We wish you all a safe, blessed, and unbelievably wonderful 2010!

We would like to wish my Dad a...

Happy 53rd Birthday!

Hope your day was extra special. We love you!!!

Sweaters, Turtlenecks, and Stirrup Pants - OH MY!

We hosted a Tacky Christmas Sweater Party this year, and I must say it was one of the best ideas we've ever had. We had way too much fun dressing up in the tackiest Christmas outfits you could imagine. We ate good food, played some games, and had a good time in fellowship with everyone. I believe not many of us will be forgetting the charades any time soon! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate the season in a tacky way, and if you couldn't make it this year then get ready for next year!

And the winners are....

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, and hope you and your family did as well. We have actually the season even more this year because of Levi's excitement for all the small things - the lights on houses, the trees, the decorations, and all the fun. He really opened our eyes and helped us enjoy every minute of Christmas. We celebrated Christmas Eve with the extended family on my mom's side. We had some delicious food and Levi got more than his share of presents (thanks you everyone who was so generous to him).

Christmas morning was spent at home. We continued our tradition of eating Christmas breakfast together, singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus (candles and all), reading the Christmas story (Levi pretended to read along), and then opening presents. It was so nice. We then spent the afternoon with my dad, mom, and sisters playing cards and sharing Christmas dinner which was wonderful thanks to mom. We exchanged gifts and I believe everyone had a grand time playing with Levi's new Hot Wheels tracks. It was definitely the highlight of the evening. We hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did, and here's to a Happy New Year.

Celebrating the Season

We have been doing a lot of celebrating the last few weeks getting ready for the Christmas season. Here are a few of our Christmas decorations that we are enjoying this season. Last week we went to the Square in Covington with our small group friends. We enjoyed walking around all the stores, watching the carriage rides, and looking at all the lights and the big tree. It was a nice time of fellowship with our friends as well.

On Sunday we went to the Candlelight Service at Rockland. It was very special to be able to take a few moments during this busy time to reflect on the reason we celebrate Christmas. This year Aaron's family is spending Christmas in Texas with his grandparents, so it also gave us time to celebrate with them before they left.

Yesterday I took Levi to a birthday party for Jesus. We heard the Christmas story, decorated hearts to give to Jesus, made a manger scene, played musical chairs, and ate cake all to celebrate the birth of our Savior. It was a wonderful party. A big thanks to Hollie, Ashley, Katie, & Ivey for putting it on for us all.

We hope you all enjoy the magic this season brings and take time to share all the love and laughter with family that you can over the next few days. May the love of our Savior fill your home this Christmas and all through the new year.

Merry Christmas!

What a BIG Boy!

I took Levi to the doctor for his 18 month check-up yesterday. Even though he had an ear infection, the doctor said he was doing great and on track with everything. Here are his stats: He weighted in at 28 lbs. (75%) and he is 35 1/2 inches tall (95+%)! That's almost 3 feet people! I cannot believe how BIG my little boy is getting.

Winter Wonderland

Last night we went to the Winter Wonderland that Prospect puts on every year. We enjoyed listening to the choir special and then had a blast and the wonderland festivities. Levi absolutely LOVED everything. Levi has been all about the "lights" of Christmas this year and gets so excited when we pass houses decked out to the nines, so we knew he was going to LOVE the wonderland. As soon as we walked in he went crazy with excitement because of all the lights. We ate cookies, drank hot cocoa, made an ornament (which I love), made a bell necklace, and went on the hayride. However, Levi's favorite part by far were the see-saws. All he wanted to do was ride them, and would break in line to ride again, and then cry when he had to get off. Needless to say we are still working on sharing and taking turns. Everything was wonderful, and we had such a great time celebrating the Christmas season with everyone.

For Beth

Before Beth left for Thailand she gave me strict orders to "Update your blog while I'm gone," so here it goes...

Levi watching VeggieTales. He is so adorable.

Levi has always had a fascination with the dishwasher. He usually takes out all the dishes as I'm trying to load them up, but this time he decided to get in the dishwasher. The trouble is he did it so fast I didn't even know he had climb in and I was in the same room with him!

