We had an impromptu meeting with Santa at Decorator’s Warehouse this past weekend. We were out with our friends Amber and Kylon and Santa was in the store….so I plopped Connor up on his lap and he was just fine! I bought a Santa package at the mall already, I wish I would have known about this Santa before I got that! Oh well 😛

I had the day off yesterday for Veteran’s Day. I decided to take advantage of my free time and get the Christmas decorations out! I feel so much better having this out of the way now and I can relax and enjoy it. I know it’s EARLY…don’t judge. I still want to get a few more decorative items to put around the house and I need to get our stockings embroidered, but after that I think I’ll be finished.

 When I took the tree out of the box Connor freaked out a little bit. He didn’t know what to think of the BIG green thing! Ha..ha..so far he has steered clear of the tree!

I still need to put the star on top.
I love these jars with ornaments in them

AND….what would my tree be without Starbucks ornaments???

It was so nice to have the day off yesterday and be a “stay at home mom” for the day! I loved it and it’s so hard for me to leave this little guy every morning. He’s my love.

When Terence got home yesterday we took full advantage of the Veteran’s Day discounts and got a free pizza at BJ’s Restaurant, Terence got a free lunch at Chili’s, and we went to Lowe’s and got 10% discount off an air filter! Woohoo! I’m so thankful for all of our soldiers and all the sacrifices they’ve made for our country. We really are blessed to live in the United States ya’ll! If you want to read about Terence’s Iraq experience HERE you can.

Connor was in such a happy mood last night he was jibber jabbering all night. It was the cutest thing so I snapped some pics of him and his Daddy 🙂

My Mom bought this outfit for Connor last November at the Cracker Barrel. Here he is wearing the dinosaur outfit this year. What a difference a year makes! Cracker Barrel has the cutest baby clothes!

“ROAR!”

Hope you are all having a great Friday friends!

A “Nothing Bundt Cakes” just opened down the street from where I work. The manager brought in a huge platter of samples last week for us to try. They were pumpkin samples….they were delicious….they were spectacular…..and they will NOT be good for my hips! My favorite flavor was the pumpkin and coming in second was the chocolate flavor. The cake is moist and melts in your mouth! Above are the “bundtlettes“, which are about the equivalent to a cupcake. Sooooo good!
Connor is loving blocks right now. We build them up and knock them down at least 20 times a night! He ate ALL of his spinach tonight with no problem! Yeah!!!! This little dude is growing like a weed….and everyone tells you they grow so quickly, but until you have your own right in front of your eyes you never realize how fast it really does pass. I want to cherish every moment and never forget the blessings that are right in front of me. Thank you Lord.

I’m so THANKFUL to have Thursday off this week! Woohoo! Yeah for federal holidays 🙂

Terence and I got an early Christmas present….an XBox Kinect. It’s a LOT of fun and I like it a lot better than the Wii. You don’t have to use a remote to play and you use both your arms and legs in the games. The system scans your body and recognizes when it’s your turn to play. Terence and I were exhausted after we finished playing and yet can’t wait to play again!

(Big boy standing)

Only 8 months and he’s already on the move!

He is into everything I tell ya!

I love this little guy SO much!

“Mom…you are so silly!”

“Don’t embarrass me!”

I recently had the opportunity to listen and review the new Nora Jones CD “…Featuring”

The 18 songs on the album include duets with such legends as Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton, and with 21st Century icons from OutKast to the Foo Fighters.

The tracks on …Featuring span her entire career, from one of her earliest recording sessions (a version of Roxy Music’s “More Than This” with guitarist Charlie Hunter in 2001) to her most recent performance, a song called “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John” that she cut with Belle and Sebastian, which will also appear on their new album. “It’s so exciting and flattering and fun when I get asked to sing with somebody that I admire,” says Jones. “It takes you a little bit out of your comfort zone when you’re doing something with another artist. You don’t know what to expect—it’s kind of like being a little kid and having a play date.” Also included are recordings by some of Jones’s own bands and side projects (The Little Willies and El Madmo), and performances with artists that she’s toured with including M. Ward, Sasha Dobson, and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Songs on …Featuring range from classics recorded by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, and Roy Orbison to new material by such wide-ranging innovators as Ryan Adams and Q-Tip.

I personally really enjoy Nora Jones music and I was excited to get this CD! I love her soulful and sultry voice with jazz influence all throughout the album. I think her music is warm and inviting and my husband I enjoy turning on music and just relaxing in the living room….and this album was perfect to unwind to at the end of the day.

There were MANY great tracks on the CD, but my favorite track was “Baby It’s Cold Outside” featuring Willie Nelson. I love this song, and with Christmas right around the corner I was in the mood to hear it. Nora’s version with Willie Nelson was excellent!

…Featuring Track Listing:

1. Love Me – The Little Willies
2. Virginia Moon – The Foo Fighters featuring Norah Jones
3. Turn Them – Sean Bones featuring Norah Jones
4. Baby It’s Cold Outside – Willie Nelson featuring Norah Jones
5. Bull Rider – Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson
6. Ruler Of My Heart – Dirty Dozen Brass Band featuring Norah Jones
7. The Best Part – El Madmo
8. Take Off Your Cool – OutKast featuring Norah Jones
9. Life Is Better – Q-Tip featuring Norah Jones
10. Soon The New Day – Talib Kweli featuring Norah Jones
11. Little Lou, Prophet Jack, Ugly John – Belle & Sebastian featuring Norah Jones
12. Here We Go Again – Ray Charles featuring Norah Jones
13. Loretta – Norah Jones featuring Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
14. Dear John – Ryan Adams featuring Norah Jones
15. Creepin‘ In – Norah Jones featuring Dolly Parton
16. Court & Spark – Herbie Hancock featuring Norah Jones
17. More Than This – Charlie Hunter featuring Norah Jones
18. Blue Bayou – Norah Jones featuring M. Ward

I think everyone has plans today or is sick so I’m going to cancel the blog meet up this afternoon. I was really looking forward to it, but I don’t want to go if nobody else is 🙁

I guess this isn’t the best time of year to schedule it either! I hope you all have a great weekend!

XOXO Becky