Let the holiday's begin......

The morning of Thanksgiving I woke up early to take part in the Swenson Family Turkey Day 5K

The weather

was

fabulous!

And a great way to get up and moving before preparing dinner to host Thanksgiving at our house for the Barrick side AND I felt like I could eat my heart out since I did a bit of exercise!

Jerod and I made dinner for 8 adults 3 kids.

Jerod made a turkey that turned out amazing,

I made homemade potatoes w/ sour cream,cream cheese, chives...super healthy :)

stuffing, scalloped corn, and fresh bread!

While everything was in the oven,

we decided to go take family/Christmas pictures.

Breck didn't want to put his pants on...so he ran around the house with his vest and cowboy boots on!

Yelling heehaw!

Our pictures turned out great

and I can't wait to send them all out

(it's a goal for me to actually send them...gets so busy...but I WILL this year..promise)

I forgot to take pictures of our wonderful, delicious, filling, dinner...

but I got our dishes and such!

We ate,

then ate some more,

then topped it off with pie!

The best part of Thanksgiving

besides, family, friends, food and such...

We still have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to relax!

Friday we got out all the Christmas decorations

and put up the tree!

Breck was so excited to help decorate!

This year was a bit different then the past when it came to decorating the house...

ALL breakable stuff (which is most of my stash) either was placed way up high

or not put out!

And our tree...

the top half is breakable

bottom half plastic!

(Breck broke two of my Christmas balls'  while decorating.  He said "football and threw one then said "football" and smashed two together crushing it into pieces")

A new "favorite" spot!

Breck has been laying underneath the tree ever since we put the tree skirt down.

He runs over to the tree...lays under it and says "nigh night"

What's going on here?  This is a mad/whiny face!

Because...

ever since we put up the tree and ornaments

he has been shoving them down his shirt/pj's!

Then they get stuck in the feet of the p.j's

and I have to dig them out!

This time I found:

Santa Clause, a glow stick, and chap stick!

Later this afternoon I found him shoving a star in his shirt!

I can tell that this year,

will be much different then last...

Busy & fun!

Let the Holidays begin!

First snowfall....

Crazy little boy!

It's been a wonderful fall with nice weather...

I think we have been spoiled a bit.

So now that the "real" November weather is here

we have been cuddling up inside staying warm.

This is how we pass the chilly days.......

Dresses up and playing pretend.

No, these are not real horns,

although sometimes they should be!

He is goofy.

Silly faces while playing make believe and dress up!

His dad worries about all this purple dress up shoes and Hannah Montana purse...

I think it's great,

and funny to see Jerod squirm!

Little reader.

Usually the three same books over and over!

As of lately he has discovered his baby book a wonderful friend scrap booked for him when he was born

and all I had to do is add pictures

MY kind of scrap booking ;)

A mind of his own.

He LOVES shoes and stocking hats!

Every morning he goes and picks out his hat to wear for daycare...

if I pick out the "wrong"one, he will whine till he gets to choose the "right" one!

One day at daycare I went to pick him up at the end of the day and found him wearing his blue hat (knit by mee'ma' a.k.a. g'ma Shirley) They told me he wore it ALL day and refused to take it off! Funny boy.

A funny personality.

He has claimed things around the house as "mama's" and "dadda's".

Dada's hat...

dada's wallet...

dada's remote....(if I touch it he says to me with all seriousness...DADA's)

then there is:

mama's books...

mama's shoes...

mama's computer....(and yells at Jerod if he uses it!!)

My sis borrowed one of my over the shoulder bags for their trip to Flordia,

and as she walked out the door with it

he got all mad at her and said MAMA's! (she had to sneak out with  it)

Very independent.

"me do"

He loves to climb in his own high chair...

And eat with a spoon ALL ON HIS OWN.

Let's just say yogurt & applesauce are fun to clean up!

For a couple weeks he refused to use his high chair tray and insisted on sitting at the table...

but we are back to the tray as of today! MUCH easier to clean up!

Busy, but takes time to rest.