Levi has decided that he must stand to eat his food. I have been insisting that he "sit down" while at the table, but my insisting has gotten me too far. I feel like we've made some progress since he hasn't climbed onto the table this week.

Beth this is especially for you. We went to McDonald's for Wednesday lunch. We missed you so much, but said a prayer for you. These are pictures from lunch. I was playing peek-a-boo under the table with Levi. We had a good time, but missed you.

Bay - We hope you are having an amazing time in Thailand and ministering to the girls each day. I know they are probably ministering to you as well. I can't wait to hear all about everything!

Recent...

So much has been going on with us lately. This week was drama week at Prospect, and Aaron played the role of Jesus again. He did a wonderful job, and I'm always so proud of him and the job he does in this role each year. This is one of my favorite pictures of Aaron from the drama. If you'd like to see some pictures of the drama you can check here. Today Beth headed to THAILAND! I am so proud of her and the sacrifice she is making to serve others in this world who need to see Jesus in others. I know she is super excited about what all God is going to do during her stay. While she is there she will be celebrating Christmas with all the girls and delivering their Christmas boxes from their sponsor families. Please be in prayer for her as she ministers at the House of Grace over the next 12 days.

P.S. Isn't she AMAZING?

And I almost forgot, but Levi is now 18 months old! I can't believe it! He is growing up SO fast. He has his 18 month appointment next week, so I'll post his stats and such then, but for now here is what he is up to...

• He is talking so much these days. He says: papa, mama, ball, basketball, dodger, baby, Jesus, uh oh, juice, set, go, two, three, and a few more. Some he says more than others. He also understands tons more words like waffle, help, milk, and simple commands, but hasn't said them yet.
• He knows his ears, nose, fingers, bellybutton, toes, mouth, and eyes (sometimes).
• He's pooped in the potty once. He's just starting the training, but we are so proud of him anyway.
• He smiles really big when you say "Cheese."
• He loves balloons, cars, VeggieTales, Christmas lights (thanks Ky for your yard), his doggie, and sticks.
• He eats most anything - and sometimes eats me out of house and home.
• He still signs 'please' and 'all done,' but hasn't used any other signs on a continuous basis.
• He is very friendly and always waves hi and bye to everyone we meet.
• He is a ham! He loves being the center of attention and laughing.
• He loves playing. He will play by himself, but loves when other play with him especially if they chase him.
• He has his first ear infection last week, but is doing much better.
• He has 16 teeth!! His i-teeth are finishing coming in, and that gives him 16 total. He is a champ at teething and hardly ever complains.
• He loves to throw things - sometimes good and bad - and he has a real strong arm.
• He loves outside and would spend all day out there if I would let him.
• He hates the car and would rather play than ride.
• He loves to read - anything. His favorite books right now are Here Come the Firefighters, Jane's Flying Expedition (both are pop-up books), and anything Dr. Seuss.

We Wish You A...

Hope your birthday is spectacular! We love you!

Richly Blessed

I have so much to be thankful for this year...

• I am thankful for a loving and understanding husband who is my partner and best friend through this life. He teaches me new things everyday and shows compassion and grace to me in my weakest moments. He cares for me when I'm down and rejoices with me when things are good. I am truly blessed among women.
• I am thankful for an amazing son who is smart, healthy, and brings great joy to my life. I cannot remember my life before him.
• I am thankful for wonderful family and amazing friends who love me for me.
• I am thankful that we have a warm home, food to eat, healthy bodies, my husband's good job, my job as mommy, our church, new friends and old, our educations, our freedoms, and so much more.
• Most of all I'm thankful for the sacrifice of our Savior. Because of His gift of sacrifice we have eternal life. Through him we can have joy in time of sorrow, and peace in time of confusion. I am so thankful to be called His Own.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Oreos

I was making an Oreo crust for a pie I'm taking to Thanksgiving lunch tomorrow and decided I'd give Levi an Oreo to munch on. You can tell from the pictures that he enjoyed it very much.

