Christmas Toys in Review- The Good

So we have some new toys here in the Waters house since the Christmas season. Some of them have been huge hits while others have fallen far short of the glory that the tv commercials promised (can you believe that?? ha!). I always like to share my opinions on toys we have because I like to hear other opinions as well. So for what its worth, here is my two cents on some of the toys the boys received for Christmas.

Hot Wheels Color Shifter Garage
Can be purchased at any retail store $24.99
This may very well have been the hit of the season for both of my boys. It was a gift for my four year old but my eight year old loves it just as much. It has been a huge hit with every friend my boys have had over- boys and girls alike. The cars go around the track and can either fall in cold water that will change the car color or hot water that will change the color back. The downside is that it only works with the specific Hot Wheels Color Shifter cars; however, two come with the garage. It can be messy so we put a towel under the whole garage and let the boys play with it in the kitchen floor. Would definitely suggest this if you don't mind the mess!

Playmobil Pyramid
Can be purchased at Toys R Us or online at the PlayMobil site
Its an expensive purchase and at least in the beginning of this Christmas season was a tough toy to find. Both of my boys love imaginative play. They love PlayMobil, Legos, and Imaginext. Aidan at a young five is not quite there yet with being able to contruct the massive lego sets on his own and gets very frustrated because they fall apart so easily when he tries to play with them. PlayMobil still has the construction aspect to it so he can build the set; however, the pieces are much larger sections and much less involved allowing him to build it on his own. And because it is in larger sections, stays together for play. This was one of those toys I thought at first was a bust. He wanted it so badly but didn't play with it for a while. Now, he, his brother and friends play frequently with it. I love listening to them and the stories they make up for the Egyptians. We have other PlayMobil sets and they end up playing with them all together so it doesn't matter that some sets are pirates, some are the Romans, etc -- they all go together very well.

Monopoly Deal
Most retail stores $4.99
We LOVE playing games in our house. I think Jim and I love it just as much as the boys. The boys would be content to play the same four games over and over. Jim and I are not. We get bored with the same games and are constantly looking for new ones that we all will enjoy. Avery LOVES Monopoly. Aidan hates it- mainly because it takes too long. We have Star Wars Monopoly but rarely get to play it because it is so lengthy. We found the perfect solution. Parker Brothers came out with a card game called Monopoly Deal. Its the same concept of collectiong properties, charging rent, getting hotels, etc only at a much faster pace. We have played this every night since Christmas. Aidan is five and below the age range suggested on the box but has had no issues learning the game. Great game and only $4.99


Rolling Coaster Cars
Overstock.com $42.99
Although we haven't had a huge amount of time to play around with these due to the frigid temps, the time we have spent has been fun!! The boys love them. It did take Aidan a while to really get the motion of it to get going but he's good now. Jim and I raced them down opposite sidewalks and had a blast. They seem to go well downhill or on flat surfaces; however, neither the boys or I have been able to get them to work really well getting uphill. The garage floor was a fun surface- the boys were able to spin around and spin out. We're hoping it warms up soon so we can play around with them more.

Wii Games
Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics

Lego Rock Band

Both are $49.99
Two of the most fun Wii games we have!

So what did your kiddos get for Christmas? What do you love and what is not so great? Would love to hear from you. My next post will be on the toys that fell short. :)

Happy Birthday Big D

Its A-Dog, Av-Man and H-Diddy on the mic. We're a couple of days early. Happy Birthday Mr Dennis!!

Taking the Plunge

14

Last month my husband and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. We've never been huge on celebrations. We may go out to eat, catch a movie- something like that. We did get away without the boys for a weekend to celebrate our 10th. The more I think about marriage and what all it entails- how amazingly wonderful it can be and how crazy difficult it can be at other times- I think every single anniversary year needs to be celebrated.
If anyone had asked me during our first year of marriage if Jim and I would make it to fourteen, I don't know that my answer would have been a very confident "yes." In fact, I was a bit skeptical at times that we'd make it to two. To be fair, it was a stressful beginning. My dad died in May, my grandmother in August, and we got married and moved to Asheville, NC in September. I had a difficult time finding a job in my field and because we were young and just married, we had ZERO money so I took a job as a teller at a bank in Black Mountain, NC. I'm not knocking being a bank teller. There is not a thing wrong with that occupation. It just wasn't what I wanted to do and my life at that point was turning into a lot of not what I wanted to do.
I was MISERABLE in Asheville. Jim traveled a lot with his job and when he wasn't doing that, he was traveling to Raleigh every weekend for this study course for his Professional Engineers license. I knew absolutely no one and if you know me, you know I'm not hugely outgoing so making friends wasn't easy for me. And in the whole year we were there, I only had two visitors from home. I was very lonely. I was not nice to Jim. Looking back at it, I am amazed (well not really because he is a Godly man) that he stuck it out with me.
But he did and here we are fourteen years later- perfectly happy, never a cross word, just wonderful wedded bliss... and if you believe that well, I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona. ;) Marriage is hard work. Aside from parenting which was an eye opener too, I don't think there is anything more difficult. I'm not a huge Dr. Phil fan but he made a comment on one of his shows a long time ago that has stuck with me. He said, "If young couples put as much effort into planning for the actual marriage as they did for the wedding ceremony and reception, the results might be better." You know what I mean. One minute you're dating, all happy and in love- he's opening doors for you, planning romantic dates specifically catered to your likes, hanging on your every word and you say "I do" then BAM!... you're washing his underwear, wondering how someone could spend that much money on a DVD player, and certain that your words that ring in his ears sound like the teacher from the Peanuts cartoon. You get my point. :)
Its work- its compromise- its hills and valleys. And there are gonna be rough spots- some rougher than others. You pray a lot! :) You get through them- maybe not always with the grace you'd like but you get through and come out stronger on the other side. I thank the Lord every day for Him leading me to Jim. We've had our share of ups and downs, crazy differences of opinions, and heated discussions (some ending in all out yelling at the top of our lungs.) And I'm certain we will have all of that again. Had we given up at the first sign of trouble-- well lets just say that we might have rivaled Britney Spears record for the shortest marriage.
So for what its worth, here are fourteen things some funny, some serious that we've learned over the last fourteen years...

