More Pictures, if you dare

As a follow up to the last post, I wanted to share some more pictures from our Thansgiving weekend together. I thought about not bothering you with them, but then I realized they were too cute NOT to share.
I've added a little lite commentary with each picture so you won't be lost  :)

We are starting to get more and more pictures that capture little Emily's sweet Smile. Here she is laughing with Grandma

Noah and I had a blast playing together and our only prop was a sleeping bag. Now that's creativity!

OK how precious is this picture? Makes me want to smother him in kisses

We have big smiles because the Texas v. Texas A&M game had not come on yet...

Noah is SO good about talking with his sister... you can tell he can't wait for her to get old enough to play with him

Emily's cute bib says "I'm Stuffed" Doesn't it kind of look like she's a little bird getting food from her mama?

Our little ballerina in her bumbo seat

Emily and I talking about all the shoe shopping we'll do together when she gets older

She likes that idea very much!

Sister and I making some seriously good and seriously homemade Cinnamon rolls

Noah showing Emily how cool the IPhone is. Poor uncle Casey had his phone hijacked most of the weekend

Now, all the other photos have our whole family in white shirts and jeans. This is not a hilarious coincidence, these are our "pre" photos before going to JC Penny's to get some professional photos done. We haven't had a full family photo taken professionally since about 1994 so it was about time. Amen?

Try to forget this picture as you will be seeing it on our Christmas cards very shortly :)

Grandma and Grandad

Big T!



Mom and I horsing around why the rest of the clan finished getting ready 



The Whites - this is pretty much how the whole morning went. If we got one of the kids to look at the camera, the other sweet child would look away. Pretty comical. And made for some very good memories!

Ha ha! To clarify, this was just for fun and to get Noah to have some fun and not be miserable during pictures. It's still pretty funny though

Welcome Winter!

The tree is up, the wreath is on the door, the winter clothes are hung in the closet and spring clothes are in their appropriate storage bins. Ahhhh yes, Winter and Christmas is here! I found myself a little sad this morning when I realized we only had less than 30 days until it was all over - you would think with all this effort it would at least be a 2-month holiday.

Quick! Let's name all of our favorite things that Christmas time brings. Ok, since this blog is a one-way sort of thing, I'll just name our favorites and assume you agree with all of them :)

Drum Roll Please..... The Zimmerman's list of all things we love about December :

1. First and Foremost: The fact that for a month, we get to center our concentration on the blessing of the birth of Jesus Christ. For the big deal that is made about everyone else's birthday, it seems only appropriate that everyone get in a fuss over the biggest birthday celebration of all!
2. All the giving that takes place between friends and family.
3. The holiday movies and shows that come on during this time. Our Poor DVR is really going to get a work out this month. (guilty confession: I'll even watch movies that I don't even like that much solely because they are a "tradition" or are "nostalgic". I mean have you seen Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer????? It's actually pretty lame but like I said, I will be recording it and watching it regardless)
4. ALL THE FOOD
5. The awesome Christmas music. Both the mainstream on the radio as well as the hymns in church. It's all GOOOOOD
6. The ringing of salvation army bells
7. Twinkling Christmas Lights everywhere
8. All the Special Parties and Festivities that take place. There is like a party every night! ... wait, how am I going to fit in all my movie watching? Yikes!
9. We get to use the fireplace!
10. Planning special surprises for loved ones
11. The high spirits that everyone seems to be in
12. All the extra mail that comes with Christmas cards
13. warm and comfy coats and sweaters
14. little kids in their Christmas outfits - could they be cuter?
15. snuggling with spouses  :)

Before we jump feet first into December, here is a tribute to the last of November:

One of the highlights of our Thanksgiving at Liz's : Sweet Emily Marie. This is her playing with my mom.

The spread. Not bad for us armatures. This is our first year with out my grandmother and Aunt Georgie to lead the charge on cooking. I think we did darn good for our first year - in fact we were sitting down and eating by 12:30. That's what I'm talking about!

Mom and Dad - the main cooks and head turkey carvers

Just had to get a picture of my man doing the dishes. and Look! Thomas is in the back ground helping!

