and i've been noticing one of the most beautiful and creative gifts from God...nature. i don't know what's going on here in texas, but the leaves on the trees are something that you expect from the new england area. it's been such a treat to see these amazing colors in my own home town! i wish i would've taken pics sooner as the leaves are falling now, but i managed to take a few quick shots today in my neighborhood :) i just had to share the beauty...
the drive into our neighborhhood...the smaller trees have never looked like this before!
when have you ever seen crepe myrtles look like this??
oh, i WISH i would've photographed this tree before most of the leaves fell! this photo doesn't even capture the golden yellow beauty! thankfully, it's my neighbor's tree so i've been able to admire it daily :)
again, i have never seen this tree (my other neighbor) w/ these colors!
take notice of all these lovely gifts my friends! God has His own way of decorating this season ;)
and i just have to share this...i'm really not a fan of the trans siberian orchestra. in fact it kinda gives me the heebie jeebies! the hubs and i were catching up on "the office", and i now will now giggle every time i here this song!...
quite different from my last post, i know...you just never know w/ this dandy lady ;)
and it was a fantastic Sunday! our little fam went back to church :) yeeeeeah, so, i have a prob w/ leaving my little miss sophia w/ childcare...mainly b/c she has a prob w/ it! we drop her off and there are tears, loud crying, and sobbing words of "mama". i can't deal. the last attempt we were told she cried the entire time :/ seriously?? so, after hearing in-laws leaving her w/ church childcare w/ no prob, i thought maybe we were good OR maybe it was b/c it was someone else leaving her and not mommy and daddy. yup, that's what it was. she cried, and we walked away. i haaaaaaate it. but we walked into the sanctuary and the awesome praise and worship team brought me to the place i needed to be :) i maybe only thought of sophia once or twice ;) i have missed worship. it's such a beautiful thing to sing about my Lord and Savior w/ my man standing next to me. it's nearly impossible for me to make it through singing w/o getting a little teary-eyed. funny thing is my mom is the same way and i never understood it. but it makes complete sense to me now. it's kinda like singing happy birthday to my girls...watching them in the glow of the candles, noticing how much they've grown, and thinking about the celebration of it all...the love! it's the love. i love Him. He is holy, and i am His and the emotion of that can be a little much to hold back. and then throw in Christmas songs and fugghetabout it...
there's something about reading the lyrics that help me appreciate these songs even more.
o holy night (one of my faves)
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land. The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
i love, love, love josh groban's rendition of this song!
i hope you enjoyed reading that as much as i did...a powerful message of wonderful news :) and other good news, sophia eventually stopped crying and stayed in the nursery through the whole service...yea!
...and i should be all dolled up w/ my hottie hubby for his work's Christmas party...oh sorry, they call it "year end celebration," :/ but w/ childcare up in the air and a FULL day that is getting us out before nine in the morning tomorrow, i decided...pass. honestly, while we ran errands today it was nice thinking i didn't have to be back home by a certain time, figuring in time for dressing up (in who knows what), and having the girls all situated. we had such a great day running around getting things done and having a yummy lunch at one of our fave mexican restaurants. call me loca but that is one of my favorite things to do as a fam. just getting in the car, running here and there, stopping for a bite and just being together :) and when we got home sophia was wiped out for a good nap and mr. dandy and isabella put the lights up outside...hooray! twinkling lights are like glitter. glitter makes me happy :) and you know what else makes me happy? jewelry that sparkles. sparkles are like glitter. glitter makes me happy.
-i actually have this in gold and absolutely love it!-
so, mr. man...add this to my wish list! and any of you who might be interested in these beauties for yourself and/or someone else, contact my girl mary. keep this in mind...every piece comes wrapped in a cute box (no need to giftwrap), it comes straight to your mailbox AND if you order by december 21st, you can still get in time for Christmas!!!
and some more happiness, my sweet isabella...
me: isabella, do you know what Christmas is all about?
isabella: yes. it's when baby Jesus was born
phew! seriously, since my post about the seven santas around my house, i've been a little worried! later, when we were out and about, i asked her to tell daddy what Christmas was all about and she said, "it's a big birthday party for baby Jesus!"
