So do I like the Refection in the Mirror?

Wow can you believe it is the end of 2010?!?! Where has the time gone. Well a lot of you know a few months ago I wrote some post that I called Brylee's Eyes.
I sort of analyze myself through her eyes. Believe me I do not know what she was thinking except that I was a familiar face. I was someone she saw often. Someone that loves her. Someone that takes care of her & her needs. She felt safe. I mean what can a infant/toddler think at this time in their life?

What I did find out about myself is;
That God has me here for a purpose. I'm not to ask why but to follow his will.
I have learned I do make a lot of lemonade out of the lemons that life throws at me.
I am STRONG!
That I LISTEN to what God has to tell me.
I have more conscience than some people.
I learn from others' mistakes in life.
I keep my promises.
I am a leader. I can follow when I need to, but if you are not able to lead effectively I will step up and take the lead.
I care a lot for everyone around me.

So how do I feel about the reflection in the mirror??? I like what I see. I can still make improvements, but can't we all?

I hope everyone has a very Blessed 2011...........

Christmas Day 2010

We do hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a load of fun. I can not believe I forgot my camera for the Jarvis Family Gathering.

I was able to take a few pictures on Christmas Day. We had our little family gathering, then my parents & siblings came over. Mom J & Amy, Mike, Steven, Spencer & Stacy were able to join us a little later.
Brylee had 9 gifts under the tree from us. Let's see, she received a Tunnel & Tent, Elmo Videos, 4 outfits, Interactive pot with spoon & veggies and a Radio Riding Turtle. We could not get the tunnel unwrapped fast enough for Brylee! We were having some trouble & Brylee was already crawling inside it as we were working on setting it up! The Riding turtle is nice as well. Most of the sounds it has are very familiar. How many of you remember the Flintstones? Yabba, dabba do!!!! Let's not forget her stocking, she receive a new sippy cup, spoons, Veggie Tale CD, Butterfly car & of course a fire truck. Let me tell you I think we did a really good job.

Brylee wearing her her mother's Christmas dress from 1978




























Mom J gave Brylee a Cat House that we joined up with the tent. So now Brylee has her very own Mini Jarvis FunHouse!
We all had fun with it. Yes Bryan & I did play in it with Ms Brylee. To be honest I think almost everyone had to try it out. Bryan told me a story about him & Brylee playing in the tunnel. The story is, that he was looking into the tunnel while Brylee was crawling through it & he said Boo! Brylee crawled away down the tunnel then stopped, took her bo out of her mouth (her pacifier) and said, Boo! back. That is now in the memory box.

We had what seems to be our traditional Christmas lunches, BBQ Brisket with all the fixings. I also introduced a few to Jalapeno Jelly. I first tried it about 8 years ago & a friend from work gave us some for Christmas & it was perfect with our meal.

Yes, we did get gifts to. This year we did not do as much as we have in the past. I would have loved to shower Bryan, Jennifer & Cary with all their wishes, maybe next year. One we will treasure is a book from Jenn & Cary's "Life As a McFadden" blog. Brylee's First Year. It is most of anything that they blogged about Brylee in her first year. We did get a chance to go through it last night & oh the memories & the thought of all the new ones. Perfect gift!

After everyone left we played a couple of new games we received for Christmas. We will have to be sure to bring them out at a game night.

So as you can see we had a wonderful Christmas & are looking forward to next year.

We hope you had a wonderful & memorable Christmas too!!!

Christmas Past

Since 1988 we have been doing theme wrapped gifts. Do you remember some of the wrapping themes we had?

