A little bit of this, a little bit of that....

Holiday weekends for us are usually spent chilling out...eating out...going to a movie...or traveling. Ya know...stuff where we usually get OUT of the house. But I wanted to make the most of having my husband off today...take advantage of having some muscle around ;). So...we tackled the back door.

This gross monstrosity is what we have been living with for the past 2 1/2 years. Back story: when we bought the house, it had a deck. But it wasn't sturdy and water collected inside the backdoor when it rained, so James and his dad took it out. Then after we took it out, it rained and rained and rained...and James had to go out in the pouring rain and pack brick with mud to keep the rain from flooding our 'mudroom'. And then we just never got around to fixing it. Who knows why not, it's not like I haven't had 100 other things to do with this house!

But today we did it! I dug everything out...yucky dirt and blocks.

Then James helped me place our new planter bricks (it was the only thing I could think of that would work) and filled in the holes with some cement caulk. It's not absolutely perfect...but I think its 100% better than what it looked like before!
My goal is to build a planter across the whole back of the house. It will help with more regulated watering, since you have to water your house here in Texas (fun, fun). But we're taking it one step at a time!

Since the weather has turned the dial to HOT....our pool has been getting some use. But it hasn't been all fun and games....I can't even count the times I've been asked "can we swim, mommy??" this week. Why is this?

Because the pool looked like something from a scary movie at the beginning of this week! We had an algae problem, to say the least. We did everything we could, but nothing would get rid of it. So finally, our pool service peeps came out and put this stuff in that clumped everything  up and made it sink to the bottom...then they were able to vacuum it all up. Yummy.

Within a day, it was back to being clear, thank goodness!

We had a little Memorial Day get together with friends and celebrated the start of summer in the pool!
Jax got his first taste of swimming...and he was NOT happy! Poor baby. After the initial shock of coldness, he settled in...but man, he was UPSET for a bit there.

Even Aube wanted to help! Jax kept sticking his head into this back little hole....making him look even more uncomfortable! lol.

All we really needed to round out the day, was a good ole fashioned small town parade! Doesn't that sound like fun? I'm going to have to find us a parade one of these days!!
But we did have yummy potato salad, healthy brownies (yes thats right!), good conversation and happy kiddos. Beautiful day!

But now the weekends over. Dangit. But tomorrow is our 9 year anniversary...and we are celebrating at Texas de Brazil...holy canoli, I'm excited.

Luck 'O the Irish

St Patty's Day is one of those holidays that gets overlooked a bit in our house...but last year I was inspired by my friend Katie and her fun traditions! I didn't quite pull it together this year...I'm hoping next year we'll have green eggs or green pancakes or even green milk for breakfast! I did, however...TRY to make the girls matching shirts. I ended up only completing one, unfortunately, they just didnt come together as fast I wanted...but I think it turned out cute. Aube was absolutely against wearing the shirt this morning...but after getting a couple of compliments she now proudly proclaims it's her "favorite shirt". Ü Silly.
I wanted it to say "Lucky Charm" because the girls constantly ask me to buy them "Chucky Arms" and I think that's just hilarious. Buuuut....whodathunk it was a bit time consuming to cut out each individual letter, eek!

I did attempt to make rainbow cupcakes this afternoon for the girls. They turned out pretty cool...but I think I got carpal tunnel putting each color into the cupcake paper!! Totally worth it ;).
And yes...I took a big ole bite out of this for the picture....and a few others. I had to find the one that looked the prettiest!!!

Happy St Patty's Day!!! I hope it's lucky for you all!!

A {Haunted} Valentine's Dinner

For Valentines Day this year, and since we would have family in town, I wanted to do something a bit different. Well, maybe different isn't the right word, just not Chili's Ü (which is our go-to place when we get together...not that I don't loooove me some Chili's...). Well, I looked around, and if we all could have afforded it, we would have ended up at Texas de Brazil (yum). But I knew we couldn't afford $40 a plate, so I remembered a place that I have been wanting to go to ever since I saw it on the Travel Channel. It's called The Catfish Plantation and it's HAUNTED. haha. Yup, we must be a morbid couple..since last year we went and saw My Bloody Valentine for our Vday treat....and now we drove everyone 40 minutes down to a haunted restaurant.

It's this quaint little house...located on a back road of a neighborhood that is eery itself. The house are all these old, beautiful Victorians....such a site. This house actually reminded me of our last house in Sikeston (built in 1905)...with high ceilings, dark wood and pretty stained glass here and there.

