Christmas 2009

I can't beleive Christmas has come and gone. We had a wonderful Christmas with the kiddos. Santa came and was very good to us this year. AEH was really into the Santa thing more this year. We really had to hide things and watch what we said a lot more this year. One of us even stood guard outside her room while the other put the gifts out and put gifts together. Her big present was a trampoline. SLH took off on Wed. and he and Granddad put it together, while Juju took the kids to their house. We had to close the blinds and cross our fingers that she wouldn't see it on Thurs. I was so nervous. I let her stay in her room and watch a lot of movies that day. She loves it and is going to really enjoy it.
SLH surprised me with a new camera on Christmas Eve. I was so in need of one. On Christmas day, I was also surprised with a Wii. We have all enjoyed playing it and I think if will bring some fun family time. Of course, I love playing the tennis game. AEH has enjoyed the bowling. I also want to get the New Super Mario Brothers but all the stores are out of it right now.
EMH got some fun things too. Odviously he doesn't really understand anything yet but he enjoyed playing with his new toys and he is also liking the trampoline.
We also had fun with our families. The kids got more toys at their houses. We are still trying to find the floor around here. SLH and I got a lot of great things too.

We are just so blessed and thankful for all we have. However, we really want to try and make our focus more about the real meaning of Christmas and not Santa and toys. It can be so hard in our society. We get so bogged down in the hustle and bustle of the season and we don't stop and celebrate the birth of our Savior. AEH talked a lot about Baby Jesus this year and really seemed to understand the Christmas story better.

Christmas Morning

Christmas at Meme and Ampy's

Christmas at Juju and Granddads

Birthday Pictures

Birthday at Pampered Princess

Birthday at Juju and Granddad's

Birthday at Meme and Ampy's

Still here!

Yes, we are still here! My computer totally crashed on me and it is being worked on. They had to order a part for it. Hopefully I will get it back soon. I have just been using SLH's computer at night, which doesn't leave me much time to blog.
We did celebrate a special birthday a couple of weekends ago. AEH turned FIVE! I was a little sad putting 5 candles on her cake. Our little girl is just growing up too fast! She had a great birthday weekend. She had THREE parties! Woohoo!

Her first party of the weekend was at a Princess Mini Spa with her friends. She dressed up in one of her princess gowns and was the queen of the party. The girls had so much fun getting their nails painted and their hair and makeup done. AEH was definitely in her element. She had a beautiful princess cake that Aunt Gayla made. It was almost too pretty to eat but her cakes are so good that we couldn't resist.

The next party was at Juju and Granddad's. This theme was a dinosaur theme. I know...we went from princess to dinosaur. Let me explain. AEH saw a dinosaur at Toys R Us that she just loved. She kept going back to it while we were in the store so this is what Juju and Granddad gave her. It does all kinds of things, some things include bodily functions. :) AEH named her "Precious". Bet you never heard of a dinosaur named precious. She has really enjoyed her and she is now an official member of our family.

Her next party was at Meme and Ampy's. This party's theme was a wedding theme. I mean we have gone full circle haven't we. :) AEH loves to dress up and she wanted a wedding dress, so you guessed it, that's exactly what she got. Another big thing that she had been asking for was a violin. Ampy has a violin and she has been wanting one of her on. It is a really nice one and it will be a great beginner violin if she decides to take lessons in a couple of years. Right now she just makes noise with it and we clap and say what a great violinist she is.

AEH had a great weekend and now she can finally say she is five. Oh, I am getting teary eyed saying that. We love her so much and thank God for blessing us five years ago with our little girl. She is like no other and her little personality can put a smile on any one's face. We laugh all the time and say that God must have thought we needed a little spice in our lives. AEH is a care free, fun loving little girl that enjoys life and wants everyone else to do the same. Who would have thought that my daughter would teach me some of the important things in life. Boy, am I glad she's mine!

Yes, I have lots of pictures but I just can't upload them right now without my computer. :( I will be putting some on here as soon as I get it back. I haven't even been able to look at them and it is driving me crazy. I am hoping I will get my computer back this week. I am telling myself, patience, patience.

Fun in Chattanooga

We had a great time in Chattanooga over Thanksgiving. We left on Wednesday night and stayed in a hotel half way there to break up the 7-8 hour trip. AEH was so excited about staying in the hotel. I think she likes that we are all in the same room and it is like a sleep over to her. We left Granna and Grandaddy's on Saturday afternoon and stayed in the hotel again on the way back. EMH didn't sleep well but this is just a hard age for him to travel. He loves his bed at home and well, lets just say we managed.
When we got there Thursday, Granna and Mawmaw had cooked a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. And, of course we ate too much. It was so good to see a lot of family that we had not seen in a while. We met up with some cousins from the other side of the family for lunch on Friday. AEH had so much fun with all of her cousins.
Granna and Granddaddy had a early birthday party for AEH and her cousin B. The only problem with that was that AEH thinks she turned 5 that day since that is when we had the party. She has been telling people that she is 5 now. I mean when you have a birthday party, don't you turn a year older? Why can't we be as simple minded as kids? :)
Enjoying her Great American Cookie Cake.

