Classic Christmas

Over the years, we've had some very notable Christmas memories. Coincidentally, we've captured a few of these moments on camera. We would love to share them with our beloved friends and family at this reflective and profound time of year:
Wilson has always felt a little jittery about sitting on Santa Claus's lap and is still currently very uneasy about doing so. This picture was from December of 2005 and although he presently will behave a little more cordially toward Santa--I know this picture still portrays his undeniable feelings about sitting on Santa's lap.
This picture is a true classic in every sense of the word. If you want the whole story, let me know and I'd be glad to tell you. Basically we have Wilson, Maisy, and my Grandma Ming posing for this picture. Wilson was very amicable to even take this picture because we knew of his tremendous fear of *THE GRANDMA* which is completely validated by all who have been in contact with Grandma Ming. He really didn't want to take a picture with her--as you can see from his position on the couch. Oh well. At least we have this picture for posterity.
This snapshot depicts our family attempting to get a festive and pleasant picture for our Christmas Card last year. Look! We even dressed in matching Holiday attire! Well, of course picture taking never quite turns out how you would like. So is the case of this picture taken on a very cold and VERY windy day.


This year we were miraculously advantageous to get a good family picture for Christmas. So Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family! We are so grateful for how you each bless our lives. Thank you and God Bless (wait--is that a Texas term?!)

Special Moves

The festivities just continue around here. We've been having a VERY MERRY Christmas Season. So merry in fact that Brett, Wilson, and Maisy have created a new game that I rather enjoy watching. It's called Freeze Dance. Here's the gist: They turn on the holiday music radio station and dance around until Brett says "FREEZE!" Then they freeze. The best part is that they have each contrived a *SPECIAL MOVE* that they must do when Brett calls out "Special Move!" I must say--these moves are pretty special. Brett says they were inspired by Dancing With the Stars.

Below is a video clip of Maisy doing her *special move*



Here we have Wilson doing his *special move*



So this Holiday Season, when you're out and about in the hustle and bustle and you think of *special*--hopefully you'll think of *special moves* MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dickens of a Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! We are really getting into the Christmas Season around our house. It's been so much fun this year. I think it's the first year that Maisy really understands the merry feeling in the air. She's been wishing everyone a "Happy Holidays!" every chance that she gets.
This all began the first day after Thanksgiving. We went to Historic Downtown McKinney for their annual Dickens of a Christmas. All their stores were ready for Christmas. They had a Christmas train plowing through the streets for the children to ride.
It was so festive! How could we not get so excited for Christmas time!
Of course, Santa Claus was there meeting and greeting all the good little girls and boys. I'm just glad that Wilson didn't shed any tears this year. He was still quite apprehensive about sitting on Santa's lap. Maisy, nonetheless, walked right up to him and struck up a conversation with Ol' St. Nick!
Brett and I have been covertly content about our opportunity to participate in this traditional ritual so early in the season, because we've really been applying the classic ruse of "Santa Claus is watching you right now--so you had better eat those peas!"
Here is a picture of Brett with just one of the many people dressed up in traditional Victorian costumes. She seemed really excited to be dressed up and Brett was very excited to take a picture with her.
The highlight of the day had to be the marionette puppet show! This talented puppeteer and about 6 of his marionettes performed a charming Christmas show right out in the streets. Maisy of course LOVED the puppets. Her favorite was the ballerina who twirled to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.
She was in a wonderland the whole performance and had to go and meet the puppets after the show. She hugged them each and wished them a Happy Holidays. And so our season continues--we hope ya'll are enjoying this season too!

Restaurant Review: The Original Pancake House

The morning after our Thanksgiving Feast, our stomachs were stretched and empty. So we decided to give ourselves a break from vigorous cooking and have breakfast at The Original Pancake House.
The Original Pancake House is located right off Highway 75 when you take the Parker Street exit. If you want PANCAKES, this is the place to go!
Wilson and Maisy ordered The Strawberry Pancakes--complete with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and strawberry syrup. It was so good that Wilson almost finished it off before Maisy could get back from the bathroom to eat her share.
Brett, of course, ordered the Huevos y Papas. I don't know if it was his inner espanol urges coming out or if it was his undying need to go to a restaurant and order the one thing on the menu that doesn't remotely relate with the name or specialty items of the restaurant. But, he cleared his plate, nonetheless.
My mom and I shared The Dutch Baby. Hmmmm... SCRUMPTIOUS! If you've ever had German pancakes before, that is what one might compare to The Dutch Baby. Don't forget to squeeze the fresh lemon slices all over and then sprinkle more powdered sugar over that.
I think the prize might go to my dad. He ordered The Apple Pancakes. They were gooey, fresh, slathered with cinnamon, and came straight from the oven. What you can not see from this somewhat blurry picture is that there is a surprise waiting inside. There is a creamy custard layer between all the baked apples and the pancake. It is divine! Let's just say that my mom and I helped my dad out with his food too. Way to go Dad! Way to order!

