PINEWOOD DERBY 2012 (BOYSCOUTS)

Nicholas and Daddy made a Pinewood Derby car for this years Cub Scout Pinewood Derby for our Church Pack #32

 My boys worked hard for a couple of weeks preparing their car for the big race!  Even Uncle Jason took part in the project when he was in town over the weekend.  The brothers researched derby cars online to find the best and fastest car design.  Then all 3 boys (Uncle Jason, Jeremy, and Nick) went and bought all of the materials and worked for most of the day

 Nicholas LOVES anything that has to do with building projects and cars!!  He was on cloud 9.....his Daddy and his Uncle building together!!  What a great memory that he will cherish forever

It's all about being a boy!

 The official start of the 2012 Pinewood Derby at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Look at who got to carry the American Flag.....NICHOLAS! What an honor!

Nick's friend, Valdemar gets to be a flag carrier along side as all of the Tiger Cub Scouts follow close behind

 The race is about to begin...

 There is the official Pinewood Derby Racetrack

 Nick's car is the black flamed car between the green and red one.....lane 2!

On Your Marks.....Get Set....Go!!

 Nicholas' car was FAST!  He placed in the top 5......there were lots of cars too!!

 Such a great day!

 Here is a close up of the Derby Car

Totally Awesome!!

SLURPEE

I am addicted to slurpees.....I just love them!! Since high school I have enjoyed 7-Eleven slurpees almost on a daily basis!  I have passed this addiction down to my family!  Well it finally happened....We got a 7-Eleven only 3 miles from our house!
We just had to come out and show our support for our new local business and enjoy their most famous drink treat.....a Slurpee!

OUR FIRST SLURPEE AT OUR NEW 7-ELEVEN
THUMBS UP FOR THE YUMMY!!!

MAKING A PUZZLE WITH OOMPA

Our Grammy and Oompa blessed us with a surprise visit last weekend.  We all became "puzzlers" for the entire weekend!!  The kids got a puzzle from Santa Claus and began work on it with Grammy and Oompa while they were here with us.  It brought the entire family together, crowded around our coffee table obsessed with "finding one more piece".  We had Nana and Papa, Papa's sister (Phylis), Oompa's sister (Aunt Julie), Grammy, Oompa, Uncle Jason, Jeremy, me, and our 3 kids!  All of us shifting in and out from the puzzle table throughout the day

 So, Oompa, in trying to tease Madison, had a favorite puzzle piece that he found.  He kept sticking it in the wrong place to get Madison to laugh.  She DID love it, but had to banter back in giggly frustration for him to stop putting it in the wrong place.  WELL Oompa finally found the REAL place for his favorite puzzle piece and we had to take a pic!

It was one of the funniest memories of the weekend!  Oompa is so much fun!

 There is where the puzzle piece REALLY belongs

Both Oompa and Madison carefully placed the puzzle piece

Madison and Oompa just adore each other!  It is a sweet relationship!

We love you Grammy and Oompa.....Come back soon!

MAKING A TENT

Our kids wanted to have a fun sleepover in the media room........so they MADE A TENT to sleep in!  It is something that children have enjoyed for generations!  They found EVERY spare blanket in the house and all of my "chip clips/clothes pins" and you can guess the rest!  The preparations took a long time but they had a great time building it together (warms my heart to see my little ones so happy)

 An array of fabrics for a tent topper!!

 Of course we had to invite all of our cuddly bedtimes favorites

 Little Sleeper

 Madison's sweet smile

Nicholas "asleep"

They all went to bed and by morning they were all upstairs in their own warm beds.

There is just something to be said about sleeping in "your own bed"

There's nothing like it!

CUB SCOUT "CUB O 2012" (A DAY WITH DAD)

My boys (Jeremy and Nick) had a special Cub Scout activity today. The Boy Scouts annual "Cub O 2012" taking place at the Sid Richardson Scout Ranch at Lake Bridgeport (about an hour NW of Ft. Worth).  It's a competition where the boys split up into teams with their dads and race to find different points at the ranch using a map and a compass.  Both of my boys were VERY excited to go.  They packed their backpack up with all of their equipment (compass, waters, snacks, other boy scout stuff) and headed off.  They matched their outfits today and looked absolutely darling.

