I guess Christmas has come and gone! We spent the 26th celebrating with hubby's family. My nieces and nephew got a Wii, so the kids (and adults) had lots of fun playing with it. Unfortunately, my bag fell off the kitchen counter, and my camera broke. I have no pictures! Thankfully, my SIL plans to share hers via Snapfish. It would bug me forever to have no pics from Christmas 2007 with Grandma and Papa Don! Also, thanks to Grandma and Papa Don for giving me a nice envelope with money inside for Christmas. I will now be using it to buy a new camera. :) In the meantime, I am thankful I still have my old camera to use.

Grammy and Papa (my parents) left Saturday morning to return to California. We spent the day being lazy around here. We did, however, try out my new present.


Although I made a HUGE mess, we enjoyed the waffles. The kids had fun eating them, and we hope to make Mickey a regular weekend feature. Next time, however, I will be using a mix rather than starting from scratch (I tried to be Martha, but next time I will take the easy route). Thanks to Grammy and Papa for the waffle maker!

One more thing...I just have to show this. I thought this was so cute that I bought it to set by our front door. I don't know why, but it makes me happy. My hubby thinks I am crazy. :)


I rarely buy things simply because I like them, so this was a Christmas gift to myself!

Our Christmas 2007 was wonderful! We enjoyed spending time with our family; the kids had a ball playing with their grandparents and cousins. Now it's time to get ready for 2008. I can't believe how fast time flies!

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends

Those of you who know my Favorite Boy will not be surprised by his excited comment on Christmas morning.

"I just love Santa for leaving a math workbook in my stocking!"

And yes, for those of you who don't know him, he was being serious. Watching him happily look through the workbook made my former-teacher heart all warm and fuzzy!

Have a great weekend!

Labels: Christmas, My Favorite Boy, Small Talk

Our Christmas morning was exciting! My Favorite Boy was thrilled to find an Xbox under the tree. I have a feeling he is going to enjoy many hours of fun with it. He has been beating his dad in Madden football games for the last couple of days.

My Best Girl found lots of princess stuff under the tree. Here she is enjoying her princess vanity.
And look! A Belle dress! Perhaps now she won't be Snow White every day. The Belle dress is a little long, so I am sure her Snow White dress won't be discarded completely.

We had a wonderful Christmas morning. We have been on the run ever since, so we plan to stay in and enjoy our new toys today!

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

My Favorite Boy asked for three Christmas presents: an Xbox, Madden NFL, and a Backyard Soccer computer game. On Christmas Eve, as Santa was wrapping the presents and setting them under the tree, he realized that he couldn't find the Backyard Soccer game. It had been purchased, but it was missing!

After searching and searching, Santa gave up trying to find the game, and he left my Favorite Boy a note.

In case you can't read it, the note explained that Santa lost the game. Santa felt that there must have been a hole in his sack.

On Christmas morning, my Favorite Boy found the note.

About the same time, my hubby happened to think of one more place to look for the game. BINGO! So, as my hubby went out to get the paper, he happened to notice that something was in the grass where he had sprinkled the reindeer food on Christmas Eve. He called for my Favorite Boy and showed him the game. My Favorite Boy exclaimed, "I guess when Rudolph was eating, the game fell right out of Santa's sack! We should send him a letter and tell him not to send me another one!"

I know Santa must have been so frustrated as he looked for that game, but I know he will be thrilled to know that it all worked out in the end. :)

Be sure to check back later for pictures from our Christmas morning!

Labels: Christmas, My Favorite Boy

Today we plan to celebrate Christmas with my hubby's family, but I wanted to start sharing pictures from some of our festivities. We spent Christmas Eve with my parents who are visiting from California. My Favorite Boy took the time to pose with Grammy and Papa, but Snow White wasn't as willing.



Grammy and Papa gave Snow White this fun trampoline. She is going to have lots of fun with it!

For some reason, my Favorite Boy is a Gator fan (we are UT fans). Grammy and Papa gave him this Florida uniform. He wore it on Christmas Eve and all day on Christmas. He was also excited to open two new Leapster games from Uncle R. and Aunt R. They live in New Mexico, and we didn't get to see them this year. :(

Are you looking for a photographer? My hubby and I gave both of the kids a Fisher-Price digital camera. I highly recommend this photographer for your next photo shoot. Not only can she take lots of great very close-up pictures, she can stylishly pair a Christmas sweater with a Snow White costume. How many photographers do that?

