Friday, November 28, 2008

Turkey Day Funny....

So...I successfully made a turkey and Thanksgiving Day dinner yesterday AFTER I almost caught the house in fire in the process :-) (Stop laughing). I let the turkey cook in the gas oven for about 3.5 hours, and at that point I grew concerned that it started to look a little dry...so I took some more oil and poured it on the turkey. A few minutes later the kitchen started to fill up with smoke...black smoke. The fire alarm downstairs started to go off...which proceeded to the stairway fire alarm and upstairs to the hallway fire alarm.

I tried to fan it out of the kitchen by opening the windows and back door, and Ron finally had to pull the batteries out of the alarms (don't worry-we have replaced them since). We even had to get out a fan and put it in the kitchen to help! haha-I know. So...once that drama subsided and dinner was just about done I realized I had forgotten to make the stuffing! (I know...total spaz). I told Ron and he said...well we still have time, go ahead and make it real quick. I started looking everywhere for it in the cupboards and said "oh-I guess I forgot to BUY the stuffing". Needless to say...we sat down, said Grace, ate dinner, and had a very nice relaxing time. It was special and wonderful and Brayden kept us laughing through most of it as he kept sneaking his little toes on the edge of the table from underneath his high chair. We took some pics-will post this weekend.

Rons sister called after dinner to wish us a Happy Thanksgiving and this is how the conversation went:

Roxanne: Happy Thanksgiving, how was your meal?

Me: Well, it was good after we got all the smoke out of the house from me putting oil on the turkey last minute like an idiot!

Roxanne: That's funny...we had a nice dinner too, played games with the kids, and are just relaxing now.

Me: I told Ron once the meal was done cooking that I forgot to make the stuffing...then realized I forgot to BUY the stuffing :-)

Roxanne: Well, don't feel bad-I forgot to make the crescent rolls and we did not realize it until we sat down to eat!

Me: Oh &^%$ I forgot to make OUR crescent rolls! :-)

Roxanne: How did Brayden like his dinner?

Me: He loved the sweet potatoes.

Roxanne: Oh &^%$ I forgot to make our sweet potatoes!

I thought it was a funny conversation....like a little comedy skit-guess you had to be there.

So, Hopefully everyone had a great Holiday- we love and miss everyone, and I got through the entire meal without catching the house on fire. :-) Later on lastnight I went over to my brothers house for Pie and to see my family. Brayden was pooped so Daddy stayed home with him, and I got to go over there to relax a bit myself with a great cup of coffee, family and pumpkin pie! It was nice. What a great day!

-The Snow Family

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Old photos we love...

Here is an old slide show I made awhile back of photos we love (they are all completely out of order) and although I would love to put them back in order, I don't have the time, but here they are to enjoy!







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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving 2008!

I thought I should write this post now before the rest of the week leaves my life in hectic disarray with cooking, cleaning, working, you know...all that fun stuff. We hope everyone has a wonderful and beautiful Thanksgiving, and that this year ends for you and your family a prosperous one.
This will be Braydens second Thanksgiving. I am excited because it will be his first where he can actually eat real food, and secondly because I get to cook for the three of us! (for those of you that really know me-you can stop laughing now)! We usually go someplace else for Thanksgiving, but I really wanted to do this myself this year. I really hope it turns out okay, otherwise we will be packing up to go elsewhere. I am really excited because I have mastered cooking a Ham, but the turkey thing, not so much! I did watch a show today that attempted to explain the whole stuffing, pulling back the wings thing with the string to pick it up (???)...and I'll be honest...I panicked a little bit because I just could not keep up with what they were saying. My brain goes into delayed mode when watching cooking channels...I am so type-A I need to ask questions and have them pause...but we all know THAT does not happen with cooking shows. So...wish me luck on this years turkey!
Here is to you and your family this Holiday Season! Hope it is one with Love, Grace, Laughs and Fun for everyone. :-) -The Snow Family

I've been tagged...

