Christmas? Me Stressed? Not yet......

It's Tuesday and it's 2 days until December and it's the beginning of the holiday season....I do not have time to BLOG.......  
Actually, I do - I am making every effort to relax this season and not get caught up in the holiday frenzy, so I am joining up with my girls, Shawn & Impulsive Addict (and yes they are MY girls, that's not just a saying, check out all the fun we had in Austin last May if you want to see why)Last week in Church, our pastor said something that I took to heart and am going to take to heart this Christmas season.  He was speaking on getting all caught up with the Holiday Craziness (shopping, decorating, baking, parties, etc.) - FYI: I love all this "holiday craziness", but HATE the stress that comes with it. 
He said, "Everyone is running around, obsessed with finding the perfect gift, when GOD has already given us the PERFECT GIFT when he gave us Jesus." His message was to relax and focus on the reason we celebrate and not get so stressed.
I walked out of there feeling so much more at ease with my lack of preparation for Christmas.  Being gone in Nowheres Oklahoma for 4 days didn't help get Christmas up, ya know.
So, that is my goal.  I want to feel relaxed this season.  Hmm, but can I really?
- We took down all the decorations on Sunday afternoon (over 20 boxes worth).  They are sitting in my garage.  It's Tuesday and we have only gotten the outside lights up, all my Department 56 (31 of them) houses put up above the cabinets, and the tree is up (no ornaments yet though).  Oh, and our stockings are hung.  How do I feel about living in Christmas chaos - no biggie.
- We do an advent calendar in which every night has an "event", like watch The Polar Express together, read A Christmas Mouse, go look at lights, etc.  This year, they might get candy in their Advent calendar.  I still have 2 more days to get that organized.
- I always stress out over the Christmas Card.  (don't judge me, you know you do too!!) I had the perfect idea for a family picture which the hubby nixed (truth be told, I felt a little relieved).  We took some great pics of the kids at the ranch and 30 minutes later online, we had a great card ordered.  yay.
- Our Elf, George, should be arriving for his visit on Thursday, December 1 - I have a feeling he is going to get into a ton of mischief thanks to my good friend Pinterest......
-And speaking of Pinterest, there are some amazing things that I really want to do, but again, it adds to the stress for me....

 thanks to ucreatewithkids.com 

 thanks to squidoo.com

thanks to centsationalgirl.com

And this is just 3 pictures of the tons of stuff I have pinned on my Christmas board....just the thought of "making" these crafts breaks me out into hives...... hmmmm.....rethinking the crafts....
-There are so many fun events happening here in Austin that I would love to do with the family.... Lighting of the Christmas Tree, ice skating on the roof of Whole Foods,  An Elf quote-along, Christmas shopping in Fredricksburg, and the North Pole Flyer.  We are actually going on the North Pole Flyer with a big group of friends - we have an entire car to ourselves for the 3 hours - so excited....
-Last year, we started a tradition that I want to continue - we hosted a Christmas Pajama exchange for Sis and all of her friends - it was adorable.  This year I am thinking of doing a separate one for the moms.  Instead of cocoa and cookies, maybe wine & chocolate???
- And Christmas presents?  I have a few things...I didn't do anything yesterday on Cyber Monday.....I just haven't gotten there yet....
So, as of now (Tuesday, Nov 29), I am officially NOT STRESSED about Christmas.  I am not going to allow myself to get stressed (I am going to keep repeating this to myself until it's true).  IS IT POSSIBLE?  We'll see......
Happy Holidays Y'all!!

Thankful? Yes We Were.

Happy Cyber Monday!  Anyone find any good deals yet??? In lieu of shopping, I'd rather catch up over here - and tell y'all a little about our wonderful Thanksgiving weekend....

This was our little home away from home on my Aunt's Ranch in Oklahoma.  She calls it the "Austin" Cabin....:))

 And this was the view I'd wake up to in the morning.  Doesn't it just call for a big cup of hot coffee and lazy day pajamas??? Ahhhhh.  And yes, even with a 2 year old, it was this peaceful.

 We had the obligatory HUGE Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, complete with family games.....

 Of course, Uncle Chris was the best at the Minute to Win it games!

 On Friday, the weather was perfect for little hiking with our Thomas backpack.

 Ugh.  Can't you just eat him up?

 And what little boy doesn't want to splash in mud puddles??

 Or play around with his Aunt & Uncle?

