Ho Ho Ho!!!

We finally made it to see Santa today. We have never waited until this late except the year my step father passed away. In fact, we usually go visit the jolly old man in November. We waited in line about an hour and 20 minutes but it wasn't too bad.

Will is a good sport and says that he will always go see Santa because he knows how much it means to me. He is very thoughtful that way. He brought his list and was quite impressed with Santa's beard. Although he did notice that Santa looked a little thin this year.

Kate and Harry rode the train while we waited. As soon as Harry got on the train with Kate he noticed a boy from his school and said, "Oh man this is embarrassing!"

While we waited, Kate had goldfish.

Harry tried to teach Kate rock, paper, scissors (she did not catch on).

Dave played patty cakes with Kate.

Finally, Kate spots Santa through the line!

There he is Mom!!!

I love how Kate is touching Santa's beard here:)

And even though I cut Will out...I love how Kate is looking at Santa Claus here.

It was hard to get photos because the photo lady wanted me to look at the ones she took and I wanted to look and listen to my children (and take their photo too). And I was trying to be cognizant of the long line too.

Here is what the Mall Photog captured (scanned)...

Tonight we are having one of our favorite special occasion family meals...beef tenderloin and roasted vegetables and then we are going to go look at Christmas lights. We are in the holiday spirit here! I might just bring an eggnog along for the ride:)

Kate's First Movie

Today, I took Kate to see her very first movie in the theater. We had been waiting for just the right princess movie to come out and this did not disappoint. We all (Harry and Will came along to share in Kate's special day) really enjoyed this movie. The plot was a little more complex than her beloved Cinderella but as long as Kate had her Skittles and her popcorn, she was happy. The music was fabulous and the message of this movie is a great one. The stereotypes bothered me a bit but in the end I think the message about what is important in life shines through. Raymond was my favorite character by far!

I was a little teary as I held my daughter's hand and sat next to her today. I know it might sound so ridiculous but it was a dream come true to take my daughter to her first movie today. It is the little things that get me sometimes.

And just to show you that I have always been sentimental about these milestones...here is a (scanned and awful quality) photo from Will's 1st movie 10 years ago!!! I took him to see Stuart Little with my dear friend, Linda and her son on January 3, 2000. He was 2 and 1/2. Can you believe that I lug my camera to the movies to document my children's 1st movies?

I feel really bad but I have no idea what Harry's first movie was. I am sure I have a photo somewhere but those albums are not complete. Sigh. Speaking of Harry though, we watched Akeela and the Bee tonight. Harry has been selected to represent his class in the school Spelling Bee and he has been studying his words. I thought it might be inspiring to watch that movie. The language is a little rough in spots but it is a GREAT movie. Harry has been quite the speller and I have posted about his previous successes here and here. I know he will have fun and do well. Go Harry!!!!

Isn't it ironic that Harry was a bee for his first Halloween?

Forgive me for being a little negligent with the blogging. I know I said I would post photos of our decorations but I have not had time to upload all of the photos. And I must confess, I feel a little silly doing so. We have been having such a nice time getting together with friends lately. This weekend we helped a very dear friend celebrate her 40th birthday. It was so much fun. Happy B-day Keesha and thanks for including us!!! The dinner was elegant, fun and delicious!

Then, we wrapped up our Advent Family get together. Each week during this advent season we have been meeting with two other families in our neighborhood and sharing dinner, fellowship, prayer, discussion and advent activities. I have throughly enjoyed it. It was challenging to keep 9 kiddos ranging in age from almost 2 to 12 and 1/2 busy while the adults had our discussion time but somehow we made it work. It was so worth it because it made us stop in the midst of this busy season and prepare our hearts for Jesus.

Our Advent Wreath

Last night we had a fabulous time with some friends that live here in town and our close friends who were visiting from Canada. This group of friends has known each other since our oldest were newborns (12 years) and we are so comfortable with one another. The conversation and the laughs flow so easily (as does the wine and good food). Our kids all get along so well too. A few of the kids slept over at our house last night so it has been busy!

