Our World of Cub Scouts

I've been trying for months to get this photo. But, with us being participants in two separate Cub Scout Packs, all three of us are usually never wearing our uniforms at the same time.
Aidan is a Wolf (soon to be a Bear when he turns nine on Sunday) in our LDS Pack at church. He's just recently taken a REAL interest in Cub Scouts. Typically, he treats it as "just another thing" with no real excitement. Thankfully, he's starting to take the initiative on getting some of his stuff done.

Then there was Hunter--a bit jealous that he wasn't in Cub Scouts too. His enthusiasm of Scouting reached far beyond Aidan's. He would do all of Aidan's requirements right along side him (but without all the moaning that Aidan was throwing out). We decided to get Hunter registered as a Tiger Cub Scout in a traditional Pack chartered by a local Lutheran Church (for those of you unaware, the LDS church does not participate in Tiger Cubs).

Cub Scouting started for me back in June 2008 when I helped out at Twilight Camp. At that point, for some crazy reason, I believed that was a one-time thing. What was I thinking? You should know that with Cub Scouts, once you volunteer the first time...you're in for good. But, that was okay with me. Aidan turned eight and I wanted to continue to volunteer. So, there I was trying to get involved with Aidan's pack by putting myself on the Committee and volunteering to handle registration for the Pack. It kept me involved and in the loop but it wasn't enough for me. I wanted to do more. That opportunity came when I was asked to be Hunter's Tiger Den Leader in his Pack. I have to admit that I wasn't looking for that kind of responsibility. However, it's been a fun, adventurous experience for me. And, to be honest, I love wearing the uniform with my boys.

It's a bit interesting being involved in these two very different Packs. So many similarities but so many differences! We juggle between the two almost every day. We get to enjoy not one, but two den meetings a week, two Pack meetings a month, 2 leadership meetings a month, 2 Pinewood Derby races a year, etc. Hey, we get double the fun! And, until Hunter turns eight and transfers to the LDS Pack, this is the way it'll be!

Scouting will be a LONG chapter in our family...so this is us embracing it!

12 Drummer's Drumming

For the past 12 Days, we have found a "gift" on our front porch put there by a mystery someone. Everything from chocolate to DVDs to gift cards. While I could post about our whole "12 Days of Christmas" adventure I will only really share day 12.

This is what we found on our front doorstep this morning:
It's the Glockenspiel that left me the most dumbfounded... Coincidentally, this is the EXACT instrument we wanted to get Hunter for Christmas. So, I'm sitting here trying to think who I've relayed this information to. Mmmm--very few.

I want to publicly say to this mysterious giver: Thank you for all the excitement that you've brought to our mornings these past 12 days. As I sit here with gratitude in my heart for your love, kindness, thoughtfulness and beloved friendship, I can't help but be completely overwhelmed with emotion. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We're sad to see it end!

We plan to "pay it forward" next year!

PS (just in case the giver is reading): Though the insanely huge 4 Calling Birds gift was a bit surprising he's been "tamed" and has become a welcomed addition to the family.
PPS The boys are absolutely fascinated with the 10 Lords A-Leaping gift. Who knew?? Hope you enjoyed the cookies!

Happy Holidays!

Family pictures are always a disaster...someone ends up in a bad mood half way through. I'm still working on Robyn's dress (haven't even started it yet) to do formal family pictures. So, this year we just did pictures for our Christmas cards. And for the first time, it was a success and went rather smoothly! Even Robyn cooperated more than we expected!

The Christmas cards will only have the family picture but I wanted to share the other poses for your enjoyment.
She is just so darn cute!!!! Goodness, I have a good lookin' family! Don't you think?!

It's the end of the world...

As we know it.

The equator on our "little world" was already starting to come off. I guess Robyn felt like she needed to finish the job. Now it's a toy for her.At least she tried to put it back on!

Oh well, it was a wonderful world while it lasted. I guess it's still usable as long as parts of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are not important to you. They were taken from this world permanently by Robyn.

