jessica, john, and james

Pitter Patter...

2012-01-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

Feeling lucky to be a play-at-home mom, pouncing in puddles instead of pushing papers:)

Weekend Ramblings...

2012-01-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

You would think as a designer I should be able to thread asewing machine, but to me, it seems like brain surgery. Lucky for me, I have crafty friends who makeme look good. My friend Erin and I spent Friday making bean bags. We didn’t getmuch accomplished, but good conversation is always a great way to get theweekend rolling.
Buds are the best thing for the taste buds… not literally,but it seems recipes given to me from friends and family always seem to tastebetter. Maybe because cooking theirconcoctions makes them seem closer. Plus, lots of times we get to chat because Iusually have to call with questions.
We have a new workout regime that goes like this. We spend our weekends watching movies, cooking yummy food, and eating lots ofchocolate ice-cream. Then every fewhours, we jump up and go on a bike ride, run, or walk. I am banking on muscle confusion so we don’tturn into complete couch potatoes. Ha ha. Probably not happening, but hey, we arehappy.
I sat James on the toilet for the first time today and heinstantly went to the bathroom like a potty training pro. It was probably a freak occurrence and won’t happen again until he isthree. But it gave me hope that I won’tbe hauling dirty diapers till I die…( I know, I probably will any way,dang those Depends.)
James calls me, Jess half the time. It makes my heart skipbeat, he says it so sweet.
We spent the weekend watching Alaska’s Gold Rush on Netflicks-aDiscovery reality show about guys down on their luck trying to strike itrich. It made me glad we aren’t dependingon digging through dirt to put dinner on the table. I loved the miner’s one line prayersthey would say so sincerely “ God, helpus to get gold” Amen.
John got us both black rimmed glasses. Ihaven’t decided if we can pull it off or if we just accentuate our nerdy-ness. James felt left out, so we gave him John’s oldsafety glasses. We are quite the stylin’ crew sitting here.
I like the Houston swampy sycamore trees as much, if notmore than my old mountain aspens.

Well that is our weekend in a wrap. Happy Monday friends.

My sister, Heather's, yummy shrimp fettuccine recipe. I heart her healthy cooking blog.

New Year, Fresh Start....

2012-01-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

Hey Honey at Work...

2012-01-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

1 1/4 days at the office and it's the weekend!

Hurry home hottie.

XOXO,

Jess

Oh My Nola...

2012-01-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

This is the last of my pictures from the pretty Parrish of New Orleans. We spent the last of our trip walking around the old mansions in the Garden District. I loved every minute of it and as I strolled around the neighborhoods my arm linked with John, I pretended I was living in the days of parasols and petticoats.

Someone give me some sweet lemonade, and a good book, and a porch swing! I adore these double decker houses.

The branches are all accessorized with shimmering pearls- pretty remnants of the Mardi Gras Parade.

We walked through a lovely old cemetery in the neighborhood. All the headstones are above ground because of the low watertable. It may be morbid, but I think graveyards are romanitc. You can surmise stories of love, life, and tragedy from the engravings and memorials. I always leave reminded of how precious this life is and how I need to enjoy every minute.

Bob the stroller does the Bayou. I can't believe the miles we are putting on this guy! He is definetly part of the family.

We were constantly sprinkled with a light powdering of sugar from the beignets we bought along the way.

John said this pose was not appropriate:) ...

So I tried again:)

Our travel companions, The Carter Fam. Jackson's face looks like he might have seen a ghost.

This is how we would tame our tots so we could get our gumbo on.

Here is my Top Ten New Orleans in a Nutshell, for my blogging friend, Michelle. I hope I'm not too late:)

Walk down the Exchange Place- a quiet narrow street with a few restaurants and galleries.
Stroll down the streets of the Garden District and enjoy the beautiful architecture and old graveyards.
Eat Beignets on the patio of Café Beignet. (Just watch out for the birds in the trees above. ...speaking from a traumatic experience...ick!).
Eat somewhere with live music. We ate at Market Café late at night and watching musicians play under the moonlight was magic.
Pretend like you know what you are doing and find a court yard of a fancy hotel to rest your feet.
Enjoy the street performers at Jackson Square
Take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride at night and get a history tour.
Stand in the long line at The Central Grocery for a Muffuletta sandwich. It's a long wait, but worth every bite.
Get lost strolling around the safe parts of the city, visiting the art galleries, and peeking in the windows of the fortune tellers and Voodoo doctors.
Next time I hope to take an alligator swamp tour or visit one of their old plantations. Can’t wait!

My Partner in Crime...

2012-01-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

What is it about January that makes me resolute like I'm Tony Robbins one minute, then polish off a pan of brownies while watching The Bachelor the next? I seem to be having a problem with motivation, and moderation this month:) I must be missing my cross-country ski buds who help keep the winter time blues at bay. Hhmmm, maybe I will have to start a mama's bicycle club to compensate for me missing the ski skate:)

I Am Grateful For

2012-01-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Date night with daddy

A morning of exploring

Good friends and family

My sister coming in March

Freshly painted toenails

Lemonade...

2012-01-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Our play-date with our friends turned into a play day when Iaccidentally lost the car keys at the outdoor mall. (I need a gps for my key ring...and phone)!John had meetings and wasn’t able to come to our rescue for five hours later sowe set out to make the best of being stranded. It was pretty much impossible to take the boys into the posh shops so wemostly just followed them as they ran wild through the walkways. Our lemon-ey day turned into sweet lemonadeas we were able to get into some deeper conversation, watch our kiddosleisurely lap up ice-cream, and let the boys run free in the car-less confined space.

We just wish we had our cameras for when we were diggingthrough the trash for my keys next to Kate Spade, when the kiddos were covered from head to toewith chocolate, and when the Nestle man couldn’t scoop up our ice-cream becausehe just had a cast put on his arm- it was comical.