Fort

Aaron and Levi made a fort this evening and have been having a blast crawling in and out of it and running all over the house. Like I said earlier, I couldn't imagine my life without them.

I wouldn't be able to make it through this life without these two by my side. I love you both!

The Cow Says Moo...

Here's Levi helping me read the book The Cow Said Moo!

I think I have a musician in my future.

This was Levi this morning. I thought it was too cute not to share. I just love how his hair is sticking up everywhere.

Isn't he absolutely irresistibly adorable?

Trunk or Treat

Last night we attended our church's Trunk or Treat. They served chili and cornbread in the field, and then everyone came down to the parking lot to Trunk or Treat. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and good food. Levi had a great time going around to all the cars with Grandmama & Cara, and I even allowed him to eat a piece of candy before the night was over. Needless to say - he LOVED it!

Boo!

On Saturday we went to Prospect's Hallelujah Hoopla. Levi was a golfer and if I say so myself he was quite adorable. Levi had a wonderful time. We played all the games a few times. He loved the fishing game, the pumpkin toss, and the elephant toss. I think his favorite was the golfing game. I played Bingo with Beth and won some yummy brownies. We had a great time, and hopefully next year Levi will be big enough to enjoy the bouncers. On Thursday we will be going to our church's Trunk or Treat, so look for more pictures to come soon.

Get Them While They're HOT!

I know you all are dying to own your very own your very own pair of footed pajamas. If you're super excited by this post head to Target right now!

Having A Great Day

Just an announcement that I am having a GREAT day. Levi and I got up this morning and headed out to run several errands all before nap time. I know this is ambitious, but it was the plan. I was a little worried because Levi hates being in the car for too long, and hates even more going from car to buggy and back again. Knowing we were going to be in and out all morning I was concerned he would be hard to deal with. However, he was WONDERFUL and so enjoyable to be with today. We went all over Conyers and Covington and he was SOOO good. I just had to brag about him. We even ate McDonald's for lunch and got really lucky and snagged a VeggieTales DVD for $4.99!!! Being a stay at home mommy means I get to spend time with Levi every day. It's easy to get into the routine of life and forget to spend special time with your little one. We make sure the he and Aaron spend special time together, but I don't do the same for our relationship because I'm with him 24/7. Today showed me that even though we are together constantly it's still important for us to have some special time too. Today we both had a really good time hanging out and laughing. He just makes my life better. I love that. So here's to today...a really GREAT day!

The Worst Call EVER!

I Hate the Yankees!! This is just ridiculous. Guys I had a video up from YouTube, but they pulled it due to copyright. You can see the video by clicking here.

We've Been...

We have been pretty busy lately. We've been spending a lot of time outside. Levi absolutely LOVES to play outside, so we spend lots of time in the front yard. Levi's favorite things to play with outside are bubbles, his wagon, tennis racket, a really long piece of tie string, and any of Dodger's toys. We also enjoy going into Mansfield to the park. Levi loves sliding down the two BIG slides! Here are a few pictures from our play times...

Playing at the park with Aunt Lou. Now that it is getting cold we are still playing outside, but we just have to wear lots of layers.

Levi still enjoys his bath time. Here is a picture I snagged of him the other day. I got a video too I hope to share soon.

We celebrated our niece Jordan's 13th birthday on Oct. 9th with a fantastic dinner at Olive Garden. Happy Birthday Jordan!

Change

Welcome fall and all the holidays I love!!! I am so looking forward to the holidays this year. This time of year always reminds me of family, friends, football, snuggling in blankets, fires in the fireplace, a big bowl of chili, hot cocoa, sleeping in, waking up on Christmas morning, sharing stories, turkey & dressing, monkey bread, carols, sweaters, and all the like! To celebrate my excitement and did a little blog makeover today. Hope you like it!

Anonymous

Thursday when we got home from small group we notice that Levi's wagon had been moved off the front porch and was sitting in the driveway in front of the garage. We checked out the house to make sure no one had broken in and nothing was missing or out of place. Everything was just as we left it with the exception of the wagon. Aaron was putting the wagon back where it belongs and discovered that in the wagon was $23! We aren't really sure of the circumstances or reason for it, but we wish to thank our anonymous donor for giving us this blessing this week.

