Goodbye 2009

Another year gone! Not only are we saying goodbye to another year but another decade as well. Ten years, it seems like such a long period of time but it really does go by in a flash! What has this decade brought me? It's brought me many, many firsts. What happened to me over the last 10 years? A lot!

I got married, moved out of my parents house into my own house, worked, got pregnant, became a mom, became a stay at home mom, went through all the trials of being a first time parent, started a couple of businesses from my home, had another baby, made many new and meaningful friendships, spent lots of time with my family, went on vacation every summer, went to Disney World for the first time with my babies, made some major mistakes, had several melt downs, lots of arguments, became an aunt, a sister in law, a daughter in law, lost some dear friends and loved ones, and have become closer to my heavenly father. Oh, you know the list could go on and on but those are some of the highs and lows for me.

What will this next decade bring me? Who knows? I know I will become a parent a of a school aged child, maybe become a mother again (I hope so), do many sports things with my growing boys, go back to school myself, go back to work outside the home, spend much more time with my heavenly Father through His Word and in prayer, spend more time with family and friends, and hopefully have the same friends and family around me 10 years from now.

Ten years seems like such a short amount of time in retrospect and time brings with numerous ups and downs. What has the last decade brought to you? I hope you have experienced more highs than lows. I hope you have grown personally and spiritually, isn't that what life is about anyway? I plan to keep working on myself and trying to get things right. The Lord knows I can't do it alone but I can do whatever He has planned for me. So that is all I desire for the upcoming year and the next 10 years, to do His will and to keep working on becoming the best me I can be for His glory!

Happy 2010! Enjoy your new year and a new decade. I sure plan to!

Maxism for December

If you know Max, you know there is never a shortage of smart or witty saying around this household. Here are some of my favorites from the month of December.

"Stop jumping on the bed, Max," says Mommy. "It's not jumping, it's extreme falling!" is his reply.

"Look, mommy, I found the first star God made!"

"This is so good, it brings tears to my eyes." I can't remember what he was eating but obviously he thought it was delicious.

"Do cowboys say yippee ye yippee ye yo? Well, I don't like it!"

"Do you have a hairy uni brow?"

"You just need to focus. Concentrate real hard and you can do it."

"I can't wait to get out in the snow. I am gonna make snowmen and snow cakes, snowballs, snow angels, and footprints!"

"Remember those days when I was four. I was a good boy!"

After watching home alone for what seemed like the hundredth time he says. "They are the wet bandits, why don't we call them the wet banditets?"

"Daddy you really need to taste these peas. They are so delicious and also very nutritious." Obviously, his daddy doesn't like peas and refuses to eat them!

After dropping him off with my dad one day he says, "Bye, Mommy! I love you! See you in the morning! Why don't you let brother listen to Boomerang Express, it will calm him down."

We saw a possum while driving down the road, he yells, "We can run over that possum and get us some possum meat!"

Christmas 2009

We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas this year. Although, it is always a busy couple of days it's a great couple of days.

We do Christmas with Rex's family on Christmas Eve. We have a low key dinner with finger foods, which is one of our favorites! We let the kids open all their presents from PaPaw and Gran Gran and then we open our gifts from each other. The kids were so much fun to watch this year. My nieces were super excited about opening presents. Belle kept yelling, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness" every time she opened something. It was so cute. Max wanted to open one present and play with it and didn't really want to move onto the next one so it took him longer to open them than the girls. Wesley opened his keyboard and all he really cared about the rest of the night was his microphone.

Santa came Christmas morning bearing a ventriloquist dummy and fiddle for Max and a push toy motorcycle and big Mickey Mouse for Wesley. Max was so excited he didn't care about opening his other presents at first. He wanted to know why his dummy was broke and wouldn't talk and I had to explain to him that he had to do the talking for the dummy. Wesley went straight to his motorcycle threw Mickey Mouse on the floor and started riding his motorcycle. He stayed on it until Max opened up his Woody doll and then, of course, wanted that. We took our time and enjoyed our morning at home.

Around lunch time we went to my mom and dad's for brunch and more presents. Max had to bring "Andy" along and show him to everyone. We had the most delicious annual breakfast, tenderloin and biscuits, hash brown casserole, ham, grits, eggs, and gravy. Yum, yum! We always do stockings first at my parent's house. When we lived at home mom would put a present in our stocking every day the week before Christmas, I think I will start this tradition next year with the boys. Max got his "Cousin Clem" aka Billy Bob teeth from Santa, some Sponge Bob rain boots, and lots more stuff. Wesley loved the huge dump truck he got. He decided to ride on it instead of pushing it around.

