Christmas Eve Pizzas

This year we decided to do things a little differently for Christmas Eve. For the past couple of years, we have stayed home for Christmas. The kids love being home and having Santa come (and mom and dad enjoy it, too). It seems like we are always doing something different for our Christmas Eve meal. A few years ago, I cooked us a turkey and then last year I think that we grilled steaks. I thought that we would have settled on our tradition by now, but we seem to always be changing it up. Since we were having turkey on Christmas Day and Chicken and Dressing Casserole the day after (with lots and lots of side veggies), we decided to make our own pizzas. The kids absolutely loved making their own pizzas. They each had their own requests and created their own pizzas. They took great pride in their creations and were so excited to eat the food that they made. I don't know if this will be our Christmas Eve tradition, but we sure did enjoy it!

Abby Kate and Jason

Making pizzas

Jackson couldn't help but sample the cheese

Joshua and Abby Kate

Watching their pizzas bake

My bacon and onion pizza
I thought that it turned out really pretty and it was delicious!

Ready to eat their created pizzas

Jason and Jackson

I just love that huge grin!

Jackson

Big Changes

These past few weeks Jackson has experienced some BIG changes. The first big change was that we finally (really) cut his hair. I absolutely LOVED his hair, but he had been mistaken for a girl by several people. We were getting pretty tired of watching our little man be called a girl, so we got him a BIG BOY haircut. Jason brought him by school for me to see, and I have to admit that I was really shocked at first. He looks really adorable with it, though, and it is already growing like crazy!





The next BIG change for Jackson was that we said good-bye to his pacies. On Wednesday, December 16th, Jackson's pacies went up and away for good. He's only asked for them a few times, and I don't really think that he minds them being gone. I must admit though, that the other night, he was really having a hard time getting back to sleep in the middle of the night, and I was the one longing for the beloved pacies!

On Christmas Eve, I fixed a big breakfast and Jackson got some syrup on his pajamas. Jackson has been obsessed with his pajamas and requests to wear them all day long. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to put on undies and pajamas, stressing the importance of keeping his pajamas dry. He did great! Here we are 5 days later, and my little boy is well on his way to being potty trained. Jackson has managed to stay completely dry during nap time, and then on Saturday night, he stayed dry.

Jackson has gone through some pretty big changes over these last few weeks. It is hard to believe that we will not have any more pacies or diapers hanging around our house. Those are two big things that had become a part of our lives these past five years! We are very proud of our little guy! He is getting to be so BIG!

Savannah, Georgia

Jason and I just returned from a trip to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is a place that I have wanted to visit for quite a while now. It was absolutely gorgeous and we had the best time away together. We loved touring the historic district and learning about the history of Savannah. I have always loved history, and now my passion is being fueled by visiting some historic places. I also love having any opportunity to snap some pictures.

We ate dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Sons, and it was the best!!! We chose the buffet which offered the following: fried chicken, fried catfish, pot roast, mashed potatoes, white rice, turnip greens, green beans, corn pudding, lima beans, black eyed peas, sweet potatoes (they tasted like candy), and mac n' chesse. We were also served cheddar cheese biscuits (our favorites) and hoecakes. For dessert, they offered us our choice of a sweet potato gooey cake, peach cobbler and banana pudding. Of course, we didn't eat all of this, but we were quite stuffed when we left!

On Sunday, we headed over to Tybee Island. We climbed the 178 stairs to the top of the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. I didn't really factor into the climb that I would be allowed to walk around the outside of the lighthouse at the very top. I am terrified of heights, but I did venture out on the narrow walkway to enjoy the view from atop the lighthouse. Afterward, we headed over to the beach and snapped a couple of pictures. It was FREEZING cold, but definitely worth it.

Jason and I had a great time away in Savannah. We are so thankful for our families for allowing us the opportunity to get away with each other by keeping our 3 kids!

Lady and Sons
The food was incredible

Savannah, Georgia

Jones Street

Gorgeous street

This house was built by a father of twin girls who fought over everything.

He built these two houses identical to the other in hopes of giving them their own space.
In the end, they also fought over who would get what side.

Forsyth Park

Forsyth Park
Absolutely breath taking

The oldest oak tree in Savannah
Over 300 years old

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

One of the largest Cathedrals in the South.

Completed in 1896.

Oglethorpe Street
This bell was rung on the street when a house caught fire.
If you lived in house 5, and your house caught fire, they would ring the bell 5 times.
Everyone would come out with their buckets to help put out the fire.

One of the smallest houses in the historic district of Savannah

A one bedroom house built in 1845

Lady and Sons

Jason and I ate dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant

"Hey ya'll" the food was incredible!!!

Tybee Lighthouse

178 stairs to the top

View from atop the lighthouse

Jason took this picture on our walk back down the lighthouse

It is one of my favorites

Tybee Island Lighthouse

One of the tallest and oldest lighthouses in Georgia

Tybee Island

Savannah Cotton Exchange

Factor's Row

This building housed cotton.

They didn't want to spend a lot of money, so they used any resources available to them.

It is a mismatched building, but that is what makes it really remarkable.

A Christmas Tradition???