Thanksgiving Feast!

We really had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day this year. At first I was a little sad because we had decided not to travel because I'm pregnant. Also, we didn't think we'd have enough time. We always love a nice Thanksgiving in Page, AZ with the Gustavesons. We really miss them too! But before we could blink our eyes, plans started brewing. First my parents accepted our invitation to come to our house. Then, I started thinking: What kind of a Thanksgiving would it be without a lot of people (related or non-related) to help you eat all the food! So, Brett and I started invited little families from our ward that were also staying at home for Thanksgiving. We had a complete and pure BLAST!
Here's a view of the tables all set up for dinner.
I even decorated the piano.
Here is an aerial shot. I was very excited to have a reason to decorate...you know, really spruce things up.
So our guest list consisted of: My parents--The Mings, The Stentzels, The Lewis's, and The Ashbys. Above is a picture of the gorgeous turkey that Cindy made. Here is a list of our food agenda (I'm putting this in simply because it was SO engrossingly delectable):

Gus: sweet potatoes, apple pie, pumpkin spice cake, and fruit salad.
Mings: Ham, and homemade cranberry sauce (my dad made it from scratch with fresh orange zest--I couldn't stop sniffing it because it smelled so good.)
Lewis: THE TURKEY, gravy, and pecan pie
Stentzel: homemade rolls (a huge hit), fresh fall spinach salad, and mashed potatoes
Ashbys: dressing and pumpkin pie (courtesy of Sara Lee because it was buy 2 pies get a free bag of rolls and she had a 50 cents of Sara Lee pie coupon which I'm sure she either doubled or tripled.)
If you break it down we had 8 children( doesn't the kid table look like fun?!)
9 adults (isn't this a cute picture of the Stentzels)
And 2 absolutely astounding grandparents who volunteered to eat near the children's table and preside as chaperons. It doesn't get much more thankful than this, folks. Thanks everybody!!

Our trip to Las Vegas

Brett and I were so fortunate to have a little get-away-to Las Vegas last week! While we were there we got to attend our friend Emma Whipple's baptism, participate in our friend Luke Whipple's baby blessing, have a girls night out, go to breakfast with the Chesniks, and get reacquainted with our friends. It was a special time and also it was a lot of fun!
Here is Emma all dressed in her customary, yet very elegant baptism dress. We were very honored to be Emma's guests that day and attend her baptism. She is a great example to us!
I would have to say that the funniest thing that Emma said during our visit was her reply when I asked her if she wanted me to french braid her hair. When I asked her she said, "No, that's okay." Then later she told her mother--Leah, "Kasia said she would french braid my hair, but I said no. I don't want to look like a polygamist." That one still makes me laugh out loud. We love YOU Emma!
Here's Luke all ready for his big day. Poor kid. He had to wear a sweater suit when it was 80 degrees outside. That's okay because he looked adorable.
This is his brother, Jake, giving him a *good luck kiss*. What a good brother.
Jake and I became great buddies during our visit. I miss you Jake! I loved playing Zingo and Trick(lick)-a-ma-stick and with you. I can't wait until we can play together again.
These landmark occasions are always accompanied with FABULOUS FOOD. Great job on the food, Leah. I mean, COME ON--check out this hunk of beef.
(I was talking about the meat--not Kaid). I was just so amazed by this massive roast that I made Kaid pose for a picture. Wow! It really doesn't get any better than this. Thanks Las Vegas for great memories! We love you!

MY BOYS

5 Reasons I Love My BOYS:

5. They LOVE to play Mario Kart!

4. They kill renegade SPIDERS that have ventured into the house that I am too terrified to extinguish.

3. They help me do the laundry--Brett folds and Wilson brings the baskets down from upstairs and helps me sort the clothes.