Before going to bed, we left cookies out for Santa. My Best Girl and her daddy also spread reindeer food in the yard. This reindeer food played an important role in our Christmas morning festivities; stay tuned for that story!

I hope your Christmas Eve was as enjoyable as ours! I'll be back soon to share more of our Christmas fun. Happy Day After Christmas!

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends

My parents are arriving at 12:30 AM from California. We haven't seen my mom since September, and we haven't seen my dad since June. My kids are a little excited! Grammy and Papa will be here all week, and we also will be touring middle Tennessee to see other family members on both sides.

Before I sign off for a few days, I wanted to share a few more events from our week. My Favorite Boy had his class party at school on Friday. His teacher gave each child a bag full of goodies. One of the presents was a little pillow for them to leave for the tooth fairy when they lose a tooth. Isn't this cute?


The tooth is a pocket. When my Favorite Boy loses his first tooth, he can slip it in for safe-keeping. I thought it was so sweet for her to make something by hand for each child.

I admire craftiness in others because I am not very crafty myself. However, today we summoned all our creative genes and made a gingerbread house. I have seen these on several blogs recently, and I was inspired to try one of our own. For those of you who are also craft-challenged, these pre-made kits are easy-to-use and fun. We had a little problem with a roof cave-in, but I think we fixed it. Hopefully, it will hold. We even got Dad to pitch in a little. You can see his UT Volunteer gingerbread man with the orange buttons and white icing. The kids did the rest of the decorating (with help).


Thanks for sharing this Christmas season with me! I hope that each and every one of you have a wonderful week. Merry Christmas!

Labels: Christmas

As we were driving yesterday, my Best Girl was looking for problems and complaining about everything. Finally, she yelled, "Moooom! My brother is breathing! Make him stop!"

Obviously, she is filled with the loving and peaceful spirit that is synonymous with the Christmas season. :)

Labels: My Best Girl, Small Talk

It's time for the Fall Into Reading Challenge Wrap-Up. I haven't finished my original list, but I am close! I did add six books to the list after the challenge started, so I am not going to beat myself up about the few I didn't finish. :) This is my list. I left a message in red next to the books I haven't completed. Read below the list for information about the books I enjoyed most. Updated to add: I have written reviews for several of these books. I don't have time to add the links today, but if you click on the book category in my sidebar, you scroll down and find them easily.

Fiction
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Uncharted by Angela Hunt
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
The Scribe by Francine Rivers
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg *quit reading due to language*
Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Where Mercy Flows by Karen Harter
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin
A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini *on the library waiting list*
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Parting by Beverly Lewis

Nonfiction
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian *reading now*
The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
Bad Girls of the Bibleby Liz Curtis Higgs

Read-Alouds with My Favorite Boy
All about Sam by Lois Lowry
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl *didn't read*

Added after Beginning the Challenge
A Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer
A Shadow of Treason by Tricia Goyer
Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye by Kaza Kingsley
Everything's Coming Up Josey by Susan May Warren
Chill Out Josey by Susan May Warren
The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman

I enjoyed most of the books I read. The fiction books I enjoyed the most were The Kite Runner and the two Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War books by Tricia Goyer. I also liked Where Mercy Flows. Honestly, it is difficult for me to choose a few favorites because my choices were so different from each other. With the exception of the book I quit reading, I really enjoyed them all.

I felt the same way about my non-fiction choices, but I especially liked Same Kind of Different as Me and The Five Love Languages. Because I enjoyed The Five Love Languages so much, I read The Five Love Languages of Children as well. I highly recommend both of them. The Excellent Wife was also encouraging and instructive.

Finally, All about Sam was a great read-aloud. My Favorite Boy (almost 6) really enjoyed it. I decided to skip Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for now. We are reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I look forward to reading the wrap-ups of the other participants. I am always looking for some good books to add to my list. If you would like to read these as well, visit Callapidder Days. Happy Reading!

