Our Trees Are Up!

I realize they look like they are on fire...but for some reason I like these poor quality pics from my cell phone! I love decorating early...it seems like if we don't get it done the day after Thanksgiving it just isn't up long enough to really enjoy it! It's not like we are elaborate decorators anyway...just one tall tree in all silver with white lights and then a small tree with colored lights for the girls. This years decorating went so much better than it did last year. Let me recap last year's experience:
It was Friday evening and the mood was set....Christmas music playing, fireplace lit, kettle of water boiling for hot cocoa....etc. So, Jerry set out to get the boxes of Christmas decorations/trees/stockings/wreaths..the works! He climbed into the upstairs attic...hmm...no xmas boxes there, so he climbed into the garage attic...hmm...no xmas boxes there either. So he figures he must have put them in our storage building out back. Jerry gets the keys and heads out there a little frustrated at this point. When he returned and told me that he couldn't find our xmas boxes out there either, I thought he was kidding! We had just moved in to this house in July, so the wheels in our heads started turning. We had moved out of our E. Dallas home in May....and stored our things in various places...while we lived with family and house hunted. Could we have left the boxes in one of our two storage buildings? Did we forget some of the things we stored at Jerry's parent's home? Or, did we never move them from our old house at all!?!? At this point we were worried! When you think of your Christmas things, so many of them are irreplaceable...our first Christmas ornament (which still doesn't have a photo in it 9 Christmases later)...okay so maybe that isn't so special, but Lily's first baby ornaments, precious antique ones, the stocking Jerry's grandmother knitted him when he was a boy, and countless other treasures...were they all gone? We were on the phone immediately...first to our family to see if we had left these items stored with them, then to the people to helped us move to see if they had any recollection of getting things from the attic...and finally to our realtor so we could get in touch with the new owners of our old house. We spent an entire weekend not knowing the fate of our special Christmas things. Then finally we were in touch with the new owner...he had noticed all of the boxes in the attic shortly after moving in, but somehow couldn't get in touch with us...huh? our realtor had our cell phone numbers....oh well! We were just so thankful that he hadn't thrown them out or something...he figured we would track those boxes down eventually! Looking back, our panic seems silly...especially when considering the true meaning of Christmas...Thank You, Jesus, for being born and giving us reason to celebrate...YOU are our true treasure!

A Special Day, A Special Dress

Our First Family Photo with Jade!
3 Generations of Manthes that have worn "The Dress"

It has been a little over a month since we had Jade dedicated at church! Honestly, I was glad baby dedication time came around when it did because otherwise she may not have fit in "the dress". The dress you see her wearing above is a sixty year old baptismal gown that my dad wore first (yes, boys do wear baptismal gowns...Jerry still doesn't get it!), then my sister, then yours truly, then Lily and most recently Jade. If you are wondering why Avery isn't pictured above, she, like Jade was blessed with the chub and probably wouldn't have fit in it! The first three of us who wore it were baptized in the Lutheran tradition and therefore baptized quickly...you should see my mom in my baptism photos...just 14 days after giving birth to me! Lily was baptized at 5 months....she was tiny....in the Presbyterian church....my relatives thought we were never going to get around to it! And now with Miss Jade we are attending a church that dedicates babies...which is all new to me. After the initial shock to the family, it really went well....my mom didn't run up there and sprinkle water on her (like she threatened...jokingly...I think) and the only comment my dad had when he overheard me talking to someone about the special gown, was that it is NOT sixty years old...yet, just 59!!!

I was a little unsure of the whole baby dedication vs. infant baptism debate, but my friend Mandy encouraged me correctly that the heart motivation of parents is the same in either! On October 13th we brought Jade before the Lord to recognize that she is actually His...and we promised to pray for her and teach her to love and follow Christ and hope that one day she will trust Him as her Savior....after all...not any outward act of man can save our child...only the Lord can do that!

Enjoy this slideshow from this very special day!

I love the verse on her certificate...."For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to Him. Therefore I have lent her to the Lord, as long as she lives, she is lent to the Lord. I Samuel 1:27-28

And I couldn't resist pulling out some pictures of Lily's baptism in February of 2005. See below!

Jerry Won the Jackpot!

No, we haven't made an escape to Vegas! Did that once and neither of us feel the need to go back! 2 months ago Jerry put $10 in the pot at work for a weight loss contest. He has been weighing in every Wednesday since then and staying near the top. You had to put a quarter in any time you gained a pound, and I think he only did that once. Last week he was in third place, so he put it in high gear for the finish!

We've been working on losing weight together. How is it that husbands always gain baby weight too? I don't actually gain much in pregnancy...mainly due to losing so much via puking in the beginning (my friends joke about my pregnancy diet), so I guess the extra I'm carrying around is just the "maternal store"?!? Who names these things? Or maybe its just because we're 30+ now and our metabolism is slowing down. Anyway, we've been cutting back on "bad carbs"...the refined sugars and starches that make your blood sugar wacky, and adding plenty of vegetables and lean meats. And, it has paid off! Literally! Jerry brought home $207 this afternoon!

