Do You Take Pictures of Your Dinner Table?

We've done it for as long as I can remember. Whether it's a birthday, a holiday or any other family celebration, if there is a meal involved, we set a lovely (usually themed) table and take a picture of it. We often take a picture of the spread of food and/or our plateful of food, too. It's what we do in my family. If there's a cake involved, we take a picture of that, too.

Some people make fun of us for this, asking, "What are you going to DO with hundreds of pictures of tables and food and cakes??" {"some people" being my brother and my husband}

We're just capturing the moment and trying to remember how much fun we had. This is how we celebrate LIFE! And each other! It doesn't matter about what becomes of all the pictures.

Some recent parties:


November 20th: My mom's birthday brunch.


Our brunch food, prepared by a local chef. It tasted as scrumptious as it looks.


November 29th: My birthday party table with a winter/snowflake theme.


The spread of food.


Christmas Day, Ethan at my mom's table. He loves to check it out, to see what we did. He already appreciates a fancy table. It doesn't hurt that he also matches the tablecloth.


December 28th: The winter/nature-themed table for my grandmother's going-away dinner.


We had the ham my husband's company gives out for Christmas (with a fabulous apple compote) with scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits and iced tea.


I duplicated it a week later for our New Year's Day dinner in our back yard.

When we were house hunting, I saw a picture of this tree in the yard and envisioned eating under it. It's so cool to literally be "living the dream."


It's dreamy, isn't it???


This time the menu was pork tenderloin, a black-eyed peas gumbo kinda thing and corn muffins (with iced tea, of course).

We try to dress up according to the theme when possible, too.


At mom's party, which had a Julia Child/cooking theme. Evidently I forgot I was still wearing my apron.


Me, my mom and my grandmother WITH the table at my birthday party. I asked my guests to dress festively. My mom was Mrs. Claus and I was a snow princess. I'm tellin' ya--we have fun.

Say what you will about "going to all that trouble" or spending the money but I don't care. It's all about celebrating life and enjoying good food with the ones you love and I'd have it no other way.

Now to think about our Valentine's Day table and food...

Less talk, more pictures

We are just loving life these days! Besides being in a new house, the perfect Arizona winter weather, the boys being at wonderful ages to really enjoy the festivities, my nephew being born, my grandmother being in town...we are feeling extraordinarily blessed!!

So rather than yack about it, here are some of my favorite pictures from this holiday season so far.

Andrew telling Santa what he wants for Christmas at my friend Chrissy's annual Santa party.



Our family at the party.



The hubs and me, headed out for his company Christmas dinner. It was a fantastic, and much-needed, night out.



My mom and I fulfilling our new goal: to cook and bake together more often!




The boys decorating their gingerbread train on a rainy day (before it collapsed and we ate it).



The JOY pillow I scored at our church women's ministry Christmas party. Yes, I actually took this right off the host's couch. She insisted. Joy is, after all, my WORD for 2011.



My mom and grandmother toasting with the monogrammed wine glasses I got them. Andrew joined in, too.



We're just loving every moment of this holiday season!

More to come....

1,000 Gifts #151-200 Happy Birthday {to ME!}

I think 33 sounds like a wonderful age to be!

I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am feeling extraordinarily grateful for the year behind me and VERY excited about what my 33rd year holds!

I am, as I always do, throwing myself a birthday party tonight to include lighting wood in my NEW fire pit, enjoying Chinese take-out food, eating pies (yes, plural) from Village Inn (I don't like Thanksgiving pie, so I waited!), playing Yahtzee and just hanging out with a few of my loved ones.

As much as I love celebrating my birthday, I'm super-excited about getting on with the rest of the year!

I've decided that my theme word for 2011 (11 is my favorite number!) is JOY and I asked my guests to bring items for me that will bring me JOY. Tonight begins Advent, too, so I'll be kicking that off at my party with the first installment from the "Jesse Tree Advent Devotional" from Holy Experience

I love this time of year!

November is THE CRAZIEST MONTH of the year for us. Of the 21 people that came to my son's 5th birthday party on Saturday, NINE of us have November birthdays. That's almost half! Wow-za. So, while I've kept up my pen-and-paper list, here's the latest for my cyber version:

151:: my vision for Thanksgiving coming to life {my mother-in-law and her sister just relaxing and being together}

152:: ladies' brunch for nine going perfectly

153:: pink gerber daisies from Drew, just "because"

154:: footie pajamas on my 18-month-old

155:: Grandma time for the boys

156:: crafting with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law in the treehouse room

157:: using Andrew's blue watercolor artwork to make bookmarks

158:: a new pink jacket

159:: staying in one booth at the antique store for half an hour

160:: a doily embroidered with a "D"

161:: milk glasses

162:: cousins having a blast

163:: a messy house

164:: The Dumas siblings, spouses and children all under one roof

165:: celebrating nine years ago, when Drew and I met at Aunt Sharon's and Uncle Charlie's the day before Thanksgiving

166:: goody bags for the ladies, paid for with my writing job

167:: getting all the shopping done beforehand

168:: 62 degrees in the house and wearing my pink fuzzy robe

169:: not throwing up like I did a year ago

170:: praying over my 5-year-old son, thanking God for 5 perfect years and expecting amazing blessing in the next 5

171:: coffee, coffee and more coffee {thank God for our Kuerig!}

172:: marrying into a family with three sisters, and adding another one this year

