December

I am sooo behind! December flew by with all the fun things to do, class parties, snow, and time with family.





Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread houses at Richland. Jon actually got to come this year! We missed Hollis and Kim.

They were out of town :(

Daddy and Lilly took theirs very seriously. They got a couple of compliments on the way out and Jon bragged about it for quite a while ;-)

I let Mamie put so many giant gumdrops on the roof, that it ended up falling off.
I am normally a control freak about crafty things, and had to try very hard to just let her do it all by herself.

Thanks Sassy!!!

Snow!!!!!

Bundled up for the snow--before they got tired of playing in snow!

Trying to sled at the farm with Ellie.

Mamie's First School Christmas Party & Program

Sassy came to see Mamie sing her Christmas songs. She was so excited to go up on stage.

When your daddy works at a grocery store...

He just might come home with a GIANT inflatable sleigh!

The girls had so much fun playing in it--you can't tell from the picture, but there were blinking lights along the top. It took up the entire playroom--it is huge.

Santa & his Reindeer

It was so cold this day that we almost couldn't stand to wait in line.

Christmas

Lilly, Hollis, and Mamie

Sassy showing Mamie her BIG gift that was hidden in a closet--

a HUGE horse. It could pull the HUGE sleigh!

She loves it. Mamie is one horse-crazy little girl. All she kept saying she wanted for Christmas was "a real horse." This was as close as we're going to get for a while.

cousins. TROUBLE.

our only family picture of the season--i know it's dark.

Our tree on Christmas Eve...

and our house on Christmas Eve! I had to get a picture--who knows when we'll have another white Christmas? It was so neat waking up to snow on Christmas day.

CJ and Pop were here for a few days and got to be at our house on Christmas morning to see what Santa left.

After Santa--ready to open gifts from everyone else!

Excited to open stockings. We always make them wait until after breakfast.

Mamie trying to get hers down by herself.

One of the favorite gifts of the year--pillow pets! Thanks CJ :)

This is how daddy unloads the dishwasher...

Merry Christmas!

October

For Halloween this year, we had a horse-crazy little girl who wanted to be a horse, and a big sister who decided to be a cowgirl. I thought we were going to wind up with Daphne from Scooby-Doo, and a horse (which was a little bit weird), but I was trying not to be a Halloween costume control-freak and let them decide. Anyway, Lilly decided on her own she wanted to be a cowgirl, so I was very excited to make her a cowgirl costume.

The 5th & 6th grade boys at our church were all cowboys and we thought it would be a cute picture. Lilly has decided to be "nervous" in pictures now--especially with big boys, so this is the face I usually get now. Hopefully it will pass SOON.

Showing off the best candy--suckers!!!

Julie and I had a Groupon & decided to take our girls to the Hermitage one day. I was not thinking they would have that much fun, but Lilly absolutely loved it and has been asking when we are going back. She loved the headphones and the guided tour they had for kids to listen to. She was really sad when we were done and there were no more numbers to punch into her little player.

Mamie showing off her headphones

Frances & Lilly

Highlight of Mamie's day--seeing the big horses.

And four very tired girls after walking all over the grounds.

Savannah

For my mom's 70th birthday, my sister and I planned a trip for all three of us to Savannah. We tried to plan it BEFORE the birth of John Houston, so that keeping my girls wouldn't be a problem while I was gone, and also because I wanted to be here to see his arrival. With plane tickets purchased and reservations made for months, I got the call from Kim the day before we left that she was being induced the next morning. It was so frustrating, but luckily I have some wonderful friends (and family :) who stepped up and took my girls for me and allowed us to have a wonderful time. We ate a LOT of great food, took in all the beautiful historic sights, and just enjoyed being together.

My sweet sister and mother

One of the beautiful squares

One of the only pictures with all 3 of us--the poor valet took 3. In the first one, I am making this stupid face, telling him to hold the button down, in the second, my mom's eyes were closed, and in the third, my sister is making a funny face. So, I am taking one for the team and posting the ugly shot of myself.

The line outside Paula Deen's restaurant starts lining up at 7:30 in the morning. No thanks.

And, need I say more?

The Mercer house--from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

John Houston

The girls have a new baby cousin! John Houston arrived early on September 23rd, just after I boarded a plane and flew to Savannah to celebrate my mom's birthday. I was so sad to miss his arrival, but I know we'll have plenty of time to see the little guy :) He's a cutie and the girls are crazy about him.

Hollis is a proud big brother!

Camping

Our class at church went camping this September at the most beautiful campground I have ever been to. It was planned on a weekend when Jon had to work, but I still wanted to take the girls. My friend Julie's husband had to be out of town that weekend also, so we took our girls and shared a campground. It was so much fun--I can't wait to go next year. I didn't get many pictures--I was a little shorthanded keeping up with 2 kids beside a lake without a daddy ;-)

Mamie had to bring her horses, of course

Swimming in the lake



The only thing I hate about camping...the laundry aftermath.

kindergarten!!

My big girl started kindergarten this year. It was very hard for me to believe that she was old enough to go, but she was dying to start school. She has loved every second of it.

Lilly and Mrs. Austin

Walking in on the first day with her new tote bag :)