Last Night.

Be prepared friends.
There are plans afoot.

For all who walk through our doors, consider yourselves duly warned.

Welp, today I do believe, thus far I have drank myself at least six cups of coffee, and it's only ten in the morning. And though, my eyeballs are floating, I still can't seem to keep them open.

We had the Christmas party for my workplace last night, and my Love and I did not get home to bed until well after one in the morning. My brain doesn't function on all cylinders on a good day, so today just might just very well be a hopeless cause. We are getting way too old for these shenanigans.

AND I waittress today. And - again, when my pee brain is functioning at its normal capacity (which isn't saying much, I am well aware), I still am far from being the world's best tray balancer - or even "Amy balancer" for that matter. "Grace" is most surely not my middle name. What I lack in poise and balance, I make up for in charisma, I tell you! At least that's what I tell myself...

A couple of nights ago, being a marvelous point in case of when I lost my grace, was when I unceremoniously spilled an entire bowl of coleslaw down a lady's back and promptly wished I could die right on the spot. It's true. It happened. My humiliation was second only to the time when I spilled an entire hot fudge sundae on a man's lap. Which was second only to the time I slipped on a freshly mopped floor, on my very first week of work there, I might add, and fell full tilt into the kitchen's ginormous trash can. No joke. All true stories. My lady was gracious, my manager was forgiving, and all turned out well. But, I can only imagine was joyous catastrophies await my waittressing shift this evening.

Could be dicey.

(That's me).

Speaking of dicey, at our Christmas party last night, we played our annual "Minute to Win It" game. There are three finalists from each of the three restaurants who go on to compete for the ultimate grand prizes of ginorous t.v.'s, Kinect games, and such. Last year I won the tissue game and moved on to round two. I made it through round two of picking up keys with a paperclip in my mouth, but I crashed and burned on the "getting the lampshade on my head blindfolded." I could not get that blasted thing to sit on my head to save my soul. I was flinging that dumb shade from here to Kingdom come. And I dreamed about that loss for weeks, being the psychotically competative person that I am.

This year, I vowed to redeem myself. I'm proud to admit, that the tissue queen reigns supreme, and she also once again made it through the next round of stacking nuts and bolts with a chopstick. But, once again I crashed and burned on the semi-finalist round of "stacking-the-plastic-red-solo-cups-on-top-of-3x5-index-cards-and-one-by-one-pulling-out-the-index-cards-so-that-the-cups-all-collapse-onto-themselves." (I'm quite sure that wasn't the name of the game. The real one is a bit more catchy, as I recall).

Third time's a charm, baby.
Next year, I'm out for blood.

However, I did walk away with a $100.00 gift card.
Not too shabby...and well worth losing a few hours of beauty sleep, methinks.
I'm happy. Hello gas and groceries.

And, hell-o there, cup #7. You wondrous creation of heavenly bliss.
How I love you.
Let me count the ways.....
1. You make me warm and cozy.
2. Your caffeine does....nothing...for...zzzzzzz

(Guess who still has no snow? And guess who still isn't sad about it?)

Happy Monday, folks!

Little Loves.

It's 5:00 in the morning over here in Boyland.

If I can actually rouse my rear out of bed in the morning, I really love this early start to my day. I can hear all of my babies breathing in their beds - all soft and snuggly and warm; I stoke up the fire all nice and hot, and I go room by room and systematically plug in all of the little lights in my windows to make my house cozy.

And usually while my coffee brews, I come and sit down over here.
It's quiet. It's my sanity. And it's well worth an extra hour of sleep in my book.

(Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum).
* * * *
So, here we are - one week away from Christmas.
Crazy, isn't it?

We're going to do our best to savor these next few days. No school - just a whole lot of Christmas. Finishing our wrapping, doing some crafting, making more goodies to share with our neighbors, playing lots of games, reading lots of stories, and hopefully seeing lots of people that we love.

I love this stage of parenting that we are in. I'm fully aware that we are in the el-cheapo stage of gift giving, and I'm fully aware of the magic and excitement that Christmas holds for little ones my age. We're living it! I know that this will change with time, and I'm really trying to drink in the deliciousness of "now." Anything that we do - no matter how small - is fun and special right now, and I know full well that this won't always be the case. I tell you - I'm a hero around here when I make my littles homemade marshmallows and when I stop to play another game of "Sorry." How many Christmases do you think that's going to last?

