Christmas = FAMILY

Christmas is such a special time of year, and it means so many things to me. First of all, it means JESUS...the reason we celebrate at all! But perhaps the second most important aspect of Christmas in my eyes is FAMILY. At this wonderful time of year, we get together with all of our family at different times. It's a great time for reconnecting with those who live far away, for enjoying the company of those we see all the time, for watching cousins play together, and for relishing old traditions as well as making new Christmas memories together. The family festivities, for us, began early in the month, when we got together with the Kitchings side at Mom and Papa's house. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, a "Dirty Santa" game, gifts to kids from the grandparents, a birthday cake for Jesus, and a surprise visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus. Great photo op!!

Our next celebration was with the Harrisons at Mom and Papa's for lunch. This gathering has truly grown over the years as we continue to add 3rd cousins to the mix. This year, Clark and Sara brought baby Harper. We had a wonderful meal, where the grandparents ate in a room with all of the little ones, and let our generation sit in the dining room at the "kids table." It was fun to catch up and have a "normal" conversation without any distractions. We have TERRIFIC parents, we know that! We also enjoyed a birthday cake for Jesus, a "Dirty Santa" game, a gift exchange with the grown ups who drew names, gifts for the kids from their grandparents, and another visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus. This particular time, Avery said, "I know you're not the REAL Santa." I asked her later why she said that, and she said it was because he didn't have a real beard. The evening ended with Grandpapa riding the kids around on his motor scooter, which was actally more exciting than SANTA....go figure!

On Christmas Eve, after going to the Family Service at Ingleside, where Avery sang with the Xtreme Praise kids, we went to Shirley and Al's with the entire "Scott" family. This is always a fun night, especially for the kids. After a wonderful dinner, the guys went downstairs to "prep," while the ladies were entertained by the children. They sang their favorite Christmas carols, acted out the Christmas story, and dramatized the 12 Days of Christmas. Then came the visit by Rock 'n' Roll Santa (played this year by Steve). He was one of the funniest ones in years with his crazy dance moves! The kids had a few wild moves of their own, especially Carson! We laughed so hard! The kids told Santa what they wanted for Christmas, and he gave out presents to the little ones, (Avery picking something we had never heard of...GREAT!) The adults exchanged their gifts as well, while trying to dodge the flying balls of wrapping paper being thrown by everyone. It's crazy with this crew, I'm tellin' ya!

On Christmas morning, Asa woke up first around 7:15, and the girls woke up around 7:45. Mom and Papa came over to watch the kids unwrap all of their stuff, and Shirley dropped by to join us for brunch as well. It was a fun Christmas for the kids, and they enjoyed opening their gifts and playing with them throughout the day. Bryan and I just enjoyed hanging out with them and watching them have fun!

Granddad, Nonna, and Uncle Jeffrey came over to our house for dinner on the 26th. We ate a great dinner with Dad's favorite Blueberry Pie for dessert, and then we opened gifts with them. Avery and Brynn loved climbing in boxes and bags and letting themselves get "unwrapped." They all enjoyed their calendars that I made for this year. (I have been making one for about 6 years now).

Last, but not least, we celebrated at Dennis and Tina's on the 27th. Tina cooked a fantastic dinner, and then we opened presents. The kids opened all of theirs first. Asa was ill because he didn't want to take turns. He just wanted to be opening up one present after the next. I guess they have to learn somehow! The adults opened presents next - a bunch from Al and Shirley, and one from the person who drew their name. There were a lot of gag gifts given...Dennis' old Umbros, Bryan's law books, 2 Brut Bottles, a pair of regifted boxers, an old game button from Bryan and Shawn's baseball days, and Bryan's flyers from when he ran for SGA President at Mercer. No wonder it took us until 10:00 to finish opening gifts! It was a fun night though, and the kids enjoyed playing with each other and with their new toys.

I am so blessed to have come from such a wonderful family, to have married into such a wonderful family, and to now have a wonderful family of my own. These people make Christmas my absolute favorite time of the year! After such a busy and fulfilling month, I feel like, "It's over...what do I do now?" But life will keep me busy enough, I'm sure.

That's My Boy!

I had just put Asa to bed the other night, and he was calling, "Mommy, Mommy" in the way he does when he has attempted to climb out of the bed but has gotten stuck on the rail. He wants me to come get him down, or he'll fall! Well, this time when I went in there, I nearly fell over laughing. My little man was naked as a jay bird on that bed rail. The camera just happened to be in the next room, so I ran and snapped this picture (though I have censored certain parts, obviously). He had taken off his zippered PJ's and his diaper, and I soon realized that he tinkled right through the crib slats onto the floor! I LOVE that little guy! For some odd reason, I just coudn't be mad at him! I mean, look at this face! Can you blame me?

