Festive

The majority won. It was four against one, and I didn't have a shot.

There you see my poor little white lights in the background just waiting to be put on a tree...

But those big ol' lights in the front took the prize!
We pulled out all of our Christmas decorations (about a month late according to the schedule we're usually on) Tuesday night after Bethany and Towns got home from cheer practice and gymnastics. We turned on really fun Christmas music, B made us all hot chocolate, and we got down to business!
Isn't it funny how things change over the years? I used to be so meticulous in how our tree was decorated. I wanted all the ornaments in just the right place. But it's become less about my idea of how our house should be decorated and more about making the children happy by letting them be involved.
So the fact that most every ornament on the tree is practically touching the ground because they can't reach very high doesn't bother me a bit. Want to know why? Because I'll always remember how sweet it was for them to be so excited about this...


By the time I took the picture above, the initial ornament hanging had been done. Towns and Cate took everything off and put it back on several times. And they've done it every day since!
I have to share a funny picture. J was behind the camera and took this one...

Towns was preparing herself to jump from the stools to the couch (about a 4 foot jump...my nerves are permanently shot), I'd just hit my head pretty hard on the corner of the mantle, and B is smiling like there's nothing in the world going on around her. That picture pretty much sums up how it is at our house day in and day out...a zoo!!

The night wouldn't be complete without hopping in the Rubbermaid ornament tub and getting spun around in circles on the hard wood floors in the dining room. Surprisingly enough, that was my idea. J didn't have a chance to think that one up on his own! HA!

(No need to point out that my children look like they've been through the ringer...they start the day looking really good and by nightfall they're a disaster!)

As Towns was getting out our decorations she came across these...

One of my favorite dance students made them out of clay for me last Christmas. There's baby Jesus, an angel, and Joseph and Mary. She's had the best time with them, and you can tell that because Joseph is missing a leg. She doesn't let them out of her sight. She sits her dolls down for school and teaches them everything she knows about them. She's so curious and asks a lot of questions, and she never forgets how we answer them. So it's neat to hear her taking what she's been taught and passing it on to her pretend students.

Yesterday and today she's said some really sweet things that I always want to remember...
Last night I was laying down with her before bed and she was saying her prayers. Last Friday one of her teachers had her wisdom teeth cut out, and she obviously had that on her mind. Her prayer went like this...
"Dear God, thank you for our house. And thank you for letting Mrs. Michelle's mouth feel better. I hope you have a merry Christmas. Amen. Bye God!"

And today I was helping her put a preemie outfit on one of her dolls. I have all of Cate's tiny little outfits from when she was a baby and they love to dress their dolls in them. She was telling me how much she loves the particular outfit we were playing with and said that she couldn't wait until she was a baby again so that she could wear it. I was trying to explain to her that she'd only get bigger and older and wouldn't be a baby ever again. That made her a little mad and she insisted that she could really be little again. Once again, I told her that she would always be a big girl. She must have heard us say that anything is possible with God, so she looked at me with the most serious face and said "well maybe you just need to pray about it."
Love, love, love her! And little does she know that I'd do just about anything to keep her my baby forever!

Thankful

We've had the best week and have seized the opportunity to realize how much we have to be thankful for! We spent a very relaxing Thanksgiving at home this year which was just what the doctor ordered. We missed seeing all of our family on the holiday, but it was so incredibly nice just to be still. I've been convicted lately of being way too busy and on-the-go to stop and enjoy everything around me. Family, friends, life in general. As a result in taking a little time off, my timliness in my work has suffered. But I know it will be alright. The verse "be still and know that I am God" has gone through my head repeatedly, and it's not just coincidence. So Thanksgiving was a special time for me. I fully enjoyed J and the girls, and I'm one happy lady.
Something else that makes me happy...

The other night as the girls were going to sleep I caught Towns playing the loving sister role to Cate, which was quite possibly the most precious thing I've ever seen...

Here she's telling me how sweet Bug's little hands are...

She totally disregarded the fact that Buggy was sound asleep and thought a bottle was exactly what she needed...

We've had to come up with fun, new ideas to keep the girls entertained with Bebby gone all week. J is the king of crazy fun and came up with this one which provided hours of laughs...

A battery operated vehicle, a box, and some rope...and voila! Instant (dangerous) fun!

Everyone still has their limbs in tact, so all is well!

The church service this morning kicked our Christmas spirit into high gear. I get chills every single time I read the Christmas story in the book of Luke. The sermon was on the Gospel according to Mary, which is the first in a series for December. And I'm never any less amazed by it all. Bethany and I were showing each other our favorite verses in the Bible not too long ago, and we got on the subject of the birth of Jesus. She asked me to show her where it was in the Bible, so I did and I read it to her. We all know the story, but there's just something about reading it from Luke. Wouldn't you agree?

After church, we had lunch and went on the search for a Christmas tree. Our tree always comes from the same spot...we love tradition! We take the same pictures every year which makes it fun to go back and look at how much everyone changes from year to year. And J wonders why we have to have 10,000+ pictures on our computer! HA!
It was meant for us to have this tree...

