CHRISTMAS...AGAIN!

The post office took extra long delivering my parents gifts from Washington but...they finally came! Bailey didn't care that they were late, she was just thrilled to open them:) The big box from YiaYia and Popo she kept saying :)

WEEKEND PROJECT...

I had a couple of extra days off and what does that mean...projects! We knocked one out of the way this weekend, putting up bookshelves (aka: gutters) in Bailey's room. I'm sure when Boo is grown, there will be a list of things that I did wrong, but I am hopeful that one thing she'll consider good, is a passion for reading. To be honest, this is a passion that I would like to instill in myself but hey...isn't our goal to help make our children better than ourselves? :)

Boo has a ton of books, so many so that it was getting difficult for her to find/read the ones she wanted. A traditional bookcase is a little tough for a 3 year old (she just ended up pulling all the books onto the floor in a huge pile that Mommy would then have to "help" clean up). I started researching sling bookshelves but could only find small ones to purchase (they might hold 20 to 30 books and the cost ran $50 - $100). After some research, I came across a gentleman who had used gutters as bookshelves. With about $35 in supplies (including a hacksaw blade and drywall screws) Tom and I were able to install 3 shelves that currently holds almost 80 books...and there's still a little room left! The best part is, Bailey loves it! We finished the project, she walked into her room and immediately said, "oh...there's the book I was looking for" (as she picked up the book pictured below). Got to love it when a plan comes together!

To finish off the look, we added a few cute stickers to her wall...it's really starting to look like a big girls room now.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

Happy Birthday Jesus! We are so excited to celebrate your birth! Thank you Lord, for the awesome gift of your son...

This morning, I had to wake Bailey up. I had to wake her up, because she was up half the night...my guess was from excitement, but I'm not sure if she really new that...instead she just called me into her room every hour to hour and a half. It was a "lovely" night :) So, come 9am, I had to go in and wake her up and let her know that it was Jesus' birthday and Santa had come...to which she replied, "Happy Birthday Jesus" and "I missed Santa while I was napping" :) I had to explain to her that Santa only comes at night, while we are sleeping. She was still a little bummed, but quickly moved past that when she realized that he might have brought the gift she asked him for.

This was the first Christmas (since Bailey's birth) that my parents weren't here with us; it was bitter sweet. So much fun to watch Boo while she opened gifts and got excited about each and every one, and then looked forward to the next :) But we missed Mom and Dad. Being away from family is tough, especially on these special days. Praise God for phones, Skype and planes!!

Oh...special bonus today, at around 2pm it started to snow! A white Christmas in Georgia! Bailey looked outside and said, "it's Christmas!" :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS! We love you all...


First gift of the morning...Santa's gift!

This was so funny...she was opening Santa's gift and realized
it was the toy she wanted; she got up and started laughing and
jumping around with excitement :) It was really cute...
Santa's present... Little Einsteins!

Enjoying her book from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Rachel

Daddy enjoyed this gift from Jeff and Rachel...okay, so
it was a Princess mini piano for Bailey but, Tom really
liked it (she did too but, Daddy snagged it first :)

Tinker bell "beauty" items (pretend make-up, curling iron,
hair dryer, etc..).

Bailey got a little drill set, which she loved! I like this picture,
because she's using her drill set, while wearing her Belle
Princess bracelet :)

Bailey quickly figured out the quickest way to fill
in the holes...she fills up a line with a bunch of screws
and then uses her drill to put them in. That's Popo's girl!
Studying a toy (cute little doll) from great G&G Couey

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE...

I know what you're thinking....two posts in one day, wow! Well, tonight we went to service at church and I had Boo wear the dress I picked up at Macy's this week (great price!)...it's actually too big because I bought it for next year but I figured, what the heck :)

She looked pretty darn cute in it, so I grabbed the camera to take a few photos and Bailey (who apparently has been to The Picture People one too many times) let me take a couple "standard" photos before rolling onto her tummy and telling me to take some pictures of her like this. She even put her head in her hands :) What a silly, and terribly cute, little goof.

The dress is very pretty, it actually went almost all the way

to the floor...next year it will be a couple of inches higher :)

Wearing the "fancy" bracelet that her YiaYia bought her

Silly grin...typically Boo :)

Couldn't you just squeeze her?! :)

ALMOST THERE...

