Christmas Eve and Beyond 2011

Last year we started a tradition of doing something physical on Christmas Eve to wear the kids out. The usual sledding wasn't an option this year because we have no snow, so we drove to Pendleton and decided to try ice skating. SO fun! My new favorite. There was nothing quite like speeding around the rink listening to Christmas music over the loudspeakers. I had so much fun. Twinkle Toes had a rough start because she got a blister on her ankle right off. So she started squalling and then she took off her skates and went to the van for a good hour to sulk. This is how she handles defeat. But I was really proud of her because after watching everyone else have fun she decided to give it one more shot. So we tried some skates that you strap onto your shoes and she got out there and got the hang of it. She ended the day on a much happier note. Sweet Boy and little Gracie just took to the ice like fish in water. They did really well. Grace needed help but she went around the rink a zillion times and Sweet Boy got away from the rail and would hold one of my hands and skate.

She did really well!

Gracie got a bubblegum pink kitchen from Santa

The kids in their red church clothes

Lydia almost 3 months old

the candy man.....this kid goes nuts over candy!

Lydia was "talking" to me while sitting in her present from Nana....a bumbo!

Ready for Christmas

Spent the afternoon napping on the couch snuggled up to this little boo bear. Oh she is so sweet. I'm not lying or just imagining it. I am the first one to tell you when my kids aren't sweet. But little Lydie as I like to call her is pure sweetness. Heaven is certainly curling up with her on my chest, smelling your sweet little head, her hair tickling my nose, and napping in the sunshine on the couch. She just has a certain softness, a sweetness that I can't put my finger on. Sweet Boy had it too, but in a little different way. And she has the most amazing smile, her whole face just lights up when you smile at her. It just makes you want to devour her piece by piece. I don't know why kids just make you want to eat them, but they do.

My eyes have been bugging me a lot. This has never happened. I am attributing it to the fact that Lydia actually eats. The eye doctor said it was futile to do an exam while I am nursing, so I guess I will just live with the headaches and the eye strain for now and hope my eyes go back to normal at some point in the next.....year?

So I've got my video camera and camera batteries charged up. The shopping is DONE. The dinner menu is planned. Christmas Eve activities are coming together. I cleaned my house today and I don't plan on cleaning again until after Christmas. I'm just ready to relax and enjoy the fun. How bout you?

Teacher Appreciation Gift and a little Foo Foo for the Holidays

Okay, I know it's a little weird to be giving your teacher a gift card to Starbucks seeing as how we don't drink coffee, ha, but you can get hot chocolate there too! This was just too darn cute so I made it. Go here for the printable.....http://www.box.com/shared/1bry1y4q0o

Lydia looks absolutely adorable today in her Christmas socks thanks to Ma and Pa Wetzel!

Twinkle Toes ready for church in her sweet dress....thanks Nana!

My kids are absolutely crazy with Christmas giddiness. It is driving Ma and Pa Morrison crazy. There will be NO presents under the tree until December 24th. It would only ADD to the naughtiness in our house, so our tree will be bare underneath this year. I admit, once or twice I have thought that maybe we should just donate all their gifts to someone else and leave a letter from Santa telling them they were too naughty. Hmm.. We are doing the 12 Days of Christmas this year to our deaf neighbor. It won't be QUITE the same as we won't really have to be quiet and we can't ring the doorbell, but oh well. I think he will appreciate it since he seems to have no family or friends around to celebrate with.

Recently I read this gal's blog, I won't mention names, but she is living in Africa now. She blogged about how she wishes she could be back in the "bubble", the bubble of America I guess where she could just pop in Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Clause" "without feeling guilty. She says, "I just spent the equivalent of my maid’s monthly salary on a Christmas gift for one person. A gift to replace something that person already has, that works and is fine, with something nicer and newer. I go back to listening to Gene Autry to look up at my Gardener hauling a bucket of weeds. I will spend the amount he makes in a month on excess baggage charges so I can bring more “stuff” I “need” back to Zambia from home. This is what is hardest for me living in Africa." Anyways, these were her words and her post really touched my heart as I struggle with this as well, the commercialism of Christmas versus the real meaning. We don't often think about how blessed we really are as the abundance surrounds us and is so commonplace that it isn't uncommon at all, with a few exceptions that we rationalize to personal "choices" or "decisions" in the lives of others. Anyways, I came away from reading this feeling a little guilty myself and then determined the only thing I could do was to understand and truly appreciate how blessed we are to live in this nation of abundance. I'm sure my children would not have survived had they not been born at this day and age and in this country. How grateful I am. I thought her words were really poignant and hopefully she won't mind me sharing them. Now I guess I'll go back to wrapping presents. Just kidding! It gives us all something to think about.

Lydia seems to be sleeping through the night now. We'll see if it lasts. She has been sleeping 6-8 hours now at night. We just have to keep her awake until about 9 p.m. Whoo Hoo! We are all starting to feel a little more human now.

Lydia at 2 months

and Grace Ann with ol' Santy

(Not) Falling off the Planet

inside Bass Pro Shop

the wildlife carousel

inside Opryland hotel

Opryland hotel

conservatory in Opryland hotel

inside the Opryland hotel

me soaked to the bone, it was raining and cold!

Hawks' stone

Elizabeth M. and Abrillia stone

stone of John Henry Eaves, brother to my Thomas K.

Uncle Keath in old Eaves cemetery, Latham/Dresden TN

old Eaves cemetery, out in a cow field, small stand of trees

Jamison and Jada and Aunt Lisa with Lydia

Aunt Lisa with Twinkle Toes and Grace Ann

Nana with Twinkle Toes and Grace Ann

It really has been awhile, 2 months to be exact, since my last post. I figure I better throw something up here before I lose all my (many) readers, ha. Life has been crazy busy with addition #4. I ended up quitting my home business as a medical transcriptionist due to not having time for it anymore. I do miss it I admit. I really did enjoy my job. At 2 months though, things are starting to get a little easier with Lydia. As I am writing this, "the lids" or "Lyddie" as we call her, slept 8 hours last night, but it was all the wrong hours. She went to sleep at 5 p.m. So we gotta work on that. She is the sweetest baby ever. She hardly cries (hopefully I won't curse myself). She really is a sweet little jewel in our family. She makes me want another one! yikes. And she is growing amazingly fast for my babies. We joke that she is not ours. THere must have been a switch at the hospital. For one, she has hair. For two, her hair is brown. For 3, she actually eats like a normal baby. Again, this can't be ours but we'll take her :) Where is that postman?

We went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving and had a great time visiting Nana and the family and some old friends and neighbors and also doing genealogy, meeting some new relatives, and hunting down cemeteries with my uncle. I am going to post some pictures for my internet friend Roni on that little adventure. We had 3 Thanksgiving dinners which were all amazingly fantastic and just the way I remember. I hope they can last me another 10 years of Thanksgivings. Yum-O! We managed to not get sick before, during, or after our trip (again I hope I am not cursing myself) and little Lydia was a great traveler. Neither of my other kids could have made that trip as babies and done well, but Lydia just goes with the flow. We have been amazingly healthy so far this winter and (gulp) is it really half over? We have hardly had any snow yet where we live in Oregon yet and I for one am loving it. But let's hope for a white Christmas. Tennessee had amazingly varied weather. We got 70-degree weather, rain, and snow during the time we were there. On our final leg of the trip, we visited the Opryland Hotel before departing the Nashville airport. I'll post some pics of that too. The kids thought it was amazing and oh, I got my fill of eating at Cracker Barrel too. (the kids fell in love with the store and had fun spending some of their money on the things in there).