Pecan Pickin'

Jenae & Jaycie Jo

Tea Parties

Jenae has been in a huge "Momma only" phase lately. While it is quite flattering, it can also wear me out. Not to mention her Daddy's feelings. The guy simply adores her and wants nothing more than to love on her. In fact, lately he's gotten more than his share of, "No, Momma do it" and hands pushing him away. Poor guy! The funniest one though was just the other day. He went into her room to help her with something and she replied with, "No! No, BOY!" We laughed and laughed.

I say all this to let you know that Jordan has been going the extra mile trying to find something or someway to connect with Jenae. The answer: Tea Parties! They have the best time playing together. The other day he was over at the office and I saw Jenae playing "tea party" by herself. I'm always celebrate the moments when she will entertain herself.
It wasn't until I got a closer look that I knew she was wishing her daddy was there with her. She had a very special guest of honor at the tea party. One of Daddy's best friends:
Sweet, sweet girl.

Making My List

When I was a kid we would go through the Big Sears Catalog and look at all the toys, circling the ones we wanted for Christmas. Through the years the Sears catalog has changed, as have some of our personal tastes. Jenae may never have that experience. However, don't feel sorry for her very long...Here's Jenae checking out the new Pottery Barn Kids catalog that came in the mail. Watch out Santa, the prices just went up!

Getting to know (you) me...Christmas Edition

Here's a fun email my friend Julie sent. Feel free to play along!

0. Name? Debbie

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper with lots of tape…no peeking!

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial and pre-lit. I like the idea of a real tree, but our allergies are too bad.

3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend. This year we actually got it up before Thanksgiving. It was so nice to return home and have it already done.

4. When do you take the tree down? After the new year. I hate taking all the decorations down, makes the house seem so bare.

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Cabbage Patch Dolls and a birthstone ring. Still have both.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Fischer Price. Jenae loves to make the angel above the stable sing, “Away in a Manger.” Great dancing music.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My brother and his family. They seem to have everything they want.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Jenae

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? There might have been a sweater or two in my past… :o)

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Definitely mail!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf is pretty fun, but it’s hard to beat the classics…Frosty, Rudolph, Miracle on 34th Street

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The sooner the better. I’m almost done this year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Can’t say. It might have been something you gave me.

15. Favorite thing to eat/drink at Christmas? My Grandma’s homemade fudge and turtles were always my favorite. My mom’s cheese log is a good treat that’s NOT chocolate.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear lights! Jenae chose “rainbow” lights for the tree in her room.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I love it all! Jenae is a huge fan of the “Hallelujah Chorus” this year. She giggles all the way thru it and when we get in the car it is always her first request.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Are you allowed to stay home? Never tried that! ;o)

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Pretty sure I could. Might have to sing their names though.

20. Angel on the tree top or a Star? Star. I say that even though we don’t have a tree topper. In this house our tree top touches the ceiling. There is not room for a topper.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas day. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing this change. My family had pretty strict present opening rules…still do!


Hope everyone is getting all their "stuff" done. Only 20 more days until Christmas!!

Christmas Open House

'Tis the Season

We've had so much fun getting ready for Christmas this year. Decorating in a new house for the first time takes a little more thought than just putting everything out where you had it the year before. Jenae is being such a helper and her joy is contagious. We've done a lot of baking in the last week, too. We hosted a Christmas Open House and had to get all the goodies ready. Take a look:

Jenae was pretty excited to have her OWN Christmas tree in her room.
The early part of last week Jenae spent with Shasha so I could do some cleaning and cooking for our Open House. They made a "Cracker House" and we brought it home to help decorate for the party. So far we've only lost half a cracker to a hungry little girl.

Here she is ready to cook! She is sporting the new apron that Homie gave her for her birthday. Looks good, huh?!She was a good helper. I let her help measure flour and sugar and she did lots of stirring. My only rule was that Momma got to do the eggs all by myself. I wasn't taking any chances there. Later that day, I found Jenae up on her stool making eggs. She IS a big girl after all. And, she's TWO. "I can do it by myself!"


In case you couldn't tell here's a closer shot. Those are her play eggs. Complete with tags. She went to her room, to her kitchen set, got her own eggs and brought them to the kitchen. Smarty-pants! Momma and her helper!

Jenae also helped unwrap all the candies we used to make treats. It was a great job for her and she only tried to sneak a bite once...and I caught her! So it worked out well. She is so proud when she is able to contribute. And, most of the time, it really is help.

Pictures with Vincent

While we were in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, Grandma wanted to have pictures of the kids made. It was quite the experience! It took Vincent a while to get warmed up to the idea and by then Jenae was about finished. The pictures we got turned out well, but that's not to say we didn't almost give up. Cousins are so fun!

November, 2007. Jenae is 27 months. Vincent is 23 months.

Halloween. Meow!

Here's just a teaser! We had so much fun last night and I look forward to telling you all about it. However, today is my anniversary...it's getting late...and I'm going to bed. So, until I have more time to tell all the fun stories and post all the pictures this one will have to do.

This is Jenae about half-way through Trunk or Treat. She just had to stop and check out what everyone was putting in her pumpkin.

Fun at the Zoo and Pumpkins, too!

Saturday morning we got an early start and drove into Abilene to go to the Zoo! It is a great, small zoo. Jenae and I can easily walk it all in about an hour. Just the right size for little legs. Also, the animals are caged so that the kids can get real close and actually see them. Jenae is quite familiar with the zoo and would grab Vincent's hand and say, "Come on, Vincent!" Of course, many times Vincent wouldn't walk at all unless the were holding hands. It went both ways. They were pretty cute!
First stop, the flamingos and ducks.
Saw a peacock on the way to the monkeys!
The bears were very interested in our animal crackers.
"Come on, Vincent! Up the bridge to the giraffes!"
Don't be scared, Jenni. It's just a giraffe tongue. Besides, Vincent is watching. Be brave.

There you go! Good job!

We finished the zoo, grabbed some Sonic, ate cookies at Shasha's house and then went to look for a pumpkin patch. Couldn't really find one without driving out in the country, so we settled for this display in front of a nursing home.
Vincent decided he was done for the day. No pumpkins. No Jenae. No holding hands. No pictures. Nothing!So, we just took a few of Jenae and got in the car and headed back to the house.