A Toast

Happy Birthday to The Sisters

Blow out the candle and make a wish
Shutter Sisters is a wish already come true,
Dream bigger my sister,
And just look what you can do.

i love you

Love for Obama

"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, the God given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. Starting today we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin the work of remaking America again." -Barack Obama

The hope in that quote is almost tangible ~

This, That, And The Other Thing

This

Was Christmas Eve

Drinks and appeitizers were had by all while the stocking were hung by the chimney with care, NOT! The kids ran-a-muck, the men watched football, and the fancy dressed up gals were around the tree laughing about Christmas past. Good times and laughter with my older and younger sister is what I treasure most about Christmas Eve! Followed closely by sprinkling reindeer food (uncooked oatmeal and glitter) on the grass with my son, for Rudolph and his crew.

That
Christmas Dinner..... Lobster!

My hubby's family have been having live main lobster since anyone can remember. Every year the men instantly turn into 10 year old boys when the lobster come out.

Impressed??? Don't be, hubby is the true Rock Star in our kitchen. I want to say a special Thank You to the the whole gang, what a team effort! Thanks everyone for bringing your specialty to our table. I couldn't have done it without each one of you.

Here is the proof, I can turn on the oven!

Becky+Entertaining =YES!!! Becky+Cooking= NO!!!

And The Other Thing

New Year's Eve, we had the perfect night.

Cuddling on the couch with my two favorite boys!

Our First Self-Timer Photo of 2009

*Parenting Tip*

(for those of you on the west coast)

Celebrate New Year's Eve with your kids by watching the count down on the east coast at 9pm. And have them tucked tightly in their beds by 10pm!

Blowing through my plastic horn...now that's something to celebrate!!!

Strip and Snow? You Bet!!!

Hubby and I drove to Vegas for another one of our "honeymoon" trips ala no kids, no cares and nobody but us! (Sound good? It is!!! I highly recommend it) The weather was very cold and I repeatedly wished for snow. Being a California girl, I love snow when I'm inside warm and toasty and since there's no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. (sorry I couldn't resist) Detour-My always competent, never let me down hubby planned our alternate routes (Cajon Pass Closed For Snow) while I adjusted my seat heaters and browsed my new Entertaining at Home Catalog.


That magical white stuff was around us. As we drove through the higher elevations we were on our toes watching the road instead of the usual 4 hours of playful banter that usually accompany these road trips. More wishing for snow on the strip prompted hubby to ask me to clarify the snow start after we get there! Let me preface what happened next by sharing it hasn't snowed on the strip of any substance in over 30 years~

We were living our sudo "Las Vegas Lifestyle" lap of luxuary, ultra romantic, you get the idea. Three days into our trip, we heard rumors of snow from the casino floor. We hurried up to our room on the top floor of The Mirage, and opened the window to feel the snow flakes on our hands and face. It was a beautiful sight, I savored every moment. "I want to remember this trip always" I kept saying. Pure magic. The snow had closed the airport and all the roads in and out of Vegas! We called downstairs to let them know we wolud be staying another night. A dream I never knew I had, came true! Watching the snow from our bed with the window open and heater on as high as it would go, made us miss the slot tournament reception which was what prompted this particular trip to begin with. We played in the tournament earlier, but missed the announcement of the winners. The casino automacially deposits any tournament winings into your account, knowing this we weren't worried about hearing the winners announced. Little did we know, they were announcing our names to the tune of $5,000. Yep, we were awarded the second highest payout of the tournment. When we finally did find out, I screamed so loud security was by my side instantly. And what perfect timing, we were going to be staying an extra night!

This is a trip we will always remember in more ways than one!

It's Not Too Late, I've got You Covered!

Haven't mailed those Christmas cards yet? Not to worry, you can send these personalized Disney Holiday Snow Globe emails instead. Easy-peasy, just create a free account, choose any picture and upload! Or if you've been at the parks lately, pick from a photopass picture. Check out my super cute niece, you can even make it snow! Want to send an email without uploading a picture? Try this.

We went green this year with this paperless card.


There's still time to get these under the tree....
Here are my top 5:

1. Annual Passes to Disneyland (always our family favorite)
Purchase them online The ultimate gift that keeps on giving. Celebrating at Disney Resorts are what dreams are made of! Big news on Southern California resident passes below.

2. Family Outing to the El Capitan in Hollywood for a stage show and movie Bolt.
Gifts that double as family outings are a winner for everyone! Have fun exploring old Holloywood while you're there. Open Christmas and New Years Day.

3. Wii or PS2 Game: Hasbro Family Game Night
Hasbro Family Game Night features family favorites such as CONNECT FOUR, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, SORRY! and the all new, SORRY! Sliders. Excellent fun for the whole family, this will be a weekly event with our family. All the laughs and together time without the mess... that's right, no clean up, no missing pieces! YES! We will be playing this on Christmas Eve with a packed house!

4. Wii Game: Boom Blox
Find it here. This game is by Steven Spielberg and if that isn't enough, not only is it fun, fun, fun, you have to use brain power. Boom Blox is #1 on my son's Christmas List!!!

5. Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Another destination gift. Take the family on an outing to your neighborhood Barnes & Noble. If your bookstore has a cafe connected to it, even better! Sip a Starbucks hot cocoa together, they make a child size for only $1.00 and temperature is kid friendly too. Next, stroll over to the kids section, pull up some carpet, have you child pick out a book and read it together. Foster the love of reading with your kids. This is really fun if you make it a special event. Find a store near you.

Disneyland Resort News:

Disneyland Resort Makes Annual Passes More Accessible and Affordable for Southern California Residents

Just in time for the holidays, Southern California Residents Can Now Purchase Annual Passports through a New Monthly Payment Program ANAHEIM, CALIF, December 15, 2008 - As Disneyland Resort celebrates the holiday gift-giving season, a newly launched Monthly Payment Program for Annual Passholders will make it easier for Southern California residents to have their own frequent Disneyland Resort celebrations in the year to come. This new program lets Southern California residents enjoy the Disneyland Resort magic throughout the year with an Annual Passport, while paying in 12 monthly installments. By selecting the payment option, Guests will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied. For example, a Guest purchasing a Southern California Select Annual Passport for $134 would pay $69 at the time of purchase - with the remaining balance of $65 spread out over the next 12 months. Through this new program, Guests can literally turn a one-day ticket into an Annual Pass for less than $6 a month.

Happy Hour Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Putting Christ back into Christmas

And No, I'm not talking about shouting the the Lords name in vain at the guy who stole my parking spot while I was shopping at Target for Christmas gifts.

I'm talking about the real deal... I returned home from my Mom to Mom ministry feeling full of Christmas blessings. I choose a family to adopt this Christmas, and the reason I choose this family is they have a 5 year old boy. My son is eight but I know he will be able to relate to this boy as we purchase things to give him for Christmas. These are the things DanieI has asked Santa for this year: new shoes, a warm jacket, balls and an action figure. Once you wipe your eyes, keep reading. The feeling of giving makes your heart swell when you realize Daniel needs a warm coat and new shoes for kindergarten. It makes you think, I've been entertaining friends and family and the cost of wine alone,would give Daniel a Merry Christmas. So, this girl's going shopping. I thought I was completely done with my Christmas shopping, but God had other plans!

I am grateful to have 40 women I can look to as examples of growing their spiritual lives.

Thank You my Mom to Mom sisters!

This is a short but sweet little story.... There's nothing like being at a Disney Park and being reminded of those three little words.