The afternoon was a good reminder that I don’t always need to rush home for nap time. I hope to just go with it more, letJames snooze in his stroller, and allow destiny determine the day. Thanks for being such a good friend and sport Jackie :)

TGIF- I can't wait for my man to be home for the weekend!

A Birthday Gram For Grandma Sent from Our Backyard...

2012-01-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

We hope you have a perfect day. Love, Jessica, John, and James.

We Are Thinking of You Grandpa Gregory...

2012-01-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

We love you and hope you feel better soon! Love, Jessica, John,and James.

Happiness is...

2012-01-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

For me, it's being around Heavenly Father's creations with the people I love...

God is Great. Amen.

My Heart Just Skipped a Beat For The Big Easy:)

2012-01-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to the real Mardi Gras mccoy, New Orleans! As you can see from previous posts: here and here, we've been pretending to take a Cajun vacation for quite awhile. My dear great grandma Nana was a French speaking Creole lady and she didn't pass until I was in college, so I've always had a Cajun connection and longed to visit this lovely place.

I guess I had low expectations because of Katrina, but I was completely blown away by it's beauty and I felt like I was in a different country. The streets reminded me of a small scale Paris...but less pretentious and a lot more colorful. Oooooh! I am absolutely crazy about this place and the delicious food, art, architecture, music, nice people...I could go on forever. But I am afraid my prose will fail me...so I'll do what I do best, post too many pictures...

We went with some of our awesome new friends, Jackie, Ryan, and little Jackson. Props to Jackie for walking all day with a baby on the way.

I stole this picture from Jackie. This place was to die for...or just wait in a really long line for:)

Beignets, a breakfast staple if you are wandering the streets.

Baby Brees in honor of Drew's record-breaking game as we walked down Bourbon Street.

This is me getting duped by a street dude. We gave him a dollar to do a trick, but the trick was on me. It turned out to be a mannequin.

This was so worth the hour wait John stood in line!

Chandelier Shop

Sneaking into a ritzy hotel.

The fabulous hotel courtyard where we rested and let the boys run wild..

John enjoying the view of the balcony. J/k. Honestly I didn't even know that stuff went on until we came home and my mom told me. I guess we stuck to the more family friendly parts and missed the flashers.

We took a romantic (as romantic as it gets with two rambunctious toddlers) night carriage ride through the French quarter.

My favorite memory of the trip was our last night eating a bowl of gumbo in a warm cafe while Jazz musicians serenaded us from the street. I live for 'life is good" moments like this.

In Utah we lived seven hours from Vegas and now we are seven hours from New Orleans. I guess we are destined to live seven hours from sin;) But what's life without a city of lights, and a little spice...Cajun spice that is:)

Rub a Dub There's a Party in Our Tub...

2012-01-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

We are "reeling in the feeling" that he doesn't know the "splishin and a splashin" that could happen if he hurdled one over the edge. I am sure it won't be long and we'll be back to our regular relaxing in the tub:)

Galveston For Grandma and Grandpa Gregory...

2011-12-31T21:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we were on our way to the zoo with John's brother and fam but couldn't find a parking space so we spontaneously drove to the beach instead. Then we were having such a nice time in the waves we decided to book a hotel on the boardwalk. So we bought some dry clothes, diapers, and beach toys at Target and had ourselves an impromptu twenty-four hour tropical vacay...

Random rock garden at the beach.

James taking care of some business in bed:)

Such a fun day under the seventy degree Galveston sun. To me, spontaneity is the spice of life. John says spontaneous is another word for expensive. That is why we were made for each other. We balance each other out. And that is a beautiful thing:)

Greetings From Louisiana..

2011-12-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

Just got back from New Orleans (pronounced N'awlins:)! I am in love with this pretty Paris like parish and can't wait to post pictures. John's brother and family are here so I will be saving my blogging about The Big Easy for another evening. XOXO, to our far away fams. We made it home safe and sound:)

We Had Ourselves a Very Merry Christmas...

2011-12-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

If I were to have written this post yesterday afternoon it may have been entitled The Three Scrooges, b/c we all sorta started the day off on the wrong foot. But after a nap, an afternoon drive and a Dr. Pepper by 4:30 pm we were ready for Sugar Plum Fairies and of course a certain fella by the name of SANTA...

Good thing I have a picture for poof, because John just happened to step out when the big guy came by;)

We had lots of yummy Mexican food complete with Texas tortilla chips.

And dunked cookies in milk while the Nutcracker played.

I decided I want to have a Christmas party someday where I have valet parking like the people down the street even if I have to hire a neighbor kid:)

James no longer is sleeping in a crib. Sad day for mom but a happy holiday for him.

Instead of a stocking Santa left a different surprise for Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Night at the Nativity...

2011-12-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

We are overwhelmed by all the small acts of kindness, gifts from grandparents, (and bff's;), holiday treats, and sweet cards from friends and family. Thank you! We are feeling very blessed this Christmas Eve. Have a wonderful evening! Lots of love, The Gregory Family.

Christmas Elves at Work...

2011-12-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

The littlest Gregory elf has been busy at the art shop making some last minute gifts for his grandmas.

Mama elf is exhausted from all the pre-Christmas fun. Daddy elf may or may not have come home to the sight of his wife taking a long winter's nap twice this week.

Daddy elf has been helping Santa assemble a Christmas surprise (that arrived in 600 pieces). Us elder elves are loving being on the other side of the magic as we dream up schemes for Christmas morning. Can't hardly wait!

December To-Dos

2011-12-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

There are plenty of things we haven't done lately (i.e. laundry, grocery shop, get James's haircut, wrap presents. etc.) But because blogging all that would make me say, "bah humbug;" here are the happy happenings at our house instead:)

Lately we are living on love...and the tasty treats some of our friends have dropped off.