We got home around 5:00 and I had the crazy idea to clean out the kids toys to make room for the new stuff since I never got around to it before Christmas. After 3 hours of that, I wondered why I wanted to do it on Christmas night but we got it done and went to bed with a clean house.

We couldn't have asked for a better Christmas! Now here are a few of the hundred pictures I took!

Belle, Emma, and Wesley.

Max and his big microphone.

Wes and his keyboard and microphone.

It's a Snuggie!

Wesley wearing Mr. Potato Head glasses. He is so silly already!

The tree ready to be seen after Santa's visit.

The best picture I got of the two of them together Christmas morning.

Wes riding his dump truck.

Seriously, a Georgia Bulldogs shirt. Thanks mom and dad.

Wes loved his new rocking horse.

Max and his Cousin Clem teeth.

Christmas performance

On Sunday night two weeks ago the kid's Awana program's had their Christmas performances. Wesley's Puggles class just sat and "sang" their Puggles' song and said Bible when they touched the Bible.


Max's Cubbies class recited their key verse and motto. I was very shocked because Max has always gotten stage fright for performances. He wouldn't even sit with his class last year during the process. Those of you who know Max may not believe it but it is true. For the first time he went on stage and did what he was supposed to do. Then, he actually got up there and held the Bible for the pledge to the Bible. I was so proud. They were all so cute and did a great job.


I was so excited when our church started Awana's last year. I was in Awana's when I was little and have never forgotten some of the things I learned in Sparks. I love that Max is memorizing scripture already at 5 years old. Wesley knows his routine in his class. He wants to put his sticker on his page as soon as he walks in the door. He already says Jesus and Bible, he thinks all books are the Bible. It is so worth the drive down to Dalton of Wednesdays so the boys can attend.

The Nutcracker

We did our annual trip to see The Nutcracker at the Tivoli last Thursday. We have taken Max every year since he was 16 months old. It is during the day when the school groups come. They don't have the symphony during the day so it is danced to recorded music. It is still always a good performance and you don't have to worry about keeping you kids silent during the program. I think it's a great opportunity to expose your children to some culture that they typically wouldn't get otherwise, especially boys. I don't think most boys are dying to go see a ballet. Max always looks forward to it every year and he loves and can recognize all the music.

I usually drop mom and the boys off and then go find somewhere to park. We had passed a spot when we turned onto Broad St going to the Tivoli so I was hoping I could swing back around and get it after I let them out front of the Tivoli. So, I dropped them off and did the loop back around to Broad St. The spot of course was gone but I found another one right down from it. Well, I thought it was another one. I parked, opened the passenger door so I could get my stuff out from the side walk, locked the doors, got out of the car, and walked around the put money in the meter. I realized then, that there wasn't a meter because a fire hydrant was there. Thankfully, my husband had called and was talking on the phone or I would have been totally stranded. Unfortunately, with out thinking I shut the passenger side door because I was going to walk around and move the car. The second I shut the door I remembered I had already locked the door and I locked all my stuff in the car, purse on the front seat, key in the purse, and coat sitting under the purse. It was freezing outside, too! I couldn't leave from my car because I was parked in front of a hydrant and wasn't supposed to be there. It was either stand and freeze or get towed! I, of course, chose to stand and freeze!

My husband drove home to see if the spare key was at home but it wasn't. It was in my purse, as well, because I had used it the other day when I couldn't find my keys!!! I was going to just call a locksmith but a parent of one of the children in my sister's class had AAA and offered to call them so I wouldn't have to pay for it. She brought me my sister's coat and scarf and stayed with me until they got there.

It was kind of scary and I am glad she stayed with me. It wasn't the best part of town. We made it back inside just as intermission was starting. Wesley last in the second half for about 10 minutes so that was all I got to see of The Nutcracker this year. Max really enjoyed it this year, though. He has always liked it but he was really into it this year. Mom said he paid very good attnetion and didn't even ask to leave.

Sometimes, I really wonder why my hair is brown!



This is what occupied Wesley during the second half. He climbed every step of the place. When we got home I noticed that the front of his white knee socks were dingy and black from all that climbing. :)

Night of Lights

My little sis, Jessica, is a member of the L'Abri Symphony Orchestra and they played at Rocky City on Friday night. We decided to brave the cold and head over to Rocky City.

