Fashion Friday

who doesn't wear {Brightly Striped Galoshes}

with a {Smocked} Snowman Dress

while holding a Musical {Caterpillar}

to a Family Christmas {Party}?

Cousins in the Kitchen

...with Uncle Jay.

Christmas Morning

Can you guess where Addie is on Christmas morning?

No, not a bus.

No, not driving an 18 wheeler...

Everyone has Christmas traditions. Ours have changed over the years; but now that we have children, we're trying to develop some of our own traditions.

Like breakfast casserole every Christmas morning. 

But we're really trying to move away from the inborn {gimme} mode any child {or adult} finds themselves in.

{Mine}

{More}

{Me}

And while we will of course continue to give {and receive} gifts, we desperately want our girls to hearts to be those of {giving} rather than so much {getting}.

Don't get me wrong. I am not getting all high-and-mighty-and-holier-than-thou.

But this blog is somewhat of a record of our girls lives, and this was a very important part of today.

We're just trying to provide {real life} examples and instill the it's better to give than to receive.

So for the past two Christmas mornings, we have tried to find individuals who are forced to work on Christmas day.

Those who serve us.

And in a {very} small way, try to serve them.

Last year, it was the gate guards at the nearby Air Force Base. Starbucks on a cold morning.

This year, our life group decided to make breakfast for a nearby fire department.

Grits, sausage balls, fruit, bagels, bacon, yummy treats.

And that's how Addie found herself here:

along with a few other members of our life group

and although we had to wake up {i know} the little girls to go, they were happy to be along for the ride

I Peter 4:10

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Gramma and Grandpa sent a {special} gift for each girl that's been {hiding} in our dining room since right after Thanksgiving. We pulled this one out last night and {all} three girls enjoyed and continue to enjoy playing with it! Thank you Grandpa and Gramma!

Now those are some {serious} faces!

Anne Perry

Audrey Kate

Addie's special gift from us was a doll baby. In her words: {oh, wow}.

 

This morning, Addie found a few surprises in her stocking and under the tree. Scratch that, our miniature tree happens to be sitting on our microwave which still currently resides in our living room!

But we did get to cook in our kitchen: Merry Christmas Mommy and Daddy!

(sorry...grainy cell phone picture!)

Now, back to Addie-boo! Those few surprises:...mainly necklaces, bracelets, rings, some heels that were already too small and {earrings}!

I even got lots of {smiles}, and she didn't mind showing them off!

But I think the {stickers} might have been a hit.

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas to All

from our family...

...to yours!

(photography and design by Allison Lewis Photography)

I'm Sorry

But when

did

these little girls

get

so

B.I.G?

Not sure where I've been for the last 7 months,

but all 3 of our girls have apparently been growing like little weeds flowers.

matthew 19:14  

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Cheerio!

It's Complicated

I'm not sure I realized just how long this {renovation} was going to take.

I mean. It was simple, right?

Rip out a few ceilings. Knock down a few walls. Jack up a few floor joists.

I was pretty much wrong.

One thing {leads} to another. Six weeks {leads} to eight.

Six weeks {max} would be today.

Have you seen our house recently?

That was yesterday.

{sigh}

We've finally gotten to where we are {cooking} at home again. 

{crock pot} {grill} {microwave}

I sat on a ball with a cutting board on our {covered with a blanket} toilet seat and cut up carrots and meat for pot roast.

Another night we had some of the yummiest chicken we've ever had!

All carefully concocted in our carefully sanitized second {bathroom}.

But it was so good to not only {eat} at home but {make} our own food at home!

Not to complicate things, they cut off power to our dining room, living room ceiling light, and one outlet in our living room.

The outlet where we have a our microwave plugged in.

The living room where we spend the majority of our time.

So we do what we've learned to do...

{adapt}

And then we

{re-adapt}

Right? Because that's what you're supposed to do?

But today, that's not where I am.

I'm sitting on the living room floor with two babies in two highchairs in front of me.

