The whistle blew.  Four little noses pressed against the car window as the kids screamed..."Look at the TRAIN!"  Adam and I gave each other a grin of excitement and gathered them in their pajamas to hurry out through the cold air. 
    Boarding the train, we were welcomed with the warm scent of hot chocolate and cookies.  Tables were arranged with baskets of goodies and glowing candles.  Taking their seats, the whistle blew again and we were off.  
     The Conductor appeared asking for tickets.  Little eyes watched in awe as he punched away with his clicker.  Music was playing as the rhythm of the smooth glide of the train started to become more familiar.  It soothingly rocked back and forth as we passed trees and rivers under the moon lit night.
    Waiters arrived and began to dance down the aisle with cups of hot chocolate.  The cream was so thick on top - you could eat it with a spoon.
     As little bellies began to fill with goodies and drink, it was time to read "The Polar Express".  The train became quiet as the children followed with their books and the magical story came to life. 
    When the reading was over, the train slowed.  A glow of lights appeared outside as everyone shuffled to the windows to see.  Santa himself stood waving as little mouths dropped in amazement.  He walked toward the train making everyone wonder if he would come on board.      
    Hearing the sound of the whistle, the train shifted directions and slowly started to push back the way we came.  "Did we miss him?  Will he know we're here?"  Our five year old questioned.  All eyes were to the front of the train car as suddenly, he appeared. 
     Santa greeted each child and took time to give them the first gift of Christmas - a shiny bell tied with a red ribbon.  The train car filled with the song of bells ringing as the smiles and wonder filled the air.  
      All of the children sang Christmas Carols on the journey back as they each held their bells tightly. 
    Waking up this morning, it seemed like a dream.  The kids held their bells making us wonder if they would ever let them go.  
    No matter when that might be, I hope they will always hear the sound that rings from within...and Believe in the magic of Christmas.       

Sooooo Excited!!!  Tomorrow night we're taking the kids to something that we've wanted to have them do for so long...we'll post pictures soon!!! 

     If you're like us you've just about come out of your turkey stretchy pants and started to breathe regularly again.      
    Thanksgiving was almost a week ago and we've finally finished the leftovers from the fridge.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie...a heavenly array of food and sweets.  
    This year was the second time we've cooked the meal from start to finish.  We usually go to Adam's home in Texas where his Mom makes the best Thanksgiving dinner on earth.  We stayed home this year though, which made us nervous because the first time I made the meal, it ended in disaster.  
    The pumpkin pie flipped upside down in the hot oven and smoked out the whole house.  Alarms were blaring, the kids were running around screaming...and we spent the rest of the day scraping burnt stinky junk off from the oven floor.
     This time around, things went a little better.  There were no pumpkin pie fiascos and the food came out half way decent.  Everyone was so hungry by the time we ate - that anything would have tasted good though to tell the truth.  
      It was nice to spend the time together.  Throughout the day, I tried to get everyone in for a family picture but had no luck.  It's next to impossible to do in this house, but there's always next year I guess.  
    All in all, it was a great time.  We hope you and your family had a Wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with leftovers of turkey, pumpkin pie...and stretchy pants of happiness. 

    "I really want to decorations the house with you this year Daddy."  Adam shot a look towards me as our five year old stood at his feet looking up.  Shrugging my shoulders, I could tell that the last thing Adam wanted to do was to have our son "help" him hang the Christmas lights up outside.  It was hard enough to do on a good day but throw any of the kids into the mix - and well, you can imagine. 
    Preston ran upstairs to get his Santa hat and came back to the front door with the biggest smile on his face.  As Adam carried a bin of lights with him outside, he turned to give me one last look of desperation.  Preston started to pull the bin with Adam saying, "Let's decoration the house now Daddy!  I'm ready!"  
    It was the first year that little Preston had ever shown any interest in putting Christmas lights up.  He was absolutely set on doing as much as possible.  We had to keep him from climbing the ladder, hanging from the railings and dangling off the front porch.  
    Strand by strand, Adam and Preston worked on lighting the house with a warm Christmas glow.  It may have taken a little longer than usual...and the outcome may have looked a little crazy (kind of like a five year old did it) but the house has never been prettier. 
     Thank you for "decoration-ing" the house this year little man.  It wouldn't have been the same without you.