1. Jim's idea of clean is NOT the same (not even remotely close) as mine.
2. It is better for me to walk away when we have a heated discussion than to stay and say something I know will be hurtful and unfair (such a weakness of mine).
3. Jim knows that I am NOT a morning person and its NOT a good idea to talk to me before I've had a cup of coffee.
4. I know that when he has been unusually quiet there is something wrong and I also know I will have to ask numerous times with the repeated answer of "Nothing" until I finally get the reason.
5. The big tooth is an off limits topic.
6. He made it 25 years without having me have to tell him what to do and how to do it, he can make it another 25 without that too. :)
7. If I see a movie with him there will always be the risk of him cackling like a hyena at a scene NO ONE else in the entire theater thinks is funny. (And Avery has the same sense of humor)
8. I am NOT always right. (sigh)
9. He's learned that there is no right or good answer to, "Do you think I'm fat? or Have I gained weight?"
10. You do NOT toss 20 year old concert shirts- even if they are three sizes smaller than what he wears now- don't do it!
11. If I want him to be the leader of our household, spiritual and otherwise, I HAVE to step back and give him the opportunity.
12. Sometimes you have to say your sorry even when its not your fault.
13. Forgiveness means not bringing it back up again-- not even when you're angry and everything in you wants to pull up every hurtful thing for the past oh umm 14 years (yeah- another thing I'm working on and God's working on me)
14. And finally- God meant for us to be together and there isn't anything that we can't make it through together.

Happy 14th Harvey!

The Best Consignment Sale!

Open to the Public:

Saturday, August 15 10am - 6pm

Sunday, August 16 12pm-6pm

Monday - Wednesday, August 17-19 10am - 6pm

Thursday, August 20 10am - 6pm -- 25% OFF DAY!

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Half Price Days:

Friday, August 21 10am - 6pm

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Sunday, August 23

1pm -3pm

We accept cash and personal check ONLY. There will be a $25 fee for any returned checks.

38

Thirty eight..... 38.....almost 4 decades...been out of high school for 20 years.... out of college for 16.... have an eight year old...married for almost 14...
No matter how you phrase it, 38 years is a long time. I joke a lot about my younger years. Its true I have more wrinkles and a few more pounds with my advancing years. I was asking myself last night, if I could go back would I? If I could time travel back to 1993, college graduation day and relive the past 16 years would I take that opportunity?
Sure there are many things I remember fondly about those years. It was nice to not have any responsibility. It was awesome to be a size 6. It was amazing to feel like at that moment I had the world at my fingertips and the opportunities were endless. I was passionate about saving the world. I left WKU with my little degree and was determined to help people- to make a difference. My mom and dad were still here on this Earth with me. I could go on and on about all the positives that time in my life held for me. I could also go on and on about all the things I would change. But would I go back?
Not a chance!
I'll take my husband and two beautiful boys, my mortgage, my bills, my extra pounds and wrinkles, and my thirty eight year old self over my younger one any day. I'm still passionate about saving the world only on a different level now. :) The experiences in my life whether good or bad have led me to the person I am today and while I'm still a work in progress far from perfect (and never will be), I love me and my life. The Lord has worked on me through the years and there's still a lot left to do but I wouldn't trade where I am in my walk with Him today for younger years. Time has weeded out acquaintances I thought were real friends and left me with true and deep bonds of friendships with people who have stood beside me through the good times and the ugly (and there have been some ugly times). Experiences and wisdom that come with age have allowed me to let go of self consciousness and embrace personality traits in myself that I once prayed would change.
So today I count my many blessings and I thank the Lord that I am His daughter; Jim, Harve, James, Jimmy, Mike's wife; Avery and Aidan's mother; and Bob and Joyce's daughter. I am humbled and touched beyond expression at the many people I get to call friends, best friend, and family. And I love you all!!!!
38

In The Blink of an Eye- First Day of Third Grade

First Day Of Kindergarten

First Day of First Grade

First Day of Second Grade

First Day of Third Grade