We are missing everyone but feel closer to our fams as we carry on our childhood traditions with our little man. Merry Merry Christmas...now time for some not-so-photogenic tasks (toiletss, etc. ick:(

Scary Santa...

2011-12-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

Transitioning between a scary holiday and a holly jolly oneisn’t always easy. Just ask James whose Santa impersonation sounds like something out of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. We think it's sorta sweet:)

John's old co-worker sent this. So funny. Merry Christmas Eve of the Eve of the Eve of Christmas Eve:)

Greetings from Galveston...

2011-12-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

I was in need of a day-cation so yesterday James and I spent a spontaneous day at Galveston bay.

Our sea-foam Santa. Picture taken seconds before a wave washed our Jolly Sand Nicolas away.

This was my first official time to a Texas beach and it is legit! I can't believe we live by the ocean!

James and I took the free ferry to feed the birds.

James was a huge fan!

Our outing to the ocean was just what I needed. Now I am revitalized to get my wrapping done. Six short days until Santa comes...Time for this sistah to get shopping:)

Frostbitten...

2011-12-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight we cooked up a storm to make daddy snowman cookies for his Christmas countdown.

So focused.

Someone call FEMA! It looks like Katrina hit my kitchen!

Mmmmmmm, you had me at marshmallow:) These were a huge hit at our house. Get the link at my friend Makana's blog :)

This is a true Texas snowman:) Frosty wouldn't last long in our winter weather. But don't you cry, like the song says, he'll be back again someday.

Somewhere in Paris...

2011-12-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

(Marci's snowmen, stolen from her FaceBook profile:) I think she painted her frosty family with food coloring)

Somewhere in Paris, Idaho that is, my good girl friend Marci and her family is huddled by the fire. We talked on the phone the other night andwere laughing at the fact that her temperature gauge read a cold 18 degreeswhile mine read 80. Me and Marci's favorite saying is, “the grass is always greener on the otherside.” Well I guess this time the grassis literally greener on my side of the fence. Houston is having fabulous fall weather. But even though I loveour December evening walks, I am still dreaming of a white Christmas...So I guess to me, the grass is greener...or whiter...or whatever, on Marci’s side of the fenceJ.

Our winter wonderland...

On second thought...maybe not. After posting these pictures I think I am feeling more content with my little lot:)

The Way to a Man's Heart...

2011-12-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

We baked from Betty Crocker (my cooking bible) for day 12 of our Christmas countdown. Pioneer Woman and I are on a small break since she led me astray with her pumpkin soup recipe.

Speaking of mishaps, I was sick of James being called a girl every time we went to the grocery store so I took matters into my own hands and gave his hair a little trim. His hair now falls in a perfectly stacked bob and looks more girly than ever. So soon we will probably be saying goodbye to his long Bahama sun-kissed locks. So sad:(

Here are some of our new Houston friends. To think it all started on a lonely day inSeptember. I took James to the park andoverheard a group of mamas chatting about church. James and I had just rolled out of bed and I was embarrassed how we looked, but I was prompted to introduce myself anyway. I immediately hit it off with one girl and through her I’ve madeseveral other great friends. Their hubbiesare engineers, we have similar interests, and almost all of them have a twoyear-old. We aren’t in the same stake,but they live close enough and I see or talk to them about every day. WheneverI think of these ladies I am reminded god is mindful of me and answers my prayers, sometimes just in unexpected ways...like in our pajamas at a park:)

An Old Fashioned Christmas...

2011-12-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

The part that I am truly passionate about being a stay at home mommy isthe prospect that for at least a couple hours every day I can do and be whateverI please. I can be an artist, explorer,photographer, chef, scientist ... the possibilities are endless. And Ihave a permanent play date who also loves to pretend:) This particular morning James and I decidedto explore an old town not to far from our home. We arrived early before the shops opened andpretended it was Christmas back in the days of Billy the Kid.

Just as we were about to leave, a small toy shop flipped theopen sign over in the window. When wewalked in the door I felt like we stumbled upon the Wizarding World of HarryPotter. In fact, I am almost sure someoneaccidently left the dimension door open and next time it probably wont even exist. It waspacked from floor to ceiling with stunning toys, beautiful Christmas musicplayed, and a warm fire heated the room. There were several toy displays and the sweetest shop keeper invited usto stay and play awhile. The wholeexperience was absolutely enchanting.

To have the opportunity to relive the magic of Christmas throughJames’s eyes is bringing us so much joy. We miss everyone and the Christmas partiesthis time of year, so I am making a plea for everyone to take pictures and sendthem our way. Seeing everyone onlinereally does help with homesickness. Welove you all and hope everyone is havingthe happiest of holidays! XOXO, Jess

The Giving Tree...

2011-12-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

Oh Cans of Beans Christmas Tree! Oh Cans of Beans Christmas Tree!...That song might be a mouthful but my aunt's tree is actually going to keep mouths full long after they take the lights down. Check out their charitable tree here. I love this idea and hope to have a giving tree too someday. Thanks for your constant examples to serve Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Dale. Love you.

Gnomeo Knows How to Get Us Moving in the Morning...

2011-12-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

John will probably want me to disclose that I am the one that dressed James like an old bag lady here. James loves to wear his spider-man pajamas and it was brrrr cold, so I was trying to make the best of it:)

Day 19: Sparkling Headlights...

2011-12-09T06:11:00.001-08:00

First off, thanks for all the sympathy and kind words. I wasn't sure if I should push post on such anAnne of Green Gables “depths of despair” kind of day, but it was nice to get some perspective:)

The gift ofgiving Santa’s sleighs a good scrub down was by far John’s favoritecountdown day so far. And speaking of sparklingclean, I have the cleanest patch of windows in the world thanks to my two-year-old having anobsession with Windex. I keep thinkingof the dad on My Big Fat Greek Wedding and how keen he was to the cleaner.