The older two were busy at the shooting range or sitting in the blind looking out for deer with Dad.....no pictures there.....

We were even organized enough to take a Beck/Rummer/Dean/Darling Family picture this year!!

 That's 2 Original Becks, 5 Spouses, 6 Grandkids, 5 Great-Grandkids, & one Grand-dog.  Whew!

It was a wonderful weekend - completely unplugged from the world and focused on my family.  And that is more than enough to be Thankful for!!

Thankful: Day 24

Happy Thanksgiving.  It has been a wonderful 24 days of reflection of all the things I am so very grateful for.  I am thankful for so many things, one not any more important than the other (ok, maybe wine and cheese isn't that important...).  When it all comes together, I am thankful for a healthy, happy, satisfied life that I am living.  I know that the Lord has blessed me abundantly.  

As we spend the holiday up in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma, it will be a wonderful time of peace and reflection on all things good in my life, mainly my family.  That is really all that matters.

I hope this finds you enjoying your Thanksgiving Holiday as much as we are.

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Thankful: Day 23

I am thankful for my sweet husband.  Matt is the sole provider in our home and he does it proudly.  He works hard for me & our 3 kids.  And as hard as he works, he still finds the time to coach Sis's soccer team and help out with Brody's.  And he dotes on the baby.....oh how Bubba melts his heart.  He makes us laugh.  He makes us cry (come on, what good dad isn't stern?).  But mainly he is our Rock in our family.  

I am thankful he has been my husband for almost 17 years.  Thank you Lord for bringing Matt into my life when I needed him most.

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Thankful: Day 22

I am thankful for my sweet, sensitive first child.  Sissy is a breath of fresh air - she is helpful and sweet and kind and loving.  She wears her heart on her sleeve yet she doesn't let the little stuff bother her.  There is not one ounce of girl drama in her life - she doesn't see it - I pray she always can remain above it.  I go ga-ga watching her play soccer - she is amazing.  As much as it pains me to see her grow up and become independent (what do you mean you don't want my help picking out clothes??),  I beam with pride seeing her juggle as much as she does.  She is a leader on the soccer field, in Student Council, Safety Patrol, Girl Scouts, Art Club, and she has a speaking part in the upcoming Holiday Performance.  All this and she still maintains her A's.  LOVE.  But what warms my heart the most is how much she dotes on her baby brother - she is such an amazing help with him.

Thank you Lord for creating parents out of us when you blessed us with this tiny little girl 10 years ago!

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Thankful: Day 21

I am thankful for my first little boy.  There is such a sweet bond between Brody and I  - even though he is growing up so quickly, I will always see him as my little boy.  Brody is inquisitive about everything - wants to learn about the coolest topics - reptiles, tornados, tanks, sharks....he can rattle off the coolest facts.  And even though I cringed as we walked in to the Reptile House at the zoo last week, I marveled at the excitement he showed, taking his time looking at every exhibit (including those dang snakes!!). He tries really hard to please us - he does excellent school work and works hard on the soccer field.  He gets along with anyone and will spend all day outside playing.  Even though he is getting taller by the minute and his feet are stretching every night (3 shoes sizes in 6 months??), he seeks me out before he leaves for school to kiss me goodbye - he will always be my baby boy.

I am thankful that God blessed us with a sweet boy 9 years ago and we have the privilege to raise him.

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Thankful: Day 20

I am thankful for our third child.  God blessed us with Bubba.  He is easy-going, fun-loving, and adorable!!  He brings so much joy to our lives with his love of Cars 2 (ka-chow! is his favorite expression), his constant imitation of his big brother, or how he says his sweet "te-too" (thank you) after you give him something.  As the third child, he gets drug to everything (kids' school, soccer practice, and shopping) and for the most part, he goes along with it in his stroller, with no complaints.  He really has been easy....he is a better eater than my other two (anything- seriously), takes awesome 3 hour naps, and wakes up with a smile.  He has started to love being read to - will sit on your lap for as long as you will read to him.  But that's it - no hugging or cuddling form this boy - he is on the GO!!

Thank you Lord for giving us the honor of raising this sweet little boy.

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Thankful: Day 19

I am thankful for our home.  When we bought it 3 short years ago, we had no idea what it would provide for us: comfort, warmth, great schools, awesome friends, and wonderful memories.  We are so blessed to live in the house of our dreams - I am thankful for my HUGE backyard and 200+ year old oak tree.  I am thankful for the cul-de-sac for the kids to play in and host parties.  I am thankful that everyone has their own space to call their own.  I am thankful for the means that provided us the roof over our head each night and we know we are blessed beyond belief to call this our home.