So, while we countdown to our family celebration on Saturday, these are some things that I am loving right now:

2194. Reading our Advent story together (when I remember). I am days behind.
2195. Crafting together at the kitchen table.(Heavens).

2196. Seeing new gifts under the tree each day - wrapped by the littles for the littles.
2197. Anticipating sitting with family this morning and watching a sweet Christmas concert.
2197. Cooking and wrapping little gifts of love to give away to strangers and loved ones.
2198. Pomegranates. A delish winter treat. Especially when I don't do any of the work. So tell me - do you eat the seeds or spit them out? Kevy chomps everything right up. I, on the other hand, spit the seeds out.

2199. My work Christmas party this evening - with my Love in tow.
2200. Planning a scavenger hunt for the boys to find their stocking stuffers.
2201. Getting our meal menus ready for all of the celebrating this week.
2202. Getting ready to go over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house!
2203. Planning a special meal for Lew.
2204. Setting aside the list when things become stressful.
2205. Playing and seeing and being.
2205. Smudge. He is darling, and I have forgiven him.


"To God, my exceeding joy; I shall praise you, O God, my God." ~ Psalm 43:4

A Saturday Morning Cartoon.

God is Not a White Man.


I kinda' like it...

Some Definitions.

It was Family Day today.
Love.

And it's been awhile since we had ourselves a wee little road trip, so over breakfast we made a plan to go gallivanting.

Did you know that "gallivanting" means: to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure?
I quite love that definition.
And I sure do love me some gallivanting. Especially when it involves food.

So, we decided to take our little selves down along the coast, and with the help of Kaden's map, we drove to my most favorite coffee shop in the whole wide world.

The food is amazing, the coffee is amazing, and for some reason, I really love drinking out of their mugs.

Heaven in a cup, I tell you.

And having no particular plan in mind other than to gallivant down to our favorite coffee shop for lunch, we decided - for the remainder of the day - to traipse around town and see what sorts of goings on were taking place.

Did you know that "traipse: means: to wander, walk, or travel without apparent plan?

Ooh. That's a good one, too.
I especially liked traipsing into this sweet little store whilst Daddy took the hoolies to play at the toy store next door.

Have you ever gone to a place or been somewhere that just totally inspires you and really makes you happy - just by being there and just by drinking in everything all around you? That's what this place is for me. I rarely ever buy anything in this store, but I just love every single thing in it. I especially love all of the little quotes written everywhere on these super sweet old barn boards.

Happiness.
You know what else makes me happy? Watching this little boy play trains whilst wearing his monkey hat. I find him to be most delicious...almost as delicious as my lunch and coffee that I ate at my most favorite coffee shop in the whole wide world. And that's saying a lot.

And finally, we finished the day by meandering thither and yon and taking our time getting back to the real world.

Did you know that "meander" means: to roam, to wander, or to ramble?
Very nice.

I especially enjoyed meandering past the ocean and seeing from a distance my favorite little pier that we like to walk in the summer. It's a sweet little mile long stone walkway that goes out to a little light house right in the middle of the ocean. It's love-o-ly.

You know what else is love-o-ly? Meandering past this delicious little coffee house that roasts their very own beans right on the premesis. (premisis?) If you roll down your windows, you can smell its haunting aroma as you drive by.

Or, you can pull into the driveway and pick up a pound to feed your addiction.
It seems to slip my mind as to which option we chose for ourselves today. Ahem.

Yes.
A day of gallivanting with a little bit of traipsing and meandering thrown in.
Dee-lightful, to be sure.

Anticipation.

I have officially declared today to be our last day of school until after the New Year. Why, you ask? Well...honestly...because I can! That's one of the perks of being the one in charge, yessiree. And also, because we are one third of the way through our school year, we're making pretty good time, and I feel that we are all ready for a break.

But, mostly, we're stopping today because I want us to really be able to savor the anticipation of Christmas. Because, isn't the build up to a big event just as much fun - if not more so than the actual event itself? I think so, anyway.

