The pressure is on!

So as most of you know, I am not a great cook.  I am a good cook and can follow a recipe.  But I get intimidated easily (especially with some of the more fancy tools, words that I don't understand and ingredients that I have never heard of) and, to be honest, I just don't have the time to sit around and make a big meal for kids that won't eat it and a husband that really won't appreciate all the time and effort that went into preparing it.  Don't get me wrong, Ted will appreciate the meal  - he appreciates every meal.  He just might not understand that it took longer and involved way more ingredients, chopping, sweating, reading, etc. to make than say, spaghetti.  So I don't cook fancy stuff (or anything requiring more than say 5 ingredients) all that much.

But as I have said here before, I am kinda obsessed with The Pioneer Woman.  Well, not kinda, REALLY obsessed.  In that I am blog-stalking her.  I read her posts every day and sometimes go back for more (on the same day).  I am definitely going to get her book when it comes out on February 1, 2011 and if someone reading this doesn't know what to get me for Christmas, you can get me her cookbook.

So that brings me back to cooking.  The guy that I refer to as Ted's boss (he is really not his boss since Ted is a partner and really doesn't do much work with him at all any more . . . now that I think about it he doesn't do ANY work with him anymore . . . but he was a major influence at one point and is really Ted's mentor).  Well anyway, he used to have Ted and me and two other work couples over to his house for a fancy Christmas dinner.  I am talking fine china, silver, nice wine, the works. And his wife is a great cook.  And she is beautiful and graceful.  Hate her (kidding of course!) This year he decided not to do it for a variety of reasons (mainly that there are some people he works with a lot now who have not been invited in the past and feelings would definitely get hurt if they knew) so Ted and I decided to step in and host with the same small group.  Which means that I will be cooking.

So where did I turn but to none other than The Pioneer Woman!  And she did not fail.  She posted this fabulously easy (I hope!) recipe for Filet au Poivre which sounds really fancy (and looks it too) but is also pretty easy to make.  Yes, I will have to cook while everyone is there because it is one of those make the sauce and pour it directly on the steak type of deals, but my kitchen is open and it will be fine.  I can't wait.  Now I have to decide on the sides as well as appetizers and dessert.  The pressure is on!

Ward's Advent Program

On Friday morning, we had Ward's Advent program at school.  It was a great reminder of the Advent season, while we are all waiting on the arrival of Jesus.  The program went through much of the old testament through word and song.  The kindergarten sang about Jonah.  It was really so precious.  I hope that you enjoy!

Some Christmas cheer

in photos!  Thought that I would post a couple of pictures of the kids from Santa at the MBC (although none of them would get close to Santa and Ann Park would not even go in the room where he was sitting!) and some others.  They are so in the spirit that it makes my heart sing!

Ward by the tree at MBC.  Notice the candycane pants.  Ted already has him dressing like he does!

Ann Park pouting becuase she didn't want to see Santa!

Now there's a smile! (albeit fake)

Cher Cher and her other Sam

Papa and Ward

Where's mama?  Oh, taking the picture.  I am never in pictures!

My big boy

I still can't believe that Ward is six today.  Six years old.  It seems just like yesterday that I was laying in the bed at St. Vincent's Hospital (and had been there for over a week), waiting on Dr. Christine to get home from adopting her child in Russia to see what she was going to do with me.  For those who don't remember, I had extremely high blood pressure with all three kids, but it caught everyone by surprise with my pregnancy with Ward!  So five weeks before his due date, God blessed us with the most precious baby I had ever seen.  I was so scared and could not believe that such a miracle had been created inside of me.  He was so tiny and precious and perfect and he was part me, part Ted.  4 pounds, 12 ounces of pure perfection.

A little while after birth - before he went to the NICU for about 3 weeks

Before I knew it, we were having his first birthday party!  Of course the first party is always more of a party for the parents than the kids, but we all had fun.  (Sam really resembles Ward, huh!)

And then onto his second birthday - a cookie decorating party.  He especially loved that one.  Amazing how much they grow up between ages 1 and 2.

When he turned three, I could see him outgrowing the toddler baby fat (not that he ever had any fat!) and gorwing into a little boy.  We had this party at the zoo, one of his all-time favorite places to play.

For this 4th birthday, we had his party a little early - over Thankgiving.  All the Holts were down at Grey Rocks for Thanksgiving and Ward and his first cousin, John Benton, had a party down on the farm!  I will never forget the cold rain of that day, but the kids had the best time, complete with a scavenger hunt!

When he turned 5, we had a party at Mountain Brook Gymnastics.  All the kids ran around and had the best time ever.  I think that everyone took a nap after that party!