One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Thankful: Day 18

I am thankful for vacations.  In the midst of everyday busy life, vacations can either be looked back upon or looked forward to, to get us through the day. I am thankful that God provides us with the means to take wonderful vacations.   I am thankful for new adventures in new places.   I am thankful for the time spent with family, away from "life".  I am thankful for all the wonderful vacation memories we have made.  And I am thankful for all the upcoming vacation memories we get to make!


One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Friday Daydreamin': Thanksgiving Fun

Yay!! It's Friday! And this momma is ready to Daydream!! Link up your favorite vacation photos with R We There Yet Mom's Friday Daydreamin'!!

Today, I wanted to show you all my new favorite place to go for Thanksgiving.  We went last year for the first time and had such a wonderful time.  Not only was the scenery beautiful (southeastern Oklahoma), but we were completely unplugged the entire week - no phone, no internet, no tv - it was awesome.

We had to get a little creative to keep the natives from going restless, so one of the fun ideas my Aunt came up with was a Thanksgiving Scavenger hunt around the Ranch.  We only thought it would be hard and eat up at least an hour.....

Ha!  These kids are too smart fro their own good!!

This year I am working on some Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games - should be FUN!!

Link up with R We There Yet Mom's Friday Daydreamin' - it is so much fun to se everyone's favorite vacation/trip pictures and to hear all the stories behind it!!

Thankful: Day 17

I am thankful for cute fashion, like my fun hat that I just got and am starting to wear out wear all the time. I am very conservative, so this is going out on a limb for me.  So it's fun to jazz things up with a fun accessory every once and a while!


One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

Dad & Lad? Not so much.....

What do you do when your son comes home from school at 3 pm and "reminds" you that the Dad & Lad Cake Baking Contest is tonight at Cub Scouts??????

And "Dad" is out of town?

And you knew nothing about it???

Hop to it!

Cake mix in the pantry? Check!

Frosting?  NOPE.

Luckily, my girlfriend was at Sprouts when she called me, so I had her pick me up a can.  Who cares that the only pre-made frosting Sprouts carried was gluten-free, dairy-free, chemical-free, and taste-free.....we will make it work!

First problem? The cake cracked.....

 And the "frosting" dripped off the sides.

So I gave Brody the bowl full of Halloween Candy and said "Have fun!"

And that he did!

And walking in, I was mortified to see all the other professional-looking cakes.

I mean, how do we complete with the likes of these "Dad & Lad" cakes???

Seriously???

Turns out all the voters, all cub scouts, LOVED Brody's "Candy Earthquake"cake and he won a prize!!!!

He came home beaming.

It's moments like these that make you realize all the hassle is completely worth making that sweet boy smile!

Thankful: Day 16

I am thankful for red wine and good cheese.  The perfect meal.  As I get older, I am learning to appreciate a good bottle of wine (not the one in the picture, mind you - that was German Gluhwein in honor of a book we just read for book club) and really unique cheese.  This week I tried gouda infused with expresso beans....oh.my.goodness.  so yummy.  I am thankful for treats like these that tantalize our taste buds!


One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

One Hour at the Zoo

After our unbelievable trek to get to the zoo this past weekend, we made the most of it.....

 First off...a Cheer that we finally made it!!  If you haven't read our story on how it took us 5 1/2 hours to get there, please do so now......we will wait.

 One of my favorites....

 Look how close we got to these underwater gars.... Bubba was fascinated.

This was a new exhibit for us, and Brody had the time of his life in here.

 slowly going from reptile to reptile

 even Bubba loved it

 I just love how close you can get to everything.

 Bubba did too.

 And even with only an hour, we still had time for a quick photo.  My adorable kiddos......

 Bubba wanted a few moments of freedom.  After all, he had been in the stroller all day....

And was most upset when we had to leave.....

Was it worth it?  Absolutely.  There was no way I would have drug them that far (and with that much drama) and turned back around.  The Fort Worth Zoo is amazing and deserves so much more than an hour.  We made the best of it and it turned out to be an adventure we will never forget.

P.S. I am loving the Instagram app - makes picture taking so much fun!!

