Fourth Annual Cranberry Eating Contest

We Crown a New Champion

I big pink fuzzy heart with glitter love the holidays....and it just isn't quite complete until Nana and Grandpa arrive....

Or until we have completed our Annual Cranberry Eating Contest!!!!

And this year we had some early weaklings.  I am talking pitiful.....

And believe me -- we showed no mercy in making fun of the lesser than culinary tolerant.

IJ was out the first round -- first cranberry -- pitiful.

But MT knew exactly what he was doing -- smiling the entire time he ate the ever so tart cranberry.

ET?   All smiles too....

Nana?  She can't handle the TART.....  Out.  Buh Bye.

G-pa?  Ain't nothing gonna hole him back -- ain't nothing gonna break his stride....

BT -- this was his first year to survive past the first round.  And he had been practicing....building up a tolerance all through November.  And this conditioning was paying off.

But it was no match for momma bear.  Uh huh.  Oh yeah!  We all know how amazingly competitive I am -- and this time, my loves, all the spawn were going down....DOWN DOWN DOWN.

You see it is all in the choosing of the cranberry -- slightly still pink, firm, and ....

POP -- I can handle it....

ALL SMILES!

MT -- even without one front tooth -- was still smiling.

ET was not going to let a BOY beat her.

And G-pa was still choosing wisely....

Young grasshoppa

BT could not stop bouncing off the walls -- he was the master -- not only SMILES all through the eating but giggles too.

Good Lord this child has a fighting chance.

But need I remind you of the master skills I posses?  Look at the perfectly chosen cranberry,  We call him the cranchild.

Mmmmm -- I am SO enjoying this...

Like a fine wine -- there is nothing else I would rather do that eat cranberries all the days of my life.  And dwell in the house of the Berry forever....

Oh Lord... I have hit a tart center...  Help me baby Jesus.. Save me Tom Cruise.  Rescue me Oprah Winfrey.

Call the law.  Call my Pa.  Call my Ma way down in Arkansas. 

Good Lord deliver us in our time of need.  Cover me in glue and shake me in a bag of glitter.  I am over and out.

Done.  Stick a fork in me.  I am an embarrassment to all Cranberry prodigies across the land.  Father forgive me.  For I know not what I do.

So we are down to MT...

 ET....

And G-pa.

And BT....

All still going strong....

Or not....Oh ET -- you are OUT.  Down for the count BUH BYE!

While MT is still holding strong...

He now must rely on water to get through.  Bless his ever lovin heart.

This time G-pa relied on Nana to help him pick his berry.

Oh G-pa -- you did not choose wisely...

You are O-U-T ...Outta here.

So it is down to MT and BT....

MT just does't think he can hold out any longer....

Sorry Buddy -- you are OUT

All BT has to do is hold out for one more berry....

AND HE DOES IT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!!

May I introduce you to our First Time 2011 Cranberry Eating Champion...

BABY TWERP

Christmas "Days of Our Lives" Style:  

Susan Lucci Would Be So Proud

Well Lord have mercy on my sweet dear soul.  Another Christmas has passed and for some reason I feel like the beginning of Days of Our Lives....don't even act like you didn't watch your daytime stories.  Cause we all know you cannot deny the tempting of the daytime drama.  Anyhoo....The opening to that soap opera seems to feel like my life motto this year...

 "As sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives."

Time seems to be slipping by and another season of the most wonderful time of the year has passed, yet again.

And soon my children will be in college, and then moved out, and then married, and they will want to go to their spouse's parents' houses.  GASP!!!!  (I secretly pray they marry orphans.)  And I will cry.  And tempt them with their favorite foods.  And gifts.  And then they will bring over something store bought from the meal..and I will act like it is the best thing EV ER -- and we will reminisce about the Cranberry Eating Contest.  And then there will be BABIES.  Oh how exciting?!?!?

And .. and I think I might be getting carried away.  Anyhoo.....

This year.

This year, I savored. Like you do a good Dr. Pepper.  

It was as close to perfect as you can get.  The jammies.  The sleepy eyes.  The glees and giggles.  

The belief....the giving...

The pure JOY....

The LOVE and THANKFULNESS....

I am telling you....it made this momma's heart soar.

 

But this year....when it was all over, it appeared Santa had forgotten the MAIN gift that each child wanted.

Until they looked a little closer on the tree.

And saw Santa had written them letters because he could not fit everything under the tree....

 And low and behold when they went outside......

The glory of the Lord had shown down upon them and hark -- the herald angels sang.....

For unto us in the Southern City a motorcycle is born.... (insert angelic choir of heavenly hosts)

And there shall be peace and harmony in the land forever...Amen.

And MY got his first 6 speed big boy bike!

And let's not forget about ET...

Who had to got "plug on my phone" by the computer when Christmas was all over....

Only to find.....GASP --

I know....it really is more for me...than her....cause I gotta start blogging again and all.  I KID. I KID.

 But soon we all settled down for a long winter's nap.

With our hearts full of love....

 Mostly...

ET -- I am so grateful for a beautiful young lady who even with the challenges of the teen years...still loves the Lord and her family with her whole heart.

MT -- this child makes me smile every day -- and even with a missing front tooth is still the cutest thing since sliced bread.

And BT -- my sweet sweet angel.  Who feels every one's hurts and loves you for who ya are.

And my IJ --  my rock...the best dad anyone could ever pray for......

Sigh -- as the sand through the hourglass indeed.