2. They pretty much eat whatever I cook for them and then they PRAISE me on such a great meal!

1. They give me the BEST hugs and kisses EVER as I send them off to school/work.
Of course there are many reasons why I love MY BOYS--which is good because...we found out we are having another BOY!! And boy are we excited!
Well, most of us are very excited. Maisy was present when we had our ultrasound. When the technician announced that it was indeed a boy, Maisy burst into tears. "I wanted a GIRL!" she cried. The whole drive home she just kept saying, "I wanted a girl, but the doctor says it's a boy!" I think it's starting to sink in a little for her. It's okay Maisy. I understand. We will be out numbered now, but we are strong women and WOMAN POWER will prevail! Just ask Daddy.

The blogger is back

Hello Everyone! I'm back from Las Vegas and completely ready to take back my reign. Sorry it's been so long. I had an AWESOME time in Las Vegas and there will be more to come about that. I thought I would post some Halloween pictures that are long over due.
Wilson wanted to be a MELISSA CARDINAL this year. So I glued feathers on a red sweatshirt for a week and then we had remnants of red feathers around the house for a week. But it turned out very cute and very fluffy. His bird feet were the most popular part of his costume.
Maisy wanted to be PRINCESS PRESTO from the new PBS show Superwhy. It took me days to figure out what she was telling me she wanted to be. It always sounded like, "I want to be Princess Pretzel." I was thinking--Who the heck is Princess Pretzel? Fortunately for her, we finally figured it out.
Here is Maisy with her friend Abby. Abby and her family joined us in our festivities on Halloween. She was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I'm so glad they came with us because we had a great time.
Our evening started out in Downtown McKinney. The shops all stay open and hand out candy. They also have hay rides, food, etc. It was mostly fun to see all the different costumes. After that we went to a hamburger joint called Culver's and got some dinner. They were selling their hamburgers for $1. So we splurged and got a shake also. Then we went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood and had a total blast. The kids were so cute! There was even one house that gave out whole candy bars and little cans of playdough. As you can see we were pretty tired out by then, so we didn't quite make it to Trunk-or-Treat at the church.
Overall, I would have to say that this was one of the best Halloweens we've ever had. (Not to mention all the great goodies we got!)

The Jack-O-Lanterns picture is courtesy of Brett's brother Brian. Isn't it just the coolest picture you've ever seen? Great photography, Brian! And great artistic details on the pumpkins too! Love the black cat.

The Blogger is Away

Have you been missing your Gustaveson update? Kasia is currently on a business trip to Las Vegas, and will return a little later this week. Expect some great posts then. Until then, here are some classic Gustaveson moments to keep you busy: P.S. When the blogger is away, the assistant will play . . .




Maisy has always been a dancer of the highest caliber, thanks to expert training.


Stay tuned for more classic moments, brought to you by the blogging assistant . . .

Fall Carnival!

Autumn has officially arrived in Melissa, Texas. The air is cool and crisp in the mornings requiring one to wear a sporty jacket of some sort, with the sun warming the air later in the afternoon--yet keeping the crisp freshness to the air. Of course with Fall comes Carnivals. Wilson's school has a Fall Carnival and I have to say, I was quite impressed. They had all the classic Carnival games. I'm never certain how these functions will turn out, but this one was very fun.
Here's a picture of Maisy waiting to ride the little pony with her friend Abby.
Here she is riding the pony. Awww...cute.
Here is Wilson with his PRIZE. He did the Animal Walk--which is basically the same concept as the cake walk, but you win a stuffed animal instead of a cake. So out of all the numerous choices of stuffed animals, Wilson chose this big neon green fuzzy smiley face pillow. Hey! There's nothing wrong with that because in fact, Wilson really loves his smiley face pillow. He sleeps with it every night.

He is very protective of it too. He caught Maisy trying to touch it and he shouted:

"Maisy! NO! You're gonna get it all stinky!"

Apparently this was a great cause for concern because a few minutes later has asked me if he could spray his neon green fuzzy smiley face pillow with some of my Bath and Body Works Body Splash, because he "wanted his pillow to smell really great." I agreed and then let him have his choice of fragrance. What can I say? His pillow smells pretty sensational!

Thanks Guys!

