Four Christmases... not just a clever movie title

Don't know if any of you have seen it, but Justin and I are big fans of the new (well, it's been out a while) movie "4 Christmases". It could be because we're big Vince Vaughan fans... which we are, or it could be because we are big Reece Witherspoon fans... which I am, or it could be because it is the truest depiction of our life when it comes to Christmas time. Ding! Ding! Ding! If you guessed #3 you are correct! Only our life is more like "8 Christmases"... we knock out 4 in one weekend!! Here's a recap...

Christmas #1... Lou Lou and Grandaddy's

Each Friday before Christmas, you will most likely find us in Philadelphia at Justin's grandparents. His 2 uncles, his aunt, mom and all their spouses and their children and their children's children come under one roof to celebrate the Season together. It's always good food (although sometimes random) and fellowship with people we only see once a year. This year I was sad though because Kevin (Justin's uncle) and his family weren't there. I adore Lucy... Kevin's wife and love their two GORGEOUS children Lindy and Christopher. The good news is we'll see them at the Fair!! This year at Lou Lou and grandaddy's was a little different for two reasons... the temp outside had decided to get into the 70's... which makes it a little harder to get into the Christmas spirit... and Preston is VERY mobile... which meant not a lot of visiting and a whole lot of chasing!! Here are some pictures!!

Justin's mom, sister and one of his nephews

Dee Dee... Justin's aunt, and her two precious girls, Morgan and Mary Margaret

Grandaddy and his namesake... our sweet baby P

Christmas #2

Justin's Mom (Angie) and LP

The morning after Lou Lou and Grandaddy's shindig (is that how you spell that?) we have Christmas with Justin's mom and step dad. Angie cooks breakfast for everyone and then we open Christmas presents. My favorite part of our get together with her is reading the Christmas story with all of the kids (Preston and Marley's five babies... although only a couple are still babies!) This year, she had the coolest "game" all of the Nativity figures were in boxes and you opened a box as the Nativity story was told. All of the kids were really into it (except the two youngest who still don't really get Christmas) and wanting to open the boxes and anxiously awaited each figure as it was revealed!! Another thing I love about this Christmas is watching the oldest girls open their presents! This year, I painted them canvases to hang in their room (their house has recently been renovated and they finally each have their own room). They were so excited!! I was also super excited to give Justin's mom her Pandora bracelet!! And I was super excited about my present this year... I'll admit it... I'm so totally hard to buy for. I tell everyone just to give me money, but Justin's mom never does and always hits it on the head! Example: this year she got me a gift card to Hobby Lobby!!! How great is that?? I'm SOOO excited!! Here are some pics from Christmas with Ang and LP!

Preston with his Poppie

Opening the Nativity

The girls and their canvases

Christmas #3

Justin's dad (Larry)

Later on that afternoon, we go to Marley and Jason's house to have Christmas with Justin's dad and his wonderful fiance Brenda. This year was great because Marley and Jason had recently gotten through renovating their house... and when I say renovate, I mean they basically built a brand new house. Now, all the kids have a room to call their own and Marley has room to breathe! The kids were so excited, and since I hadn't seen the "new" house yet, they all wanted to take me on a tour to show me their new rooms! I loved it, but I loved even more how excited they were! Here are some pics from Christmas with Preston's Papaw and BB...

The whole family... minus BB (Brenda)... somebody had to take the picture!! haha!

Papaw and his three oldest

Christmas #4... and we're just getting started!!
Ron's (my step-dad) kids

So let me just say, that while I am technically an only child, I am the youngest in a VERY large family! My Ron has 4 children from a previous marriage... all older than I. The Sunday before Christmas (this is the same weekend as our Philly Christmases for those of you keeping score), all of his kids and their kids come to Tupelo for Christmas! It's always a lot of fun... and a lot of people!! All together there are 5 children + spouses, and 9... that's right... I said NINE grandchildren... which brings us to a grand total of 22 people under one roof!! Of course this is counting Ms. Nell that comes to help my momma with it all!! She couldn't make it without her! Well, I guess she could, but we wouldn't want her to! She'd never get to enjoy it! Everyone arrives, snacks on yummy stuff... including my mom's AWESOME sausage balls (by far one of my FAVORITE things at Christmas), then we have lunch... but not before the Christmas story is read from Luke and we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus... complete with a cake and candle (for the younger kids to blow out!) Enjoy these pics!

