In Between.

After a wonderful Christmas, we are now ready for a great New Years celebration.

What does that leave us with? The week in between.

It is time to take down decorations, shopping is over. All that is left is a mess of toys that don't have a home just yet. We know that there is another celebration time coming, we are just waiting it out.

I really dislike this week. It is sad for me, it makes me anxious. It always has. There is so much to do. So this week, we are staying at home, getting things ready because we are going to The Wilderness in the Smokies for New Years Eve! How exciting is that! We have never been before and the kids are super excited about swimming and playing in the water.

As for Christmas, the kids were happy. We have Nurf guns and bullets floating around. We have American Girl dolls, and clothes everywhere. Eli is wearing his new North Face jacket all over the house. Dave and I got new chairs for our dining room table. And new Asics :)

So now, lets make it through this in-between week. I am starting my teaching list for next week. I am ready to get back in the swing of things.

Shopping till we dropped.

Today, I took the girls out for a Christmas shopping day. We went to Santa's Workshop, lunch, JCPenney's, The Children's Place, Old Navy... the list goes on and on. Boy, the girls love to shop. We had a great time.

I was looking for picture outfits. I have decided to become brave and have all five kids' pictures made. Whew! Why would I ever complain about three? It is so hard to match them up. We have a joke that by this Christmas, I would have all three girls in matching smocked dresses and the boys in the matching sweater vests. Aunt Jamie would have to do an intervention. I was excited last weekend when I found Christmas tops with little bells - and they had various sizes to fit all the girls! I got so, so excited! And I called Annie over and showed them to her. She, being the funny girl that she is, said, "Aunt Jamie? Where are you?"

Point was taken. I put them down.

No matching smocked dresses. ;(

So anyways, we are doing all different colors - Hot Pink for Emma, Bright Orange for Michelle, Teal Blue for Annie. I don't know about Eli and Tripp yet. We are also doing scarves and hats.

It should be fun!

Summing up the past month.

I unloaded my camera yesterday and I was surprised to find almost 200 pictures that I (or someone else) had taken in the past month. I thought it would be fun to share what kind of life we have and how much fun we really have.

Me and Emma and Tripp taking self portraits on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.

This is the coolest picture of the kids at the Sadler lunch. I got up on T-giving morning and figured out that I had not bought anyone anything new to wear. So we winged it. This was the mood of the day.

Then I got this picture of this sweet little boy. Sometimes, I just want to eat him up.

A few days later, I found this... my sweet boys cuddled up together on the couch.
This is a regular occurrence.

That weekend, we put the Christmas tree up.

Then, later that night, I found Emma and Tripp saying a Christmas prayer to Santa.

And it ended with "Amen."

Tripp went through a stage where he liked to wear Emma's hot pink head band to exercise.

He even slept in it.

And he did Karate in it.

And they battled with marshmellow guns while wearing workout apparel.

One morning, I got up to find Tripp on the couch sleeping.

He was wearing my snuggie and Emma's eye mask.

Someone in the house borrowed my camera.

And took self pictures.

And random pictures.

I guess she wanted to see how her tongue looked on the camera.

And, I guess she wanted show her Daddy's hind quarters.

This was in Tripp's room. I know this because of the green and blue background.

Maybe the flash surprised her?

Then, there was the church Christmas party.

Tripp told us that this was a girl dressed up as Santa.

Emma caught it, too!

Here is the kids on the Right to Life parade float.

And here is a close up of Eli's Christmas Miracle.

See the important message from Santa?

I wanted to share this just so you see that the kids did not only get Santa gifts.

It looks like a toy store threw up in the house.

Here is my favorite picture of the season.

This was straight after Eli opened his phone.

The little kids jumped on him and hugged him.

They were so excited that he got his phone.

Then, they asked for one, too.

Our Christmas Story - In Pictures.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I would like to present to you all our Christmas, in pictures.

Christmas Eve festivities began last night with a little music with Uncle Tommy, Uncle Donnie, and a friend named Anita. We ate, sang and then opened gifts from Grandma and Granddad.

Here is Tripp and Uncle Tommy.

Emma and Mallie loving on each other.

Eli with a dead rat on his hat, Matthew with his hat sideways, and Tyler wishing that

I would not have caught him trying not to be in my picture. Note the teenage angst.


Later on, we made it home. Emma said, "I have two words for you. Good. Night." And she went to bed and went to sleep. Tripp followed after her, so I had to put a Little Debbie snack cake and milk out for Santa. This snack cake is a 100 calorie one.



After preparing for the upcoming breakfast, Santa stopped by and laid out all gifts and stuffed all stockings. This year, he left notes on each gift and encouraged each child to listen to the parents and obey. We will see how that works out.

By 7:30 a.m. on Christmas morning, no children were awake. After making noise to get them stirred, they finally came downstairs. Tripp dug in to the gifts. He got a Cars Laptop.

