Halloween Party 2009

So as I've stated in the past...I do not like Halloween. I've always been THAT house who's lights are off and doesn't answer the door for trick or treaters. My good friend, Erin, has always laughed at me and said, "just wait, once you have a kid, you can't not decorate and dress up." To which I replied, "yeah right." As I ate my words and swallowed my pride, this girl decided to have a halloween party in honor of Colt's first Halloween!! Whats wrong with a little cookout with friends and family? Nada!...I love love love themed parties and who knows...this may have even been the first annual Halloween party at my house. I think I have made Erin proud!

As a little girl, for every Halloween, I was a cheerleader. I always wanted to be a cheerleader growing up and ended up actually living my dream for 8 years. That includes the two years in college. I'm a hasbeen and wish I still was one, so it just seemed fitting for me to dress up in my old HS cheer uniform for the big night. With hubby in his HS jersey, Colt being our football, Gertie the "blind" referee complete with sunglasses, big blanketed belly and walking stick and Poppy being the coach...we made the cutest team!!!

Everybody was such great sports to dress up in costume. They were all trying to win the prize for "Favorite Costume!"

We had 4 cats
Cousin Kali and Ayden ...my beautiful mom and sister

Two Witches

Aunt Kim and Grandmother

Nick was a boyscoutDad was a cowboy

Even Lady Gaga, another cowboy and Madonna joined us! There was also a Dr in the house, pumpkin and a skunk!

My homemade ghost and pumpkin tree made a great center piece and back drop for pictures!

The potion bar

YUMMY desserts!! (coconut cream pie, lemon chess pie, my mom's famous "punkin" cake, and my homemade eyeball red velvet cupcakes!)

Set up on the bar...

Can you guess how many eye balls? (Nick, the boyscout guessed within 4 eyeballs!! good job Nick)Would you believe me if I told you this took me an hour to make? 125 tootsie pops...the winner drawn for this door prize was my grandmother the witch. She couldn't have been more excited. She might love sweets more than I do. Tammy(my MIL) won best costume...she really was the favorite of the night in her "blind referee" costume complete with yellow flag to throw down when there was a "penalty!" The UT game was on... so you can guess where all the men ended upThe party was a success!! I now have my house back in order and I'm ready for a nap!!
It is November 1st!!!!!! Its officially my FAVORITE time of year for two whole months! Yippee skips!!

Happy Halloweenie!!!!

Eyeball cupcake anyone?!

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

OH EMMMM GEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

That is exactly what I said tonight at Kroger when I came across this...

First, let me give you a play by play:

Blake and Colt went on their usual "man" date consisting of a trip to Bass Pro and who knows what else...ending up at a Kreck family dinner (which I missed). Anywho, I happily did my own thing, cleaned the house getting ready for our Halloween party Saturday, got my nails done, made a trip to TJ Maxx and Kirklands, got all the essentials for the party at Walmart and then headed over to Kroger to get what Walmart didn't have and browse through their great wine section to buy the necessities for the party! I was just pushing my cart minding my own busines when BAM!!! There it was...I saw this...

KELSEY, over at the Seattle Smiths and my bestie of all besties, had previously introduced me to another blog who had posted about the famous and brand new way to buy wine in bulk. red truck makes a barrel with FOUR bottles in it that lasts for 40 days!!! Even better, you never have to waste a bottle, it just comes right out of the spout. GENIOUS! I looked it up online and this puppy would have cost me over $60 to ship to Tx. GEEZ! So I just gave up on it. So you can imagine my excitement when I randomly came across it in my own Kroger!! I seriously gasped, probably said "OH EM GEE" outloud and heaved towards it as if everyone in the store were going to get one before I did...and I was the only one in the aisle!!!!!!!! What a cute little addition to my party and instead of $40 for wine, it only cost me $25.99!! Can I get a Yippee Skips?!!!

So, I just had to get it home and try it out...fingers crossed that it was as good as it was cute! Low and behold...it is. So as I'm typing, I'm enjoying a teeny glass and in honor of KELSEY for even introducing me to this and she was on my brain, I remembered that she loves to make some garlic toast...Right KELS?! :) So thats what I did...and here's my dinner cut in half just like she does it. *UPDATE(She thinks it looks weird?!! Its cut in half KELS...whats wrong with it?)Speaking of the bestie...Did yall know she's coming to the big D next week??????!!!! Holy Moly I'm soooo excited!!!! With all the celebrating I did, I even drug out some OLD pics!!!! I told yall we were FIRST friends...

