I got drafted....

....sort of.  I got a new calling at church...more info to come after Sunday!  I was recently released as the second counselor in the Young Women's presidency...they didn't waste any time did they? ;-P

When It Rains...

...It pours!  Daniel just got over a virus and, after our trip to the doctor today, we've discovered he now has an ear infection.  Can't we catch a break?!?!  I want my sweet, happy baby boy back!

Book Club

Last night, we had our book club meeting, and I have to say that this one was my favorite so far...even more so than the one I hosted.  I didn't realize I had so much to say about this book.  The more we talked about it and analyzed it, the more I realized how much I truly did enjoy it.   We read NIGHT JASMINE by Mary Lou Widmer.  At first, I wasn't going to read it because it was checked out of the library and cost $23 at Barnes&Noble.  But, then I learned why it was so expensive...when the first edition sold out, the book was still very much in demand, so MLW decided to invest her own money to print more copies.  Then, Hurricane Katrina came and washed away her last 2500 copies...the book was unavailable for a while until she was financially able to have it reprinted.  So, I didn't mind spending that much on a book...and it turned out to be a really good story.  You can read the synopsis here.  I don't want to say much on the off-hand chance any of you might read it...and if you have the chance to read it, you should.

Let it snow...

I was rudely awoken by a phone call from my sister this morning. She asked if I had been outside yet, to which I responded, "Uhh, no...I'm still sleeping." She told me it was snowing, so I shot out of bed, opened the blinds, and sure enough there was snow covering the ground. I was so excited!! This is the most snow I have ever seen in my entire life!!! Growing up in Louisiana will do that for you. Adam and I threw on some clothes, grabbed the camera, and went outside to check things out...Daniel was still sleeping. We went down the street to Jacob and Jane's apartment just to make sure they knew the good news...they didn't seem as impressed as I was...I think they have seen snow a time or two before :-) Anyway, when Daniel woke up, we bundled him up and brought him outside to see his first snowfall. As you can see in the pictures, he didn't exactly know what to think...

Sick Baby Boy

Poor Daniel has his first real illness. We thought he was getting over it, but he seems to have a re-emergence of runny nose, coughing, and generally not feeling well. He is not his usual happy self. I just hope he can kick this before we leave for Gigi's house for Christmas.

9 month Pictures

6 month Pictures...Finally!

We finally got Daniel's 6 month pictures back. Can you guess my favorite?

Christmas came early...

Santa visited us early this year.  We bought a new camera from one of the Black Friday deals at Circuit City.  Woohoo!!!  I am so excited...I have been complaining about my old camera for quite a while.  I will post pictures soon.  On another note, Santa brought something else with him too.  It's called herpangina, and Daniel's got it.  Basically, he has fever and ulcers at the back of his throat, which means he isn't eating or sleeping very well...so neither am I :-(  This is the first time Daniel has been sick and it is killing me.  This is caused by a virus, so there is nothing we can do...we just have to "wait it out".  It breaks my heart to hear him crying and see him in such pain knowing that there isn't anything I can do about it.  Well, I know you mothers out there have probably dealt with this before and feel my pain.  I just hope he gets well soon...I want my happy baby boy back!!

UNloading camera, Pt. 4

Daniel had a blast playing in this box rather than with his toys...go figure!

Daniel loves to swing at the park.

Mohawk Daniel.

A very messy eater.

Mohawk Daniel chewing on Sense & Sensibility.

UNloading camera, Pt. 3

Daniel's first Halloween...I think he makes a pretty cute penguin!

Sleeping on the chair at Gigi's.

Playing in the grass at Gigi's.

Me, Daniel, Anne, and Madeleine at the Aquarium.

UNloading camera, Pt. 2

Daniel's first trip to the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans.

Me, Anne, and George before the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at City Park in New Orleans.

Bills, bills, bills.....

...will drive a man to drink! (j/k...it's only cream soda!)

Daniel and Mike.

UNloading camera....

Nothing like freeze-dried strawberries and bananas stuck to your face!

My cute boy on his first trip to the zoo.

Playing...check out those thighs!!!

Sweet baby Daniel.

Pretty baby boy...playing with some moss.

Picture Tag...

I'm doing this even though I wasn't tagged...it looks like fun!


Fourth file, fourth picture. This was taken on February 17, 2008. Daniel was less than a month old...time flies!

Ironman 70.3

Well, it's a done deal...I signed up for the Ironman 70.3 race in New Orleans on April 5, 2009. Am I nuts?!?!?! Yeah, I think so too! Now, it's training time. There is nothing like waking up at 4:30 for a 5am swim twice a week, spinning followed by running twice a week, a long run, and a long road bike ride. I am crazy! I'll post some updates in the future...

Conservatism

(Adam's second post)

I am an independent conservative. I left the Republican Party two years ago because I did not feel my values were being represented any longer.

This past election was an alienation election. The conservatives were and still are alienated politically. No one is looking out for our interests. The Democrat Party long again adopted the principles of socialism (national healthcare) and, in some instances, communism (ex. redistribution of wealth). In the last eight years the Republican Party lost its conservative ideals, morals, and identity. It became prideful and sought to empower itself without the consent of its foundation, true conservatives. The Republican Party began envying the big government ideals of the Democrat Party, and it tried to secretly weave those nasty threads of socialism into its creed (ex. Bush's prescription drug plan). Those threads stick out like purple against gold.

