S-L-O-W-L-Y

We are s-l-o-w-l-y getting things back in order after returning from nearly two weeks in China. Kris and I are both dealing with jetlag, but our family routine still calls :) The big kids register/meet their teacher for 3rd and 1st grades tomorrow morning. All the school supplies are purchased and labeled. Their uniforms are washed, ironed, and hanging in the closet. I have been making notes on afternoon snack ideas. And I have a new routine/chore chart brewing in my head. Guess those last four sentences mean a new school year is upon us!

Once this week gets going I'll blog about our amazing trip and the experiences God granted. But before I get busy with that I'll be blogging about TWO very important days!

Christmas Meme

This time of year I feel like I don't have anything to write about, yet life is really busy. Go figure! I was looking back at what I had written last year (trying not to repeat myself) and was reminded of this meme. I did a Google search of Christmas Memes and selected questions from several sites that I thought were different and interesting. You may or may not like memes but in their own way they do help you get to know someone better, right?!?

Decorations outside? We have wreaths on all the windows and front door, and lighted garland and small trees in urns surrounding the front door.


Real or artificial tree? We have an artificial tree for two reasons:
1) we have to decorate before Thanksgiving because we always host the BSU Christmas Party the Tuesday after
2) we have allergies and I am not willing to chance it.


Tree topper: star, angel, something else? Currently our tree is topped with a star but we have used an angel some years.

Wrapping paper or bags? I always wrap if possible!

Favorite Christmas movie? Two movies make the list: Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas and Elf.


Do you read the Christmas story? Yes

Do you display a Nativity scene? I have a Fontanini set that I continue to collect and a wood carved set bought during a mission trip to Guatemala.



Stocking before or after presents? Santa fills our stockings so they get "opened" at the end of Santa.

Do you like receiving Christmas letters/photos? Absolutely! One of my favorite things about Christmas. My mom has a friend from college that always wrote lots of details about her kids lives and every year I LOVED to read her letters!

Do you take pictures with Santa? With my children being deathly afraid of mascots, pictures with Santa are hit and miss. Some years we try it and others we don't.

(Myself with Santa, 5 years old - December 1980)

(Wes with Santa, 14 months old - December 2003)

[Ann Elise (almost 4), Bankston Hays (13 months), and Wes (6) with Santa - December 2006]

Does Santa get a plate? For sure! This may sound strange to some of you, but it was one thing that kept the "Santa secret" going strong for us Carters - my mom would put one of her gray hairs near the plate and we would always squeal because we thought it was from Santa's beard! HA!

Do you enjoy Christmas shopping? Not at all. Totally stressful!

Favorite holiday smell? cookies baking

Warm fire or sleigh ride? I'd take both...and on the same night :)

Snowball fight or snowman? Probably snowman

[Wes (5) and Ann Elise (almost 3), December 2007]

What do you do on a snow day? Like to get up and watch it fall, drink a big cup of coffee, lounge in my pjs, get layered up and talk a walk/play outside, come in and sit by the fire and thaw out, play games as a family, watch a movie, etc.

[Bankston Hays (13 months) and myself - December 2008]

(Ann Elise, Kris, and Wes - December 2007)

Gettin' a lil' crazy 'round here!

Later today a whirlwind of events will begin at The Five Dubs. You will probably find my posts to be more sporadic over the next two weeks, but bare with me...I'll be back!

My mom and grandmother (now living with my mom - a post for another time) are arriving this afternoon. The kiddos' school is celebrating their grandparents with a picnic brunch and my mom is getting to attend! My kids are fortunate to have two grandparents live next door that can attend most every event scheduled. However, we are excited that my mom has recently retired and will be attending her first ever daytime school event! It also happens to be her birthday. She has asked for a car detail job (by The Five Dubs) and we plan to throw in a steak supper with Peanut Butter Pie for dessert (I'll be sure and let you know how it turns out - never made it before). Our company will be hanging around through the weekend...throw in 2 soccer games (and a practice), a flag football game, Southern Miss Homecoming and it's festivities...we've got us a full plate!

Next week brings the normal activities, a field trip, turning in consignment items for a local sale (a post for another time), AND Wes turns 8! We have a fun party planned and my family will be coming in for the weekend. This time my mom and grandmother will be back in town plus my sister and her family...it'll be a full house!