It's Christmas Eve; we've almost made it! Tomorrow we get to celebrate Jesus' birthday and tonight, Santa comes! Bailey is thrilled about both...which is the really fun part about your child getting older, they really start to get stuff :)

Last night, we went out in search of Christmas lights. My family has done this ever since I can remember and Tom and I plan to continue this tradition with Boo. We found some really great homes, including one that we visit every year....this really nice man who fully decorates his yard (he's getting close to one of those extreme Christmas homes they show on HGTV :), including a visit from Santa himself! Bailey still isn't thrilled with the idea of actually going up to the man but...she did let both her and Mommy sit next to Santa for a quick picture.

Merry Christmas to each of you...tomorrow we celebrate!






Snow machine!

MY BELLS...

When I was right around Bailey's age, I made my first Christmas tree ornament...a set of bells. They were simply bells made out of construction paper (that the teacher had cut out of course); my contribution...a sticker and (I think) maybe a crayon mark. For some silly reason, those bells are important to me. Each year, when I go over to my parents house, I make sure that my bells are front and center on the tree

Well...I now have my own "bells". This year, Bailey made her first ornament. An angel with glitter on it. Her teacher put the glue on and Bailey (I'm sure) dumped a full container of glitter on it (I mean...isn't that the fun part? :). Man...do I love this thing. I've waited so long for my own set of "bells". And, you guessed it...it's front and center :)

CHRISTMAS A LITTLE EARLY...

Bailey got an early Christmas present this week from her Uncle Josh and Aunt Stacy....a Sleeping Beauty costume. She LOVES it and wears it EVERYWHERE (Costco, Target, the mall, the market...everywhere!). She's almost worn out her Cinderella costume and I have a feeling she'll work hard to wear this one out too.

Love you Uncle Josh and Aunt Stacy!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Friday night, we let Bailey stay up late and we went to see some lights...including the display at Life University. It was a great time. Really cold...but still really fun :) At the University, they had some vendors there (food, pony rides, etc), including a petting zoo. Bailey got a chance to hold a small bunny...something she really enjoyed, but also feared a little (as you can probably tell by the picture below!).

TIS THE SEASON...

This week was both the Christmas party and the Christmas performance at Bailey's school. The party was a lot of fun for her, there was playing, food and a (book) gift exchange. The performance was soooo cute and yes, I did cry the entire time her group was up singing. Bailey really likes to sing and although she is a pretty shy kid...once she gets up on stage, that seems to go away. YiaYia thinks she's a preacher in the making:)

May each of you experience the joy of this season...




She thought it was so funny that the grapes were "attached" :)

Favorites: One mommy brought Chick-fil-A nuggets,

one mommy brought cupcakes and I brought apple juice...

Bailey was in heaven!

I think Carson wanted Bailey's book....or at least the

princess wrapping paper :)


Before the singing started... still a little shy...

But then the music starts and Boo is LOVING it!

Singing, "Oh come let us adore Him"

Candy cane after the show....great way to end the night :)

MAKING CAKE AND...MAKING MEMORIES

The other night, I came in from walking on the treadmill (which is in our garage) and Bailey started talking about dinner and specifically...if there was any dessert :o) Yes...she's my daughter; I take full responsibility for messing her up in the womb (way too many sweets when I was pregnant!).

So...Boo and I decided to make a cake. Chocolate...her favorite and mine. It's not the first time she's helped me but, maybe it's because my parents moved away and I was feeling sentimental, it was the first time I was reminded of helping my mom in the kitchen. I can remember her telling me "I'm your mother, if I don't show you these things...who will?".

So, I'm passing on the tradition and now telling my daughter, "I'm your mother, if I don't show you these things...who will?". Who knew that sounding like your mom, could feel so good? Now, if only I (also) didn't have to say, "If I have to tell you one more time..."

At one point she was very serious...I think she wanted

to make sure that her spoon still had batter on it (so she

could lick it off :o)

Excited for dessert!

FAMILY FRIDAY!

Yesterday, I took the day off. It was GREAT! With Tom recovering from surgery, I've been extra busy lately so it was wonderful to be able to tell Boo that "Mommy didn't have to work today". She was thrilled. We took the day and the three of us went to the Aquarium (largest in the US!) and then to the Lenox mall to ride the Pink Pig (which is really a very pink small train). Bailey loved them both and we had a really, really great day.


This small ride is outside so...very chilly, but still fun :)

Bailey was happy looking at the rays...but she was not
going to touch them :)

When we told Boo that Popo had worked on some fishing boats,
she just had to try driving this one. She really liked it, until Tom
found a button that actually "turned the engine on". Then she ran away :)


Making friends...

Family portrait (with Tom holding the camera out in front :)

Bailey is so cute...she LOVES it when her pants
have pockets :)