Holiday Cheer!

So last night was our local Parents As Teachers holiday festivities. We are a small numbered group, but it was fun! Our PAT lady had several different stations for the kids to do different crafts.

Decovin decorated a cupcake to look like a reindeer and then gave me the "deer in the headlights look!":

He decorated a sugar cookie with lots of sprinkles, he made a wreath (with my help, little more complicated than a 2 year old can manage), he made a santa hat:

and a picture frame and oh yeah...they got to SEE SANTA!!!

And when Santa asked Decovin, "What do you want for Christmas this year?" He responded cooly with "presents"...haha!

Happy Holidays!

Season’s Greetings from The Plummer’s
2008
Wow, where did the year go?! It has been a very crazy and busy year for us! January started out with our oldest turning 2 on January 16th quickly followed by the birth of our latest addition. Camden David Plummer arrived January 31 at 9:51pm weighing in at exactly 8 pounds and 20 inches long! It is weird to talk about him as an infant because next month he will be turning 1!! See!! Where did the year go?!

We sold our house in Warrensburg, MO back in May and moved to Burlington, KS. Bob got out of the NAVY and was hired on at Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant in the Operations Department. He will be in training for the next 5 to 7 yrs to become a fully qualified nuclear operator. Sound like a long time? Well, wouldn’t you want someone who is running a nuclear power plant REALLY trained so they don’t blow up the world?

We bought a house in town in late June and have pretty much settled in. We have already re-roofed our house and plan to re-roof the detached garage in the spring. Also, in the spring, we plan to paint the house a lighter color and put up a fence.

Other than that, we are trying to stay warm in this bitter cold weather we are currently enduring. Next month will be a busy one with the boys turning 3 and 1! They are growing up so fast. Decovin is talking in full sentences and Camden is getting so close to walking! He is cruising on furniture and has recently started to let go and balance without holding onto anything! We plan on enrolling Decovin in preschool in August…this is only if we can get him potty trained in time. This is proving to be much more difficult than we ever anticipated! Wish us luck!

As for me, I am still staying at home with the kiddos and I feel like there is never a dull moment! After Camden was born I was asked to be in a wedding over the summer and had to lose the baby weight in order to fit into the dress. So I joined Weight Watchers and have lost just over 60 pounds over the course of eight months. I feel great and am so glad I did it! I’m the smallest I have been since high school! I’ve been maintaining since Halloween and do not plan to go back where I came from!

With that I will wrap things up and wish you all a wonderful holiday season!

Sincerely, The Plummer’s

(If you wish to see the pictures I originally posted with this letter and did not receive my email with them, let me know and I will send them your way...be sure to leave an email address!!)

Do you think we could have been twins?

Holy surprise Batman!!

I am still in shock at how oblivious I was to anything and everything going on around me on Saturday!!

It started out innocently enough...ok, so you all remember my clothing debacle...that is how this all started. Yeah, well the cute top that I already had...yeah, should have tried that on before I went shopping b/c I tried it on Friday and it was WAY TOO BIG!! Great, so I had to make another emergency trip to go shopping and after about an hour I finally found a cute top at Maurice's in Emporia. Outfit, check!

So Bob tells me we are leaving precisely at noon...no sooner, no later...period. Ok, so we make it out the door 5 minutes til and he is ok with this. We are heading to LaCygne, this much I knew b/c I knew mom and dad were watching the boys for us overnight (I also knew we were staying overnight SOMEWHERE, just didn't know where). So all the while Bob is driving and getting text messages left and right, he says they are from his sister as they are out shopping for his dad for Christmas and don't know what to get him and are asking Bob's advise...in my head, I am thinking BOB HATES TEXT MESSAGES, why is he so nonchalant about replying to them and not complaining that much, but thought oh well, must be important enough to him so whatever. Blonde moment #1, check.

So the story was a few days prior, my Aunt Linda, who works for the LaCygne Library, calls me up and says: "Hey, the library is getting rid of a bunch of National Geographic's and wondered if Bob wanted to go through them and take any." (Bob collects these, so I thought nothing of this either!!) So Bob says, we have time to stop and look before we drop the boys off before we get to our final destination. In my head I am thinking he just has reservations at a really nice restaurant, etc...Blonde moment #2, check.