Tomorrow we are finally going to see Santa. I don't think we have ever waited until this late. I am sure it will be another teary day for me as I love nothing more than to see my three kids on Santa's lap...and I know one of these years, Will is going to object. He knows how happy it makes me though.

I really hope that you all are spending good time with your family and friends this Christmas Season.

Gift Giving 101

Dave is generally a pretty good gift giver but recently he bought me a dud. So, we have had this conversation about men buying gifts for their wives. I know not many husbands read this blog (maybe none, who knows) but feel free to pass the link onto your husbands if you wish.

The Don'ts

~Don't buy your wife anything utilitarian UNLESS she has specifically asked for it...for a holiday. As in, "I sure would love a new Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas, honey!" One of my friends husbands actually bought her JUMPER CABLES one year. Yes, you read that right...JUMPER CABLES! I am sure that was not a big hit. Recently, I accidentally dropped my external hard drive and lost everything on it. My beloved bought me a new one as one of my birthday presents. I did not really appreciate it because it was on my to do list. I was going to get one for myself. I just had not gotten to the store yet. To me it was like receiving an oil change. I was going to do it anyway. Women (in general) do not like utilitarian gifts. However, I think men love utilitarian gifts (like tools, flashlights etc). Correct me if I am wrong gentlemen.

~Don't buy us clothes. Unless you are gay (in which case you have fabulous taste but probably should not be married to us), men cannot really pick out clothes for us. A gift card to our favorite clothing store is MUCH more appreciated. One year, I told Dave that anything he bought me from a certain boutique would be great. We were very newly married (like 2 weeks). He bought me gray plaid-ish flannel clothes there. It was the only thing from the entire store I would never have worn. And it was expensive too. He tried. So, lesson learned. A gift card is GREAT!

~Don't try to change us. We do not want a membership to weight watchers or the gym (unless we specifically asked for it). Or as my friend suggested don't tell your wife you'll pay for her to have her spider veins in her legs fixed as a Christmas gift. Now, if your wife is asking for a boob job or some botox and you want to give that, I say go for it. Just make sure she wants the improvement more than you do;)

The Do's

~Do ask you wife's best friend for ideas. We usually tell our friends the things we would like.

~Do take notice of your wife's collections. If she collects limoges or majolica or James Avery charms for a bracelet, go with that! Most women collect something (ornaments, dishes, Staffordshire, pandora, etc).

~Do buy gift cards. I LOVE when Dave puts Barnes and Noble or Starbucks gift cards in my stocking. Now, I don't want a Target card in there (see don't #1) but gift cards for little treats are very appreciated.

~Do give us time to ourselves. I know most Moms would LOVE for you to take the kids away for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday. And by few hours I mean 4 hours or more. We cannot really relax in 2 hours. We spend the first hour or more straightening up and throwing in a load of laundry so that we can relax.

~Speaking of relaxation... a gift certificate for a massage or pedicure/manicure is always appreciated. Other pampering gifts like scented soaps, lotions and bath salts (these are my favorite in lavender) are great gifts too.

~Do buy your wife a magazine subscription. There are magazines for everything now. Some of my recent favorites are Clean Eating and Living Without. But there are magazines for photography, photoshop, scrap-booking, crafts, interior design, floral arranging, antiques, exercise, fashion, parenting, renovations...you name it! Real Simple, People, Time and the New Yorker are great too.

~For stocking stuffers, be creative. Buy us a luxurious soap from a boutique or a special candle (Nest in Bamboo is nice). We do not like dental floss or batteries in our stocking. Go in your wife's purse and look at her favorite lip gloss. Buy her a new one and put it in her stocking. I guarantee she will be surprised. Dave did this one Christmas early in our marriage. I was so flattered that he thought to see what I liked. He went in my make-up drawer but he pulled out a lipstick that had been a free gift and I never wore. So, just make sure it is one she wears. This works with lotion, lip balms, powder, mascara...anything. Just be sure to write down the brand and color, so you get the right thing. I think your wife's favorite movie candy makes a good and inexpensive stocking stuffer (mine is Sno-caps in case anyone was wondering). Finally, Pier One has some adorable scarves/wraps that look like pashminas for under $10 right now. (I already bought one for me and Kate, honey.)

