Christmas Eve

We have had a wonderful Christmas Eve today with Bill's family.  We had a relatively low key morning.  After breakfast, I was working in the kitchen preparing food for our get together and Lauren was sitting on the couch reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Allison.  I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her read (or I should say recite) the book.  I had to stop my food preparation long enough to video part of the story.  That's what this first clip is.

The girls loved getting to open their first presents of the season.  Here's Lauren showing off a huge coloring book she got along with an obscene amount of markers to go with it!!!

Here's Allison showing off her new Special Delivery Doggie that has babies in her belly!!!  That girl is so fascinated with any and all babies.  Aunt Jen and Uncle Dave are also in the picture.

Parker is giving Allison hugs when it was time to go home.

Parker giving Lauren hugs.  Love those sweet smiles.

A few of the favorite presents the girls got today were sleeping bags, an ironing board and iron, a microphone on a stand and the giant coloring books with markers.  They are looking forward to seeing what Santa brings them tomorrow and then heading up to Granny and Pawpaw's for MORE presents.

We are expecting a white Christmas, so that should be extra special.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.......NOT!!!!

For the past two years, Lauren has absolutely LOVED the movie and the book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I pretty much have the book memorized because I have read it so many times.  I bought the stuffed Grinch and Max at Kohl's this year.  Lauren has enjoyed sleeping with them the past few nights.  I love this picture of her and Max (who looks like a guard dog in this picture).

Lauren, Max and the Grinch sleeping peacefully.

The Grinch sleeping beside Lauren and Max



The Grinch, Max and Lauren



Cold Weather

We have had some reeeeallllly cold weather this week.  Lauren had snow days on Monday and Tuesday.  Unfortunately is was way to cold to play outside (well, too cold for me).  We did venture out Tuesday to go to the post office and I let the girls play out for just a few minutes.  Here are a couple of the pictures of the girls all bundled up.

Getting ready to go out in the cold



Allison in the snow




Lauren trying to keep her hat from blowing off



Lauren

Today the weather forecast was for freezing rain, sleet and snow tonight before warmer air moves in with rain for tomorrow.  Because of the threatening icy weather, our Candlelight Service at church was canceled for tonight.  The girls got an early bath and then watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas before dinner.  That is Lauren's all time favorite movie.  Allison is a little afraid of the Grinch at the beginning, but big sister was sitting close to keep her safe.  I love this picture of them holding their stuffed Grinch and Max while watching the movie!


Allison holding Max and Lauren holding the Grinch watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas

So thankful for our warm home on these cold winter days.



Father/Daughter Dance

Lauren's school had a Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Kindergarten dance tonight.  I remember the date of this big event was on the calendar all the way back at our Parent orientation night back in August.  Lauren has been looking forward to this night for a while now.  I think it was a wonderful idea for the kids to spend some special time with the parent of the opposite sex.  I love the first picture here of Lauren and Bill even though she has her eyes closed.  I love how she had her arms wrapped around her Daddy's neck.  I also must say, Daddy looked mighty fine, too! ;)

Father and Daughter

Sweet shot of Daddy and his big girl.



I think Lauren and Lilly are trying to break dance.....don't know where she learned that!



Lilly and Lauren dancing



Lauren and her classmates dancing with Mrs. Israel (her teacher).



I have some very strong emotions about tonight, but in order to preserve the special evening with Lauren and her Daddy, I'll write about those in another post.

Allison and I had a very special night together.  We got in our PJ's and snuggled up under a cozy blanket and watched Frosty and ate popcorn.  After the movie we baked cookies.  Allison loves to snuggle and Mommy enjoys every minute of that snuggle time.

Great Friday evening!

Pictures from UT Gardens

A couple of weeks ago a friend of ours from church, Anthony Fuller took some pictures of the girls at UT Gardens.  He took over 150 pictures and these are a small sampling of my favorites.



Thanks Anthony for sharing your talent with us.  We love the pictures.  I'm just sad that Bill couldn't be there because of work.  That was the weekend he worked an insane number of hours in just two days.

Lauren's RSVP

Lauren got her first invitation to a birthday party from one of her kindergarten classmates.  She has a decision to make because she has been invited to another party the same day.  She really wants to go to both parties, so we haven't made the decision for sure about which party she will attend.  However, after telling her the party was the same day and time as the other party, she sat down at the kitchen table and wrote this note.  She did not ask for any assistance with spelling.  I think it is pretty remarkable for a little girl who is in KINDERGARTEN!!!



(Translated in case you can't read it.....Emily Lauren can not go cus she has to go to another birthday party.  Hugs and Kisses)

I am so proud of how well Lauren is doing in school. I was really concerned about her being so young when she started, but she absolutely loves school. Each night when I put her to bed I ask her tell me what her favorite thing that happened during the day was. Nine times out of ten her response is something about school. Tonight she told me she loved ALL her Encore classes, but Library was her favorite because she got to check out library books. Her school is on a 7 day rotation schedule for special area classes. She has Art 1 and Art 2 with different teachers, Music 1 and Music 2 with different teachers, PE (2 times in the rotation) and Library.

She is reading more and more books. One day while she was in the Bonus Room she was looking at some instructions to one of her games and circling sight words she could read!!

I am so proud of you Lauren!! I pray you will always love school!!!







Halloween Celebrations

We enjoyed a week of celebrating Halloween.  The first  pictures are from Allison's party in her 3 year old preschool class.  I did not even get any pictures for myself of Allison in this costume.  Thankfully, my friend Cindy took pictures.



Allison and her friend Evan at her class party



Lilly, Allison, Evelyn, Maddie & Joe

These next pictures are at our church Fall Festival and Trunk-or-Treating night.  The girls had a great time and got lots of candy that night. 



My little crayons Lauren and Allison

Lauren and Allison playing the doughnut game.  They had to eat the dangling doughnut without using their hands.



Lauren and Dorothy (aka Mackenzie)

Allison, Lauren and Mackenzie Trunk-or-Treating

Mackenzie, Lauren and Allison

Allison with her teacher Jim Pryor and Owen Keim

These next pictures are from Lauren's kindergarten party.  I was fortunate enough to get to go and help out again.  We played games, had a wonderful breakfast, and made several crafts that morning.

Lauren's kindergarten class

Connor and Lauren

Lauren and her friend Kerstin

Lauren and her best friend Lilly

And finally, Halloween arrived and we got to trick-or-treat in our new neighborhood.  What a perfectly wonderful time we had with the Watsons.  Last year we trick-or-treated with them in their neighborhood and this year they joined us.  It was a perfect evening to be outside.  The kids were out in droves and the parents seemed to enjoy being out as much as the kids.   

Mackenzie, Lauren, Allison (with her fish face) and Josiah

Mackenzie, Lauren, Josiah, and Allison

Allison, Mackenzie, Josiah and Lauren at their first house