Christmas

If I had one picture to sum up our Christmas this year, it would be this...

 Each year we begin our Christmas season nailing down plans. With two very close families and lots of extended relatives, we have so many loved ones we want to see and celebrate the season with. Often times it ends of being a compromise for Matt, me, or both of us, and we don't always get to see everyone. This year, for many reasons, we decided we would try and do it all! That meant 4 Christmases on Christmas Eve, and 3 Christmases on Christmas day. I know, right? I think that as much as we knew it was going to be too much for us all, the universe did too. And what was about to be our busiest Christmas ever just ended up being our sickiest Christmas to date.

Between Laurelei, Abbott, and myself, we spent 7 days with at least one high fever in the house. Both Laurelei and I were out of it on Christmas day. It has been a long time since I have had a fever of 103, and it knocked me out! I think the saddest part of the experience was when Laurelei decided she felt to poorly to open presents.

Despite all the yuck, we still had a great time. We cut back on our travels, and got to nap at home on Christmas day for the first time in years. I didn't even have to change out of my pj's all day, which was a total win!

The kids were so grateful and loved everything they opened. Laurelei is particularly fond of her new 'ipad' as she calls it. Really, it's just a Leap Pad, but having her very own tablet is like the coolest thing ever to her! It was money well spent.

 Abbott mostly enjoyed the food and chocolate. He was a sticky mess all day!

Matt and I are so blessed to have such wonderful families. We got to celebrate with all of our immediate family, and they were so helpful and understanding through all of the sickness! We are spoiled to say the least! Here is a peak at the fun we had with each of our families!

While we will certainly remember this Christmas for many not so great reasons, I am so thankful for another wonderful year with our families. And most importantly, another beautiful winter day to remember God's love for us!

Happy Christmas!

Happy Birthday Little L

Dearest Laurelei,

There are no words to describe how much we love you. You truly are sugar, spice, and everything nice. You keep us on our toes little one! This year, more than any of the years past, it seems as though you've grown. I sort of think 4 marks the official transition from baby to little girl, and even your sweet face shows it. Where we used to see just round, chubby cheeks, we see dimples.

There are so many things that are different about you, I don't even know where to begin! Let's see... Well, you color inside the lines now. (And, in my humble mommy opinion, maybe even a little better than any of the other kids in your class...) You like to keep your hair cut short. You go to dance classes now, and look so mature in your leotard and tutu. You aren't as shy anymore, and in fact love to put on a show. Your greatest aspiration at the moment is to get up on that stage! You can write (and spell correctly, might I add) your own name! And that is no easy feet, considering the name Daddy and I gave you! Now when we sing your bed time songs, you sing them with us. And thanks to  Daddy your current favorite are Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Soulshine, and I know that makes him proud!

One of my favorite things about you is your big, sweet heart. You care so much about other people. You hate to see others sad. Sure, you do your face share of taking toys from Abbott or whining here or there, but we can have a conversation with you. You really seem to get some of the important things in life, and at such a young age. My favorite thing about your heart is how much you already talk about Jesus. That day in the car when you said, "Mommy, I just feel like my Jesus is giving me a big hug!" That, was the best. Whenever Daddy asks you why you are so pretty you respond, "Because God made me!" What a little light you are in the world already.

In the morning, you turn 4 whole years old. That seems like a lot to me. I get a little teary eyed thinking about it. You won't understand when people tell you that it 'feels like yesterday when you were born' until you have babies of your own, but it really is true. The last 1,460 days of my life have had more meaning because you were apart of them. I'll always be so proud that you are my sweet daughter.

Happy Birthday Lola Bear!

Love,
Mommy

When you are sick...

Abbott, when you are sick, my big mommy heart just melts!

I instantly want to make you feel better, but can't. So, instead, I cuddle you and hold you nice and tight.

Fevers are the worst. They get you so down. You like to curl up with me on our chair and watch tv when you get one. I always like it when the fever breaks for a while though, because then we are just home on a school day, playing our little hearts out until it comes back around again. Those play times are some of my favorites.

 

On this particular sick day, you did a lot of dancing, because dancing is your new favorite thing. You've learned to turn the music on my phone on, and today you were really breaking it down for a few.

 You still only have one real word, and I noticed today just how much you love to use it. "Hi to you too little buddy."

I could spend all days kissing those tiny little toes and chubby little cheeks. And when you are sick, I figure you need me to do that, just a little bit more.

a little Christmas cheer

If you know me well, then you know I love holidays! I am definitely one of the crazy people who wait until trick-or-treating is over just so I can have an excuse to start the Christmas festivities. I'm all, scanning the radio, slightly belligerent that no one has started the Christmas music kind of crazy.

That being said, we have spent just a little time around here decorating as of late. Every year I seem to want to put everything out, and then I spend the next several days editing what is sure to be the complete overkill. This year, I am going again for a little homey/ country/ shabby chic/ rustic Christmas feel. :) I am sure you can just picture what I mean by that description, right? Well, if not, I'll include a few pictures just in case! (Please excuse the phone quality photos, camera is still broke!)