    We live in a house divided.  I was born, bred and raised in the state of Ohio where most people bleed Buckeye blood.  We learn to cheer for the Buckeyes from the time we can walk...sometimes even sooner.      
    If you know anything about Ohio State, you know about a coach named Woody Hayes.  He was legendary.  In my case, my grandpa happened to be friends with him.  I remember my dad telling us of how Coach Woody would stop by their house for visits.  Needless to say, I was raised to be a Buckeye.
    Then entered...Adam.  From the minute we met and found out where we were from...it was on.  He was born and brought up in the Air Force but spent most of his life in Texas.  He HATED Ohio and I didn't care much for his home state.  Not that it would have been a deal-breaker or anything, but there was definite friction.  It really came out in full swing during game days.  
       Adam ended up getting an assignment that made us MOVE to a base in Texas and I cried for about two weeks straight.  We lived in Texas for four years which was good, because I learned that some of the nicest people on earth were there.  It was tricky during football season though.  When I wore my Buckeye gear, ESPECIALLY when we played Texas in 2005, it felt as though I was taking my life into my own hands - just by going to the grocery store.  
    All in all, Adam will always be a Longhorn and I will be a Buckeye 'till the end.  Our kids cheer for both teams so that keeps the peace I guess.  The season is over for us, (can I hear 12 and 0?) but Texas still has a couple more games. 
    Adam and I have this thing that we do but we've never, ever talked about it.  In our closet, I have a Buckeye shirt hanging up so it's the first thing you see.  He always changes it to one of his Texas shirts.  I'll hear him quitely laugh in the morning and when I go in after he's gone, I see that he's done it again.
    I imagine that it's good for the kids to know that we can have our differences and stay true to who we are while still coming together in the end.  It's nice to have some healthy competition in the house for them to grow up with.  It's also nice that Adam leaves for work so early in the morning so I can always change the shirt back to what it should be. 
GO BUCKEYES!!!    

What is Thanksgiving?
Lauren Elizabeth (3 years old) - A day to wear a dress.
Preston (5 years old) - A day to eat cake.
Ethan (7 years old) - It's a day to be thankful.
Christian (9 years old) - A celebration from a day that took place 1000 years ago.

What Happened on the First Thanksgiving?
Lauren Elizabeth - The people got Christmas trees and ate cinnamon toast.
Preston - People made Thanksgiving dinner with hot chocolate because it snowed.
Ethan - They celebrated and ate squash, beans and other stuff.
Christian - In November of 1621 the Pilgrims and the Indians had a feast to say "Thank You" to God for His help.  The Indians were Squanto, Samoset and Chief Massasoit and the feast lasted for three days. 

What Did They Eat on the First Thanksgiving?
Lauren Elizabeth - Cookies
Preston - They ate a big Birthday cake.
Ethan - They had turkey and corn.
Christian - Turkey, corn, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and ummm...bread.

Lauren, how did they make the cookies?
Lauren Elizabeth - They made them with Princess Leia.

Preston, how did they make the Birthday cake?
Preston - They put some sugar and flour together.

Ethan, how did they make the turkey?
Ethan - They shot the turkey and then they ate it.

Christian, how did they make the pumpkin pie?
Christian - Um, well, they had to make the crust out of some dough.  Then they put the pumpkin stuff in it and took all the seeds out.  They put it in an oven for about 30 minutes, or maybe 10 minutes.  They had to make sure the oven was really hot, like around 72 degrees.  When it was done, Wah La!  They ate the pumpkin pie.

