tiny trees.

Three big and two little. Tree, that is. Five trees to assemble, decorate, and admire throughout the Christmas season. And five trees to disassemble and pack away. Am I crazy? Not as crazy as last year. Last year, there were six.

My favorite trees are the kiddos' tiny trees. P's eyes lit up when we unwrapped each and every ornament.

Our "jackpot" find of an ornament this year....P's new favorite.


Uga, trains, trucks, firemen, the McDonough courthouse, the Pink Pig. Each ornament is special.



And Emma Kate's tree? It's 100 percent girly girl. Ballerinas and tutus and slippers and crowns. And pink, pink, and more pink. I love it! (And she could care less.) Next year she will get to choose new ornaments to add to it.


Our family traditions that we have started become more and more special each Christmas. Our kids' excitement at this time of year takes me back to my childhood years of Christmas magic.

christmas cookies with cousins.

Aunt Mary invited us over last week for a cookie cook-off. A Christmas cookie cook-off. With cousins. It was really a lot of fun. We They made lots of different cookies and cakes, while I Baby Bjorned Emma Kate and took lots of pictures to document our little cookie carousal. Someone had to take pictures....

P and Granny made sugar cookies.





Amy and Nicholas made chocolate chip and peanut butter.




Aunt Mary made oatmeal raisin and mini pound cakes.


And I was the taste tester....

I did help ice the sugar cookies. This was the fun part.



Tommy was the taste tester, too.


Yum-mmo.




We also made a gingerbread house. The kids loved it.





P was in charge of reading the directions.



And sweet EK watched on, cooing, smiling, and kicking her little feet the entire time. What a sweet baby girl.


Our cookie cook-off was a blast. More Christmas pictures coming soon.

wonder.

My one and only picture that turned out from our adventure to Lake Lanier's Holiday Nights of Lights. We had an amazing time with family, looking at lights, freezing our bums off at the carnival, and enjoying every second of watching our kiddos play in twenty degree weather. I really need to learn to use a flash. Maybe more pictures would turn out. Thanks to my Secret Santa (John C.), my years of flash phobia are coming to an end. Look for more indoor pictures coming soon....

gingerbread train.

We changed it up a little this year compared to last year, since P is into trains and all.


We iced and decorated. I went to work. Came home. And all of the "decorations" were piled in the caboosey and the icing was half eaten. When questioning my toddler about the destroyed gingerbread creation, his response was simply, "Well, daddy wasn't paying attention, so I ate the icing. It was yummmmmy."

True story, folks.

message from santa.

I got a message for P from Santa in my inbox this evening. Loving it....

Make your own at portablenorthpole.tv.

visit with santa.

The big day had finally arrived. P was so excited he could hardly stand it. Today, he was going to see Santa Claus.

P hopped out of bed, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair. He was ready to go.

Daddy and P made a list, complete with drawings of each toy to jog P's memory when Santa put him on the spot.


They rehearsed the big visit. P practiced what he would say to Santa, what questions he would ask, and what toys he would ask for. He probably recited his lines a hundred times. "Hi Santa. I've been a good boy this year. For Christmas, I would like a Tonka Chuck, a boy's kitchen, and a Thomas the Train with a lantern. And, Santa, where's the Nerf Pole?" (His words exactly. I promise.)

We waited in line only for an instant. The big moment had arrived. Even EK was getting excited.


Taylor and Santa's helper put P and EK on Santa's lap. And P froze. He was silent. All questions were forgotten. All toy lists were unremembered. But he was not afraid. Just shell-shocked. We did manage to get a tiny smile out of him for the picture.


P's mind was racing. "What do I say? What do I say?" Poor little guy. All of our rehearsing and practicing flew right out the window. But Santa knew just what to do to get P talking. He started asking him questions. Questions about his Christmas list. Questions about his baby sister. And then it all came back to him. P told Santa about the Tonka Chuck and the Thomas the Train with a lantern. He answered Santa's questions. And most importantly, he didn't cry. And neither did EK. They did it!


Afterwards, we headed up to the food court for lunch and then to the fountain to throw some pennies and take some pictures. It was a fun afternoon spent with my sweet family. And as for P meeting Santa, he could not be more excited. Now all he talks about is Christmas Day and all of the toys that Santa will bring. I just love his sweet innocent anticipation. 'Tis the season....

two months old.

She smiles big and she smiles often.


She loves peek-a-boo.


She is growing like a weed. (Eleven pounds, 15 ounces and twenty-two inches)


She has stolen her daddy's heart. And everyone else's.

i miss BOB.

On chilly days like today, I miss BOB.


He is good to my kids. He keeps them safe and warm.


He takes us to far away places. (Like the woods. And the playground.)


He carries our heavy load (of sticks, diaper bags, and juice cups).


Oh, that BOB. He is a good friend. But it looks like we will be spending some time apart. At least until this cold front passes through. And then, we can be reunited. Oh, happy day! What is the saying? The heart grows fonder....? Gosh, I miss BOB.

twenty-five days and counting.

dentist.

P had his first visit with the dentist today.

I took a few "before" pictures of his tooth. Can you see the chip?


Do you think I overreacted?


Maybe just a little.

He played video games and watched Toy Story 3 in the waiting room.


We met the nurse. We met the dentist.

P was not amused by their tricks and games.

It took three nurses to get an x-ray of his tooth. (Check out the spelling of P's name on the x-ray. Not even close, people.)


And it took four nurses to smooth out the rough edges of the chip.

There was some screaming. And some crying. And some kicking.

But he left there unscathed. With a toothbrush and a prize in hand.

And there was more screaming and crying when we left. Because he wanted to stay and play.

My P is a resilient little guy. I love him to pieces.

thankful.

I am very thankful this Thanksgiving. Thankful for my loving husband. Thankful for two healthy, beautiful kids. Thankful for my health. Thankful for awesome parents that support me and love me unconditionally. Thankful for a sister that is my best friend and is always there to lend an ear. Thankful for in-laws that would do anything for us or our kids. This Thanksgiving reminded me just how thankful I am. God is so good.

Sweet Emma Kate was so good for her first Thanksgiving.


My attempt at getting some family pictures of Taylor's family. Do you know how hard it is to get five people to look your way? I think Nanny was more difficult than the kids. Four generations....


EK and her great grandmother. Nanny gave EK $10 for her piggy bank. So sweet.


Beme loves P. P loves Beme. Can you tell?


One thing that I am thankful for that I forgot to mention earlier. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful that P's fall on his new playset at Grandaddy's didn't result in more than a chipped tooth.


Yep, my sweet boy chipped his front tooth on the ladder. Poor baby. I will admit, I panicked a little. Threatened to call the after hours dentist. I just don't want my sweet boy's smile to look jacked up. But it will all be okay. At least he didn't land himself in the emergency room. There will be worse accidents in our future, I'm sure. So, we're headed to the dentist tomorrow. I wonder how this will go....