He is always on the go...

so sometimes it's nice to see him sit down and relax a bit.

A lot of times when I make dinner I throw on a show for him.

He sits in his lil' ol man chair and watches while sucking on ice...(dang teeth bothering us again)!

Entertainer.

Always making us laugh!

Such a character.

NINETEEN MONTHS TODAY.

our weekend went like this....

This weekend was a busy one for the Barrick family.  Since I started selling Thirty One I have been busy {in a good way} with lots and lots of parties!  And the best part is I don't even feel like I am working a second job...because it's so much fun!

Friday November 11th, 2011

11/11/11

I had a Thirty One party/49th birthday/girls night party on Friday night which was a blast.

I was suppose to set up a booth at 4b's Event Center for the Gage Driver Benefit, but unfortunately Breck was still not feeling well and decided to stay home to be home with him

{a good decision for all of us and I think it really helped}

So instead I sent this Thirty One bag of goodies to the VFW for the silent auction Gage Driver Benefit.

I hope this small package

helped BIG for Mr. Gage & his family!

Keep praying for him.

Saturday November 12th, 2011

I was off to a baby shower!

One that I helped plan and throw for a VERY good friend.

I have known Shannon {the sis on the way right...and a picture she & Meghan may kill  me for posting}

for about nine years,

college roommates, co-workers, best friends!

This lovely couple is expecting their first child,

a BABY BOY

in January!

And I am soooooooooooo happy, thrilled, and excited to meet Mr. Arlo Jeffery {A.J} Worden!

Congrats!

We also had our 2nd annual girls night while guys shoot stuff sleepover.

We all pretty much laughed until we were crying,

stayed up way to late,

but realize it was SO worth it!

Thanks ladies for a fun night!

Sunday November 13th, 2011

A VERY special day!

Miss Ellery G Jones turned 10 today!

I can't believe ten years ago Jerod and I drove from Mankato to Hutchinson to meet my first niece.

I remember how I instantly fell in love with this cute, chubby, black haired baby girl...

and Jerod held her so nervously,

while everyone laughed and said he was holding her like a "loaf of bread" haha!

Now she is TEN and my little helper!

Always wanted/willing to help me out with Breck.

And most of the time he would prefer to be with Ellery because she is such a nice little lady,

and such a fun cousin!

We are so lucky to have her as our niece,

I'm so lucky to have her as my Goddaughter,

Breck is so lucky to have her as a cousin and friend.

After cake and ice cream to celebrate the Big Day,

I came home and turned on my warmer with a new winter/Christmas fragrance...yummy!

Also,

I just got my new Christmas CD I ordered from Amazon

Jessica Simpson Christmas CD  good deal here{the one with Duets with Nick Lackey & Ashley Simpson}

and impatiently waiting for my Mariah Carey Christmas CD good deal here

&

Breck's Choo Choo Soal Cd & DvD  good deal here

{if you don't know what it is, check it out...such fun songs that make us both bust a move}

I

Heart

Christmas Music.

And no, it's not to soon to break it out!

it may be a long winter.....

This probably seems like a post you have seen from me million times,

but here is what WE have been up to this last couple weeks.

This

little

boy,

who

is

usually

H

A

P

P

Y

F

U

N

N

Y

{found "me maa" (grandma Shirley's) expenisive sunglasses that were quickly take away}

S

I

L

L

Y

{wearing my head bands & using my makeup brushes}

G

O

O

F

Y

{he likes to put his hands in his pants pockets and walk around}

Has been under the weather YET AGAIN!

We just can't kick it.

From ears, cold, cough

then

fever and stomach flu...

this poor little man.

You know when he's feeling down when he lays on the couch for more then three seconds!

He was snuggly and wanted his mommy,

which was great...but definitely not worth having a sick boy.

Although he wasn't feeling well,

he still had his funny boy moments!

Such as when he climbed in a box to rest with his "nooouut" (nuk) and "nye nye" (blankie)

But,

After a LoNg week of sickness,

cleaning,

more sickness,

more disinfecting....