Not only does every toddler in town want an i phone, but every elf as well. Apple knows how to advertise...or elves also adore Angry Birds:)

This time of year I love seeing all the beautiful window displays, but being amongst the grouchy shoppers takes away some of the wonder . So along with the grandparents, James and I become early morning mall walkers. We take laps until Santa arrives so we can say hi, then leave for home before the crazy Christmas shoppers come.

Things That Happened at the Women’s Charity Auction...

2011-12-07T13:18:00.001-08:00

I just made the biggest social blunder in southern etiquette since Scarlet O'Hara made a dress out of drapes.
This is how it played out...

Me: (nervously chatting with some gals around my age)

Enter: The leader of the young southern bells.

Me: "I didn’t know you were expecting. That is so exciting! Congratulations!"

Southern Bell: long pause followed by angry glare

Southern Bell: "I am NOT pregnant!"

Me: apologizing over and over as she stormed away.

This same thing has been said to me more than once. And I always think to myself, “who says that?" And now I did it! My only excuse is I was so nervous, I have babies on my mind 24/7, and her shirt was big, blousy and billowed as she walked and I was sure she was. But I should have known better. I should never mention maternity unless I am told (or the baby is crowning in front of me).

Well to make a sob story short ...everything quickly unraveled as she proceeded to tell all the other gals my mistake. I ended up leaving mid-way through the meal (James as my excuse). I then sobbed a good hour and called Kimme with a BFF SOS message. I was so sad I hurt someone and was hoping to make friends with the gals in my neighborhood. So for now I am going to say goodbye to being an aspiring southern bell. I would probably rather forget this afternoon but since I will probably never be welcome back to the country club here are my pics...

This side of the room was the older ladies. They all seem pretty classy and nice. Like I said, the other side wasn't giving me the best vibes so I skipped a snapshot;)

Pretty centerpiece. These ladies love leopard.

On a happy note, I won tickets to the Opera and a restaurant gift certificate in the raffle. I wish I could say that made it all worth it.

By far the best part of my day was watching James witness his first real life train chug along the tracks after I picked him up from my friend Jackie's. He was so excited and it was magic!
As we were stopped in the car, I thought about how blessed I am for a handful of great friends here in Houston, lots of friends and family just a phone call away, and a wonderful husband and son. Yup, no need to be a part of a country club, life is already so good.

A Fa La La La La Fall Festival...

2011-12-06T05:20:00.001-08:00

Sadly, last week the tree doctors confirmed a couple of our beautifultrees have died thanks to Houston’s hottest summer ever. I have a huge thing for foliage and thethought of my trees being turned into mulch makes me seriously depressed. This past weekend I noticed a few more dryingup, so I called the tree doctors to come out again first thing Monday morning.

Please cue hallelujah song...To my great joy (and a small bit of embarrassment)they told me that they weren’t dying they were just changing colors because ofthe fall. Praise to the arbor angels...notonly for my trees, but the fact that Houston has four seasons after all. No one really gave me a straight answer whenI would ask, so it is nice to experience it in person and definitely a reasonto celebrate...

John's been craving pumpkin soup since he returned from Germany. Apparently it's a German staple. So I thought it would be perfect on this drizzly fall day. Long story short, I ended up making it twice and the end result was less than par. I hate that! Does anyone have a good pumpkin soup recipe? On a happy note I found the easiest (and yummiest) homemade roll recipe ever here.

Happy Fall Houstonions:)

WILD Weekend Recap...

2011-12-05T09:53:00.001-08:00

We started the weekend with John and me going on a hotdate. Okay maybe it wasn’t so hot, butit was a date, so I am not complaining. It was an Exxon company Christmas dinner. It was nice to meet his bosses and put some nameswith faces. Dinner was at an awesomerestaurant downtown that used to be an old oil tycoon’s mansion. The paneling on the walls actually came froma king’s palace in France. Old oil guyshad way too much mula. We were kind ofnervous to leave James with a babysitter for the first time since themove. I don’t think he even noticed wewere gone so hopefully we will make date night a habit.

On Saturday we went to the zoo with our friends Erin and herhusband Kyle. We fed the giraffes forJames’s Christmas countdown. I know we go to the zoo way too much, but Ifeel like that is the one place we fit in with a toddler. Amongst the wild animalsJ

I got called to be the secretary in the primary at church. Kimme has the same calling so wecan commiserate.

Sunday we had some of our new friends over for dinner. I decided for someone who loves to have kidsand company over, I have way too much glass and white linen furniture. Note to self: work on that.

Well that is a wrap on our weekend besides lots offootball, and getting sucked into a nineties Netflicks show called TwinPeaks. It is like the show Lost Saved bythe Bell style.

What have y’all been up to (Mom, Kimme, Aunt Cathy, Heather,Lindsey, Everyone else? Someone blog already! Love you (oh, sorry if the love you was weird, I just realized I type my blog like I am writing to the grandparents-my #1 readers:) Happy MondayJ

Look at Erin's daughter's cute Tom's shoes.

John's Christmas Countdown. All feminism went out the window for "I will wait on you hand and foot during a football game." I think my nachos helped soften the blow of the OU OSU game.

Happy Houston Holidays...

2011-12-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

Trimming the tree Texas style. I decided our decor needed a bit of teal in honor of our first Texas Christmas.

I finally found the perfect mirror to go with my Sun Valley decorating theme. Do you know how hard it is to find a 35" sunburst mirror in my price range? Very! Dear Aubrie: Remember when we moved into that college apartment with the brass dear? We thought they were so ugly we took them down and stashed them in the closet? Well I wish we kept them so I could have spray painted them white...because as you can see I am kind of fond of fawn now.

Mama's big helper. *written in sarcasm*

A few broken balls later and we have a Christmas tree.