It's all in the gimmick...but they do their best to make you feel like there is a 'presence' there.

This is us waiting for a table....you can't see it but right behind the person taking a picture is this white door that leads into one of the many dining room...and every once in awhile it will just swing back and forth, like someone has come in or gone out. At first it's like 'oh crap' but then you realize that it swings like that every time another door is opened or someone walks into the waiting area. lol. Phew Ü.

As it turned out...this place had THE BEST CATFISH I have ever tasted. And I'm not a fish fan....I mostly think catfish tastes like dirt....but their recipe was just divine! There was a couple we met in the waiting area that said they drive for an hour just to eat the catfish at this place....and that the fact that it's haunted makes it just that much more fun. I couldn't agree more!

I would highly suggest this place if you are in the mood for a eclectic atmostphere and some yummy catfish at a great price (Uncle Josh got an unlimited catfish plate for $17ish). Maybe you'll get lucky and the male ghost that resides at the house will flirt with you by brushing your hair back or touching your knee Ü.

Happy 4th of July!

From our family to yours...I hope you enjoy your holiday, with gratitude in your hearts and peace in your minds Ü.

Our Valentines Day

Note to self: Make reservations on Valentines Day.

Yes, that's right, we didn't make reservations for Valentines Day...I don't know why not. I don't think I was waiting for James to do it, and I don't think he was waiting for me. I think it was just one of those things that just never gets done! lol. On Friday, James found out no one had any reservations available...but that Razoo's and The Cheesecake Factory didn't take them, just first come-first serve. So we thought, eh...we'll go up to Cheesecake (at the mall) early, put our names in and then go get our tickets, check out some mattress stores, go buy me a dress (my present)...la di da, we'd be set. Holy crap, it was SO BUSY.
Well....it turned out to be a 2 - 2 1/2 hour wait...we put our names in and the hostess told us to come back in an hour to get a buzzer-thingy. So...with only an hour, we went over to get our movie tickets, and happened to walk past a mattress store...so we took a big chunk of time and tried out some Sleep Number beds....James is a 55, I am a 45 ;).
So, dinner turned out to take about 3 1/2 hours...but did I mind? Nope. I was with my sweetie. I think my upcoming trip to see family, the idea of not seeing him for 3 weeks....it was nice to just hang out with him, hold his hand and just be.
After dinner, we went and saw "My Bloody Valentine" which, thought it was a slasher-horror film, we laughed thru the whole thing. It wasn't cheesy...it was just FUNNY. The fact that it was in 3D was even more funny...with the ax getting thrown at your head...and sitting next to this dude saying to the screen "Girrrrrl, you better not look in that closet". It was just FUNNY. lol.
Anyways, I couldn't have asked for a better Valentines Day.

And there were an abnormal amount of blackbirds hanging around that part of Arlington. They were everywhere. Very Alfred Hitchcock.

Get your {LOVE} on.

Eu te Amo, James.

Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

He sure did!! 6 more weeks of winter...yikes.

"According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.
Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn't seen it 15 times, and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club."

That's one old Groundhog Ü.

Thought for Today: "Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it inflames the great." — Bussy-Rabutin, French soldier and writer (1618-1693).

Ice, Ice Baby

Brrrrrr.....
Whodathunk we would get ICE?! But it's kinda nice. I was complaining to James on Saturday that the weather is just ick, too warm in JANUARY. But a cold front came in, like it always does....and woohoo! Brrrrr.....The holidays are "officially" over here at the Kirchmann residence...the first full week of the new year has started. My Christmas tree is STILL up....yup thats right...I took the last few ornaments off this morning and I should really go back in there and take the lights off....but I think we are drawing this out just as much as we can! (Hey we paid too much money for that dang tree...and you can still catch a wiff of the real-tree smell, it's staying up as long as possible.) The sight of piled up trees in the Home Depot parking lot is such a sad one.

Ingredients for making a gingerbread house

1.....excitement and patience (I love how Bella always sits on her feet)

2........lots of squishing and squeezing done by man-hands

3.........giggles and smiles

4......four sides and two roof pieces of gingerbread (direct from Walmart, of course)

5..............lots and lots of candy to choose from6..............a couple sneaks of something sweet

7...........a little of this, a little of that....some extra icing here, some extra candy there

And viola our very own ghetto-fied Candyland house (as Bella so lovingly refers to it as...not the ghetto part...the "lets go play Candyland house" part)!