Post-Thanksgiving dinner tradition : Everyone in the living room watching football

Our fireplace all decorated! Nobs wanted in the picture and I couldn't deny him

More mantel. We had to put our tree in this spot this year since we got a bookshelf that is now taking up the corner where we usually put the tree

Entry way hallway. Nativity Scene in the gift box. Get it? Jesus is the best gift of all.  Shucks, I'm smart.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well Hello there! Where in the world have you been?
I'm just kidding - I know I'm the one who has been aloof. I guess I just haven't felt very inspired lately... thus the lack of blogging.  BUT with Thanksgiving being just hours away, the holiday season "feeling" is getting into my bones. And I'm just plum excited about the weeks to come! Tons of festivities planned for the month of December and the fun starts this weekend with the celebration of Thanksgiving.
We are headed to my sister's house in Pflugerville tonight for our first Thanksgiving there. I was thinking about it last night and was considering how exciting this was because it is the start of a "new" family tradition. With the passing of my grandmother in January this will be our first round of holidays with out her. Of course we miss her and of course it will be a little sad. I think that is just a testament to what an amazing woman she was. But there is also something to be said about starting new traditions - And who knows - maybe going to "Aunt Liz's" for the holidays will be something our kids will remember from their childhood...

But Hey - I'm getting ahead of myself.

Here's how our holidays are turning out so far :
Last weekend we went to Winnsboro for our Zimmerman family Thanksgiving. As some married couples have to do, we "split" time with each side of our families during the holidays. I love my in-laws and Casey loves his in-laws, but the 5 hours between my parents front door and Casey's parents front door is just too long. So instead of wrecking ourselves by trying to spend all our time in the car on the actual day of holidays - we usually do one weekend with his folks and one with mine around whichever holiday we happen to be celebrating. This year Thanksgiving Day is with my family and Christmas Day is with his family. We usually try to alternate every year - keeps things spicy
OK, that was probably more information than you ever wanted to know - don't worry - there will not be a quiz later.
Back to the story - so we went to Winnsboro last weekend and it was AMAZING. Our 4 Nieces are growing like weeds. (really cute weeds) and we really enjoyed stuffing our faces together, plus all the giggling and gossiping we did. The food spread was delicious and the scale in our bathroom can attest to that!
Side Note : Who would like to join me in a "Swear off the Scale" campaign from now until say... Mid March? If you agree that weight scales are completely inappropriate during this festive season, join me in this revolution to just swear them off all together. Think about it - it would take all the depressing parts out of the holiday. I think I may be on to something...

AND WE ARE BACK - Gosh I've been away from writing so long that I can't seem to stay focused. I tell you what - I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy our pictures from last weekend with my FANTASTIC In-laws. (No, I'm not joking - I really hit the jackpot with them)



The Fabulous Spread Prepared By Jeff and Susie. MMMMM



Casey and Paige. So sweet

The Girls Starting to Dig In

The Next day at Grandma's - Kennedy Kate was playing the piano for us

The 3 older girls and I. Left to Right: Callie, Carley, and Paige

The boys doing what the boys do. Sitting in the living room watching football while the girls chat in the kitchen.

Sweet, Sweet Paige. We were watching a cute Hallmark movie together

OK, I really like this one b/c it's Kennedy Kate with her favorite dish - The Sweet Potato Casserole. I can't figure out how to turn it so I just need you to turn your head. Thanks for your cooperation!

We hope that all of our friends and family have a great day with family tomorow and that you be mindful all day of all the wonderful, many blessings that God has given you this year.

XOXO,

Casey and Kristi

Music can be crazy sometimes

I love the Christian radio station that I listen to. It's a station based out of the Houston area and they play some really good Christian music. Like, really good. I used to not like Christian "pop" music when it was first becoming popular with artists like DC Talk and the likes. Maybe it was my age or just music preference at the time, but I always thought that Christian music outside of the hymns at church were just pretty cheesy.
Then I found KSBJ (my radio station) and since then have found another good station on XM radio that I like to jam to. Sometimes I can be having a perfectly good morning and find myself screaming lyrics at the top of my lungs before I even get to work. Or I can be focusing on something idiotic and hear a sweet tune that calms my little soul. So today I shouldn't have been surprised when I heard a song that stuck in my gut, but it kind of blind sided me. The words lept out of my speakers and into my heart.
Since this little blogger is not feeling very inspired at the moment to write, I'm just going to post the lyrics and call it a day.