We went for a spontaneous morning walk with my new good friend Jackie and her son Jackson yesterday morning. Houston winters are rocking my socks.

Lately my stroller gets hijacked mid walk by my little man. This is usually how it ends...

James's flannel pajamas ended up being way too hot for our walk so we made do by tying his sleeves around his waist. He looked like a Centaur running through the grass.

Two words of warning for walks with toddlers. Take wipes:)

I hope to spend many mornings in this spot before James is off to school someday. I just shed a small tear at that very thought. I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend filled with lots of tinsel and cheer! XOXO to all our far away family.

A Cleaver-ish Christmas...

2011-12-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I cut, glued, and strung my little heart out, all for the men in my life. Why?...B/c I learned early on in my marriage that the gifts that flip John’s switch are gifts that don’t cost a cent. He seems to appreciate little acts of service, and small surprises more than anything I could buy him at the mall. So for Christmas I have to get creative. Enter our annual Christmas countdown. Every day for a month I do a June Cleaver-ish act of kindness-sewing on a button, making him his favorite dinner, etc. It’s a lot of work. And some days I think it would be so much easier if he just wanted a dang ipod. But I know that serving someone helps me love them more and even though Christmas morning the bottom of our tree is pretty bare, we are usually closer than ever b/c of the month’s countdown. And not breaking the bank is also a bonus:)

This year I decided I want to feel closer to Christ by Christmas also, so I am doing a special countdown for him. Just back to basic stuff like saying my prayers, making it on time to sacrament, etc.

To hold me accountable, and because I blog a lot when I get excited (see previous Christmases) I am sure I will be posting some of it:)

Happy Friday friends:)

Gratitude for the Gregorys

2011-11-24T19:01:00.001-08:00

Today we feel blessed to be surrounded by wonderful family, eating delicious food, and playing all day on the Oklahoma prairie. Thanks so much for all your generosity Grandma and Grandpa Gregory!

In honor of Movember-mustache month:)

Oklahoma really is a pretty place when you get up close and personal.

James is on cloud nine with all of Grandma's fun toys!

John's sister-in-law made seven heavenly homemade pies for us this week!

James's spunky great grandma Nan. Can you believe this gal is almost ninety?!

Nan's yummy cream puffs.

This picture sums up what we've been up to all week! Feasting on Grandma Gregory's great cooking.

I am especially partial to her sweet potatoes. MMmmmm!

We hope all our friends and family had an equally delicious day! Love, Jessica, John, and James.

The Mills are Alive in Austria...

2011-11-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

The last stop John made in the land of lederhosen was in Austria. Here are a few last photos from his travels...

His Ikea-ish sleep space

They built this museum with a hole in it so it wouldn't block the view of the castle in the background.

This picture proves that this wasn't all sauerkraut and sightseeing. He spent most of his time in grimy pipe mills. But I'd still say the perks make it a pretty posh way to earn a paycheck...as long as he doesn't have to be so far from his family every month. Because we'd miss him too much!

Cousins Gone Wild...

2011-11-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

The last night I was in Utah all the Down gal cousins got together. It was a fabulous reunion since we haven’t all been together since the infamous royal wedding and dance video.

We started the night at Spark restaurant and sipped soda martinis spiked with lots of sugar. Then after that a few of us gals got ourselves in a teency bit of trouble. It may or may not have involved a borrowed id, a couple concerts, a close call with the cops, and my cute sister Katelyn getting a good talking to. Something about her being too young to kick it with the college kids. But don’t worry, I haven’t gone off the deep end. All we wanted to do was dance, and it was nothing that wouldn’t have aired on the Disney Channel. Thanks for another memorable night ladies. Letting loose occasionally is the spice of life..But maybe next time we should cool it on the sugar;)

11/11/11

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

It is so great having three brothers who are built-in ski buddies (literally, two of them live and work at the slopes:). I am so glad we all share the same passion for the powder and beautiful mountain air. Love you guys:)

A Day in Germany...

2011-11-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

This past week John had to go to Germany and Austria for work (hence my spontaneous trip to to Utah to see the fam). Two days before he left James came down with a tummy bug and threw-up about 20 times in 24 hours. I came down with it my first night in Salt Lake and John ended up feeling the sickness about 10 minutes in to his flight. He ended up spending his entire business class flight in the bathroom hugging the toilet (instead of in this two meter long bed we googled about a few hours before). What a way to start his German work day. But at least it was all uphill from there. Unfortunately we have now spread our germs to Germany and Salt Lake City. So chances are, you can probably blame a Gregory if you are feeling queasy. SorryL.

John's first meal he actually kept down. This restaurant is from the 16oo's! Napoleon was wined and dined here in this very room. Think of the tales of wars and conquests shared here over beer and blood sausage. Sweeeet!

Next time you need something to do with your hands in a picture try the Napolean pose.

This my friends, is the most expensive delicacy in the world. I've never heard of truffles that aren't chocolate so I had to Wiki them. They are wild mushrooms that grow underground and cost up to $450 a pound. They use pigs and dogs to find them by sniffing them out.

Obviously this meal was comped by the company...otherwise he'd probably be eating Peanut Butter and Jelly. John says it was good but he is more of a meat and potatoes kind of man.

Mmmmm, this chocolate mousse was made right before his eyes.

His sweet suite at the Intercontinental. It looks romantic. I wish I wasn't on the other side of the world when this photo was taken.

Dual shower spouts. One that rains and one that sprays. The Intercontinental knows how to keep you clean.

Stay tuned! Tomorrow my honey takes over Hannover:).

All in a Golden Afternoon...

2011-11-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

After eating a delicious lunch at the cabin, we enjoyed a good helping of vitamin D for dessert.

We wish you were here to savor the tail end of the autumn season with us. B/c the caramel apple colors are making it mmm, mmm, good!:) We are thinking of you and can’t wait to see you soon.

