Christmas Traditions

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It is so much fun with kids. The excitement they have is contagious! We pulled our Christmas decorations out earlier this week and they had so much fun going through the boxes and putting out our decorations. We went today and got our two trees (one that I can decorate with my pretty ornaments and one for them to decorate with their "not-all-so-pretty" ornaments). We decorated their tree tonight before they went to bed. Tons of fun!




Another tradition we started last year that was a BLAST was "Elf on the Shelf". We got our book last year and named our elf, "Elfvis". He is so cute! He comes back every year and watches the kids during the day, goes to the North Pole at night to report to Santa, and then is in a different spot each morning (but usually not before doing something silly around the house). The kids jump out of bed and run around the house trying to find "Elfvis". It is so much fun! You can talk to him (and believe me, they do!) but you can't touch him. He showed up tonight during dinner...the doorbell rang...and THERE HE WAS! We read our book, the kids went to bed, and Elfvis with be somewhere different in the morning. The kids are really into Elfvis...Paul was concerned that he may be hungry so he gave him some snacks and wrote him a note. 8-)






There are other traditions we have that will take place as we get closer to Christmas...I'm sure there will be more to post! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Wonderful Thanksgiving Day

What a wonderful day it was! We went to our cabin in Fort Valley with a lot of our family (about 60 people) and had a great day. Tons of food...lots of kids...zip lines...hayrides...4-wheeling...skeet shooting...boat rides...more food...lot of laughing...swings...fun on the dock...did I mention lots of food?? We had a lot to be thankful for and we spent the day enjoying our family. Blessings were all around us! Enjoy the slideshow of our day! 8-)

Very Blessed

Today was a great day for our family! Paul had chosen today to be baptized after becoming a Christian a few months ago. He has been so excited about his baptism and couldn't wait for the day to get here. I heard him jump out of bed this morning yelling loudly, "I'm dead! I'm dead...I'm dead to my sinful ways!" Then he proceeded to tell Addie, "But Addie, now listen, I'm not perfect. I'm still going to sin after becoming a Christian and being baptized. I'm probably still going to be mean to you sometimes." It was definitely a way to start the day with a smile on my face! We had a wonderful day at church with family and friends, then to Jeneannes for lunch, and back to the house for dessert and gifts. It was a special day! Glenn told the kids tonight that watching his kids come to know Jesus and choosing to follow Him as their Lord and Savior will be the highlight of his life. Paul's face doesn't show in the pictures or video like we saw it today watching him but his face showed joy...deep down God-given joy!

Video of the Baptism

Addie's Journal

One of my favorite things to do is to look under Addie's bed and read things she's written. Some are notes she has written to other people, some are notes she's written to Paul, sometimes it is something she's written in her journal. It's so cute! ENJOY BUT DON'T TELL ADDIE! 8-)

This is something she wrote to Paul and he answered her question with a "yes". 8-)



This is a letter and picture she wrote to Paul about their love and friendship. 8-)



This is a letter she wrote to her friend, Ethan, but I found it in the trash. It's a good thing she didn't give it to him because he wasn't planning on marrying Addie anyway! 8-)

Our Fun-Filled Fall

We've enjoyed the month of October...the beginning of fall has been in the air. It has been cool in the mornings and on the perfect days...it has stayed cool all day. We look forward to more of those kind of days. It's been a busy month so I'll just highlight with a few pictures from some of our fun-filled fall days!

Emma's Hoe-Down in 3K





Pumpkin Patch





Halloween Party for Emma with her friends, Evie & Athena





Halloween

"Emma-isms"

Emma has been really funny lately. Just a few funny things she has said....

**"Mom, 2 of my legs hurt." What is that about??? How many legs does Emma have? 8-)

**I was asking Emma to help me out with dinner. I filled each plate and asked her to carry them to the table to each place. I handed her the first plate, she looked at it, and commented "Mom, I can't! There are clouds above the food!" I guess steam does look like clouds, huh?

**Emma & I both get confused about the days. I get mixed up on which day of the week we are on. Emma has other confusing issues. She asks me almost daily, "Mom, is today tomorrow? Is tomorrow today?"

Crazy about my Cousins!

Emma had a great day last Thursday at my mom's house. My nephews, Hudson & Sam, were there staying for a few days. My cousins, Laurie & Lanier, brought their kids, Jimbo and Adeline over for a morning of playtime. We had a great morning watching all the kids play together. That's one thing I love about living near family. It's great to be able to spend time with my cousins and their kids. I want Paul, Addie, & Emma to grow up close to their cousins, too! It was a fun day!




The popsicles were a big hit!
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Extreme Praise

Our church, Ingleside Baptist, has Extreme Worship for kids kindergarten - 5th grade. Their worship service deals with a virtue of the month and consists of songs led by the Extreme Praise Team, skits, a teaching time, and boy-girl challenges. Paul & Addie serve on the Extreme Praise Team which means once a month they are in the group that leads worship for their peers. They are really enjoying being a part of the Extreme Praise Team.