It's almost that time...

Christmas Eve is tomorrow...I am running around like crazy and for some odd reason decided it was now or never to get on here an write a quick update!

Here is our Christmas Card- If you did not receive one I am soooo sorry- it was a struggle this year, and I think I even forgot to put a return address label on them so I wouldn't have a clue if it didn't get to you...


We have been so busy this month, but we have had a lot of fun. This is the first year Georgia has understood to some extent what is going on. I am super exctied for Christmas morning because I really think she will have a blast tearing into all of her presents.

So a quick run down of the past month... We planned on going to the Pearland Tree Lighting the 1st weekend in December, but it SNOWED!!!! So of course roads were shut down and the ceremony was cancelled, but fine with us- Georgia and I played in the snow and met April for a coffee and she even got her first Starbucks hot chocolate. She looked so grown up drinking "coffee" with us while we chatted and HUGE snowflakes fell outside.


The next weekend Georgia and I took a trip to Austin to visit Emily, Joe & Brock. Georgia and Brock haven't really hung out together since his birth 6 months ago so they snagged some great play time together. It also showed me that Georgia is going to be a great big sister one day. She loves babies and was so sweet with Brock playing with him. We went to a birthday party for one of Emily's co-workers and while we were there Santa showed up (Emily's dad) Well he knew Georgia's name and tried to give her a hug, but she tired to bury herself in my body and kept saying "Ready to go, ready to go!" at one point she cried out, "Where's the keys? LET'S GO!" It was pretty funny.



That Sunday we drove straight to Sugar Land to celebrate Christmas with Doug's mom's side of the family. There are a lot of kids on that side so it is always fun for Georgia to run around with all of her cousins and Mom finally has a family gathering where I can sit back a relax a bit!

From our first Christmas celebration we drove to Clear Lake to go to the "Walk Through Bethlehem" It is a great production and really really neat for the kids. There was a lot Georgia could take part in, but even a child of 10 or 15 I think would enjoy it.











We also took a trip to Moody Gardens during the day with Aunt Laura and Eli to see the aquarium and lunched at the Rainforest Cafe. It was a rainy day to the aquarium was pretty dead which was great for Georgia & Eli to run around like a couple of crazed toddlers, which they did an extremely good job of doing just that! Nap time was really good that day! =)




Then this past Sunday we all went out, My Mom, Emery, Laura, Noah, Eli, Doug, Georgia and myself back to Moody Gardens to see the Festival of Lights. What better way to look at Christmas lights with toddlers than a walking trail? Perfect to get all their energy out and a lot of fun for everyone!! Can you tell I really like any activity that gets Georgia running around? That girl is a bundle of energy these days!!! I had never been before and I really was impressed!

This brings us to this week. Monday I took Georgia to the doctor becasue of my never-ending worry about her weight. He reassured me she is fine and at a healthy weight so don't worry myself when she doesn't eat. Just offer her food and she will eat when she is hungry. That made me feel a litttle bit better, but it still un-nerves me when she doesn't eat hardly anything all day long. Although I am coming to find such is the life of a toddler in many cases. Arrgggg!

The rest of this week is sure to be a blur. 8:30am tomorrow (Christmas Eve) we will be at my Dad's to spend the day with him. Leave there around 4 or 5 pm to rush home and start on dinner for my mom, sister, grandmother, etc. Everyone should be at my house by 5:30 or 6pm to eat. then we will have Birthday Cake for Jesus, read the story of Jesus and pile up in the car to go look at Christmas lights. (If you live in Houston you HAVE to drive through Shepard Park Plaza and Shepard Park Terrace to look at lights) then set up Georgia's Christmas presents and hope we wake up before she does the next morning. Christmas morning we will celebrate the three of us together then off to Memaw's house for presents and lunch. Saturday we are off to Doug's Dad's house for our 5th and final Christmas celebration with that side of the family. I finished my Christmas shopping no later then 7:30pm tonight. Cleaned the house, made the dinner for tomorrow night so all we have to do is combine items and heat up dishes and as I type my laundry is washing.... As hectic as all that sounds, I wouldn't have it any other way. I thank God every day for blessing me with a family close by so we don't have to travel too far to be with them for the holidays.

I love spending time with every part of my family, keeping old and starting new traditions with Georgia. I hope as Georgia grows up she understands what the TRUE meaning of Christmas is. She has been singing a song all month (I have to give Veggie Tales credit here) and my heart melts everytime I hear her belt it out- "I can love because God loves me, I can give because he gave. Jesus Christ is why I'm smiling, why I'm giving every day."