XOXO, Jess and James

Hey Hottie in Hamburg (john)....

2011-11-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

-James is enjoying all the attention from his upteen aunties and uncles he has here in Utah.

-I really love our new home/life but after spending the evening at our old back door neighbor, Jana's, I wanted to walk back to our old house/life. (It was just for a second or two... is that such a crime:)?

-James might have a future career as an old spice guy (see stallion picture below).

-The kids are literally climbing the walls at Nana's:) He is lucky to have such laid back grandmas.

-Abbie's 7 month old makes me baby ~~hungry~~ starvin marvin! Which might explain why I am eating so much and making a food baby while I am here;)

-James isn't a fan of girly lunches...but his mama is. So he's taking one or two for the team.

Love you sweetie (hope to talk to you soon)

Hey Honey...

2011-11-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

We made it safely to Nana's. Where it looks, smells, tastes, and feels like the holidays have arrived. We wish you were here with us. Hope to talk to you soon. lch liebe dich-I love you in German (obvisously not the most romantic sounding language:) XOXO, Jessica and James.

Night at the Museum

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Heaven knows I love being a wifey, and mamma. But sometimes I crave a crazy girl’s night out. And I’m not talking about book club or bunko. I also don’t need to party like I’m Paris Hilton. But cross my heart and hope to die, an occasional fun night with my high heels, gal pals, and a good bowl of pasta, and my homemaker humdrums can be shaken for a month.

This is my last post from when the Russell’s were here. I love that posting pictures prolongs our play-date...in cyberspace anywayJ Kimme and I went to the city for a wild night out on the town while our hubbies stayed home with the babies.

We snuck into a private opening and banquet at the art museum. Ahh, how I’ve missed our mishaps and adventures we used to get into in high school. It was so nice to have a night to be spontaneous with my sister in crimeJ

Next we dined under the stars on a little Italian fare.

This is our MIP picture. But instead of scoping out a dangerous spy I was zooming in on the dessert plate.

I was wondering why Kimme kept looking over my shoulder all night;) J/k I am sure she was just being reminded of Chris.

Future note to self: When an Italian waiter raves about the Prosciutto, don't get it! Though it looks pretty and sounds scrumptious, it is 2 year old raw meat that is too salty for your unrefined pallet.

The best part of going out is by the end of the night, I am always anxious to get home to my boys. Thanks for the fun girl time Kimme. We might have to skype another such night in the near future. Are any art exhibits opening on the island:)

Yo Ho Yo Ho....

2011-10-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

We had a pirate party to wish the Russell's smooth sailing back to their British Columbia island...

Captain Cassius and a not so Caribbean six string:) James wanted to be a scary guitar for half the day.

The boys wanted to walk to the scary houses down the street about a hundred times this week. It became the best bribe. "You want to go see the scary house, put on your shoes." or "Stop hitting if you want to go to the scary house."

Ahoy Maties, time for an old-fashioned pirate treasure hunt...

First step: sailing over Crocodile Lake to Treasure Island

now wade through skull swamp

and climb over the pirate planks

X marks the spot. Captain Cassius discovered the treasure chest

Arrr. Check out the pirate's loot.

During the day, Kimme and I slaved in the galley over a treasure stew. We combined our two famous chili recipes and called it our chili baby.

We all agreed, the chili turned out shiver me timbers good! The night was bitter sweet since we had to say goodbye the next morning. But it gave us new motivation to work like captains so we can party like pirates again real soon (I can't wait for our Caribbean sailing trip in 2012!).

And speaking of Pirate Loot and Parties...

Look what arrived in the mail today! My good friend Alison has the worlds funnest Halloween party every year in Utah. (When we were deciding to move, we made a list of pros and cons for staying in Utah and Alison's party made the list for reasons why we shouldn't move:) But since we ended up moving anyway, she sent the party to us in a package (or at least what she could:) Thank you Alison! This made our Halloween!

We hope everyone has a spooky safe Halloween!

Dear Catie and Tim: Good luck with the delivery of James's newest cousin today. We can't wait for the news!

Meeting my Man for Lunch...

2011-10-29T20:26:00.001-07:00

Remember visiting your dad at work when you were a kid and not having a clue what he did there but thinking it was the coolest thing in the world? I guess I forgot, but it was fun to be reminded on a cloudy Friday afternoon...

On Our Play-date to Paris...

2011-10-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

We bicycled to a pumpkin patch in the French countryside

Fed the goslings in the Gardens of Versailles

Dined on strawberry tea and cheese crumpets

And visited the great temple of our Lord (where we didn’t even have to pretend)

C'est la vie make believe:)

Devil Andy and Minnie Me

2011-10-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

My aunt just sent this picture and it made me smile because I was talking about this to Kimme today. We were going through my Halloween costume box for the kids and she joked that we should dress up and go trick-or-treating right then at ten a.m. It made me think of when we were little and my little brother, Andy, would runaway (notice the grip Heather and I have on him in the picture for this very reason:). Sometimes we would find him trick-or-treating in the middle of the summer or months away from Halloween. Our kind neighbors wouldn't really know what to do, so they would load him up with soda, pop tarts, money, movies, or anything they could find (you can see why this became a regular activity for him:) He would come home with quite the haul. One time we found him trick-or-treating in the above devil costume, but he accidentally put the tail on the front instead of the back. Ha ha. Sorry if that isn’t appropriate. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but looking back, it’s pretty dang funny:)

Andy: I miss you so bad it puts a pit in my stomach. I wish you weren't so scared to fly on an airplane so my Andy withdrawals would subside. I miss our brother-sister dates so much. Please call me ASAP:).

Aunt Cheryl: Thanks for taking time to send this picture today:) How I love and miss all my Aunties.

