I figure, a mom only gets a certain number of opportunities to embarrass her children by dressing them up in themed clothing. Thus, I should take my chance now. And besides, I think he's pretty dang cute in this outfit.
Wouldn't you agree? Even though I could barely squeeze the hat onto his big ol' head... one size fits all, I don't think so.
The recipe is quite simple and doesn't take long, which already makes it a winner in my book.
When the balls are hard, dip into chocolate using a toothpick or spoon. Set on wax paper to cool.
My dear husband was helping me do the dipping this time. His tray is in the front. I love the man, but speed is not his forte. But his heart is willing, and I appreciate that. When you are done, they should loook like this:
Put them in the freezer until hard, then you can store them in a ziploc bag and eat them one by one... or save them to give away. Or intend to save them, but sneak a few each day and then finally realize you need to make another batch so you have enough to give away. Not that anyone would do that. Anyway, there you have it, Peanut Butter Balls. Yummmm!
Nine months and one day ago, I was in here: 
Since then, I've grown a lot.
When I was brand-new...
I only weighed 8 1/2 lbs. Now I weigh 22 1/2 lbs. Hmmm, let me think about that for a minute. 
That's an increase of 264.7%. Or something like that. My mom did the math longhand because my big brother broke our calculator and my mom doesn't know how to use the one on the computer. She doesn't know how to check the messages on her cell phone either. Don't worry, I'll teach her how once I learn to talk.
Now I've finally been out of my Mom's tummy for as long as I was in her tummy. I like it on the outside better. 
Or maybe that's my Mom talking.
Either way, I'm sure glad to be here. Happy Nine Month Birthday to me!!
This one I got from my parents one year. It goes up high, out of the kids' reach.
My sister Angela cross-stitched this one for me several years ago. I love it.
And this one is my very favorite. It is made of carved wood and backed in felt. It is just beautiful. 
I got it at this enormous Christmas store in Michigan called Bronner's. If we weren't poor students back then I would have bought more because they have every Christmas decoration known to man. It's seriously incredible.
I still dream one day of owning an olivewood nativity set from Jerusalem. My parents have one and I have fond memories of setting it up on the piano each year. It is rustic yet elegant, a fitting combo for representing the birth of our Savior.
The kids had a blast making snowballs (or holding asymmetric blobs of snow, as the case may be)...
...and were excited to wear their winter gear that, let's face it, they just don't get to use that often.
Don't worry, we didn't have to travel far...
...we just went to Erik's holiday party at work. Yes, they shipped in snow for the event. That's what they do out here in non-snow country. It makes me chuckle just a little, since with the crowds of people and the constant melting it's really not very close to playing in the real stuff. But then I remember that I'm wearing a t-shirt in 70-degree weather and am back to feeling just fine about the whole thing.
and sleigh rides to be had (or, at the very least, posed).
Santa even paid a visit (even though we didn't get any photographic proof). All in all, a fun day for the whole fam.
Do you dare take a closer peek?
I told you it was bad. You had to navigate a major obstacle course just to retrieve a screwdriver. And it had been bad for awhile, so the day after Thanksgiving we finally invited a new friend into our lives:
And on Friday and Saturday, while most sane people were eating turkey leftovers or hitting the sales, we were dumping lots and lots of junk. We shared the bin with our neighbor and filled it about 2/3 of the way, and boy did it feel great to unload so much worthless stuff that had been sitting out there for so long! I did fill up two huge bins for DI (donation), as well.
All those boxes in the middle of the floor are the components (vanity, sink, mirror, etc.) of the bathroom we have been planning to remodel for over a year. And it WILL get done, mark my words! 2009 is our year for home improvements, I can just feel it!!!
I was pretty excited about my idea of containing all the long skinny stuff in a (new and clean) garbage bin. It holds our beach umbrella, American flag (when it's not hanging on the front of the house), pool noodles, and a couple of camping chairs.
My beautiful laundry center that I don't need a weed-wacker to get to anymore. I even washed the rug.
I must admit, I felt a little silly taking pictures of candy, especially since I obviously can't get the lighting right. But I wanted to share the beauty of this new discovery with all of you, because I care. And isn't the Christmas season all about giving, anyway?
Even if the dress is two sizes too small. I mean, I know I was tall even at two years old, but come on! I think my mom was trying to get as much use out of the cute little dress as she possibly could. I'm glad I got to show off my legs when they were still cute and thin. And who loves my flippy hair?! Let's face it, I was pretty adois-able 32 years ago. :o)
My hands are very full these days. It seems I always have a child to carry or a sticky hand to hold as we cross the street. Sometimes it gets overwhelming, as I feel I rarely have a moment when I am not fulfilling someone else’s need. There is always a snack to prepare, a diaper to change, an argument to break up, or a question to answer for the 47th time. There are days I wish for some peace and quiet and a few minutes just to myself.
But then I think of how it would be if my hands weren’t so full. What if they were empty—if I didn’t have any small hands to hold, or noses to wipe, or tears to dry? It makes me sad just to think of it. So for now, I will try to enjoy these times when I get to be constantly surrounded by my children—helping them, teaching them, and hopefully giving them enough love and encouragement. Because I know that before long, they won't be so little anymore.
I have to give a shout-out to my sister-in-law Julie for her roll recipe. I used it and boy, was I ever popular. Those rolls are so yummy and everyone always loves them.
In addition to partaking of the delectable food, we had a wonderful time talking with the other adults about things we are thankful for. Our spouses, children, and the gospel ranked high on everybody's list.
Gobble, gobble! :o)
I even wore them to Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. Not on purpose, I was just wearing them while preparing food all morning and forgot to take them off. Apparently I think I'm a ballet dancer in this photo. Yep, that's me, all beauty and grace and thin-ness. Totally me. Nutcracker, here I come!
Erik looks very much the same, but needless to say, Olivia has changed a bit. Here she was just one year old. Her hair was long enough to have two ponytails, and she was walking all over the place. What a cutie!
And I have to admit, as relieved as I am for this newest step of independence he has taken, a small part of me is sad too, that he no longer needs me to give him a push.