1988 Plastic Snow flakes on glossy paper and sprayed with glitter

1989 Paper Santa Claus cut outs with red ribbon on white paper.

1990 Blue Poinsettias wrapping paper with silk blue Poinsettias

1991 Stain Glass design wrapping paper with Shiny Gold Ribbon and Bows

1992 Snowflake stamping on white paper

1993 Gum drops

1994 Painted gold sweet balls on brown Kraft paper

1995 Tree Paper. Green Bows & Ribbons

1996 Little miniature toy figures Soldier, doll,

1997 Peppermints canes and disc

1998 Reindeer pins made from clothes pins (boy and girl) We made.

1999 Angel Pins with gold trim on white paper

2000 Cat paw prints across brown craft paper with Not a creature was….

2001 Gold Instruments and music notes on Brown Kraft paper

2002 Honey Comb Snowmen

2003 Penguin Bells (Jennifer and TJ put together)

2004 Marshmallow Snowmen on sled (Jennifer and TJ put together)

2005 Doves (Peace, Joy, Love) on white paper

2006 Stockings Brown with dark country maroon or green tops with rustic looking bells, w/ green graham ribbon.

2007 Snowmen in 2-4 designs. Jenn & Cary were married.

2008 Laser Cut Rustic Angel, snowman, reindeer, snowflake, bell and tree with brown twine and brown craft paper and green ribbon

2009 4 styles of Crosses. 3 with a verse on it and one with roses. Silver Ribbon with hand tied ribbon. Silver paper with white snowflakes.

2010 Paper was red with retro type candy canes & stars or snow flacks. Red ribbon & bows. The docorations was also the name tag. Your name with 2010. Here was a Santa, Reindeer, Penguin & a Bear. Very cute.

2011 Yes we have already have a theme in mind. Would you like to know what it is?? Well you will have to wait another 365 days to find out............

We have pictures but thought it would take up too much room. If you would like to see a picture of a year let us know & we will post it.
What was your favorite theme? It is really hard to decide, but I liked 1988 or was it 1991? or was it 2006? I guess you can say I liked most of them.

This is what memories are made of!

Merry Christmas!

Wow, what a crazy past couple of months!

We had to have the some repairs done to the house. Those of you that own a home know what it takes to get estimates scheduled. Meet with the contractor & make the decision. The type of repair we had to have done of course leads to other repairs that need to be made, then you must go thought the scheduling of those contractors to get those estimates. Believe me the house is secured for the winter with more repairs & work to be done early next year. Oh & don't forget Bryan had the LAFS School Skit in October he was scheduled to do.

We have always felt very blessed with a wonderful daughter & son. When Bryan or I could not make a scheduled meeting she/they was here to help out. Thank you Jenn, Cary, Brylee & Chester for being so flexible with your schedules to help us.

We also had to make a prioritize the repair list. One because of trying to schedule time around the important work that had to be done & holidays coming up. Two MONEY!!!! With the type of repairs a lot of inside work now needs to be done. Well while you are doing those you might as well do this, we want to change that. As you can see a domino effect starts in.

Well I'm not going to go through all the details of the repairs but touch on some FUNNY comments/sights that happened while the repairs were going on.

Last year we went from Halloween/Game Night to Thanksgiving /Baby Shower in 15 hours. Well this year we went from Game Night to getting ready for a leak. Everything in the Dining room had to be moved out.
The living room had furniture & other boxes similar to this 28 years ago on Halloween. We had just moved in a few days before.

This is what happens when you do not move vacuum under the China Cabinet for 20 years......you have a mound of dirt.

Chester trying to dig a hole deep enough to get rid of the mean old cats!!!

Jennifer wanted to put Brylee's hand prints in the fresh concrete. Looks like the cats thought they deserved the honor!

As you can tell we kept our sense of humor while we went through the repairs. So far the west side of the yard took the worst hit. Looks like I will need to get out & do a lot of therapy next Spring!

Home Sweet Home!

The Christmas Dinner

And it came to pass on a Christmas evening,
When all the doors were shuttered tight,
Outside standing, a lonely boy-child,
Cold and shivering in the night.

On the street every window
Save but one was gleaming bright;
And to this window walked the boy-child
Peeking in saw candlelight.

Through other windows he had looked at turkeys,
Ducks, and geese, and cherry pies;
But through this window saw a gray-haired lady
Table bare and tears in her eyes.

