a day in the life

Hello, goodbye; More or less.

This was a year of hellos and goodbyes.

Bj: Goodbye to being gone every week. Hello to going to an office everyday. Goodbye to car allowance. Hello to best friends, game nights, family and old friends. Goodbye to Football on the computer. Hello to games on TV.

Marie: Goodbye to dear friends in PA and more distance between the friend in DE. Hello to dear friends in Ohio, family, trips to see brand new babies, and familiar streets. Goodbye to photography business in PA with families I have watched grow through the years. Hello to growing a business here.

Lillian: Goodbye to dear friend I, Uga, and a bedroom in a tower. Hello dear friend Maya, fabulous school, dance and piano, family and new friends.

Charlie: Goodbye to Logan and London and Hank. Hello to Laney and all the trouble I'm sure the two of you will get into together. Goodbye to the only place you knew as home. Hello to a place that will become your home.

Jack: Hello world. Jack will be one tomorrow. I will not have a baby. A toddler. A toddler with personality. One starting to stand. With FOUR teeth-a record for my babies. An eater. A laugher. A Houdini. I am trying hard to look forward to the new toddler-dome, trying not to be sad that my babies are not going to be my babies for much longer. But that doesn't mean I didn't hold him extra tight and give him a few extra kisses as I put him in bed tonight, on the eve of the New Year and the eve of his birth. My baby...

This year my word(s) are more and less. I will be saying to myself all year, Do we need more of this or less. More reading, less stuff. More activities? Less time committements? We may have to make some tough decisions, but I think more or less will help us in our crazy three children busy lives. More...or less.

Christmas Day

Today may be considered nearly perfect. No, there was no snow (boo hoo) and yes we got up very early (5am, ahem, Jackson) but we spent the day together. Wishes came true (one package to arrive in June) and many memories were made. Presents cherished (train whistle from Uncle Justin and Fawn and Vidia from Santa...whew) and handmade gifts given from the heart. Today was a wonderful magical day. Merry Christmas 2011. Now to get ready for Jack's first birthday...in a week!

'Twas the night before Christmas

Tonight was pretty wonderful. Pizza Hut for the 32nd? 33rd? time, church where there was a very funny impromptu Christmas pageant complete with Lillian the donkey and Charlie the sheep (BAAAH!) and Lillian singing a wonderful solo of Silent Night (video to come) followed by a speedy return home and quick jammy change for the reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. This remains my favorite thing about Christmas. I love this story. I love that Lillian gets a new version each year so she will have a special collection from her Mama. I love that I get to quietly take pictures, and I even love that Jackson decided he had enough and I sat down, holding him, and got to listen to the rest of the story. I love the anticipation. I love the looks in my children's eyes as they listen. I love that there are three children in this house. (I love that I am not pregnant this year) and I love my family. So very much.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

On the 3rd day {Before} Christmas

Today was our second annual Christmas Cookie taste test. Again, best idea ever Daddy. We chose from gingerbread with white chocolate center, peanut butter with chocolate kiss, and sugar cookies which I for the first time in my life, managed not to destroy. Oh the gingerbread men may have club feet and the trees may be crooked, but, they taste like sugar cookies and that makes me very happy. The winners were the gingerbread and sugar cookies but we decided to leave one of Charlie's candy canes and Lily's angels, so Santa gets a bonus. 
Daddy also decorated his own cookie, making a Santa on vacation. Charlie said it didn't look like Santa, but a beast man. Well. Later Lillian cleared that up and said she thought he probably said "BEACH" man. Yes, that makes a lot more sense.

On the 4th day {Before} Christmas

Today was a very busy and fun day. Somehow we managed to not have a single Christmas cookie in the house and as our cookie tasting is scheduled for tomorrow, the bigs and I got to work. We made gingerbread with white chocolate filling and peanut butter with chocolate. Tomorrow will be pretzels with peppermint chocolate and (going to see if for the first time ever I can do this without messing them up) sugar cookies. While I may not make very sturdy houses, I can make a mean gingerbread cookie. Not that it has anything at all to do with cookie making, but today in 12 days I will have my Christmas card and a pocket for all of the cards that I received this year. As Katherine and Ben may not actually receive a card from me as I once again accidentally sent something to their old house, here is this years version :)
We topped today off with a dinner at Texas Road house (with two free kids meals, yea) then some very impromptu caroling, another trip over to the dancing light house, and carol singing all the way home. Very Merry indeed.

On the 5th day {Before} Christmas

Today we saw Santa. He "Ho! Ho! Ho'd" and he jingled his bells, and he made the coolest train whistle sound I have ever heard. Lillian was thrilled. Charlie was thrilled. Jackson, was not. 
But it's ok...I think Santa knows how good you all have been this year :)

On the 6th day {Before} Christmas

Tonight was movie night. We had planned on watching Muppet Christmas Carol as we have yet to see the Muppet Movie in the theatre, this was the next best thing. Foiled again. Apple TV just wasn't letting us, so we decided on the next, next best thing. Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. Lillian was once again thrilled to see everyone so young, Charlie was only half interested, and Bean danced to the songs but mostly just threw his ball around. Still, it was a fun cozy night.
(Lillian likes to set up two chairs to make it seem like a movie theatre :)

On the 7th day {Before} Christmas

Tonight was ornament night. A very eventful ornament night. Just seconds after Lillian opened her surprisingly hard to find Emperor Penguin in honor of her penguin roll in the play, it dropped and broke. Nose gone (badly super glued now) and wing, sadly shattered and unrepairable. Oh well. Charlie has another Don Drumm robot special, which really is special because it was what got me really excited for boys :)  and Jack, well, when I put a call out to anyone who may have seen a Bean ornament, Jess immediately found this one. Could not be more perfect. It was her gift to him. She is my gift :)

On the 8th day {Before} Christmas

This year I was excited to find a set of five little gingerbread houses-that means each of us would get one to decorate...well. I know that I am a pretty good singer. I have spent many years training, practicing, and performing. I know I take some pretty good photos. I have spent many years reading, learning, and practicing. I am comfortable enough to say, I do not believe I will EVER be good at gingerbread houses.
They are falling apart. No gingerbread man would want to live in them. They look nothing like the picture. But we had fun making them again. Kids took control and did their own house (well Jack crawled around) and although they may not be "pretty," we had fun. Another holiday memory in the books :) For the record, Lillian's is the front right, Charlie's is the middle back, I did the right and left back and Daddy did the front left.

On the 9th day {Before} Christmas

Today was a very, very busy day. Last minute gift preparing, snow watching, birthday party, errands, rehearsal for my Christmas concert tomorrow, FIRST LOST TOOTH, and ending with my annual wrapping party. So while what we did doesn't actually have anything to do with this photo, I just had to get a picture of our new house-all decked out in snow and lights. And Pinterest inspired wreaths and tomato cage Christmas trees. Now I really can't wait to get that front door painted red. It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas :)

Oh and just in case you thought I forgot, the new smile :)
She was VEEEEEEEERY excited!