My step sisters Lauren (center) and Julie (right) with their youngest Libby (belonging to Julie) and Jack (belonging to Lauren)

The best I could do at catching Jack and Preston together... put two toddlers (born within 6 months of each other) together and try to keep up with them!! If I did it more often I'd be skinny in no time!! ha ha!

Happy birthday, Jesus!!

Christmas #5... you tired yet??

Santa Claus came!!

Santa made a special exception for us this year, he came to see Preston on Christmas Eve eve! And Santa was oh so good to our sweet baby boy! He got him linens for his big boy bed... which he'll be in before long.. a learning kitchen, a big boy chair, books, blocks, and lots more stuff! Plus, Justin, Preston, and I had Christmas together. Justin was too good to me... as always, but one thing in particular I want to tell you about. I have a Pandora bracelet that I just LOVE. Every charm on it has a meaning to me. Justin got me the pic nic basket for Christmas along with a red heart charm. The reason it's so special is because he proposed to me on a pic nic... what wonderful memories!!! And now when I look at it, not only will I be reminded of that great day, but also that my sweetie is thoughtful enough to remember it as well!! Anyway, enough of me being Ms. Mushy, here's what Santa brought P!!

Christmas #6

My mom and Ron

Late afternoon on Christmas Eve we head over to my mom and Ron's to have Christmas with them. It's always so much fun! We have snacks... including those AWESOME sausage balls... we seriously tell her to make nothing more but that... of course she doesn't listen and does! Then we open presents. It's so much fun, and for some reason, always seems a little less hectic than our other Christmases. Preston got a 4 wheeler... yes, I said a 4 wheeler... that his daddy seemed to enjoy more than he did... at least until he figures out how to work it, then he'll be not only mobile, but motorized! And great-aunt Mary Rose found an old antique rocking horse at an estate sale and said Preston just had to have it! And he did... although he was scared of it!

Daddy on Preston's new ride!

Family pic

Mimi and Pop

Christmas #7

Nana

This year is the last year we'll travel to Cleveland to see Nana on Christmas Eve... next year, Santa said... "No more exceptions!" So we will be home on Christmas Eve so Santa can come and P can be like the rest of the kids and wake up on Christmas day to find what Santa has left! However, this year, we traveled to Cleveland on Christmas Eve so that we would be there in plenty of time for Christmas with my Nana at 10:00 am Christmas Day... however, we were completely unaware that my uncle wouldn't be showing up to Nana's until well after lunch... just don't tell Santa... wouldn't want him to think he made an exception for us for no reason!! Well, maybe do tell Santa and he'll leave some coal in my uncle's stocking for being so late!

Preston and my (and his) great aunt Rachel! She absolutely adores him... and he adores her!

Sweet baby was so tired, and he was so sick... we had been to the dr. just a few days earlier. So P was on anti-biotics all during these last few Christmases and he was so not happy. I think all he wanted was to be home.

My uncle, his wife, their kids, and Nana

My mom, Ron, Justin, Nana, Preston, and I... would have been great if Ron would have been looking!! Oh well, thank goodness for photoshop!

Christmas #8

My dad, Mary Beth, Memaw and Vernon

On Christmas Day, we traveled to Grenada to have Christmas with my dad, his wife, Mary Beth, my Memaw and her husband, Vernon. A good time was had by all, although I wish Preston had been feeling better! By this point, he's sick and I'm on the decline! We had our traditional salmon and eggs the next morning after opening presents with Nanna and Pop... Mary Beth's parents. Here are the final pictures from our "Christmas Tour"

Preston... not feeling good. The thumb in the mouth is NEVER a good sign when he's awake!