I have been gearing myself up for a while knowing what October was bringing with it! I don't stop and "smell the roses" very often. My mind constantly turns to do lists. Well, yesterday afternoon I decided to stop for a few hours. I walked out the back door leaving dishes in the sink, towels waiting to be laundered, piles on the kitchen counter to be sorted and put away, and my bed was not even made (gasp!). The kids and I went to the backyard, hung the hammock, and enjoyed reading. The weather was perfect!


I received a Sonlight catalog in the mail over the summer. They impressed me with their "read aloud" lists. Earlier this school year I took some time to write down all the titles in our age group and searched for them at our Library. We are currently reading The Family Under The Bridge.


The kids have always loved being read to and this story keeps their attention just the same. Now, if I will just stop and enjoy these moments more often, a happier we would be :)

It's in the bag!

My friend with lots of style, Kelly, tagged me for this fun meme. You simply tell about your purse and what you can't be found without.

I recently retired one of my favorite purses of all time. It was a square, leather bag with one thick strap. It was silver, but not too shiny and closed with one single snap. It was perfect for this stage in my life because it was multi-functional. At times it served as a purse, other times a tote bag, and even a diaper bag. It was just the right size for a notebook and Bible, a few diapers and wipes container, or a wallet and calendar. While in NYC for our 10th anniversary, I purchased it in China town. So that alone made it special!


This summer I noticed it beginning to show how much it was loved. The strap was peeling and it had a few pen marks on the outside. I really was not interested in finding another bag. I am not a big shopper, nor do I like to spend much money on myself, nor did I want to give up old faithful. However, while running errands with my mom I came across a lone bag on a sale shelf at Belk. The bag caught my eye because it was covered in ruffles that formed a flower. I also liked it because it was yellow leather (I hear bright fun colors are "in" in the bag world)! I gave it a good look over and it met my requirements. But, when my mom offered to make the purchase, it was SOLD!


I am pretty simple. A lot of "stuff" can make me feel claustrophobic! So, I tend to have one purse that gets the attention and generally holds four things: my wallet, my calendar, a bag of colored pens (my calendar is color coded - yes, I have issues), and my cell phone. A few other things that occasionally take up space would be my sunglasses, lip gloss, receipts, and keys.


There you have it...the life of a purse in my world!

Remember me?

Maybe I should begin by re-introducing myself.

My name is Presley and I am a horrible blogger. I have come to accept this and other things about myself. I like lots of things and want to be great at all of them. The short list would include: made beds, mopped floors, blooming flowers in the flower beds, organizing, scrapbooking, reading, swimming with kids, exercising, coloring with my kids, blogging, cooking, Facebook, reading blogs, Twitter, and learning. And that is the short list. My problem? I can't be great at all of them. So, most get neglected. And this blog took the front seat of neglect for the past, ooohhh, 6 months!

I am sorry. Very sorry to those still interested in the Five Dubs.

In trying to do better I struggled with what to write about and where to start(should I have a more consistent theme? should I express myself more and expose my inner thoughts? should I skip blogging about the past 6 months? do people even care about what I have to say? am I doing this for others?). I finally decided to just do it. Just sit and type. And, if it turns out that catching up on my blogging ends up being Flashbacks for the next 6 months, then I'll just blog Flashbacks about the 6 months that have passed while I blogged Flashbacks. Ok?


And, if no one continues to follow the Five Dubs, I will completely understand and accept that this will just have to suffice for my desire to be a great scrapbooker, seeing that I might have to sell a limb in able to afford all the pictures I need to print so that I might get caught up on my scrapbooks!

So here it goes...let's begin with none else, a Flashback!

*image taken from Google images results for "flashbacks" search*

10 Things About Me

Last week I was tagged by Lindsey to write 10 things about me you may not know. Those of you who know me know how much I enjoy getting to know people...there is always a question in my head and I am always sincerely interested in the answer! So, in honor of this being something I would love to read I thought this sounded exactly like something I could do!


Here are the rules:

1. Say thanks and give a link to the one who gave you the award.
2. Share 10 honest things about yourself.
3. Present this award to 3 other fantastically brilliant blogs of content or design, or peeps that have encouraged you.
4. Tell those 3 people they've been awarded and make sure they're informed of these guidelines.