    May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with turkey, pumpkin pie, Birthday cake...and of course, cookies with Princess Leia.  XOXO

    When I was young, I remember looking SO forward to getting together with my cousins each year for Thanksgiving.  It was truly a magical time with our family gathered together.      
    One year that stands out in particular was when we visited our relatives in Toledo, Ohio.  My Aunt is a beautiful artist and she let us go to her art studio to work with water colors.  My younger cousin Jennifer and I must have spent the whole afternoon painting. 
    I sat and thought about something that our kids could do this year that would be fun and memorable for them as well.
     A few days ago, Adam and I took the kids to a "Christmas Open House".  We saw an adorable idea I'd like to try - that just might do the trick.
    A woman was passing out "S'mores on a Stick".  What are "S'mores on a Stick" you ask?  I hadn't heard of them either, but they were DELICIOUS and would be SO easy for kids to make.
    You take a large marshmallow and put a toothpick in it so it looks like a lollipop.  Dip the marshmallow into melted chocolate, then roll it around in crushed graham cracker crumbs.  When the chocolate hardens, they're ready to eat.  (yummm.)  No fire, no sticky melty hands, (although that IS half the fun of making S'mores...)  Just the perfect combination of fluff, chocolate and crunch.
     Is it the healthiest of snacks?  Ummmmmm, no.  Would it be a neat treat that the kids would have a ball making?  I hope so.  It's tough to beat any idea involving chocolate.  I'm sure that no matter what though, our Thanksgiving Day will be hectic and wild with flour flying and turkey basting.  I want to try and keep the heart of it all in mind for our family however.  Making memories while spending time with loved ones - is what the day is really all about.  
    Being thankful for God's many blessings, makes this holiday so special.  So from all of us - to each of you, Blessings and S'mores to you and yours.  Happy Thanksgiving!

    Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I'm trying to get ready to cook, roast and bake.  I've only made a whole Thanksgiving dinner one time before so we'll see how it goes.  We usually visit my husband's home in San Antonio, Texas.  Adam's mom is about the best cook on earth so not only are we going to miss seeing his family...we're going to miss all of her amazing food.  
    We'll be here this year so I'm beginning to plan our Thanksgiving menu.  Looking through our cookbook, I came across an old recipe that I used to make when we first got married.  The recipe is for a Broccoli and Cheese Soup and I remembered Adam loving it on a cold day.  I haven't made it since we've had kids so I wondered what they would think of it.  
    I don't know about you, but in our family, one child is the pickiest eater on earth, one loves anything as long as it's sweet - while the other two would eat a shoe if you let them.  It's hard to make anything that all four kids absolutely love though.      
    Tonight, we had a winner.  It's a rare thing to have everybody sit at the dinner table in complete silence while gobbling their food.  
      It may have been because it was new and different for them, I don't know.  I'll make it again in a few weeks to see how well it goes over next time.  No matter what, it always warms your heart to hear them say, "This is Good Mom!" 
    If you have friends or family coming in this week and need a lunch idea for the days before or after Thanksgiving, feel free to give this recipe a try!  It would be perfectly paired with sandwiches or salad.  Enjoy!
    
    Broccoli and Cheese Soup
    1 cup of chopped onion
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    3 cups of chicken broth
    1 (16-ounce) package of broccoli florets
    2 1/2 cups of milk
    1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
    salt and pepper to taste
    12 ounces of cheese, cubed (I used mild cheddar and mozzarella - because "mozzarella" is fun to say.)

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add two to three Tablespoons of butter with onion and garlic and sauté until tender.  (about five to ten minutes)  Add the broth and broccoli.  Bring the broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes.

In another bowl, combine the milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until it's well blended.  Add the milk mixture to the broccoli mixture while it's still on medium heat.  Cook for five more minutes while stirring constantly until it slightly thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and add the cheese, stirring until the cheese melts.

Put one - third of the soup in a blender or food processor and process until it is smooth.  Return the processed soup to the pot and stir to combine. 
 