A Week in Pictures

I was going through my camera the other day and noticed quite a few that I didn't take. The boys have gotten quite comfortable with snapping a few pictures here and there without asking permission. Here's a few for your enjoyment.

I've had several people ask me what my hair was like right after taking out those "Jamaican" braids. It was not fun taking them out. Even though I liked not having to deal with my hair for a week...it was greasy and still smelled like the shampoo that I used on the cruise ship! Ick.
It took several washes and a few head massages to get my scalp and hair back to normal.


Our little secretary. She's obsessed with "sharpening" pencils. At least trying to.

Our Christmas tree. Notice what Robyn's role is this holiday season? It's fun having a toddler around. I should care that she takes more ornaments off than she puts on. I really don't. It's just not a battle that I want to fight so I make sure I don't have to. Yes, I find them all around the house (even stepped on a few). But, 98% of our ornaments are nonbreakable. The other 2% are up higher. I don't care if she's content with taking my ornaments off. She can stand at the tree for quite a while admiring/handling those ornaments. There may be a small pile on the floor UNDER the tree when she's done but...oh well. Some do still get broken (or pulled apart). Nothing a little glue can't fix...if I even bother.

The World's Smallest Nativity. I really wouldn't know but that's what this little set has been named by all of us in the household. The tallest figure stands about as tall as your standard paperclip.

Back on Solid Ground...

...and I miss the ocean already. How long will I dream of blue waters? How long until I finally choose to put my "sea legs" away? I dropped off the in-laws at the airport a few hours ago. I cried all the way home knowing that our vacation is officially over.

I've dreaded this post for two reasons: 1) it would take some time sorting through our hundreds of photos to choose which ones to post and 2) doing this means that it really is all over.

I tried to just pick the highlights (and spare you from too many shots of us in our swimsuits--though, that was much of the time) and show what adventures we had.

So, here goes:

Day 1: Embarked from Galveston. Not much happened. Our cruise departure was delayed several hours due to Hurricane Ida (stupid hurricane). But, we did eventually get on. Pretty much just "ran" around the ship taking it all in. However, most of us on the ship spent Sunday night and part of Monday completely seasick (including me) because of the rough seas (again, thank you Ida).

Our first fine dining experience on the ship. Puts McDonald's to shame (not to mention ALL other restaurants). After a whole week of eating and dining like this I'm not sure I can appreciate anything less.

Day 2: Out at sea. By lunchtime the ocean had calmed and brought on some tranquil seas and weather.

Gorgeous sunsets....EVERY evening.

This was elegant night. Amber, the dress was beautiful--thanks for your help in finishing it. Melanie, the necklace was perfect! And, how 'bout that handsome gentlemen next to me?! Gotta say, with that many people on board...my very own was the best lookin'! I paraded him proudly. We did get a professional shot of us but you'll have to come to my home to see that one.

Day 3: Arrived in Cozumel, Mexico.
We actually didn't stay on Cozumel Island but boarded a smaller boat and headed to the Mexico Mainland. My maiden name is Gold, so we had to take a photo with this jewelry store.

From there we took some Jeeps (yes, Jaren got to drive) and drove to some caverns with underground cenotes. I later realized that these are all over the Yucatan Peninsula. I have a hidden fascination for caves, so this was an awesome experience for me!
We pulled on our life jackets and went swimming in these cool, underground pools with the cat fish and goldfish! Quite the experience! We had to be careful not to disturb the fruit bats.

Day 4: Arrived in George Town, Grand Cayman. Because of the reef, the ship was anchored farther out and we took a ride on smaller boats called tenders to land. Boats and ships are not allowed to anchor on the reefs.

This was BY FAR our favorite stop! I never realized (until now) how easy it is to swim in saltwater. And we did a lot of....snorkeling, snorkeling, snorkeling!!We had a blast and can't wait to go snorkeling again. We could have snorkeled all day long. The reefs are fantastic. The water is so unbelievably blue.