Here is Emma with a fur vest from Gymboree. I also got her matching hair bows, but she didn't notice them, and I had to dig them out of the trash later on that morning.

Eli received the gift of the year. Here he is opening it.

Notice the expression.

I wrapped his special gift in JC Penney boxes.

Here he is thinking, "Oh, Man. I asked for an IPOD touch.

She got me clothes from JC Penney. Not EVEN American Eagle."

After going thru three different boxes, he finally gets to the center.

Guess what it looks like when he figures out what he really got....

(Oh, and check out Tripp's ratty hair in the picture, too)

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!

IT IS A CELL PHONE!!!

Dave got me a bracelet that is a post all in itself.

I have reached a new level and I can't wait to tell everyone all about it...

But right now, I am going to sing with my kids and Dave while we play Rock Band 2.

Countdown to Christmas!

Date: Sunday, December 20th
Time: 10:39 p.m.
Location: Home
Activity: watching kids coloring a velvet picture from the Dollar Store in the livingroom floor.

I am just letting them hang out... you would think I would make them go to bed. But they are being so nice, I am letting them play.

Toy delivery was great today. We went to three houses. I had delivered to two families on my own earlier in the week. There is something so great about taking a family a box of food that is unexpected. One couple that I took supplies to had a five month old baby... it was a very young couple. I gave them my phone number and told them to call me if they ever need anything at all. I doubt they do - it is the people who need it that never ask for the help.

Isn't it neat to realize that everyone has a story? Those people who look "normal" and "perfect" have issues - even when they pretend not to. I think that the issues build character IF you work to overcome those issues. I think we would all work better together if we admitted our flaws and supported each other.

My most favorite thing about other people is to find out is what a couples' story is... you know, how they met, fell in love, got engaged... I love the fact that everyone has a past whether they acknowlege it or not. I love the story of how Dave and I met, how it all fell into place, how it just worked... I love our past, I love our present and I am anticipating our great future together.

Getting my act together.

Yesterday was a pretty productive day. I managed to clean most of the house, including the kitchen cabinets. There was lots of expired canned food. I guess that I don't cook as much as I should. Or we just don't eat at home that often. My house is starting to look OK, so that makes me happy.

I even wrapped four gifts and now our tree doesn't look so pitiful.

After church today, we are going to do our annual toy delivery for the Jaycees. This is my absolute favorite part of Christmas. I love taking the stuff to the kids. Some people are greatful, some live in places that you really believe that they need the toys, some drive brand new vehicles, some live in nice subdivisions and in new houses... but that is their problem. I am just thinking about the kids.

I am going to have to work tomorrow and Tuesday. I feel like it is Christmas and I really don't want to work at all. I want to bake cookies. I guess I can start that on Tuesday evening.

I need to make a list of my new purchases and get this shopping finished.

I have to go get ready for church.

Catching up....

I guess that since I finished my semester, I should be blogging every day. But I still have to work and I am trying my hardest to get ready for Christmas next week, so maybe I can get my act together.

Here are a few random things that are going on:

1. Dave and I are supposed to go Christmas shopping tomorrow. I hope, hope, hope we get to go. It is supposed to snow 1-3 inches tonight. Wow!
2. I still have lotsa laundry on my bed to fold. Well, it is not on the bed now. It was yesterday. Today, it is on the chair.
3. I am feeling some kind of head cold coming on. And I am not really pleased about that.
4. I haven't mopped in a LONG TIME and that is on my to-do list for the weekend. That, and clean the toilets. And bathtubs. And do more laundry.
5. I have no idea of what to get anyone for Christmas.
6. I am not very happy with my job situation right now. Not so much the job, it is my circumstances. Every day I am reminded that there are mean people in the world. And they work to sabotage special things, well, that makes it hard for me. Especially when they are not what they claim to be.
7. I am looking forward to only working on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
8. My mother in law is taking me and the kids to Gatlinburg for New Years Eve so we can shop till we drop and watch the midnight parade. Isn't that so kind? We will have a blast, I just know it.
9. While I am shopping till I drop, Dave will be in Atlanta watching UT play in some kind of bowl game. That is so neat!
10. I always believe that whatever you are doing at midnight sets the tone for your entire year. So if that is the plan, I will be hanging out with my mother in law ALL YEAR ;) and Dave will be watching football and yelling. Wait - that kinda seems like what we do already. So that is fine with me.

Starting to think about Christmas...

Christmas is in two weeks! Can you believe it? This year has been the fastest year of my life.

Now that some school pressure is off (I still have a project due on Sunday AND another final on Tuesday) I am starting to think about Christmas shopping for the kids. I just have to find the time to do it.

Tomorrow is the busiest day of the season, it seems.

We have five functions tomorrow.

1. Sadler party
2. Christmas parade
3. My Dad's Party
4. City Christmas Party
5. Ornament Swap at church.

On Sunday, Eli is going with my brother and Emma is going to the movies with some friends...
Maybe I can find a sitter for Tripper and we can do some of that shopping....