Serve up and dig in!  Happy Thanksgiving!  XOXO

    My cell phone is sticky.  It's hard to push the buttons.  You could probably think of about a hundred different reasons with four kids in the house what caused the sticky phone button syndrome, but I'll bet you would never think of this one...
    Last weekend our neighborhood had a fall block party.  Our neighbors are great and it's always fun to get together for any reason...block parties especially.  We laugh, we eat, we talk, we eat, we catch up...you get the idea.  The food this year was exceptional.  Chili, meatballs, grilled wings, pasta salad, pigs in blankets, fruit with dip, cupcakes, pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies, it went on and on with fall flavor and deliciousness.  
    I watched as our three year old little girl made a bee line for the food, attacked something, then ran off to play again.  Cookies, cupcakes, fruits and sweets...she was having the best time.  We stopped her and said, "Lauren, you have to eat something other than sweets or you'll get sick."  (Can you see where this is going?)
    The block party was over and all was well.  A great friend asked us to go to their house that evening for a football party.  Loading the kids up in the car, we were on our way.  When we arrived at their house, I grabbed my phone to take with me.  The three boys unbuckled their seatbelts as I went to the back to undo Lauren's belt.  She kept holding my hands saying, "Mommy..." 
"What baby?  We have to go, it's cold!  Let's go!"
"Mooommmy..."
"Baby, WHAT?!"
    The boys had already run to the front door and met up with our friend as he came out to say "Hi".
    Turning my attention back to Lauren to try to move her hands so I could unbuckle her seat belt, she stopped me again, saying, "Mommy, I feel...BLAUUGHHHH" 
BLAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHH.......
BLAUGGGGGHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGHHH...
     She threw up all over the front of herself, down her seat, she covered the floor of the car, the back of my seat...then turned to reach towards me to cry while I frantically kept trying to get her seatbelt off and pull her out.
    BLAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGH
This time she got me.  Warm gooey puke covered me from my neck to my feet.  Finally getting her out of her seat, I tried to hold her out as she began to throw up all over our friend's drive-way.  He stood there in disbelief.  I think everyone was in shock at how much this tiny three year old had in her.  
    When she was finally done, we apologized from a distance, put a blanket over her seat and went back home.  
    After we cleaned her up, I cleaned myself off, then we went to get everything out of the car.  That's when I found my phone.  My oooey, gooey, dripping in puke, phone.  There were even chunks of pineapple on it.  Fantastic. 
     Lauren was fine from that point on.  (She hasn't touched a cupcake since.)  Everything else has pretty much been cleaned out with a slight reminder of the smell in the car.
     Yes, all that remains is one more memory that this time, our friend was able to share.  There's never a dull moment in this crazy family.  I now have the cell phone to prove it.

    Growing up in Ohio, my FAVORITE Christmas movie as a kid was always "The Christmas Story".  Maybe it was because the movie was filmed in Cleveland and it wasn't uncommon to run into someone who knew a cousin's cousin that was in it.  I don't know. 
     Now that I'm older, there's nothing quite like cuddling up to "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street".  For whatever reason, though, Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB gun get me everytime.  
    This afternoon, my husband called saying that one of the malls was having their Christmas "Open House" to prepare for the holidays.  It sounded like fun, so we bundled the kids up (they could put their arms down) and off we went.
     Unreal.  It was the most fun time.  The kids were able to see Santa, take a train ride, get lots of free goodies and snacks and even go sledding.  There's no snow mind you, but somehow they brought it in.  My jaw dropped as I had visions of Ralphie and his little brother Randy getting "pushed" down the slide in the movie.  Adam and I both thought the same thing and started to laugh as the kids went flying by.  
    Needless to say, the night was filled with cold pink cheeks, warm hot chocolate, candy canes, Santa and even a little bit of "the white stuff".  It was definitely a fun time that I hope the kids will remember.  I'll bet that even Ralphie himself would have enjoyed it...with or without the slide.