And don't forget a little tagging to mark territory Ü...........

I see a new tradition in our future....this is the first year we've done this, other than drooling over Uncle Larry's fabulous creations in years past. Bella had a smashingly good time sneaking candy when she thought we weren't looking....the Screaming Banshee was safely tucked away for the night....of course, she bit the gingerbread guy's head off in the morning to make up for it.

'Tis the Season...

...for baking Banana Nut Bread (and adding chocolate chips to the batter).......to make fudge.....mmmmm....there goes my diet Ü.......to finally get a real tree! We've never had one, and its amazing. The smell...looking closely at the pine needles (yes, I really did)........to top the tree with an Angel! Our fave one.....angel Moroni......to play with the Little People Nativity set (did I say play, I meant fight over baby Jesus).

And lets not forget....'Tis the season to....
....drop snowglobes on the tile (Thankfully not in the store, even though dropping it at home stinks just as bad.)
....watch the Grinch movie with Jim Carrey, only to have Bella go around burping and saying "excuse me" all day.
....scream at mommy while in the dressing room, wanting to go see Santa. Mommy trying to get the point across that Santa doesn't like screaming, whining little girls....he REALLY doesn't!
....oh the Season!! Ü

It's advent time!

So awhile back, when I was doing research for the advent calendars for the Primary Activity next week, I came across this idea for a pretty spiffy advent calendar of my own! I've been so excited to make it....and finally got it done over the weekend. I can't believe today is December 1st! I have a feeling that December is going to FLY BY and so hopefully doing something everyday like this will help each day to be special!

Started off by choosing papers....this was the HARDEST decision! But after a stop at Hobby Lobby and Joanns, I finally found the perfect kit at Michaels!
Lots of cutting paper! I was able to get the circle tins and a circle paper punch for 1/2 off, yay!

The website mentioned above gives detailed instructions on the sizes of each set of papers! It was actually really simple!!!The finished product!I love this guy!
And last night, I finished up putting candy and the advent activities in each one! (at 2am Ü)
I'm so excited to share this holiday season with my family....singing carols, reading scripture and Christmas stories, making popcorn strings and watching Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer (even though I loath that movie!), going to see Santa and visiting neighborhoods to check out the lights! It's not so easy coming up with 24 things to do that don't cost an arm and a leg (like this place)...and on the 18th (the day after my birthday) I'm so excited to take Bella to see the Nutcracker!

Happy Holidays!

{For those who entered the Ornament swap THANK YOU and I'll be sending out emails tonite!}

Our Thanksgiving day

Today, we spent our "dinner" at Texas de Brazil, a little unconventional but a perfect fit for James and I since for one, we don't like turkey, and for two, we don't like cooking or cleaning Ü. And oh my goodness, did we make the right decision! That was some GOOD food.
The girls enjoyed themselves! I love downtown Ft Worth, lots of green spots for photo ops!They aren't so easy to photograph.....and this is more of a blooper....but I love the way Bella has her hand on Aube's shoulder, she was cracking me up.

Bella wasn't very cooperative....she was quite upset she couldn't get a burger Ü. She did, however love her big blue water cup!
Aube ate almost as much as James and I. I don't blame her though, the meat was seasoned so well, and just melted in your mouth!This was the yummiest of them all....the house special. I don't know the name, of course, but maybe like picante something or other. James' drink of choice....Guarana....a brazillian soda, something he drank alot on his mission.After our wonderful lunch, we went walking around downtown. I wanted to see if we could find the Water Gardens, but they must be closed for the season. Instead, we found a cute little trail that led down to the Trinity River. It was a bit farther away than we expected, so we didnt make it all the way down to the river....but we enjoyed the color of this little path.We tried our hand at a little timer-action. I love the color of fall!!We walked a little more...wanting to go by the big Christmas tree. I was in a picture taking mood, and had to take one of this beauty. It's my favorite building in downtown.The Christmas tree in Sundance Square. I checked out the parade that they are having there, and it looks like fun...something to think about for next year, since I work this year. I love parades! We kept the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on all morning, and the girls loved it.

We all settled in after getting home, taking long naps and chillaxin'. It felt good to walk around after eating, but we were all pretty worn out.

James and I STILL aren't hungry....so full from our power eating ;). We had planned a nice dinner with Cornish Hens and potatoes....but even thinking of food makes me nauseous!

The girls ate a little...then had themselves a nice pretend dinner. Complete with the turkey they didn't get this year!