Monday, December 29, 2008

The New Years Challenge

While visiting with my family over the holidays te subject of weight comes up. In particular, the men. You don't think us women think we are overweight??? Well I've never made new years resolutions, but we have come up with a challenge. To start after the new year and go through Easter. Which couple can lose the most weight. Myself and hubby, my sis and brother in law, my niece and her hubby, my daughter and Sean are all on board. So in honor of this I've got alittle inspiration for us all:


The Importance of Walking
Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you, at 85 years old, to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $7000 per month.
My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where he is.
I like long walks... especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
I have to walk early in the morning...before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise,' I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
I do have flabby thighs but, fortunately, my stomach covers them.
The advantage of exercising every day is so, when you die, they'll say, 'Well, she/he looks good, huh?'
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years,......just getting over the hill.
We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Christmas..WARNING(LOTS of pictures)

So this is how we started the day on Christmas Eve- I had waited around till the last second for a store in town to get one of the main gifts that I needed. The reason I was having to do this is because I had completely missed the sale on Nov. 8 for this particular gift and had been hoping for another sale of this magnitude. It never happened...I digress. At any rate I had to end up ordering it from Best Buy, paying an extra shipping fee etc. We were planning to leave here on the 23rd to do our annual Christmas with the inlaws. I get a call on the morning of the 23rd stating that my package would arrive sometime between 8am and 7pm on the 24th!!! And we must be here to sign for it. So began round number 1 of falling to pieces. No big deal you say to miss my family Christmas? It would have been the first in 28 years. After agonizing over what to do, who could we ask to sit and wait(no one) My gracious, kind, selfless son inlaw volunteered to sit and wait. And sit he did. If I'm not mistaken the package arrived at 3pm. At any rate we have a few things in this house that are broken and in need of repair. Like several folks have gotten locked in our toilet and had to call on their cells to be let out....lol. The doorbell is no exception. So this is the sign I left on the door so the UPS would knock and alert Milo who in turn would alert Sean. Sean said I needed not worry. Milo barked at EVERY passing car....hahaha. No naps for Sean So we are off to our celebration in a little bitty town called Turkey Creek(great place to celebrate Thanksgiving) between Alexandria and Ville Platte. It storms on is the entire trip. But I am determined we are gonna make it and its gonna be good. And so here are the results....lol.
This is my man and the babies. He looks happy huh? He tells me "I have a headache Karen" I know when he says Karen instead of baby things aren't good. Being a headache sufferer myself I can be sympathetic.
Here I am with Abby and Rece who kinda has the same look as his PiPi


Here are all the new babies, Jaxon born in May, Rece born in July and Maddie born in Aug.


My sister inaw Donna who is a 4 time cancer survivor, Me, Danica, my nieces, Donna's daughters, Heather and Holly. Holly is Jaxon's mom. Do I have you confused?


This is GREAT Grandma Yvonne with her GREAT grandbabies
Abby 3, Maddie 4 mos tomorrow, Jaxon 7 mos, Rece 5 mos and Zachary 5

So it was a hot Christmas and the air at the Russell compound was not working and with 25 people in this place it made or a sorta uncomfortable visit and some cross words were spoken. This is not uncommon at our gatherings....lol. We generally have some sort of falling out at all of them. Hey we aren't perfect, but we love each other!
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And so we head on back home, all the while dreaming of a hot Christmas. Our annual Christmas routine is that we have pancakes for breakfast in the hopes that it will hold us over till dinner. But first the gifts:
This is Rachel opening her laptop (this is the UPS gift)
Kandace opening her IPOD touch. The child hinted for months and I kept telling her it was too much money

My hunny opening his coaches shirt. His big gift was a big fat Cabello's gift card

Me with my digital picture frame...I'm in love because I love my pictures so much. I also got some Apograthy jars and the the most awesome Keurig coffee pot....love my coffee too!
Milo with his bobo

The cats went nuts over their catnip toys. Have you ever looked up what catnip is? You'll get a good laugh Its just what we though it was after watching the cats in action...lol
Christmas night....what I cherish the most. This is why I had 4 kids....so my house would be full. To us adults the food was most important....however the kids would disagree.

