If you know anything about me, you'd know that I don't really care one way or another for football. BUT, since sweet daddy is a huge fan, we try to let him handle the remote control on nights like this. So in honor of him, we're all donning our Bama gear, yelling Roll Tide and shaking our pom-poms. It is a rare moment in history that our sweet little blog is devoted to football. ...
ella
Hello 2009
This is how Ella rang in the New Year. We just woke up and it's after ten o'clock! Well, it's a new year and I'm ready. And since I've never formally declared any New Year's resolutions, I'm going to join in the fun today. Only I'm thinking more like accomplishments. This I want to achieve and change. The word accomplishment is defined as the act of completion. That says it all doesn't it? This year I want to: be a more prayerful person; read the bible through, with the help of a new devotion guide; spend more time doing what Ella wants to do instead of what I want her to; spend less and save more - eliminate debt Dave Ramsey style; lose twenty pounds and get back to my pre-pregnancy weight {elliptical here I come!}; get organized, pay bills early and eliminate ...
Tuesday.
It was Tuesday, which means it was my last day at home before returning to work and real life. I really enjoyed being a stay-at-home-mom. I loved sleeping late and eating doughnuts with Ella for breakfast. I enjoyed watching The Rescuers and Horton Hears a Who today. I even enjoyed being a short-order cook and eating chicken fingers, fries and ketchup AGAIN tonight. I enjoyed living in a dirty house, with remnants of wrapping and Christmas toys lying around... because it meant just one more day of quality time with Josh, Belle and Beemer. I enjoyed plastic food and invisible tea. I loved videotaping Ella playing with Jaz {her new baby's name} and dancing, cheering and making up songs. I loved watching Jack's Big Music Show and laughing when she tried to remember the words. I loved her ...
Just in Case
Just in case you were wondering what we're up to. Yesterday we... slept until almost 9 o'clock {a record for Ella}, ate cheerios and coffee for breakfast, went to TJMaxx, Old Navy and Gap, ate lunch at Chipotle, fought crazy people at Target for Christmas lights and decor, bought groceries, had a major meltdown in the dairy department, forgot to buy an iron {Beemer broke ours earlier in the day}, got a late start on our nap, read books, played with our princess castle, kissed daddy goodbye {he had a basketball game}, put on polka-dotsie pajamas, cooked chicken fingers and french fries, ate lots of ketchup, cried during our first viewing of Charlotte's web {both of us}, and took a silly picture of ourselves. ...
Peas in Heavenly Peace
I was up at 6 o'clock on Christmas morning pacing the floors. Ella slept late. Finally at 7, I asked Josh if we could wake her up. Santa had come, stockings had been stuffed, all the lights were on, the cookies were just crumbs, the coffee was brewing and pigs in a blanket were cooling on the stove. When I woke her up I told her that Santa had come and we were wondering where she was. She said, "Mom, I was sleeping in my bed." I asked her if she wanted to go back to sleep or if she was ready for her presents. What do you think she said? When she saw her presents she said, "Is that my kitchen?" We said yes. "Santa bringed it?" Again, yes. Then she squealed. She wanted to play with every single present as she opened them, so it took a little while. Thankfully Josh & I had opened gifts ...
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town!
I was really impressed that Ella was still awake when we got home from my parents' house. It was after 8 o'clock, but thanks to that trusty flashlight, she was wide awake when we got here. She helped her daddy pick out two really pretty cookies for Santa and poured him a glass of milk. Above is a picture of her helping carry it from the kitchen to its perch near the tree. Beemer really wanted a bite! We were working on putting a table near the tree for Santa's treats and she was standing guard. Santa is lucky that we were paying attention. His cookies could've been gone before he ever had a chance. Here is Ella saying goodnight to Scout and reminding him that she had been a really good girl. She was hoping Scout would put in a good word for her when Santa came to pick him up. We left ...
To Grandmother’s House We Go {Part Two}
After celebrating Josh's parents, we met my family for Christmas communion. This is always one of my favorite parts of Christmas. Our pastor and music minister lead us in communion as a family during a candlelight service. This year Ella was upset about not getting to have juice and a cracker, but she was very good. We had been explaining to her that Christmas is Jesus' birthday and she was worried about not attending a party. During the service she asked Brother John about singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and he was sweet enough to sing with her. All the way home, though, she asked us why nobody else {other families waiting in the sanctuary} came up the steps to sing to baby Jesus and why he wasn't there either?! Once we return to my parents' house, we always enjoy a snack supper - we all ...
To Grandmother’s House We Go {Part One}
To minimize the travel, drama and hissy fits on Christmas morning, we continue the tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve with our parents and siblings. We start the day at Nana & Cookie's with them, Uncle Bull and Isabella. Nana always cooks up a feast of ham, dressing, homemade macaroni & cheese and lots more. Ella's favorite {and mine, too} is the endless peanut butter fudge, which we got lots of to bring home and share! Ella & Isabella had such a good time playing together. They were all over the house, eating and opening a mass of presents. For the first Christmas since Ella was born, we managed to get a picture of her with Nana & Cookie. I don't know we have such a hard time with that, but we made a special point to get some group photos this year! It took Ella ...