Day 5: Arrived in Jamaica.Okay, this was not our favorite place but it was still an experience. Maybe because we didn't plan anything but it was somewhat tense for us. The ship terminal in Jamaica is completely gated. No one gets in or out without the proper authorization. Unlike the other two stops, you could not just get off the ship and wonder around the island. You could only leave the terminal in a bus, shuttle or taxi that's authorized to transport you. But, it was all for our protection. And, of course we had to pay for the transportation.

We hopped onto a shuttle and decided to experience some real Jamaican shopping. The thing about Jamaicans, they will NOT let you NOT buy anything from them. They're all about negotiating and convincing you that you cannot live without a souvenir turtle that she hand painted herself (nope, didn't buy one). So, our time in Jamaica was spent dodging every other person so as not to get "stuck" in their shop. The Jamaican Market is rows of little (really little) huts--only room for one and even you can barely turn around in them. Each one FULL of Jamaican souvenirs. But, I did let one Jamaican woman get a hold of my hair and I came home looking like this!!(Yes, at the moment, my hair is still all in braids.)

We spent the last two days at sea as we headed back to Galveston. We spent time in the hot tubs:
Making "towel friends":
Every night when we came back to our stateroom, we found one of these on our bed. Whether it be a frog or a dog. Jaren's quite the expert at them now!

Time Juggling:He got to hang out with a juggler who had performed a previous night on the ship. If you don't know Jaren, know that he LOVES to juggle. So, he learned a few new tricks. I tried to juggle--ended better than I started, but I'm still really no good at it.

Other past times included reading, eating fabulous food whenever you want, watching movies, sleeping and going down the waterslide on board the ship.

Our original itinerary was just the opposite (2 days at sea, Jamaica, Caymans, Cozumel) but again, Ida forced us to change course. We were lucky as we learned that we were the only cruise ship in a fleet of 23 that made it to all of our destinations.My "postcard-worthy" shot of our Cruise Ship, Carnival Conquest taken in Grand Cayman.

I have to mention that going on a cruise ship is definitely a way to go if you need a vacation from everything: dishes, cleaning, laundry, housekeeping, meals, etc. Any mother can enjoy that for one week. But, the shore excursions were a blast as I also believe that a vacation is when you get to do things that you never get to do at home.

We had a grand time and we can't wait to go on another one! Anyone want to come along?!

Going International

Well, sorta...as "international" as we can get right now. International enough that we had to slave through the headache of acquiring passports (even that wasn't too bad).The anxiety in this house this week...gearing up for our Cruise which heads out this weekend. Yes, you may say it's only a cruise. For some that may not seem like a big international getaway. But, for us it's a huge deal. Our first opportunity to really sail the ocean blue and visit tropical islands...without the children! A big thank you to those friends and family who are willing to take care of the kids, the house, and Gimpy (our cockatiel). And for those who have helped us prepare for this big, new adventure and make it all possible!

Now I must leave the computer...there is much to be done before we go!

The Grouchy Ladybug...

She wasn't grouchy much at all during Halloween--only when I wanted to take her picture. Sorry, that I couldn't get a better one of her as our Ladybug!

Here's the brothers as The Mad Scientist (affectionately known as Dr. Chuckles) and our very own Ninja!

This was also my first year to attempt some pumpkin carving (other than just a jack-o-lantern). My brother-in-law inspired me to give it a whirl!

See the pumpkin on the left? For all those LDS members out there, can you guess who it is?But, that pumpkin is not mine. Thank my brother-in-law for that one!

Mine is the one on the right--titled Door Prize. I was pretty impressed at how it turned out. I did learn a lot about pumpkin carving. Will certainly try again next year (maybe even make more than one).

Red is good!

The harvesting of my red peppers has finally come to pass!! I've been waiting all year for these. They may be small but when you get over a dozen of them (on one plant) that's enough for me.

We've had green, yellow, orange and now red. If only I can be successful with purple peppers...

