Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve we went to our friends, the Elsworths for dinner and fun! 

Henry, getting some snuggle time with Emily (and her kids a little jealous...)!

Me and my friend, Maryanne.

Once it got dark, we went outside and set off some small fireworks for the kids.  7:00pm was New Year's to them!  :)

Happy New year!!

An afternoon at the movies!

Britt and I met up at Mom and Dad's one day during the break and took the kids to see Puss & Boots at the dollar theater.  This was the first time I've taken mine to see a full movie...and they actually did pretty well.  Lily ended up on Grandma's lap and Henry ended up on mine, chatting through the whole thing, but overall I'd say it was a success!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!!!  It's hard to get any decent pictures in the chaos of Christmas day...but here's the best I have. 

Lily on Christmas morning!  She was so exited about the whole season this year.  She was very in to our elf on the shelf and would talk to him every morning, always warning Henry to be good or Bob would tell Santa that he needs to be on the "sad list".  Lily's present from Santa was a barbie house...you can see it in the background.

The pillow pets from MeMe and Poppa were a huge hit!

I think Lily's most favorite gift this year was this microphone stand.  My little performer now has a real microphone to sing and play guitar at.  We have performances all day long!

Henry joins in sometimes too!

Henry got a train table from Santa!

Later in the afternoon, Grandma and Grandpa and the Clarkes came down to spend the day...

Lily got some Ashlynn time in.

The kids table for dinner...

Cousins with Grandma and Grandpa

Even Henry needed some Ashlynn holding time...I hope Grandpa's holding on tight!! 

 Happy Birthday to Jesus!  What a wonderful day, remembering Jesus' birth and spending time with  family. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve, MeMe and Poppa came to town!  I had to help set up the food at church for our Christmas Eve service, so Andrew and his parents got the kids dressed and met me there.  Here is my sweet fam, minus me, before they headed to church.

After the service, we went to a Hibachi Grill with the Elsworth's and Chapmans for dinner.  My kids sat with Emily the entire meal.  The love her!  Atleast they were good...

We all got PJ's from our elf, Bob before he headed back up to the North Pole.  The kids are snuggling with MeMe in their new jams.

The kids put out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer...

Happy Christmas Eve!!



Salvation Army Bell

Our church group's service project this year was to ring the Salvation Army bell for a day.  We all took shifts; two families per 2 hours.  I was very nervous about this.  We were assigned a week day so  Andrew would be at work and I had the two youngest children in our group.  But my kids were rockstars and we made it the whole 2 hours!  I was so proud of them.  It was a cold, rainy day but we were under an awning and there was enough room for Henry to play around the front of the store (The Bass Pro Shop...again...it appears I frequent this store often, but this and Santa were the only two times I have been here in the last year!!)  It worked out great!!! 

Here are my kids with Kenley and Chloe Taylor.  The girls were great with my kids and helped keep them entertained!

Lily was awesome.  She rang the bell and would thank everyone that gave money and wish them a Merry Christmas!  She also passed out little candy canes to kids.  Her apron pockets were packed full of them!

School Christmas Program

Lily and Henry had a little Christmas program at their school.  Lily was a sheep (bottom right) and Henry sat in a Christmas present (red shirt, in the red box with the green bow).  They just sang several different songs and it was really cute.

A closer shot of Lily, the Sheep

My cute little present!  He was so good!  He had been telling me for several days before that he sits in a box and can't get out!!  And he has to sit "criss cross apple sauce" (apparently the new way to say indian style).

One of Henry's teachers, Mrs. Felicia!

Grandma and Grandpa got to come for the program too!!  It was so fun having there here!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

And he stops at the Bass Pro Shop in Macon, GA!!!

Sweet pictures

Lily drew this picture for me the other day.  Andrew, Henry, Lily and me in front of our house.  I asked her who the two people in the top left were and she said: "God and Jesus!"...like I was a moron for even asking!  This girl has such a sweet spirit and talks to and about God and Jesus all of the time.  

The Garcia's visit!

Andrew's buddy Danny from the Navy, and his family came to visit from Gainesville, FL.  Their son, Gavin, is 2 like Henry.  Henry is in "stripping mode" and often had his clothes off...

We went to see Disney on Ice while they were here...Lily is quite the "mother hen" with the boys.

Waiting for the show to start!  Lily likes princesses, but she's not obsessed with them, like some girls we know.  She knows Belle, because we love watching Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White is pretty easy to remember.  But when Sleeping Beauty came out, she yelled: "Mom!  It's Cinderella!"  I'm sure all the other moms around us were horrified my daughter didn't know her princesses...but I'm OK with it.  :)

 We had a good time!  The show held their attention for most of the first half.  The second half was more about Disney World, and we have never been there so they didn't know the characters very well.  But it was still fun!

My mama's boy apparently likes another mama!  He was all over Danielle!  It was hilarious.  He wanted to sit on her lap all the time.  When I put him to bed the first night, he kept whining: "I want her mama; I love her!"  I don't think he could even remember her name most of the time, but he was attached to her hip the entire weekend. 

Thanks for coming to visit, Garcia's!! 

Oh Christmas Tree!

Got our Christmas tree early this year; the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Went to the same lot we've been to for several years and picked a tree out in just a few minutes!

It's a beauty!!

The kids wanted to decorate it right away, so I let them put on some non-breakable balls before I started putting on the lights since that takes the longest!!   

I never took a picture of the decorated tree, but here we are on Christmas eve in front of it...



Day 3 of Vacation...

...we headed to Brunswick for Thanksgiving with Andrew's family!!  The kids and I were working on green bean casserole.

Apparently the "girls table"...Isobel, Lily and Emery.  MeMe ended up sitting in the 4th seat with them, because Ethan didn't want to be at the girls table... ha!

Cousin Taylor, with Ethan, Isobel, Lily and Henry...checking out her iPad! 

Andrew and one of his older brothers, David.  Like Andrew's new specs!?  He also has since shaved his beard.  I need to get a picture... 

Bath time with Emery.

We stayed in a hotel this time, and it was awesome!!  We had a suite so the kids had their own space and it worked out perfect.  They really enjoyed "sharing a room", and we would hear them talking to eachother while falling asleep.  "Good night Wiwy", "Good night Henry".  So cute.  Riding on the luggage cart...

Andrew's Aunt Judy made the girls messenger bags and it couldn't have been a more perfect gift. Now she can stop using my old purses and have a proper "diaper bag".  This is Lily's baby, Quinn.  He goes everywhere with us.  He's a really good baby though.  Doesn't cry or eat too much, sleeps alot... :)

Thanks for the bag, Aunt Judy!!

See what I mean!?!  We jam packed this week and were happy to get home Friday evening and enjoy the rest of our weekend as a family.  Phew!!

Day 2 of Vacation...

...we met Jen,Steve and Emma at the Aquarium in Atlanta.  They were visiting her family for Thanksgiving, so we didn't have much time, but made the most of it.  Jen is 6 months pregnant...due in January.  And yes, that is goofy Steve...

In the big tunnel, watching the fish all around us...sweet Emma with Lily and Henry

We watched them feed the whale sharks at the huge viewing wall.  Lily loved Steve  He's a big kid.  He knew some of her favorite Fresh Beat Songs and sang them with her.  She thought that was awesome!!

Lily in front of the albino aligator

Jen, Emma and I.  Our visit was too short...Emma was just starting to warm up to me! :(