1. I went to a Metallica concert in 9th grade. I am probably one of the last people you would suspect of this adventure - except Kris! And guess what? He was there, too! We did not know each other at the time (we grew up in different towns). But, the story gets even better when you hear that Kris broke his glasses while head banging. Yes, my husband, Kris!

2. I love my major (Recreational Therapy) but never worked a day in it. My internship was in a Transitional Care Unit. I worked mostly with stroke patients, hip and knee replacement patients, and a few neck injury patients. I enjoyed that time greatly! As I mentioned above, I really like getting to know people. And in this case I was able to do that and make their life more rewarding.

3. I love traveling out of the country!!! I have been fortunate to spend time overseas in 5 different countries. A lot of these opportunities have been missions related. To list a few of my favorite experiences: serving food to impoverished children in Guatemala, taking a "bath" while standing in a bucket and using a pot to pour the water to rinse with while in the Philippines, touring the famous Iguassu Falls in Brazil with one of my best college friends, and walking through many Buddhist temples in the thickest humidity imaginable while serving in Taiwan.

4. I had prayed for years that if God's will was for me to marry, I wanted to know. Meaning, beyond a shadow of a doubt, "this is the person I created for you" kind of clarity. He answered my prayer the summer of '95. The very first time I saw Kris I knew that he was the one for me. I did not know his name. I did not know his heart. But, I did know from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet to the deepest corner of my soul that God was showing me His plan. Over the months that followed, we met and became friends. However, He was also telling me "not yet". I waited three years for His timing. The longest wait of my life...but by far the most worth it!!!

5. I love, love, love, giving birth!! I would do it over and over and over. The idea of creating a life in your womb and carrying that child is the most precious and honorable feeling. The experience of childbirth, though not necessarily enjoyable, is worth every second! Those first few moments with a newborn - hearing them catch their breath, their first cry, looking into their eyes for the first time, breathing in their newborn scent, meeting their every need - LOVE it!!

6. I learned I was highly allergic to cats while a 10th grader. I will never forget it. We were at a guy's house for a Student Council Christmas Party. I was not there long before my eyes were itching uncontrollably. Then my throat became itchy and my nose stopped up. The more I sat there I began to wheeze and could not get comfortable. My friends began to talk about how red my eyes were. I felt like the walls were closing in on me so I went and stood on the front porch in the cold. Just getting outside helped relieve me. My first few years of college I lived with a girl who had cats at home. When she would return from the weekend, I would have an "attack" just from her having been home. CRAZY!

7. My mom, myself, and my daughter all share the name "Ann". My mom's given name was Paula Ann, my given name was Presley Ann, and my daughter's name is Ann Elise. I love the idea of passing down family names! Even our boys share some family history - Wes' middle name, Robert, is from men on both sides of our family, and Bankston Hays gets both his names from his fraternal great-great-grandmothers' maiden names.

8. I can go days without leaving our house. I am perfectly content to stay home, get my house in order and cleaned, do a few projects, read/play with the kids, cook meals, etc. Having a list of errands to run and places to be can get me "out of whack" and stress me a little. If I have had two days or more of that in my week - I am ready to be home!! (Typing this makes me feel like I have a split personality because I do love people and love to travel. Am I crazy?)

9. The only bone I have ever broken was my arm in 2nd grade while roller skating. The funny thing? I was roller skating in my front yard! I "rolled" over a magnolia tree's root, tripped, and caught myself with my left arm. My parents thought I had just sprained my wrist so I went days doctoring it at home. Once we realized the pain was not improving, we went to the Dr. to find out it was fractured. I was pretty excited to wear a cast for a few weeks!

10. My first car was a silver, 1984 Honda Accord with PRSLEY on the license plate. I loved that car. It even had a moon roof - of course, it started leaking not long after I got it and we had to keep it "rigged" so water would not come in! I then promoted a little and got a white Mitsubishi Mirage (cannot remember the year) to take to college. Two or three months before we got married we let my mom have that car back and Kris and I shared a vehicle for almost a year. We shared Kris' mint green, 1992 Honda Civic (my sister always called it the "Thin Mint"). We worked very hard at saving so we could buy a second car. For the most part that was fine - until the car we shared needed some work! We borrowed my father-in-law's work truck until our car was ready. This story is funny because the truck had been a former garbage truck. It had green and silver striped reflective tape on the back, the words "Please Recycle" on it, and no air conditioning! I would drive to the BSU, bouncing along in the garbage truck with the windows down, drop Kris off, and head to my workplace a little sweaty and with windblown hair. I was NOT laughing a the time, but it is pretty funny now!


