Cabin Fever..Not!

Chilly weather, pine trees and a cozy fireplace!!

Sigh.

This is the what family time is all about!

We're up at the one of Carlos client's cabin in Flagstaff relaxing and enjoying a little time together before we head to The Polar Express!!

We went last year with Landon's friend Wade and his entire family, and this year we'll be heading to The North Pole with Elyse, (who's 3 months younger than Landon) her older sister Maggie and long-time friend/"sister" Jen and hubs Jason. Honestly, it's the perfect way to start the Countdown to Christmas!

Passing the time is easy...a lot of nothing! Walk around outside. Come in and lay around. Play with Landon, lay around. Munch on food. Lay around. The only thing that would make it even more perfect? Snow and a random craft here or there! :)

"Tings" with Sharp Teef!

Since we got home from El Paso, Landon has been on the "hunt for things with sharp teeth"....or in Landon-speak, "tings with sharp teef'. I assume this means the variety lion, tiger, shark and such.

Never-the-less...he's been determined to keep the goggles, which came in a kids drill set, his Buzz-lightyear gun and a fishing pole that picks up magenetic fish on his person at all times!!

I know this last picture is blury...but I still laugh when I look at it!

The BIG Feast

Just a few pictures to post of Thanksgiving with the Monge Family. We would have more, but one of Landon's cousins got the stomach flu and was sick, so we had to keep the kids separated most of the week. Thelma hosted us in her beautiful new house and we were blessed by all her service in preparing everything from the turkey to all the fixings! I wish I could say I made something but, after flying in late on Wednesday, my only contribution was asking Carlos to pick up a bottle of wine and Village Inn pies! :(

Maybe next year we'll be in new house and we'll be able to host the big feast. ....hey! I girl can dream, can't she?!

After lunch Landon had a pillow fight with his Tia Thema ... they were really going at it for a while...so much so Landon konked out in Carlos' arms!

While he was sleeping we had an opportunity to watch a movie and play Wii...the coolest video game on the planet! It was the first time we played it and the competitive spirit in both us make for a lively, and sweat-breaking event!


In all, we are blessed to have spent another holiday with Carlos family, especially Landon's Abuelos!

Thanksgiving Eve

I'm getting ready to go to El Paso to meet up with Carlos and Landon who are already there visiting his family. They left on Sunday and have been spending the week there.

I'll be flying out on the busiest travel day of the year ...the first flight after the work lets out for most!?! I've been contemplating just going to the airport 2 days in advance to stand in line for security! :)

But, before I head to Texas I got a wonderful surprise from Heather!
I also wanted to leave you with a few little Christmas goodies! The ornament is is something I made last night... the other is something we create and are being sold at Enchantments Home and Baby as well as through Birds of a Feather.

Good luck as you start to add your final touches to Thanksgiving dinner!

Warm Fall Welcome

Those of you who know my mom, know she's FAB at making floral arrangments and especially wreaths.

Well, I wanted to share the fall welcome my guests arrive to when the come to my front door. Okay, well IF I was ever home, and IF I ever had guests they would be welcomed by this!!

Isn't it devine???? I LOVE it and I am torn with Thanksgiving arriving.

I'm eager to embrace December, consistently cooler weather and Christmas music, lights, and the celebration of the birth of Christ!! But, I will be saddened to take this down.

And judging by the the neighbors who slow to check it out when turning in front of our house...I think they will too!

Off to Neverland.....a little late.

3 1/2 years old and 3 feet tall...but 'he can fly'!!!

With the help of a 'little bit of pixie dust'...Landon turned himself into Peter Pan for Halloween. We bought the movie for him (the re-release version) in late September and every day until Halloween he has watched it. Literally, every day... Pirates and not so politically correct commentary and all! (Did you know there's a song about the 'red man' in it??)

The Peter Pan hat was a HUGE gift from my Producer Denise, who was ALSO Peter Pan this year. However, when she pulled this old hat out of the closet...well, it was a kids size. So, Landon inherited it, just in the nick of time!

But, before we could go to our annual Trick-or-Treat adventure with his best friend Wade...we had to do the honors.
I couldn't help but post this picture of the cheesy little smile! Can you say Daddy said, "say cheese,Landon!!"

Landon and I drew the "eyebrows" on this year's pumpkin, which by the way...was the first pumpkin we've ever carved. It has always seemed like so much work. But, back to the face, I wanted eyebrows...Landon choose the shape of the nose and Carlos opted for some weird eyeballs that make him look cross-eyed.

So, I'm not going to lie. It's pretty sad looking. But, as it's said...'he's ours'. :) Ears and all!!

Now, back to the candy fest!!



In all for the night, we had a few little "near misses" with therapy, when a guy in a nasty looking mask jumped out of a truck bed.

And then, there was the moment when the kids walked up and saw this head on a platter. But, we're all good. Therapy will come from some other parenting mishap I'm sure...but, at least not Halloween 2008.

Determined to Catch Up!

I have so many fun pictures to show of mom's last trip to visit the week of Halloween! I know, I know...we're a week away from Thanksgiving...but hey! I'm 'thankful' for my Halloween pictures!!

After the Park Party on October 30th, we went to the pumpkin patch to pick out "the great one". Landon's method of selecting one almost cost us every pumpkin out there...because he would pick them up and drop them on the ground!

I'm sure it was more of a testing his strength thing. Ultimately, his selection required the combined efforts of both him and Grammy

The "pumpa-munkin" ...as he still calls them, was taken home for Daddy to help carve on Halloween!!

New Projects, New Ventures

I know I've been slow updating my blog, and you can blame it on "the birds". I mentioned a while back that I was starting a little business with a friend, called Birds of a Feather.

Our first in-home boutique was November 8th and we had a wonderful response. We took samples of the products we sold which were left over from that event to a local boutique in town called Enchantments Home and Baby and the owner loved all of it and decided to sell everything!

Obviously this came as a BIG and pleasant surprise to Heather and I, but it also meant scurrying to get a lot of things done...namely our business blog. It's on its way to being done and it has taken up the time otherwise occupied with my personal blog. Click here to be redirected to the Birds blog!

Please feel free to browse and share with others and look for an email entitled Birds Friends and Family. It will have much lower pricing for you. The prices you see on the site are those set by the boutique and we've been asked to maintain the same pricing on our blog, so as not to make the boutique seem more expensive.

Finally, we have more products which are being sold at Enchantments, which need to be posted on the blog, which include custom ornaments which you can put your own picture and photo albums made with fabric that has your picture on it. I hope to post those in the next few days!