baby-sitters Club by Ann M. Martin. Whenever I would go to the library, I would always have several of these books to take home.

5. Did you work as a teenager and if so, where?
Yes, I started babysitting at 11 yrs old almost every Saturday all the way thru Junior High. In High School, I worked at Fashion Park Cleaners. It was great, because we just tagged the clothes and sent them off to the plant to be cleaned. In our downtime, I would do homework, or visit with friends that would stop by. The hours were great - I was done by 7pm during the week and only had to work until 4pm on Saturdays.

6. Did you work while in college and if so, where?
Yes, I waited tables at Red Lobster. I actually met Adam's brother and sister thru waiting tables. I knew Laura & David before meeting Adam.

7. When you go to sleep do you like total darkness or semi? When you go to sleep do you need quiet or is semi noise ok?
I prefer total darkness and quiet. I'm such a light sleeper, that the littlest noise will wake me. The only time I don't mind, was after our children were born and sleeping in our room. I would turn our closet light on at night, so that I could easily check on them. However, I didn't get much sleep.The first night after each of them moved to their rooms, was some of the best sleep I have ever had.

8. When doing laundry, fabric softener or not?
Not in the washer, but I put the fabric softener sheets in the dryer.

9. Open toed or closed toed shoes?
I love open toed shoes. It's weird, I love to be barefoot but I love shoes. So open toed is the closet I come to this.

10. Would you rather be blind or deaf?
I think blind. I think you can tell more thru a person's tone than thru their body language.

11. Dangle or stud earrings?
Dangle, hands down. I LOVE accessories. I almost always have earrings in, unless I'm asleep. I will wear stud earrings if I'm working out or camping.

12. Bottled water or tap?
I prefer tap, as long as it has been filtered.

13. What do you put on pancakes?
Peanut Butter and syrup.

14. On a long trip, would you rather drive or fly?
Flying is way more convenient, especially now that I have kids. Living so far from our family, it's much quicker to take a 3 hour flight to Houston, instead of driving 24 hours. However, I have some of the best memories from long road trips. In one weekend, my friend Jeanna & I drove to South Carolina to see her boyfriend and my friend David. I think we spent a total of a day and half there, but we have some great memories from that trip. Another road trip involved Jeanna, Jonathan, David, & I driving to West Virginia for a ski trip. It never snowed, but it was another memorable week.

15. Do you prefer classic old movies or new?
This is a toss up. One of my all time favorite movies, It's a Wonderful Life, is a classic. However, one of my new favorite movies, Jules & Julia is new.

Flashback Fridays

I realize it has been a month since I posted a Flashback Friday picture, but they are back. Here is a picture from our first Christmas together. We were engaged and only a month and half away from getting married. A lot has changed in the last five years.

This Christmas

If anyone doesn't know, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. Everything about that time of year makes me smile. The BBQ's, swimming, the warm summer nights, friends, family, and lets not forget the fireworks. It's magical! Christmas is my second favorite holiday and in all honesty, I would say it's a close tie with the 4th of July.

Christmas seems to fly by every year. We only get about a month to really celebrate it and it just doesn't seem long enough. As I put up our Christmas tree this year, I couldn't wait for the sun to set and the darkness to fill our house. I looked forward to the lights on our tree illuminating throughout the house. As that moment approached, I remember telling Adam that I wish we could keep our tree up all year long. Besides, the corner in our living room will look so bare when it comes down.

Adam & I will be celebrating our fifth Christmas together and this is a year of firsts for our family. After five years together as a couple, we put up our very first Christmas tree. Shocking, I know.

The first year we celebrated Christmas together, we were engaged. Our first Christmas as a married couple, I was sick most of the month with morning sickness and then a nasty cold, so I didn't feel up to decorating our apartment or putting up a Christmas tree. Besides, we would be with our families that day.

The following year, on Mason's first Christmas, we were packing to move two weeks later and the thought of adding one more thing to our to do list, before we moved across country, was not appealing to me. Last year, I spent 6 weeks over the Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays in Katy with our families. Since neither of us were home, we didn't put a tree up. However, we did purchase our first tree a few days after Christmas last year.

Like I said previously, this is a year of firsts in our house this Christmas season. Not only do we have our first tree, it will also be the first time we won't be home with our families. I tried to focus on the positive at Thanksgiving and told myself that we just saw everyone a few weeks before that for Laura's wedding. We stayed busy and had great friends to spend the holidays with, so that helped. I have a feeling it will be harder for us come Christmas Eve.

It's hard for me to imagine not being with our families this year, but it's a part of life sometimes, especially when you live so far away and I know they will be with us in our heart. Saying that doesn't make it any easier. This will be Taylor's first Christmas and she is at such a fun age right now and it saddens my heart that our families won't get to share in this memory with her. It's moments like these that I wished we lived closer, so that we could be near our families so they can see the kids grow up.

The biggest first this year will be the new addition to our family. My brother, Kris, will be home with my parents a week before Christmas. Almost everyone in our family has had a chance to meet him, and I long for that day. You see, I have wanted a little brother since I was very young. Even when I was in college, I used to tell my parents that they were never too old to have another child. My wish is finally coming true and I wish I could be there to share his first Christmas as a member of our family.

So as Christmas approaches, I'm trying so hard to make the most of it. Our tree is up, the stockings are hanging, and the smell of food fills the house. But the best part of Christmas has nothing to do with all the decorations and food, although they are nice. It's about a baby being born in a manger, and the beginning of the best gift of all, Jesus.

Meet my new brother

Mom, Kris, & Dad

Adoption Update

I have had several people ask me for an update on the Adoption:

On November 10th, my parents met Kris for the first time. It went extremely well and Adam & I were even able to Skype with them and meet Kris via the Internet. Kris is just as excited as we are and can't wait to be a part of our family.

Tomorrow, Kris will be traveling to Katy for the very first time. My parents have a lot planned and I know it will be a busy and fun weekend for everyone involved. After finals in two weeks, Kris will be in their home for good, just in time for Christmas. It's going to be a very special Christmas this year.