Santa Baby!

"Hurry down the chimney tonight"
The kids keep asking me if it is Christmas. I try to explain soon, in a few weeks, but it is hard for a 5 and 3 year old to understand what a few weeks means. A few weeks to them sounds like a few days, a few hours, a few minutes...same, same, same.
So many nights, Bella likes to put on her Santa candy cane pj's and stocking cap and just get excited for the big day, whenever that is!
Everyday is a big day in her eyes, wish that we all could always think like 3 years old do.
Happy Christmas
Merry New Year, switchin it up for a change.
Rock on in this merry month of december and make everyday "a big day!"
love to all

What Love Means

I just thought this one was worth the read.
Children keep it so real, so sincere, we can learn alot from the mouths of babes.


What Love means to a *
*4-8 year old. .*
Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is *so* worth
it. Touching
words from the mouth of babes.
A group of professional people posed this question to a
group of 4 to 8
year-olds, 'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone
could have imagined.
See what you think.
------------------------------



'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't
bend over and paint her
toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when
his hands got
arthritis too. That's love.'

Rebecca- age 8



'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is
different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'

Billy - age 4




'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on
shaving cologne and
they go out and smell each other.'

Karl - age 5



'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most
of your French fries
without making them give you any of theirs.'

Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're
tired.'

Terri - age 4




'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and
she takes a sip before
giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'

Danny - age 7




'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get
tired of kissing, you
still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they
kiss'

Emily - age 8



'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas
if you stop opening
presents and listen.'

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)



'If you want to learn to love better, you should start
with a friend who you
hate,'

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
------------------------------



'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then
he wears it everyday.'


Noelle - age 7
------------------------------



'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man
who are still friends
even after they know each other so well.'

Tommy - age 6
------------------------------



'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was
scared. I looked at all
the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared
anymore.'
Cindy - age 8
------------------------------


'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at
night.'

Clare - age 6
------------------------------



'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of
chicken.'
>>
>> Elaine-age 5
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> 'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and
>> still says he is
>> handsomer than Robert Redford.'
>>
>> Chris - age 7
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> 'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you
>> left him alone all
>> day.'
>>
>> Mary Ann - age 4
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> 'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me
>> all her old clothes
>> and has to go out and buy new ones.'
>>
>> Lauren - age 4
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> 'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down
>> and little stars come
>> out of you.' (what an image)
>>
>> Karen - age 7
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>> this one
>> 'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she
>> doesn't think it's
>> gross.'
>>
>> Mark - age 6
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> 'You really shouldn't say 'I love you'
>> unless you mean it. But if you mean
>> it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
>>
>> Jessica - age 8
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> And the final one
>>
>> The winner was a four year old child whose next door
>> neighbor was an elderly
>> gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
>>
>> Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
>> gentleman's yard,
>> climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
>>
>> When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the
>> little boy said,
>>
>>
>> 'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find
>> out that God is
>> all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you
>> do is simply say
>> the following small prayer for the person who sent you
>> this.
>>
>> Heavenly Father, please bless all my friends in whatever it
>> is that You know
>> they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of
>> Your peace,
>> prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer
>> relationship with You.
>> Amen.
>>
>> Then send it on to five other people, including the one who
>> sent it to you.
>> Within hours you caused a multitude of people to pray for
>> other people. Then
>> sit back and watch the power of God work in your life.

We all should be brides married to amazement....

This morning I thought that Mary Oliver’s poetry was a good anchor, a good touchstone for these days. Here are some random lines:
…and what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
…and when it’s over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement.
…Instructions for living life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. ~ geneen roth.

The Green Necklace

And here it is, my beauty necklace from my thoughtful kind son:

Thank you, Jordan. Mama loves it because it is from you!
Thank you so much for thinking of me xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Isn't this what Christmas is all about?

