Christmas Fun

I have to admit that we didn't take many pictures this Christmas, as Allyn was working the video camera most of the time instead. I told my sister that this year signified what I had always imagined and hoped Christmas would be like when I was a mother. The girls had such excitement about every aspect of Christmas. We were at home Christmas Eve, and they kept running to the front door yelling "Santa, don't come yet!" as we were still "preparing" the snacks for Santa and the reindeer. I have never seen them jump into bed as quickly and quietly as they did that night since they knew Santa wouldn't come until they were asleep. Christmas Day was fantastic watching them open their gifts, snuggling in our PJs to watch the Disney Christmas parade, and then having a big breakfast. (I think we were ALL in pajamas until well after lunch). Here are a few pictures from our Christmas celebration with Allyn's family when the girls were closing their eyes, awaiting the unveiling of their new doll house:)

My little cheerleaders

Last night we had such a blast taking the girls to the Auburn men's basketball game. With the students being out of town, we were able to grab great seats right on the floor next to the band and right behind the cherleaders. They loved flirting with Aubie and doing their own renditions of the cheers. We even saw some dance moves in the second half once they got a little more comfortable. I love living in a town where there are so many fun things to do as a family. There is nothing better than watching your children have fun! Oh, and did I mention it was quite a task to brush out all of the popcorn remnants from their teeth once we got home???? Oh well, it was worth every kernel!!

I fought the tree and....

I won! Our sunday school teachers were talking about how their biggest fights throughout the years of their marriage have revolved around the Christmas tree. This year Allyn and I were at peace...it was the tree that I was fighting with. We picked out the tree easily and even got it into the stand without any major drama. The girls had a wonderful time unwrapping all the ornaments and lining them up in the floor. The next step was for me to put on the lights. This is where it got hairy. Since Allyn thinks that putting lights on the tree means simply wrapping them around and around until you get to the bottom, I agreed that he was better off sitting on the couch watching t.v. while I took my time getting them exactly how I wanted them. It was pleasant and relaxing until I got to the bottom and realized I had the female end of the plug instead of the male end. Trying to help me not come unglued, Allyn calmly strolled over to investigate the situation. He then pointed out to me that I had started the lights out in the wrong direction all the way at the top on my second strand. UGH!!! You can imagine what happened next....I took all of my perfectly placed lights off and re-strung. Yipee, I made it to the bottom with the right end of the plug. It was showtime. As I plugged them in, Allyn started laughing. Laughing??? I was ready to cry. The middle strand wasn't working. Allyn suggested that I just go on to bed and tackle this project in the morning. Go to sleep now? I think not! I was at war and determined to win no matter how long it took me. Third time was a charm, and I was in business. I won the battle with the tree, though my head didn't hit the pillow until way after midnight. An artificial, pre-lit tree may be on my wish list for next Christmas.

Tick-o-Teet....

At least that's how the girls pronounced it this year. It was too precious for me to want to correct them. I was afraid that the actual trick-or-treating wouldn't live up to the build-up this year, but I was way wrong! We started out the evening with a neighborhood hot dog/chili supper where all the kids came in their costumes. From there, it was off to "get candy." Ella kept wanting me to hold her pumpking so she could "wun" to the next house. Dressed like orphan Annie, her little white legs sticking out from under her dress were easy to keep track of as it started getting dark. Gray, the puppy dog, did not want to be outdone on the quest for candy. She kept right in toe with everyone as she made her way up to each doorstep. What a fun time to watch your kids having such a blast. Ella said it all when she looked up at us with the biggest smile on her face and said "I'm havin' so much fu-won." Enjoy the pics:)

Happy Fall Y'all

On Sunday, we had a great time getting together with our sweet friends and their children for a Halloween party. You can tell that trying to get a group picture was nearly impossible. Ella and Gray were content until they started getting a little freaked out by some of the costumes and made a quick departure from the photo shoot. After several hours of jumping, playing, and eating as much sugar as they could find, we all had a very sound sleep:) We are blessed to have such wonderful friends with whom we can make such fun and lasting memories.

I've been Tagged

Thanks to my dear sister for tagging me to list 5 of my biggest quirks. Should I be offended by the fact that she likely chose me becasue she knows I have many to choose from and that this would be an easy task for me? Lynlee, I love you anyway. In random order, here goes:

1. When I go to sleep at night, I have to sleep on my pillowcase with the monogrammed side up. Even if Allyn is asleep when I get in bed and the room is completely dark, I feel around to make sure my pillow is "properly" positioned.
2. I have always had "issues" swallowing pills. It's not as easy as taking a sip of water to wash them down. I have a method (that my family still thinks is quite hilarious) in which I put the pill way back in my throat, take a small sip, shake my head just the right way to get it all the way back there, then swallow. Needless to say, mom used to always try to crush all my medicine up and mix it in food to avoid the drama!
3. I always shave my right leg first. It just has to be done that way or it thows my whole shower routine off.
4. Ditto Lynlee with the wooden handle thing. Maybe this one is genetic?? I hate to touch anything with a wooden handle, especially when it has just come out of the dishwasher.
5. I don't like meat with bones in it. Give me a bonelss chicken breast anyday as opposed to a probably better tasting piece of fried chicken that I have to disect to eat.