Into his coat reached the boy-child
Knowing well there was little there
He took from his pocket his own Christmas dinner
A bit of cheese and some bread to share.

His outstretched hands held the food and they trembled
As the door it opened wide
Said he "Would you share with me Christmas dinner?"
Said she gently, "Come inside."

The gray-haired lady brought forth to the table
Glasses two, last drops of wine.
Said she "Here's a toast to everyone's Christmas,
And especially yours and mine!"

And it came to pass on that Christmas evening
When all the doors were shuttered tight
That in that town the happiest Christmas
Was shared by candlelight.

Performed by Peter Paul & Mary

Happy 35 Years

Bryan I wanted to let you know just how wonderful you have been over the last 35 years!

Thank you for making me laugh. Wiping away the tears when I'm sad. Holding me when something upsets me. My strength when I just can't go any more. Your support when I make decisions. For being there when I have been sick and/or surgeries I have had to go through. The adventurers we have had. You pushing me when it need a nudge. Making me laugh! Yes, I said it twice because you know I do believe that might be our little secret to our long marriage.

Thank you for being the Ashes to my Petunia. Santa Claus to my Mrs. Claus. Poppy to my T-ma. Dad to my mom. Thank you for being my husband!

Thank you for not only keeping me safe, warm & protecting me but for the love you have given & shown all these years.

Not long ago you brought up that even though The Jarvis FunHouse has been dubbed as our home in the last 5-6 years, you stated that it was est. on November 26, 1975. You are so right! When I hear the Jarvis FunHouse I think of all the laughter & love that it has meant to me & of course the first thing that comes to mind is YOU! What a perfect name for our home.

So I wanted to let you know how much I love you! I'm looking forward to the next 35 years of adventures with you.

Love you!

Tressia

M & M Cookies

This is the time a year that traditions & memories seem to fill the air. The time that we all gather together with all our family & friends. As with many of you we have do have a couple of traditions. M & M & No Bake Cookies.Yes we have had Rice Krispies bars, haystacks, cakes but nothing seems to be more of a tradition at Thanksgiving as M&M & No Bake Cookies. Well with the lifestyle change & thinking maybe others are getting tired of the M&M & No Bake Cookies I have entertained the thought of not doing them any more. To me this would be hard to do. Then I start thinking of all the memories that have come because of 2 little letters. M&M
When I was 8 years old my mom presented me with a recipe book. One of the first recipes I baked was one called Colored Cookies. The few times I was able to make them I liked it. Why? Was it because it was the first cookie I ever baked? My daddy smiling when he had his first bite?
Bryan & I were married on November 26, 1975. During the first couple of weeks of our marriage I was telling him about these cookies I made as a chIld. He in turn was telling me about a cookies his mom made that he called Dog Food Cookies (No Bake Cookies) we decided to bake some Colored cookies since I had my little recipe book. What fun we had making them & eating them.
I usually try to stay home the day before Thanksgiving to get everything ready for the wonderful day. One year I went into Jennifer's room to ask her what time she needed to be at work, & she told me, I took the day off so we could do our traditional baking together. REALLY?!?! I always enjoyed our time baking. Munching on the M&Ms while putting a few more on the cookies. Talking. Eating the right out of the oven cookie. I was not sure she enjoyed it as much as I did. Well I received my answer that day.
I have a niece that loves my cookies. One year she was not able to come to Thanksgiving or was it Christmas? Anyway, I wanted to let her know how much I loved her so with the help of her sister & mom I sent her a tin of cookies. I loved doing it because even though she was miles away we were still sharing the holidays. I try to be sure she leaves after Thanksgiving that she has a bag of cookies to go.
There was a time that Bryan & his partner in crime, I mean friend/co-worker worked from the house. I loved baking the cookies & taking them a sample cookie from each batch as they came out of the oven. I think they enjoyed it. I know I loved the critics comment, Mmmmmm
Amy & her family stopping in for a moment to drop off Boy Scout Fund raisers to go on to Mike's family thanksgiving then come back & have left over Thanksgiving. When they came in they always asked where the M&M & No Bake cookies were. Hey it was a long trip & they needed something to keep them going.
Jennifer went to London 4 years ago. This was one year I had to work the day before Thanksgiving. What a night. I needed to talk with Jenn about some pretty important things, but had no way of getting her. She finally called me to see how the baking was going & say she that even though she was glad to be in London she missed baking cookies with me. We were able to get everything handled & worked out. Thankfully I had the cookies keeping me busy. Yes, I saved her some cookies so when she got back. :)
3 years ago while Jenn & I was baking, Cary called. Jenn said she would need to leave for a few minutes if that was OK. Of course I understood, I knew what the errand was before she told me...they went to get their marriage license.
Well this year we had a great time with the cookies. Jennifer on one side of the counter & me on the other. Cary running after Brylee & handling supper for us. Bryan making it in from his business trip just in time to eat with us & sample the cookies. This year was special not because we had all of us gathered but it helped me to make a decision. Brylee did get to sample the cookies. She loved eating them with her Poppy/B-pa. When I finally was able to get my hands on her for a minute, she started signing & looking in the direction of the cookies. She was signing eat & more. I went over & broke off a piece of cookie & gave it to her & handed the rest to her Poppy/B-pa. Yep that is what she wanted.
Remember me mentioning at the beginning of entertaining the idea of retiring the cookies? Well the decision has been made..........M&M cookies stay! As long as God will allow me to bake cookies for the moments like this I will.
I know what the M's stand for on the candies. Do you??? Moments & Memories
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY BRYLEE