Labels: Books

There is breaking news in the Christmas decorating business. My Best Girl has discovered a new use for any leftover paper plates you may have. According to her, this is "so, so cute."


You too can use paper plates to decorate your tree! Simply poke a hole in the plate and attach a hook.

If only I could have posted this during BooMama's Tour of Homes. With the right publicity, this idea could spread like wildfire. :)

Labels: Christmas, My Best Girl

Labels: Christmas, My Favorite Boy

Would you like a year of free movies from Netflix and popcorn from Orville? Head over to 5 Minutes for Mom to find out how you can win this fabulous prize!

Labels: Fun

Congratulations Sonya! You are the winner of A Shadow of Treason. Please email me your address and I will send the book to you this week. Happy Reading!

Labels: Books

Today is BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes. Welcome! I hope you will come in for a tour of the Baseballs and Bows family home.

Pull into the driveway, and come on up to the front door.



If you happen to arrive at night, we'll have the lights on for you.


As you enter our home, you will be in the family room. Our tree is upstairs in the bonus room, but I tried to spruce up the mantle. My favorite Santa also sits on the piano to add to the Christmas cheer.

This is our eating area. My Christmas dishes and snowmen are in the hutch. The dishes have "The Night Before Christmas" around the edges. All of the plates are different.


We do have a formal dining room, but I am not as brave as BooMama. I did decorate the dining room a little bit, but I plan to wait a few more years before I leave the table set with my good china for the entire season.


This year, we added a touch of Christmas to our bedrooms. Hubby and I have these friendly snowmen and a Santa.


My Best Girl (aka Snow White) and my Favorite Boy have their own trees. They enjoyed decorating these themselves.




Because we spend most of our time in the bonus room, our tree is there. It isn't fancy, but most of the ornaments represent our family in some way.

BooMama asked us to share a recipe as part of the tour. I thought I would share these cookies. My mom made them for me as a child, and now I make them for my two munchkins. They are so easy! Roll store-bought peanut butter cookie dough into balls; place the balls in a mini-muffin pan. Bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove the cookies from the oven and pop a mini Reese's cup into each cookie (have the Reese's unwrapped and ready to go into the cookies). Enjoy!


Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! If you would like to visit more homes, head over to BooMama's place!

Labels: Christmas, Fun

This is a picture of the Mississippi Mud Cake I made on Friday.


A batch of brownies serves as the base of the mud cake. I was so adept in the kitchen on Friday that I only had to throw out two batches of brownies before I got it right.

On the first attempt, I was talking on the phone and my Best Girl was "helping" me when I realized I had used the wrong size measuring cups for the oil and water. That batch went into the trash.

On my second attempt, I dropped my glass mixing bowl in to my glass 9x13 dish. The 9x13 dish shattered into millions of pieces. Since I do treasure my friends from church, I decided to throw that batch away as well. I didn't want anyone dying from tiny pieces of glass in the mud cake.

Finally, on the third attempt, I finally achieved success! I had no idea I was so talented. It really does take an expert to mess up two batches of store-bought brownie mixes in one day. I would like to give special thanks to my husband who picked up three boxes of brownie mix a few weeks ago simply because they were a dollar a piece. Having those extra boxes on hand saved the dessert (and my attitude).

We took the Mississippi Mud Cake with us to a Dirty Santa party on Friday night. We had so much fun with our friends from church, and we ended up with two great gifts. Not everyone was so lucky! Thanks to Grandma and Papa Don who let my Favorite Boy and Best Girl spend the night at their house Friday night. My hubby and I rarely go anywhere without the kids, so this was a special treat.

We plan to spend Saturday night at home baking cookies and playing with the train set. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend as well!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun

When I was a teenager, I prayed to God for a Christian friend, someone who would be like a sister to me. While I had many good friends through the years, God didn't fully answer this prayer until I was in my mid-twenties. It was then that I met Amberly. I am so thankful for her, and my life is greatly blessed because of our friendship. Of course, because today is her birthday, she is now older than I am. It's so nice to have a friend who is older and wiser. :)

Happy Birthday Amberly! I thank God for you!

Labels: Family and Friends

Two months ago, I posted about A Valley of Betrayal, a great book by Tricia Goyer. I recently had the pleasure of reading A Shadow of Treason, Book Two in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series. If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend these books.

