Power Bars

Wyatt's new favorite thing is "helping" me cook. This means, of course, that I have to do two times the work to prepare enough things to keep him busy...and then to actually make whatever we're cooking. The prep and the mess is worth it, though, because he is really into the task at hand...and it keeps us busy for about an hour - the longest attention span grabber yet!

Adding dates to the measuring cup.

Adding the dates to the pot.

Stirring the dry ingredients.

The food processor - not quite sure about it.

Getting it in the pan and smoothing it down.

These power bars didn't work out very well - the dogs ate them instead of Dub - but the process was fun!

Cousins Weekend 2012

This weekend, Laura, Lindsay, Sarah, Katie, and I got together for a cousins weekend. Taylor was tied up with work in Colorado - she was the only girl cousin missing (and we did miss her!).
We had a very fun time stuffing ourselves like pinatas, getting our toes painted, and talking until all hours of the night.

Poor Laura, our hostess, had knee surgery on Thursday. She was laid up with her leg in a stabilizer...but did her best to party it up. She did an admirable job.

And as they say about Vegas, what happens in Tyler, stays in Tyler. :) But here's a little peek.

Snacks, round #25

Cake balls and peanut butter & jelly sandwich cookies - not to brag, but we're all pretty amazing cooks. We also had cookie batter brownies and cake batter fudge...and lipo.

Caprese Pockets by Katie

Meat and Cheese tray to offset the wine & sugar...

Things are starting to get out of hand...

Getting the mask on. It smelled real good.

A little spa time...followed by a dance party.

Awww...sisters, sisters...

Super Husband, Eric, was sweet enough to do the breakfast run - doughnut holes AND bagels!

Oh...and who's that in the kitchen mixing up some queso for brekkie?

What a weekend! Looking forward to a repeat in 2013!

Happy New Year!

We had such a good year in 2011. I was trying to put together a list of the top ten of 2011, but it morphed into the top 20 list of December 2011. It was a whirlwind month, but it was full of so much fun and family, that my list of ten quickly grew to twenty. Here it is, and it's in no particular order:

1. The Briar Creek 5k - Laura was kind enough to arrange the 1st annual trail run in Whitehouse - something that has stayed with me until almost a month later. :)


2. Celebrating Gabby's Birthday at The Four Seasons. Katie and I took mom out for her birthday dinner. It ended up being a treat for all of us!


3. Playing with Wyatt in the teepee.


4. Neighborhood cookie swap - several neighbors and I decided to start an annual cookie swap for our section on Llano. There were so many cookies - I OD'd for sure.


5. The BIG BROTHER shirt reveal. Christmas Eve, we told Gabby and Gramps that they would have a new baby to spoil in August by putting this shirt on Wyatt and sending him out into the crowd.


6. The parties!! Of which there were so many!


7. Opening presents with W. Though he celebrated Christmas last year at 6months, it was fun to see him actually opening presents. He loved ripping paper!


8. Having another year with all of our Griffiths clan together. Everyone was able to make it, and it was very special.


9. Celebrating Christmas morning in our new house for the first time!


10. Getting together with precious friends. We were fortunate enough to have festive playdates with the Peterson's and with our friend, T!


11. Our best friends had a baby in December and we are so excited about this miracle & for a new playmate.


12. Running the White Rock marathon leg with my playgroup friends and JZ.


13. Our day in Grapevine with Aunt Sue & Gabby. Everything was so Christmas-y and Wyatt was enthralled with the trains, the animals, the skating snowmen - what a good day that was.


14. Wyatt driving his new car on Christmas Eve. Aunt Katie was so kind to get Wyatt the Cozy Coupe and he loves the heck out of that thing. On Christmas Eve we all had to take turns pushing that monkey up and down the driveway in his new car. He was in Heaven.


15. Wyatt's first haircut.

16. Watching Jason build Wyatt's workbench on X-mas Eve (curse city). Santa better make sure to bring more patience next year - or already assembled items.


17. Sharing Christmas stories and traditions with W.


18. Christmas Eve with family. Though it wasn't a traditional year for us, it ended up working out perfectly. What a great day!


19. Having Jason home for Christmas. With his trial/work schedule everything is always a crap shoot, especially the holidays. It was so nice for Wyatt and I to have Jas here for the holidays.


20. And finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the good food to snack on! It was non-stop!



January is such a stark month to enter after all of the glitz and glamor of December. Luckily, we have a wedding to plan, a 30th birthday to celebrate, and a baby to welcome in 2012. It's fun to stand on the threshold of a new year and wonder what will greet us. We had so many blessings in 2011, I have no idea how it could get better!

Happy New Year.

First Haircut

Gabby and I took Wyatt to get his first haircut on Friday. Gabby found the place, a little shop in Rockwall called Groovy Cuts for Kids, and it was so cute! The seats were actually cars, which was a lot of fun for W. They moved all around, had a gear shift, had a gas pedal, and right in front of your car was a television playing Barney. Jackpot!

Start your engines!

The lady who cut his hair was so quick! The times mom and I have tried to cut his hair ourselves, we've nearly cut the boy instead of the hair. Stressful! We weren't sure how it was going to all go down, but he was enchanted.

The trimmers were a little bit hairy (haha!). He didn't like those, so Gabby held him during that part. Check out this scowl!

All in all, he was a precious patron. He looks like a little boy now (sigh. next thing I know, he'll be going off to college...). Groovy Cuts for Kids was also nice enough to give Wyatt a certificate documenting his first hair cut, save his locks for me, and take a before and after picture. Very fun!

Enjoying some frozen yogurt after his hair cut! Big boy!

Christmas at the Gaylord

Aunt Sue and Gabby accompanied us today on a Christmas adventure. We went over to Grapevine to see the Gaylord all done up in it's Christmas frippery. There were tons of trees, dancing snowmen, toy soldiers, fountains, and trains. Wyatt was on sensory overload as we toured through the huge hotel!

Looking at the koi.

Watching the trains. Choo-Choo!!!

Refueling with raisins.

For lunch, we ended up at the Bass Pro Shop - which, I know, sounds kind of atypical for us. But that place is amazing. You can have your photo with Santa, ride the reindeer carousel, watch fish, pose with bears, bison, and bobcats! It is quite a place.

Driving a remote controlled truck. I see one of these in our future. Look at those little fingers on the controls! Such a boy.

Posing with a polar bear. What big teeth you have...

Aunt Sue proctored the meeting with Santa...it was going well at first.

But then things with Santa didn't quite work out.

Goofing around with Aunt Sue after lunch


Needless to say, old boy passed out pretty quickly tonight from his huge day of Christmas fun!