Me and Ms Madelyn
Pawpaw got him another gift card to Cabello's....YES
Several years ago the hooligans broke one like this that I had and they've finally replaced it. Let's see how long this one last with the new breed coming on.
Maddie opening her gifts
Baby Rece opening his presents
Ms Abby finally got her own camera
Zachary with his Leapster

I've gotta say, even though it got hectic at times and thngs didn't go as planned, once it again it was a joyeous Christmas. Im blessed!



















Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Candy Day at the Russell Camp

So no Christmas holiday is complete without having a candy making day. This is a pot of our first candy-FUDGE Yummy!!!! Danica stirring the pot. She does know how to do that...lol
Kassie researching how many cups in a pound
Making up some peanut butter balls
Taking a break to rock the Rece man to sleep. Notice the farmers tan???
Lunch with friends
Nothing like being caught with a mouthful of food....lol
Kandace describing a long ago incident involving her hands and ziploc bags. Do you remember that Ms Susie?
Done for the day
Our pralines
Our chocolate triangles...aka brownies
and the awesome peanut butter balls
the glorious fudge.

I also have pecan bars of which we got no picture, andsugar cookies. Christmas Day I will make chews and a pumpkin upside down cake. Will share the recipe later. Got lots to do. Merry Christmas to all my blogger friends












2 Days till Christmas....

And I am running around like a crazy person trying to finish the crafty gifts I'm working, picking up those last min gift cards(to stores that aren't closing) cleaning,packing etc. All with a house full of young ones, a headache and an ache in another area that I shall spare you the details..lol. At any rate one of my projects is completed. I started with an old broken down window from, replaced broken glass, brushed it clean. Otherwise it is in is orgiginal state. Printed out some pictures of my beloved family
Placed them in the panes with awesome scrapbook paper, added a bow and voila
My inspiration for a picure frame





Thursday, December 18, 2008

Let There Be Cookies....

So Bridget and I got together for a day of cooking making. And make cookies we did. We also flapped gums(thats talking for those who are unaware), we ate...yes someone had to eat the cookies that didn't turn out just so so and just had a fun day all around. The house still smells of cookie this morning. I'm like Ms Susie....well not cake, but cookies for breakfast YUM!

Bridget rolling the dough out and cutting some cookies
Here is some of the unbaked products
Abby was the photographer for the day so note we are looking down at her. Also take note of the fine jewels we are wearing....lol

Bridget cutting up with Abby
And of course she had to get me
Hard at work or hardly working?
Bridgets Gingerbread Men
My Christmas Trees
Note the necklace I'm sporting is gift from my grandson
Cookies Galore
I don't understand why this picture uplaoder thingy thinks it knows better then I which way the picture should be posted
The finished product all bagged up....
and boxed up. Ready for delivery to the school. Let the party begin!













Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Another last in a long, yet short list...

Sunday was our annual Christmas parade. I have been attending the Christmas parades here since I moved here in 1987. But in 1993 I started attending them on a different level, as a band parent. This year marked my final parade as a band parent :( I have been feeling really sad and blue this season and really couldn't figure what or why. I ran into a friend while shopping at the mall and begin talking to her about my feelings and she pointed out that she knew what my problem was AND she's right. My fouth baby, who is now 18, is graduating from high school thi May and will start college in the fall. So for months now Ive been marking off the "last" This more then likely accounts for my melancholy/nostalgia moods. My oldest daughter tells me "mom you've had 18 years with her, let her go" But she's my baby!!! How do you do that? Is this whats called empty nest? I don't like it. This is why I had 4 kids, so this wouldn't happen to me...lol. Thank goodness for the grandbabies. How would I ever make it without them?


Me in front of my beautiful tree in one of my two Christmas outfits. Yes I'm spoiled....lol
Me and my baby after church
Us geting ready for the parade

Little toot toot....notice the bib? I need to get a big people bib that says that...lol

My baby boys

Me and my girls

Me and Rece....the wind was kicking

Ms Abby


Snoozin at the parade

Still Snoozin

Another snoozer...lol

He wouldn't look at me so I had to go under him to snap this

Here comes my babies band The Dutchtown Sound

And there they are

My hearts

Me and the boys