Sharing T.M.I.

This may be too much information for some, but once again I have to "journal" this now before it is just a lost memory. Gabrielle and I ran to the McDonald's on K7 to return a Red Box movie we had rented yesterday. I ran in to return the DVD and as I returned to the van I caught Gabi in the act of picking her nose. Yes, I profess we have a booger picker on our hands. It isn't a huge problem, but this Mommy detests the act. It completely disgusts me. So with that said I told her {as I have many times in the past} that they don't allow booger pickers in Kindergarten so if she ever wanted to go to school she had better put a stop to it and fast.
Fast forward about 5 minutes
Gabrielle says "Mommy, guess what? If I pick my nose I will be grounded for a week. I won't get any TV, no ice cream & no play dates (you can easily see where her passions are (but on a side note she gets very limited TV) and what is used as rewards in our home)"
I simply responded with "That's right girlfriend. Grounded for a week. No more booger picking!"
Praise the Lord - maybe I am making some ground in my battle to stop the boogie picking :0)

Happy Turkey Day Y'all

So it isn't turkey or even pumpkin pie ... but it is two of the cutest kids on the planet sharing a lollipop (I can say that cuz they are my kids and they are pretty darn cute in my eyes!)



I hope everyone had/is having a wonderful Thanksgiving and that each of you took a few minutes to reflect on all there is to be thankful for. We had a wonderful noon meal enjoyed with my parents and our dear friends Jason and Rene'. The food was excellent and the conversation was lighthearted. It was fantastic to spend the majority of the day with loved ones. I am looking forward to couch time and hopefully some good football action later this evening.

Santa's Wonderland

This past Saturday we visited Santa's Wonderland at the local Bass Pro Shop.

We hadn't discussed the mornings events with Gabrielle so as we entered Bass Pro the greeter welcomed us and informed Gabrielle to follow Rudolph's paw prints to Santa's Wonderland. Her eyes lite up and off she went.

We arrived early so we had time to kill before Santa and Mrs. Clauss made their debute. BP is definitely a favorite spot of Ms. Magoo's so it wasn't hard to pass the time. I love this shot of Gabrielle. She is showing her true smile!

Gabrielle took a little ciesta prior to meeting the infamous duo.
I keep asking Travis to take us all camping. He is a little nervous how we (that being me mainly) will fair the great outdoors.

This Santa and Mrs are/were incredible. They were so kind and didn't make us feel rushed at all. Dawson was pretty aprehensive which is to be expected. The kids were thrilled to receive miniature candy canes as a gift.

The morning was complete by stopping by the train table as well as a brief visit to the coloring table. This picture captures Gabrielle in her true form!

Tiny Tim Pictures

Fall 2008 School photos taken October 14th




Each year the LeeAnn Britain Infant Development Center hosts an annual fund raiser event, the Tiny Tim Holiday Fantasy. This year's Fund-a-Need live auction item was for a new autism program at the Britain Center. It is the hope of the Britain Center to begin a comprehensive autism classroom in the near future. Each year before the Tiny Tim effent the Britain Center has a photographer (Brian Collins with Fixation Media by Design out of KC, MO) come take pictures of all of the children. The pictures are then used at the Tiny Tim event (as a slide show). They also used the photos at IDC on the Christmas tree and made photo buttons for all the parents so they can proudly show off their child(ren). The money raised at the event goes to the the Britain Center and the NICU at Shawnee Mission.
Parents are able to purchase a CD with the photos taken of their child(ren) for $5 so I wanted to share just a couple of each of the kiddos. Dawson hammed it up for the camera, but Gabrielle on the other hand wasn't quite as relaxed.

Car Convo with My Girl

G: Mommy, I want you to go back to work. {stated very matter of fact}
Me: Why do you want me to go back to work?
G: So I can stay all day at my Mema and Papa's house. That's what Tatum does. She stays with her Grandma and Grandpa while Ms. Rene' and Mr. Jason work.
Me: Mommy does work. I take care of you and Dawson. I like staying home with you and baby brother. Won't you miss me if I am gone at work?
G: Uh, no. {once again stated as a matter of fact}
Me: Honey, Mema works too. Remember?
G: Oh yeah! That's OK. I will stay with Papa. He will play silly with me all day.
Me: Well, we will have to talk to Papa about that one.
G: I know Mama ... you can just go to work with Daddy.
... sudden abrupt end to the conversation ...

What is new {and not so new}

*Dawson is walking 99% of the time with minimal bumps and bruises. He has become somewhat of a Daddy's boy over the past several days in the evening hours. Travis spoils him by holding him endlessly and showering him with kisses.
*Gabrielle is preparing for her preschool Holiday Music Program and has been in the full swing of the holiday spirit. I have taken the opportunity to have great conversations with her regarding the reason for the season. She has enjoyed the spirit of giving by putting money in the Salvation Army bucket outside WalMart, helping me purchase and prepare the Operation Christmas Child shoebox & helping someone else out who is gathering items for an angel tree family.
*We have a new president elect ... America's first African American to hold office. History has been made!
*Gas is now under $1.80 per gallon.
Can I hear an AMEN to that one?!
*The days {hours of daylight} are now shorter which automatically throws me into a season of laziness. I want to stay curled up in bed in the mornings where it is warm and comfortable and then am quickly ready to take a nap in the afternoon when the kids are down. It seems to take more effort to get myself and the kids cleaned up the days we do leave the house & I have zero to little motivation to do the deep cleaning that is so overdue in this house. I have made myself commit to doing something little everyday. Yesterday it was the bathrooms and seven loads of laundry, today I cut three weeks worth of coupons & tomorrow I plan to dust the kids bedrooms (which are covered in an inch of dust - no joking!).
*Uncle Yuck paid us a visit this past week. Gabrielle was up through the night Friday vomitting, Dawson has had a nasty nose for what seems like days now & Travis has been dealing with a terrible sinus infection.
I promise to update soon with recent pictures for those out of town family & friends. As Emily stated in a previous post "get off your google reader and leave me a comment" so I know you peeps are out there.

Election Day 2008

History is about to be made folks.
Regardless of WHO wins.
If McCain wins we will have our 1st female vice president.
If Obama wins we will have our 1st African American president.
Regardless of WHO wins history IS about to be made.

I received the following forward from my SIL this morning and thought it was SPOT ON.
TEN PREDICTIONS NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION:
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL?

I'm a Little Pumpkin

The Up Side

Quotes from today's positive thinkers - Guideposts August 2008
"Your attitude will take you up or take you down. So the question is, what are you thinking?"
"Happiness is often the result of being too busy to be miserable."
"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
And my two personal favorites:
"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or to accept the responsibility for changing them."
"A day hemmed with prayer rarely unravels."