Preston and Papa... reading a book! Sad, but this is really all I got at Memaw 's!

I was sick and Preston was sick, I guess that's why!

I know I should have elaborated a little bit more on the last two, but let's face it!! This was a LOT to blog about and I'm exhausted!! And despite how much we would LOVE to go on vacation (like they plan on doing in the movie)and skip all the Christmasing, truth is, we feel blessed and loved to be able to do this every year! There are so many people in this world who don't even have 1 Christmas to go to and we are fortunate enough to have 8!!?!? God is so good!!

A very tacky Bunco Christmas Party!

I held the 2nd annual Bunco Christmas party at my house last week! We all had a great time, but missed those who weren't there!! The theme was your tackiest Christmas outift!! Ashley was our winner... she came decked out! Complete with an ankle length/ tea length red skirt with big huge pleats!! She was too cute! Here are some pics from our fun!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

I had a wonderful birthday and birthday weekend!! Justin and I went to dinner at the Beauty Shop in Memphis with our friends Stephen and Kellie. And on my actual birthday, I spent the day hanging out with the two greatest guys ever... Justin and our sweet baby boy!

I heart New York

The first weekend in December started my birthday celebration, which culminated last weekend with my actual birthday! I'm 29 now, and had a fabulous time ramping up to the 14th!

My mom took me to New York the first weekend in December for my birthday trip! This used to be an annual event from the time I was a freshman at Ole Miss until the year Justin and I got engaged. Since then, we just haven't had time. But this year we decided we were making time! I think Momma and I both missed going every year... especially at Christmas! We were gone from Thursday morning until Sunday night!

The main thing I wanted to do was to see the play Wicked, and we did!! I am a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan (possibly my favorite movie of all time) and Wicked is about the back story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the good witch. It was amazing!!! I can tell you though, without ruining it, that I will never be able to watch the Wizard of Oz the same way again! It was just great, I'd love to see it again, and hopefully I will!!! It will be in Memphis at the Orpheum sometime next year!! YAY!!!

We also went and saw the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular! This is a tradition for Momma and I! We've tried to catch it where it has been touring the years that we haven't been able to make it to New York, but there's nothing like being at Radio City and seeing it where it originated! The best part about the Spectacular is the tradition of the finale... it's a living Nativity... complete with camels, donkeys, sheep, and everything you can think of!! In this day and age where everything is becoming more secular, it's wonderful to see that something that draws as much attention as the Christmas Spectacular hasn't forgotten what Christmas is really all about!

Then we ate at The Little Owl. I was super excited about this!! I am an avid Food Network watcher and the winner of the Thanksgiving Challenge is the chef at this restaurant! When he found out that it ws my birthday, he came out to have pictures made... let me point out that I wasn't fond of the affection and was really suprised by it!!

We also ate at La Mela's in Little Italy. This is another of our traditions when we're in New York! The food is fantastic and it's always fun! This time in particular, a marching band came right in the restaurant and serenaded everyone with Christmas carols and my mom even had them play "Happy Birthday" for me!! Such fun!

Brunch at Tavern on the Green was great, as always! It was cold and we shopped til we dropped (literally!)! Saw stuff I never thought I'd see... like lines wrapped around the block just to get in to FAO Schwartz, dogs wearing Burberry shopping with their owners in Bloomingdales, and shoppers almost fighting each other to get a cashmire sweater at Saks on half price for $350!!! I also got to taste roasted chestnuts for the first time... which were awesome!! Overall, it was a great trip, and a great birthday!

Here comes Santa Claus...

Well, we took Preston for his first "real" trip to see Santa. He went last year when he was just 8 1/2 months old and didn't really know what was going on... there was no laughing, or crying, or anything. Needless to say, we should have been thankful for that!! I really think the pictures explain themselves...

Ok... a couple of things...