I had to go running for my camera when I saw Jordan polishing Bella's nails with this teeny tiny bottle of nail polish. This is her very first time getting her nails polished and how memorable that she can always remember it was her big brother Jordan who did them for her. She told big daddym, as soon as he came home from work "Look, Daddy, Jordan helped me do my nails!" And she held them out like a beauty queen would.
And what makes it extra cute is that today was the holiday shopping fair at Jordan's school so he got to shop for his family. He came home with some sweet gifts for the ladies in his life. He told me "they didn't have much good boys stuff, so nothing for Daddy or Max", but us ladies were lucky because Jordan gave Bella her own little packet of baby nail polishes - pink, lavender & pearl - and it came with a teeny tiny file board. I got 2 gifts! A pack of 7 teeny tiny lipglosses ( my son's know their mama and how I love the lipglosses, Max too got me the same ones at the fair, too!) and Jordan also gave me what will now be the second beauty necklace ( as last xmas he gave me the golden beauty necklace ) and this year it is a beatuy green & yellow beaded beauty! I have it on right now! Picture of it coming soon. He is so proud. And I am, too.
Oh and he gave Bella 2 cute hot pink ornament ball elastics for when she rocks her hair in the bun style. She has them on. We waste no time.
Jordan was so proud of us wearing what he bought "his special ladies", and so he took it upon himself to help Bella polish her itty bitty teeny tiny little nails. One hand, lavender, one hand, pink. Her choice. Jordan's help. And that is what I love. Not only did he think of others as we venture through the Christmas season, as he is learning that Christmas is all about giving, but he went that extra mile and helped Bella put on her nailpolish. What a little memory to cherish.
As Chickie says "God Love Ya."
Amen

Santa's Little Helpers

Max being 5 and Bella being 3, they could get anyone in the Christmas spirit. Everything is so new through their eyes. Each ornament was more amazing then the next to them and they sure did create a messy but oh so beauty decorated Christmas tree.
Jordan being 9, wasn't as into it this year, come on he's 9 !( so old, right? been there done that) That made me a little bit sad cause it is just another sign of my first born growing up, he even questioned Santa and said he is pretty sure Santa doesn't exist, well my face just dropped and I said "you must never say that!" (man do I sound like an old lady) and then when I told him "Santa will always be real if you just believe" he then said "i know he's real, but the tooth fairy isn't, that's really you"...Oh how I keep holding on to him and maybe sometimes he is still holding on to me.
But then he did finally change into his candy cane name xmas pj's ( which Gigi bought so kindly for all 3 of her grandbabies, thank you Gigi!) and he put a few ornaments on the tree & took an awesome xmas picture for our soon to mail out xmas cards!
Oh and when I told my Mom about how beauty the front of our lower part of the tree looked, from the creative little Santa's helpers, she said "oh aren't ya gona fix it?" and I said "nope, it's so them, i love it" and i know oneday i will so miss the messy creative tree ornament decorater's, so i love our tree just the way it is.
And I will cherish their creations always.

"Oh what an Amazing Star Wars ornament!"
Macky is so proud of his creative decorating abilities.
And for the final touch to a "magic" tree....



gum drops
and
lollipops,
sugar cookies
and
candy canes,
gingerbread houses
and
gingerbread trains,
love, peace & extra laughter & joy
that is what i wish for all of you this holiday season.
Feliz Navidad!

Our little Thanks slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We didn't have mice but we had lots of corn and Bella chowed down on the corn & lots of grapes, so we know what that means! LOL!
It was a lovely cozy day at Gigi's house surrounded by great food & Papa & Chick came from upstairs to eat with us. Papa can't hear anymore but God love him, he is always a sweetie. He wears amplifier's in his ears, so it looks like he is rockin out to an ipod as he chowed down. So friggin cute. Then one popped out and Chick was screaming to him as usual "do ya want stuffin" and he couldn't hear, so I gently put the little amplifier ( aka ipod ) back in his ear and then he was good to go!
God love them. I really am thankful that they are here sharing with us yet another Thanksgiving day. I remember last year, Pop's even carved the turkey ( after enduring 2 broken hips in 1 year ) but this year he passed the job down to my father aka "cutes" as you will see, in the slideshow, my "cutes" father in the background shot carving it up in the kitchen as I pose it with the bubbling apple cider bottle!
Always a laugh cause that is how I roll. I had to get the party started with some bubbling non-alcoholic apple cider and then it was all about the desert! Pumpkin coffe cake with walnuts and my Aunt Mary's famous cookies, what a day!
So Stuffed.
So Grateful.