Why did you always cry when somebody took a picture?!! HAHAHA(Were we one year here Mom and Mrs. Gari?) and for the record...if your baby's diaper is hanging out of her dress...its too short or it needs to be changed :) HA! THE most presh ballerina BFF's EVERAnd MOM...Kelsey has requested a batch of your famous cookies, but I reassured her THIS was much better... She really would love one of your famous cookie monster imitations! So could you make two? :)

LASTLY, If anyone needs a last minute decoration for their Halloween party, you've come to the right place. All you need is a pumpkin, black construction paper, orange string/yarn, and a branch. Here is one half of my bat tree...I will put it together Saturday

Inspired by this...

fun huh?!

I hope everybody has a safe and Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see everybody's costumes and pictures.

Top Ten Tuesday...

Thank you Michelle for requesting this top ten. It was a great idea and so much fun for me to think of, not to mention keeping me busy while "under the weather." I hope you enjoy it! I'm sure there are a few more that I could list, but these are the main ones I buy/drink.

Abby's top 10 (I only came up with 7) wines in no particular order...

1. Kendall Jackson merlot

2. Blackstone merlot

3. Blackstone cabernet

4. Estancia

5. Red Bicyclette

6. Wolf Blass yellow label merlot

7. Franciscan cabernet

Now go out, grab a bottle or 2 and start tasting! Let me know which of these you liked and if its not mentioned above...What is YOUR favorite?!

Jacci is my hero!

Thank you oh so much to my friend, sweet Jacci, over at Sprinkles of Scarlett! She came to my rescue and made me this great signature that you all get to enjoy at the end of all my posts!
Jacci you are awesome!! Everybody needs to go check out Jacci's "meatless mondays" for some yummy recipes!! Thank you Jacci you are amazing!! Muah!

Since Friday, this has been my life...

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+ Can only mean one thing...

It definitely takes a village! Thank you to the multiple family members who have passed around and loved on Mr. Colt so he doesn't get sick...Thank you to the best MIL ever for the sopapilla cheesecake, snickers and tub of chicken soup. I'm sure it tastes great, but its keeping me full until my taste buds come back to life. Thank you to my mommy who will be coming over this afternoon to make me her homemade cookie monster(similar to cheddars) and her special hot chocolate mix that I think could possibly cure me!

I don't know what in the world I would do without ALL the family who never fail to step up to the plate to make sure everybody and everything is taken care of. Yall are the best of the best!

I think tomorrow I will be up and running (slowly, but surely). I have a halloween party to plan for at my house on Saturday and errands need to be completed in a timely manner! Until then, resting and tv watching :( BORING!!!

All of this bed rest has introduced me to a few new shows...

Bridezillas...seriously?! I am shocked at the crude, rude and embarassing behavior! It can't be real...I just won't believe that someone would actually act that way...I just won't.

My Fair Wedding...This one is great. I love that David comes in three weeks before the wedding and changes everything! The bride doesn't know what he chose for her until the DAY OF.

Cake Boss...I love cake! They make the most extravagant masterpieces....almost like cake sculptures. Super creative. I cringed when they dropped a 5 tear cake that took days to make...down the stairs!!

Stay well everybody! Keep washing those hands!

I'm a big boy now I'm 9...

If I'm not mistaken...was it not just yesterday I posted "I'm a big boy now I'm 8!"
(8 months)

Apparently 4 weeks feels like one day around here...sheesh!

Today, Colt and I went to pick up our Mamaw and headed to the nearest Pumpkin Patch. Sadly, around here the pumpkin patch was in a parking lot and not on a cool country farm, but we took what we could get especially in the dreary cloudy weather.His little red head looks like a pumkin!Here is what our 9 month old precious pumpkin is up to these days...

