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As you can see, I have been tweaking my webpage. Unfortunately, I have also lost all of my blogs that I read. Instead of taking the time to find you through other people's blogs, will you leave me a comment so I can add your link to my blog? Thanks!

New website.

The photographer who has taken tons of pictures of my kids now has a website! You will find lots of pictures of my kids and a few of James as well. Here are a few of the pictures she took of Mary Elizabeth when she turned one.

Funny things heard around my house this week

Thomas: "Matthew, when you are President of the United States one day, do you promise not to make a law against spinach?"
(Thomas loves the stuff, Matthew loathes it.)

Mary Beth says when I lean over to kiss her lips, "Mommy, please don't mess up my lipstick."

At school the other day, Mary Beth and I put on visitor stickers that happen to be black and white that day. Mary Beth puts hers on her black shirt and says, "The sticker matches my outfit." She then looks at me with a disgusted look on her face while I put the sticker on my red shirt, "But the sticker doesn't match your outfit." The secretary said she would try to give me a matching sticker next time!

me: "Mary Beth, please go put the drink in the fridge."
Mary Beth: "If you do it for me, I will give you a surprise!"
(Wow, I probably use that bribe a little too often!)

Thomas was sad yesterday and Matthew volunteered to help cheer him up by offering his "Bling bling". (a cheap gold necklace from the grocery store).


Matthew filled out his Book About Me. Under what noises he is good at making, he wrote "Beet boxing".

Also on this book, it asked how many beds were in his house. He wrote "2". I almost argued with him until I realized that the boys were sleeping on a palate on the floor until their bunk beds come in (this Sunday! shhh!). Yes, Matthew will have his memory book where he can read forever that our family had 2 beds for 5 people!

This next one is no representation of Matthew's spirituality, I just thought the timing was funny:
(Waking the boys up on Sunday morning)
Thomas rolls over and says, "We get to worship God today!!"
Matthew rolls over and says, "Who won the football games last night?"

Thomas reassured me the other day, "Don't worry Mommy! I am going to go to college, then play a little for the NFL, and then I will come home to live with you again!"

The kids' Christmas lists

Every now and then, I will walk by my computer and see that Matthew has written something in Word Perfect. This one in particular caught my eye and gave me a laugh. I had NOTHING to do with any of these and copied it directly from Word Perfect.


Matthew's list:

Dear Santa Claus,
This years list is going to be dropped off at the richland mall. I will get to sit in your lap and have a great time taking pictures. ( If Thomas Mary Beth and I smile nicely, mommy will make our Christmas even more fun!) And Santa, here is my list for you and your elves.

1. A game boy
2. A wii
3.a to z mysteries books (like the zombie zone, the haunted hotel, or the deadly dungeon
4. Experiments
5. An alarm clock
6. Research books
7.almanacs
8. Mouse trap
9. A remote control helicopter
10. Text books
11. A box of 60 crayons with a sharpener
12. A portable telephone
13. A laptop computer
14. A new robe that goes down to my feet
15. A set of colored pencils
16. A Baylor bear backpack
17. A nerf gun
18. A new hair brush
19. A bulletin board
20. A glasses case

Mary Beth's Christmas List:
1. Make up (This is number one anytime we ask her)
2. A kitchen to make Daddy some food. (Am I sensing a little competition?)
3. A Princess bike with charms on it.

Thomas's list:
1. A wii.
2. Roller blades for my brother that aren't the same as mine so we don't get them confused.
3. Leap Pad things
4. Books

Hope Santa is good to my little ones this year!

Happy Birthday, Thomas!

Today, my little Thomas turns 6!

We had a great weekend full of parties, family get togethers, a Christmas program that the kids were in and I helped direct, and a little bit of strep in the mix! I will write about that tomorrow, but wanted to have a post just for Thomas today.

Here are 7 reasons why I love Thomas: Seven because Thomas says that really its his Seventh birthday because he has been alive for 7 December 10ths!

1. He is joyful. It is hard to imagine Thomas without a smile on his face! He will often say, "Isn't this the greatest day?" He was so thrilled that the Cowboys won the day before his birthday that he exclaimed, "This is the BEST day of my life!" Thomas has lots of best days of his life.

2. He always puts others first. This is probably my favorite quality about Thomas. You will never find his Christmas list for Santa without items for his sister and brother. If Matthew is in trouble, he will ask to take the punishment for him. When playing sports, he is so happy for anyone on his team, or the other team when they score a point! If I praise him for cleaning his room, he is quick to point out if Matthew or Mary Beth helped him. Thomas is my role model for selflessness.

3. He takes everything in stride. Thomas is very even keeled. Nothing ruffles his feathers. He does things quietly. One day last year, he just started reading books. He quietly taught himself to read without making a big deal about it!

4. He, like his brother, is a walking sports encyclopedia. For at least the last two football seasons, he can sit through an entire game and not get bored. He know the rules and will shout out what he thinks the next play should be. The most exciting present he got this year was a signed Shaun Alexander rookie card!

5. What can I say? Thomas is definitely a Ladies Man! Every day after school, two girls from our neighborhood come over to ask if Thomas could walk with them. Whether at my office, my inlaws' office, church, or school, he finds the prettiest girl and befriends them.

