Christmas Day 2009

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Alex loved pulling prizes out of her stocking

Notice the kitchen in the background. Alex saw the box that had a picture of a girl playing with the kitchen on it. She asked me where the girl was. ha! She wanted the little girl to play with too! Later she was playing with a wand that came with a Sleeping Beauty costume set that Mimi gave her. She told me that it didn't work. She would shake it and say, "I am trying to change something." Mommy had to explain that it was a pretend wand. So now, she pretends to change everybody into something silly...most recently, David became Ernie (off of Sesame Street) and Alex became Cinderella.

Alex loving her new Abby Cadabby doll

David enjoyed the bow, wrapping paper and a spatula while we opened presents.

Since Chris was on back up call, we stayed home for Christmas. We spent it with some special friends who are like family to us. Thank you, Wendy and Graeme, for making this day so special! In honor of Graeme being from Australia, Wendy brought poppers (see below). I almost made him the traditional Aussie dessert, pavlova, but couldn't squeeze it in with the 2 days of dressing preparations. Sorry Graeme! I'll attempt it next time. Chris and I reminisced about us spending Christmas 2000 in Australia during our year there. Fun memories!

Enjoying our yummy meal together. David even tried (and liked) Wendy's sweet potato casserole and my dressing. This was my first time to ever make the southern tradition of dressing all by myself. I was pleased with the result.

As part of an Aussie tradition, Wendy brought poppers for us to pull for prizes inside. Each popper came with a hat inside as well for all to sport.

Dessert time...chocolate cake, pecan pie, and lots of homemade candies. When I asked Alex what kind of cake that she thought Jesus wanted for his birthday party, she confidently said "chocolate." Happy Birthday Jesus!

"Mommy, this is fun, but I am ready for another nap."

Anything in David's reach pretty much goes straight to his mouth. Alex makes this face usually when she is playing rough (or thinking about it).

This picture probably sums up the day - lots of laughs, fun, celebrating, and pure enjoyment!

Stocking Shoes

While cleaning up and decorating for Christmas in early December, Alex put hers and David's stockings on and wore them as shoes the whole time. So cute!

Alex's First Dance Recital

Reagan, Alex and Olivia before the big show

Excuse the quality of these pics...we tried to alter some pics we took in the dark.

Alex was so excited after the recital that she danced around the driveway and yard for a while.

And yes, please excuse the quality of this video as it was done with our pocket camera. We will be much more prepared for the June recital and have our video camera charged! Alex is the second from the right...unfortunately, I stopped videoing as she started dancing more. o'well. still cute!

Post T'giving Visit to Grandmother's House

Grandmother with David and Alex

Celebrating Grandmother's 57th birthday (my first 3 layered cake...you can't tell from this angle, but it was a bit lopsided :)

While blowing up balloons for Grandmother's birthday "party," the kiddos had a balloonfest. David was under close supervision while playing with his balloon.

LOL!

Visiting Aunt Mimi and cousin Travis in Vicksburg, MS

David enjoying Daddy's "changing table"

Playing I mean helping grandmother move her fall decor from the front door

the girls helping grandmother decorate her tree

sweet cousins

Thanksgiving at Mimi's House

The kiddos and I enjoyed a weeklong visit at Mimi and Grandaddy's house in MS the week of Thanksgiving. Hopefully, they will have us again as my bunch definitely challenged their routines. Chris joined us the night before T'giving.

Cousins, Amy and Kelly, with Alex

Jumpfest at Mimi's house

Aunt Cathy and cousin Anna Cate loving her some bread

Aunt Robin and David

Cousin Amber and Alex

Hunter, David and Aunt Tammy

Getting dressed the day after T'giving for a photo shoot...

3 families with 4 young grandchildren involved = only a couple of usable pics - ha!

Mommy Fun

Most of the kiddos at our Moms N More small group Christmas brunch...our awesome, sweet, thoughtful, wise leader cooked almost everything and provided the kiddos with hats.

Hostesses at a shower for Stacie (second from right) to celebrate her baby boy expected in February

Moms N More Fall Brunch...my awesome "small" group!!!

Quaint shower for Jennifer (center front row) at a tea house with special friends to celebrate her baby boy coming in January

Fall Fun

Alex's first college football game

Happy first birthday Reese!

"Ok mama, put the camera away and gimme some food"

Alex reading to her dolls

Jumpfest has begun

Bro and sis back to back swinging for the first time...alex did not like this very much.

Play date with previous neighbors Cameron, Carter and their new friend.

