Three Year Olds

It was so good to see these three playing together again after such a long hiatus! Can't you tell that they'd get into some trouble together?

Patrick Boy

This sweet little boy came all the way from North Carolina to visit & be baptized by my preacher-husband! We sure wish they lived closer, like around the corner!

Captain Jeff

One cool thing about spending time with my family is that we got to hang out with my sister's boyfriend, Jeff, and get to know him better! Jeff has a new fan in my Amy Lee! And here's a shameless plug...if you're ever in the market for a deep sea fishing trip off the coast of Alabama...Jeff's your man!

Cousins

It goes without saying how much fun my kids had with their cousins over the holidays!

Geo Caching Tips

Another one of Amy Lee's gifts...an explorer's kit...perfect for an afternoon of geo caching with Aunt Jamie in the woods..

*note to self...don't wear platform clogs when geo caching...

Presents!

My kids received so many wonderful gifts, but none as colorful as this kite.

Merry Christmas!

Was your Christmas as crazy as ours? Must have been the chocolate cake for breakfast...

Birthday Boy!

My sweet husband has to share his birthday with the biggest, commercialized holiday of the year, which is why we make a concerted effort to celebrate his day as independently as possible. The upside to having your birthday be on Christmas Eve is chocolate cake for breakfast on Christmas Day!

Ho Ho Ho!

My kids were so excited to meet Santa. Amy Lee kept telling me that he needed to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas...well, his wish came true tonight as we met with the Old Man...what a wonderful Santa! Although he was clearly swamped with children waiting to meet him he took his time with my two babies & made them feel as if they'd really spent time with good ole Saint Nick! And bless his heart he told my boy, whose 1st item on his wish list for Santa was a gun, that he was too young for guns and that maybe he'd better stick with Thomas the Train! God, I love Santa!

Here we are afterwards on a sleigh ride in the snow...Those three ladies in the sleigh with me are my Mom and two of my sisters.

It's about time!

Finally, I'm back! I have a new laptop, which I think I'm going to like a lot...that wireless stuff is pretty cool! I'm going to back up a little & postdate a few pictures, I don't have a lot to tell you about, it's been crazy around here & yesterday, Friday, was the 1st day I picked up my camera in a week! But, I'm ready to get back in the saddle! Here we go...

Friday

Just a picture of my kids...decked out in their "Winter" gear...it's the best we can do here Sub-Mason Dixon Line...

Saturday's Progressive Dinner

Our neighborhood gang had a holiday progressive dinner. It was so nice to get together sans children...it's true, we are adults and can have a conversation without interrupting ourselves to reprimand a toddler, cut their food or wipe their nose... Now if everyone would stop gestating we could really have a good time... No, seriously, we really did have a nice time, appetizer's were at our house, dinner at the Baker's and dessert at the Westmoreland's.

Good News...Bad News...

The bad news is that our computer crashed...the good news is that we are in the process of purchasing a super-snazzy new one! The bad news is that I won't be updating the blog for a few days...the good news is I'll have a super-snazzy new computer to update my blog with in a few days! Hang tight!

Camellia

They're a bloomin'

Sim's Garden

It's that time of year...

...when you put on your pajamas, get in the car and head out... in search of the most spirited, brightest (some might say gauche), festive, decorated house in town...

Treasure!

My kids are into digging for "treasure" lately, especially the boy!

*note the tatoo on his face...here's a public plea to all mother's throwing future birthday parties...don't put tatoo's on a child's face...especially the day before church...even if you are my sister...

Piece of the action

Everyone's trying to get some!

Poop & Boogies

After 220 posts I'm finally going to use my "get out of jail" card and not post a picture I'm not even going to post something original... Instead I want y'all to follow the link below to what has to be one of the funniest blog posts I've ever read! This guy cracks me up on a continuous basis and this time he took the cake! Ladies and Gentlemen...I give you Poop & Boogies...

All I got...

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth (whatever that means...) but I am SWAMPED with work! Which is a good thing for me, a bad thing for the blog. This picture is more proof of my gentle boy and his unnerving attraction to all things violent, in this case...sword fighting...ok, ruler fighting but it counts as the same thing. Notice how his little sister is soaking it all in...she's learning from a master and according to her Montessori teacher is an astute apprentice!

Peace lovin' fool

This doesn't happen often...he was totally posing for me! This picture came after the most pathetic, whoa is me, fit! "I waaaannnnt a squirter, I don't have a squirter and I waaannnt one." FYI, squirter aka gun, which we refuse to let him have. Save your breath, yes we realize that all boys want to play with guns, and that they'll make a gun out of just about anything...we know...we live it! You just can't expect a couple of non-violent, peacenik, former Peace Corps volunteer, vegetarian folks let their boy have a gun just because he wants one, hell I want a nice, new Passat station wagon (blue), but you don't see me getting what I want! Anyway, back to the original story...this picture was taken after I agreed to let him play with the less violent gun substitute...your ordinary household water bottle, but look how happy it made him! Peace!!

Let the season begin!

Here is the 1st of many to come! I love me some Christmas cards!

Feeders

This morning we walked over to the Moyer's house for our monthly neighborhood gathering. With school in session and the time change our neighborhood gatherings have been reduced from weekly to monthly parties, which is almost better because they are themed... November's was held today (yes, a day late, but better than never) and the theme was soup and "edible seasonal ornaments. " It was a gorgeous day, perfect for friends to gather & let their babies run wild in an enclosed space! Thanks for having us!

Christmas in November...

1st let me start by apologizing to any long-term locals from our sweet little town...I'm about to deprecate a time honored tradition...the Christmas Parade...