In the living room.

There are ritz crackers {everywhere}.

And they're begging for more.

Wouldn't you?

And I hand them another one and watch their sweet eyes light up like it's the best thing they've ever seen!

I love their {excitement} about life.

And then I hear the compressor and nail gun.

the {miter saw}.

And I'm frustrated because I'm exhausted.

I'm {tired} of trying to adapt.

And be flexible.

I'm {tired} of dishes being in my bathroom sink.

I'm {tired} of not having a door on our bathroom.

I'm {tired} of packing up each and every morning for the entire day.

I know, we could stay at my mom's.

But the {babies} refuse to sleep in a pack-n-play right now.

It takes 2 hours to get Addie to sleep there.

So in an effort to be {honest}

while at the same time do all things without grumbling (phil 2:14)

I'll stop there.

And just say, {this is tough}.

It's tougher than I thought it would be. 

But...

I know ALL things work together for good. (romans 8:28) 

Not just some things.

{All} things.

We will have walked through a different fire of sorts and come out unburned. (isaiah 43:2)

{Dusty}

very dusty.

but not burned.

And for that I continue to be thankful.

And we boast in the {hope} of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, {hope}. And {hope} does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 

romans 5:2b-5

Swing!

A few weeks ago. Ok, several weeks ago. Like Veteran's Day several weeks ago.

We went to the park.

Yes, this was in fact that day that we were planning to go to the zoo; but a meltdown occurred and we had to take a detour.

Not a detour. Just cancel our trip to the zoo.

But that's ok! Because we got to go to the park instead!

It was the first time the little girls got to swing.

And they loved it.

But not as much as Addie loved pushing them!

Paul even got a little time with the baby girls while I got to play with Addie some.

But I'm pretty sure Audrey Kate's face sums everything up here.

It's Complicated

Or so I thought it was until Friday night.

Given our current situation:

no kitchen

the entirety of our kitchen packed up in our living room and dining room

large plastic sheet wall blocking off the above said kitchen

a temporary bathroom kitchen

dust everywhere

a 2 year old and two 7 month olds

and...

us trying to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas, by heading to the Zoo Lights with friends.

So...

I was a little shocked when Paul came home from work with these:

No, we are not adopting two more dogs. Our precious Abbey has been spending her days and nights at my mom's for weeks now to keep her out of trouble here.

In fact, I don't like little dogs. I don't dislike them, I just don't like them.

Except this one:

But apparently I've rubbed off on Paul after 10 plus years of marriage.

I've picked up my fair share of lost/stray/run-away dogs.

I just haven't ever brought two home to him when we had three kids!

But I'm not one to turn away a dog, even if it's a little one

...or two.

Thankfully we got word out today through our neighborhood association and found their owners before I rode around and put up signs.

Who doesn't micro-chip a show-quality,breed-worthy, in heat dog and then leave them outside on a deck?

...and really think they won't run off?

Apparently it's complicated.

Life

Addie

Gramma and Papa Al came to visit this weekend. I have several fun pictures to share, but I've got to finish a few more things on my to do list before I get to the rest of the pictures.

We had so much fun at the Zoo Lights Saturday night before the weather got freezing! We went to our neighborhood tree lighting on Sunday. I'm not sure Addie even noticed the tree, she was too busy jumping in the bounce house! And today, Gramma and Papa Al joined the girls and me at Kindermusik. We had such a fun weekend going, doing, and staying out of our house under construction.

(Anne Perry, Gramma, Papa Al, Addie, Daddy, Audrey Kate)

Along the way, Addie seemed to be constantly amusing us with her words. She made up a story about getting the dinosaurs out of her zoo that involved a train, giraffes, all of us that were there, oh, and Didi! She talked our ears off about anything and everything you could imagine. And she absolutely loved the lights, at the zoo and at the crazy house in our neighborhood (blog post to come).

