Breakfast at the Weldon's

Tim's brother, Patrick, and sister-in-law, Catherine, drove out from Minnesota to spend Christmas with us. I will have more posts on our most wonderful visit with them, but here was the beginning of every morning here at our home.
I made breakfast every morning for the entire Weldon family (8 total) and we had hot coffee, eggnog and orange juice each morning.
Each morning was a different spread.
Day #1: Chile-Egg Casserole, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Oranges, Baked Apples and Cinnamon Rolls, Eggnog, Coffee and Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
Day #2: Ruby Grapefruit, Sausage-Egg Casserole, Powdered Donuts, Buttermilk Pancakes, Cinnamon Rolls, Coffee, Orange Juice and (again) Peppermint Hot Chocolate (it was a winner from the day before!)


Day #3: Homemade Pecan Sticky Buns, Scrambled Eggs, Toast with Homemade Jellies, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Baked Apples, Bananas, Coffee, Eggnog and Apple Juice.
. . .And our WONDERFUL centerpiece, a homemade gingerbread house, made from none other than our little Peter himself!!!
(thanks Becky!!)

Peter's New Bike!

Uncle Pat and Aunt Catherine got Peter a NEW BIG WHEEL! He ADORES IT!


Here's some video's of his first 'take-off' on it!

Christmas Breakfast!

This morning, Peter and I made some stocking and tree french toast and eggs. I put them on the griddle using cookie cutters. It turned out pretty well. Peter sure enjoyed them! YuM!

Our Christmas Tree

We put the ornaments on our tree this evening. We have had our tree up and lights on for about a week now, but we were waiting to put up the ornaments until we could ALL do it, as a family. Peter was so excited, because this was the first year that we have let him 'help' putting the ornaments on the tree.
I made some hot chocolate for all three of us, and Tim starting pulling out all of the boxes full of ornaments.
Here's Pete with his chocolate face!

Peter got to put all of the 'lighter' ones on, and some other ones that Tim and I picked out for him to put on. One by one they went up, each one had a different story. A different memory behind them. It was so wonderful to explain each one to Peter. He sat and listened to each story.
This year, Tim let Peter put the Angel on the top of the tree.

He got out the ladder and hoisted Pete up there. He felt so priviledged!



Ta-Da!

Some Cool Pics of the Tree

We had a little fun with the Photo-Shop!

Cookie Time!

Here's my little Monkey-Boy and his new favorite . . . pumpkin-chocolate-chip cookies!

Slashing Slang

This morning, I went to my Ladie's Bible Study brunch and we had a wonderful speaker who was a missionary in a 2nd-World Country. She had teased about the language barriars and how the children there had picked up on some of our 'American' slang just before they left to come back to the States.
Today, I also had a first hand experiance with that. I really need to start thinking BEFORE I speak. . .especially with my very bright 3-year old son around!

Peter: "Look Mommy. . . . (I'm in the shower), it's a Grandma McQueen!"
Mom: "What is, honey?"
Peter: "This. . . look!"
I opened the shower door to see his Lightining McQueen (from CARS) with two tires over his eyes.
Peter: "SEE??. . .it's his glasses, just like on Grandma Shapper!" (Grandma Shaeffer)
Mom: "Ahhh. . . .a 'Grandma McQueen'!!!! You kill me, Peter"
Peter: "No. . . .I didn't kill you!"
Mom: "No, sorry. . .that's an expression. It means you're really funny!" (oops!)
Peter: "Oh. I don't want to kill you, Mommy"
Mom: "I know, Pete. . .and I thank you for that"

Yucky Gerps!

I was using some antibateria spray, while driving in the car. Peter asked what that 'thing was, the thing that you shake and spray'? I told him that it was a soap spray that gets rid of germs.
He asked, "What are GERMS?"
I said, "Germs are yucky things that sometimes stick to your skin, and sometimes they can even make you sick, so this soap helps to get rid of them!"
Peter replied, "Oh. . . . just like BIRDS!!!!"
I knew that he must have had a good point, somehow, so I asked what he meant.
Peter said "You know. . . . like the birds. . . .they say 'gerp gerp'!
I laughed, "Peter, birds say 'cherp', I said 'GERMMMMSSS'"
He laughed back.

My Think-ster!