It all started over dinner last night..."WHAT?!?! Your not taking your children to the Christmas Parade...what a horrible parent you are...every GOOD parent will be there with their darling, precious, points of light!" (ok, I admit...I have a flair for the dramatics and improvised a bit for you, the audience...) Well, we gave into the peer pressure that was suppose to end it's hold on you in high school, and went to the dreaded parade...the Lingenfelters and every Tom, Dick & Jim Bob in a 45 mile radius! Thank the dear Lord our friends the Bakers (locals) had the wherewithal to park their truck right on the parade route the night before so we'd have a place to corral our children! We stood there for what seemed like eternity, enduring way too many marching bands, semi-rigs, and forlorn teenagers, all for the piece de resistance...Santa & Mrs. Claus (you can barely see them at the top left of my picture). The saving grace of the whole night, & honestly the deciding factor in our decision to trek up to the square for this yearly ritual, was the opportunity for us to hang out with our friends, the Bakers & the Westmorelands. Thanks for putting up with my crankiness!

Magic

This has to be one of the most beautiful trees I've ever seen! It's almost magical. I use to pass it all the time in my old life, you know the one where I got paid to work... I've written before about how beautiful this Autumn in the South has been and thankfully it's still hanging around!

Daddy's girl

She's turned into a Daddy's girl...it's about damn time! Takes some of the heat off of me!

I scream, You scream...

My friend Kerri & I have decided to start keeping each other's little girl on alternating Monday's. This gives the Mama's an extra morning of peace & quiet to get some things done (or nothing for that matter) and at the same time it gives our darling, precious, sweet, lovable girls an opportunity to play with each other. I wish this picture had sound so that you could hear the screams they were emitting, just for the heck of it, no reason, no rhyme, just screaming.

Me & my Old Man...

Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent yesterday with my sister, Carolyn, and her family! My children love, love, love her kids! Yesterday a.m. when we asked "Amy-Lee" what he was thankful for he blurted out "my cousins!" He had so much fun playing with them in the woods! This is the only picture I took all day yesterday, too full from dinner!

Leaves

I am so in love with the light these past few weeks! This time of year it is just to die for! It's just absolutely beautiful here! I don't remember the leaves being so colorful & vibrant last year! Not too mention how much fun it is to wrestle in them with your Dad!

*this cute little scene quickly turned into our 1st attempt at Christmas photos...don't have to tell you how well that went...

2 boys in a tree

We've finally found a way to keep the boys still & in one place...

SOA

We travelled in support of closing the SOA...what a great day! There was lots to see, dancing to be done, puppetista's to watch, flags to wave and of course...PEACE

Autumn cutie

No real reason for this picture except that I think she looks so cute! We had a great time outside before it got to be chilly, well chilly for folks in the South...

Tree Hugger

I realized yesterday that it has been over a week since I've posted a picture of my kids, it's been kinda a nice change, good for me to flex my photography muscles & take something other than those 2 precious muses of mine! However, I'm back with one of Amy-Lee...he's quickly turning into that little boy I've been dreading...climbing things, fascination- bordering on obsession - with guns and all things violent, doesn't want to cuddle with his mama in the mornings "tomorrow I'll cuddle with you" "tomorrow I'll hold your hand." But I guess these are all signs that we are doing our jobs correctly, he's growing up, exerting his independence, at least that's what I tell myself in a feeble attempt to comfort my bruised mama-ego...

AL + LL = TLA

Pepper

Although he/she is not our cat the kids have given baby-cat an official name...Pepper! I love hearing Lou yelling for him/her..."Pep-Pa...Pep-Pa..." However, I'm still fond of "baby-cat" which is what I'll continue to use.

Mums the word...

I planted these boogers early in the spring & they kept growing and growing and growing...they were tall, fell over into the driveway and have been laying there for several months. They looked bad! But wait, look at them now! Of course they had about 2 good days before the frost got them...

unchartered territory

Tonight, after a lovely dinner at our favorite resturant, Venucci's, we went to the big High School game between the two rival high schools in town... I had the pleasure of photographing a promotional event for a local radio station in town, a field goal kick from the 30 yard line for a new Toyota truck...needless to say the gentleman didn't make the goal...c'est la vie...

Finally!

It's over! I've passed off the school pictures to the "Directoress" they are officially out of my control! I don't know if I should laugh or cry? One thing I do know...they look GOOOOOD!

*I should have posted this earlier, but especially want to thank Casey & Fiona for coming over last night & helping me put those packages together! Also, thanks to Kerri for helping me those 2 days we took pictures! Y'all are the best!

Baby-Cat

The cat to the left is ours, Scully, the cat to the right is "baby-cat" a stray cat that our good friends & neighbors found under their house one day about 6 weeks ago. Baby-cat has decided to play both sides of the street...we feed it/they feed it/we feed it/they feed it...smart cat!

Shout out to Donna!

I've been working with rubber cement for the past two days for a work project. It's some foul smelling stuff, actually gave me a doozy of a headache yesterday, but to be honest...I love that stuff! Everytime I work with it I can't help but think of my friend and college roomate, Donna Hartley (now Pixler) whenever I work with that stuff. She's the brilliant mind who showed me how to put the glue on both sides of the project your working on to make it stick better! Genius! OK, so it states that on the directions, but who reads the directions?

Today is my birthday. . .

No need to bother counting the candles on my beautiful, homemade, by 2 wonderful kids & their sweet daddy, cake...I'll tell ya, I'm 39 & still going strong! What a wonderful day! Dinner with the girls topped the day off! Thanks everyone for your cards, gifts, dinner, & love!