So, today, we shall wrap up any loose ends that we have, tie them all in a pretty bow, and then set the books aside for a nice solid couple of weeks.

Yes, today we work. But tomorrow, we shall play!

:: Because there are gifty goodies from friends to be played with.

:: And more marshamallows to be made for the littles in our lives.

:: And cookies to be perfected and gifted away.

:: And sitting and sipping...and savoring to be had.

The anticipation is half the fun, indeed.

Cooking with the Kidlets.

Well, aside from the the fudge, which I, ahem, saved all for myself...

The brunt of our Christmas gift giving this season has been made up of various and sundry homemade foodies that the kids can completely be a part of. We have some tried and true recipes that we make only once a year - but every single Christmas season, so this makes them really special.

And then, we always have these "Christmas negotiations," as well...

Mom always helps me make these chocolatey minty shortbread cookies (and she usually gives me the entire batch). It's tradition; she loves me that much. And in return, I always make my homemade peppermint patties and then split the batch between her and my neighbor Lew. I love her just the same...but my batch makes more...so I share with sweet Lew.

Lew loves my peppermint patties.
He says: "There's just one problem, De-ah. There wasn't enough! Hee-hee!"


Lots of granola and bread is going out to neighbors and friends.
Easy. Inexpensive. Wholesome. And it's completely consumable.

And this year, we tried something new for all of the littles in our lives: homemade marshmallows.
These three jars belong to my hoolies...notice they are almost gone.
They are super easy and super fun for the kidlets.

And our newest little taste treat that we tried out today, was these little candy cane cookies.

Supposedly very kid friendly and easy for them to help out with.

Er...not so much.

After they each made about three each, they were off and running with a: "Tell us when they're done, Mama!"
Ah well...

You win some, you lose some.
But, they all taste the same!

What's cooking in your kitchen?

* * * * *
2187. Cooking in my kitchen - with all my loves - Dad, Mom, and my boys.
2188. Fudge memories with Dad.
2189. Grammy making cookie memories with the boys.
2190. Giving gifts - just because!
2191. Boys learning the joy of giving.
2192. Ransom's first year of really being involved in the festivities.
2193. Giving joy. Receiving joy. Sharing love.

Little Boy Joy.

All was quiet in the house yesterday afternoon, so I had to go investigate.

Usually "quiet" translates into some sort of mess of mass porportion somewhere.

This is what I found.

Just a whole lot of deliciousness. And a whole lotta' happiness all the way around.

..."All is calm. All is bright."

Easing In.

(Pics taken by this sweet woman).

I'm sure I'm a little "off" from most of the rest of the world when I say this, but I really like Mondays. Monday, for me, is my slowest day out of the entire week.

We have just come off of a busy weekend, and now it's just me and the boys easing back into our normal routine.

It's fresh. It's new. And it's a clean slate of sorts.

This is our busiest day of school as the rest of the week just seems to pick up steam, but it's our slowest and coziest in many other ways, too.

From here on out, there's babysitting, waitressing shifts, playdates, and ministry.

All great things.

But today is ours. And that's the best!

* * * *

Despite my uncontrollable hair and Kevy's jeans that are practically falling off of him from all of his weight-loss; and despite his mortification of me always trying to kiss him in front of the camera; AND despite our family's extreme awkwardness in front of the camera....my dear friend was able to get some really sweet family shots of our little crew that depict our family well, I think.

Soaking wet, heads thrown back, hair messed up, scratches, zits and all....

Rachael, my Mama shall rise up and call you blessed.
Because of you, I now have updated pics to give as gifts.
You rock.

Dad's Deliciousness.

This is my Dad.

I love him quite a lot.

He's not one for travelling. In fact, a trip to Bangor is quite a big deal for him. He pretty much likes to stay home or travel twenty minutes south to his hunting camp in the Haynesville woods. This place here is city stuff. But, my Dad - he loves me, too - so he comes down to my neck of the woods once in awhile to play, as well.

This is him showing me all of his treasures in his shirt pocket. I believe he had a notebook, two pens, a pocket New Testament, and a flashlight. My boys love to sit on his lap and paw through his stash.