Greek Life

Last Saturday we went to the North Georgia Fair and the Greek Festival with our friends Todd, Missy, & Samuel. We had lots of fun. We started out on the fair where we rode a few rides, saw a few of the little variety shows, and of course took Levi to the petting zoos. Levi loved all the animals. After a few hours of the fair and a ride on the Sizzler we headed to the Greek Festival. We all enjoyed the music and the food was delicious. We had such a good time catching up with our friends for the day.

I Heart the Blogging World

I absolutely LOVE the blogging world, and especially all my favorite blogs that do giveaways. I don't mean to brag, but I just cannot believe my luck. I have WON again! This time the thanks goes out to Give Me GoodiesI have actually won two things. About two weeks ago I won a nursing clip from Modest Milk. The clip helps turn any blanket into a cover for when you are nursing. There are also lots of other uses for it. You can check out their website to view all their products.

Then today I found out that I won this awesome shelf from Andrew's Reclaimed! I get to choose between the black or cream. I really excited because my walls could definitely use a little pick me up. I'm also really excited because the shoes I won from See Kai Run arrived last week. They are adorable and I absolutely LOVE them! If you are interested in any of the blogs that I have won giveaways from you can check them out by clicking on the buttons on the right side of my blog page. Good luck!

The Past Week

It seems like this past week we had lots going on so here's the rundown for any of you who are interested. I tried two new recipes this week. I made a Mexican Pizza and the later in the week I made some Cherry Cheesecake Bars for my small group. Both were yummy, so if they sound good to you, check them out and give them a try. We were very lucky to escape any major problems from the recent flooding. The Yellow River isn't too far from our house, so I was able to capture a few pictures of it. It was very high. We are very grateful that we and our families didn't suffer from the flooding, but we are also very aware that there are many families that are still dealing with the consequences from the flooding and our thoughts go out to them.

Wednesday was Cara's 15th birthday. We celebrated with a meal at Frontera.

And what's a post without some pictures of this little guy. It seems like this week we look a few more pictures of Levi than usual. Here are a few of my favorites from the week.

P.S. Levi is 16 months old today!! Can you believe it!

Fifteen

Happy Birthday Cara!

Hope your 15th birthday is the best yet. We love you!

15 Months

I can't believe Levi is already 15 months old! Truth is he'll be 16 months in just a little more than a week. Time is just flying by!! Before you know it he'll be 2, then 10, then 40! I took Levi to his 15 month check-up last week. Here are his stats: 33 inches tall and 25 pounds 11 ounces! He is still in the 90%-95% range for height and back up to the 88% for weight. He's growing up so much. Here are a few things he's learned in the past couple of weeks.

• He knows Ready, Set, Go. We say "ready, set" and he says "GO!"
• He has added the following words to his vocabulary: basketball, football, go, and yeah. He repeats lots of words, but these are the ones he says the most. He also recognizes tons of words when we say them such as: outside, go, walk, bite, all done, and bath.
• He's learned how to slide.
• Loves to dance, play with Dodger, dig in the cabinets and play with the pots and pans, eat, ride in his bike seat, go for walks, VeggieTales, help with the laundry, brush his teeth, climb on our bed, and play with anything in the dishwasher.
• He has cut 4 molars for a total of 12 teeth, and is currently cutting his incisors (vampire teeth) for 2 more.
• He LOVES bananas. He would eat them for every meal if I would let him.

Picasso

Levi and I had some art time today. He enjoyed eating the crayons more than coloring with them. I thought for Levi's first coloring project he did pretty well. When we were finished we displayed our work on the board in his room. Now I'm looking forward to finger painting, but I don't know if I'm brave enough just yet.

Little Helper

As you can see, Levi has been a great helper to Aaron while he has been remodling our closet.

* On a side note - our closet is coming along great (now that we have actually started it). We still have shelves to put in and it needs to be painted. I'll be posting pictures as soon as we get it completed.