A Shadow of Treason begins during the Spanish Civil War. Sophie Grace, an American painter who traveled to Spain to be with her fiance, finds herself in the midst of fierce fighting. While the battle for Spain rages around her, Sophie faces a battle within as she is drawn into a world of espionage and deceit. Sophie chooses to stay in Spain and help the Spanish people, but this assistance could cost Sophie dearly.

This book is a page-turner. At each chapter break, I found myself saying, "Just one more." I appreciated the historical setting, and I learned so much about a period of time that was unfamiliar to me. The two books in this series are among my favorite reads this year.

I would love to give my copy of this book to one of you. Please leave a comment if you would like to read it. I will post the winner on Monday. Be sure, however, to pick up a copy of the first book if you haven't already. This is a wonderful series, and I can't wait to read Book Three!

For more information, check out Tricia Goyer's blog. She is hosting a weekly drawing for both books.

Happy Reading!

Labels: Books

My kids don't usually read my blog, but sometimes I show them the pictures. After seeing the post in which I showed my favorite ornaments, they decided to let their voices be heard as well. Here are three ornaments that both my children named as favorites.

Both kids really like the Cat in the Hat with Thing One and Thing Two.


They love this ornament because we bought it at Disney World in September.


And, this little guy is a favorite because you can pull a string to make his arms and legs move up and down.


My Best Girl chose three more that she holds dear. I am sure you won't be surprised by her selection.



My Favorite Boy said that he really likes our yearly family ornaments the best (the ones with our names on them). These, however, are the other ornaments my Favorite Boy treasures. I am sure you will notice a pattern.


And there you have it! My children have spoken. Thanks for checking out their favorites!

Labels: Christmas, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

On Saturday morning, the kids and I took a trip to Krispy Kreme for a visit with Santa. We had so much fun! (Dad went grocery shopping instead. For some reason, the grocery store was more appealing than a very small restaurant filled with kids on a sugar high.)

As we arrived, we watched the donuts travel down the line.

After observing the donut-making process, we visited with Santa. The kids had already expressed their wishes to him, so we just posed for a picture. Amazingly, my daughter climbed right into his lap!

Next, we headed over to decorate our own donuts. The kids got to dip glazed donuts into chocolate and then into sprinkles. For them, this was the highlight of the trip!




One day, I will learn my lesson. Always take baby wipes to Krispy Kreme.


My Favorite Boy found one more donut that he couldn't live without. He thinks these football donuts are the greatest.


As for me, I like these little guys. Not only do you get a donut, you also get a donut hole attached to the top. What a great bonus! My Favorite Boy was dismayed when I bit the head off first, but I explained that you should put the poor things out of their misery before eating the rest of their yummy little bodies. :)


And, no. I didn't stop at just one donut. I also had a plain, glazed donut. But, in my defense, they were hot. How could I resist?

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

Lately, posts have been popping up in which bloggers share their favorite Christmas ornaments. I think it is so fun to see what makes Christmas special for others, so I decided to share my favorites as well.

Every year, I buy a family ornament as a gift to myself. These ornaments are some of my favorites, but I can't show them because they have all of our first and last names on them. My favorite of these ornaments was the one I bought last year. You can see a picture of it here. You can see the 2007 version here. This year, my son was so excited when the new ornament arrived. I had no idea he liked them so much, but I was glad to see that he appreciates the yearly ornament tradition.

My aunt gives me an ornament each year. Last year, she gave me two, and they are a special part of my tree. She had a lady make ornaments with my kids' pictures inside. I will treasure these for years!


I got this cute snowman at an ornament exchange two years ago. His head is on a spring, and it wobbles back and forth. I think he is fun!

This ornament is from our first family trip to Disney World in 2004. My Favorite Boy was 2 1/2, and my Best Girl had been growing in my tummy for about 24 weeks.

I also buy one ornament for both of my kids each year. I am sure it won't surprise you to learn that I bought a Snow White ornament for my Best Girl this year. I bought a baseball ornament for my Favorite Boy. The two ornaments below are special because they were the first ones. I cropped the star in this picture to hide my Best Girl's name.