It was the first one we picked up, and I almost caught myself missing the 45 minute heated discussions that ensue every year when we all have our own opinions on what our tree should look like! :)
It was way too easy this time around!
Speaking of easy...pretending like she's 16 comes easy to Bethany! It won't be long, B!

And two little girls went into hysterics because they thought she was leaving them. When she got out, they both ran full speed to her like they haven't seen her in five years...


I believe they missed you a tad bit while you were gone, B!
We've got to be the only people in history to turn buying a Christmas tree into a family picture extravaganza...


We follow a strict dress code when shopping for a Christmas tree. Can you tell? J sweet talked his way out of wearing a gray dress...he's lucky I like him so much!



I'm the only person in the family who likes pictures, and since everyone was ready and willing to cooperate today without the wailing and gnashing of teeth I couldn't let the opportunity pass!

We clowned around in the car while J paid for our tree...

Cate was giving me her best fake smile ever, right before she found out how much fun it is to make faces at herself in the mirror...

As soon as we got home, Towns and I headed to Mary Reese's tea party to celebrate her 5th birthday...which was just as fun for us moms to watch as it was for the girls to participate in!

The girls were so fancy...quite the little ladies!

Thanks for having us, MR!
And I'll end on a Christmas-y note...after major furniture rearranging, the tree is up! It's in a new spot this year, and we'll wait and see how well we handle the change. We're creatures of habit! The girls really wanted it in the window by the piano where it's always been, but the computer got in the way this year. I told them Santa wouldn't have nearly as far to take their presents since the tree was right beside the chimney...and that has satisfied them for now!

We're already planning a tree decorating party for Tuesday night...J and the girls are voting for the massive colored lights, and I'm a fan of classic white. I already know who's going to win.
And it isn't me!!
Whatever makes them happy...

Pre-Thanksgiving Festivities

Last Wednesday, Towns had a Thanksgiving Feast at school which was a special treat. The whole family was invited, but since J was in Destin for work I had to go alone...he was sad about missing it and Towns was equally as sad that he wasn't there. But she has performed Five Fat Turkeys a million and one times since then, so he definitely feels as if he were there! When I walked in, I was directed to my spot. There were two families to each table, and thankfully we were sitting with Towns' good friend Emma. Her mom was the only one from their family able to come, too, so we had a big ol' table for just the four of us!

This was what was on our table...

And I couldn't look at the whole 'Marvelous Me' book because I was tearing up after the first couple of pages. There were questions they had to answer about all of their favorites. I loved reading all of her answers, and when I got to the line where she put her favorite person was Mommy I just had to close it and tell myself that in order not to look like an emotional disaster, I'd wait until I got home to finish it!
The whole class sang Thanksgiving songs on stage...

And then Mrs. Glenda went down the line and asked everyone to name one thing they were thankful for. Towns said rainbows! They studied Noah a while back and I guess she had it on her mind!
We had a nice lunch followed by everyone running around like wild Indians...


Love this one...


And Cate's class had a little Thanksgiving party, but with this crew it takes major effort to get them all together for a picture to commemorate the event...

Brock never has to worry about being taken care of when he's at school. He's got three ladies who adore him and treat him like a king!
Friday was B's birthday and little did she know she had a surprise in store for her! It's so hard to pull anything over on her and she says she doesn't like surprises, but I beg to differ! We headed to B'ham for lunch at Tavern at the Summit - she thought we were stopping for a quick birthday lunch before I dropped her off with her mom for the weekend. But her mom met us there and surprised her! We made mental wish lists at Saks before seeing a New Moon matinee, and after being dead set on never thinking I'd like it, I have to admit that I loved it! I never saw Twilight and thought the whole idea was ridiculous. But since it was B's birthday I went in with an open mind and was determined to enjoy it. And I did! So for the record, B...you were right and I was wrong! I'm wondering how I came home with not a single picture from the whole day. Hmmm.
We spent most of the weekend outside...




The ice cream truck paid us a visit Saturday morning right before lunch...the ice cream man must have known that our children would prefer massive popcicles over a real meal any day.

J built a fire late Saturday and we roasted marshmellows...


Surprisingly, the girls just liked roasting them and not so much eating them. J & I took care of that, though. You can't let things like that go to waste!

Sunday was rainy and cold, so after church we played hard indoors...


And now we're finally and officially on Thanksgiving break...loving this time of year!!

Today's the Day!

We've counted it down for what seems like months. This time last year we had done the same, and it's always just as much fun and special because of this sweet 14 year old who's one of a kind...

We started the morning off with (me waking her up to my beautiful singing - she'd rather have had an alarm clock I'm sure) homemade cookie cake, presents, and Panera Bread that J surprised her with...






And just like last year, we had to continue the tradition...

Here's the birthday girl at 7:47...the very minute 14 years ago that she made her grand entrance!
Happy birthday, Bethany!
I hope your big day is just as fabulous and special as you are!
We love you!!!!!!