HUGE GRIN ON MR. & MRS. DANDY!
so bring on the glitter, the sparkle, the twinkles...we have something LOVELY to celebrate :)
...and i'm working on my list for mr. dandy :) i've been thinking how awesome it would be to have one of those cricket things...cricut, i mean. it cuts letters, shapes and designs out of paper, vinyl aaaand fabric!? omgoodness, the crafting possibilities are ENDLESSSSS. and then upon researching this nifty gadget, i discovered the silhouette(i italicize this to give the impression of my voice making a passionate and fancy sound, lol). this thing hooks up to your computer and you can use fonts and designs that you already have rather than a bunch of cartridges! yup. the silhouette is going on the top of my list! and mr. dandy, you wrap that up and there will be no need for anything else! in fact, let's hop in the car tomorrow and make this purchase...no need to wrap...just hand it over and say, "MERRRRRRY CHRISTMAS LOVELY WIFE!" :)
if not, i will ask santa and take comfort in the fact that i've been good rather than naughty this year...unlike some other burkhalter girls in this house :/
yesterday, i find this...
thank you little miss sophia...b/c we don't already buy enough wipes!
strewn (and i know this isn't the best photo) goldfish crumbs on the bathroom floor (please note the italicization isn't meant for a passionate and/or fancy voice)
and then this...maybe isabella found this cash, stuck it in her pocket and was going to the nearest convenient store for loads of candy? okay, prob not. i'm guessing it was left in the dryer from the previous load of laundry and then found it's way in the girls' clothes. i found this while folding their laundry! maybe they're tipping me? let's go w/ that and get them back on the GOOD list ;)
...and we have seven santas...is that bad? funny thing is i was talking to mary about the whole santa claus thing today. she had read a blog about one family's decision to exclude santa from Christmas (after raising their first child w/ the whole "you better be good if you want santa to bring you presents" game) and solely focus on the birth of Jesus. my opinion is moderation. i see no harm in some good ol' st. nick fun as long as mr. dandy and i responsibly remind our girls "the reason for the season." as i started taking pics around the house of our santa collection, i'm wondering how responsible i'm being...
my very first santa (gift from mom)...he shakes his groove thing to alan jackson singing "holly jolly Christmas"
santa gourd (gift from sis)...i need to glue this poor guy's hand back on!
santa on a journey (gift from mom)...he is always traveling through snow :)
cool beard santa (gift from mom)...i love how tall and whimsical he is!
"baby it's cold outside" santa OR old timey st. nick (gift from mom)
this guy sits on my stove, which now to think of it, maybe that's not the best place for a wooden santa, lol. i just thought it's funny b/c it looks like he's eyeing the food, ha! (gift from an old coworker)
now here is a new addition that i actually bought. i was super excited about this one (and half-off at hobby lobby:))
so, after all that santa mania i would like to point out these lovely decorations...
my first "nativity scene" that actually stays out year round. this is one of my favorite pieces in our house!
three wise men
peruvian nativity my sweet friend juliana gave me :)
hat box...looking at this right now, i'm thinking how cool it would be to hang this box top on the wall!
honestly, with all the santas around and gifts under the tree, my little isabella sings of baby Jesus and has mary, joseph and Jesus in her dollhouse...so far so good, right?
...and i'm allllmost finished w/ the decorating the house! and it's been so wonderful seeing isabella's eyes light up w/ every decoration! the girl is her mama's daughter for sure! i went away on a girls shopping weekend and as soon as i walked in the door isabella ran up to me w/ a huge hug, kiss and one question, "can we put up more Christmas decorations!?" yes! and today i hung garland in the breakfast room while she was at school. when she arrived home and saw the windows all decked out she lit up w/ a gasp, "where did you get that mama?"...SO FUN!!! why wouldn't you want to deck the halls in celebration of the birth of Christ?!
lots of mercury glass, glitz, white and silver :)
actually had to take down wall decor down in order for this special piece :) some fake snow and a mama and baby polar bear set. sophia points at them and says, "brown bear, brown bear,"...one of her fave books ;) i'm on a mission for new stockings...
so, i know i'm on day 6 and i really wanted to start on day 1, but my nausea sicky feelings was replaced w/ horrible back and chest pains! my birthday was december 1st, and it was the first birthday that i was actually feeling OLDerrrr. i actually spent most of the day visiting the doctor and taking xrays :/ thankfully it wasn't anything serious and just muscle pains...too much zumba??? lol! i was prescribed something for the pain and that pain went away...only to now have neck and shoulder pain. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!!?? 33 and falling apart...falling apart...
that's how bad i've been feeling! i had mr. dandy pick up a pregnancy test on his way home from work yesterday b/c feelings of nausea, light headedness and verge of teary eyes. it was negative. and what do you know, my cycle has shrunk in size and i started early...twice in one month!? really?
anyway, w/ traveling, thanksgiving and now not feeling well, the blog has been ignored...and it will pretty much stay that way until this lady feels better! you know i don't feel well when my Christmas tree has been up since sunday and was just decorated tonight!...but not even completed :/ so, the girls are in bed and hubby is working (he actually worked from home today since i was not feeling well :)) and i am going to crawl in bed. i hope to catch y'all up on some fun things...thanksgiving, some crafts and even sewing! AND some great holiday deals from dandies :)
not that anyone has come up w/ any repercussion for me not zumba-ing, but i have to admit that i did NOT make it thursday. i had family visiting so i was unable to. i WILL say that i heard one of the songs from class while i was out and about and did break out some zumba moves in my seat, lol! does that count?