When I was at Lipscomb, my second year of college, my roommate and I ventured out to the local WalMart to purchase some Christmas decorations for our dorm room. We always had so much fun together and we were so excited to be decorating our room. While wandering the aisle at WalMart, I ran across a box of Queen Anne's Cordial Cherries. I love cherries and I love chocolate even more. I had never eaten a chocolate covered cherry, but for $1, I took a risk and bought my first box (there were only 10 in there, and I did not eat them in one sitting). And that was it! I didn't buy any more, I simply bought the one box and didn't purchase another one.

Until, the next Christmas! I was once again out at WalMart for an errand run, and found the Queen Anne's box of chocolate covered cherries. I paid my $1 for my box of chocolates and had one (or two) on the way home from WalMart. Since then, I have proceeded to buy my 1 box of chocolate covered cherries, once every year. I am not intentional in my purchases. I honestly forget about them, until I find myself wandering the aisles of WalMart looking at all of the holiday treats.

I guess that I bought my 13th box just the other day. I had finished up at the doctor's office and ran into WalMart to pick up a few things. Since I didn't have the kids with me, I found myself taking a little more time and happened upon the Queen Anne's. They had raised the price a bit, they now cost me $1.18, but my mind took me back to my Sophomore year at Lipscomb and all of the memories came flooding back. On the way home, I opened the box, and got out a chocolate covered cherry and thought about all of the Christmas' that I have done the very exact same thing.

Thanksgiving Pictures

We all had a great Thanksgiving together. We visited our family and enjoyed seeing everyone. The kids also enjoyed seeing everyone and getting together to eat. I think that their favorite part about the holidays, is that we let them drink tea with their meal. They feel so big and so special.

On Friday, Jason and I headed out to score some great sales. We woke at 3 and we were home by 10. This was my 4th or 5th year shopping Black Friday, and this year, Jason joined all the other crazies out shopping.

God has blessed us in numerous ways and we are all so very thankful...

Jackson's use of a cover from his pack n' play

Snuggling with my little Jack Jack

Joshua

This was our first attempt at a family picture.
It is also the reason that we usually don't get one.

And our second attempt...

Huntsville "Hospital" Hockey

A few weeks ago, Jason and I took the kids to their very first hockey game. The Children's Hospital was hosting a special children's night and we were all treated to a hockey game and a dinner. I really enjoy sports, but I don't really think that hockey is one that I just love. Joshua loved it and could be heard cheering loudly for the Huntsville "Hospital". I'm sure that the true "Havoc" fans didn't really mind, though. Both Joshua and Abby Kate got their faces painted and had fun playing in the children's area.

On to the pictures...

Definitely - Random

I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving week is already here. Our tree and all of the Christmas decorations will hopefully go up sometime this week. We are all looking forward to a great feast on Thanksgiving Day. I am trying desperately to get Jason to commit to Black Friday shopping with me. It is just a day that is impossible to describe; one of those, you just have to be there kind of things.

Last week was a bit overwhelming. Abby Kate and Jackson ran a fever on and off for several days. I came down with the flu and bronchitis. Joshua ended up with a 104 temperature and a trip to the ER. Our sickness cost us quite a bit. I think that Tamiflu is awesome, but boy is it expensive. We ended up with 3 prescriptions of it at $60 each. My antibiotic was also $60 and then there is the outrageous copay to the ER. Expensive stuff, but so very thankful that we have great doctors and medicine that works. The funniest part came when the doctor from the ER came in and told Joshua that he had the flu. He looked over at me and said, "But Mom, I got the flu shot. I'm not supposed to get the flu." Another funny moment came on the day that I went back to work and Jason stayed home with the kids. I called throughout the day to check in with him and to see how the kids were doing. Every time I called, they were each only running a 95 degree temperature. Of course, they all 3 had fevers, so I had to stay home with them the next day. Fun times, and it is only the beginning of this "nasty-catch-everything-sickness-filled-winter".

Teaching is going really well. I haven't really blogged much about it on here, but hopefully I will find the time to soon. We are out all week, so I am really looking forward to my time off with the kids.

Last night, the kids started asking us a lot of questions about our wedding. They love to hear the story of how mommy and daddy met, got engaged and married. We decided to pull out the video and watch it with them. They asked SO MANY questions, but it was really great getting to tell them and show them all about our wedding. Halfway through the wedding, I look over at Abby Kate and see the tears that are just streaming down her face. She is so sensitive and the video just really made her tear up. It is in those raw moments, that everything comes out that she has been bottling up. She told me that she didn't want to get married because she didn't want to have to have a baby. She then told me how Joshua had been mean to her and that it really hurt her feelings. And then, she brought up a little girl at school, who we had never heard about, but she really didn't like her and didn't want to play with her. It was all so totally random, but that is just her and her heart. She has such a sweet and tender heart.

I have a lot of grocery shopping to do and I am not looking forward to it. Hopefully the nice hot Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup at the end of the day will make it all worth it.

Definitely - random!

Water Effects

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Celebrating Through Pictures

Last week we all celebrated Jason's birthday. The kids were SO EXCITED to wish their Daddy a very happy birthday. Joshua and Abby Kate's teacher told us at our conference a few weeks back, that Joshua would point to his Daddy's upcoming age every time they counted their numbers in class. I loved hearing Jackson sing "Happa Birday Dadda" to Jason over and over again. We were very happy to spend the day with our friends, Corey and Alisha. We all had such a great time together! Here are some pictures from our day!