Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

What greater blessings than these 2 to remind us to give thanks with a grateful heart!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year, starting with a Thanksgiving lunch at Jillian's school on Tuesday.  This little turkey booty couldn't eat any of the food yet (next year, son)...

But this little turkey was more than happy to eat from the sweets table!

We were so thankful that Granny, Auntie Shell, and Uncle Joseph came to see us for Thanksgiving again this year.  

And I was oh so thankful for the extra hands to help play with Jillian, hold Alex all day long, and especially to cook lots of yummy meals!

On Thanksgiving Day, we had a low key day, doing what we always do during our Thanksgiving meal...we watch the Cowboys game!  That is one of our Thanksgiving traditions that I can remember doing since I was a little kid.  It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without watching the Cowboys and eating turkey!  (And boy were we thankful for the win!)

This little turkey decided to work off his food by getting in the jumparoo for the first time!  He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, but I'm sure he'll be jumping away very soon!

As it was time to put Jillian down for the night, I asked her what she was thankful for this Thanksgiving.  She said she was thankful for Minnie Mouse (of course Minnie was 1st), Mommy, Daddy, Baby, Jilly Bear, and cupcakes...Silly Jilly!

And Jilly, Mommy is thankful for your silliness, baby brother's smile, Daddy's hard work, family (both near and far), our health and happiness, and so much more.  This grateful heart is most grateful for these 2 little turkeys who light up our everyday lives.

Hope everyone else had a blessed Thanksgiving, too!

Julian's Fall Decor

Hello everyone! I would like to welcome you to my first blog post ever!  After all these years of Amber trying to get me to "help out" with the blog, I would find some way of getting my way out of it.  She finally got me interested when she said that I could write about all my DIY projects.  So here it is, my first DIY project blog post.  It's partly a how-to for the DIY project I made, and partly a glimpse into my thought process behind this DIY.

I have always been really big into decorating the house for the holidays.  The season that has given me the most difficult time has been decorating for Halloween/Thanksgiving.  There has always been a fine line as to when is the right time to pull down the witches hat and throw up the pilgrim.  So this year I decided to look for universal things that would show the greatness of the season and not limit it to just one holiday.  While looking on Pinterest, (that's right, I am a man and I am totally addicted to Pinterest. Think what you want but it is your one-stop-shop, you can start by looking at cars and before you know it, you are looking at ideas for your kid's 20th birthday party...I digress),  I was looking for some inspiration and I came across this really nice looking rustic box used as a centerpiece.

So I went outside to take a look at some of the scrap pieces of wood I have collected over the past couple of months.  I narrowed it down to a piece of 1x6 and a piece of 1x4.  I typically like using Pine because it is a soft wood, not that expensive and stains really nicely when trying to get that rustic look.  You can pick up these same pieces at your local store for about $5 a piece.

After I selected the wood I decided to start building.  I decided to use the 1x6 as my bottom piece and the 1x4 as the side pieces.  After much debate negotiating compromise, we decided that it would be best on the buffet and I based my measurements on that.  I cut the 1x6 piece to 17 inches, so that when I added the side pieces, I would get a total size of about 19 inches.  Since I wanted the cut parts of the wood to be visible on the side of the box instead of the front I cut a 4 inch section from the 1x6 to account for the side pieces.  

After doing that on both sides I then took a piece of 1x4 and drew a line with my square to let me know where to cut the 1x4. No need to make things complicated and use a tape measure when just a simple alignment and square will do the trick. 

Now that I have all the pieces of my box cut out I was time to put this baby together.  By using some wood glue and a brad nailer I would be able to create a box that would feel sturdy and last for years to come. 

When the glue dried I wanted to give it that old rustic look so I grabbed some stain that I had picked up at Lowe's.  I picked up a Mission Oak stain by MINWAX that was a stain and polyurethane in one because when applied with a brush it gave it that old world feel...that feel like this box had some cool stories to tell.

