Gingerbread House

Tonight was the night... finally! Grace has been asking so nicely every day to build the house.... "please build house, mama?"... melts my heart to think about actually. But anyway! ... I looked at the clock when we were done with dinner, and it was 6 o'clock.... tons of time before bath. It was time! After looking at the box Aunt Cheryl gave Grace a month ago, it was TIME!

Decorating the little "guys" while we waited for the "bones" of the house to dry...


Time to get busy!...


Look at those fine motor skills go!!! (Sorry... once a teacher, always a teacher)....


TA DA!!!!!!!!!!!


Can you tell how proud she is???? The WHOLE time she kept saying, "I'm doing a really good job!" :) No lack of confidence here! I just love these moments. Being a mommy really is the best.

Hope you're all staying WARM!!! We woke up to 10 degrees this morning. UGH. When Grace and I leave the house, we have on woolly coats, hats, and gloves. I'm SO glad she likes her mittens because she has to wear them regardless when it's this cold!! BRRRRRRRR! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Yes, Grace...

... you have something in your teeth!


We are loving the red cream filled Christmas Oreos around here! At least one little girl is anyway! Papa and Honey brought her one a few weeks back, and since then we've been sold.

All cleaned up!


Not much new over here... just tons of Christmas shopping to do still! I'm trying to NOT get that Christmas stress that seems to come every year right about, eh, NOW? I did order my Christmas cards last night, so that's one to scratch off. None of them addressed of course, but hey, it's a start!

The hall is decked

We got an advent calendar this year... so fun!!! Yesterday, there was an Oreo cookie in there, and today I put a little ornament from Nana in there that she got to hang on the tree. Kids make Christmas SO fun!




Our "Elf on the Shelf"... we named him Jingles. Actually, I named him after 3 days in a row Grace had given him a different name each day from Yo Gabba Gabba. ha! Every family must have one of these!!!! Google it... it is another really fun tradition to do with kids!


Then here is a non-Christmas related picture of Grace's official really nasty knot on her head. She busted it right on Honey and Papa's window sill on Saturday. OUCH. It's more brown and less purple now... lovely. We're just glad it was a bump on the head, and not teeth knocked out or something worse!


Apparently we are supposed to get snow tonight... good thing I got new winter boots for Thankmas!! :)

Thanksgiving Weekend

WOW.... I'm tired. But a good tired! It has been a full weekend of eating, hanging out with family, and moving furniture. This is the first year I didn't see my side of the family for Thanksgiving :( , but I think they understood seeing that it was Nate's parents last weekend in town before their plane leaves tomorrow morning for the Bahamas at 6 am! Say what? Nate is getting up at 4 to take them to the airport... mercy.

Grace had a BLAST hanging with her Nashville cousins... they really had so much fun together. The moving furniture part will be in another post this week sometime, but we'll just say that we have a new collection of "man-cliners" in our basement that came from Al and Ang's house, and Aaron toted home a gigantic pool table to Nashville today. The boys' backs are tired! Anyway... on with the pictures!...

Grace loving on Crews...


Time to wrestle daddy/Uncle Nate...


By the way, this is what happens when you put crazy kids in a house where all of the furniture has been moved out.

Grace got a hold of the punching glove...


All ganging up on Papa...


Time to do a Gingerbread House! Good idea, Honey!...


Big kids helping little kid...


Sweet moment.... Reagan reading to Grace. She was so good with her.


Then Saturday morning we did Christmas, which we have termed "Thankmas" since it was on Thanksgiving weekend!

What do you see sweet girl?


Aunt Miranda holding Gracie...


More love for Crews...


All 4 together... Grace, Walker, Reagan, and Crews...


Then tonight we went to dinner with Nate's parents one more time before they take off. They chose Chinese, which turned out to be perfect, as they sat Grace right next to the fish tank! The owner brought her gifts all night... he was the sweetest man! She's drinking her water out of a panda cup, she got a special straw, plastic monkeys, a fishing pole (what?!).... it was a nice dinner!


Then back to our house for a little playtime.

Papa reading to Grace...


One more pic...


We love you Papa and Honey!!!! We miss you already! Get your computer set up so you can skype!!!! :)

On a different note...
Many off you who read this also know that a good friend of all of ours from college passed away this weekend. Without giving too many details, basically everything about it is tragic. It has weighed on my heart and mind the past day and a half since I found out and just want any of the family or close friends reading to know, you are in our thoughts and prayers.... big time. The song, "Be Still my Soul" keeps running through my head and seems to help. Here are the words, if you need them right now....