~Do take the time to look around and see what brings your wife joy. If she loves to cook, maybe a cooking class or a new cookbook would be a great gift. If she loves to read, maybe a kindle or Barnes and Noble gift card would be the best option. If scrap-booking is her thing, subscribe to one of the new scrap-booking magazines. If she is a gardener, buy her some garden supplies or a gift certificate for seeds/flowers. A silver photo frames with a favorite photo is a lovely gift too. If you really think about what your wife loves and really listen to her, you will find the perfect gift. And remember jewelry and gift cards are always welcome. Let me know if you have any questions gentlemen. Oh and what do y'all like in your stockings? Batteries and dental floss?

P.S. Just so you know~ I always buy myself some things that I love and give them to Dave to give me for Christmas. The kids get very upset if we do not have a few things to open. And well, I am kind of hard to buy for.

To review...

Jumper cables---NO!

Beautiful Kate Spade Bracelet-YES!

While the gift suggestions are very real....some of this is tongue in cheek. I do not mean to offend anyone. And I realize not ALL women appreciate these kinds of gifts. But in talking to my girlfriends this is what we like.

Next, I will post some photos of our abode decked out for Christmas. I know you have seen snippets here and there..but I will put it all in one post.

Harry's Party

Take 12 or 14 kids a foggy, cold, damp, rainy and muddy day, some silly string, firecracker popper thingies, a football, a kickball and some chips and there you have Harry's party!

It was the most disorganized party that I have ever given. But one of Harry's friends excitedly described it as "epic." So, I guess everyone had fun.

Oh and Harry must be tres' cool because like the Obamas, he had a PARTY CRASHER!

Some high school girl just joined the party. She played kickball and asked for refreshments. We had no clue who she was and she thanked us for letting her crash the party:)

I will never do silly string at a party again. Let's just say there was a lot of clean-up. I invented a contest to see who could make the biggest ball of silly string. They caught onto my motives quickly.

Harry opted for these sour candies since he is allergic to real cupcakes and our source was out of Gluten free cupcakes. His guests had cupcakes though.

And Harry did get his traditional "birthday pancakes" this weekend too.

The next day we went to celebrate Ella and Isaac's 1st birthday. It was such a nice celebration. A year ago I took these shots and asked you to pray them out of ICU. Now they are 1 and perfectly healthy!

Why is it that she plays with toys at other houses but will not touch a toy at our house?

Kate was so sweet "reading" to Isaac.

Aren't these cakes adorable? Happy 1st Birthday Isaac and Ella!!

P.S. A few side notes about our Christmas Party...Someone asked if our floors got damaged from the dirt and gravel. YES, they did. They were terribly scratched. Orange GLO worked a miracle at covering some of the damage but the scratches are still very noticeable as it wears off.

Also, I need to share a little story about the bartender we hired. She was from the local university school of restaurant and hotel management. Her name was Praise. She was friendly and adorable and I was curious about her name. She shared with me that her parents are Christian and they named their children Hope, Faith, Praise, Noble Truth and Zion. How cool is that?

Tomorrow, I am posting a do's and don'ts of Christmas gift giving for the husbands. They wait until the last minute anyway. So, come back then and maybe leave me a suggestion today if you want me to leave a hint for your hubby:)

Happy 101

Two posts in one day from me. Sweet Julie from Brown Eyed Belle gave me the Happy 101 award. Thank you, Julie. You made me smile. The rules are to list 10 things that make you happy and 10 bloggers who make you happy.

Things that make me happy.