6. He is very good at math. We have always joked that Thomas is very literal. His thinking is always very methodical. This has manifested itself into a love of math. He is already multiplying and dividing one and two digit numbers in his head, and loves nothing more than for me to give him four digit numbers to add and subtract. We figured this one out when we started quizzing Matthew on math facts. Thomas would often answer the questions immediately, and, much to Matthew's chagrin, before his big brother! I was more of an English and History gal myself and can't understand the love affair with numbers, but I can certainly appreciate it in Thomas!

7. He is very affectionate! One of Thomas's greatest accomplishments every day is to say he was the first and last person each day to give me a kiss. I am greeted every morning while still in bed to a giant Thomas kiss! Then I hear, "First kiss of the day..." and he runs off to take a shower! He calls me "Sweetheart" as much as he calls me "Mommy". He loves giving hugs and kisses to all of his family and especially loves James kisses.

One of the things that I am so grateful for is that Thomas was born on my Dad's birthday. We weren't expecting that, because Thomas was due on Christmas Eve. Not only was I thrilled to give Dad the best birthday present ever, but I was also happy not to have to carry that 9 lb. 3 oz. bundle of joy for two extra weeks!

My sister wrote a great blog about Dad that expresses how we all feel about our patriarch. I adore my Dad and am so blessed that God gave him to me to be my father. He is such an amazing and unique person. Thank you, God, for my two birthday boys!

Questionaire

1. Name: Elizabeth Ann
2. Birthday: July 29
3. Birthplace: Montgomery, AL
4. Eye Color: Blue/Green
5. Hair Color: Light Brown with highlights
6. Height: 5'6
7. Ethnicity: Caucasian
8. Weakness: good food at expensive restaurants, dishes, antique rose bushes, books for me, cookbooks, children's books.
9. Most missed memory: 1)college 2)Christmases and Vacations as a kid 3)The summer I started dating Bryon 4)sophomore year of high school.
10. Thoughts first waking up: Has Bryon started the coffee maker? I hope the kids can find something cute to wear today! Please tell me it's Saturday!
11. Last time you cried: I don't remember. Not much of a crier.
12. Song title that currently says how you feel: "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"
13. What is the perfect day for you: It would have to be a snow day. We are all stuck in the house all day long. I get up and make a big breakfast for everyone. Then, we play lots of board and card games. After lunch, every one sits down next to a roaring fire and reads together. I will just happen to be reading an incredibly engrossing book that I can't put down! After a cozy afternoon, the babysitter will come and Bryon and I will brave the cold and enjoy a wonderful dinner at my favorite restaurant!
14. Ever been asked for an autograph? No
15. How do you vent anger? talk it out or internalize it.
16. Who do you talk to most on the phone? Bryon, Mom, sister, friends Ashley and Amy.
17. As a kid, were you a lego builder? No, I was a Fisher Price Little People person myself.
18. Do you chew on your straws? Never.
19. Do you sing in the shower? No. I save my singing for the car!
20. Who's the last person you stayed up late talking to on the phone to? Bryon, when he is working late.
21. The last place you went to in a plane? Disney World
22. Do you cry at weddings? No. I just look forward to eating wedding cake!
23. Are you afraid of the dark? No. However, I am afraid of driving in the dark.
24. What are you addicted to? Coffee, Diet Coke, reading, gardening, being room mother, House, The Office, 30 Rock.
25. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Crunchy
26. Who do you fight with the most? Family members. We always work it out quickly, though!
27. Who can you tell anything to? Bryon, Lauren, Mom
28. Who can't you get enough of? My family and a few friends
29. Who makes you laugh the most? My kids
30. What is the worst feeling ever? Of course, when people I love are hurting. More superficially? When my jeans are tight!
31. How many pillows do you sleep with? All I need is my one contoured pillow!
32. How many rings before you answer your phone? Lots. I can never find my phone.
33. How many times do you press the "snooze" button? Not my job! Bryon is my alarm clock.
34. How do you sleep? On my left side then on my stomach.
35. Last time you laughed: A few minutes ago when Mary Beth was searching the refrigerator for a "good berzert"! Also earlier today when Matthew told Thomas not to get annoyed with Mary Beth because "she's just a midget!"
36. Ever looked at someone ugly and said "EWWW"? I am sure it has happened in the past. Probably in junior high.
37. What is your favorite color? green and brown. Can you tell I love the Fall?
38. What is your favorite state? Texas

A fun weekend!

What a fun weekend! First off, we put most of the final touches on Mary Beth's big girl room. I am so excited about how it turned out! She has adjusted beautifully and is happy to no longer be in a "baby bed". Every time she walks in her room, she starts laughing! The last thing I need to do is hang ribbon on her initials. Not feeling a lot of motivation to brave the crowds at Hobby Lobby right now!

Friday night, Lauren and Josh watched the kids so Bryon and I could have a date! We had a great Mexican food dinner and headed to Toys r Us to finish up the kids' Christmas presents.

Saturday night was Bryon's work Christmas party. My parents watched the kids (and got them those adorable Christmas pajamas!) and they had a good time watching Christmas movies. Bryon and I had a great time at his party. The food was great and I enjoyed getting to know more people who work with Bryon.

Last night, my good friend and I hosted our monthly book club. This involved two of my favorite things: cooking and talking about books! We enjoyed trying out new recipes and getting out the Christmas china!

I think the boys' bunk bed will be here this week or at the latest next week. I can't wait to get that part of the house finally finished!