#1. Am I a bad mother that I find this HILARIOUS!!??!? I know I shouldn't, but it is!! The funny thing is, is that Preston NEVER meets a stranger... NEVER!!! And he particularly likes men and naturally gravitates towards them. Santa is both a stranger and a man and Preston was completely freaked out!

#2. I so wanted this to be our Christmas card!! I know that's even worse, but you just have to smile when you see this! I'm sure Preston will be smiling too when we pull it out for his rehearsal dinner slide show!

I am asking for identity theft... or I'm just losing my mind...

I CAN NOT believe I've done this twice in one week!!! Which, by the way, is the most I've EVER done it... what? You ask...

I left my purse, not once, but TWICE, this week in public places.

#1 Kroger parking lot... in a buggy!!! Could not believe everything was in place... nothing was missing, not even my $30 I had in my wallet! My cards were all there and even all the trash that accumulates in my purse was there!

#2 Pepper's Deli... and again EVERYTHING was there!!

After all of this, all I can say is... THANK YOU, GOD, for the honest people left in this world!!

You know you have a toddler when...

Your precious, perfect baby grows horns and screams "NO" all the time!

Well, not really... at least not the horns thing, but the "NO" thing is in full swing at our house! I really think you do know when everything turns into a struggle... for example... putting on pants; changing a diaper; powder/lotion after bathtime; eating... anything; removing something they don't need to have from their grasps; hitting... the dog, his mommy, his daddy; biting... the dog, his mommy, his daddy; meltdowns between 5 and 6 pm... EVERY DAY; screaming when putting on a coat; screaming when being put into the car seat; doing something they know is wrong and screaming "NO" while doing it!

At least that's what's going on with ours, but while the toddler years brings its challenges, it also brings its wonderful wonderment...

When he's hurt, he wants his mommy and no one else; he calls mommy and daddy by name; he is HILARIOUS!!; he plays fetch with the dog; he has his routine and loves it; has started telling us what he wants (baba, juice, bath, kitty cat); copies everything we do (coughing, sneezing, everything!); flirts (that's right... flirts with any girl that will flirt back); disciplines himself; tells you when he needs changing by bringing you a diaper; is amazed with taking his shoes off... and his socks; wants to be read to; knows that mommy is for cuddling and daddy is for hard core playing; gets excited over things I take for granted (bubbles, hearing his daddy's voice on the phone, just being with me).

The good far outweighs the bad. He is the most amazing little man I've ever known! He's perfect in every way... even though I have looked through his head to see if I could see those horns! ha!

Our Little Mozart...

Not really... but he does LOVE his piano! My dad and Mary (Preston's Papa and Emby) gave him this a while back... he used to just make it play the song itself and dance to the tunes, but now, he sits down and loves to "play" the piano. This day in particular, I bet he sat there for 20 minutes just playing away!! A future prodigy... maybe??

I'm a bad, bad blogger!

I am SOOOO sorry about it being so long since my last post! I'm sure I'll be on Santa's bad list because of it! Anyhoo...

Halloween came and went. Preston was a precious lion for us! Since we figured saying "trick or treat" would be out of the question, we taught him to roar... like a lion! But it came out more like RAR!!! The funny thing was that every time he would do it, we applauded him... so much that now, he will roar and immediately start clapping his hands! Here are some pictures from our "roaring" lion at our church's "trunk or treat" and at Mimi and Pop's... with his cousin Leah... on Halloween!

All I can say, is I'm...

Exhausted, pooped, tired, weary, out of juice, out of energy, out of spunk... spunk-less even. Deflated, run down, running on fumes, fatigued, beat, broken down, burned out, bored, burned out, collapsing, consumed, dead on one’s feet, dog-tired, done for, done in, drained, drooping, droopy, drowsy, enervated, exasperated, fed up, finished, haggard, overtaxed, overworked, petered out, played out, sick of, sleepy, spent, stale, tuckered out, worn out, bone-weary, bushed, crippled, dead, dead tired, frazzled, had it, kaput, out on one’s feet, outta gas, prostrated, ready to drop, sapped, shot, tired out, devitalized, gone to seed, on the ropes, out of condition, out of gas, out of shape, washed out,all in, bedraggled, blasé, dog-weary, ready to drop, zonked.