Be still my soul
The Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide.
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still my soul.
Thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through stormy ways leads to a joyful end.

I like it

This is better, don't you think? Easier to read? Everytime I got on to check my blog, my eyes would go blind reading white print on black background. Maybe it's just me... I always thought I had good vision.

ANYWAY!

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend! I'll be posting lotsa pics soon... lotsa is a word, right? :) We've been squeezing in as much Honey and Papa time in as we can... they are outa here first thing Monday morning for good. Older brother Aaron and family are in town, too, so we have been SUPER busy! Oh, and Reagan (her 5 year older cousin) is Grace's new BFF. She wants to do everything she does... so cute! I need to go wrap presents now for Thankmas. Yes, Thankmas. That would be Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend. :) Pics coming soon!

Thanksgiving...

It's just one of my favorites, so I had to post it again. :)

Bear with me... I'm feeling sentimental!

Every year we have so much to be thankful for, but I think I'm really starting to understand that more and more the older I get. Every night when I put Grace to bed, I give her kiss after kiss on the head before I put her in her crib and my heart floods with thanks for that little girl. Being a mommy, as tiring as it may be at times, is one of the best gifts in the world. I'm so thankful for that and for our precious Gracie girl.

I don't know what I would do without Nate by my side. I think it's too easy to take each other for granted at times, so I wanted to take this (public) moment just to tell my hubby how thankful I am for him. I know how much you do for us and how much you love us and care for us. You're an unbelieveable husband, daddy to Grace, and honorable man who does so much for others. I want you to know how thankful I am for your loving and giving heart. You are good through and through. I'm so thankful for you.

I warned you I'm sentimental tonight.

I truly hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving and that you are with the ones you love. And if not, go ahead and ichat with them :) My mom and I have gotten pretty good at that by the way! A shout out to my mama too... I'm so thankful for you!!!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

And OK, who doesn't like "A Christmas Story" ???? I know one person who voted that way... it starts with a "M" and rhymes with "Tom", but I won't call her out... he he!

Oh, Yesterday

... was interesting. The entire day was spent getting ready for Grace's little family "Dora" birthday party, and then naptime came. She sang "Happy Birthday to You" for who knows how long, then started playing, then throwing a fit, and Nate and I took turns going in there after an hour of that with warnings, pleadings :), etc. for her to take a nap. She finally did... at 3:00. THEN! The kicker was she woke up at 4 with the croup, or what sounded like it at least... barking cough and wheezing... Dr. John got the call! Basically, 30 minutes before her party, we had to call all of the cousins to tell them NOT to come since Grace was sick. It ended up being a night of grandparents, and Uncle Ben! :) We all think she still had a great time though, and after we loaded her up with Benedryl and Tylenol last night, she slept all night until 7 this morning and woke up with a little runny nose and a little cough... nothing like yesterday, thank goodness. She's been down for a nap for 2 hours now, so I'm hoping yesterday was just a fluke day? We kept her home from church this morning just in case, but hopefully we're over the worst.

All of that to say, here are her party pics!

The spread of cake and cupcakes... and a little hand reaching for Dora plates...


Dora cake made by our sweet friend, Kelly!! It was DELICIOUS!...


Grace could NOT wait to open this big one from Nana and Popo... she was annoyed with us in this picture because we wouldn't let her open it yet!...


Can I please open it, mama?


Check out the Dora balloon!


Time for presents! Nate liked this one of me... :) Aunt Cheryl sent a Gingerbread House and she can not WAIT to put it together! We've only been asked 1000 times so far.


Opening more presents...



Getting 5000 pieces of plastic food from Nana and Popo!


One more look at the cake before we cut it!...


Becoming a pro!...
(Nana and Grace made this crown while Nate and I were out on a date Friday... isn't it so cute? Thanks Nana!)


Checking out her goodies!...


THIS is what was in that big box! An easel/desk... it is adorable and she LOVES it!...


Thanks for making her birthday party special grandparents and Uncle Ben! (minus Papa who claims he's working in the Bahamas, but probably laying on the beach somewhere instead... he he) Sorry to everyone else, but glad Grace didn't get you sick. Grace said "I had fun!" after everyone left, so sounds like it was no harm done afterall.