Our Ice Day

We had an ice day on Wednesday & got to stay home. We had quite a bit of ice that had fallen overnight. So much that we had our own ice rink in front of the house! We got bundled up after breakfast & headed out to "skate" around, and also play some hockey. Doodle saw me putting on my ear muff things & asked, "what are you doing?" I told him, then he said he wanted to put his on. I told him, he didn't have any, but that we would have to buy him some. He was already on the other side of the house getting whatever he was going for. He came around the corner like this...

I thought it was so cute. He went and got his ear muff things we got him at the air show! Whatever keeps your ears warm ;)

We let Easton out front with us. He really enjoyed it also. His favorite part was going along the edges of the street, stomping & pawing at the ice, till it cracked & he could eat it.
And, we got to play ice hockey!!

We spent the rest of the day on the couch, watching a movie & playing.

we've got frizzle!

that would be freezing drizzle for y'all not from these parts :) it's been going on all day, but tonight it started sleeting a lot. here is our magnolia, with some ice on it...this is our trampoline! we have almost half an inch of ice piled up on everything we've seen.

daniel & i freezing our butts off...
doodle & i doing the same. he woke up at 10:30 tonight & came into the living room, so i just had to take him outside to see it all!

best part...we just found out that my work & his school is closed tomorrow!!! woo-hoo! pajama day.

i've got a good man :)

yes, i do. i have a good man! well...i actually have two good men, if you count doodle :) oh & i can't leave my good chocolate man out. but, i really just wanted to say i have a good man; my husband is pretty darn good to me. just sitting at work thinking about it, so i thought i'd write it down for him to see later. love you punkin.

i eat my chocolate milk

when i fix chocolate milk (from powder-nesquick) or hot chocolate, i put the mix in the cup, then pour the milk in, but i don't stir it. i get me a spoon and go after it! i eat small amounts of the powder in the bottom of the glass along with each spoonful of milk :) oh, it is so yummy!

yesterday, ALL our silverware was dirty. we are trying to do a lot better with eating out, because we like to do it so much, but man, there are a lot more dirty dishes to wash, when you eat at home! anyway...we were out of cascade, so i couldn't run the dishwasher at the moment. and i wanted chocolate milk. right then. so...i dug around our mixing mess drawer & found this. it's one of our huge serving spoons, but, uh it has holes in it. it was not a very productive little spoon for me to eat my chocolate milk with.

Station 11

Daniel has a permanent station!!! He put a bid in for the spot at this one & got it. His first shift was Saturday, so Brenden & I went up there to visit & meet the crew & brought some goodies. This is a brand new station, that just opened on the 15th, and it's so nice! They say rookies will swing stations (which means each shift he has the possibility (and usually did) of going to a different station (there are 41 in ft worth) in the city, whichever one needs a person to fill in, if another firefighter is off) for about 3-5 years, & Daniel had to do it for 3. I think. We are praying he will only be at this station for a couple months, because he is taking the engineer test in March to promote :) I know he can do it!

The beautiful kitchen! I would love an island this big :) Oh, & some of them pretty pots hanging from the ceiling!

The bedrooms (this one is Daniel's, there are still things that need to be done with every room in the station, that's why it looks a little unfinished.)

The living room has eight recliners & is perfect for watching sports :)

Doodle & I trying out the recliners...

it's not my problem.

My little man opened my eyes a little yesterday & taught me something. I was in our bedroom getting ready, he was in there with me & Daniel was still in bed. Here's what was said...

Daniel: "My biceps are really sore from working out."
Me: "Oh, I'm sorry hun."
Brenden: "Mom, it's not your problem!"

Haha! No babe, it's not my problem.

grateful

and, now he's married.

well, i got to school to pick bren up on friday, and i got some news. his teacher said, "brenden tell your mommy what you did today on the playground." i said what, kiss emma?? haha no, but close. he told me, emma is my girlfriend, so we got married. what!? man, he likes to get things movin'!

she said it was a big deal, & they had a big ceremony! we thought it was pretty cute. now, i just wonder what her daddy thinks...