I have been (for a while, actually) playing Christmas music, in our Family Room (aka 'playroom) for the boys and I to listen to. The song, 'Santa Baby' started playing, and Peter, cleverly points to this picture of James

and said "Just like THIS. . . Santa-BABY!!!"

Mom had too much time on her hands. . . .

Christmas -2008-

This is one of my favorite's of James. This is a face that not everybody gets to always see!

He HATES hats

My little baby is ONE!



My precious first born!

My sweet little second born!

"Ahhh, is this one for ME?"

"Cheese-Head!!!"

Our first 'Family of Four' picture!!!!

Downtown Dayton's Holiday Festival

Tim and I decided that THIS year was the year to try to get downtown, for their annual Holiday Festival.
We rode rides and had lots of fun!
. . .And it was quite a challenge holding onto BOTH boys, while the moving horses got me off balance!






James had a hard time holding on, but Peter loved the Merry-Go-Round so much, that he begged us to go on another ride, so off we went to the 'cars'! He held my hand while we waited in line, looked up at me with those big blue eyes and asked, "Mommy, can I ride this one by myself this time?" It broke my heart, . . . he didn't need me to be brave anymore, but I also smiled because I knew that he was growing up!





We went inside to warm up really quickly, and found an old fashion sleigh. So, we took advantage of the moment and got some cute pictures of the boys.




We got some hot chocolate to share and then got front row seats near the Christmas tree, in the center of downtown, and enjoyed all of the festivities around us.


James slept through the tree lighting, but Peter loved watching the big tree light up! It was the "biggest tree he ever saw!"
It was a full evening of FUN for us all!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Our Thanksgiving

This year, we were very blessed with a wonderful time with our family for Thanksgiving!

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For the Shaeffer Family Thanksgiving, we all met at my Aunt Janet and Uncle Mark's house. My cousin, Ben, made three amazingly delicious turkeys, raised on his own turkey farm (a real 'old fashion' Thanksgiving!). He had a 30 pound baked turkey, a deep fried turkey and a mesquite turkey. I have never seen so much turkey in all my life! We had our turkey with all of the traditional trimmings. For the first time, I made a home-made cranberry sauce. I also brought a sweet potato bake, with brown sugar crumbs and roasted marshmellows. Peter helped me make some lemon pound cake, for dessert. And, besides the butter splatter all over my stove, he did a pretty good job! We arrived at my Uncle's home, around noon, my cousins and I decorated the tables and Ben carved the turkeys, then we said grace and then enjoyed one of the best meals of the year!
My Uncle Mark and cousin Ben share a tractor together (since they're neighbors!), so we got to enjoy a hayride over hills and old roads in the country. It was wonderful smelling the crisp air and just being out with our family!
As most traditions go in our family, after a big meal, we all felt like we had 'bellies full of jelly', so we all napped or relaxed while watching the football game on T.V.

Tim and I took our sleepy kiddo's to bed, and got a little shut eye ourselves. Then, around seven, we headed over to Tim's parents house. My mother-in-law had just finished putting up their themed Christmas trees and decorations, so Peter and James got a real kick out of all the lights and snowmen all over the house. Dot has a lot to handle at her home, with the 24 hour care of my Great-Aunt Eleanor, so our tradition with Tim's parents are a little different. We typically go somewhere nice for dinner on Thanksgiving day, and even though it may sound strange, it is just as precious to us and our boys!
This year, we ate at Crackle Barrel, and had a delicious dinner with such a nice staff! All the waiters came up to our table to play with the boys. It was a really lovely evening.

The kids stayed with my in-laws for a sleep-over, so that Tim and I could get up at 3:30 the next morning, to stand in the crazy lines for black Friday's Christmas shopping!
It was a Wonderful Blessed Thanksgiving!!!

Christmas Concert!

DECEMBER 21st
6:00PM
Basore Road Grace Brethren Church
5675 Basore Road
Englewood, OH

~Glorious Ruins~

First Snow

Even thought the boys were sick, the both enjoyed watching the snow fall this morning. It was so beautiful.
Peter asked a lot of questions about snow, and we talked about how slow it falls, compared to rain. James got a big kick out of the snow, and is even trying to say the word 'snow' now!


Here's my little, fussy James, through the door. He wanted to follow me outside!