After the stain dried, I had one more piece left for this box to be complete and that was some handles.  I mean, if you are making a rustic box, why not throw on some rustic handles as well.  It not only adds functionality but also gives it that sweet kick of personality and charm.  I decided to go with some handles that I got at...wait for it...Lowe's!  They were only about 2 bucks a piece and came with the hardware to make installation a breeze.  

So now that I finished this sweet box, what am I going to put in it? I typically like to look for garlands that have all the things I am looking for.  One reason is they are less expensive than buying the pieces individually, and two, some designer out there thought they looked good together.    Amber and I went to Kirkland's several days later and came across the mailbox garland.  I liked the various colors and it provided me with enough material to have some left over.  

My toes are apparently making their blog debut as well.

Now here comes the best part, this is where the creativity and personalization (is that even a word?!) part come in.  Instead of just shoving the garland in there and calling it a day I like to cut all the pieces of the garland and work with smaller pieces arranging them how I think they will work best.  

From here, you just take some good sized candles to take up a bulk of the space and start getting creative.  After the first couple of leaves and berries everything started falling into place.  (If you start losing vision and just getting frustrated, like I did, take a step back let is sit for a while, and then attack it again.  Remember, this is supposed to be fun!)  When it was all said and done, I added a runner for the buffet to create a separation in color and I am really happy with the way it came out.  

Well that concludes my first blog post! I hope you enjoyed it because I've got more DIYs coming soon!

 

Happy Friendsgiving!

Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is a time to for family and a time to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives.  When you live so far away from home, the only way to survive it all is to develop friends who are like family, and we are blessed to have done just that.

Friends who are like family + a time to give thanks = Friendsgiving!

We had our first ever Friendsgiving dinner the other night at the Casa de Acosta, and good times were had by all.  

The Acostas with our 2 little Turkeys!

The Hayes (got the photo of Jake before he could protest)

(Somehow, we did not managed to get a family pic of the Malnars...boo!)

Like you do on Thanksgiving, our Friendsgiving was spent sitting around the table, eating delicious food, sharing stories and reminiscing on good times we've had.  

At some point in the night, we were remembering when the Hayes moved here in 2009.  None of us had kids then, and it was just us 6 adults.  Now, we have 5 KIDS to add to that mix!  So naturally, we decided to take a picture of all that cuteness that makes our everyday lives something to be thankful for.  

Here is their best shot...

(I may or may not have just noticed that Jackson and Jillian are holding hands...)

But it took all of these to get there...

Our first Friendsgiving is in the books!  As a result of our Friendsgiving Dinner, here are the things that remind me to "Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart"

- The amazing opportunity to our friends' kids grow as spunky, rambunctious, delightful little boys right before our eyes.  We love them so much!  And it is a blessing to know that the Malnars and the Hayes love my kids too.  

- How everyone pitched in to make this dinner happen.  Everyone brought food to make the meal complete, some held babies and played with kids while others served food and cleaned.  They say it takes a village...

- Health and happiness for our 3 little families, and lots of warm thoughts and prayers when one of us needs it

- Christen's chocolate lasagna (y'all...she makes the best desserts in the world.  So good that they deserve to go on this sappy list.  You know that's one good dessert!)

Happy Friendsgiving!!!

Lesson Learned from the Passing of an Old Friend

This was on the cover of the El Paso Times in September 2005.

It's a picture of Julian and I celebrating with our friend, Thomas Howard, after a UTEP double overtime win.  We had just moved away from El Paso, but we knew that we wanted to go back to El Paso to watch UTEP in their season home opener.  On our way, we sent a text to Thomas to tell him we were coming back to watch him play.  So when he saw us in the front row after the game, he came over to the stands to celebrate with us and all his other fans.  It was a great time to see our friend at such a happy moment.

This same picture was in the El Paso Times again today for the worst reason possible...to share the news of Thomas Howard's passing.  He was 30 years old.  