Hunter has always had an interesting fascination for all colors of bell peppers--especially the purple ones. But we've only been able to find them at farmer's markets (never at a grocery store). And even that's on rare occasions. So, we're trying to grow our own...but we haven't had any success yet. However, we're not giving up. We'll try again next year. I think I pulled the plant too early last time. I've had this red pepper plant since March and it's just now, in the lovely Fall weather, producing red (not just green) peppers.

Trifles and Whimsy

My mother-in-law is so cool...but I think she already knows that.

While I was absolutely fascinated by her "collector wands" that she made for our family some time back, she has recently found a noble reason to venture into jewelry making. I've seen my fair share of homemade jewelry and I have to say, her creations are BY FAR the most exquisite I've seen. Course, I could be biased...maybe just a little bit.

I may just start wearing more jewelry! At least wishing that I had more to wear. I commented to her that if I had her creations, I'd have to buy the outfits to match the jewelry.

She sells her stunning creations HERE! You'll find her jewelry, her wands and why she makes them.

This is just one of my favorites that she has made--absolutely priceless to me.I hope she doesn't mind that I've advertised a bit for her here on my blog.

Into the Blue

Aidan checked the weather this morning and kept saying "We barely sneaked into the blue!" It was so funny to listen to him declare how cold it was going to be this week (5o degrees...so cold down here) He says cold, I say "PERFECT!"And, we were all so excited to declare that it was COLD enough to enjoy our first cups of hot chocolate of the season!

I know, your northern folks are probably laughing at us, but down here, it's a big deal when it starts to cool off! Now is when Southeast Texas becomes the perfect place to be!

Hi

Aidan's first word was "duck."
Hunter's first word was "row" (as in Row, Row, Row, Your Boat).
Robyn's first word is "Hi."

She has been very consistent at saying "hi" with a cute little wave to go with it. Sometimes it's just "hi, hi, hi, hi". But, so far if we say "hi" to her, she'll say it back (if she's not busy doing something else). Yesterday, apparently she was saying it to everyone in the hallways at church. We realized it was actually a word and not just random gibberish because we would watch her struggle to "remember" how to say "hi" and she doesn't spout out random gibberish with the "h" sound. She has to really concentrate to get that first "hi" out each moment. But, it's there!

I tried my very best to catch her cute "hi" on camera, but still no luck. Once I turn the spotlight on her...of course she stops waving and saying "hi."

Her "hi" is so adorable and it just melts my heart every time I hear it.

But, here's one of her...again in a tight space. Yep, she still fits in shoeboxes!This next picture was taken about a month ago...about one year after the date of her baby blessing last September. Hunter was just curious if the dress would still fit her. Yep, April, it still fits! Course, it's kind of tough to walk in because of the length. (Horrid picture of me, I know)

The Weatherman...for real

Anybody who knows Aidan knows that he's THE Weatherman. He still gets up early every morning to check the Weather Channel (been doing that since Hurricane Katrina). I have to say that though we are thankful for a quiet Hurricane Season this year, Aidan has been rather bored with it...can't we have just one Hurricane come close so he can feel the excitement just a little bit??

For a long time now we figured this border-line obsessive interest would be replaced with something else and he would move on. But, that just isn't happening so we decided to jump in and make it even more exciting for him. Jaren did some searching and asking around and planned an eventful Friday for Aidan. A day to get out of school early and go meet the "real guy." The two of them went to visit a local TV Station where Aidan was able to have some quality one-on-one time with a REAL Meteorologist. Not even sure that saying "he was in heaven" quite describes it. He learned so much there, I couldn't even begin to regurgitate everything he told me once they got back. If I recall, he was speechless...still on Cloud 9 at that point!The infamous "Green Screen" that Aidan can tell you all about.
Future in Broadcasting??While he will earn some Cub Scout Awards because of this, I'm not sure Aidan really cares (or even realized that he could get something for loving weather so much).

Right now, Aidan has his mind made up that he's going to Texas A&M to become a Meteorologist when he grows up! Course, I think he might be a bit biased because that's where THIS Meteorologist went.

Stay posted as our 8-yr. old Meteorologist gets older...