We get to the library and meet Linda in the back and she lets us in and says that the magazines are in the conference room spread out...I had to hand over Camden at that moment as I needed to use the restroom really bad, too much coffee! Ha! I get out of the restroom and quickly gaze outside and see my brother and his youngest walking toward the building. I'm thinking to myself, why is Jeff here? Maybe he knew that we were coming and wanted to bring the girls down to play with the boys??? But why would he bring them to the library??? Still not picking up on what is going on. Blonde moment #3, check.

FINALLY I realize when the lights were still out in the conference room that something was up...DUH! I walk in and "SURPRISE!!" Man, he really got me.

The most amazing thing was my aunt Mendy & uncle Jim came all the way from Ft. Smith, AR just for the DAY!!! That is like a 6 hour drive one way people! Man, they really love me...tears were a rollin'!

Christy arranged for the room rental and the decorations. Tabitha, my sister-in-law, brought the soda and ice cream. My mother-in-law made the DELICIOUS cake and cupcakes and Linda was in on the trick about the National Geographic's. Clever buggers!

It was awesome and I got some really great gifts and some cash too!

Then after the party was over, we loaded the kids up in my parents car and we headed up to the city for surprise #2, which wasn't REALLY a surprise but more of a treat! He took me to the Plaza to eat at Kona Grill and we had SUSHI!!! IT WAS DEVINE!

Oh and rewind. At the party, Tabitha had asked Bob and I if we wanted to meet them at the bar and grill to watch a friend of theirs in a band that was performing later that night. I didn't know what to say as Bob had told me prior to this entire weekend NOT TO PLAN ANYTHING...so I say, I don't know, it's up to Bob.

So as we are eating dinner, Bob says, let's go and check out this band with Taba & Ryan and just hang out for a bit. Ok. But apparently we had some time to kill before we went there so Bob suggested we run by Walmart for a quick few and then head over there.

So we get there and immediately we see Taba & Ryan and Elizabeth (my other sister-in-law) and Jake (her boyfriend). So we sit down and I think nothing more, just waiting for the band. Then all of a sudden, one of Bob's old co-workers and his wife come in (they live in KC, MO)...so I'm like, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!?! To which Shannon (the guy) replies, oh just here to watch the game (the MU game was on and he is a HUGE fan, so again, I think nothing of it). Cool, so good to see you both!

Then Bob nonchalantly points to a table and says to me: "Isn't that Abbi and Justin over there?" (Friends from college). "HOLY COW!! YES! What a coincidence!!" So I stroll over and give her a hug and start chatting and say: "What are you guys doing here?!" Amazingly Justin's co-worker knew a guy in the band and recommended the place..."WEIRD?!" Blonde moment #4, check.

Still oblivious to what is going on, I turn around to head back to our table and what do you know? My best friend Kim and her husband are there! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!?! Apparently Justin, her husband, knew a guy in the band too! ARE YOU KIDDING?!?! That is so weird, because Ryan & Taba know someone and Justin's coworker knows someone and now you guys know someone...crazy!!! Blonde moment #5, check.

So we are all chatting, I'm completely oblivious and just amazed at the coincidence of the whole thing and then my brother and cousin walk up and that is when I finally was like: "OMG!! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!" Blonde moment #6, check!

It was surprise party #2! Bob got me SOOOOO good, I still can't believe the root of my blondeness! I'm a little embarrassed about it now, but whatever, it totally makes for a good story! He really did a good job of planning these events and I am so amazed at how he was able to time everything JUST right and not leak any pertinent information!!!

Oh and according to Christy they calculated that 44 people were at my first party and I calculated that 19 of us were at the bar. Wow, they like me, they really like me! Haha!

Thanks to all of you who helped with the planning and also to those of you able to help keep it a secret and to my husband too!! He is the best!

Surprise...

So this weekend is my 30th birthday and Bob has something up his sleeve...all I know is we are staying overnight somewhere and mom & dad will have the kiddos. Oh and I had to go and buy dress pants b/c I am not allowed to wear jeans to whereever it is we are going. ??? I found this out yesterday and I was like, HELLOOO...NOTHING in my closet fits me...OY! So I had to rush out today and find something...went to Lawrence and hit Kohl's & Old Navy...Old Navy had the pants that fit and looked the best...I already have a cute top so wa-lah! I guess I will update with details of the mysterious weekend next week! I'm so excited!!

Happy Holidays!!