XOXO, Jess

P.S. Heather: I think you made the pretties little eighties pumpkin on the planet:)

Road Trip, Take Two...

2011-10-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

San Antonio, I can't take my eyes off of you

Your atmosphere is just too good to be true

I was so thankful I was alive

when at your River Walk we arrived

Your food is like heaven to taste

That's never too good for my waist

You're just too good to be true

I can't take my eyes off of you...

Probably one of my favorite family videos ever:)

Beautiful old church we checked out

Davy Crockett rests here in peace.

I love the art and architecture

Monument for the men who died in the Alamo

Hotel pool

This is Chris's first rodeo. I guess there aren't a lot of cowboys on their Canadian island;)

Kimme said it felt just like Friday Night Lights

This guy made it to 8 seconds! Yippi ki yay!

The Alamo is right on the River Walk. There is so much cool history here.

We can thank these men that the West was won for the U S of A.

Tres Leches baby!

Shrimp wrapped in a blanket of bacon. Beautiful!

I can't wait for many more weekends with you my sweet San Antonio. XOXO. Jess

Thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen.

2011-10-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

sword fighting in the backyard

Kimme's yummy greek dinner she made for us

morning bike ride to feed the ducks

John's family is here for the weekend

John's dad treated us to a fresh sea food lunch today

The grand kids sure love their grandma.

Goodnight y'all:)

Splash Zone...

2011-10-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

As frizzy hair, brace face middle school girls, Kimme and I dreamed of being whale trainers. Our rooms were decked out in dolphins, we would perform shamu shows in the wading pool, and we wanted matching flipper tattoos on our ankles as soon as we turned 18 (we are both thanking our lucky stars that never came to fruition). So when we arrived at Sea World over the weekend we were like two kids in a candy store...

As you can see the park was packed (sarcasm noted;) I am loving that school is back in session for our play days.

All the new shows were amazing. It was like a Sea World cirque du soleil.

Flipper is an expensive date. His breakfast cost us three times more than mine:)

James is a big kid now

relaxing in an octopus's garden

The boys watched the Shamu show in the splash zone.

To put a check on our bucket list, we paid the big bucks to swim with Belugas.

Ha Ha. Wet suits make me look like a 12 year old boy.

If only our twelve year old selves could have seen our fabulous day. All the middle school mean girls wouldn't have mattered as much. So note to self...If things aren't going your way, focus on future days with your boys, bff, and belugas and everything will be brighter:)

This Post is Brought to You by the Letter P...

2011-10-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

Pull-aparts in the Park

Preschoolers

Play-date Pals

Partners in crime

Pumpkin Pie

Pictures

Perfect day:)

James is Two part Deux...

2011-10-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

We ended the day with... A superman soar around the house.

A special birthday light surprise in the backyard.

And a date with daddy to the Disney store to pick out a toy.

(Out of everything in the store, James carefully selected an art set. He might take after his mamma more than previously thought:)

We ended the day with our night time ritual of prayers and kisses (as you can see, we milk as many as we can, since this is the only time of day he will plant one on us:)

Now back to cleaning, baking, and bed making, b/c my bestie will be here before sundown. Can't hardly wait!

Mid-day Birthday Post for Daddy...

2011-10-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

We've been celebrating with...

a trip to Target for a new superhero shirt...

A lion for lunch

a swim in a birthday suit.

And now we are chillaxing on the couch. Hurry home so we can celebrate some more with our #1 man. XOXO, Jess and James

It's Halloween at our House...

2011-10-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah to my favorite holiday... after Christmas of course:) To get you into the spooky spirit answer a couple of these questions in the comments, on your own boo-tiful blog...or just in your head:)...

What was your favorite Halloween costume: Circa 1987, I was a mermaid princess. It was pre Little Mermaid so I was more of an 80’s version of Ariel. My mom stitched a sparkly skirt with a tail attached and my bangs were bigger than my batting stuffed fin. I remember being sad because it was so cold in Utah and I had to wear a parka over my pretty costume. I don't think we will have that problem here in Houston.

Favorite Candy: Twix. My chocolate crack as a kid. Mmmmm, I am craving it’s cooklicious caramel mix this very moment.

Favorite Halloween Memory: My family gets crazy into Halloween. Growing up we always had a haunted house and now my sister, Heather, has the best Harry Potter party in Heber.

Favorite Scary Movies: I love the old black and white ones... The Birds, Psycho (but I am still too scared to watch the shower scene), and Night of the Living Dead.

Worst Candy you’ve ever received in your bucket: A tube of toothpaste. I am sure I would be much more thankful now. But when you’re a kid trading candy with your friends, it takes some serious bargaining to switch a Colgate Plus for a TwixJ

Now welcome to our humble haunts...

Granny me: Please read this!...

2011-10-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

I want to live to be an old wise woman of 102. And I am hoping at that time, when someone brings me a bowl of hot soup on an autumn afternoon I will be brought back to this day, baking brownies, with my babycakes. But if I happen to forget... I'm counting on the blog for a little memory jiggidy jog...

Remember when Betty Crocker brownies and homemade ice-cream was the way we got our daily bread and dairy?

mmmmm, the smell of my great grandma's gumbo simmering on the stove. And calling mom twenty times while I cooked it, b/c it never tastes as good as hers...plus, it's always a good excuse to call home:)

The sight of my baby with a batter beard face.

The sound of Frank Sinatra radio permanently playing on Pandora.

The bliss of watching your baby take a bubble bath in the kitchen sink.

P.S. Isn't it wonderful that in retrospect dirty dishes and unshaven legs don't exist:)

And last but not least.. your hubby coming home a little early on a Friday afternoon.

Okay my granny self:) Thanks for taking time to flashback to twenty-11. You can go back to your regularly scheduled programming...hopefully, it is crazy 8's with a gazillion grand-kids:)

Growing in a Southern Garden...

