Something New

One of my favorite parts about Christmas is getting Christmas cards from all our friends and family.  This year I displayed them all on the door to our pantry.  I love looking at them over and over.

We are going to try a new Christmas tradition this year- each night in January we will:

"Choose one Christmas card each day from those received.  Read the whole card aloud and pass it around the family (we'll probably do this during dinner).

Have special prayer together for each person in the family that sent the card.

Send a postcard (I'll do an email) to the family to tell them about your prayers.  They will appreciate knowing that your family prayed today for their family."


I'll let you know how it goes, but I'm really excited about it!

I got this idea from:

Dobson, Shirley and Gloria Gaither. Let’s Make a Memory, Waco:Word Books Publishers, 1983.

Merry Christmas, And a Happy New Year!

Most Precious Christmas Gifts

I can't get enough of these sweet babies!  We got to go see our nieces again yesterday.  They are so beautiful.  Mercy was awake and sweet while we were there.

 Chloe had some napping to do.  She was out!

Please continue to pray for their precious parents- Jonathan and Rachel.  They are amazing parents, and are all adjusting really well, but like any new parent they are more than a little sleep deprived!

We Were on the Nice List

Aubrey was very excited to have a set of princess "babies"

Lily Kate loved the new shoes Santa brought for Fudge Pup

Stocking Time

Aubrey's favorite part- M&Ms

A Rapunzel Dress up!

Our Rapunzel

Impromptu Visit to the Big Man

Christmas Eve morning, Lily Kate and I were baking and she brought up the fact that she hadn't visited Santa this year- how would he know what to bring her?  This prompted her dad taking her to the mall with everyone else in Charlotte to see him.  Two hours later, she got to sit on Santa's lap.  She froze up once she got there and forgot to tell him anything that she wanted.  She did thank him for the coloring book he gave her :)  

 Christmas Eve we went to the Candlelight Service at church- one of my favorite services during the year.  Parkwood has a neat tradition where the entire family attends the service.  Lily Kate loved being in big church but Aubrey was well being Aubrey and didn't last for much of it.  She freely said Amen- during prayers, in the middle of solos -needless to say, she spent most of the service in the lobby.

One of our family traditions is to open one present on Christmas Eve.  I was super excited about giving Lily Kate her Rapunzel braid that I made after seeing it on Pinterest.  She liked it and has worn it around quite a bit.

 Aubrey is our musical child- she always dances any time she hears music.  So her gift for Christmas Eve was egg shakers.  She's carrying around baby Jesus in this picture.

Secret's Out

God gave our family the most precious gift this year: two new nieces!
Check out Rachel & Jonathans Blog.

 2+2=4

Mercy Dawn and Chloe Justice born Dec 19th

Easy Peasy Christmas Candy

My mother-in-law made these at Thanksgiving and they didn't stick around long.  Stephen asked if I knew how to make them and asked if we could stop for the ingredients on the way home :)  Needless to say they are an instant favorite!

I am not a food photographer so I apologize for the picture.

Rolo Turtles

Bag of Rolo Candies (unwrapped)

Bag of Pecan Halves

Bag of square pretzels

Place pretzels on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.  Place unwrapped Rolo candies in center of pretzel.  Place in 300 degree oven for 4 minutes.  Press pecan half into melted Rolo.  Let sit to firm.  (If you are in a hurry, you may put them in the fridge).  Watch them disappear :)

I made them this week for Stephen's co-workers, and all I got back was an empty plate :)  Enjoy!

Say Click- Take a Pic

Too often, there is a picture worthy moment and I don't have my camera handy.  Thankfully, I almost always have my phone.  Here are some pics from the past few months.  Sorry for the quality- they are photos from my phone :)

Big Sister, Little Sister pajamas

Mwah!  She was blowing kisses

So fussy one day, I threw her in the Moby and wore her around.

This is true for Lily Kate

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Here are some of the reasons why I love the holidays:

 Dressing up my baby dolls in their Christmas Finery :)

I call this look the Little Orphan Annie

Silly Girl

Lily Kate calls this her Princess Dress

 Celebrating together: My Mother-in-law and I have birthdays just 2 days apart.  I always enjoy our birthday celebrations.

Aubrey's tired face

Christmas TV Specials

Enjoying Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Family Time

Four Generations

 Making lots of memories

Grandma accidentally wore her slippers to dinner!

 Driving around to look at Christmas Lights

Off Colony Rd

In Blakeney- programmed to their own radio station

Christmas Music- Some of my favorite albums are Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas, The Oak Ridge Boys and a new favorite is Glee- The Christmas Album.  I love when Feliz Navidad or Dominick the Donkey comes on the radio.

Lily Kate's favorite carol is The Little Drummer Boy.  It has been interesting listening to the carols with a 3.5 year old.  You get questions like: Who's Jack Frost?  What's Mistletoe?  - Never a dull moment.

Okay this isn't technically a Christmas song- my camera memory card filled up :)

Here's a reminder of the true reason for the season: