An update on my niece

She will be ONE this week. I can't believe how quickly this year has passed.

We went to see her the other day and were excited to see that she is walking !!

Look how LONG her hair is !!!

She is SO cute and is the most calm, laid-back, serious, thoughtful baby I have ever met. She thinks my kids are NUTS !! I love how she just studies them.

Here she is looking up at Bubby who was trying to get her to smile:

And in this one, she's looking at Fancy who was working hard for a smile:

Happy Birthday Sweetie !!!

All he wants for Christhmath .......

ith hith two front teeth !!

(And a much needed haircut)




He turned 8 on Saturday. The years have flown by.



I remember Christmas Eve 1999 very well. Bubby was just over a week old. It was about 11pm. I sat with him alone in the dark after a long day of family, presents, food and fun. I sat holding him in the chair by the Christmas Tree in the living room of our tiny duplex. Everyone else was fast asleep. Bubby wanted one more feeding. I was exhausted. Sitting there nursing him next to the twinkling lights of the tree though, I felt so much joy. I remember studying his tiny feet and hands. I cried that night at the realization that one day his hands and feet would be bigger than mine. Every year, that day gets closer and closer. I cherish each day that he is still my "little bit" as we sometimes call him.

Happy Birthday my sweet boy !!

Random .....

The other day, the kids and I were out and about and saw a long wall made of bricks. It was just the type used in landscaping. Bubby said, "Look, it's the Great Wall of China!". I was surprised. We haven't studied our section on Asia yet. I was proud of him and his knowledge. This only lasted a moment though. I asked him where he had learned about the Great Wall. His response:

"Oh, they showed it on Survivor China!".

haha

A Day of Shopping

Last Saturday, we took some time to get our Christmas shopping wrapped up .... well that was the GOAL.



The Husband and Bubby are at fault for us not getting finished. Does anyone else have this problem: We ran into The Bass Pro Shops to pick up a gift card ..... 2 hours later we were leaving the store. It is a MAN haven. Fancy and I were not as entertained. I admit there are some neat things there, but 30 minutes was PLENTY for me. We exercised our patience and were good sports though.

Here are a few pictures I took (I had to do SOMETHING with all that time on my hands).

Bubby really enjoyed these turtles that were soaking up the sun (lamps) .... he could have sat here for HOURS. He had question after question. I did my best to answer them. Does this count as science?



(For the record, those are Fancy's hands with the nail polish ..... I thought it looked a bit like they were Bubby's. She was between Bubby and their Daddy.)


Bubby had to have his picture taken here as well .... he was a bit nervous though, so Daddy stood between him and the bear:

Merry Christmas

For those of you not receiving our card in the mail, here is the picture we sent out this year:

We took them by the beautiful tree at church last week. I thought I should say that so nobody would think that my tree is quite that fabulous !!

When these pictures were taken Fancy was 11 and Bubby was 7. He has since turned 8 .... more on that in another post.

Here are some individual pictures I took that day as well.

Every time I see a picture of them I am amazed at how fast they are growing. How I wish there was a way to SLOW it all down !!

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

We are working on learning this one written by Charles Wesley in 1739.

We learned that it was initially sung to a much more slow and solemn tune. More than 100 years after it was written, English musician William Cummings adapted a cantata written by Mendelssohn to fit the lyrics of this now well known song.

What a great song to keep us focused on the meaning of the season amidst the hustle and bustle of it all.

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim:

"Christ is born in Bethlehem

"Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord!

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of a Virgin's womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with man to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hope the rest of your week is FABULOUS !!

24 hours in review

We finished up the indoor Christmas decorations yesterday afternoon. After a tasty dinner of grilled steaks and chicken, baked potatoes, salad and rolls, we sat and watched a movie with a fire in the fireplace. Fancy had also baked some chocolate chip cookies that we enjoyed during our movie time. What a fabulous Sunday.

The Husband was happy that it was rainy and cold yesterday .... he dodged the responsibility of getting the lights up on the house. I am hoping that task gets completed soon. I just LOVE coming down our street to see the house lit up.

Here are some of the decorations completed:

This morning, the kids and I got up and around slowly. It was nice to enjoy the first "real" day of our winter break. We officially started our break last week, but Fancy wasn't here, so it didn't seem real. After our showers, we decided the day was too nice to waste. We loaded up some books and headed for the park. I thought we could get some reading out of the way while we were at the park. I read a bit .... the kids opted not to which was fine with me. I just wanted us to be outside. I'm sure there won't be many 55 degree days left this year. They can catch up on reading tonight after dinner.

Here is Bubby having a chat with me about a "fun little guy" that he was playing hide and seek with. The "fun little guy" was a boy that looked to be about three years old. I love that Bubby plays with kids of all ages with no reserve.

Here is Fancy taking a turn on Bubby's skateboard. Notice he is there coaching her.

Here is my view .... I found a swing to sit in and enjoyed my music and a good book. I love being outside. There is just something about it. How can you beat all your favorite songs on your iPod, a really good book, perfect weather (sunny and 55 degrees) and laughing/squealing kids all around you? I don't think you can.

Right now, I am sitting here catching up on e-mails and reading friends' blogs enjoying the smell of a yummy pot of chili in the crockpot. I'll wrap up the dinner menu with some cornbread muffins. Easy but tasty..... I'm looking forward to it. Actually, I'm not sure I can wait much longer. Maybe skipping lunch was a bad idea. =)

Have a good week !!