We'll start where I started, the tree...

 

Some of the details I love about the tree are the various garlands I've made over the years, and my new favorite thing, the silhouettes! This year I added a tulle and twine garland to my pre-existing letters and stars. I love it!

After the first couple, I got really into the silhouettes...

As I mentioned previously, a lot of decorations didn't make the cut this year. Here are a couple of the ones that did...

 Maybe soon I'll be able to come back with some worthwhile pictures of our progress so far! Oh, and this may or may not be happening at our house for the first time this year!?

Merry  Monday!

miscellany monday

one...Lately, I have been going back and forth between being completely overwhelmed and feeling like I have all kinds of time. Somedays it's an impossibly long to-do list, and sometimes I am pinning so much on Pinterest it's as if I have nothing else to do! I'm not sure which days I like better, but you can probably make your own inference on that... :)

two...I am finally starting to feel more like myself after my not so fun gum graft surgery. I am very much missing crunchy food, and using my front teeth in general. Apparently I cannot chew with them for another 3 weeks! Yikes. At least the swelling is going down and I look more like a normal version of myself. I'm not going to lie, it was way worse that people told me it would be. I did love all the extra sleep and snuggle time with my babies though. 5 days of laying around was almost, almost worth it.

three...Right after my surgery last week, Matt left town for 2 days for work. It was hard for little Laurelei to say goodbye. We are really happy to have him home, we missed him so!

four...Speaking of L, she is growing so fast. Her newest thing is writing her name, all by herself! She memorized the spelling of it, go her! And lately, after just a few practice sessions, she has been working on writing it everywhere. I am so proud of my sweet little girl. More on her soon.

five...Towards the end of a long week last week, Abbott had his first run in with a bully at school. The issue has been resolved, but I will tell you that getting a call from his school saying that he will have 'multiple scratches and a bite' when I pick him up absolutely made my stomach drop and my heart sink. He looked pitiful, but luckily his happy little personality wasn't too damaged. As parents, one of Matt and I's worst nightmare is our kids being bullied. I know that at the rightful old age of one 'bullied' is probably not the right term, but seeing your child all banged up is hard no matter what age!

six...I took the kids out to get some pictures for a potential Christmas card. It was a little rough. Both were tired, and not that into it. Shocking, I know! I am pretty excited about some of the results, and so far this is one of my favorites...

Happy Monday friends! Hope it is a little less rainy than mine here in KY.

 

fall things

Whew. Fall always gets so busy it almost takes my breath away! Matt and I ALWAYS have time to take the kids to the pumpkin patch. Usually we do it more than once, having the luxury to just pick up and go any weekend, at the spur of the moment. It kind of hit me last week that this fall was different. We had to intentionally carve out time and squeeze our annual trip in between a few other things. Fall has been taken up with so many birthdays, showers, babies, photography sessions, schoolness. While all of those things are well worth the time, it's been a little nuts around here!

So, in a nutshell, here are a few of the things I want to remember from this fall...

{And be warned, fitting it all into one post means picture overload!}

We visited the orchard and pumpkin patch with my family. We love to go to Boyd's Orchard every year with my mom and brother. It is always a good time with lots of apple picking, apple eating, and pumpkin hunting. I love to compare the pictures of the kids from year to year. They are growing so fast!

We went Trick or Treating at the Louisville Zoo with Matt's sister Dana, and her family. The kids had a great time. They had various children's characters around to meet and greet and pass out candy. Laurelei is at the age where she thinks every time she meets a character, she is meeting the real deal. It was pretty cute.

We had Halloween, just the 4 of us. At first I was a little upset about this. The night couldn't have started worse. On the way the home to get all dressed up and head out to our parents' houses, Laurelei threw up...everywhere. All over the car, herself, her carseat, clothes, everything. It was very disheartening. Bless her heart though, she was absolutely destroyed thinking she wouldn't get to trick or treat. So after an hour or so of recovering, we let her get dressed up and trick or treat at a few houses on our block. We missed out on Gigi and Poppy's, Grandma and Grandpa's, and that was pretty sad. But, we got to enjoy our little ones all on our own, and that wasn't all that bad. :) Also, we got to give out candy for the first time at our house in nearly 5 years, so that was a little bit fun too!

Abbott was the absolute cutest about trick or treating. Mind you, he didn't actually trick or treat at all. He just bumbled around the side walk, dragging his giant orange pumpkin, refusing to be carried. It was priceless. When someone finally approached him and put candy in his bucket, you'd have thought they were giving him gold! He carried that pack of skittles around all night long. It was precious.

This might just be the first year I didn't carve a pumpkin, or bake sugar cookies, but it was still full of all that really counts! Plus, I have Christmas around the corner to make up for it anyway. :)

Happy Thursday!