Okay Tiff-since you tagged me on the "7 random things about me"....I thought I would comply :-) I now have to tag 7 people? I don't have 7 bloggers to tag...but I am tagging the ones I do....Jennifer, Scott, Katy over at the Baker 5, and Kacey at Chronicles of a Mommy. Here Goes:

1. I am a milk-a-holic. I drink tons and tons of milk. I run a close second to Brayden's milk consumption. Maybe first actually. I literally crave it, in the middle of the night I wake up and usually make a trip downstairs for a quick glass before heading back to bed...it's completely insane and out of hand :-)
2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE garage sales and auctions and side of the road finds. If I find something old and can think of a way to make it new again...I have to buy it, or put it in the back of the Uplander :-) I have actually furnished most of our home from auctions, garage sale, and side of the road items,(yes I know...it's a bad thing, but so much fun...I have no shame when it comes to this). Well...we were also privy to 80% discounts during Ron's Haverty's furniture days...so that helped as well...but now I can't pay full price for anything for the house. You would never know though-that's what makes it so much fun :-)
3. I always listen to Josh Groban when I'm stressed out. He makes my world a happier place! I have every CD he has ever made...I would die to see him in concert live (and/or Rascal Flatts) of course.
4. I ran out of school in second grade and ran all the way home (twice) because my teacher yelled at me and scared me to death! I got teased about it through most of my school years and to this day people I knew back then still remember me crying in class then hauling tush out the door running home as fast I could ;-)
5. Ron and I have made several road trips from Florida to NY over the last 14 years. Almost every time we travel through Beckley WV-we experience car trouble...no joke! Once the key broke off in the ignition and we were stuck there for 24 hours...we blew two tires there in his parents motor home on one trip, and when the AAA tow truck came-he ripped the front bumper off of his parents motor home because he did not bring the right size tow truck! In the Mazda we blew a tire there, and had to wait (yes another) 24 hours there to special order the MX-3 type of tire. In the camaro, we blew two tires (two separate trips), I hit a buck in the middle of the night going through Beckley on another trip and smashed up the GEO pretty badly! Seriously...we are gun shy now to even go through Beckley at all! It's very odd. Don't mention Beckley to us!
6. Our car caught on fire on our honeymoon and was deemed a total loss. I sat on a bench nearby with my glove box in my hand laughing hysterically, then crying hysterically because I was in shock! Something sparked by the battery and poof! While we were in the store shopping I saw smoke and said to Ron "wow something is really on fire out there"...to which he peeked over the shelves we were behind and said "yeah, and it's our car". Okay-laugh all you want...it's actually funny now! I made a two page scrapbook spread page out of it with pictures titled "Goodness, Gracious, great balls of fire" -in our wedding scrapbook ;-)
7. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. I believe God is involved in everything we do everyday and every experience brings with it a lesson we much look inside ourselves to find. I believe in Karma, and that what goes around DOES and WILL come back around. I believe God gives us everything we need to make decisions, and I try very hard to live my life making the decisions he would want me to make. I am no saint, by any means...but I know I am here for a reason, and it's not for myself, or self gain. When I see a street light that goes on/off automatically while I am either driving or walking underneath it-I tell myself that is God's way of telling me I am in the right place at that moment-where I should be. It actually happens quite frequently to me! I know, it's a little crazy sounding, but it always makes me smile...so I'm just going to keep going with it :-)

Friday, November 21, 2008

I promised....

OKAY...I promised I would post pictures of my "creative messy" dining room since my last craft show last weekend. I have another tomorrow morning in Falconer, so that is why my dining room is still in disarray! I promised Ron I would have it packed up and cleaned out by Sunday...it's starting to make him a little insane ;-)

Be prepared...I am so ashamed of it...but there is a method to my madness....I promise ;-)

The table:
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The Hutch:
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A Closer view:
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The End Result: (at craft show #2)
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Silly Faces...

Brayden has been making the most silly faces lately! He is such a little character. He loves it when we giggle at his newest antics, although we try our hardest not to laugh! I could observe him for hours, he is truly so much fun, and is such a joyous soul in our lives. I could have the worst day, and when I get a look like these ones below...it melts my heart! Here he is in his jammies playing with his fire truck (the one he has learned to climb and stand on lately...). His little cheeks are dry from the wonderful winter weather we have been having so I have been dousing him with lotion a million times a day! God love him...
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Letter to Congress Regarding Lupus Research...

Here is the requested info from the LFA:
"Thursday, November 20, 2008 will mark an unfortunate anniversary. On that date, it will be 50 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last approved a drug specifically to treat lupus.
A half century is a long time to be waiting for safer and more effective treatments for a disease that affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans and at least five million people worldwide.
We need to let Members of Congress know that they must provide more funds to conduct the basic research that pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies need to develop new treatments for lupus. At the same time, we want to express our collective gratitude to the hundreds of researchers and industry executives who have been working tirelessly for many years to bring scientific discoveries from the bench to the bedside.
So what does 50 years without a new lupus drug mean to you?
No one is more qualified to speak out about the need for better treatments than individuals with lupus who have no option but to keep using the old drugs that were approved for lupus when Dwight Eisenhower was still president and can have side effects worse than the primary disease.
How can you help? Share your photo & story!