So then the next question is...where are we going out to eat tonight!?! Lily heard us talking about this and put her votes in for Peter Piper Pizza and McDonalds, I voted for Mexican (but any of you who know Jerry know that this was vetoed...my husband is the only person I know that will actually order a hamburger at a Mexican restaurant!), and then Jerry mentioned SNUFFER'S!!! We have a new one in town and all decided that Snuffer's Cheese Fries are calling our name!

Must go get my fingers greasy and enjoy tonight...it's back to eating right again tomorrow!

Don't Pack Up Those Summer Clothes Yet!

At least not if you live in Texas anyway! This weekend we experienced temperatures almost 20 degrees above normal...highs in the mid 80s! Having such warm weather in mid-November prompted an outing to Life's a Beach...lovingly known to Lily as "The Sand Restaurant"! This is the best place to go when you want a date, but don't have a babysitter! I guess the owners created it to be a place for sand volleyball, but in this area families with young children took over once again. So basically it is the largest sandbox you've ever seen! You just sit out on the patio and eat great food while the kiddos play. When it's hot they've got the misters on and when its chilly the patio heaters are going...it's the best thing ever!

You'll be able to tell from the pics that a) it was windy (hair in our faces) b) it was bright (we're all squinting) and c) my skin is as white as the sand!! Unfortunately, I'm always that white!! Except for that bad phase in the early 90's that I frequented the tanning booths...mom, why did you let me do that!?! That reminds me...I need to make that dermatology appt!

Membership Has Its Privileges

We're ready to go mommy...sporting our animal prints!

Isn't that an old American Express ad? I'm not referring to AmEx though, I'm talking about our membership at the Fort Worth Zoo! November is "member appreciation month", when we can bring other visitors for free, get in early (who can get there w/two kids prior to 10AM is a mystery to me), ride the train and carousel for free, etc, etc, etc! So anyway, I invited my sis and niece to venture to the zoo with Lily, Jade and I, while we left daddy home to mow lawn, trim trees and that sort of stuff! Thanks, Daddy!

Lily looking at the elephants!

The girls just liked to climb up and look over...no way to get a picture of their faces!

Jade...happy as a lark on the train ride!

Not so happy riding in the zoo stroller!

We even ran into Amy and Sophie! Stalkers! Just kidding Amy!

Lily's favorite animals...the "mingos"!

It was fitting running into Amy out there...I think we bought both our zoo and Dallas Arboretum memberships together! The best privilege of membership is that if your kids start acting cranky soon after your arrival, you can leave and not feel like you wasted any money! Not that my kids ever fit in that category!

Jader Tater is 4 Months Old!

Our little Jade turned 4 months old this week. I took some of the sweetest video of her talking, smiling and cooing at me. The sad thing is you won't be able to see it! I am so technically challenged! I was very proud of myself that I actually figured out the camera and got the footage. So I sat down to try to upload it to youtube or google to get it on the blog...this is only happening because I actually have both the girls asleep at the same time...a feat in itself! So anyway you should see my desk right now...digital video camera...lots of cords that I'm sure have a purpose...and the instruction manual...yes, I even resorted to that. Apparently you have to get the video on your computer to be able to upload it. I have no clue how to get it to my computer! So I started reading...because surely if I can't figure it out at least I'll be able to point Jerry in the right direction. Well, Jerry won't even be able to save the day on this one! I guess to make the MPeg I would have actually had to have recorded on the memory card in the camera...oops! My precious moments with Jade were recorded to the tape! There they will sit with many other precious moments of her sister...unless there is something I've overlooked of course!

So, until I figure out how to record and post video correctly...like I'm sure most 8 year olds can do...you'll just have to trust me that Jade is a happy, cooing, laughing, smiley baby girl...that the Lord so graciously gave us 4 months ago. It is so hard to believe that 4 months of her young life have already flown by. And judging by how quickly Lily's first 3 years went, I know time will continue to fly by. We love you Jader Tater, and thank the Lord...who loves you even more than we do...for blessing us with your sweet plump self. I almost forgot to give the stats from the doc check up....Weight 16 lbs 3.5 oz and Length 25.75 inches...both in the 95th percentile!! Jade, that means only 5% of baby girls are smaller than you....at least you are proportionate! And we know you'll roll over soon...once you figure out how to get that much weight up and over!

P.S. I've gotten a few questions about where Lily was on the chart at 4 months...she was a petite thing...Weight 11 lbs 6.5 oz (15th %) and Length 23 5/8 inches (25th %).

And the Curls Stayed!!

Lily is 3 now, and was long overdue for her first haircut! Yes, her very first one...we had never even taken her for a trim! You see, we were so scared that her curls would be gone once we got it cut. It seemed like whoever we asked, be it a hair cutter or simply a parent of another curly headed child, would say that as soon as we cut it the curls would disappear. So, we had a predicament. We loved the curls and didn't want to see them go! It is so funny how many people on both sides of our family have stepped up to claim these curls! It is also funny how none of these people would ever claim to be kin to her sassy 3 year old behavior! Anyway, her hair was getting straggly, so it was time! There are all these salons around town that are made just for kids, but my sister had a good experience with my niece at Hair Diddle Diddle, so off we went! Lily had a blast in her pink radio flyer airplane as her hair (almost 3 inches) went falling to the floor! They carefully selected some of the prettiest curls and put them in a Ziploc baggie for me! And guess what!?! The curls stayed! It has been almost a month and they are still here! (I'm new to blogging and catching up on some notable events) The funniest part of all is that the next several times that I washed Lily's hair, she would get worried and say, "Mommy, if you wash my hair, will my haircut go away"? I just love the honesty and curiosity of my little curly headed Lily!