Gigi dress up set from Granna and Granddaddy.

Two Christmas dresses from Granna and Granddaddy.

A Barbie set from her cousins.

Her cousin B loved his money that he got.

This is Granna's mother, Mawmaw. EMH really took to her. He was even saying "Mawmaw" before we left. He fell asleep with his book in his hand.

Taking a nap with Grandaddy. This is how he got his naps...however and whenever he could.

AEH loves their dogs Maggie and Mindie. They like to run and play with her. This is Mindie taking a break from all the excitement.

Not long after we left Saturday, this was the scene in our back seat. Two tired kiddos! They had a blast and loved all the attention! Thanks Granna and Granddaddy!

I Go Out Walking...

At 14 months, EMH is seeing everything at a whole new level. He is walking and LOVING it! Last Thursday was his official debut. He definitely has the Frankenstein look but he is doing great. He can even stand up by himself sometimes. We have turned a few heads the last couple of weeks while we are out and about. There is just something about babies when they first start walking. We have gotten many "oh he is so cute" comments.


We have been so busy these last couple of weeks. The calendar is full for the rest of the year. AEH had 3 birthday parties last weekend. She loves going to parties and it seems that most of her friends have birthday's in November and December. She had 2 jumping parties and a party at the park last weekend and she has a bowling party this weekend. And, of course she is looking forward to her own party in a couple of weeks.
We will be going to Chattanooga for Thanksgiving this next week. We are looking so forward to it. It will be fun to get away and spend time with family. AEH can't wait to see her cousins and grandparents. They will be giving her an early birthday party while we are there. She will be non stop the whole time we are there...but really, is there any other way for her? :) EMH will of course get a lot of attention too.

I'll leave you with a photo of "our princess". I found her this way the other day when she just couldn't go anymore. As you can tell from the mess in her room, she had been really busy. :)


Happy Thanksgiving!!

"Pig"

Meet "Pig", a very important member of our family.

This is EMH's special buddy. We discovered "Pig" when we were trying to get rid of EMH's pacifier. One day a few months ago, when I had decided to try to put EMH down for a nap without a pacifier, I thought maybe having something for him to hold would help. So I hurriedly dug around in his stuffed animals and tried to find something small and this is what I came up with. "Pig" actually has a name on his tag. He is Wilbur the pig from Charlotte's Web. We didn't notice this for a while, hence the name we gave him, just plain ole "Pig". EMH loves "Pig" and can't go to sleep without him. I have already been online to try and find an extra one to buy if for some reason something ever happened to "Pig".
EMH puts him up by his face, loves on him and says "awww".

He even bites on his nose and tail. This is done strictly out of love for his "Pig". :) "Pig" can get pretty stinky from this so he gets a bath in the washing machine quite often.


These two have a very special bond. I don't think much can come between this little boy and his "Pig".

Halloween

We had a great Halloween night with the kids last Saturday. This is without a doubt one of AEH's favorite holidays. She has talked all year about what she and everybody else is going to be for Halloween. She has really gotten into watching and liking the "Wizard of Oz", so she was "Dorothy" in all her glory. She had everything from the red glitter shoes to the wig with the long braids.

EMH obviously didn't care too much this year and I'm sure wondered why in the world he was wearing tights and a hat that was so annoying. He was none other than the "Cowardly Lion".
This is pretty much what he thought about the whole thing!

He's looking the part here.

We started off the night trick or treating Meme and Ampy. Of course they thought they were the cutest little Dorothy and Lion that they had ever seen. They got lots of goodies and to be honest we could have gone home with what they gave.

We went to the Festival at the church next.

We ate hot dogs. Don't you just love SLH's face. He was into that hot dog! That's our friend JB with the plate over his face. We never know what he's going to do in a picture. :)

"Dorothy" rode a horse...


played games with her friend MC...


and this his her (wig and all) climbing up an inflatable to slide down.


SLH worked the dart game for a little while...


and EMH just hung out taking it all in.


On the way home AEH wanted to trick or treat some houses in the neighborhood. It was getting late but we did stop by a few.
Here she is going up to a house. SLH and I thought our little "Dorothy" was the cutest thing ever and we knew she was having so much fun. OH my, was she on cloud nine! What could be better to her than dressing up and getting candy! Her two most favorite things!


Fun times! Can't wait to see what next Halloween holds!