Thank you, Lindsey, for the opportunity to share some of my finer qualities and moments. I hope you enjoyed getting to know me better!

I would like to get to know Kelly at Keeping Up with Kelly, Margie at Marge in Charge, and Anna at The Newlyweds better. So, consider yourself tagged!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

BooMama is hosting a recipe party over on her blog. She wants us to share our favorite dip recipes. And being the appetizer kind of gal that I am, I knew I could contribute! My only problem was choosing a favorite :)

There aren't many appetizers I wouldn't choose over real food on any given day. And this dip is no different! I first tasted this recipe years ago at a Sunday School party and have since made it on numerous occasions. I love that it is served warm and is super cheesy. That rates as delicious on my scale!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

8 oz bag Parmesan/Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
1 cup Mayonnaise (Hellman's tastes best with this recipe)
1 can (14 oz) Artichoke Hearts (drained and chopped)
1 pkg (10 oz) Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed and drained)
3 cloves Garilc

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together half of cheese, mayonnaise, artichoke hearts, spinach and garlic. Spoon into a 9 inch pie plate (recipe can be doubled to fill a 9x13 casserole dish). Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly brown.

I have served this dip with tortilla chips or toasted french bread rounds and both were delicious. I honestly can't imagine anything on earth making this delicacy taste bad! With football season here, maybe this dip will find its way to your tailgating table. Hopefully you'll agree with me...YUM-O!

Up for a little catch up?

Since the end of April I have been a horrible blogger. Actually, let's scratch that. I have not been a horrible blogger - I have not been a blogger! As school was winding down with end of the year parties and graduations and summer starting, I realized I could just not do it all. Blogging was put to the side. We had lots of fun during the time since my hiatus started. So, I was thinking about playing a little catch up. I am wondering if blogging about some of those fun times would help me get back into the swing of blogging, and catch you all up on our goings on. How does that sound? Check back to see how our summer ended up!


I just could not do a post about "catching" up without posting a picture of our sweet little catcher! YES! He does love baseball as much as his Daddy and his big brother...maybe even more!!!

Almost two weeks, but we're not lost! Promise!

Even though some days have felt like we are lost - we're not! The last two weeks we have been fighting being sick. All five of us have battled the common cold (some of us get better only to revisit it again) and Kris and I both had the stomach virus. It can just suck the life out of you! Luckily the kids did not share the pain this time. But, it might be worse with the parents getting it. The house basically shuts down...no clean dishes, no clean clothes, toys everywhere, etc. We are now to the point we are trying to get back on track around here. And by back on track, I also mean with my blogging!

I must admit two other factors that have plagued this household and aided in my absence: party planning and reading.

PARTY PLANNING: I have been planning invitations, guest lists, party games, party food, goody bags, thank you notes, birthday cake ideas, class parties, presents, and wrapped gifts since October. It averages to about two a month when you count the classroom parties and Sunday School parties and Christmas...and just about all at our house! After finishing Ann Elise's birthday party on the 8th, I was tired. My brain needed a break. I had not really thought about it. But, I was carrying around so many ideas and plans and lists in my head that it was exhausting. I know, I know it does not have to be that hard. But, I do enjoy the process! It is just that this was the first year that we celebrated straight through (with Bankston Hays' birthday being added to the mix). Maybe I can learn from this year and plan ahead a little better!

READING: After getting my thirst for reading quenched with Even Now by Karen Kingsbury during our trip to Baltimore, I could. Not. Stop! I immediately checked out the sequel, Ever After, and read it in two short days. AWESOME! I cannot say enough good things about this writer and am looking forward to checking out a few more! (Yes, Kris found me several times sobbing about people I don't know) And, I caved and started the Twilight series. I read the first book and really liked it. It certainly pulled me in, held my interest, and left me wanting to read the next one! I finished the second book, New Moon, a few days ago and already have the third book on hold at the library. So, once it gets returned...I've go it! I definitely like the series! I can't say I am quite as gung-ho as most. I did get past the whole "vampire" issue because, as friends had told me, the focus is more on the love story. I don't know what it is exactly. Maybe it is because I was bouncing back and forth from a Christian novel to a secular novel or that it has been years since I read a secular piece (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series). I am just used to that aspect, I guess! I must say (and I was told this before I read them) there are no inappropriate relationships outside of marriage and no bad language. I'll even admit I immediately went to the computer and watched every trailer I could find! I am really looking forward to seeing the movie and seeing how the movie differs from my imagination. I even went ahead and added Twilight, the movie, to our Netflix Queue (it gets released in March)!!!

