But the prettiest sight to see is the holly

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in ev'ry store
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door..............................

These words have been replaying in my mind all day.

Although Thanksgiving was just a few days ago we have our tree.

This year we took Carter and Mason on their first real train ride.

The Tony Mabry & Glendon Mabry Families

When my hubs was younger his parents took him out to Battleground for a Christmas train ride. I've never heard of this before and I'm just amazed by it now). We took a 45 min ride in Yalcolt passing by a train station then going through a tunnel. I think I was just as amazed with it as my 3 year old was. We sat outside in the open caboose, and talked, saw the biggest cow; who's hip alone stood 6 feet tall, the boys saw Santa and Mason got a little stuffed reindeer and Carter got a monster truck Hot Wheel, but best of all I got use a trait that I learned in high school and over the years I have loved to be able to use in many occasion. The man who owned that cow was one of the train volunteers and when I stopped and listened I heard a sound that I heard oh so well. He was laughing with a muffed laugh. He was deaf. This truly made my day because that is the language I took in high school. I have admired the deaf from when I was a very young girl. I would sit in church and watch the mother in the front row sign to her daughter. It has become a part of me over all the years and I'm passing it on to my boys so that they might one day enjoy signing with the deaf. Today he learned a new sign, nice to meet you. I don't think there is anything else that could have topped this Christmas Tree Train Ride.  I might just have to make it a tradition for my family.

Carter helping Daddy with the tree

This is our sixth Christmas together, but with a growing family we are still creating tradition for our family

 .

The first Christmas my hubs and I didn't really celebrate it together. Our relationship was 3 days over a month new to us so we didn't feel like it was really time to celebrate it together even though we did hang out that evening. Our second we just moved into our first place together with one little baby baby in the tummy. It felt very special to have the secret between us knowing that is was just the start of our family and so many more to come with a growing family. Our third Carter (our oldest) was just a baby only 4 months old. (see 5 year mark) It was divine having our son that year as well it was the Christmas that my husband proposed with the ring and all. Next morning the plans that I had start before being pregnant went into full motion. Fourth Christmas together was Carter's second and was just after we got married. I couldn't believe that we were married and have a family, it still amazes me. The fifth Christmas we just bought our house, I was 36 weeks pregnant with our second son, Mason, and I was very overwhelmed with everything. Christmas was still wonderful and full of memories. We will see what the sixth has to hold for us.  

So far we have not really set any tradition but this year I'm trying to work on that. The train sounds like a perfect addition, as well as I have been gathering blankets for the homeless and we will be taking them to a shelter so that Carter can donate them. I want him to start understanding what it means to give to those in need at a very young age as I did. I believe my experience as truly made me a better person through my life and opened my heart to charity work that will never go away.

Mason's First Santa visit and Carter's Second

5 years

 Nov 12, 2005- to Nov 23, 2005

When I was 15 I met two guys (Glendon and Shelby) at a party. They told me to meet one of the guys girlfriends since we went to the same school together. So my friend and I tracked Amanda down and to this day she is one of my best friends.

................
Little did I know that one of those guys would be my husband one day.
...................

Over the next five years Glendon and I would sort of hang out at our friends parties, he had his girlfriend at the time and I had a boy friends. Neither of us had any interest in each other, other then I did think he was cute but never told anyone. The summer after my graduation our best friends got married and moved to Illinois. In 2003 Shelby and Amanda came home for a visit and just like old times there was a party! Only this time both Glendon and I were single.

When I arrived at the party Glendon got a look at me and didn't recognize me. He went over to Amanda and asked who I was. But I didn't hear him. Wink! Wink! That night everywhere I went Glendon went. He crashed everyone of our girl pictures and kept putting his very cold beer on my arm. BRR We talked all night and for the rest of the summer every time all the friends got together Glendon and I would hang out. We went to birthday dinners, swimming, hung out at Shelby's mom's house, (RIP BARBRA, we love you!) in one of Glendon's home movies of that summer he kicks his own cousin out of a chair so I could come sit by him. I LOVE IT! It's hard not to laugh at it. Finally summer was coming to a wraps and Shelby and Amanda had to return to Illinois to the Air Force. The night of the last gathering to say goodbye, Glendon needed a ride home. So, I took him. When arriving to his house we talked a little and that's when I realized that he grew up in the same neighborhood as in Amy's (my other best friend) boyfriend, (Brad) and a few other friends. Small town. When we finally wrapped up our conversation Glendon asked me for my phone number.......I said "no." Because by that time I was started to work things out with my ex boyfriend.

We both went on; him to another girl and me back to my ex. We ran into each other over the next year or so but never talked.

