Christmas 2007

Sorry it has been awhile since updating but as usual the holidays proved to be crazy for me. We traveled to Decatur to celebrate Christmas with my father's family and my mom's family and had a wonderful time. Kate made out like a bandit. She got a Thomas the Train set, Mickey Mouse movies, Barbie car and a baby doll from my Dad, grandma and uncle.

After celebrating at my dads house we moved on to mom's house. My grandmother, brother, stepbrother, his wife and their child and step sister was there. There were tons of presents. I got dishes, glasses, place mats, chargers, and a huge wicker hamper. Kate got some things for her dolls, a star station, some clothes, Princess hairdryer and hair stuff, Cinderella (the movie) and a bunny purse.

After celebrating Christmas with my mom's side of the family I went out to visit with some old friends and celebrate their 30th birthday! So here's to you guys... Happy 30th Jack and Will! It was great seeing everyone and visiting with them for awhile. Of course I was the life of the party, seeing that I'm preggo and the only one not drinking.

The next day Kate and I traveled home to prepare for Santa to come to the house. We baked cookies for Santa and made sure we had stuff for him to come visit us. Christmas Eve we got Kate to take a bath before putting the cookies out and here she is posing with the cookies and carrots and chocolate milk.

We were putting these out and telling her that she was going to have to go to bed so Santa would come to the house and bring her presents. Of course as soon as that came out of our mouths a siren started going off and we ran outside and there was Santa riding on top of a fire truck. So then she was confused. She asked why Santa didn't have the reindeer and if Santa was coming to the house on the "truck". We tried telling her no and then she asked if the reindeer were going to ride on the "truck". We finally convinced her that Santa would return in his sleigh with the reindeer, minus the fire truck.

She finally went to sleep and the next morning when she woke up she looked over the railing and saw Santa's footprints going from the fireplace all the way to the Christmas tree in our dining room. She thought Chloe had made a mess but after we explained that they were Santa's footprints she was really excited!

She begged to open presents and we let her open her stocking first and she got lots of markers, Princess slippers and some paint pens that only write on certain types of paper. She was ecstatic!

Then my mom, step dad, grandma and brother arrived and the package opening began. Grandma got her a doll house and Matt (my brother) got her some stuff to go with it. She also got an Easel and a digital camera from Santa. She also got a Barbie, some baby clothes, a movie and some fake food for her kitchen. So basically she had a great Christmas. I could be forgetting some things but I think you can all get the gist of things. We then ate a great lunch prepared by hubby and then sat around and played with all of Kate's things. Oh, I almost forgot. Brian got a chair for his canoe, some shirts, a jacket and some money. We also got a big mirror for the house and a picture and a set of Biltmore pots and pans (they are awesome). We got a couple of gift cards and money so we really had a great Christmas! Now we have to figure out where to put all this stuff!!! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm Pregnant - And that is my Excuse!!!!

So I'm behind on blogging.... shopping for Christmas.... cleaning the house.... washing the clothes.... feeding my family.... Christmas Cards....and who knows what else! I'm pregnant for those of you who don't know. I'm about 9 weeks now and have been soooo tired. All I really want to do is lie around all day and sleep. I've been a little sickly, but mostly just tired. And running after Kate is not helping. Hubby is trying his best (I think) to help with dinner and with Kate. Still complains about me not cleaning though. I feel as though I'm in some sort of warp zone and I can't get out. I'm not sleeping well... wake up about two to three times a night and either have to pee or I'm realizing that I forgot to do something I should have done three days ago. Hence I am awake at 5 this morning blogging. It is Sunday people!!!!!

I already feel as if I'm being a not so great mom to Kate because I just don't feel like playing. Of course I feel like she has become a little more demanding lately, but that could be from me being tired. She has recently decided she is a little chef. She loves, loves, loves her play kitchen. She is constantly telling me she wants to cook me something which usually consists of peas and pancakes! I know, sounds gross to me, but the fact that she is making an effort is great and I don't have to pretend I'm cooking. Now only if she will learn to really cook! She is also testing me a lot lately. I tell her not to do something and she automatically does it anyways. She is very defiant. I'm guessing she gets this from her daddy. She also has a smart mouth on her too, which I will not completely blame her daddy but give him half credit. She wants to dress herself sometimes too, and thinks she knows what matches. It is like fighting her daddy who is color blind. We were almost late to MDO one day because we were fighting over whether her socks matched her outfit. Crazy I know! She is very excited about Christmas and Santa coming. We have seen him twice now and the second time she actually sat on his lap. I was so excited. She knew it was a photo opp because as soon as she got in his lap she gave her quirky little smile and screamed "Cheese". What a goofball! I will post pics of her on Santa as soon as I download them. I think that about sums it up. So if you get this and don't get a Christmas card, don't be mad. It is probably sitting on my counter. Maybe you will get it next year!!!!

