A little more Christmas

Our Christmas celebration continued in Missouri with more family! Reese was especially excited to get to play with Parker and Kaitlyn...I think she drove them crazy! We got to see Great Grandma Becker and lots of Aunts, Uncles and cousins too!Hadley and Aunt JoyceThe girls with Grandpa and Barb...and puppy Patches of course!Poor patches...he spent a lot of time being carried around by this cute Redhead!Reese and her buddies Kaitlyn and Parker

Hadley with Grandpa and Cecil the stuffed dog (who by the way Reese called Rover...and would not call him Cecil)

Our pictures don't do justice to the fun we had with all of our family in Missouri! The girls were wiped out when we headed to the airport yesterday...I think delirious is the correct word...this is how they entertained themselves in the airport....banging on all of the signs!

Our travel home ended up taking a lot longer than anticipated (flying during the holidays always does). Reese played and played on the plane which was nice.

Hadley finally passed out...Reese eventually joined her! We were lucky to have two whole rows to share...6 seats for 4 people! Pretty much when people walk by the family with a 3 1/2 year old...16 month old and a very pregnant mommy...they keep going!

We finally made it home to Birmingham around 10:30 pm...we were excited to be back at home...Hadley literally lunged into her bed from my arms!

It Started with Santa

Well...the girls went to see Santa...Reese was happy...Hadley not so much...but none the less HE CAME!

Cinderlla!!!

ABC BOOK...ok not as exciting

Then Christmas continued in Kansas City...check out the PJs!

CUTIE PIE!Celebrating Christmas at Grandma Shirla and Grandpa Dennis' house with all of the cousins/second cousins!

Getting some love from Aunt Andrea...wearing Uncle Chris' hat

Speaking of Uncle Chris...Reese wore him out playing!

One day it warmed up to the mid 40's...so outside we went

Grandma, Andrea and the girls...check it out...Hadley has a bow in!

Grandma and Hadley

A huge present to us...Grandma Shirla, Grandpa Dennis and Andrea watched the girls one night while Jason and I spent the night in downtown KC at the Plaza...so much fun...our last "Get a-way" before Brynlee arrives!

Atlanta Christmas

WARNING! Here comes the picture montage~

We headed over to Atlanta for a few days to celebrate Christmas with my family. We all had a great time...packed lots in and are whipped~ We got to see lots of people...but there is never enough time to see everyone we want...we hate that we missed out on seeing everyone!

Bebe and Hadley in antlers

Dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse...very fun...no cooking...love it!

Reese extremely proficient in the art of eating with chopsticks!

Huge fire...if only I had gotten a picture of 1 second after this when Reese burst into tears...it was too loud...too hot...and too scary!

Bebe and Reese baked Christmas cookies together...she was so proud of the results!

"Christmas dinner" with Bebe...Hadley was there she just did not make the picture

Here is that cutie pie! Trying to take all of Bebe's ornaments off the tree...she literally walks up to the tree saying "no mam" and then just takes the ornaments off with a smile!

Bebe had Reese work for her gifts in a scavenger type hunt...here she had to go to the fireplace and sing "Hark the Herald" to find the next clue. She did wonderful and showed off her pipes!One stash found...under the ottoman! I think Bebe's neighbors heard Reese's scream when she opened up her Ariel doll...she is in love with Disney Princess stuff! Bebe made Christmas so special for the girls...Hadley can not get enough of her Bebe and called for her day and night!

Pop and the girls...sidenote...Reese heard my mom ask my dad something and she said Charles...to which Reese began talking to Pop but calling him Charles...she thought she was pretty smart! The girls loved their gifts from Pop...Hadley's singing baby and Reese's princess dolls were a hit!

We got to visit with Myrl for a bit and read "The Night Before Christmas" book that was the book that my mom and all of her siblings read from...a very fragile book. It is truly a privilege to spend time with my grandmother...she is truly the picture of grace and beauty.

Reese found Myrl's piano and attempted to lead Hadley in some carols!

Everyone joining in

We headed back to Birmingham this afternoon to do Christmas Eve here. This will be our first official Christmas at our house. We continued the Woodlief tradition of doing full out fondue (cheese, chicken, shrimp and then of course chocolate!) We all loved every bite!

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas...our little cuties are tucked in anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival...I assured Reese that the dogs would not scare him away.

Next we are off to St. Louis for a possible white Christmas!

Good Ole Christmas fun making mess!

This week has been full of Christmas fun! It was Reese's last day of school yesterday and her Christmas party! I forgot my camera...so mad...but she had a great time! They made gingerbread houses, ate Christmas lunch and played pin the nose on Rudolph! Speaking of reindeer...

Hadley has been wearing these since yesterday...Reese got them at her party!

To continue with the gingerbread...we made a "village" of our own! I had promised Reese we would do this...lots of fun...lots of mess!