in other news, i have started my Christmas shopping!!! i was so excited to start this and where did i start you might ask?...target, of course. but i didn't begin the shopping until after grabbing my morning coffee, and i was introduced w/ a dee-lish sample of thisssss....
and about to pass out. made it to zumba...stomach hurt, felt bloated and hubby told me i would feel better when i start the workout...no dice. and to top it off the instructors, there were THREE this time, brought their A game as if they were instructors in one of those old mtv work out videos. there was a videographer and photographer filming the whole time :/ i apologize to anyone who might see what i look like when zumba-ing! anyway, i'm glad i went but it was the toughest class to date, and i barely have the energy to type anymore. so, i just wanted to state that i made it to class :)
YES! it is delicious! i found this on pinterest, and some of you have probably seen it on there, too. i've made it three times already (each time forgetting one element), and it still tasted excellent each time. you can find the original recipe here, but here is my version and easy list of instructions :)
INGREDIENTS:
couple of large bunches of broccoli
fresh garlic
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil
lemon
shredded parmesan
basil (optional, but it is excellent w/)
PREPARE:
-preheat oven to 425
-place sheet of foil on cookie sheet
-cut florets off broccoli
-slice 4 cloves of garlic
-place brocco and garlic in large bowl, drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
COOK:
-place in oven for 20-25 minutes (brocco will brown a little...a crispiness you will love!)
**meanwhile, chop up that basil and have lemon and zester handy**
FINISH:
-put all that goodness back in large bowl
-zest lemon over brocco (do NOT skip...never skip lemon zest, it makes a HUGE difference in any recipe!)
after a couple of weeks of no zumba, i returned tonight to another fun and lively class. i have to say that after my first post about how much i loved zumba, the following sessions weren't as good as the first. i was even thinking of not going tonight, but i decided to go and heytelled mary at the last minute if she wanted to join.**PROPS TO MARY**she at first said no b/c she and her fam were on their way to dinner. and then she quickly heytelled me back and said she would be there! the girl turned the car around to make it to class!! girrrrrl, i would've kept on driving and sat my happy booty down for a yummy bj's dinner!
anyway, my sister happened to be at my house right before i left and she looked me up and down and asked, "is that how you're going? is that the new look?" ummm....what? mind you, she isn't exactly into fashion so i wasn't sure exactly what she was getting at, but thanks anyway :/ i then arrive to zumba class and the instructor ran past me, laughing!, pointing at me and said, "hey!!?" as if she was surprised to see me back and she won the pool she and her partner had going if i would ever come back. yes, lady i'm back and ready to DO THIS! class starts and the booty shakin' begins. it's going good...i'm enjoying it and feeling the burn. i watch the instructor, who i might add has some junk in the trunk aaand just all around. and i'm just amazed at how much movement is going on! i keep wondering, "am i doing this correctly? b/c i don't feel like my body is going in every direction this lady is going!" don't get me wrong, i have stuff jiggling, but it's a bunch of flab. this lady on the other hand has the rump-shaker, her chachas doing their own dance, and she keeps flinging her head around like she's on a rock stage. i barely have enough extra energy to yell out when she asks, "how are y'all doin? i can't here youuuuuuu!" then the instructor's partner shows up and this girl pops on that stage and goes from zero to 60 like that! she is jumping, bouncing all over the place, hands are flailing....i just have to laugh (and try to keep up). it's such a fun way to exercise and highly recommend giving it a go! my goal is to go twice a week...i need you lovelies to keep me accountable! i'm trying to think of a way to make that happen...any ideas? my class is every tuesday and thursday. so, i will try to post every tuesday and thursday night and let y'all know if i made it. if i don't go i should have to post something...do something?? would love some feedback!
why is it back IN the saddle and not back ON the saddle...hmmm...
i've been meaning to tell y'all that i have not stopped the fab mama-jamas!!! after trying to reschedule w/ my latest mama, we have decided to postpone her debut at a later date. so, i have lined up the next mama and am planning a surprise attack on the other...so WATCH OUT! it could be YOU!
i continue to receive messages from some of you lovelies that are having trouble leaving comments :/ which makes me :( b/c reading your comments make me :) try checking your pop-up blockers...otherwise, know that you do not have to have a blogger id. you can check the "name/url or anonymous" option.
up this week...the best broccoli recipe (even better than the ol' broccoli and cheesy rice casserole), more glitter and maybe a sneak peak of how my lovely lady lair is coming along!....i'm sure the anticipation is very high on your end.