We just wanted to extend an ENORMOUS thank you to our great friends THE SORENSENS.
A couple of weekends ago, they drove all the way from Madison, Alabama to visit us. We really had the BEST time with them. What a sacrifice to drive all that way!
Well, in our hearts and memories, it was very very much worth it. We appreciate your cutest family and our friendship means the world to us.
Bye Zoe and Kaija! Hope all is well at home. We can't wait to come and visit you in Alabama!

(Disclaimer: I know this post is a little bit short and uninformative; however, most of my pictures from this weekend were deleted in our software disaster and of course, all of the good ones are floating off in picture outerspace somewhere. I apologize profusely. Stayed tuned for more exciting blog entries.)

Oooo Spooky!

We are getting into the Halloween Spirit around the Gustaveson Quarters. We decided to get SPUNKY with our SPOOKINESS and decorate our willing and able abode. We spread Halloween spooks around last Monday for FHE and Wilson and Maisy had a marvelous time.
In fact, they really started to capture the eerie ambiance of Halloween . They strategically put the synthetic spiders in their spurious webs. Maisy kept saying, "Ooooo Spooky!" And Wilson even was frightened a little when we turned off all the lights.
That must be why we were able to get them to make such great Horrifying Halloween faces. Ooooo Spooky!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Oh Bother!

I am sooooooo SORRY!! I want to apologize for not posting in over a week. YIKES! We are having issues with our Photo Software and I can't get any of my pictures to download. I'm totally bummed because I actually have some really fun pictures to post. So, stayed tuned...I suppose.

I guess this is as good time as any to make my big announcement: I'm PREGNANT! I realize this is absolutely anti-climatic (at least it is for me.) I've been hoping that a brilliantly creative idea to announce the conception of my 3rd child would suddenly pop into my head, and alas--nothing. So I will use this *broken software and otherwise boring life* opportunity to ring out the bells...I'm having a BABY!

If you want to see some fun pictures of my family and me, you can check out my friend Emily Loria's blog. Every Friday she highlights one of her friends on her blog. I was her "Friday Fresh Face" last Friday. So just click HERE and then go to October 12,2007 in her archives. It was actually very fun. Emily is totally my inspiration when it comes to blogging. She got me started. She is so fun and *out-of-this-world* talented. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw her on America's Next Top Model someday.

So, thanks for being understanding, everyone. It's nice to take this moment to thank ya'll for viewing our blog and being a part of our lives. Here's to YOU!

Dance with me...

So Maisy has discovered that her new Cinderella toy is exactly the same size as Wilson's Justice League action figures. How convenient!
Somehow Maisy had coaxed her Daddy into playing with her. He was to be the mind, voice, and action of Superman. Maisy was to be the elegance behind the Cinderella figurine. I overheard a most delightful and enchanting conversation between Cinderella and Superman. It went something like this:
SUPERMAN: Hello Cinderella.

CINDERELLA: Hello Superman.

SUPERMAN: Will you dance with me?

CINDERELLA: Okay. (Que the music)

SUPERMAN: You are so beautiful.

CINDERELLA: Ohhh, thank you! Let's kiss!

SUPERMAN: I have to go now.

CINDERELLA: You have to save people?

SUPERMAN: Yes, I have to save the world.

CINDERELLA: I go with you? I help?

SUPERMAN: No, it's too dangerous. We'll dance again soon.

CINDERELLA: Okay, good-bye Superman.

SUPERMAN: Good-bye Cinderella.
Well, it looks like Superman's wildest dreams have come TRUE. A dance and a kiss from Cinderella! I mean come on! Anyway, we hope all your wildest dreams come true today too.

Maisy is 3!

We had a very merry birthday celebration for Maisy's last Saturday.
Here's the birthday girl swimming around like royalty with her Grandpa.
I think all the kids had a lot of fun. Here they are playing an animated game of WATER duck-duck-goose.
Thank you to all of Maisy's friends for the precisely dandy gifts. We were touched by the thoughtfulness of each of them. I don't think Maisy could have gone in a store and picked out better gifts for herself.
When I asked Maisy what her favorite part of her birthday party was, she answered 2 things:

First--the presents...
Second was her FRIENDS of course! She really loves her friends.
Poor Grammy and Grandpa. I think we wore them out with all of our birthday festivities.
Little Maisy was quite worn out too. Too much Partying will make a Princess Perfectly Pooped.