I Should Have Used Snopes!

I just hate being duped! Unfortunately it was my poor husband that took the brunt of this one.

So this Saturday night, we were gaining an extra hour, so after we got the girls in bed I told Jerry about this Blockbuster coupon I had for 2 free movies, popcorn and cokes. He thought that was awesome, so after spending time online deciding what movies we'd pick, he headed up to Blockbuster. Mind you it was late, so he already had his flannels on and just added a T and some flip flops....looking classy to say the least! Who else would be at Blockbuster at this hour, right? So he picks two movies and waits in line...coupon in hand. Finally it is his turn and he presents our prized coupon to the Blockbuster chic along with the movies. She looks at it, and looks and him and starts to laugh explaining that this coupon is a complete hoax and definitely not valid! That people are just printing them off the internet or whatever.

So, I get a phone call that went something like this....J-uh, Kerry...where'd you get that coupon from? K-Well, I printed it off the internet. J-So, you just printed it off the internet and assumed it was real? K-Well, Suny had emailed it to me and I just clicked the link and printed it! J-Well, it was a complete fake, and I was told that while 15 people waited in line behind me at Blockbuster!~

Anyway, I couldn't stop laughing and was still laughing when Jerry got home! He, needless to say, didn't think it was very funny! I am usually pretty good at using www.snopes.com to check these things out. Maybe I didn't this time because just a few weeks before I had gotten an email for free Chick-Fil-A stuff and I snoped it...it was true...we got our coupons and used them! I just checked snopes now and laughed even more when I saw that this is currently their #9 Hottest Urban Legend! Oh well, at least he had his wallet and we saw one great movie and hopefully we'll see another tonight! Thanks Suny for giving me a good laugh this weekend...and hopefully this post will save others the same embarrassment!

One Final Halloween Observation

It seems like kid's costumes are either designed for the tropics or the poles...the choices are either near bare or burn me up! Jade would have been snuggly and warm in subzero temps dressed up as this pumpkin, but unforunately the costume could only stay on for a few minutes because she turned beet red and started sweating. And even though the weather was nice I had to add a t-shirt and tights for Lily's tinkerbell outfit so she wouldn't be so bare! To the left of the pumpkin is what Jade was wearing (weather appropriate) moments before being put in the hot sack...see the problem?!? Isn't there a happy medium?

Cinderella or Tinkerbell?

We weren't sure until the final moment which costume Lily would choose! It seemed like every time I asked her she would change her mind! I was hoping for Tinkerbell simply because she had dressed up as Cinderella for her birthday, but I wasn't going to push...and wow, she ended up wanting to be Tinkerbell!

Poor Jade didn't have a choice....good thing I couldn't find a Potato costume or that is what she'd have been...you see, we call her jader tater....I am still not sure where it came from, she's round like a potato I guess? Anyway, the nickname has stuck...mainly because Lily picked up on it right away! The pumpkin costume would have to do!

It was a fun night...Lily really enjoyed trick or treating and passing out candy as well. I think for a while she thought she was surprised others were celebrating Halloween because she kept saying things like....mommy, they are trick or treating too ....or mommy, those kids are dressed up too! Then she must have dreamed about the candy all night, because the first words out of her mouth in the morning were, "I want two pieces of candy!"

Anyway, here are the pics! The monkey in the bunch is my precious niece, Avery!
Move your mouse over the pictures to see the captions!

I've Been Wearing a New Fragrance

Some of you may have noticed I've been rather fragrant lately...you've been too kind to comment, but I thought I'd go ahead and fess up to the source of this lovely aroma. It is a new scent called Spit Up by Jade Amelia. It seems as if I'm never without it....early morning or late at night...it can always be smelled in its various stages. In fact, our whole family wears it. And often innocent visitors get a dab of it! Common phrases that have been heard around our house lately: uh, oh, there she blows... oh, quick, find the burp rag...darn it, where is that burp rag...I think we need the resolve again...why is my neck and for that matter a good part of my back suddenly feeling warm...yuck, that was a doozy, I think you may need to change clothes...mommy, Jade just threw up on me...where is the fabric cleaner...ugh, that is the third outfit change of the day...oh good, she missed me, I'll get you a towel!

The crazy thing is that none of this bothers Jade at all. She is the most content smiley baby you've ever seen or met. We know the probable causes...too much movement, too much bottle, maybe wrong formula, etc...and you've seen how huge she is so maybe we do feed her too much!?! But if you heard the painful cries she gives when a tiny, single, 1cc, minute drop of milk is left in the bottle, you'd give in too! I'll mention it to the doc next week at her checkup, but until then, at least you know the source of my new fragrance!