It started out rough, running late, picking up food for the kids on the way, Wesley dumping his drink all over himself, Rex going to Walmart to buy new clothes for Wesley ( I was already almost to Rocky City at this point), waiting for Daddy in the bathrooms, and having to undress and redress layers of clothing on Wesley in the bathroom area before even entering Rocky City. I almost gave up and turned around but I struggled through it and other than the freezing temperatures it was a nice night. The sky was clear and it wasn't crowded at all.

We headed straight to the performance area and then did the tour through Rock City. It may have been my imagination but I remembered there being more lights the last time we had been there a couple of years ago. We did get to see one reindeer in the observation area. We trucked through the overlook area with Wes because it was freezing and he had been sick last week. Max wouldn't go see Santa. He told me he would rather go and see him in the mall. That boy, he cracks me up sometimes. We stopped to watch the Christmas story they do with lights about the birth of Christ but Wes was not having it so Rex and I walked him back and forth across a lighted bridge while everyone else watched. Some hot chocolate and kettle corn helped the kids spirits a little but it was just so cold!

We made it through the caverns and Max walked around the storybook village. In all honestly the whole caverns and story book village creeps me out. They have the weirdest dolls and characters. My sis jokingly said, "Rocky City, giving kids nightmares for the last 60 years." Funny, but those dolls are super creeptacular. Thankfully, these are at the end of the tour and we were all ready to head home. The lights were beautiful, the boys had fun, and we were all exhausted! The joys and adventures you have with little ones!!!

Jessi playing her flute. Max decorating his gingerbread cookie.

I love this, you can see Max yelling because Wesley is trying to get his cookie.

The finished cookie.

Wesley enjoying the music.

Wesley and Paw Paw's. He didn't get too far from him all night, as usual.

The whole gang minus mom, who is taking the picture.

The lighted bridge that kept Wesley occupied for a while.

Going into the caverns with the creepy dolls.

The tree at the entrance to Rock City.

What can you do with a tree skirt?

Well, apparently boys like to wear them as capes. Oh, and feel free to sing the question to the tune of the Klondike bar commercial because that is what I am doing. :)

On another note, we enjoyed the Ooltewah Christmas parade last Sunday. It was freezing and very, very long but the boys had fun, caught lots of candy, and saw their daddy and some friends ride their horses in it. Thank goodness for Wesley's riding push car, I don't know what I would do without that thing sometimes. One of the best gifts ever, thanks to Aunt Shia!!! Wesley loved all the characters dress up. He screamed, waved, and high fived them all.

Max sitting on the car with Wes but Wes isn't very happy about it.

Wesley waving to Mickey Mouse.

Brain

Larry

Daddy and Commanche

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A Snowy Day

Well, it was the first weekend in December and we already got a good snow! This was only the second time Max has gotten to play in the snow during daylight hours! The last few times it has snowed it was a night and was already gone by morning.

I bundled up the boys and myself and we headed out around 8:30 to enjoy the white stuff before it disappeared. Wesley loved it! He walked right out in it, looked around, and watched it fall from the sky. Max was ready to break out the sled and get busy. Max had a list of all he was wanting to do: snow angels, snowmen, snow cakes, and snow cream.




They walked, ran, rolled, and jumped in the snow. They swung on the swing set, slid down the slide, and road on the bike and coozy car just like it was any normal day.

I finally got the sled out of the chicken coop for Max. He was ready to go. Max and I marched up the hill while Wesley was still walking around in the white wonderland. He went down 5 or 6 times before Wesley got interested in what was going on and decided to join us. I pushed them down the front side of the hill but I it must not have been quite steep enough because they didn't make it to the bottom. I pulled them back up to the top and Max decided he was tired of sledding so Wesley went all by himself. He loved it and was done.




The snow was already starting to melt by this point and Wes got in a mud puddle, getting his gloves all wet. Max still wanted to make a snowman, so I started gathering up snow to start on the base. He was quickly sidetracked by snowballs and got several good shots in on Wesley and me.

We headed back in shortly afterwards and stripped down our muddy, wet clothes at the door. I headed straight to the washing machine while the boys headed for the kitchen for something to eat and drink.

Hopefully, this is a sign for many more snows to come this winter!

Max said Wesley tracks looked like the boy's from the book, A Snowy Day.

Max's snow angel.

This was his snow massage.

Some pretty snowy scenes around the yard.

One of my favorite trees in a field behind our house.

Time for sledding.

The future Ooltewah Bobsled team.