CHRISTMAS EVE............:)

Christmas Eve has to be my favorite day of the year.  Growing up, it was the night we all got together and had snacks, opened gifts, and prepared for Santa.  Now it means going to Christmas Eve church service and preparing for Santa with my own kids.  We listened to Christmas tunes all day and messed around the house, got several packages, then got ready for church.  (They loved the boxes the packages came in!!!) 



Looks like Carter's had enough!!!

Snacks before service and a runny nose.

How beautiful Caroline looks!!

The beautiful church where we got married.

LOVE this one!!  This was about as still as Carter got. 

I love going to church service at the church where we were married.  It is so pretty with the wood work and the stained glass windows.  That may be why I picked it in the first place.  Carter couldn't sit still so Jeremiah had to take him out to play on the stairs, but Caroline was pretty good through the service.  When she got antsy, I would tell her to listen to the preacher's stories and then we would go up and have a bite of bread and a sip of juice for communion.  A little later she asked quite loudly, "Momma, when are we going to go up and have our snack?"  When the preacher explained what communion meant and showed the breaking of the bread and held up a cup and said it was the blood of Jesus, Caroline must have been listening.  About 5 minutes later she asked, "Momma, so we are going to drink blood tonight???"  I could hardly keep from cracking up.  I couldn't believe she heard that part.  She did great when we went to the front for communion.  We were the last ones to get up because it took her a really long time to drink that tiny cup of juice (the blood), but I didn't mind.  She looked like a little angel knelt there.  Then we got our candles on the way back to our pew.  We ended the service as always with the singing of Silent Night.  On the last verse, they dim the lights and everyone holds up their candle.  I just can't help but cry every time because of the sweetest image in my head that I will never forget.  It's of the year that sweet Grandpa Starkey went to service with us and sang Silent Night so proudly and held his candle up.  Every year I'm back there for Christmas Eve service, I can't wait for that part because it brings me back to that special night when he was there with us.
After church we drove around Chesepeake and saw their lights.  All they do is light up trees, but it's amazing.  Caroline loved it!!!

 Too bad it's hard to tell from the picture how pretty it really is, but the trees were everywhere and covered in lights.  This will definitely be a stop every year!!  Then we went home to open tons of  presents.  (this did not even include Mimsy and Kaci's gifts)  These kids sure are spoiled by their aunts, cousins, and grandparents!!!
Caroline had lots of fun opening her presents and most of Carter's too.  Poor little guy didn't feel too well.

He really enjoyed climbing on the boxes!!  The easy bake oven.

Tinkerbell night light!!

Caroline trying to get Carter by the tree for a picture.  

Hello Kitty watch!!

New footed pj's. 

Caroline got some too and was so excited!!!

Trucks, trucks, trucks!!!!

Where's Carter????

There he is!!!

Carter got a snow monster!!!

Caroline got Clarice and I got her to hold the monster.  Progress!!!

Oh no.  Time for bed for the little guy!!!

Meanwhile...............  Caroline prepped for Santa.  I asked if we should leave food for the reindeer and she excitedly said, " Oh yes, let's give them carrots.  They would love carrots!!"  Oops.  We didn't have carrots, so I said how about lettuce and she was ok with that.  Thank goodness!!!

Two ice cubes was what Santa told us!!

Thumbs up!!  We're ready for Santa as soon as we put out the reindeer food.

The last step was to check out the Santa radar. 

He's on his way!!!!!!!!!  
(Haha.  Look at the Christmas blocks all messed up. Who do you think was responsible for that??)

SANTA VISIT.............. A LITTLE BETTER.

Our Santa visits started when Caroline was about to have her 2nd Christmas.  She was only a month old her 1st one and her Daddy, already being protective didn't want her out at the mall that early.  She was pretty calm the first one shown here........................

You can already see it on her face what is to come next year. 

Here is the next year.  Right after her 2nd birthday.  Terrified, even with me in the picture!!

Santa looks so calm!!

Right after turning 3...........  Carter is here now and I'm in the picture again and she's still crying!!!

Not even the reindeer and a new Santa could help Caroline.  

Now for this year..............  The entire 30 minutes we were in line Caroline was extremely nervous and wanted to be held the whole time.  She said she would sit on his lap though.  As it was our turn, I turned Carter loose and he ran up to Santa with his arms in the air.  Caroline on the other hand, started crying and kicking which meant I would get to be in the picture another year!!!!!!!!  Hopefully the last!! 

At least she's not crying, so I guess we have actually improved a little!! Like her socks??  Haha!!

He was such a nice Santa.  As Jeremiah and Carter picked out the picture, he kept talking to Caroline and he told her a secret.  He said that he likes 2 ice cubes in his milk.  He finally got a hug out of her.  I bet the people waiting in line weren't too happy.   Thank you Santa.  Last week Caroline and I were back at the mall and she actually wanted to walk past him and wave to him.  We're making progress!!!!!!!

SUCH CUTENESS!!!

I am just so proud of my Caroline tonight.  I'm not sure what got in to her, but she was all about Carter.  I loved it!!!  It started while I was getting dinner ready and she took him into the bathroom with her.  It was completely her idea too!!  I know this sounds strange, but it was a big moment around here.  I bet they were in there about 10 minutes when I decided to take a peek.  They were playing school.  Soooo cute!!!  They played in the tub together, then they played "trucks"  They chased each other through the house while each one bent over and pushed a truck.  I asked Caroline to do something and she said, "Not now Momma.  I'm playing trucks with Carter."  So of course she got out of it.  Carter loves her so much.  He follows her everywhere and loves to imitate her. 

