Memories...

Here is a picture of all of us on a fun-filled summer trip to Texas to visit Steve, Ronda, Stephanie, and Steven. This was the summer of '93. As you can see we had made it to Oklahoma (a big feat for our pitiful blue minivan).

The Little Turtle

One of my favorite rhymes practiced every Friday with Grandma during our trips to town....
The Little Turtle
There was a little turtle who lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle, He climbed on the rocks.
He snapped at the mosquito.
He snapped at the flea.
He snapped at the minnow.
He snapped at me.
He caught the mosquito.
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow,
but he didn't catch me.

A Christmas Montage

Santa ate the Cookies

After opening presents, Jayce was so excited to see if Santa had ate the cookies we had put out the night before. Last year, Jayce was not quite as excited about leaving cookies for Santa. Our plan last year was to get rid of Jayce's pacifier over Christmas break. For weeks we had been telling Jayce that Rudolph had lost his pacifier and what a great idea it would be if Jayce would leave his paci for Santa to pick up. So, on Christmas Eve we laid out cookies and milk and reminded Jayce about leaving his paci for Rudolph. He was very reluctant, but after much convincing he laid it down on the plate by the cookies. Jayce went on to bed and Jared and I thought that finally we had gotten rid of that darn pacifier. About an hour later I heard a noise and walked up the stairs to check it out. Peering from the bottom step of the family room I could see Jayce walking back down the hallway to his bedroom. As I walked up the stairs he must have heard be because he turned around. In his mouth was his pacifier that he had taken from Santa's plate. He held up his pointer finger and said (with the paci in his mouth) "Mommy, don't say a word." He immediately turned around, walked into his bedroom, and shut the door. I've never laughed so hard in my life. We had to deal with the paci for another six months until we could convice him to feed it to Nemo (the fish) in the lake :)

Plenty of Presents

Wow! What a Present

Jordan didn't know what to think about the huge present Santa left.

The BIG Christmas Present

Daddy had to help unwrap the present because Jayce said it was to big for him to do it.

Christmas Shopping at the Dollar Store

Today we ended our Christmas shopping of the season with a trip to the Dollar Store. Jayce walked up and down the isles picking out the perfect gifts for Meemaw, Papa, Krysta, and Pete. We started this tradition in our family last year, but trips to the dollar store are not at all new to my family. I have many fond and now hysterical memories of yearly trips to the dollar store. The fond memories are those where mom and dad would give us $10.00 to spend on Christmas gifts for the family and we would meticulously walk down each and every isle looking for the perfect gift for grandma's and grandpa, aunts and uncles, Mom and Dad, and of course our siblings. We felt a sense of power in knowing we had the purchasing power to buy whatever we wanted. The hilarious memories are the fights that resulted also on a yearly basis. This began when on Christmas Eve we would beg mom and dad to let us open our presents to each other (the ones purchased at the dollar store). After begging and pleading and our parents knowing well in advance that fighting was soon to break out they agreed. What makes these memories hilarious to me is fantasizing what great gifts my siblings got me. For some reason in my ten year old brain I was convinced that both my brother and sister must have picked out this amazing gift that would be exactly what I wanted. Well, that never happened. It was always either a cheap porcelain cat or an out-of-date jewelry box with a missing hinge. We would get so mad at each other and argue and squabble about what we should have gotten like those beautiful plastic jewels under the counter or the really cool cassette tape in the bargain bin. This squabbling would last into the night when at last we lay our heads down too excited to sleep, waiting for the magical moment when Santa would leave us the really cool gifts. I hope that this tradition I have carried over into my family will bring my boys as many fond and funny memories for them as it has for me.
With Lots of Love :)
The O'Quinns

Happy Holidays 2008

Welcome :)

Soon to be open!