1. a roaring fireplace on a cold night

2. having my house all to myself for a few hours (but it must be clean in order for me to relax)

3. getting a handwritten letter in the mail unexpectedly

4. a great book

5. really good hot chocolate with milk NOT water

6. capturing a good photo of someone I love

7. getting a good deal on something

8. finding just the right gift for someone

9. hearing my family laugh

10. good champagne and fresh flowers

All my bloggy friends make me happy so cannot pick 10. Many of you have done this already but if not, consider yourself tagged:)

The Christmas Party

Sorry I have not posted these earlier. CLOSE your EYES for this next part Honey --that's you Dave---

but I have been spending all my free time shopping for Christmas presents on-line and spending exorbitant shipping fees to get them here on time. I have also been frantically trying to wrap gifts and get the Christmas cards out. I ordered more of those too and had to have them rush shipped. Where the heck did December go? I am going to be so much more organized next year. Hey, stop laughing. Seriously, I am.

Okay, now onto the parties. Let me set the scene for you....

This was what it looked like right outside our front door on Friday morning.

I stayed calm. But then, I looked out the window at about 3:00 in the afternoon and this is what the sidewalk in front of our house looked like....

I am totally serious. AND they did not fill it in before they quit for the night. Nor did they cover it. The workers just put some orange netting around it. Still, I kept my composure. Dave and I figured that our friends who really liked us would somehow get here.

Dave mowed a path through some neighbors yards and lit it with lantern candles (that did not stay lit). At party time, Will was outside with flashlights guiding our friends from adjacent roads to our house.

I put this sign outside our front door hoping people might leave their muddy, gravelly shoes outside...but no one did.

Dave and I before our guests arrived.

With the kids just before the partygoers arrived. Will was outside guiding people to our house.

Harry greeted guests and was our coat check man. He took coats and purses and wrote last names on a post-it. Then, he put them all over our bedroom with the post its. I went upstairs at one point to find a mink or two on my bedroom floor (which had just been cleaned;)

I did not get that many photos of the party. These are from just as the party was beginning. Once people started arriving I did not have a second. And the ones I got are not very good quality (low lighting). There were A LOT of people. There were some people there that my husband never even saw.

It looked and sounded as though people had a great time. There was a lot of laughter and people complimented us repeatedly on the food, company and our home. My favorite parts were looking around and seeing all of our friends enjoying themselves and hearing so many kind things being said about Will and Harry. They really were super helpful and polite. This is the first party of ours where we have let them be involved. Our guests commented over and over again how respectful, cute and polite they were. Kate had a little cold and was upstairs asleep for most of the party:)

The next day was Harry's birthday party. More on that tomorrow.

3rd Annual Christmas Card Bloopers

I need to post about the parties this weekend (and I will) but I am completely focused on getting my Christmas cards in the mail today and tomorrow. I always post the bloopers from our shoot. The BIGGEST blooper this year is that I only ordered 175 cards and my printed list is at about 200. I really wanted to cut my list a bit this year because there are people I never (ever) hear from on it. I did cut it but I did not take into account new friends in our new neighborhood and schools. I contacted Tiny Prints to see if I could order more today. They would arrive on the 22nd. What do you think?

Okay, back to the photo bloopers. They are completely unedited (except for a crop on the last one).

I must admit...Kate was the source of all the trouble!

When we arrived at the park, she started hatching her plan...

I will just dance around in circles and ignore whatever Mom tells me to do....

After I am done dancing, I will agree to a couple of shots.

But I am not gonna make it easy on her!

In fact, I am going to laugh really at hard at all her (and Dad's) efforts.

Our parents are NUTS!

"Will, how long have they been doing this to you?"

"C'mon guys let's make a run for it on three!"

"Hey boys, look at this cool face:)"

"First, I will stick out my tongue."

"Then, I will go for the fat bottom lip. That one is always good;)"

"Now, I have to wait around while Mom get those boys organized."

"I know Mom LOVES this pose but I am going to make it silly this year..."

"I will not smile..."

"These kisses are so sweet that I cannot help but smile just a little."

"If she doesn't stop soon, I might strangle myself."

(I am sure you readers are thinking the same thing about now:)

Good thing she is so cute. All is forgiven. And I did get one decent shot.

It is not my best shot but I was just getting over that salmonella.

I will post it just a few days before Christmas.

For our past bloopers, click here and here.