 Nicholas is a "Tiger Scout" this year, being he is in first grade and Jeremy is an "Eagle Scout"  He finished his Eagle Scout at 13 years old......how wonderful to now be taking his son to Scouting events

 I cannot wait to hear the stories from the day!

I just love my 2 precious boy scouts!

Nicholas and his sweet boy scout friends....Look at these little men!!!

(Seth, Michael, Luke, Nicholas)

KIDS PERFORMANCE

The kids performed tonight with the Christian Performing Arts Center.  They got to perform at the Harkins Theatre in Southlake Town Square.  They performed "live" in one of the theatres and then they showed 2 short movies and a commercial that the CPAC kids filmed earlier in the fall.  They did so great!  The movies and commercials were fabulous.  The theme was how to be an extraordinary kid standing for Jesus.  One focused on Bullying and the other movie that the kids made focused on Popularity.  CPAC is awesome! I am so glad that my kids get to be a part of it!

Here they are altogether after the performance
They were so amazing!!

These pics were hard to take in the theatre because it was dark and the kids were dancing and jumping around as they sang!  There is one with little Nick in it

 There is my Madison in the second row......do you see her?!?!  Grandma and Grandpa got to come to see the kids perform as well.  It was a special evening

There is Savannah.....this is my favorite song that they do.  It's the song "Tonight's Gonna be a Good Night" by the Blackeyed Peas but the words are slightly different.  They dance hip hop to it and at this part, they were all singing "It's not about you, it's not about me, it's all about Jesus!"

It is so powerful to here such great songs sung by little angels!  I love to hear children sing in their innocent voices!  Especially praise and worship!  I know that I keep saying this but.....

THANK YOU DEAR LORD,  FOR CPAC!

DADDY'S PRAYERS

I love my Daddy so much...well, I guess most little girls do!

He is so close to our Lord and raised my sister and I in a home centered around Christ!  He was a true spiritual leader for our family.

I would wake up in the middle of the night to find my daddy and mom praying over me as I slept.

EVERY time I see my daddy, he prays with me before I leave.  He always holds me close to his heart and whispers a prayer for me and my family into my ear.  I love that and I always depend on him for this special blessing when I see him.  I asked if Jeremy would take a picture of my daddy as he was praying over me when we said goodbye tonight.  I just want to always remember this special way that he shows how much he loves me (and our Lord).

I always try to remember to ask Jesus for a blessing over my children before we leave each other.  Growing up, he (and my mom) truly showed me who Christ was through his (their) actions.

I LOVE YOU DADDY

NEW YEARS DAY

We had our annual "New Years Family Celebration" at our house.  It was our family, Uncle Chris, Aunt Kiki (my sister) and their twin girls, my mom and dad, and Nana and Papa (Jeremy's grandparents). We had so much fun!

Each year, our new years party is................

ALL ABOUT THE FOOD!

 Each year we have the exact same menu and WE LOVE IT THAT WAY!  It is tradition!

 PIZZA FONDUE

(My absolute favorite)

 CHICKEN WINGS

(homemade by Grandma)

And various other snacks.....this year we had Creamed Brat soup, sweet and sour meatballs, my mom's onion cheese ball (looks like brains but it is so delicious), shrimp, pecan onion dip, and of course some left over Christmas cookies (I have had my fill of those until next Christmas)

Did the kids enjoy the food????

 

OUR DAY IS ALSO ABOUT PLAYING WITH OUR COUSINS!!

 AND THEN WE REST.....

 THEN WE EAT SOME MORE

Our dinner consists of BIG juicy steaks marinaded over night in our family's famous steak marinade, Deluxe potato casserole, and Spicy Creamed Spinach

WE HAD A GREAT TIME!!

Thank you Lord, for our traditions that we depend on and for a family to share them with!

 

Like they always say on New Years......

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne! "

Here's to New Beginnings!  God Bless you