The Lopez Life

The Button Shop

Check out these CUTE buttons I just ordered from The Button Shop.  

 
 
   
Aren't these cute?   Tessa Ann makes the coolest handmade buttons.  The detail she puts into them are fabulous!  Go check out her shop! 

NJHS Dinner

Last night was the National Junior Honor Society dinner at the school.  All the new members were inducted last night.   They had the food catered from a local Mexican restaurant.  It was so good.  The kids looked so nice dressed up.  Robert was in charge of leading the Pledge of Allegiance.  Here's a couple of photos. 

Robert, Gus and Liam.

Robert leading the pledge. 

Dave and I have started walking a mile together each night.  It feels good to start exercising again.  I am also giving up soda.  I can't quit cold turkey, so I am letting myself have one everyday.  So far, so good.  Drinking lots of water.  I know tomorrow is going to be hard and the headaches will start.  I've given it up before so I know I can do it.  I just need a little self control. 

Tomorrow Robert has off school for Veteran's Day.  Dave and I both have to work.  Robert and my dad are going fishing in the morning. 

Not much else is going on.  I am planning on scrapping tomorrow night. 

Cooking away

Today has been a very fun day.  I've been reading through my new cookbook, watching Food Network, baking and cooking.  I've had to do some not so fun things like wash, dry and put laundry away.  haha!  I even scrapbooked a little.  I made these yummy pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting.  This is Melissa's recipe.  Thanks for sharing this recipe, Melissa!  These are SO good!  We'll be having these for dessert tonight.

Here's one of the cards I made today.

Tonight Jan is coming over and I have these cooking in the oven right now.  It smells so good!  I'll let you know how they tasted.  Haven't made anything by Paula Dean that I haven't liked. 

After dinner we are going to scrapbook, play games or watch a movie.  We haven't decided yet.

Dave gets home tomorrow around noon.  Robert and I can't wait to see him!  We are going to go out to lunch, get Robert some more jeans and hopefully buy a new pre-lit Christmas tree.  We are going to put up our tree this week. I'm getting excited for Christmas and I can't wait!  Going to leave it up with just the lights for now.  We'll decorate it over Thanksgiving weekend. 

Random Act of Kindness

Today I got off work early.  Took Robert to the mall to get some new dress pants since his are all way short on him now.  He needs them for his National Junior Honor Society dinner that he has this up coming Monday night.  It was a fast trip.  The first pair he tried on fit and we picked up a shirt and we were out the door.   

Came home and had a couple hours to kill before we leave for the evening.  So I decided to pack up my Halloween decorations (yes I still have my Halloween decorations out.....I've been busy!)  The doorbell rings.  I go to answer it and my friend Monique is standing there.  I didn't know why she was here.  Usually she doesn't just stop by (not that I would mind if she did). Monique then pulls this book out from behind her back and hand it to me.

 Then she tells me to open the book and I see this!

 
 Yep!  That's the Pioneer Woman's autograph!  You see Monique had asked if I wanted to go with her to Changing Hands bookstore last night and I had said yes.  This was about a month ago.  Well I soon discovered that I would not be able to go since Robert had baseball and Dave was going to be in CA.  So Mo went by herself last night and was there inline from 7:00 pm until after midnight.  I never expected her to think of me and get a cookbook for me and then on top of that get it signed?  Not only did Ree sign it, but her mother-in-law and sister-in-law have recipes in the book as well and they signed it too!   WOW!  I was jumping up and down and I am still smiling!!  Thanks Monique!  Love ya girl!  Funny thing.....I was going to buy this cookbook last weekend and with Halloween and all I just forgot.  

I look forward to trying lots of new recipes!!
 

What a difference a year makes.

I was looking back at photos from one year ago and noticed how much Robert has changed.  He's grown so much.  He's taller than me (by just a little).  He wears a bigger size shoe than both his dad and grandpa.  I hope he is taller than Dave.  Dave is short like his dad, but all the other men in the family are around six feet tall.  I'll be happy if he's 5'10.

Taken last October - 2008

 
 

 Taken this October - 2009

 

Here's two more taken around the same time.

November - 2008  7th grade dance (Robert and Jamie)

October 30, 2009 (8th grade dance)

I see a huge difference when I look at these photos. 

Cool Christmas Lines

There are some cute Christmas scrapbook lines out.  I went through my Christmas stash and don't have much left.  I am going to be stocking up over at Scrapbook Doodle.  Yvonne has some great kits on the site.

I can't wait to get this kit.  It's the first Limited Edition kit for December.  It will be available starting November 7th.

Here's December's main kit.  You can see more pictures of this kit on their blog.

Love Little Yellow Bicycles product.  Speaking on YLB.......I can't wait to get these!

 
  Dave called us last night.  He was having dinner with his family.  He said his parents look great and his dad looks so much better than he did in March.  Today he was going to visit more family and friends.

Robert and I have no activities to go to tonight.  Looking forward to watching the Phillies game and having a junk food night.  But before we do that, Robert is going to help me mow the lawn and put away the outside Halloween decorations.     

Got to scrap a little.

Here's a couple of layouts I finished yesterday.  It felt so good to spend most of the day in my scrap room.  I need to weed out again and give stuff away.  I am going to work on that little by little.  Glad I know some of Robert's friends who scrapbook.  They'll love getting some new stuff.

 
 
 

Tonight Robert has a baseball game.  Tomorrow Dave leaves for California to visit his parents through Sunday.  It'll be a quite week.  I am glad things are starting to slow down.  I love Halloween, but it'll be nice to take it all down and just relax for a few weeks.  Christmas is going to come fast!

November 1st

Halloween was a blast!  The kids walked around by themselves this year.  I think they got the most candy they have ever gotten.  They walked around for 2 1/2 hours.  When they got back they all couldn't wait to get inside, sit down, warm up and relax!  I made everyone hot chocolate.  The kids sat around and talked for a couple of hours before they all went home.  Here's a few pictures from last night.

Before they left to go trick or treating.

A couple carved pumpkins.

 

  At the end of the night when everyone was leaving.

 Today I have been scrapping away.  It feels so good to scrap again.  Love lazy Sundays doing whatever you want to do.  Robert is playing X-Box Live and poor Dave had to work today.  He'll be home soon.   

  

  

 

Happy Halloween!!!

This is probably our favorite holiday!  We are pretty much ready for our annual Halloween party.  I am going to start the food in about an hour.  Robert is taking a nap.  We were all up so late last night.  Here's a couple more Halloween pics to share.  Wishing everyone a very safe and Happy Halloween!

 
 
Here are a couple of things I recently picked up at Real Deals. 

 

I'll be back tomorrow with more pictures from tonight.

October 30th

Ok so it's after midnight and so it looks like I missed a day blogging.  I really haven't in my mind.  It's just 12:30 AM Halloween morning and we haven't gone to bed yet.  So I am counting this as blogging for October 30th. ;)

Tonight Robert had his Halloween dance at school.  They had a blast!  After the dance a bunch of kids came back here and had hot chocolate and Dave started a fire outside in our fire pit.  The kids hung out for awhile and then a few left.  The rest of the kids watched Trick r' Treat.  Jan and I hung out playing Yahtzee.  Then another mom came over and hung out with us.  Before we knew it it was almost midnight.  Everyone has gone and will be back tomorrow for our annual Halloween party.  

Here's a photo of Robert before the dance and a picture of the group right before they all went home.