Celebrating at School

Every year, at Tattnall, my SOOOO TALENTED mom writes up an unbelievable program for Kids Yule Love. This year was particularly special because Avery was there to be a part of it. The K5 traditionally sings several carols during the program, dressed up in their handmade reindeer antlers. They always get a ton of laughs as they sing and dramatize the 12 Days of Christmas. Avery was ALL into it! At one point during the program, Santa makes an appearance and passes out gag gifts to some lucky students. The younger students go absolutely WILD when he arrives in his sleigh, pulled by 8 reindeer, and of course Rudolph out front. Avery was right there to shake his hand as he made his way down to the floor. Mom dresses up like Mrs. Claus and reads the script. You almost can't recognize her! At the end of the program, the faculty children/grandchildren get to be a part of the Nativity Story. Avery was an angel and did her part beautifully. Kids Yule Love has been a special part of Tattnall for years - I remember participating when I was there. It is such a sweet reminder of what a joy it is to GIVE to others. I am so proud of all that my mom does to make this one of Tattnall's greatest events all year!



At Ingleside, I was one of the mamas in charge of the "Happy Birthday Jesus" Party for Brynn's class. I used the same cake as I did for Avery's party last year, which was a huge hit. Before eating it, we talked about the colors of Christmas (red and green cake inside) and the meaning of the star and the holly. Then each child was given a candle to put around the Jesus candle in the middle, showing how our lives are centered around Christ and how His Light helps us be lights in our world. We sang Happy Birthday and the kids blew them out. It was cute. I got the idea from a FANTASTIC book called The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Welchel. It talks about the truths and meanings behind so many of our Christmas traditions. It's a great resource for moms!


Asa's class had a party the same day, but unfortunately, I couldn't clone myself! I am so thankful that all 3 of the kids are able to celebrate Jesus at their schools. It was a blessing to me to see all of the wonderful crafts they made and hear them talk about all they were learning about the true meaning of Christmas.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Several years ago, my good friend, Lanier Kelley, decided that she wanted her kids to be a part of a "typical" Christmas Pageant - you know the Herndon type, where kids forget their lines, angels sing at the top of their lungs, and the sheep wander off the stage. Thus began a wonderful Christmas tradition with the Kelley family and lots of our friends. The kids spend a couple of hours at Lanier's "practicing" on a Saturday afternoon, and then we all get to go back on Sunday evening for the program and a light dinner! It's funny to see how the kids have changed over the last 3 years. I remember the first year we had it, Lanier was constantly feeding the kids their lines, and coaching them with the lyrics to the songs. This year, the program was nearly flawless....making us sentimental parents realize that our babies are growing up WAY TOO FAST! This year, Avery was the "star" and had to memorize a line, and Brynn was an angel. Asa was supposed to be an animal, but he prefered just wandering on and off the stage and cheering for his sisters. Brynn spent most of the show saying "Hey, Mommy" or "Hey Daddy!" Avery said her line perfectly and loved wearing the precious star costume! What a great way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas! I hope this tradition will continue for years to come! Lanier, you ROCK! This is one of the sweetest Christmas memories every year!

Here comes the Mamarazzi!!

At this time of year, I'm sure my kids feel like I am always taking their picture! There is just so much going on, and I want to capture every bit of it. I know I need to update the blog with some of these events, but just a little at a time, because every one of these "occasions" is worthy of a little blurb. So, enjoy these pictures, courtesy of the "mamarazzi."

First off, a few pictures from Thanksgiving. We enjoyed spending the day with the Harrison Family at Kevin and Courtney's house in Kennesaw. Pictured are the cousins who were there and their children. We also managed to get a pretty decent picture of just our family....that doesn't happen very often!

Next, some of my favorite pictures of the year, taken in our neighbor's front yard which is completely covered in a yellow carpet of gingko leaves. It was freezing outside, and Asa was not at all thrilled for me to be taking his picture instead of HOLDING him! Daddy took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures of ME with the kids. I love them...especially since I am ususally the one TAKING the pictures!

That'll have to do for now....gotta go run the kids around town! More to come!

What are you REALLY thankful for?

It was the night before Thanksgiving, and I was trying unsuccessfully to go to sleep. As I lay there, I was thinking about all that I have to thank God for this year. The regular list went through my head...things that I always am thankful for....my Savior, my husband, my children, my family, my health. When asked what I am most thankful for, these are always at the top of my list, as I'm sure they are yours. But on this particular night, I asked myself, "Other than those that are a given, what else am I thankful for?" Some things like coffee or an occasional pedicure came to mind, but I considered that I could live the rest of my life without having my toes done and be just fine! I could completely give up coffee if I had to. SOOOO, that left me pondering what am I thankful for, other than my list of givens? I mean, what things other than God, family and my health, could I literally not live without? What things, if taken from me, would leave me absolutely lost? When you take God and family out of the picture, the task is not so easy! But here’s my list (or at least what I thought of before finally falling asleep!)