The conservative base of the Republican Party saw what was happening and we rejected it. We complained about it and we grumped about it and we fussed about it, but our objections fell on deaf ears. The party nominated a democrat in disguise to run for President, John McCain. Each time he said he was a maverick conservatives heard a different song. We heard a man who would be willing to compromise his values, even if it meant rejecting the sure footing of his foundation. We lost our party.

Obama won the election, not in referendum, but rather, because the conservative voter base of America was rejected by the Republican Party. Where do we go from here? We have two choices. 1 - We can hope that the Republican Party has taken the hint, and returns to its foundation of conservative values that offers the people an opportunity to succeed while keeping government out of our way. OR 2 - We can regroup under the standard of a truly conservative third party and seek empowerment at the polls in 2010, as was done in 1852 when the Republican Party was created.

I believe in America. I believe in capitalism. I believe a man should reap what he sows and keep what he rightfully earns. More than anything else, I believe in personal accountability. Its time for the Republican Party to be accountable and to apologize and ask forgiveness from its conservative base. Its time for the elected employees to remember who they work for.

Thank you for letting me vent my frustrations. I appreciate it.

Unfortunate

(Adam's first post)
It's basically a done deal. The communists is going to win the presidency. America allowed the Gadiantan Robbers to take control of congress, and now the stupids are giving the presidency to the front-man of the secret combination. The Republicans are reaping what they sowed by nominating a democrat in disguise. Unfortunately, because of it the good people of this nation are going to pay the price. It is going to take a generation to fix the problems the next four years are going to create. Fortunately, I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. The Republican Party is going to return to its conservative roots. In two years there will be a referendum nationwide that returns the Congress to an overwhelming conservative majority. In four years, the Republican Party is going to be intelligent enough to nominate an up-and-coming, ultra-conservative candidate such as Bobby Jindal (LA's governor). In the election four years from now, Obama will lose in a landslide worse than Jimmy Carter's loss to Ronald Reagan.

Holiday Card Giveaway

Check out Etcetera Jeri for a chance to win some beautiful holiday cards! She has some gorgeous designs...too many to choose from!! My favorite is the Candy Cane print. Good luck!

Confession...

I am addicted to reality television.

The Pampered Chef

Well, thanks to Gustav and Ike, in order to help reach my September quota for Pampered Chef, I have decided to throw a Mystery Host catalog show. If you or anyone you know are interested in ordering something, you can click the logo above, type in Erin Huddleston for the host name, and place your order. Every person that orders will be placed in a drawing to receive the hostess benefits (free product, monthly specials, and half-price items). You can also earn an extra entry by booking a show or referring someone who places an order. If you would like to host your own show, feel free to call, email, or leave a message here. Thanks for all of your support!!

Wednesday's Dinner...a little late

Well, in keeping with the cooking challenge I issued myself, here is what I made for dinner tonight: Lemon pepper chicken with lemon spaghetti and green salad. The pasta looks a little bland in color in the picture...it would have looked better with some fresh chopped parsley, but I was out. Hubby rated this dinner a 9, so I am happy with that. Happy Cooking!

Lucky

We are so very lucky. We have a place to live, food to eat, clothes on our backs. We have the most beautiful baby boy I have ever laid eyes on. We have wonderful family and friends. We have love in our home. We have the gospel in our lives. We may not have everything we want, but we have more than what we need. We just need to remind ourselves every once and a while.

Plethora of Cookbooks

I have a ton of cookbooks. Every time I go to a bookstore of book fair, I find myself migrating to the cooking section. If I couldn't control myself (meaning if my husband wasn't there to tell me I have enough), I would buy a ton more. I have all of these wonderful guides sitting on my bookshelf, and I can count the number of times I have made recipes from them on one hand...okay, half a hand. So, in order to help me feel like my purchases were worthwhile, I have decided to try and cook more often and use at least 2 new recipes a week. Tonight's dinner was courtesy of Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis.  We had the Roast Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Parmesan Smashed Potatoes.  I must say the chicken was amazing!  It was so tender and juicy.  The potatoes were good, but there was a little too much olive oil for my taste.  Hubby rated this dinner an 8.  So, I will definitely add it to the rotation.  I encourage all of you to dig out your cookbooks and try something new.  Happy Cooking!

For Uncle Chris

Daniel's First Visit with Mike the Tiger

This morning we took Daniel to visit Mike the Tiger at LSU. He was not scared at all....he simply stared in awe!

Mike was pacing back and forth by the fence with the occasional dip in the water.

In this one, it kinda looks like Daniel is reaching out to pet Mike.

A family portrait on the tiger statue in front of Mike's cage.

Boy, they sure are recruiting right out of the womb these days!

They sure know a winner when they see one!

We went to visit Mike with our friends Janel and Jimbo and their kids. THis is a picture of the two dads and the kids.

This one is for Gigi...a picture of Daniel in his new big boy carseat.