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8 things about Lilly

1. I am high maintenance and very strong-willed, but also very sweet (when I want to be :)

2. I LOVE my pink blankie--especially when it is wet.

3. I like to change clothes (including my underwear) about 10 times a day. I also believe that crowns, lipstick, and clip-on earrings are must-haves for any outfit. I also have a strong opinion about what my mommy wants me to wear.

4. I am obsessed with ALL things princess. I also love baby dolls, make-up, and dress-up clothes.

5. I am a great napper, but if I don't get a good nap--watch out. Seriously, WATCH OUT.

6. I have a great imagination and I love to make up stories and funny songs. My favorite made-up song is, "If you ever ride a bicycle, you keep you helmeck (your helmet) on!" I sing it ALL the time. My parents are not sure where this came from.

7. My favorite things to watch are Little Bear, The Wonder Pets, The Little Mermaid, and Dora.

8. I LOVE to go to the doctor--especially to have my ears cleaned out. I never cry at anything they do and all the nurses think I am going to be a doctor when I grow up.

8 things about Mamie

1. I am low maintenance, laid-back, and mind well.

2. I love my silky bunny and my binky.

3. Changing my clothes is a 15 minute event and really requires 2 people. It is exhausting for my mommy and daddy. I fight so hard and I am SO strong.

4. I am obsessed with my big sister and try so hard to do everything she does. When she takes a nap I like to sit outside her bedroom door and try to wait for her.

5. I am not a great napper, but I am so happy all the time and sleep great at night (with a pillow--shhh, don't tell the pediatrician!).

6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE books and say "book" all the time. I bring books to my mommy and daddy so they will read them to me. This is my favorite thing in the whole wide world!

7. I can walk almost all the way across a room by myself. I am so proud of myself. I am so big!

8. Bath time is one of my favorite times of the day. When I hear my daddy running the water, I crawl as fast as I can into the bathroom, squealing and laughing. When mommy comes to get me out, I push her away and cry.

We tag Grant, Claire, and Cade.

Mamie's 1st Christmas

This is fun! I get to hit things with a hammer! I love how serious her little face is.

She was mesmerized by her stocking. She spent forever on it and I couldn't believe it--we had been opening gifts forever! I loved this picture of her peeking in the top, like "Hmmm...let's see what good stuff is in here."

After she had it all pulled out. She went through and looked at every little thing like she was just so happy with all of it. Notice silky bunny is never far away in any of the pictures.

I'm posting twice tonight-- I felt like Mamie needed a separate post for her first little Christmas. She was so precious and so excited about all of her toys. She actually played with everything. I don't remember Lilly really playing with her toys like that when she was Mamie's age. She got so many cute things--a cow lawnmower, a leap frog table, puzzles, books, and all kinds of fun toys. She had the best Christmas and it was so much fun watching her enjoy all of it.

Crazy Christmas

We had a very wonderful and very busy Christmas. My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, and my mom and dad all came on Dec. 23rd and stayed for four days to have Christmas at our house. It was so much fun having a house full of family. We never get to see my sister because they live in Tampa. Dylan, my nephew, is 11 now and is so good with Lilly and Mamie. They are crazy about him. Jon, the girls, and I went to his parents house on Christmas Eve to have dinner and open gifts while my family went out to eat. Lilly and Mamie had so much fun with Sassy and Papa Al and all their aunts and uncles that spoil them rotten! Once the gifts were opened, Mrs. Homebody (Lilly) was ready to go home and get ready for Santa. It was so much fun seeing her get so excited this year. She left Santa milk and cookies and helped me write him a note (Santa left her a note the next morning, but she wasn't interested in hearing it once he mentioned "sharing with Mamie"). Christmas morning they were both so excited to see what Santa had left. It took all morning to open presents with everything that my parents brought up with them. Jon still has a smile on his face from his new gift--his parents and my parents gave him money for a new TV and he and my dad and Tim went and picked it out the day after Christmas. He's like a little kid about it. It's cute to see him get so excited. It was a great Christmas, and certainly not just because of the gifts--we are so blessed to have such wonderful families.

I did a terrible job of taking pictures this year. I had my whole family together at my house (which is a rare occurrance) and didn't get a single family picture. I also failed to get any pictures of any of Jon's siblings with the girls. It makes me so mad! Anyway, I realize I am posting way too many pictures, but oh well! Be sure you go all the way down to the last picture for a special treat!

The girls with Sassy and Papa Al on Christmas Eve

Chaos in my den on Christmas morning--notice we are all in our pjs and my mom is dressed cute

Lilly waiting on our bed until we tell her she can go see her gifts Christmas morning--I thought she was going to pop

It was a "princess christmas" for miss lilly

She had to leave mid-gift opening to get her blue flip-flops. Too bad Santa didn't need to take those to some little girl who needed them...

Trying out the princess bicycle

Uncle Tim playing with Mamie

My sister and Dylan with Lilly at the Opryland hotel

Literally THE ONLY picture of me from the entire holiday --I LOVE my earrings courtney!

The grand finale of my Christmas...I had my tonsils out the morning after everyone left. It was nice because I didn't really have time to think about it and get all worked up. I had heard SO many horror stories I was expecting the worst, but it was actually not bad at all. I only ate ice cream, jello, and broth for about a day and a half, and then I started eating normal soft stuff like green beans and mashed potatoes. The worst part was just feeling tired and groggy and getting sick from the pain medicine. (Now I can add yet another medication to my mile-long list of drug allergies.) I would not have been able to do it without my mom and dad and Jon's mom keeping the girls. I will say it was definitely the most rest I have gotten in at least three years!

I had a cheeseburger tonight--I had been craving one since the surgery. It was incredible. I also ate well over half of an entire lemon cake I made last night--making up for lost time! If you look closely at the blurry picture, you can see the white scabs on the back of my throat--yum!