Gingerbread houses

Our friends, Jen, Joshua, & Jonah, invited Landon & I over to make gingerbread houses the other day. This is something I have never done before, & I was eager to share the experience with Landon. Jen, the prop-mom that she is, whipped up icing in a flash, threw some incredible, yummy, candies on the table & away we went. The kids were so excited because they were able to eat candy as we put the gingerbread houses together. Landon didn't care what kind of candy we put on the house, he just wanted the candy to be yellow. So....his gingerbread house is covered in all yellow candies. hahahaha....

For me, the most enjoyable part of putting the houses together was watching Joshua turn his back away from his mommy, so she wouldn't see him eating another piece of candy. hahaha...OH AND, watching Jonah shake with excitement over getting the eat candy! It was hilarious....

What a fun activity!!!

It's stuck

Landon has been so excited about Christmas this year. While my family was visiting us last week, we took the kids to see Santa. Afterwards, we noticed some of the homes around our neighborhood had their Christmas light up already. Landon wanted to get a closer look at the lights. I slowed the car down for my family to get a better look at the decorations at one particular house when Landon says to me, "Look Mommy, they have their Christmas out!" hahahaha....So now everytime we see outdoor lights, we say "they have their Christmas out." After Thanksgiving, Jeff got up in the attic & pulled out our Christmas decorations so we could get our Christmas out. While I was pulling decorations out of boxes, I heard this loud, high pitch, sound. When I turned around, it was Landon. He got into the box of stockings & put one on his head. The only problem was he could get it off & he was screaming like a little girl because it was too tight around his big head. hahahahaha.....

(yes, I have pants for my son, but he doesn't always put them back on after he uses the potty...hahahaha!)

Thanksgiving

Since Jeff was scheduled to work on "black Friday", we decided to stay home & invite our friends, the Wallers family, over for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving morning, I was hard at work, cooking up a storm in the kitchen when I discovered that my husband & son were missing. When I finally found the two of them, they were sitting in the back of Landon's monster truck, out on the driveway, drinking roots beers & Jeff was smoking a cigar. I asked both of my boys what was going on, & Jeff replied, "we're tailgating". hahahahahaha......

more birthday party pics

Landon's 3rd Birthday

Landon turned 3rd on Saturday the 22nd. Jeff & I decided to have a

party at home with our family & friends. The theme of Landon's party was "Thanksgiving Feast". The kids wore pilgrims hats & indian head-dresses. They made pilgrim & indian vests, they played pin the pilgrim hat on the turkey, & they even decorated their own turkey cookies. Afterwards we all enjoyed a big Thanksgiving Day style meal! Hands-Down, this was the best birthday party yet!

"It's a wonderful life...Jeanie"

This weekend my family celebrated my mom's 50th birthday. A while back my dad was looking for party idea's for my mom's birthday. I suggested taking my mom to Springfield, MO where she was born. I thought my grandmom could share with our family about where my mom's life began. I didn't think the idea would go over very well, but it did. My dad was very receptive to the idea, & so was my grandmom. My grandparents are originally from Springfield, MO & that's where they had my mom. My dad rented a mini-van & we all loaded up in Pittsburg, KS where my grandmom is currently living. We headed over to Springfield, MO for the day. We kept calling my grandmom, our GPS. She navigated the "It's a wonderful life tour" as we referred to it. She took us to see where my granddad (who passed away 9 years ago) grew up, where she grew up, the hospital where my mom was born, the house they brought my mom home to, etc. We even went to the cemetery where my great grandparents were laid to rest. We noticed what looked like the original "Steak 'n' Shake" & my mom hollered out, "Hey, Nana use to take me to that "Steak 'n' Shake" when we all would come over to Springfield to visit her." With that being said, we stopped & had lunch there.

Later that afternoon, we headed back to Pittsburg. My mom's siblings joined us & we had a little party for her at grandmom's house. My dad took us all out to dinner at none other than Pittsburg's famous, "Chicken Annie's."

We had such a fun day, despite the miserable weather. I know my mom enjoyed it... she was smiling the entire trip.

Mom's 50th birthday