In Nov 2005, Brad and Amy were engaged and came in to Vancouver to do some wedding stuff and for Amy's birthday. For her birthday we went to Charlie's. A bar here in town. A bunch of friends came up and it was a lot of fun to see them. Glendon's ex-girlfriend came there to meet up with one of the friends and Amy. Amy asked her to call Glendon to come up there and he did. When he arrived I leaned over to Amy and said "Damn Glendon's looking good." She looked at me and laugh agreeing. Over an hour or so Glendon and I exchanged glances at each other from across the table but never talked.

 Finally he made is way close to me while talking to random friends there and I finally, with major butterflies in my tummy, said "hi," to him. OH, I WAS SCARED! We ended up talking all night and hanging on each other. The party moved to our friend's Ashley and Joey's house. STUPIDLY! Amy and I drunk dialed an ex of mine and he came by and we talked for like 20 mins and Glendon was soo jealous, it was cute.
This was all on the night of Nov 12, 2005

Over the next couple weeks we talked on the phone like every night 20 or 30 times. It was like a school girl crush!

One night of a wedding that I went to with my parents unexpectedly, Glendon called me the whole time I was there asking me if I was done yet so we could have out. After I was tired and just wanted to go to bed. The next night I went out with my mom and drove her home and yet again I was to hang out with him and I didn't. Finally, the day before Thanksgiving that year I said "yes," and we got together. What I great date, we went out to Beaches and meet up with a BUNCH of his guy friends.
AWESOME!
NOT!
After Beaches we went to an old bar to shoot pool. Well, him and his friends not me. It was fun for what it was and I did get to meet his friends. They were cool. Glendon was shooting pool and I was standing sort of near him talking to his friend when out of no where, Glendon came up, grabbed my hand wrapped his arm around me and kissed me. I was shocked!!!! I have never kissed a guy on the first date before but this boy was different and I knew it.

We dated for almost a year when Glendon asked me to marry him. A few months later I got pregnant with Carter. We thought about rushing a getting married but we didn't see the need to. We were together and that's all we needed.  The Christmas after Carter was born I finally found the ring I wanted and Glendon bought it and proposed Christmas night with my ring!  (we were too busy to open presents that morning) The following Nov 2008, we were married the day before our our three anniversary. This November 22 marked our second wedding anniversary and the 23rd marked our fifth year relationship anniversary.  
   In Jan 2010 we welcomed our second boy Mason.

I truly married my best friend, the one who completes me, the one that complements me as a person, the one who stand strong next to me and holds my hand through thick and thin, the one that I will love for all time.
Here is to the life of my life, my husband, Glendon.
(I started this a week ago and didn't get to finish it do to being sick)


We had a great anniversary date going out to the Portland City Grill one of my fav places, and the we were to go to Harvey's Comedy Club, but I suprised him with great seats at the Blazer game. Sadly we lost but was still a great night. 

Mid November already

This month is really flying by, it feels like I just made the Owls for a Halloween treat for my family.

Today is my third to last day to for teaching Carter's co-op preschool.

I've had an easy month teaching with the two holidays, I lost two Thursday to teach. It's kind of a bitter sweet thing, I love having the group and teaching them, but on the other hand I love having mommy and Mason time and getting random things done with only on kid in tow.

This week we are talking about being thankful and Thanksgiving.

Teaching the kids about thankfulness and what they are thankful for I can't help but think about what I am thankful for. There are some many things to list:

My creativeness

My hair

the love I was raised with

my boys

my husband

my house

my life

the leafs in my back yard

my health

my parents (in laws too)

all my sisters

 all my brothers

my niece and nephews

all my cousins, aunts and uncles

my friends

my job

my generosity

my open mindedness

my attitude

my ability to cook

my love for fashion

and some many more things

But all of this items really point back to one aspic of my life and it the most important of my life and with out it I would be the person I am today............

MY FAMILY

The people I was raised with and by and those who have joined my family over the years and those who's family I joined really are the only things that matter in life and I'm so thankful for those people.

 

2 year mark

November is a great month.

On the 22nd of this month it will be our second anniversary.
 It's exciting to look back over our almost two years of marriage and almost five years of relationship. 

We were married the day before our three year relationship anniversary. 

There have been ups and down over the years as well as two wonderful boys. 

I'll share more as it get closer but I can't wait, think I'll hit the mall this week and find a cute dress to wear on our date night.  

My Tree

The other day on my facebook page I talked about the tree in my back yard. In Spring the tree bloomed at two different times half and half. One side bloomed to be green and the other to be red, weeks apart. Very interesting to watch in the mornings while eating breakfast pondering how it would look when it was done and when it was all going to bloom. It finally finished and was a topic piece with friends and family over the summer when out side. Now that Fall has come and is painting the area with beautiful colors the tree has even more colors to it. The green side is now green and yellow while the red side has chosen to be orange and red. Again very beautiful to watch as it changes. I was asked to post a picture of it so here it is.

Hope you find it just a beautiful.

Wish I would have got a picture of it before the wind storm we had the other day, it was much fuller.