Our Tree is up! I love it and it is beautiful. Bob did a really good job of modifying it to fit in our house! No topper this year though...just a Red bow is all we can manage...but I actually like it better I think! :-) Oh and Decovin helped me put up his ornaments but after he got his new ornament for the year (Buzz Lightyear that he picked out), all he wanted to do was play with it, it talks and makes noise...so much for getting help finishing up the ornaments...haha! It was fun watching him regardless!

Here he is playing with Buzz UNDER the tree! LOL! I think he thought it was a good hiding spot! Too cute!

Scroll down to my next blog for a recipe I posted also! Yum!

Mmmmmm Tastey....

Here is a recipe that Marianne gave to me long ago...it is easy and DELICIOUS!! We had it last night as a matter of fact:

Chicken in Wine Sauce

3 lbs. chicken pieces, preferably breasts & thighs

Salt & Pepper

2 TBsp butter

1 medium onion, sliced

1 can (4oz) sliced mushrooms (I prefer fresh but either work)

1/2-1 cup dry sherry

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Hot cooked rice

Rinse Chicken parts and pat dry. Season chicken lightly with salt & pepper. In skillet, melt butter and quickly brown chicken parts; remove w/slotted spoon & place in slow cooker. Saute onions & mushrooms in skillet. Add sherry & stir, scraping to remove brown pieces. Pour contents of skillet into crock pot over chicken. Sprinkle with italian seasoning. Cover & Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours...I notice it takes less time than suggested...so just keep an eye on it towards the end.

Serve with hot rice. Chicken just falls off the bone and the breast meat just falls apart...AWESOME!!!

Bob likes it with mashed potatoes...so whatever you like really!

Thanks Marianne!!

Wow, Time flies!!

It's December, ALREADY!!! Holy cow, where did the year go?!?! I know that my kids aid in the speedy year, but MAN!!!

In a little over a month Decovin will be 3 and Camden will be 1!!! WOW! I can't believe it. It is just crazy how they change so rapidly at these ages...Decovin is talking in sentences and Camden is ready to start braving the walking front! Now, if Decovin would just love the potty, I would be in a state of enlightenement! About that...

He still, after a good month of solid, good effort, potty training still has NO desire to want to do this on his own. He still pee's in his pull-ups on a regular basis unless we take him every half hour and he still has yet to poop in the potty. WHAT IN THE WORLD DO WE DO TO MAKE HIM INTERESTED?!?!? I don't get it?! You would think stickers would work, he LOVES stickers...he loves getting them but doesn't care if he doesn't get them though. We take away TV, no big deal, he just plays with his toys...I can't take away his toys...that is just ridiculous! I try to make it fun, I sing a silly potty song and do a silly potty dance, and he laughs but still could care less...I checked out books at the library for him to read with us and he loved the books, but didn't want to be like the characters in the books...Any suggestion...my friends with potty trained boys?!?!

Camden is done with his is second round of antibiotics but I am still not convinced he is better...I am still putting in ear drops regularly as he still tugs away at the ear...thinking about calling doc up again to see what's next. He is still waking up in the middle of the night but not for long, he has been able to fall back asleep without our assistance at least...I really hope he doesn't have to have tubes put in, but several people have said it was no big deal and it made all the difference in the world!! So maybe???

Oh and I survived Black Friday Shopping with my cousin Amanda. We had a blast, woke up at 4am and was out the door by 4:30am! We hit Walmart (where I did the majority of my shopping) and the only scary part of that trip was when I was passing by the electronics and heard someone shouting: "EVERYONE HAS TO MOVE BACK, PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT UP HERE!!" Eeek! Glad I wasn't there for the Garmin!

Then we hit, Old Navy, Kohl's, Best Buy, Hallmark, and Target. It was a fun day! And I am NEARLY done Christmas shopping. Just a few last minute items to pick up and DONE! Oh and did I mention that I am almost done wrapping all of them too?! Including the birthday gifts for all the nieces and my boys?! Muah ha ha! You can all shoot the dagger eyes now, my shield is up! hehehe! Still don't have our tree up yet, Bob has to do some modifications as our old house had vaulted ceilings so we had a 10 foot tree, now we have 8 foot high ceilings...so yeah, he has some tinkering to do to make it fit!

How is everyone else doing?! Keep the post's updated...love reading them!!