A Year Ago Today...

...we looked like this.

Thomas looked like this....

What a difference a year can make!

Christmas Continued

There's lots coming here soon, just had to post this today.

Christmas with My Family

We had Christmas with my family very early this year.... like two weeks early.  Brian, Thomas and I were staying in Tennessee for Christmas and Mom and Dad were going on a little trip over the holidays so we enjoyed a(n) way too short early Christmastime visit.

My parents, Mommy Bette and Pop, along with my niece, Ashlyn, got in town around four on Saturday afternoon.

We enjoyed family-time at its best.

One thing you must know about my family.  We LOVE University of Alabama football.  Exihibit A) in the photo below I am trying to get a photo of Mom and Dad with Ash and Thomas.  Mother is telling Brian about how current UofA offensive coordinator Kirby Smart is just a few years older than me and that his mother was an english teacher and Dad a coach at that same high school that Mom, Dad, Mendy and I graduated from. 

Thomas had a ball opening presents.  I think Dad got him really revved up, tearing all the paper up.

It was really funny, as Thomas opened things Dad would move them out of the way.  Thomas kept coming back to this one toy that Dad put under the buffet.  We were so afraid he was gonna bump his little head.

Ashlyn even let Thomas help open a few of hers.

Exhibit B) This was the Saturday night that the Heisman Trophy was awarded.  We were so excited to see Mark Ingram win Alabama's get their first Heisman.  While watching we (even Brian!) made plans to attend the Spring A-Day game- Dad, I'm holding you to it! 

I love this picture.  I just love Ashlyn.  She is growing into such a polite and sweet young lady.  She is so gentle and kind.  That night she slept on the couch.  It was her choice. I went into check on her and she if she wanted to come get in bed with me and she was snug as a bug.  She sleeps harder than anyone I've ever known, she always has.  The next morning she crawled in bed with me, Brian, and Thomas.  I'm sure we bored her to pieces watching Fox News Sunday. 

She took Thomas into the (I don't really know what we are going to call it- it was the dining room and now we've turned it into another living room because we are turning the living room into a play room) front room while Brian and I got ready for church.  Thank you Ash!

We had such a great time with everybody.  Being with you all makes life really good. I love you.

10 Months

Goodness Gracious, Thomas is 10 months old.  Time has never moved so fast!!

This month has been a whirlwind.

Merry Christmas (a day late)

"Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, good will toward men." LUKE 2:14 KJV

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. We have cherished every moment of Christmas as a trio.  We have lots and lots to share.  Be back after we get this house in order.

Great Night

We had SO much fun last night with our neighbors.  They have been such a gift to me, Brian and Thomas in the last year.  They are just a few years older than us.  Thomas is the youngest by at least 5 years.  But we are thrilled everytime we get to hang out with everyone and tonight was a highlight of our Christmas season.

Amy does such a great job of planning games for the kids.  They did two really cute ones. One where they try to unwrap Hershey kisses with gloves on. And another where we put Vaseline on their noses and then they try to get the most cotton balls with their noses.

Countdown to Christmas (2)

"On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." MATTHEW 2: 11 NIV

Countdown to Christmas (3)

"When the wisemen saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." MATTHEW 2: 10 & 11

Gifts That We Can't Give You

Dear Thomas,
Your Dad and I have had the most fun getting ready for your first Christmas.  We started getting things together months ago.  I think neither of us have ever been this excited about Christmas before.  But of all the things you will be recieving, there are a few gifts that we want you to have but we aren't able to give....
We wish we could give you compassion for others like your Mommy Bette has.
We wish we could give you a generous spirit like your Poppaw has.
We wish we could give you a desire to always talk to God about your convictions like your Mommaw has.
We wish we could give you the leadership skills and devotion to your family like your Pop has.
We wish we could give you the tenacity and love of family traditions of your Dad's grandmother.
We wish we could give you the kindness, joyfulness, and sweetness of my grandmother.

The biggest gift we pray you recieve in your life is the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  We hope you follow what Jesus wants for your life. 

And we do wish you could give us a gift.  Your Dad and I believe that your grandmothers held, kissed, sang, rocked, and met you before we did.  We wish you could tell us their reactions.  We would give just about anything to hear them talk to you, see them hold you.

We love you son and we are filled with joy to spend this Christmas with you.

Countdown to Christmas (4)

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." LUKE 2: 11&12 NIV

Countdown to Christmas (5)

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." LUKE 2: 8-10 NIV

Countdown to Christmas (6)

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." LUKE 2: 6 & 7

Countdown to Christmas (7)

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child." LUKE 2: 4 & 5 NIV

Countdown to Christmas (8)

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register."  LUKE 2:1-3 NIV

9

"...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

MATTHEW 1:20-26 NIV

Countdown to Christmas (10)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.
LUKE 1:26-38 NIV

Breakfast with Santa

Brian and I took Thomas to have breakfast with Santa at the country club Saturday morning.  Thomas does not enjoy being in the company of Santa Claus.  Our friend T.J. JONES Santa tried so hard to get Thomas to warm up to him.

We did see our neighbor Matt.  THOMAS LOVES MATT! 

Oh we tried to get a photo of Thomas with Santa.....

But we will be happy with a family picture instead.

HO HO HO Merry Christmas!

We pulled out of the parking lot and our little boy was ready for a long winter's nap!

Wonderful New York City

My very generous father-in-law sent me on a fantastic trip to New York City. My partners in adventure....

Judy, my mother in law (in black), and one of her closest friends, also Judy (in brown).  I'm beyond thankful that theses two let me tag along on their girls trip.

We had such a great time.

Statue of Liberty is GIGANTIC.  She doesn't look very large in the photos below, but SHE IS.

Ground Zero is a terribly empty hole in the middle of a city where every inch in utilized.  Major construction is going on.  The best photos I took were from an observation area.  Right beside the site was a Fire Dept. where a memorial had been erected on the outside wall.  The memorial listed the names of the fire fighters who perished and had images of the ones that perished from that particular fire department.  It was very sad. We got choked up when we read on one pot of flowers, "Happy Birthday Steve, You are missed, We will never forget".  Terribly say.  I cannot imagine what 9/11 must have been like for those living in and around NYC.  

And Santa stopped by the world's most famous toy store for a special treat for Thomas's first Christmas.

It was such a fun trip. I had the best time.

But I sure was glad to get home to my little boy.

9 Month Sneak Peak

I am so very behind on my posts, our days are just staying so busy.... but I wanted to share a sneak peak we received today from Thomas's 9 month pictures.

This last one is of Thomas playing with our photographer's boys, Lawson and Nolan Evan. We love them!