OK, so I'm Behind

I know, I know. It has been awhile since I've blogged. And I've missed it. But I've been busy. I know we are all busy. But since my last blog we have traveled to Orlando and back and I've been trying to make bows and sleep mats for a Holiday Open House that my friend Sherry had at her house, so I haven't had a whole lot of free time.

Thanksgiving was great. We went to hubby's aunt and uncle's to eat and the whole family was there. The food was great of course. A cousin was suprised by her boyfriend who recently completed Army bootcamp. Plus we had a baby shower for another cousin. The next day we traveled to Brian's parents boat to stay with them. We had a great time as we traveled in the boat down the Intercoastal Waterway for a day. We saw dolphins and lots of pelicans and seagulls. Kate loved it. Here are some pics:

I think Chloe enjoyed it too. She adapted to boat life well as she joined in with the other dogs as they barked at all the boats going by. Anyways, it was a great trip except for when we found our car with a dead battery b/c Kate turned a light on in the trunk. The ride home was long and we were really tired, but glad that we went. It took me three days to wash the clothes and get everything back to the way it was before we left. I think it will be awhile before we really travel again!

Haircut #2

Hubby cut Kate's hair awhile back and he did a pretty good job, but her hair still just didn't look right to me, so I recently took her to a kid's salon called Sweet and Sassy. A lot of my friends from the MOMs group took their children and loved it so I decided we would try it out. It was so neat and she loved it. She kept admiring herself in the mirror and telling me she was soooo pretty! They even put glitter in her hair and a glitter stamp on her face and gave her a sucker. It was almost more than she could handle. Here are some pics to show you just how funny the whole thing was.

Gatlinburg Trip

This past weekend we went to Gatlinburg to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. We all had a good time, but it sure didn't last very long. Kate had a great time seeing everyone, especially her cousin Jackson. While we were there we took the kids up to see the chapel that hubby and I got married in. It still looks exactly the same. We also took Kate up to Ober Gatlinburg (I think that is how you spell it)on the Tram to look at the ice skaters and to see the live bears. She thought that was great. We took my Wii and everyone had a great time playing it. Anyways, here are some pics of our trip.

Birthday Thanks

Today is my birthday and of course Thanksgiving is coming up so I've been thinking about all the things I'm thankful for. Of course I have a lot to be thankful for after 29 years, so here goes:

1) My health - I am so fortunate to be healthy because I know a lot of people out there have a lot more problems than I can even image having.
2) My Mother - For having me, teaching me the difference between right and wrong, loving me with all her heart and soul and working so hard to give me the best life possible.
2)My Grandmother Rose - For helping to raise me, being one of my best friends, taking me on trips, and just loving me no matter what.
3)My Step-Father - For loving and taking care of my mother, and loving me and my brother like we were his own. For being crazy and helping us have fun no matter what. We owe him a lot.
4) My father, grandma Hazel and the rest of his family - For being such a close knit family and showing me that family is important
5) My Husband - For knowing the real me and still loving me no matter what. For giving me the most precious gift I could ever receive, my sweet little girl. For being the constant in my life and supporting me.
6)My Child - I never imagined I could love someone so much. I'm so thankful she is healthy and happy.
7) My family's health - I know some are healthier than others, but they are all in fairly good health.
8) My friends - I have some really great friends. They like me even though they know I'm a big wierdo. And they aren't scared to be seen in public with me.
9) Being in a stable position in my life - I really feel like I'm in a good place in my life and I can't imagine it being any better than this.
10)My In-laws - They are such a blessing. I'm sure they think I'm crazy but, they are supportive and have welcomed me into their family. They are also a lot of fun to hang out with.
11) My husband's extended family - They are all so wonderful. They have acted like I was a part of their family right from the beginning and I've been so fortunate to get to watch all the little ones grow up.
12) The experiences I've had thus far - because I think they have made me the person I am today.

I'm going to stop here because the kiddo is screaming. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Back from the Cruise

So I recently went on a cruise with my grandma and came back on Monday. It was a relaxing cruise and we had a really good time. I just wish Hubby would have come with me. That is a whole other story though. I needed the relaxation and just a break from Kate. I think sometimes you need a break from your child or children every now and then to get your brain on straight. I know I don't think clearly while chasing Kate all day! Anyways, I was so pleased that she was ecstatic to see me when I went to pick her up. The only problem..... she didn't want to leave her Nana either. Once we got home she seemed ok, but yesterday, she told me I was mean and that she wanted to go back to Nana's house and stay. Tough kid!!!! You have to live with me until I kick you out at 18!!!! Kidding. I know she loves me, but sometimes it hurts my feelings when she wants to be with someone other than me. I know that is selfish, but it is just the facts. Of course, when I'm frustrated with her I don't care if she wants someone besides me. Anyways, we are back at our regular schedule and now we have to get ready for school. I will post Halloween pictures of her a little later.