This is an open invitation for my friends to list their quirky habits too. Thanks, Lynlee, for exposing me:)

The Pumpkin Patch

One of my favorite Fall traditions is to take a family trip to the Pumpkin Patch. This year exceeded my expectations! Not only did the girls enjoy getting to each pick a pumpkin, they had a new little area with baby farm animals to pet. They got to brush a goat,hold baby rabbits, and hold out their hands for the 5 mo. old horse to lick. Whew, talk about needing a good hand washing after that! Thank goodness for my travel size hand sanitizer:) Then it was on to enjoy all of the inflatables. I was SHOCKED that my two reserved little girls were so anxious to go up and down the big slide....they loved it! They also had a ball in the little jump castle. We are so blessed to be able to make such fun memories with our children!

I'm addicted to......

sewing! When I was a little girl, I swore that I would never subject my children to the constant measuring and "trying on" of clothes that my mom used to do to me and my sister. So much for that! I have had so much fun sewing for the girls lately. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment I feel when I finish something or the chuckle I get in knowing how much money I am saving on not having to buy these things from the store. I seriously only spent a total of about $5.00 to make both of those Halloween dresses! Ella asked the other day "what did you make for me today mommy?" That is when it hit me that I might be a little crazy. Here are my latest projects......

A day in the life

I know they call Wednesday hump day, but yesterday was more than a hump.....it was a mountain to get over! The girls both have mild asthma, which usually means lots of coughing throughout the fall and winter months. Since they were both coughing on Wed. and had mild temps, I decided it was time to check in with the doctor. About 20 min. before we were supposed to be there, I gave the girls some motrin. That was when the damn broke, literally! Gray starting throwing up the motrin along with ALL of the chocolate milkshake she had earlier in the day. Because Ella was so concerned, she wanted to be right there making sure Gray was o.k. Did I mention that the chocolate milk/vomit concoction was all over my red couch, floor, Gray, and myself?? Anyway, poor Ella started gagging at the smell and sight of the mess. I calmly told her to go into another room, but she chose to run to the club chair instead. You can imagine what happened next....yep, she started throwing up too! So it was to the bathtub for all 3 of us, a quick clean up of the mess, and off to the doctor. Once we got home, it was back to the tub again for all of us to get the remnants of what I missed the first time around. I again did my best to clean the carpet, couch, and chair. This morning Ella came into the den and said "mommy, I smay-el somtin'" "Yes baby, that is because our house stinks of the combo of chocolate milkshake, vomit, and resolve carpet/upholstery cleaner." My next move was to make a call to have the majority of my den carpet, my couch, and the chair all deep cleaned this afternoon. What is the moral of this story? A child with an active gag reflex and bad tasting medicine don't mesh well.

Happy Birthday!

It is amazing to think that I have 3 year olds!! The girls finally got to enjoy their much anticipated "animal party" that they have been asking for for months. You have never seen 2 children more excited to see goats!! They even got to feed chickens and watch a calf get a bottle. Although we were all a little warm, the kids had a blast! This mom is glad this one is behind us.....

Back to School

School is officially back in session for the Fall! Allyn and I gave the girls backpaks for their birthday, so they were anxious to take them to school on the first day. Thankfully I looked through them one last time before we left the house and removed the last minute items the girls added without my knowledge (about 10 pairs of underwear, plastic food from their kitchen, a random stuffed animal, and some of their baby doll clothes). Oh, let me mention that Ella made it through the first day of school with big girl panties and no accidents!! She informed me that Mrs. Kim gave her a gummy worm every time she went to the potty. In Ella's southern drawl, it sounded more like this: "Mrs. Kee-am gave me a gummy wor-am". Where does she get that?? I know Allyn and I are from the South, but seriously!! Hopefully the rest of the year will go as smoothly as the first couple of days.

Is that Jesus??

We talk often with the girls about how Jesus lives in our hearts. They will usually add that Jesus also lives in heaven. Our simple explanations have seemed to satisfy their curiosity until the other day. Gray saw a tendon on my neck sticking out and asked "Mommy, is that Jesus coming out of your heart?" I sat stunned. After realizing that she thought there was literally a person named Jesus living inside my body, I understood that she thought this tendon she saw on my neck must have been one of his extremities sticking out. Oh my, how do I even start to explain?? I went on to tell her that it is the Spirit of Jesus and not an actual person who lives inside of us. I went on to tell her that Jesus lives in heaven with God. She thought for a little while....I knew I was in the clear. Then, she pointed at her belly button and said, "well then is this heaven?" Speechless!