But first I have to share a couple of things with you that she said over the last 3 days...

tonight:
Addie:  Are Gramma and Papa Al coming back to my house?
Mommy: Not tonight; they went back to Augusta.
Addie: What's Augusta?
Mommy: They live in Augusta like you live in Montgomery.
Addie: No they don't, they went to Show and Tell.
Mommy: Show and Tell?
Addie: Yeah, they went back to the Show and Tell.

I think she might have meant Hotel!

on the way to get some dinner:
Addie: I got my tangle out.
Mommy: Oh Addie, please don't do that. Let Mommy help you.
Addie: It's ok Mommy. It's my fault.  :(

In the car:
Mommy: Are your panties still dry?
Addie: No, they are wet.
Mommy: Sweetie, we can't wear big girl pants out if you can't keep them dry.
Addie: Don't worry Mommy.

Saturday night dinner:
Addie: Where's you're hair?
All of us: trying to figure out who she was looking at and what she was talking about.
Realization: I do believe that marks the first of many embarrassing brutally honest, yet completely innocent, childhood comments.
Sorry Papa Al.  :/ She really does love you!

Thanks for a fun weekend Gramma and Papa Al. It was a great break from our makeshift bathroom-kitchen and being confined to the living room! ...and I do believe Addie had a blast!

Thanksgiving

When Paul and I got married, we made the choice to alternate spending Thanksgiving with each of our families each year. Christmas {morning} is a little different and is always spent at home now with just us, but Thanksgiving is always spent with extended family. This year was the year to spend with my family.

We all piled in the car and drove to Highlands, North Carolina where my aunt (my Nana and my Mom's sister) has leased a beautiful house for a year. It was perfect.

Gorgeous weather. Warm fires. Long walks (until it got cold later in the week). A trip to the library. Absolutely unbelievabley yummy food not only for Thanksgiving day but before and after!

I mean, how often do you google shrimp and grits, make it, and lick the pan clean! Ok. so that last part isn't completely true, but it was super yummy!

Oh...and did I mention s'mores!

Yup. Those are our Wordless Wednesday photos. 

But, as Addie would say YELL, did you see this?

What I want to know is how she knew to eat the chocolate first!?!?!?

yuuuuuuummmmy in my tummmmmmy!

There was this beautiful mirror in the living room that belongs to the owner of the house. There is a picture in the basement of her when she was a little girl sitting on this beautiful mirror too.

What was crazy about this picture is {gasp} Addie asked me to take it!!!!

I didn't really care what it looked like, I was just thrilled to take it!

I took a risk and asked Nana to jump in too, and instead of backfiring, this is what I got!!!

Pure joy. Pure laughter. Pure love!

Now. The little girls were pretty easy going as a whole...except when it came to sleep. Apparently they hate their pack-n-play. We brought a 2nd one, and it didn't help at all. They tag teamed all.night.long! One cried. Fed her. Slept a little. The other cried. Fed her. Slept a little more. I was so frustrated with them by the morning! But I'm happy to say one went 7+ hours last night and the other went almost 11 !!! Want to know why they were up all.night.long in the mountains?
1.) different environment
2.) because they could be
3.) daddy wasn't there yet (he came a day later)
4.) because they could be
5.) TEETHING!

Yup, Anne Perry's first tooth broke through the day we left.

Apparently Audrey Kate enjoyed sleeping on her Nana more than sleeping at night, but who wouldn't!

Addie had a blast with RieRie and Nana! She loved going on walks with Nana, finding sticks and rocks with her.

...and helping! 

Nana helping Addie Addie helping Nana!

This was one of the few spots left with those beautiful fall leaves. One of these days I'll make it to the mountains to take pictures as the leaves are changing instead of after or not at all!

{sigh}

 

Thank you Nana for letting us come spend Thanksgiving with you in your home-away-from-home!

Even though the journey's long

And I know the road is hard

Well, the One who's gone before me

He will help me carry on

After all that I've been through, now I realize the truth

That I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain of God

Mountain of God -- Third Day

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:18