...size 3 diapers
...size 12 month clothes

...size 4 shoe
...has 5 teeth! 3 top two bottom

...loves to eat bread, cheese and mashed potatos off mommy or daddy's plate

...still sleeping 12-14 hours a night

...still takes 2 naps a day-not so much two 3 hour naps as the past few months, but occasionally we'll sneak in a 3 hour
...has almost out grown the peg pereggo car seat and will be enjoying his new Britax Marathon here in the next month

...crawling crawling

...pulling up to a stand...on everything and hasn't quite figured out how to sit down slowly. Resulting in multiple head bangs and tears.

...immitates "ball" (ba) "duck" (duh)"dad" (da da) "momma" (ma ma) "poppy" (pop pop)

...his favorite toy is his stuffed green frog

...enjoys the singing in church, but after its over the talking begins so off to the nursery we go!

...super happy and animated all the time. I wish I had a penny for every comment about his smile, laugh and personality. I would be the richest stay at home mom ever!
...EVERY time he goes from crawling to a sit up position he claps. See for yourself below...

...He claps ALL the time. I think since we laugh and clap back saying "yay colt" he thinks thats what he's suppose to do all the time.

...He thinks peek-a-boo is the best game ever
...loves looking at himself in the mirror
...looks and pays attention to pictures. He gets excited at pictures of people he knows by kicking his legs and smiling/laughing.

...He makes the most hilarious "ugly" face (as we call it) when he is frustrated. He scrunches his nose and mouth while showing his teeth saying "na, na, na"or grunting.

...loves wearing his hat

...enjoys sitting in someones lap while they read to him. He sits very attentively and quiet touching each page as someone points to a picture.

...still walks in his walker everywhere and anywhere he can get to.
...totally over his jumperoo, but its super easy to contain him in that while I get ready. Until I come up with something else, he gets to play/whine in there...

...Colt is also a great football fan. Claps, talks and yells...perfect atmosphere for him :)

Happy 9 month birthday to our "big bear, little buddy, punkin, bub, bubbers, skunky, bizaboy, ColtT, Colter, biggaboy, monkey...You are our sunshine!

Random happenings...

Last Friday was no different than any other...We all know my child loves his sleep which leaves me scurrying in the mornings if we have to be somewhere on time. Which, of course, was to meet daddy in Dallas to head west. Alot of times when this happens, Colt gets to wear his jammies all day. Hints the pumpkin suit(he slept in it)

Colt loves to cuddle with daddy (Thursday night)Colt riding the four wheeler with Gertie as soon as we arrivedMonday we had another class at the Little Gym...I am now officially proud to say that my child is no longer scared of the balls!!! He actually crawls for them now...go figure!Today, Colt and I drove the best 35 minutes ever to meet our good friend at Benihanas for lunch. Afterwards, we headed straight over to the brand new, huge babies r us across the way.

To my delight, I see this big orange spoon hanging on a display. My first thought was, "dangit! Why didn't I think of this?!!" I was skeptical at first, but just had to find out for myself if it was really as awesome as it seemed. The spoon I found is called the "squirt boon spoon."

Here's how it works...

The easy-to-fill bulb holds up to 3 ounces of baby food and attaches firmly to the spoon end.
Simply squeeze the bulb to dispense just the right amount of food
Squirt comes with a protective cover to seal food in and keep the spoon clean between feedings
Bulb holds 3 oz of baby food
Detachable bulb with large opening for easy cleaning
Convenient and portable, great for on-the-go feeding
One-handed feeding
Dishwasher safe
BPA-free
Phthalate-free
PVC-free

Right when we got home, I just had to tryout our new spoon...

It worked like a charm not taking anymore than 2 minutes to eat 4oz of food! I quickly rinsed the bulb, put 4oz of fruit in it and a few minutes later...BAM lunch was over, no mess all in under 6 minutes!!!! We did the same thing for dinner, veggies, fruit...DONE! no bib, one handed, no waiting for mommy to hurry and scoop some more...WHY didn't I see this months ago?!! AMAZING...I would highly recommend that all of you new mommies go get one. I'm always down for something that makes my life a little easier! They come in pink too :)

As far as Colts new "talents"...He can now pull up on the coffee table all by himself...He'll do anything to get to mr Frog!

I am now catching up on The Biggest Loser(Tracy go home!), 90210, Melrose Place, DWTS and a few Wheel of Fortunes! HA!
Can anybody help me make a signature?!!! I've been wanting one and I have no idea how to do it...help help help! I'd love you forever :)