So here is the letter and photo I submitted:
My name is Shannon Strong. I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus at the age of 18. It has been 13 years that I have lived with this disease. After trying many medications that did not work because they were not specifically designed to treat Lupus, or the flare-ups associated with it…I was put on Prednisone because it was the only thing that controlled all of the facets of my daily pain.
Since nothing else seemed to work, I have remained on Prednisone for 6 years. In those 6 years I have developed Ulcerative Colitis, Type II Diabetes, and Osteoporosis. I suffered a broken back 4 years ago and underwent Kyphoplasty surgery to heal the shattered L4 vertebra I received from simply walking my dogs one morning.
50 years without a new drug to specifically treat Lupus means many more visits to Doctors that have their hands tied in prescribing medications to me because there are currently none that can help my situation that will not be the demise of my overall health eventually. 50 years without a new drug for Lupus means that I may not be alive to see my 15 month old son graduate high school, get married, and have babies of his own someday. I look at his beautiful, innocent little face every single day and wonder if I will be with him long enough for him to learn all of the beautiful things about life that I want to teach him. I wonder if he will have enough time with me that in case something does happen in the future-that he will really truly know me, and everything I believe in and support-and will that be enough for him to emulate the kind of life I want him to live, and be the kind of person I pray for him to be? Will it be enough time with me that he will always carry a part of me with him in his heart if he had to live without Mommy? Nobody should have to ask themselves these questions everyday of their life.
I am forever in support, and grateful for all of the current technological advancements and to the researchers and executives who are working diligently to create a medication that is safe and effective in the treatment of Lupus. Their hard work and focus on these new medical studies and treatments for Lupus is astounding, and more appreciated than words can describe. I am by far not the only person that asks themselves these questions daily, and I will certainly not be the last. I ask humbly, please provide increased funds for research to find ways to develop safer and more effective targeted therapies for lupus. Nobody can afford to wait another 50 years.
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You can click the link to the far Right of my page to read more about this letter and specifically about where this letter will go, and who it will help. The link is Lupus Blog-LFA.

The Pictures are done :-)

Here is a preview of the pictures Rob Sigler took of Brayden last week. We will email everyone the password to view the online Gallery with instructions. Aren't these just the most beautiful photos you have ever seen? Beautiful work...awesome work...unreal. We are so tickled. Enjoy!

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

Brayden, Daddy & The Doritos Super Bowl Commerical Contest

My brother Todd, and family entered a Doritos commercial contest at crashthesuperbowl.com You had to create a commercial that could win and play during the super bowl this year featuring Doritos. Todd and the girls came up with this idea and asked if Ron and Brayden could assist him with being the stars of this commercial! Todd and them did all of the filming, editing, directing-they are so talented with making video commercials like this! So all weekend, we have been over there working on this to make it a huge success! I have posted the link below...go take a look...it is truly funny. Make sure your sound is on...and hopefully we will win! You never know! Doritos does the final voting themselves and they ultimately decide who the winner will be. Either way-when Brayden is twenty-this is going to be something we can all continue to giggle at!
To see the commercial on the Super Bowl site....click here.
To see the commercial direct, just click on the screen of the tv here:



Doritos Commercial

Friday, November 14, 2008

Brayden & Click Studios with Rob Sigler

We took Brayden for his pictures today with Rob Sigler-Photographer/Owner of Click Studios in Jamestown. What an absolutely WONDERFUL experience! I'll be honest-I was a little stressed knowing we would have to change his outfit a few times, and wondering how Braydens disposition would hold up-but as soon as we arrived, Rob and his staff were so friendly and welcoming, being the first to say that they wanted this to be a stress free event for Brayden and us! Rob let Brayden go into the studio and familiarize himself with everything and making us feel comfortable with that by saying "he can't break anything-so just let him explore" kind of thing. Brayden was so comfortable he did just that-and started to play with the props, and freely walk around as he pleased. We did not feel stressed, rushed, anything...it was really truly a good experience for all of us. Rob even commented at one point that he wanted Brayden to enjoy himself so future photo experiences would be good one's for him. I thought that was such a nice statement from Rob because as a parent you always hope all first experiences such as this promote positive second experiences in the future, and it was just perfect that he recognized that as a parent himself-and voiced it to us. It speaks volumes about the kind of person and professional he is. His associate Jim was also very wonderful and helpful with Brayden-and Bray acted like he'd known him forever! He held Jim's hand and pulled him down the hallway to explore leaving us in the dust-it was truly adorable! I would HIGHLY recommend everyone go to Click Studios for their photography needs. We will never go anywhere else for photos!