1. My Accountability Group – This group of women has become more than just a Bible Study group to me. I am so thankful for the relationships that I share with each of these ladies, whether they have been involved for 9 years or for just a few months. I love that I have a place that I can feel completely safe and loved despite my faults. I love that I can be totally honest with my struggles and can count on these women to encourage me and pray for me.

2. Music – A world without music would just be plain awful!! I can’t even begin to tell you the way music touches my heart! I can hear a song that I love and I’m just completely caught up in it. I absolutely LOVE a beautiful melody, or the sound of a choir or group harmonizing, or amazing lyrics. I can get LOST totally in music, and I am so thankful that it is a part of my world!

3. My Camera – Sometimes I feel like I view the world behind the lens of my camera, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I absolutely LOVE going back and looking at my pictures, and my hobbies of scrapbooking, blogging, and creating photo books are all possible because I take so many pictures. I would love to actually be GOOD at it one day and take a photography class or something. But, having a great camera makes up for my lack of experience, and I am so thankful for mine!

4. Sleeping - I can't tell you how thankful I am for SLEEP! Whether it's a nap or getting to sleep for hours at night, sleep is something I absolutely LOVE.

5. Carbs - Some people love chocolate or sweets or caffiene....but I love CARBS. I'd rather have french fries than chocolate any day! I honestly don't think I could ever go on one of those low carb or no carb diets. I would not be able to last a day!

6. Summer - I used to think spring was my favorite season, and it is the PRETTIEST, in my opinion, but if I could only have one season, I'd pick summer. I love the beach, the pool, time off from work, spending time with family. There are so many special memories that I connect to summer.

7. My minivan - If you know me well, you know that I waited a long time for God to answer that prayer, and boy do I love my van! It's the perfect car for us during this stage of life, and I am so thankful that I finally got it. No more leaning over to put the kids in a sedan. I don't know how I ever lived without it!

So, what are YOU really thankful for? If you take out the "givens" what makes your life great? I'd love for you to leave a comment.

October Fun!

The end of October went by in a blur of busyness - field trips, fall festivals, birthday parties, and costumes. Here are some pictures that sum it all up!

Brynn's 3K class at Ingleside took a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch at Elliot Farms. They enjoyed the pumpkins, corn maze and hayride. In the pictures below, Mrs. Chrissie is her teacher and Makenna is one of her best friends. Brynn LOVES the Fantastic Fish class!

PaPa turned 80 on October 22, and we had a HUGE party for him that weekend. It was at his sister's house in Sandersville, complete with DJ and a huge spread of food! The kids had a great time dancing. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful man in our lives. We LOVE Al so much!

Avery's class at Tattnall went on a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch, Fire Station and McDonalds. I took Asa with me, but quickly realized that I can't really "do" a field trip with a toddler. We ended up going home after the Pumpkin Patch, but I did manage to get a couple of cute pics there!

Lastly, here are some pics from Halloween. We all dressed up like cowgirls and cowboys and went to the IBC Fall Festival. Afterwards, we went out to Gordon to Dennis and Tina's house. The kids had a great time!

More of Brynn's Mishief

Things got a little too quiet around here this morning while I was working on the laundry. I went into the kitchen and there was sugar all over the floor.

Me: "Brynn Scott, come here!"
Brynn: (not even in the room yet) "Asa did it; Asa did it."
Me: "Brynn, who got sugar all over the floor?"
Brynn: "Asa did it all by himself."
Me: "He climbed up on the counter and got the sugar bowl down and then made this mess all by himself? I don't think I believe that!"
Brynn: (with such an innocent, wide eyed look) "Yes, Mommy, he did it all by himself."
Me: (with broom in hand) "Well, you see, it's easy to clean up messes like this. What if I tell you that you will NOT get a spanking for making THIS mess, but that you just need to tell me the truth."
Brynn: "Okay, I made that mess."

Unfortunately, she didn't realize that instead she would be punished for lying to me! When I told my dad, he said that she needed to take legal advice from him....you never commit a felony to avoid a misdemeanor. In other words, don't LIE to avoid a spanking!

Oh, about 30 minutes later, I realized that Asa had sugar all in his hair. I guess he got a little sugar shower from his sister....could life be any more fun than that?!