This is my Dad making me my all time favorite treat in the whole wide world - his homemade brown sugar fudge. Normally, I'm not a fan of fudge. In fact, any kind other than Dad's I can pretty much take or leave - there's no real temptation. But, my Dad's fudge, on the other hand, I pretty much eat it until it's --

(A). Gone. or -

(B). I'm sick. And I've got an iron gut, so that's saying a lot.
In fact, no lie - and I'm not overly proud of this - just today, I ate two pieces before breakfast, one afterwards, two before lunch, and two for dessert. No joke.

Tomorrow I shall run my buns off.
Today, I shall eat at least two more pieces before the day is over.

I'm sure I'm biased, but I really have eaten no other fudge that comes out like Dad's. It's not just the taste that's amazing - it's the consistency, as well. I'm not a fan of gooey, soft fudge. This kind of breaks off when you bite it, and it almost reminds me of those maple sugar candies that you can get that just sort of melt in your mouth when you eat them. Oh man. Party in your mouth.

(Notice Jesse in the background, double fisting the sugar from the sugar bowl. Classic).

Anyway, I wanted to watch Dad make it exactly the way that he always does, and I wanted to take meticulous notes so that maybe I can replicate this dish of deliciousness. He uses no recipe and no candy thermometer, and everything is just eyeballed - so I'm sure it will never come out the same, but I at least have it down on paper for future attempts.

It is not healthy, and it is not good for Kevy's tummy. So, I will continue to do my wifely duty in eating the remainder of the batch....

This recipe is for a single batch:

In a buttered pan, take 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, and 2/3 cup evaporated milk and cook to "hard ball stage" on the stove, then cook 3-4 minutes beyond that. I really have no idea what that means, but he always takes a clear glass of cold water and lets a little drop of the fudge go in. If it goes into a round ball with a tail on the end, it's good, so he says. He cooks it until it gets full and frothy - a nice consistent boil.

Then, when you have a half a clue that you think it might be ready, take it off the stove and add to the pot: 1/2 stick real butter, 2 generous tablespoons real vanilla, and 1/2 of a 7 1/2 ounce jar of fluff. After this, in Dad's words: "Whip it until you're tired" which this time translated into about 5 minutes.

Put it on a buttered cookie sheet and let it sit until hardened. Once it starts to set, score it with a knife so that the peices will break off more easily.

Every few minutes sneak outside to "check and see if it's ready" and take behemoth sized bites when no one is looking. Bring the half eaten pan inside once it's truly hardened, and begrudgingly share what's left with the rest of the family.

Family Photos.

(NOTE: The pictures in this post have absolutely nothing to do with its content. I just hate a post that has nothing fun to look at.)


Today we did a family photo shoot in the great out of doors.

I'm not a huge fan of getting my picture taken. It stresses me, I hate my backside, my hair never feels right, I can never get all of the littles to smile, or match, or look at the camera, or all keep their eyes open at the same time, and usually one or all of them has to use the bathroom at the most inopportune time.

That's like torture in my book.

Right up there with being cold, living in the city, being outside in the snow and cold, and being chased by wild animals.
Well, not that bad, but you know...it's not my fave.

However.

I have this friend who knows me well, and who does wonders with the camera. She makes things look and feel easy.

And I have this mother who is begging for updated pictures of my children..."That's ALL I want for Christmas! Just an updated picture of those boys to put on my mantle."

So, the pressure was on, and today was that day.
And of course, we had to get a whole wack of snow the day before so that we had to be bundled to the hilt for our pics. Joy unspeakable.

And in true Booker fashion, on this lovely picture day, I have a zit, Ransom has a huge scratch on his face, and Jesse has the beginnings of a black eye...because he's Jesse. I also forgot his hat, so he had to wear one of Ransom's - which looked slightly hilarious, AND Ransom fell right on his rear into a puddle fairly early on in our photo shoot.

But, it is what it is, and we are what we are. And we shall see what wonders my friend is able to pull out of her bag of tricks with this motley crew. She said she took almost 500 pics. There should (please?!) be at least one (???) picture that is presentable of the lot of us from that batch of pics! Will miracles never cease?

Oh, the suspense...

(My reward on the way home).

(Ransom - after the photo shoot).

Whew! We survived...
And it was actually kind of fun.
And now we wait for Rachael to work her magic. No pressure.