Alex's MDO class went to a beautiful Belgian horse farm one gorgeous fall morning. They got to feed graham crackers to the horses, pet animals, pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, and ride a horse carriage ride.

Mommy with her two babies on the horse carriage ride

Swinging on our hammock

David's first time to swing outside with big sis

Learning to sit up, but still crashing pretty quickly here

Alex's Sesame Street figurines playing hide and seek between pages

Bye Bye PC

Well, we are up and running with our new iMac computer. Yes, we changed allegiance from PC to Apple and are so far, VERY excited about it. However, it will take me about a year to figure out all that the cool stuff it can do. Beware, a blizzard of pics will hit the blog soon from the past 3 months...ok, a small blizzard as I don't have time to post them all. :)

Full of Joy

As we worshiped with the church this morning, we sang Joy to the World with a new chorus starting with "joy, unspeakable joy." I could actually sing that with a heart full of joy, nothing supressed. Oh, and I loved Alex in my arms as she joined us to worship through song at the beginning. One of the pastors spoke about Jesus coming as the light into darkness when He was born. He eventually defined joy in a way I have never heard - a deep confidence in the character of God (i.e. His character of grace, love, power, control, etc).

I often felt like I was letting the enemy steal my joy the first few months of David's life. After desperately seeking God about this and my circumstances, He changed my perspective and attitude. He has recently renewed my spirit, my joy, and I can see my cup full, overflowing actually. In the midst of the yuck, I memorized Phi. 4:4 with Alex (and sang the song), "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice" as I was desperately needing something to rejoice about. That helped in regaining perspective, but another verse we recently memorized has been pivotal in keeping perspective, Psalm 136:1 - "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever." We talk about it, give thanks to God through praying and even sing the Steve Green song of it (Alex thinks every Bible verse has to have a song- ha! I often make them up.) My deep confidence in the characters of God (my joy) is back or just not suppressed anymore. I pray that I don't lose perspective that bad again and that I can be more faithful even when times are tough. I do thank God for the hard times as I learn so much through them. However, I'm just thankful that life is not so hard right now. :)

Life is Good

After watching Julie and Julia tonight, I was inspired to blog. I have a million things I'd love to post, but I'll keep it short I hope as it is late.

Life is good. I almost forgot how good life was when I was deep in the trenches of a newborn and an unadjusted toddler. Yes, I am still in the trenches of raising kiddos and think I will be for a long time as each new age is a new learning process in parenting. However, the trench does not feel so deep right now and I am thankful for that. Alex has adjusted fully to David now, loving him dearly, playing with him, missing him, helping him, making him laugh, singing to him, etc. Her interrupted sleep from his birth has been resolved finally- thank you Lord! Life just got much easier and more fun between David's 5th and 6th month mostly because of Alex's adjustment. or maybe my adjustment...My perspective is changing. I have had to adjust my approach with the kiddos as well which has helped Alex I'm sure. I am striving to be more patient, loving, kind, wise, gracious, teachable, helpful, the list goes on and on. As my attitude changes with God's help, I notice Alex's changing, too. I know she sensed my stress and frazzlement (is that a word? if not, it is now :) for several months. Alex is so full of life and I know my stress hindered her. God, along with my special Moms and More bible study group, helped me see that and make changes. I can truly say that I love watching her very active, independent self learn and grow. Tonight, she wanted to learn how to put my earrings on and take them off. I taught her, showed her and then let her try. She did it the first time! Such a learner! As for David, he is such a sweet, laid back, easy going baby whose smile, kisses, hugs, laughs, death grips, wiggles, jumps, big blue observation eyes, etc make you want to melt.

Life is good and I never want to forget the blessings God has given me in my precious husband, Chris, and our children. I am so thankful for the little (and big) things in life.

The Pop Tart Train

Since I cannot upload pics to our blog right now, I thought I'd share another cute story.

Scenario: Chris asked me last night if I had gone to the store to buy him pop tarts. I told him that we did not go to the store today. Alex ran to our kid sized picnic table in the kitchen and straddled one bench.

Mommy: Alex, what are you doing?
Alex: I'm riding the train to the grocery store to get Daddy some pop tarts. Chooo chooo.... (and yes, she said choooo choooo at the end. :) so cute!!!

Then, Alex ran to Daddy like she was carrying something and pretended to give him pop tarts... so sweet and thoughtful!

So yes, I picked up Daddy some pop tarts while out Christmas shopping late last night. :)