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Girl!
There is so much to tell you about your first year. The list would go on & on & on.

From the first time we saw you in the nurse's arms going down the hall & getting to ride with you in the elevator to the nursery to have you checked out. Now you are a beautiful little toddler. The smiles & expressions you have. The curiosity you show. And so, so much more.

We feel so blessed to have you as a BIG part of our lives. You have turned our world upside down. We can not wait to see what the next year will bring.

We love you sweet girl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

TMA & BPA/Poppy

How did you Spend your Extra Hour?

How did you spend your extra hour?

Well, I was awakened by another Hot Flash! I looked at the clock & it was about 3:40. Of course then my brain started waking up wondering if it was 3:40 AM Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time. You see we have a new clock & it is suppose to change the time automatically! SWEET! Well until I was sure of what time it was I had to get up and check the time. Well now my body is completely awake & I had to get started. (I would have tossed & turned & then Bryan would not have gotten any rest.)

This is what I did with my extra hour(s):

Got on Facebook & remained everyone to change the batteries in their smoke/Co2 alarms if they have not done it this year. Be sure to test once a month.
Ran 6-7 errands.
Did one Geo Caching. This one was FUN!
Put out Thanksgiving Decorations.
Found a Brylee Bottle from last weekend so that took some cleaning.
Since Brylee had a cold I took & cleaned everything in her bed & wiped it down really good. (Yes, she is sharing her cold with me.)
Re-arranged the front porch decorations.
Had to water all the outdoor pots by carrying out water from the inside of the house to the yard. I could not get to the outside faucet due to repairs being done on the house. (That blog to come soon)
Watered the indoor plants.
Spot cleaned the couch & the carpets.
Wrapped a few Christmas Gifts.
Picked up the yard a little from all the work being done on the house, so it could be mowed.
Took a nap. (remember I had been going since 3:40AM)

Now don't get me wrong I also had to do my normal weekend chores. You know the ones; washing, ironing, sweeping, vacuuming, cat litter boxes, etc. Read the newspaper. Made a couple of phone calls.

So as you can see my brain wondering what time was it, gave me more than 1 hour, it gave me what? 3-4 extra hours to do things around the house. Believe me this is not all I did but I did not want to bore you too much!!!

So how did you spend your extra hour???