Is it really possible?

Just in case your considering it, it's not a good idea to give an almost 2 year old a chocolate sucker. This was taken after only about 3 minutes and she barely had any of the sucker.



We went to the mall and they were handing these out or I never would have given the kids them. It was all over her hands and shirt also. Yuck!
And sorry Cassie - I know you hate messy faces:)

Birthday update

I wanted to blog about my actual birthday.  This birthday was especially fun because the kids (mostly Graham) were so excited about my birthday.  Marty had taken Graham and then Molly and Abbie together to pick out presents for me.  Graham was really excited to give me my present and I bet you'll never guess why.  Well if you have a 6 year old I bet you will - it was mostly a present for him to play with.  It was a nerf gun that shoots balls but Marty and Graham usually have nerf dart wars that I get caught in the middle of - so I am excited to finally be able to defend myself!  Abbie and Molly picked me out some cute pink pajamas (I guess they don't like my old t- shirt and old pants).  Then Marty let them go look at toys for a little and Abbie saw a little Care Bear and she really wanted to buy it for me also.  So funny, so I got a pink and a purple Care Bear also.  

Graham was so sweet Monday morning.  The first thing he told me when I woke him up was "Happy Birthday, Mommy."  Then at breakfast he told me that I could open my presents while he was at school.  He just really wanted me to have my present. 

Marty picked up Amigo's (yummy mexican) on his way home and we had a family dinner.  Then I had to go upstairs for a while and this is what I came down to - Marty did a good job didn't he. 

All my gifts nicely coordinated (the cake matched also)!

Trying to get a decent photo with the kids. (Abbie has really got to learn how to look at the camera:)

I had to take some pics of the kids in their matching pajamas also.  Again, this was the best we could get of all them together.

It's my sweet 16!

Today is my 16th birthday - of having my license. I remember this day so well. Of course when you turn 16 you have to get your license on that day. Well, my mom was going into the hospital that day and my dad was with her so my best friend's (Betsy) dad offered to take me to get my license. He was so incredibly supportive and had me practice parallel parking and driving before we went for my test. I remember how happy and excited Mr. Blundell was for me when I told him I passed. He had a huge proud smile on his face, hugged me and said congrats just like a dad would. The Blundell's were just like family to me and I am so glad that I got to share this experience (and many, many others) with them!

Myself and Betsy a few weeks after my 16th birthday. I took a pic of the photo since I don't have a scanner.  This was 1992 so don't make fun:) Please don't kill me Betsy for posting this photo. I love you and just wanted to remember how wonderful your family has been to me!

Trees

Graham told me tonight that if Christmas trees were people, he would be called a "Gristmas Tree."

What do you say to that ? He is so hilarious sometimes!

Christmas Tree

This year we were able to put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I know this is a tradition for lots of people but it hasn't been for us.  I realized that Marty and I have celebrated 13 Thanksgivings as husband and wife (we celebrated our 12th anniversary in August) and of those 13 we have lived 9 of them in Florida. So needless to say we have traveled almost all those Thanksgivings. If I remember correctly, this year is only the 2nd time to not celebrate with our family. It was fun to get to put up our tree and not be traveling the day after Thanksgiving. (Although of course we missed getting to spend time with family) Memaw and Papaw (Marty's parents) bought us these Christmas stuffed animals that sing together and Molly absolutely loves them!  Here the girls are playing with them while we are putting up the tree.



I'm not sure what I was thinking letting them play with them because hearing "Jingle Bells" 50 times got really, really old.
We got our tree up, fluffed and the lights working and then the boys headed to the Car Show so we ended up decorating it Saturday morning. We had the kids line up so they each got one ornament and then Marty helped them hang the ornaments. They all loved being apart of decorating the tree. Molly definitely enjoyed helping but she needs a little work on ornament placement. This was her idea of where all the ornaments should go (this was after some of them were moved):



Here are all the kids proud of their Christmas tree:


Abbie thinks the tree is so pretty and keeps wanting to touch all the sparkly ornaments. On Saturday during her naptime, she came downstairs and asked me "Can I look at the tree? It's so pretty and sparkly." How could I say no go back to sleep right now?  She has been showing Molly every ornament on the tree and pointing out which ones she hung.  She also likes to point out the OU ornament and that Graham hung that one up:) So proud of our little Sooner!

Outside

Yesterday it was warm again so we of course took the opportunity to play outside.  I realize 60 degrees is not really that cold, but when you are used to it being 80, it feels cold.  All of the kids were playing so well together.  They tend to either do their own thing or only two of them are playing together, but yesterday all three played so nicely together. 

They thought this was so funny.  They took turns on who got to go first and then everyone else went behind them. They laughed and laughed doing this.

Later they were picking weeds that look like lily pads (I don't know what they are called) and making a "salad" together. 

Here they are mixing it all together in Bean's water bowl. Molly actually has a bat in her hand that she was smashing the weeds with but you can't see it. 

Abbie loves to pick "flowers". They are only weed flowers, but she doesn't know the difference. She loves to give me (and everyone else) flowers every time she is outside. 

Graham has done this a few times when I take his picture. He says here let me pose.  I guess he thinks he is a model:)

Not the best picture of Molly, but I had to include one of just her. She was laying on the hill in the grass to take her picture.

Graham's video

I couldn't get this to post in my last blog so I had to post it on YouTube first. Graham wanted to make his Daddy his own video. He sure loves his daddy and wants him to know it!