I also had to crop the cute little baby out of this one to hide my Favorite Boy's name, but you can see him a little bit.


My tree is not fancy, but as you can see, the ornaments that are special to me are the ones that relate to my family. I am sure that's what makes all of your ornaments special as well!

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends

Earlier in the season, I looked for a calendar to help us count down to Christmas (and to keep my Best Girl from asking "Is it Christmas yet?"). All the calendars I found cost more than I wanted to spend. Before I came up with a creative idea for making one, my Favorite Boy came home with one from school. Notice how the Titans' defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch stares with amazement at my child's handiwork.

I turned the bell around to protect the names of the innocent, but this is what the bell says on the front.


Of course, if my Favorite Boy has one, my Best Girl wants one as well. Mommy helped her make one. Her bell is decked out with jewels.




At the time of this post, it is 17 days, 15 hours and 10 minutes until Christmas, but who's counting? :)

Labels: Christmas, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

I subscribe to Family Fun magazine, and I also get their emails. Earlier in the week, I received an email with an idea for a fun Christmas treat. The idea was billed as something easy enough for preschoolers (and their mothers); so I gathered the ingredients and the kiddos on Tuesday afternoon, and we made batch. We had so much fun with the cooking and the eating that I thought I would share this idea.

First, you need parchment paper, square pretzels, Hershey's hugs (or kisses), and holiday M&Ms.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the pretzels on the paper, and set a hug or kiss on each pretzel. Be sure to do this wearing a formal red dress with a velvet top and a tulle skirt. Everything is more fun with a fancy tulle skirt.

The kids loved that they could do this themselves. They unwrapped the hugs and placed them perfectly onto the pretzels; only a few disappeared into their mouths. (Notice the 9x13 pan on the counter. There is a full pan of brownies inside. I think Christmas is inspiring me to be Betty Crocker.)

Place the cookie sheet into the oven (preheated to 170 degrees). Bake for 4-6 minutes. While the treats are baking, clean up the wrappers. We raced to see if we could clean up and beat the four minute timer. Here is my happy helper posing by the trash can. You know it is a hit when they enjoy the clean-up!

After removing the treats from the oven, place one M&M on top, pressing the chocolate down into a circle. We only left ours in for four minutes. Next time, I will leave them in for five. The tops were soft, but the insides weren't soft enough to be pressed down.


I have no picture of the children enjoying the treats because I was busy eating 5 of them (or 10 or 20). YUM!

If you would like to see the real version of this treat, click here. And for your information, I read an article the other day that recommended not eating any finger foods during the holidays. According to the article, if you can accomplish this, you won't gain as much weight. As you can see, I have already broken this policy, and I sure did enjoy it! Here's my Christmas policy: Happy Finger Food Eating to All and To All a Good Bite! :)

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends, Fun, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

For more WW, click here.

Labels: Christmas, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy, Wordless Wednesday

The ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom are teaming up with Parents Toys for a great giveaway. Go check it out!

Labels: Fun

I saw this meme at Sonya's and Annie's. I thought it would be fun to do, especially since I am too tired to come up with anything original! Actually, I am still under the weather (I haven't felt very well for over a week, so I plan to get checked out in the next day or two).

Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, especially for the kids. There's something special about tearing into that paper.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. We have a 7 1/2 ft. pre-lit tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? On the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? January first or second.
5. Do you like eggnog? No.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A bike.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My hubby. He doesn't want me to spend money on him.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My kids.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I really can't think of one.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The original Miracle on 34th Street.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Possibly, but I don't know of a specific one.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything! We usually have ham and lots of yummy sides and desserts.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? We have clear lights on our big tree and outside; we have colored lights on the small trees in the kids' rooms.
17. Favorite Christmas song? I really like them all. Most of the year, I am not picky about what music is playing, and it usually ends up being whatever the kids want. During Christmas, it's my turn! I have the radio set on a local station that plays Christmas music 24/7. I love it!
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We travel to several different places to be with different family members, but our destinations are close enough to return home at night.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A red bow.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic around shopping areas.
23. What I love most about Christmas? Spending time with my family.

Feel free to play along on your own blog. I would love to read the answers of others. It's only 22 more days until Christmas!

Labels: Christmas, Fun