Thankful: Day 15

I am thankful for this great friend who inspires me to run crazy distances.  Last year, Mel casually asked me if I wanted to run a half-marathon with her.  Sure!  So we did and we loved it and today we started training for our second one in January.  I am thankful to have a friend who can make me accountable, even on those days I don't want to get out of bed and strap on my running shoes.  I am thankful for great conversation while we run to make the miles tick by.  I am thankful for her patience when we run with Bubba in the stroller (he can be pretty demanding).  But mainly I am thankful for the wonderful friendship that has developed over the past few years.  Looking forward to the training!

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! While great food, friends, family and football make for a wonderful day, taking time out of my fast-paced life to think through the many blessings and to express gratitude to God and to others is really why I love this holiday so much. An attitude of gratitude, of course, shouldn't be a once-a-year deal, and hopefully cultivating a thankful heart goes beyond that one special Thursday in November for all of us. Won't you join me in professing your gratitude?

2 Trains, One Bus, and a LONG walk....or how NOT to get to the Zoo!

Linking up this morning with Shawn & IA to tell y'all all about our CRAZY adventure this past weekend...seriously (no pun intended), you will not believe it....

While in Dallas this past weekend, I wanted to do something different and fun with the kiddos.  Sis suggested we go to the zoo - simple enough.  The Fort Worth Zoo is phenomenal!

Let's make it a little more adventurous.....

Let's take the train to the zoo.  Sounds fun?? At the time......

To get from Carrollton (suburb north of Dallas), we hopped on the DART rail (the local commuter train) to catch the TRE (Trinity Railway Express - a fun train that connects Dallas with Fort Worth).  From there, I read online that the zoo is a "half mile walk from the stop".  

We can do this with 5 kids and 3 adults!  Let's go!

We left the house at 9:45 am and hopped on the DART at 10:15 to get off in Downtown Dallas to catch the TRE at 10:58 am.

My little Bubba was so excited to be on the train.

We get to the Victory stop with 3 minutes to spare to catch the TRE.

We wait.

And wait some more.

Finally, my very intelligent brother looks at the posted train schedule and points out that "someone " (ahem...me) read the weekday schedule.  The next TRE is at 12:24 pm. awesome.

What to do in Downtown Dallas with 5 kids on a Saturday at 11:00 am?

So we explored........

It was a ghost town.  It was windy & cold so we finally found a "Dick's Last Resort" to hang out in for a while.

Not the most appropriate place to take 5 kids, but we were desperate.  I mean, when was the last time you saw one of these babies?

Brody asked me "What kind of candy machine is that???"

Fed the kids a few snacks, hiked back to the Train station, and we were ready to head to the zoo!  Or so we thought.

At 12:20 (remember the TRE is coming at 12:24), I can't find my camera bag.

AGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!

Yep, Dick has it.

PANIC.

Mom calmly suggests that she will go back to the restaurant, pick it up and just take the DART back home.  She was so wonderful to do that.  I don't think I could have enjoyed the zoo, not knowing who had their hands all over my camera lens....

Cool.  The TRE showed up on time and we are on our way again.  ha.

Again, my little man adored the train and for the most part, was great the entire trip.

Until we get to the last stop in Fort WOrth, get off the train and see nothing but a parking lot.

"Excuse me Mr. TRE Conductor...but I read online that the zoo was half a mile away??"

I must have looked like a dumb blonde to him as he laughed his head off and took joy in telling me the zoo must be "over 10 miles away."

Oh dear.

So we had to wait 30 minutes to take the train back one stop to get off at the FW Bus Station.  To catch a "Number 7" bus at 2:15 p.m.  It was only 1:45.

Deep Breath.

Catch the Number 7, enjoy a 20 minute ride around FW to the zoo.  Hop off the bus to finally walk that "Half mile" that I read about.  finally.

And these amazing children did not complain.  hardly.

5 Hours later.....we finally make it to the zoo.  It's 3 pm.  I very happily go up to buy tickets only to have the snotty teenage girl take joy in telling me....

"We are only open for one more hour."

WHAT?!?!?!

2 Trains, a nasty & inappropriate bar, lost camera bag, a smelly bus ride, hike across the park and I am suppose to deny the zoo to these amazing kiddos?

no way.

Come on kids! Let's RUN!

Come back tomorrow to see some fun pics we took during that glorious hour.

Was it worth all the pain?  You can be the judge!