Little blogging hiatus

but not on purpose!

Things around our house have picked up a little since returning from the holidays. Besides the usual "getting back into the routine" our little Bankston Hays has become quite the adventurous little boy! Now that he has pretty much mastered the stairs (going up...not coming down) he is on to more fun adventures...

Like scooting the microwave over and climbing into its cubby

Like deciding he is ready to eat NOW and helping me by taking the black eyed peas out of the microwave and feeding himself

And, like helping himself up on my desk to do a little mouse-clicking


All of these events have occurred with me less than 3 feet away. I am very aware of where he is at all times (for the very reasons these pictures show). I am not so surprised that he is this adventurous (the other two were) and I am not so surprised that it is happening at this age. I am surprised that it has caught me so off guard! Is it because he is my third? Is it because my attention is split three ways? Is it because I have a "been here" done that" mentality? Or, is it because I am older this time? J./Lorrie, Haley, Jessica, Kerri, and any other moms/dads of three children with me here? :) --As the pictures tell I am much more laid back...I grabbed the camera before anything else!--

Well, I hear a precious little boy waking up from his nap. As I press save I am hoping to get our blog back off the ground and keeping my little boy's feet on it!

On the Nightstand

Can anyone tell me what the word meme means or how you pronounce it? I have been reading this term in blogland for months now. Still don't know what it is. But, I think it goes along with being tagged?!? Anyway...I have a friend that did this following meme, On the NIghtstand, and tagged whoever wanted to play along. I thought it would be a quick, fun post while the holidays have us so busy.

The Rules!!!!
* Grab the nearest book.
* Open the book to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your blog along with these instructions.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.
* Tag five other people to do the same

The book:
Vital Signs by Kathy Herman


The 5th sentence on page 56 (and the next 2-5 sentences - per the instructions):
"I really love you, Mom. Thanks."
"Honey, you feel warm. Why don't you get out of that long gown and into something more comfortable?"
Jennifer wrinkled her nose. "I can hardly wait till I'm out of maternity clothes."

I am going to tag five people. However, if you have already played along don't feel any pressure to follow along!
1) Robin
2) Erin
3) Christi
4) Brooke
5) Rebecca

Boomama's Christmas Tour of Homes

Welcome!
Come on in and see what Christmas at the five dubs looks like...

Walking up to our front door


Our mantle and hearth (I had such a good time participating in the Nester's Garland Show and Tell last week. Check out this previous post for more mantle pictures.)


The main tree in our family room is decorated with shiny ornaments, white lights, sprigs of glittery red, lime green, and gold.


The kids' tree is in our foyer and is decorated with ornaments from mine and Kris' childhood, ornaments that have been given to my children, and ornaments they have made. I put colored lights on this tree and let them decorate away!


Also, in our foyer we have this large console table that I use to display our Fonatnini Nativity collection, three more whimsical wisemen and a precious moss angel!




Since I was little my grandmother has given me a Santa every year. It has made for a very enjoyable collection of many kinds of Santas. I have them displayed a bookcase in my dining room.


My dining table has a new twist this year. Like my mantle, my centerpiece has evolved for what seems like every year. This year I am trying the big balls hanging from a garland in our chandelier and two tall "stacks of ornaments" that I got on clearance after Christmas last year. The extra space on the dining table was super nice the night of the big party (time this picture was taken). I think I like it!


Our Nutcracker collection (my mom started this collection for our children)


This picture is of our buffet in the keeping room. I love this handprint angel plate done by my son last year. It is one of my absolute favorite pieces! This pencil tree is the one we are using as our Jesse Tree (i'll be posting about it real soon).


The next few pictures show a few places I display random Santas, Snowmen, Angels, Christmas Pillows, Christmas Books, etc. around our home










Hope you enjoyed your visit...come back soon!