STRONGER
Artist: MANDISA

Heard you were up all night
Thinking about how your world ain't right
And you wonder if things will ever get better
And you're asking why is it always raining on you
When all you want is just a little good news
Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather

Oh, don't hang your head
It's gonna end
God's right there
Even if it's hard to see Him
I promise you that He still cares

When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Try and do the best you can
Hold on and let Him hold your hand
And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus
Oh, lift your head it's gonna end
God's right there
Even when you just can't feel Him
I promise you that He still cares

'Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this

When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
In time it's gonna get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger

Things I learn from my sister

I would like to take a minute to send a quick shout-out to my sister for being such an amazing role model to my brother and I. Disclosure: My sister isn't one for attention so if she knew I was posting this in advance she would probably kill me. BUT when a girl is as praise-worthy as my sister has been - she's got to be honored.
Am I right?
As the older sister of a "big-mouth little sister" like myself and a "keep-to-himself kid" like my brother - its safe to say that she's had a handful to deal with as the eldest sibling.

She's 6 years older than me and 9 years older than my brother and you wouldn't be able to tell the age gap because she does such a good job of keeping us close. (plus she looks wicked young for her age). She has a gift passed down from my grandmother that encourages, and sometimes demands, the closeness of the family bond. She's excellent about remembering what's going on a daily basis in every one's life, is super good about consistently calling, and overall would pick her family over her bestie any day,
What a great example to set.

But  there has been another great example that my sister has set recently: Perseverance of Faith
So you'll fully understand, let me give you some backgound: Liz & Mike had their second child in July and blessed our family with little Emily Marie.


(That is Emily at 3 months-taken just a few days ago)

 And what a whirl wind of cuteness Emily has brought to the Tilton clan in the last 3 months!!! If you've seen my nephew (Noah) you know my sister and Mike have a knack for making cute kids, but that is not their only gift (as if you need another one). Mike and Liz have a gift of faith and it has been on bright-billboard display recently. All because of the help of sweet Emily.Emily was born with some hearing problems, so Liz and Mike have had some extra trials to deal with besides the usual wear & tear that comes with a newborn. Yes, besides the sleepless nights, exploding diapers and excessive crying that comes with a newborn, they have also been dealing with extra doctor appointments, extensive research and the reality that little Emily will have some special needs as she gets older. Hearthbreaking news for any parents, especially parents of newborns. But they have done AWESOME! My heart just beams with pride - and its been inspiring to watch. I just can't believe how lucky I am to have a sister and brother-in-law that are so strong in their faith that they can handle a mountain like the one they've been given to climb. It's been a little over two months since we discovered Emily's hearing loss and she is due to be getting her hearing-aids in just a few weeks and I'm just about to bust with excitement to see how God rewards my sister's family for how faithful they have been! Now do you understand now why I just HAD to brag on my sister?
My sister is a rock and I'm so glad she is my family. Sigh, I love her.


If you want to learn more about Emily and the whole family, you can catch up from my sisters blog:
http://thetexaswhites.blogspot.com/2011/10/3-months.html

Also, I'll be sure to include updates on little Emily as we get them. It's so easy to talk about that little cutie-patutie anyways. :)

Our little pup's woes

Sam had surgery on Tuesday and we are happy to report he is making a full and healthy recovery!!
Oh, let me back up. First of all, allow me to introduce Sam: Sam is Casey's dog from college and a ferociously cute pug I have adopted as my own little step son. He has more personality than any animal I've ever met and is a gentle soul that is as laid back as his daddy's. Since we don't have kids yet, Casey and I refer to our dogs as our babies. We talk for them, (in really silly voices), let them sleep in bed with us, take them everywhere we can and overall just treat them as humans. Yeah, we are super attached parents. That being said, you can imagine our fear when we discovered something un-normal on Sam last Tuesday night. Had he not been napping in the right angle of light that evening, we might not have ever noticed the weird looking mole-thingy on his right hip. Thanks to the candle we had burning in the bedroom, it cast just enough light on our bed for us to discover this new growth. (it also made the room smell fantastic if I do say so myself)

Anyways, back to the story. Here is the short version that hits all the facts you'll care about: So we found a growth on Sam, took immediate action and got him to the vet the very next day. (yes, yes, we know we are excellent parents - I'll pretend I can hear your applause from here) The Vet thought it was nothing until she did a biopsy and discovered it was a "mass cell" and from what I gather a "mass cell" is like cancer for dogs. $548 later we have a cancer free pup. Worth every penny if it means he gets to hang out with us for several more years. Since Casey got Sam at the pound, we're not certain on his age but believe its close to 8 years. If my calculations are correct that means that in "dog years" Sam is currently 56 and that is just not good enough. We are bound and determined to keep him until he's 80 - I mean he can't even collect social security at this point!  :)

So yeah, that was our drama last week : Sam made it through surgery fine, we have solidified ourselves in awesome parent categories and we are happy to have the whole ordeal behind us.