oh wait, it's wednesday already isn't it?? okay, so maybe just count on the broccoli, lol
glitter fanatic. i don't know how it happened, but i am giving into it! i have MANY projects to share w/ you using this glorious, fancy-fun happiness! did you know there are all kinds of glitter??!! i love it. my husband does not...but he's dealing. he lives w/ three girls so he really doesn't have a choice. years of glitter to come...
so, my first glittertastic moment to share w/ you is my nail polish :)
sacred ground glitter by sparitual
first of all, i used to hardly ever paint my nails. girls, i didn't even paint my nails for my wedding!!! :O the idea is too time consuming, and the thought of them chipping a day or two later is just annoying. but every time i do have them painted (or actually paint them myself) i love the way they look and think i should do that more often. recently, a friend has been posting her latest nail color on instagram, and i was inspired to start painting my nails. i was at the grocery store and it just so happened they were having a special on nail polish...two for one. this girl loves a deal! so, four weeks later i am on color number three! lovelies, that is more in the last four yeeeeeeears!!!!
and you know what? taking a moment to let them dry and not feeling guilty for not folding laundry while watching t.v. is quite lovely...
i fell in love w/ this day at an early age. i remember coming home from school, getting dropped off from the bus at the end of the street. i'd walk to my house and i could see witch faces, scarecrows, and skulls taped to the front windows...
these are apparently considered "vintage" now, lol
i would get so excited to walk inside the house and see all the halloween decorations my mom put up. the tissue paper accordion pumpkins were one of my favorites! it's been fun to decorate my own house now and share the tradition w/ my own daughters. isabella happens to LOVE it all the same :)
this scarecrow was my favorite growing up and is now part of my collection :)
witch my mom bought me a few years ago...we call her matilda
i've really gotten into the banner thing!
a pumpkin gourd that was also a gift to me from my sister, who also loves halloween!
yup. a "flying" witch that hangs from our living room ceiling fan
a fun house that has rotating bats above it
mummy candles...the one on the right had to be melted down, ha!
pumpkin carving by mr. dandy
at the entrance of our house (this might be my fave)
fun faux candle sticks from target
and now for the costuuuumes....
i don't even like bananas
pocahontas and witchy
sophia was so good about keeping on her costume :) i think she got a kick out of it!
isabella picked pocahontas this year. she has a book of different disney princess stories, and pocahontas is one of her faves. jason was supposed to be john smith, but his dark beard wouldn't match a blonde wig, lol. i was pretty excited about isabella's choice and was looking forward to embellishing a head band and braiding her hair, but she reminded me (more than once) that pocahontas does not wear a headband or braids...
true isabella, but you are not wearing an off-the-shoulder dress w/o shoes!
was to tell you about the sweet surprise jason gave me for our anniversary and the sweet quote in my card, but then i realized today was the date i had wanted to get married. october 27th. my parents married on that day, and unfortunately, i just remembered that as i started this blog post. i forgot and i spent most of the day w/ my mom today. my dad passed away 13 years ago so i cannot imagine what this day brings. she even suggested we stop for cupcakes, and now i'm wondering if it was b/c she was celebrating. my mom happens to be staying the night, and i rushed to her room to tell her happy anniversary, but she's sleeping, and i feel terrible that i didn't do something special for her. i cry at this, and jason walks in. i explain and he says i still have time. i tell him my mom will just think i'm crazy and roll over and go back to sleep. but i do it anyway...
me - mom *whispering*
mom - you scared me (in spanish) *squinting her eyes*
me - happy anniversary, i'm sorry i forgot
mom - what? today was the 27th? (i know she's acting) mumbles, turns over and asks if it's raining
me - yes, it is...goodnight.
ugh. i should've just waited until the morning w/ a stack of pancakes!!!!! my hubby tried to cheer me up, but i still feel horrible. hopefully, my pancakes and the cooler weather tomorrow will make up for it :)
i just had to share photos my beautiful parents...
proud marine
the original pic w/ hand written note to my dad
mr. & mrs. arnoldo de alejandro
they met at a party where my dad had brought a date, but my mom caught his eye ;) they fell in love, married and raised four children. my dad worked very hard to raise his family in a small suburb of houston that was quite different from the small towns in south texas. my mom always had dinner ready for him when he came home from work. she kept a clean and tidy house, and it always felt like a warm home. my dad wasn't big on pda, but one of my favorite memories of them together is my mom standing at the stove cooking...my dad sneaking up behind her, putting his arms around her and tickling her neck. it was sweet, and she always smiled.
i'm here b/c two people fell in love, and isn't that lovely? ;)