This is our view of him coming up to say hello

Yesterday was a terrible day as we learned of this news.  Julian called me at work around 5 PM to say that he saw something on ESPN.com that said "Ex-Raider Thomas Howard dies."  He said he couldn't believe it so he clicked on the article and up came a picture of this familiar face.  

Like so many people -- family, friends, teammates of his, and fans (both from UTEP and from the NFL), -- it is so tragic to think that he died.  He turned 30 in July and had recently played with the Atlanta Falcons, though he had previously played with the Raiders and the Bengals.  

But even before he went pro, he was our friend.  Thomas was one of the nicest guys with a smile that lit up the room.  Even though he was a star on the football field, he was humble and completely grounded in person.  While we were at UTEP, Thomas used to joke with Julian and I saying that we were his "#1 fans."  And we really were, on and off the field.  

Even after we left UTEP, I stayed in contact with him through his winning senior season, a 2nd round NFL draft pick, and his career in the NFL.  We initially sent texts once a month, and eventually a few times a year. We would send pictures of our kids in UTEP gear, remembering always that we were "Miners Forever."

And as happens in life all the time, we recently lost contact with one another.  The last time we talked was in 2012.  And herein lies my regret and a big lesson learned from the news of our friend's death...

When A&M recently played UTEP, I dug up these old pictures.  I must have picked up my phone 15 times to shoot him a quick text to tell him I was thinking about him, to send him a picture of my kids in their UTEP gear, to remind him of his time as a UTEP star.  

But every time I pulled out my phone, I got distracted.  I never finished writing the text.  I didn't hit send.  

And now that he's gone, so too is my chance at reconnecting with our old friend.  

Like so many others, we are so sad to hear of his death.  The sadness and regret I feel is very strong.  It reminds me to not put off until tomorrow what I can do today and to not leave anything unsaid.  It reminds me to reconnect with those I've lost touch with and remind them of the good times we had together.

We won't forget our friend, Thomas, and the legacy he left, on and off the field.  He may have been Mr. 53, but to us, he will always be UTEP #40.  Let it serve as a reminder to us all that life is too short.  

Silly Jilly: That's Not Apple Juice

Jillian's school is close to Northgate, the bar district in College Station. So everyday when I pick her up, we drive by these bars. One in particular has a patio and there are always people there boozing it up by 5 PM. (This is a college town, after all.)

I had never really thought that Jillian paid much attention to them. But yesterday when we were driving home, she asked to go there...

Jillian: Mommy, I and baby can go there? (pointing to the bar with the patio)

Me: No, that's not a place for little girls and little boys.

Jillian: Oh, so when I turn 3, I can go there because I'll be a big kid.

Silly Jilly, not sure they'll let you in at 3...maybe wait 18 more years. Oh, and by the way, that's not apple juice they're drinking...

Happy 3 Months, Alex!

Happy 3 Months to our growing Bubby Baby boy!

What a cutie pie!

This little boy has completely stolen my heart, and I'd venture to say he has stolen the hearts of all our family, too!  He is such a happy-go-lucky baby, always ready to smile at anyone he meets.  And what a smile it is, with those 2 dimples that seem to just get deeper and deeper!

Love that little smile!

The big development this month...Alex has started to laugh!!!  The first laugh was when Daddy was tickling him on our way to a Halloween party.  And his second laugh was this past weekend when Uncle Mike was bouncing him up and down.  No other sound in the world compares to your baby's first laughs.  I can still hear Jillian's baby laugh and I will never forget Alex's too!

Laughing while mommy bounces him (and somehow takes a photo too)

Alex is still a great sleeper who goes down really easily.  And he even slept through the night 3 times in the past month.  We put him down at 8-9 PM and he slept till 6-7 AM! Hopefully by this time next month, I can work to get him to do this every night (wishful thinking, but I can only hope).