He's got a girlfriend!!

well, my little man's got his first of many. a girlfriend! well, i say first of many, but who knows, he could marry her! never know :)

several weeks ago he started talking about this girl named emma. her name would come up every once in a while. daniel & i saw her during the thanksgiving lunch at his school; she was sitting just so quietly at the end of his table. this past week, he has been talking about her quite a bit! when he does, he smiles & his little eyebrows go up & down! it is so cute! but when we talk to him about her & ask him questions, he grins & gets so embarrassed. yesterday he told us she is his girlfriend!

i did ask him if he has given her a hug. he said "no, they won't let me." haha! daniel & i thought that was pretty funny. brenden said, "i just get a ball and we pass it together!" lol so cute & so innocent-it's very sweet when he talks about her.

this morning when i took him to school, his teacher said, "you know he has a...(then she pointed at emma). oh yes, we know he has a girlfriend. both of his teachers were saying how cute it was. when they are outside, he will follow her around (he told us he likes to chase her-apparently she likes to play hard to get!) and when she sits on the step, he will sit right next to her & place his arm around her! oh my gosh, it makes me melt! he is going to be such a gentleman-just like his daddy ;) they also said that she does the same to him, so at least it's not all one sided.

watch out ladies! parents, lock your little girls up! my little man is a ladies man!

Just a glimpse

Yesterday Daniel & I went to the park where we like to run. We ended up walking most of the three miles we went, so it wasn't as productive as we would've liked. But, if we would have been running, we would have missed seeing all that we did.

A few areas of the trail go through wooded spots, with massive trees, brush & creeks. We saw a couple hawks, and a beautiful Blue Jay, along with a couple other birds. The Blue Jay stayed so close to us & was singing beautiful music! Daniel said "you know, since reading The Shack (by the way, one of the best books ever. ever! you've got to read it) it just makes you imagine how amazing all this will be in Heaven. Everything green, kept up, and how it should be, and all the critters, and birds roaming around." So, we began talking about that along our walk.

Next time around the trail in that area, it was like we were surrounded by birds. They were everywhere! We saw birds that we have not seen in years. It was amazing. I wondered, why are these birds coming out & flying and perching on the trees right by us? Then Daniel said, "you know why." It was as if God had sent all these little (and big) birdies to show us-just to give us a glimpse of what it will be like. We saw the hawks, the blue jays, a sparrow, cardinals and red birds, a woodpecker (which we sat and watched for about 15 minutes, because neither of us had seen one in about 15 years), mocking birds, doves and finches. They were all chirpin' an singin' so pretty.

We had a beautiful, eye opening walk together.

84 degrees in january!

love it!!! saturday was a beautiful day!

but...just wait a day in texas. today's high is 40. can't wait for monday, it might be around 80 again :)

Where'd the year go?

I can't believe it's already 2009. This past year flew by! It seems like as I get older, the years go by faster & faster. Time flies, when you're having fun, right?

We had a nice Christmas & New Years. I didn't take many pictures over the holidays, & honestly have not looked at the few I did take, so I'm just going to write about it...

I think our Christmas went on for about a week & a half. It started the Tuesday before & ended New Year's Eve! Seeing different families on different days & trying to let Daniel have all his Christmas, since he was on shift the day of. Oh, & Santa came to our house a day early!! He new daddy would be at the station, & wanted him to be able to be a part of the day. :) Brenden got his Spider man scooter he's been asking for & we also got him a hockey set, that comes with two goals & 4 sticks & other fun stuff. I think he loves that just as much as the scooter! I think it would be easier to list the things he didn't get, so I will just stop there! I'm just excited to go through all his old toys & get them donated. We have been so blessed. Really. This past year has been so hard on so many people, with the jobs & gas prices & the economy. We feel very blessed that we have secure jobs, that will never be lost & that the market won't hurt us.

I got lots of purple stuff for Christmas!!! love it! Daniel got me a purple hoodie, & he also got me a purple Mag lite flashlight! This thing is the same size that the police carry & it is the most beautiful color purple ever! I have been wanting to have better flashlights around the house, they just make me feel a little more safe, & this thing is also a weapon, it's so big! His main present for me though...I have a massage a month for a whole year!!! I got my first one on Tuesday. I think he may have to do this every year for me, after I get spoiled this year ;) I got him a new system for his truck, & also got a few of the pictures framed of him that were taken while he was at fires. Now, he just needs to hang them!

New year's was as boring as the past 3 have been. So exciting! Just Brenden & I at home (because, you know, Daniel was at the station!), in bed before midnight. Although, my mom & grandmother came over & we went out to dinner, so I guess we did do something :)

Anyway, didn't plan on this being so lengthy, and boring! I pray that 2009 will be a wonderful, safe, healthy, happy, blessed year for us all!