Be glad you even got this post! ha!

Me and my man (the big one, not the little one)

1. Where did you meet? At my apartment in Meridian, he showed up with Proc when a group of us were all going out for my birthday!
2. How long did you date before you got married? 16 months
3. How long have you been married? 4 years
4. What does he do that surprises you? Several things... sometimes he brings me flowers or just a happy for no reason and if I'm stressed or running around all crazy, he'll just grab me and hold me... so sweet
5. What is your favorite feature of his? His eyes.
6. Does he have an annoying habit? It's not really annoying... but he ALWAYS has to have a plan... ALWAYS... which is good b/c I never do! ha!
7. What is your favorite quality of his? His sense of humor and whatever he does that makes me love him so much and so happy!(which is why I married him! ha!)
8. Does he have a nickname for you? baby, sweetie
9. What is his favorite color? Blue or green
10. What is his favorite food? Chicken spaghetti, sausage casserole, and Mexican
11. What is his favorite sport? Anything that involves a ball... well, except soccer
12. When and where was your first kiss? In January at Proc's apartment
13. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We are so boring! But our favorite things to do are to go out to eat or order in and watch re-runs of our favorite shows... the Office!!
14. Do you have any children? one sweet baby boy!
15. Does he have a hidden talent? He does....
16. How old is he? 2 yrs. and 11 months older than me
17. Who said "I love you" first? He did
18. What is his favorite type of music? Alternative rock
19. What do you admire most about him? He is such an amazing husband. He is such a wonderful Christian man and has such phenomenal integrity! I'm so in love!
20. Do you think he will read this? Maybe... if he does... I love you, baby!!!

Precious Preston Picked a Perfect Pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch

Well, you know we had to do it! I'm sure he'll never remember (this trip), but I've always wanted to have a tradition of going and picking out a pumpkin! I got my little man all decked out in pumpkin pickin' gear and we headed out in the muddy field for him to find the perfect pumpkin! The funniest thing was that he kept calling them balls!! He's so funny! He'd point and say "ball". Whatever he wants to call them is fine with me!! And as always, the sippy cup (aka "baba") came with us too! I have to tell you the funniest part of all... when we arrived at the pumpkin patch, there are two parts. The first is where you go in, and usually a big bus takes you from point A to point B, which is the actual pumpkin patch. Well, since we were the only ones there, they just let us drive our own vehicle to the patch. Because it's only about a 1/2 mile ride over there and because you are essentially riding in a field the entire time and can see any traffic (which there was none), we let Preston ride in my lap to the patch (shhh... don't tell anyone!). What was so funny is that he knew he wasn't supposed to be doing it! He kept looking up at me and doing his sweet little "he he" thing he does when he's being bad and he knows he shouldn't be doing it... of course it's not so sweet when he is defiantly disobeying me! He probably did that three times during our short trek to the patch! Here is our sweet man picking out the perfect pumpkin! Happy fall, y'all!!

Preston at the Shelby's Shindig!

Well, to be honest, the only part of the shindig P made it to was the wedding (on Friday night... the reception was Saturday night). When Sarah and Jason were making their getaway from the wedding, they were sent off in a shower of bubbles. This was Preston's first time to see bubbles! He LOVED them. We'd blow some and he'd laugh and laugh! Here are some pictures from his first bubble experience!

The other precious thing that Preston did while we were there (of course everything he does is precious, but this is ESPECIALLY precious) was play pee-pi with Bree (a friend and the other bridesmaid). I was lucky enough to capture his adorable smile while they were playing!!

My best friend's wedding... not the movie version

This past weekend, my best friend Sarah got married!! I was so tickled for her and Jason. They are such a sweet couple and are so happy! Here are some pictures from the wedding weekend!