173:: being appreciated for working hard at making people feel special

174:: accepting that God created me to enjoy making people feel special

175:: thanking God for giving me the resources it took to pull this week off

176:: being a list maker who can get it all done

177:: feeling perfectly well, despite every reason to feel stressed

178:: football, Taco Bell and a nap on Sunday

179:: Andrew's birthday gifts being a big hit

180:: Drew and his brother orchestrating the party treasure hunt

181:: Lego creations

182:: group hugs with Ethan

183:: deep, peaceful sleep

184:: a warm, cozy home

185:: new make-up and feeling pretty

186:: Andrew's arm just being a sprain

187:: two rainbows in one day

188:: NOT spending our refund money on getting Andrew's arm casted

189:: a Gators birthday party

190:: a successful family photo shoot in beautiful weather

191:: three lovely handmade scarves from Mrs. Braddock

192:: the boys bouncing and bouncing

193:: A&W rootbeer floats and Long John Silver fish

194:: surrender

195:: trust

196:: serving a faithful God

197:: not living by a spiritual check-list

198:: freedom from over-analyzing

199:: freedom from fear

200:: free to live in JOY

For more entries, visit Holy Experience

Seeing Red

Red, red, red, red!!!

I added this "RED HOT" flower to my Etsy shop. I think it's perfect for Valentine's Day, although I think red and black are chic year-round.



I love how it dresses up even a simple denim jacket.



I liked it to much that I whipped these beauties up while I watched "The Bachelor" at my sister-in-law's house, while little hands weren't grabbing for my scissors. I tried doing several combinations of silver and red and added in some sparkly tulle, which I looove.



Knowing not everyone is into sparkle and glamor as much as I am, I did some red and white "frayed flowers" as well. I love the stripes and polka dots!



Are you wearing anything fun for Valentine's Day??

Merry Christmas!!!

This is us this year. Drew and me at 32, Andrew at 4 and Ethan at 6 months. This was at Ethan's baby dedication in November.



So Merry Christmas!!

This is just a quick family update so you know our latest and greatest!

Drew is in his second year at Baker Commodities and enjoys his job very much. He only has a 30-minute commute and never brings his work home with him. It's a blessing when you enjoy your work! He still serves as an elder at our church and enjoys his video games, reading, watching football, keeping up with politics and playing with the boys. Drew and I are both planning to start running in 2010 and hope to encourage each other in our efforts!

Us in November.



And Drew and the boys recently.



My year has largely been occupied with Ethan. We call him our redemption baby because he came home from the hospital on May 13, a year to the day that I miscarried in '08. God is good! Ethan Ryan was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 21" long and his birth was remarkably "easy."



He's still measuring very tall but because he's so active, he's never been as chubby as Andrew was. He is an incredibly easy-going and cheerful baby and brings so much joy into our lives.



Ethan adores his big brother! He just cut his first tooth, is crawling and cruising and loves to chew on everything! He's a "morning person," and brings a smile to my face every morning when we wake up next to each other! We just can't imagine our lives without him.

At our visit with Santa at my friend Chrissy's house.



I'm still serving at church on the women's ministry team, the prayer team and the teaching team. I'm taking a break to do some studies of my own and will do my "How to Study the Bible" class again in the fall. I just hit 100 sales in my Etsy shop and hope to get it fully stocked in time for Valentine's Day. Drew's sister, Sarah, moved out after six years into a nearby home of her own and her former room is now my craft room/guest room. I'm looking forward to doing a lot of crafting in 2010!





I love hosting events (like Christmas dinner for the family, pictured below) and have a big Peter Pan-themed Valentine's Day tea party in the works! I want to really embrace my "Domestic Goddess side" in 2010!



Andrew is a typical 4-year-old and still obsessed with all things Thomas the Train. He loves to play in his sand box, trips to "Popcorn Target," doing artwork at his easel, watching videos and crafting with me. He loves hearing and telling stories, singing and dancing and wrestling with Drew. He always makes me smile and he loves making his baby brother laugh.



We enjoyed getting together with Drew's family the week of Thanksgiving and took all the kiddos to the Phoenix Zoo.



Our family also took a trip on the Verde Canyon Railway in November. Andrew even got a birthday cake on the train and the entire train car sang to him! It was marvelous!







Here's the boys at our neighborhod's annual Christmas party. We take this picture in the snow every year!



Here's us at our nephew's Cardinal's birthday party!



Drew and I feel incredibly blessed this year and have so much to be thankful for. Besides our home and our boys, we are blessed with loving families, wonderful friends, a terrific church home and so many other things. To God be the glory!

May you embrace the peace and love that only Jesus can bring during this Christmas season. Wishing you a prosperous and joyful 2010!

Lastly, Drew and I are both on Facebook so that's the best way to keep up with us and to see our latest pictures.

E-mail me if you need our address or phone numbers--please keep in touch!
tabandrew@hotmail.com

Latest & Greatest

Father's Day celebration at a local park. I know the boys had more fun than the dads did but we all had a great time. Here's my brother and his family, plus the three of us on the train.



Me and the boys on Father's Day. Yeah, I know it was Father's Day but I'm not dressed with someone else holding a camera very often!!



Having a friend over to show me how to make "blondies." I learned a few good tricks and they're delicious with pecans!



Making cool Lego creations with Big Brother. He calls this "exercise" and I have no idea why. Although for me, the brain power to do this IS a work out!!



Filling an order for 17 robot-themed birthday party invitations for an old friend. It was nice to "get my crafty on" after a long hiatus.



And basically enjoying every moment of THIS. Can you believe Little Man is 6 weeks old???





It's hard to want to do anything else all day other than try to get THIS response.



Yep, I'm in love!!