Rob said the pictures should be up on his website for ordering/viewing sometime next week (please write us for the password we would be happy to provide it to you if you are a personal friend or family member). In the meantime...he has posted 4 really great photos of Bray on his website that he took today with a very nice compliment. Click Here to see these photos-what GORGEOUS work this man does.

Rob Sigler Photography Link
Click Photo Studios Link

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Bebe' Del Craft Show Saturday November 15th!

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Okay so- I have a craft show Saturday the 15th at Fluvanna Fire Hall in Jamestown from 10-4! I am obviously encouraging everyone come out and take a look-see! I have been sewing like a total mad woman this week, making baby blocks, tinkle tents, diaper clutches, newborn hats, more burpies, bibs and onesies, lovy taggie blankets-you name it! My poor poor dining room looks like the mad fabric fiary hit it! Seriously! Brayden has even learned to duck underneath the sewing machine cord when passing through on his many laps around the dining room table. I have corrupted my poor child. It's like this unsafe creative obstacle course for him-the worst part is he has adjusted...and before I leave for work each night and at least once an hour, I do a crawl around myself to insure no needles have walked off my table accidentally! I could use the office as my creative space, but that would not work as I cannot subject Brayden to being upstairs with me all day sewing...it's already bad enough at this state! The dining room is really the most fitting place for my insane,un-organized,hodge podge of creativeness, if that is what I should call it. I keep telling myself that I only need the table perhaps for Thanksgiving-so at least I have until then to sew sew sew. If I could create a visual-I now have two sewing machines in there, the ironing board, my patterns, scrap fabric, three sewing boxes full of thread, bobbins, needles, ribbon, piping, buttons-you name it, plastic wrap for the baby blocks, business cards, all of my table set up gear, big bags of poly-fill on the table-all finished/wrapped items displayed nicely on my hutch (looking at everything keeps me motivated to continue the production aspect of this creative endeavor)...Braydens high chair, the keyboard (to keep brayden occupied while he stops during his laps running around the table), and Oh-I cannot forget the baby toys that he scatters here there and everywhere as he beats feet through there! Oh my-its a disaster area-and I am so so ashamed of my creative mess :-)

Well...I hope to see everyone there! (the craft show that is-NOT my dining room!)There are tons of other vendors that are just so nice and talented and have tons of holiday gifts to sell...so come on out! I will post after pics of the show sometime next week..and give a synopsis of craft show # 2! Heck-for fun measure, I may even get brave enough to show you pictures of the aftermath of this dining room I speak of herein :-) Have a Happy!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

31st Birthday!!!

3AM: Mommy came home from work to find the brand new Singer 7442 sewing machine set up on the dining room table from Daddy and Brayden with a note that read, "We love you, hope this helps with your business, Happy Birthday, Love Daddy and Baby Brayden". I ran upstairs and woke Ron up giggling because I was so excited! I wanted to stay up and sew at that point, but knew it was better to get some sleep and play in the morning with it.
7442

7AM: Brayden woke up and I brought him into bed with me to snuggle and sleep in more :-)

10:45AM: Brayden slept in snuggling in bed with Mommy until 11AM! I know...I could not believe it either! I woke up before him and just rubbed his little piggies, and snuggled up to his chunky little warm body ;-) Those are just the best moments to have and enjoy.

11:15AM: Grandma called and talked a bit to Brayden, then chit chatted with me and attempted to sing me happy birthday, but stopped in the middle of the call admitting that I did not get my voice from her! Too funny...haha! Then we happily chatted for about an hour about her new Pottery Barn bed she is extremely tickled about, decorating, work, craft shows and other fun mother daughter jabber.

11:30AM: Daddy called and I thanked him again for the awesome present and he said he was going to get finished with work early today-another awesome bit of news!