Merry CHRISTmas!!

Here are some more random pics from this month:

Georgia's 1st Gingerbread House she made with Gucci:



Watching "Charlie Brown Christmas"


My first sewing project!


My first try at making Cake Pops:




Georgia's Tree:


Barbie Wreath:

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling...

Christmas is about a week away! I can't believe it!! We have been soooo busy getting ready and trying to pack in as many Christmas activities as possible I can't remember the last time I sat still!

The first weekend in December we had SNOW!!! We had plans to go to the Pearland Town Center Christmas Tree Lighting but once it snowed it was cancled. Georgia was

The Holidays are HERE!

It is one of my favorite times of the year right now- Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS!!!! We are so blessed to be able to spend our holidays around our family and friends every year, and this year will be no exception.

Yesterday we had one of our first cold snaps this year and I am hoping it will hang around for awhile. The weather is absolutely gorgeous. Plus it gives Georgia and I a chance to break out our fall and winter fashions that have been hanging in our closet since August! I think I put 5 different outfits on Georgia this morning when we got dressed because I was so excited for her to FINALLY be able to wear some of this stuff. It has been hovering around 80 degrees here since October, which was a break from the 90+ degree weather we had in September. Needless to say I have been getting anxious, especially since Georgia hit a growth spurt last month and out grew (yes I said out grew!) most of her short sleeve shirts.

Since I posted last we celebrated Georgia's 3rd Halloween which was so much fun! Georgia was able to wear her peacock costume to music class and everyone loved it. Then on Halloween we invited my sister's family, my Mom and Emery, my grandparents and Doug's Mom and Michael over to the Halloween Parade our neighborhood hosts every year. Georgia, Noah and Eli had a blast running around collecting candy and playing with the other kids. While no one in our bunch won the costume contest we still had a great time. (Doug and I think it had to be rigged.....just kidding!)




Georgia and I went to a wildlife park in October with Kelly and Avery as well. It was a lot of fun. I had never been to anything like that before. You ride on a trailer through a pretty large "park" with all sorts of wild animals that come up to you so you can feed them right out of your buckets. Here is their website: http://www.bayouwildlifepark.com/ you should go check it out!



We also took a trip out to Dewberry Farms with my sister, mom, Emery, Memaw, Noah and Eli. This too was so much fun- if you haven't been make sure to mark it on your list to do next October. I think they have things going on year-round but if you go in October you can pick your own pumpkin out of a real pumpkin patch. Pretty soon you can go and pick your own live Christmas tree to cut down and take home with you. If we didn't have an artificial tree you can bet I would be dragging Doug and Georgia back out there for some more fun family memories! I just might do it anyway- ha! Georgia played on the playground, went down a HUGE slide and stopped my heart for a split second when I thought she was going to fall off!!! We went through the corn maze and got lost, rode out and looked at the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch (we had just purchased our pumpkins the week before!) Climbed a giant mound of dirt and then Georgia passed out on the way home. www.dewberryfarm.com

Also in October Georgia, Memaw and I went out to the Scarecrow Festival in Brenham. We have all gone for years and a long time ago my Mom and Memaw would make us all matching "scarecrow" shirts to wear when we went out there. This year it was an odd weekend because it was cold and raining! We went anyway and I finally made use of the rain cover that came with my stroller!! Poor Georgia was all bundled up and then had a plastic protectant all around her- it was pretty humorous. We had a great day- Georgia enjoyed a 12 inch long corn dog, while Memaw and I chowed down on the best funnel cake ever!

On our way to the Festival:


Georgia is ready to go- rain or shine!