Bubs is getting to be such a big, strong boy!  We have been able to pull him up from his hands and he will sit up (with our help, of course) and support his own head for longer periods of time.  We have started putting him in his Bumbo and his head doesn't bobble around too much.

As for clothes, his 3 month outfits are starting to fit a little snug and I can put him into 6 month clothes already.  He is still in size 1 diapers, but he will definitely move up to size 2 by next month.  When we went for his 2 month well-check, he weighed 12 lbs., 12 oz. and was 23 5/8 in.  But if I had to guess, he is probably closer to 14 lbs. now, probably the same as the Thanksgiving turkey we will cook later this month...my little Turkey boy!  And he has definitely gotten longer because his 3 month pants are getting a little short on him.

Look how big I am next to my elephant!

Alex is also a great talker!  He has started saying 2 syllable words this month, most notably he has been saying "A-goo."  I don't think it's a coincidence that he started saying that this past Saturday when the Aggies were playing the Miners.  I think he was trying to say "A-ggie"!  Lord help us if Bubs talks as much as Jillian does!

Silly talking boy

Mommy, Daddy, and big sister Jilly Bear love you so much Bubby Baby!  You make our lives so much brighter and it is so much fun to watch you grow!

Aggies vs. Miners

What a treat it was to have a surprise visit by Grandpa and Uncle Mike to come see the Aggies vs. the Miners.  Rather than having a heart divided, my heart was actually filled with love to not only get to watch these 2 teams, but to do it with family!

My Dad was able to get 4 tickets to the game thanks to some UTEP football players.  So my brother Mike and my dad jumped in a car on Friday morning to come to Aggieland!  

The kids were so excited to see them when they first got here.  And it was a little extra special because this was the first time that Alex met Uncle Mike.

Alex, meet your Uncle Mike

Oh boy! Play time with these 2

I'm glad to see you again, Grandpa!

To kick off the game festivities, we took them to their first Midnight Yell!  We told them that there may not be too many people at this Yell compared to other ones, with maybe only 20,000 there.  They were floored because they said that that's about how many people who go to the actual Miner games these days, much less 20,000 people to come simply practice yells.  What a great tradition we have here in Aggieland!

Grandpa even wore maroon!

On Saturday, we got our day started with play time for Silly Jilly.  She had so much fun at the park with these 2.  It was so delightful to hear this little girls squeals and laughs while playing firemen (Jilly and Uncle Mike) saving Princess Minnie from the spider (Grandpa)...clearly Jillian came up with the game with her vivid imagination!

"Run, Jilly, run! The spider is gonna get you!"

Bubs slept through it all, and he even slept through this rivals photo

After some good naps for everyone, it was time to go up to campus to show them how we do game day in Aggieland!  We went up to the tailgate at my work and walked around the Fan Zone.   We were sporting our team colors and it was split down the middle -- 3 for the Aggies and 3 for the Miners!

Here are the 2 cutest little rivals, Jilly for the Aggies and Alex for the Miners!

We sent the kids home with the babysitter (thanks, Cary!) and then we went to take in the sights and sounds of Kyle Field.  Again, I think my dad and brother were amazed at the amount of people there and the amount of noise made by our fans.  They kept commenting on how they couldn't believe that everyone yelled the same thing at the same time, or how we all knew what to say or do.  Some may call it brainwashing, but I call it tradition! 

I said I would sport gear from both teams and so I wore my UTEP sweatshirt (and thank goodness because it got cold at night).  The first 10 minutes of the game were a little dicey, though, as A&M scored first with a safety, but UTEP scored the first touchdown.  So at one point, A&M was losing to UTEP, not exactly what we expected to see...

...And then the Ags scored 50 unanswered points to win the game 57-7 and all was right in the world again!

Me and my dad (and the little kid photobombed in the background haha)

After more quality time on Sunday, Grandpa and Uncle Mike left early Monday morning.  It was a whirlwind visit, but we are so glad that we got to spend some quality time with these 2 watching the Ags BTHO UTEP!