Over the weekend, Jeremiah and I went shopping for Santa Claus gifts so Caroline and Carter got to stay over at Nanno and Papa's.  We found a big princess doll and were debating over which one to get, so I decided to call her.  I said that I had run into Santa and he asked what kind of princess was her favorite.  She said Sleeping Booty or Belle.  Later that evening on the way home in the dark car, she said out of nowhere,
" Momma.  Why did you crash into Santa Claus?"  I had to have her repeat this several times and I still didn't get it.  Jeremiah pointed out that I said earlier in the day that I ran into Santa.  She took it literally and must have spent the day wondering why her crazy Momma crashed into Santa.  I just love that Caroline!!!!!!!!!!

Her new thing, when I do something she likes it is to hug me really big and say, "Oh you are the best Momma I have always wanted!!!"  How cute is that, especially when she says it in that high pitched tone she has when she is so excited.  

I never dreamed I would be so blessed to have my sweet family!!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: LOVE THESE BABIES!!!

TAKE A BOW DANCE PERFORMANCE

Last Saturday started out pretty crazy.  We had a princess party to go to at 11:00.  Of course I had to get the gift right before.  We went to the party which was so cute!!  It was Chandler's and was a princess party.  Caroline dressed as Cinderella.  They got to decorate cookies and bring home an apron.  What a cute idea.  Here is Cinderella.  (not the best quality pic)

We had to leave the party a little early to get home and meet Kathy, Mike, and Addison.  They were nice enough to pick us up so Jeremiah could meet us at the show at showtime.  We had to have the girls there for drop off two hours before showtime for a rehearsal.  Kathy and I didn't want to leave our girls there with mothers we didn't know, so we hung out for 2 hours before the show. 
Below is the pre-show routine.  They did great!!!  Their class is pretty crazy and they don't listen too well, so we had no idea what to expect. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEYyZ16l79I

Their class is pretty crazy and they don't listen too well, so we had no idea what to expect.  Here is the actual performance and they lived up to expectations.  They were really entertaining!!!  Haha!!  At the start you can see Caroline picking up feathers that fell off a boa from the act before.  Silly girl!!  Here it is................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crIF1oQnPuM

Car ride to Shawnee



Waiting waiting waiting......................



Waiting with Mike and Kathy

 After the performance Caroline went home with Addison to play, then ended up calling me to say she was spending the night.  She has no problems being away from home.  They had a great time. 

While Caroline was having lots of fun, we went to Sam's for some groceries.  Can't you tell he had lots of fun. No.  I just had to take a pick of him in his flannel shirt.  Doesn't he look so cute!!

NANNIE'S VISIT...... (A MONTH AGO NOW)

I've been the worst at blogging lately, so much that I realized Nannie's visit was a month ago.  WOW!!!  How did that happen???  I hope I can remember everything!!  When she got here, Caroline and I had just been sick and then Jeremiah got sick the next day.  It was an interesting visit because of Caroline.  I don't want to call her a brat, but that is what she was the whole time Nannie was here.  I don't know what got in to her, but she does tend to do this when our family that she doesn't get to see all the time comes in to town.  This was the worst I've ever seen.  She talked back and threw some big fits!!  Now Caroline is extremely headstrong, but not a brat, but this week, she was a BRAT!!!  Sorry Nannie!!  We went to Jeremiah's football game against Mustang,  They won big!!!  I didn't take too many pictures, but maybe I can get Nannie's soon to put on here.  Haha!!  She always has the best ones.  I would consider the theme of  this visit.......... Tinkerbell.  We watched all three Tinkerbell movies over 5 nights.  Nannie had never seen them.  She loved them too.  I could never get tired of them.  They are just the cutest.  This had been the most beautiful fall I remember in many years, so I thought we could load up the wagon and head to Heritage Hills for a walk amongst the beautiful trees and houses.  I just love that neighborhood in the fall!!  Here are some pics I took of the visit.................

HOW CUTE IS THIS....... EATING STARBURSTS AND WATCHING THE GAME!!

I THINK OWEN LIKES HER A LITTLE!!

We ate breakfast at the Classen Grill, our favorite breakfast spot!!! 

THE BEST FRESH COFFEE AND SOOOOO MANY REFILLS.

CAROLINE'S CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES

MY CHINOOK EGGS

CARTER HAD A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING!!

WATCHING ONE OF THE TINKERBELLS........

I WOULD NEVER MAKE IT AS A FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER!!!

CAROLINE IS GRUMPY!!

BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD AND TREES AT SUNSET.

PRAYERS THIS WEEK AND ALWAYS

I need many prayers for my sweet cousin Twila.  She has been through so much and just had another surgery today.  She is just the sweetest person you'll ever meet and my cousin Mark (her husband) would be completely lost without her.  Please pray for my students, especially one who just informed me that her mother may not make it much longer and she will be responsible for her younger siblings.  She has her issues, but is so smart and I really care about her.  One more prayer for the Weir and Eisworth families.  The Weirs were a family that were so good to us in a very rough point in our lives while growing up.  They had us over at their beautiful house all the time.  They also gave us clothes all the time that they had outgrown.  They were 3 sisters who were all of our ages and the oldest passed away last week.  They never made us feel less even though they were the family that we thought had everything.  Now they don't have their sweet Tara.  I just can't even describe how sad I feel for their loss.  I could not imagine losing one of my sisters like Meg and Shea did.  Please God help them get through everyday without their sweet sister and daughter.