Finally two weekends ago my best friend, April finally married the man of her dreams. When April and Marty got engaged she asked Georgia to be the flower girl- to which she of course said "Yes!" About a month ago I began to have my doubts on if my darling little 2 1/2 year old daughter who has a mind of her own would actually make it down the aisle. April and I talked about it and I began strategizing ways to get Georgia from point A to point B. We actually went to the church twice the week of the wedding to "practice" but unfortunately there was a funeral one day so we did not even go inside the church and a service going on the next. The second time was the first time I saw just exactly how long this aisle was that Georgia was suppose to trot down. It was basically an entire city block! The church the wedding was in took up a whole city block so this aisle was at least 75 yards long- easy. Never gonna happen was what went through my head. Lucky for us, Georgia was pared with the sweetest most patient 5 year old I have ever met and it was love at first sight for Georgia. We staged Memaw at the back with Georgia (I was in the wedding and had to walk down right before her) and Doug at the front hiding behind a pillar. I was actually in shock when I finally saw her come down the aisle. When she got to the end she looked to the right, then the left and I her heard her say "Where's Daddy?" Then she saw him off to the side, said "Daddy!!" and ran off! Memaw had told her Daddy was hiding in the church and to go find him. ha! Then for the walk back down the aisle, Memaw told her to run to Wilson (The Ring Bear) and she did, right as she got to the middle of the aisle she fell and splattered on the floor. I think the entire wedding party caught their breath to see if she was going to start sobbing, but the best man picked her up and set her on her feet, she grabbed Wilson's hand and off they went! Miracles DO happen!!!

Georgia and Wilson at the rehersal:


The Bride and Bridesmaids:


April, Christina and I:


Georgia throwing a tantrum in the Bride's room right before walking down the aisle:


April and I:


Georgia was in love!


The cutest children ever!


We had our family pictures done as well this past month by Homeshade Photography. Tasha Pool who owns it and is the photographer is amazing! The link to the pics isn't up anymore, but here is a little peek at what she did!


I think that about does it! I am really going to try to update more often so I don't have to do these massive updates all at once! Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

I figured out the video!!

Here is a video of Georgia...she found her pacifiers in her drawer and was trying to hide them from me. Then she breaks out into "Wheels on the Bus" about half- way through...Sorry it's a long video, but pretty funny- well to me at least!

Potty Training Success??

As you all know we have been potty training Georgia. She is doing pretty well, but is still in diapers. I decided not to use pull-ups- I just don't understand the concept of them- it's basically a diaper that doesn't open on the sides. So we have cloth training pants we use at home, but mostly we just ask Georgia about every 1/2 hour to see if she has to go. Some days she is very willing, others she isn't.

Today I was cleaning out the garage (which is also a make-shift playroom). I had moved Georgia's potty out there last week. We were having friend over and she has refused to use it for months now, insisting on using the big potty instead. Georgia walked in to the garage and saw the potty. "Oh, Potty Mommy!" She said. Then she picked it up and walked back inside with it. I was still cleaning up when she walked back out a few minutes later with a clean diaper in her hand and asked me to put it on her. She was wearing a dress so I asked her if her diaper was still on to which she said, "I go potty Mommy, I go potty!" Sure enough her diaper was off so I ran to see where she had gone potty. When I walked into the bathroom her potty was back in it's place. She had come inside, removed her diaper put it in the trash can- put the padded seat back on the potty and went to the bathroom, then went to her room to get a clean diaper and came back to ask me to put it on her! I was floored!!!

About 30 minutes later she told me she had to go potty again so I followed her in to help her and she turned and said, "No Mommy, I do it" and pushed me out of the bathroom, so I watched her from the hallway remove her diaper and go to the potty a second time all by herself! We just might be done with diapers during the day! YIPPEE!!

Georgia is talking a lot now, and basically chatters to me the entire time she is awake. She is learning new songs at Mother's Day Out that I love to hear her sing. The first time I realized she was singing a song I had not taught her how to sing I was so excited. I then tried for 2 days to get it on video tape- which I finally did. It melts my heart to see her sing it- it's only "Wheels on the Bus" but it is soooo cute to see her sing and do the hand movements they taught her. If I have time I am going to try to figure out how you post videos on her, then you call all see what I mean!!

The pacifier also went "Good-bye" this month. She has always had it only at nap time and bedtime, but we decided it was time to get rid of it for good. We actually just took it away last week and there are still a few stragglers laying around the house in different places. Georgia has found a few, but she knows they are now contraband. Just last night she and Doug were playing in the living room when she ran off and told him, "Stay there Daddy, I'll be right back" When she walked back in the room there was a very familiar shape under her t-shirt, and she refused to show us what is was. The little sneak had found a pacifier and stuck it under her shirt to hide it for later!

I finished making Georgia's Halloween costume last week- it turned out very cute! Here is a sneek peek at some pictures of it- I still have to make a "Head-piece" for it, but you can get the idea:




And I will leave you with some pictures of Georgia from Halloween the past 2 years:

The Pictures are In!!

I just recieved the link for Georgia's pictures we had taken by Megan Carpenter!

Here is the link:
http://megcarpenter.zenfolio.com/p521439629

The password is "teaparty"

Let me know what you think!