12Noon: Todd, Beth and the girls called and sang me Happy Birthday, and took me out to lunch at my favorite breakfast joint...Bob Evans. We had fun at lunch and it was so great to spend time with them, I just love their company and family time with all of them.
bob evans

3PM: We arrived home to cartoons, and Mommy started on some house chores as Brayden ran around taking out his toys I had just put away :-) Daddy soon came home and took me for my favorite coffee-Tim Hortons :-) Yummy. We stopped by his mothers house to wish her a Happy Birthday too!
coffee

5:00PM: Mommy sits down to play with the sewing machine. Fun stuff. Cool stitches-smooth sewing, a self threading bobbin/needle-Wow! I was pretty excited. I wanted to stay home from work...but refrained ;-)

6PM: Arrive at work to Birthday greetings up the elevator-to birthday hugs once I got inside, to an office filled with balloons, and Birthday cards signed by everyone! What an awfully nice thing to do! It made me feel very special.

9PM: Happy Family Chinese dinner that a few girls from work and I divided-it was the perfect Birthday din din. I then went home and played with Brayden for about an hour, and came back to work...after stopping at Tim Hortons for yet another warm wonderful coffee :-)
coffee

Today was a great Birthday! I am so grateful and thankful for all that I have been given, my family, friends, co-workers...everything. Thank you to everyone for a special and wonderful day! Hugs-Shannon

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

This week at the Snow household...

Sickies:
Well...we are all officially over the most horrible "flu" I have ever experienced-okay...well it was close to last years food poisoning thing I had...but was worse because after I got it Thursday, Brayden got it Saturday-projectile vomit here- there- and everywhere-and Ron got it Saturday night...so still feeling worn out...I was scrambling trying to keep them both content, do laundry, ginger ale and pedialyte trips for both of them well into Monday!!! AHHHHH! We are all starting to feel better now. Whew! I crazily spent most of Monday and Tuesday doing the wipe down the toys thing, Clorox everything, wash everything, air out the house rampage I was on! I am slowly feeling better now that the crud is out of us and the house!

ON a much lighter note...

Craft Shows:
I have been busy working on booking more craft shows for Bebe' Del, and sewing more inventory to sell! Craft shows are evidently a little unkown sales science I was completely unaware of until now! I have bonded with a lady I met at the last craft show a few weekends ago-my very first craft show. She has given me advice and many tips I hope will pay off in the next few weekends of events I have planned.

First: Make many things, some cheap, some more pricey so buyers have a ton of inventory to choose from-hence selling more.
Second: Don't sell gift packages at a craft show unless they request it (silly me)...seriously!!!...it makes total sense...and I am such a dork to have overlooked it.
Third: I was hoping the craft shows did their own advertising and was naive because I should have let more people know what I was doing and where and encouraged them to come-even with craft shows you must market yourself too still! (and how I came from a marketing background and completely overlooked this makes me feel...well...duh-silly).

So...live and learn I guess. Since these little crafty (pun intended) tid bits of advice...I have done tons of things to prepare for craft show #2...slated for 11/15 from 10-4 at the Fluvanna Fire Hall in Jamestown.

"Me"
This craft show thing is an exciting thing to participate in actually. I have met some really interesting and talented people thus far. It in a way has also provided me something for "me". It gives me my own time away from being Wife, Mommy, Boss, anything...its just all "me" for 8 hours at these events. So I am actually looking forward to this next show...a hot cup of my favorite Tim Hortons Coffee, my sister inlaw Beth to Jibber Jabber with, (she is a total hoot and I love her company to death)... and a fun table full of happy baby stuff! (now, don't get me wrong here, I love being wife, mommy, boss etc. etc. but I barely have time to pee lately (for lack of a better word) much less do anything for "me" like paint my toe-nails, read a great book, relax, or just have time to reflect and think, so that is why this is nice, it's a nice thing to do to get away for a bit I guess).

The Bray:
He has this week learned to act out and say "roar". In his sickies last weekend his little throat was sore and hoarse...so as he was clearing his throat I said "I am monster, hear me roar" and I would then "roar"...it generated a few smiles those couple of days and now he is "roaring" all over the house. Its quite funny actually. He has developed such a little personality over the last few months. I could observe and play with him all day long! I feel so blessed everytime I look at him. I never thought I would get the chance to be a mother. I never knew it would be this wonderful and exhausting all at the same time! I never knew my favorite part of the day would be in the morning when I get to rub my chin and lips across his soft little hair line and give him kisses. I never knew I would love the smell of him as much as I do. Its unreal. I am so glad he is feeling better...I felt so helpless to his misery last weekend. I am so glad we are all feeling better.

Until next week -God Bless and be healthy!!!