And now, he is 6.  At some moments, I see someone much older.  I look at him in some ways and I can see the man he will become.  God has given me such a great opportunity to make that man someone incredible.  And I am trying.  Thanks to all those who are helping!

I love you Ward!  You will always be my first baby and I will always have a special place in my heart just for you.

Best Christmas Movie EVER

Just to really get you in the spirit of Christmas . . .

Overheard

I already posted this on Facebook, but it was too funny not to re-post for the non-Facebook people (mom and Chollet, I think that you are the only two so this is really for you):

Last night Ward and Ann Park were in the playroom building a fort.  They had pillows and blankets everywhere and it looked more like a mess to me than a fort, but apparently there was a small space where they could both fit inside the mess of pillows and blankets.  I was in the laundry room and they were running back and forth by me to get various items to put in their fort to play with.  Here is the conversation I overheard:

AP: "Come on Ward, we are almost done!"
Ward: "Yeah, okay.  Oh, hey!  Do you want your diarrhea book?"
AP: "Oh yeah!  Thanks."

Ummm. . . Ward, I am pretty sure that the word you were looking for is "diary" book.  But who am I to know?

Cookie Monster

For a little mommy time yesterday, Ann Park and I made chocolate chip cookies.  Although I told her she could have only one, mommy has since consumed at least 7.  Nice way to start the holiday season, I know. But I think that Sam enjoyed them the most.  What do you think?

Exes

As in ex-boyfriends (or girlfriends for all my hundreds of male readers out there).  Why is it that people don't ever tell you anything about your exes?  I just don't get it.  As most of you know, I have two ex-boyfriends - one from high school and one from college.  Yes, I am a serial dater, I know.  Why is it that everyone who knows me (and, therefore who also knows my exes) NEVER and I mean NEVER tell me anything whatsoever about them?  These are two guys who at one point I considered myself closer to than anyone else in the world.  Did the relationship work out?  No.  Do I not care a bit about them or their lives?  Certainly not.  I loved both of these boys for a long time.  And I still care about them - not in a love way of course, but they will both always have a piece of my heart.  They are the people who helped shape and prepare me for Ted, the love of my life.  Plus, I had a great time with both of them!  Most of my favorite memories from high school and college involve them. 

But back to the point of my post.  It seems that other people in my life currently know all these things about my exes but don't ever tell me.  Why not?  I just don't get it.  For instance, the guy I dated in college has the most amazing voice.  It is one of the things I loved most about him and music was something that we had in common.  So last night I was watching "The Sing Off" and I called my mom to discuss that I met one of the guys on the show through a musician friend of mine (Jeramy Lister for those who watched).  Mom then tells me that my cousin sang in the group from Yale when he was there and that he now sings with my college-ex in "that singing group in Altanta."  Like I knew.  Of course I didn't know.  I had no idea that my ex still sings or is in a group in Atlanta - because people don't ever even MENTION his name around me.  But that is just a small example (i.e. mom, I am not mad at you!)

So for all you out there, I like to know things about them.  I hope that they want to know things about me.  Of course, you don't have to bring them up in every conversation, but when you learn something cool about them or hear that something is going on in their life, there is no need to avoid telling me.  Just because I didn't marry them or they are not in our cicle of friends (something that I think would be a little weird) does not mean that I don't care.  And it certainly does not mean that it is a topic to be avoided.  Just wanted you to know.

Christmas fun

We are really getting into the Christmas spirit around here.  The other night I pulled out our Christmas pajamas and the mood instantly changed.  Isn't it amazing how just the mention of Christmas puts smiles on everyone's faces?

Matching pjs for my boys!

(Ward's turn taking the pictures!)

playing on mommy and daddy's bed

my little ragamuffin!

And then I woke up this morning to hearing a lot of "shhhhh! don't wake up mommy"; "she's gonna love our surpirse!"  And I came downstairs to see all my kiddos, with Ted's supervision, decorating our Christmas tree!  I had to snap a couple of pictures just for the memory, although the lighting wasn't very good!

Ann Park and her "mean face" while hanging up a diamond ring!!

Ward hiding behind the tree!

Daddy found an ornament when our family was just Mommy, Daddy and Ward!

The threesome!

Take two

And one of our little princess (nice pj ensemble huh?)

Thankful

Thanksgiving was a little hectic over at our house so I was a little late getting around to writing my annual "what I am thankful for list" this year.  I wrote down many things - each one as important as the rest, but what it all boiled down to was this:

My family.  I am truly so blessed.  I love each one of them with all my mind, body, heart and soul.  I don't know what I would do or be without each one.   They have made me the person that I am today and continue to help me become the woman I was born to be. They may sometimes make me want to pull my hair out, or even drive me to drink (kidding really, but not some nights!), but they are my everything.  And the Lord has truly blessed me.