Play Date

To anyone who wants to know what living in the South is all about, come to Alabama in August! Since it't too hot to even breathe outside and school hasn't yet begun, we are planning activities that involve plenty of indoor/air-conditioning time. The girls have been begging to have their friends over, so we had a little play date Wed. morning. Thanks to all of our sweet friends for a fun morning.

My Greatest Memories

I can truly say that our "Beach Trip" trip has always been the highlight of each year for the past 32 years. This year was no exception! This trip started as 4 couples (my parents being one of them) began going to the beach together each summer. As children were born, they were added into the mix. Now, us "adult" children have children of our own to share this experience with. It was such a joy this year to see Ella and Gray making life-long friends with the children of my life-long friends. Although we only get together for a short time each year, we always pick up right where we left off. Thanks to all of you for your unconditional love and support...you know who you are. We are already counting down the days until next year. Oh, did I mention that Gray was totally boy crazy over Drew and Luke? Let's hope this passes before we really need to be concerned:)

Sewing Extravaganza

Mom (a.k.a. Lolly) came to visit last week. Among being HUGE help with the girls, she helped me make some outfits. Here are pictures of some of the completed and almost completed outfits we made. We have tons of fabric that we have been collecting since the girls were born that still needs to be used. I did all of the smocking inserts when I was pregnant and have yet to put them into any outfits....I need to get cracking before they are too old to wear all the "little girl" clothes. Thanks, mom, for a wonderful week. We miss you!!

If at first you don't succeed.......

As many of you know, my children despise having their pictures taken. Maybe I should rephrase that....they hate "other" people taking their pictures. I was determined to get a good shot of them together, mainly so I could give one to mom for her birthday. So, last Saturday morning, we dressed up and headed to the back yard for a photo shoot. While Allyn impersonated a monkey(sound effects and all), I got some great shots of them BOTH smiling at the same time. Now I know what to do...having daddy was the secret:)

July 4th

Thanks Rouse family for a wonderful day at the lake! I think the girls' favorite activity was getting to play with all of the dogs....wow, do they love animals. Gray decided not to nap and enjoyed being the "queen" for the afternoon. They got some practice "driving" the boat with Cooper, as you can see from the pictures. We are so thankful to have such sweet friends to share our crazy lives with !!

Summer Fun!

We went to Birmingham this weekend for Allyn's cousin's wedding, so Saturday we took the girls to the McWane center....so much fun! They got to "dig" for dinosaur bones, freeze their shadows, see a giant eel, and lots of other great things. I highly recommend taking your toddlers if you have the opportunity! I have posted the pictures of the girls climbing (me holding them up) inside the mushrooms....this was a favorite activity:) I also posted a few pictures I took of the girls this afternoon...they refused to take their school pictures today, so I though I could at least capture a few of my own while they were still dressed up.

Summer Haircuts

Isn't it amazing what the promise of ice cream can do when it comes to children and their behavior? It may be bribery, but it works in our home! The girls both sat in the "big" chair, wore the cape, AND let Miss Meghan cut their hair last Thurs. Poor Ella has such thin hair, so she was in grave need of a "new do." Hopefully this shorter cut will help her hair to look a little thicker.....we are crossing our fingers:)

Corks and Canvas

I have a new favorite thing to do on a night out with the girls....corks and canvas. This is my second one to do, and I am already wanting to do it again. This time, an instructor came to Auburn (instead of us having to drive to Montgomery). It is amazing how everyone has a slighty different version of the same painting at the end of a couple of hours. Fun, fun, fun!

Beach Pictures

Thames Family Beach Trip

We just returned from a week at the beach with Allyn's family. The girls especially enjoyed spending time with Aunt Adrienne, Uncle Christopher, and cousin Caroline. We spent lots of time at the pool and even ventured into the ocean a few times. The girls were very proud that they could "swim by themselves." In other words, kick around with their floaties on without someone having to hold them. For those of you that know them, you know that letting go of me is a big deal! Thank you Memee and Papa for a wonderful vacation! We are already looking forward to next year........

Hollywood, here we come!

Now that we have gotten to spend some time at the pool, the girls have been wanting some sunglasses. So, we went to Target yesterday morning to find the perfect pair. I'm not kidding when I say that they probably tried on 20 pair between the two of them before finally picking some. I was shocked that they both wanted the same pair....thank goodness there were 2 sets, because there would have been a major meltdown if someone had to settle for a different pair. Needless to say, they were feeling very hip modeling their new shades at the pool. I don't think Ella ever took hers off, though they were upside down most of the time (in true Ella fashion). I managed to snap a few pictures of them modeling after their nap this afternoon. As you can probably tell, Ella is very prissy these days. She usually walks around with her high heels on while carrying 2 purses and talking on her "cell phone." It seems that she has many people calling her all the time (mainly Aunt Lynlee and baby Hill), so she likes to have her phone close at all times. I can only imagine the teenage years......