2011-10-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

Usually I like to be out and about, but lately we’ve been staying close to home, I love taking early morning strolls around our neighborhood as James eats his breakfast in the Bob. Then when John gets home, we take our bikes and Burley for a spin. I absolutely adore the southern antebellum-ish architecture and the lush green gardens. It seems like there are photo opts around every corner and I’ve had to restrain myself from invading our neighbor’s yards with my picture taking happiness. (Which, I seriously thought I was going to be cited by security b/c I probably looked like I was scoping out the neighborhood as I took these quick snapshots:)

I once took pictures of mountains, and now I photograph mansions:) I'd say they are both beautiful in their own majestic way.

I feel like I've gone back in time to the fifties in this neighborhood. I love all the clubs and sense of community.

These crack me up. They have these beautiful yards and then every third house has these cheesy wood cutouts. They are used to display school spirit for homes with school age children. Honestly, I am excited to have a ~~teddy bear~~ bear-cat in our front yard:) Oh, and a flag displaying your favorite football team is also a must:)

I saw this quote awhile back and I’ve been thinking about it since we moved. Last week I got an invite from the Sunshine Committee to join our neighborhood Woman’s Club and come to their October event. I was anxious to meet other woman in the neighborhood so I decided to give it a try. I must say it was quite the experience! It was at a huge beautiful house full of southern bell beauty queens with accents and personalities just like Paula Deen's. I was in heaven, considering she is one of my homemaking heroesJ! They were all honestly some of the nicest ladies I have ever met in my life. I am just trying to figure where I fit in here in our new life. There were moments last night when I longed for Heather’s hippie life in Heber. But back to trying to bloom where I am planted. I know this is just a chapter of a long life. And like I told my sister the other day- enjoy every minute of the marvelous mountains, b/c you never know when you will move. Likewise, I am going to enjoy every day here in Houston, b/c I know someday I will be homesick for it’s beauty, and these lovely housewives. So for now, I will do as the Roman’s do...or in my case...as the Raveneaux Country clubers do, and bloom where I am planted....but be true to my bulb... even if it is a wild flower in a land of perfectly pruned roses:)

Pictures from the dinner spread. Who knew a Halloween party could be so elegant? I wish I would have taken more of the festivities and ladies, but I was feeling picture snapping shy. Next time:)

Everything's Bigger in TEXAS...

2011-10-06T12:45:00.001-07:00

James and I are loving that Texan pride is even apparent in the playground up the street:)

These slides are, as James's new Ninja Turtle friends would say...Tubular dude! (pun totally intended:)

once upon a mattress...

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

and i think to myself...oh, what a wonderful weekend:)

Reflections of Fall...

2011-10-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

The other night the missionaries were over for dinner and they mentioned being trunky. John had to explain that trunky is missionary lingo for elders whose thoughts are consumed with their home. It is called trunky b/c they basically want to pack their belongings in their trunk and hightail it for home. I am trunky too... For Utah’s tree trunks that is. I miss their white paper-y trunks, and their changing fall leaves (along with my fabulous friends and family of course;). So I’ve been printing pictures from our trips to the mountains and framing them to give the Gregory casa a bit of fall flare...

In my design classes I was taught (said in a snooty accent)... “the décor of a home should always be synonymous with it’s surroundings .” I’ve never been good at that design guideline. Unintentionally, our Utah house had a Hawaiian feel and now our tropical climate Texas house feels more like a Park City mountain retreat. I guess I want to perpetually feel like we are on vacation. Oh well, the heck with rules, I say if it helps reflect who you are, and makes you happy - decorate your house with itJ

I like taking pictures...I like posting pictures...but printing my pictures has never been my forte. But when I went to my Grandma Down’s house this past year and had such a good time looking at her old photos and albums I decided I’d do better. So I’ve been working on getting my favorite files off the desktop and into frames. It is so fabulous to have my family, and favorite memories of the mountains where I can see them as I make dinner. It helps me to feel not so far away. So I will have my cake (Utah trees) and eat it too (living in the Texas tropics)J

Move Over Bob...

2011-09-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

(the stroller)

Burley is back in town, and better than ever! And it's a good thing, because my backside is about to become Texas-sized from all the ice-cream and brownies we’ve been eating.

When we first moved here I was a little worried about rekindling my relationship with my bike, b/c I swear, there are no sidewalks in this state. But, If there is a will, there is a way...or at least a bikers right-of-way:)...

We’ve done a lot of exploring the last couple weeks and we’ve found some awesome mountain biking trails down the street, a great way to the grocery store (to reload on brownie mix), and a path to the park. I almost feel like we never left home (except we really miss riding down to Nana’s in the morning).

"Post It" Notes...

2011-09-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Kimme: 17 days until you, Chris, and the kiddos cross the cold Canadian border for the state of bigger, better....and Beyonce;) I can’t wait for our two week long play-date!!!!!!!!

Dear Mom and Dad: Thanks for the surprise package. As you can see, James was tickled to stripes to have a new tiger “t”-(what he calls his blanky:)

Dear Erin: Thanks for going on a mommies date with me to the Cheesecake FactoryJ It was so nice to leave our kiddos with the hubbies, wear high heels, and have a night out on the town. Who knew tasty Thia Chicken, girl talk, and a trip to Forever 21 could make me feel like I was... well...21J

Dear Aunt Cheryl: Just thinking about you and hoping you are having a very Happy Hawaiian Birthday. Please wave to the waves for me, since I am going through serious trade wind withdrawals right now.

Dear Grandma and Grandpa Gregory: We are excited to see you soon too. We just got another guest bed so we will have plenty of room to relax with you and the twins. Oh, and thanks for having James’s daddy...It's been six years since we met, and I am still head over heels for the guy:)

Dear Katelyn: James is sending his love, and a vlog your way.

XOXO, Jessica