Reese and I had a great time (actually she did 95% of the work and I watched and cheered her on). Reese was her typical self..."one piece of candy for the house...one piece for me!"
This was a good little kit that I got at Target for $10...totally worth it! It was actually a Reindeer flight school kit...complete with a Tree, Large House, Santa sleigh, Reindeer and a flight school. Of course it does annoy me that I am pretty sure the picture on the box was done by some pastry chef...but they can't touch what Reese did!

Reese also helped me with a little treat for all of her friends at school. We made chocolate snowmen hats. I have to give a disclaimer to say that the ones we actually took to school looked pretty good...these were the "rejects" that did not make the cut...but I forgot to take pictures of the process or the good ones! This was another project that when doing with your child is lots of fun and a lot of mess!

They were really easy....and good! Just use Oreo cookies for the bottom, large marshmallows for the top, Bakers semi sweet melting chocolate to cover and crystal sprinkles for some "magic".

1) This step is optional...cut about 1/4 off of the marshmallows (I thought the hat looked too tall)

2) Melt the chocolate squares...we made 20 hats..and used 8 squares of chocolate I think

3) coat each cookie then lay on wax paper

4) coat each marshmallow and place one on top of each cookie

5) sprinkle with some fun

6) let them harden and then enjoy

We put them in clear baggies with little snowmen tags and they were really cute!

Two fingers and a thumb!

There you have it!

Adult Interaction

6th Annual Ornament Steal Gals

This is something I truly look forward to hosting every year...and this year was just the same! We had the 6th Annual Ornament Swap/Steal and I loved every minute of it. Honestly...over the past year I have realized how few and far between are my moments of true adult interaction...and by true...I mean just me and another adult...no children! This rarely happens and I do miss it. I love my girls with all of my heart...but honestly when they are with me I just can't focus on conversations with other people!

Jason was wonderful as always and took our girls to Chick-fil-A a few hours before the party so I could finish cooking and clean up the 500 pieces of Tupperware that Hadley had deposited all over the house! Then, they headed to Aunt Memi's house to sleep and hang out until the party was over!

I am so grateful that all of these girls came and we missed the ones who could not make it! It is so fun to see how things change in a year...some have had new babies since last year...a few pregos...new jobs...newly married and newly engaged! I love all of these girls(even though my interaction seems scarce at times)!

Tourkey Tourkey

Excuse my title...but I wanted to try to spell the way Hadley says Turkey....I love it...TOURKEY!

We started our Thanksgiving celebrating with a family picnic in the park...so fun!

We then headed to Atlanta to spend time with family and really enjoyed having these two to entertain the girls! Reese and Hadley love Jonathan and Caitlin! I have to say another one of Hadley's funny words...when she says Jonathan it actually sounds like Dorthy!

Hanging out at Myrl's house...we had a great Thanksgiving Day...this year continues to be a reminder of the things that are important and those that are not!

Back to Bebe's to decorate her tree...Daddy what are you doing? I think he may be trying to take off some of the Georgia ornaments!

We then packed up and headed to South Carolina to celebrate with my dad and his side of the family! Here is Reese with her cousins (well not really..but my cousins children). Reese, Virginia and Gibson...seriously enjoying playing in the boxes...who needs toys!

Family

Still in the box!

Not a Thanksgiving picture...but the rain has been coming down like a flood here...so Reese's raincoat and boots have been a staple....Thank You Bebe!

To be honest we really did have a good Thanksgiving! There were hard moments...as is life! To update...sadly Jonathan did end up spending a few days & nights in the hospital after Thanksgiving Day. He is doing much better now...we are just waiting to see how his kidney is going to fair...that is the short version! Keep praying!

Life in Pictures

So, for those of you who have ever been in my house you know all too well how much I love pictures! I can't get enough of them...they are on our walls, tables, nightstands, bookshelves...ect! I do consider them to be a very inexpensive piece of artwork...but more than that they just give life for my house! I love looking around to see all of the people I love so much looking back at me!

With that said it is no surprise to say that I have been using photo sites for a few years now. There are too many to name...but I will say that the one I use the most is Shutterfly. I love printing pictures from them...great price and they ship right to you! (no going to a store and waiting while your pictures print). I also love their gifts...I have made photo coasters for us as well as given them to many of my family members as gifts! They are incredible! I will say that my favorite thing for sure is the photo books...I have started doing at least one a year to help document as our girls grow...and I am so glad that I have done it!

Finally, my main reason for writing about Shutterfly now is Christmas cards! I LOVE THEM! I love getting them and I love giving them. I think it is such a fun tradition that I hope never fades away...to get to see pictures of all those I love and do not get to see often is such a treat! We do cards every year...and this year is no exception! Shutterfly will be printing Christmas cards for us...and I love all of their designs and their prices too! I know that some people feel like they are a waste of money but for me I think it is a great excuse to put a few favorite pictures of family on your card and share with all of your loved ones! It seriously brightens my day every time I open a friend's Christmas card and I hope you feel the same way about ours!

I have been playing around on Shutterfly's card site and love some of these designs...how perfect

...love this...and for all of my newlywed friends! Try some out

So...hopefully you will be getting them soon...and hopefully we will too!