Here are the New things I learned through Sam's little "ordeal"
- Sam HATES the vet. I've always thought he had a bit of an "attitude" or "spunky personality" but you have never seen a pug be such a punk until you take our little Sam to the vet. He is snooty to the sweet ladies, hides under your chair, pulls on the leash like he has never done before and whimpers at an excruciating high pitch.
- My husband HATES taking Sam to the vet. He called me after dropping Sam off at the vet for the Pre-Op on Friday and then for the actual surgery on Tuesday - both times he had such a sad voice. I know he felt just terrible for leaving Sam at the vet all alone- now that's a good daddy!

Now on to the cute pictures of the little patient himself:

Our little cancer survivor

What a noble pup

Sort of getting tired of mom taking pictures

Ok now thoroughly annoyed

This is Sam's "Crown of Shame". He has to wear if for the next 10 days to make sure he doesn't eat at his stitches when we are not around

Tee Hee. Its a little funny, you have to admit. And his little mad face is priceless!

XOXO

Fall Update

As I write to you now, I'm hanging out on the bed with my husband watching the Texas Rangers play their first game of the series in the World Series. Why not the couch? Wellllllll, I'm embarrassed to say that we have so much scheduled to record that our DVR in the living room won't let us change channels so we had to retreat to the bedroom. Sheesh.

So here I am, a little later than usual, catching you up on what's been going on in the Zimmerman household lately.

Let's start with the weekend - shall we?
First and Foremost the Aggies WON against Baylor. Should have been a no-brainer win, but when you are an Aggie fan you know nothing is set in stone. Casey always said you should never bet "for" or "against" the Ags because they will always screw you. He is so wise beyond his years.
Our friend Whitley drove in from Waco and spent the weekend with us. This made the weekend extra special since he is a Baylor alumni and he and Casey LOVE to talk smack to each other. To say the least there was a lot of "Whoop" and "Sick Em Bears" being yelled throughout my otherwise peaceful household this weekend. So, Whitley came in Friday night and we headed to our usual eating spot (Chili's) to visit with the boys close friend - Clacy. These names are just killer aren't they??
My friend Crystal joined us and I'm so glad she did because about and hour and half into dinner Casey and Whitley started considering extending our dinner past "dinner time". I'll be honest - I don't really dig staying up late, but ESPECIALLY when we've got an early football game the next morning and we have to get to campus by 9am. I mean this is serious business people!
I'll spare you the details, but will tell you that Casey and Whitley pretended they were still 21 and stayed out until 2:30am. THANK YOU CRYSTAL for being so willing to drive me home after dinner so I didn't have to endure this game of "chicken" the boys played with one another. I think they were just trying to prove to each other they weren't getting old and I ended up with some pretty pitiful boys at my house on Saturday morning. We didn't even make it to tailgating, but did have a Delicious spread of food at the house.

We then headed over to some friends house to watch some other college football games and of course the good ol Rangers game. Got to see lots of people we enjoy hanging out and some very cute babies. Yes, three of the couples that were there on Saturday had little boys all under the age of 9 months. SO cute! Made me have baby fever all over again :)

I can tell your getting bored so I'll wrap it up quickly.
Sunday was lazy - like REALLY lazy. I didn't put make-up on until 5 pm and that was just because I was going to a birthday party and I didn't want to scare any of the other girls. Monday was a typical Monday - didn't want to be at work, etc. Tuesday was bible study night and Casey played a pretty intense x-box game (sarcasm) and then here we are - on the bed cheering on the strangers. Casey had the brilliant idea to open the windows and so it almost feels like we are AT the game with the nice fall air blowing on us.

Yep, the Fall is turning out to be a good one. Can't wait to see what else it holds!

Kristi & Casey

The Gang Reunited! Whitley, Clacy and Casey - 3 of the funniest men I know

Casey holding one of the precious boys at the backyard party on Saturday

Thought this was hillarious with baby Jackson laughing in the background

Told you there was a ton of babies on Saturday. Crystal showing off her good babysitting skils

You didn't think I could write a whole post without showing these precious kids did you?? Liz & Mike took Noah and Emily to a local pumpkin patch and got some PRECIOUS photos.