We are finally like this again!

and praying that we continue to be happy & healthy or this may be a long winter.

wonderfully boring weekend :)

This weekend was deer opening so of course Jerod was all about it.

AGAIN, I hoped and prayed that he would & wouldn't shoot a deer...

would: so he would be so he could gloat

wouldn't: so we didn't have a freezer full of meat I wouldn't be eating :)

He returned home with nothing.

But hopes to try again next weekend...ohjoy!

We spend the weekend...

being lazy & loving every moment of it!

We ordered pizza, took naps, went to the park, ate at Swan's for the Gage Driver Benefit,

watched the Twilight movies to re-catch up for next Friday's BIG event of the fourth movie!

IT WAS A GLORIOUS WEEKEND.

Sunday I needed a small break from being "mom" and went to Albertville & Buffalo for some girls shopping day at the outlet mall & antique stores..

let's just say...I SCORED big time!

I got this bench, and two other cute pieces to go along with it

{will show them later...they are in hiding from the husband}

It's more of a joke, but I pull out pieces one at a time.

When he asks "where did that come from"

I say "oh we have had that for awhile" lol....don't tell me YOU have never done that :)

Monday came WAY to fast....but we all survived.

With daylight saving Breck can barely make it till 6:30p.m and nearly falls asleep eating supper!

Today I had a dentist appointment...

and to be honest, it's been awhile since I've gone in and I was nervous as all heck.

As I waited I looked at this magazine "Taste of Home" (and took a picture of it so I would remember so I could go online and get some recipes) There were some yummy looking meals in there and I am ALWAYS looking for a new meal idea!

After my hour check up, x rays, cleaning, I came out with clean teeth & NO cavities! Go me!

Tonight I made Homemade Chicken Pot Pie for dinner.

I thought it was mmm.mmm.mm

Jerod just gave it a mmm.

and Breck gave it a MMMM.MMM.MM

Here's the recipe: Easy Peasy

Two pie crusts

1 can of cream of potato

1 can of cream of chicken

2 chicken breast:cut and fried up

1 bag of fresh/frozen veggies {steam them}

1 cup of milk

Lay out one pie crust in pie pan

Add: soups, chicken, veggies, milk

Pour on pie crust

Lay another pie crust on top

Bake 375 45-50 minutes

{place tin foil on the edges for the first 40minutes so it doesn't burn}

I made my own pie crusts too: VERY EASY

2 cups flour

2 TB sugar

1tsp salt

2 sticks of cold butter

1 egg yolk

1/4 c water

Mix: flour, sugar, salt, butter

cut with knives till lumpy mixture

Mix: yolk, water

Add to mixture:

Roll into two balls

Fridge for 1hour

Roll out to make pie crust!

Trick-or-Treat Night...

Was a busy night,

probably for a lot of parents of trick-or-treaters I'm guessing?!

Since it was Monday night we all had to work,

then rush home,

change the kiddo's,

eat,

and if you cheated like us...we went to Mc D's to fill our bellies with burgers, fries, cookies, and cones!

Then off to trick-or-treat

starting at our friends' The Johnson's house

and take pictures of our cuties!

Here Breck is our "Litchfield" Dragon (thanks cousin Jacksonfor the custome!), Ellery a "hippy" hot dog, and Calvin a"cranky" Frankenstein! 

He was in character and would sometimes  rarrrrrrrrrrrrr

at people on demand!

The cousin's wanted to trick-or-treat together so we went down one block,

up another and called it a night!

 

He was got the hang of going to a door

saying "trick or treat"

and "thank you"

He put most  of his candy in his bat bag,

but sometimes insisted to hold a candy bar....

we wouldn't be paying attention and next thing you know he's eating chocolate through the wrapper!
Little stinker!

We made our way out to visit the g'ma's and g'pa's then home to hit up the neighbors!

Then it was time for bed.

This boy was exhausted from a fun night of trick-or-treating!!

Today Breck's friend Cooper stopped over to drop off Halloween treats and to snap a couple pictures!

Our CUTE dragons!!

Happy Halloween 2011