Whitney's Birthday

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Today is the Birthday of my beautiful sister Whitney who is no longer with us. Whitney had such a contagious laugh and smile. She made friends everywhere she went! Today in celebration of her we will ...

Wear PINK
Eat Scrambled eggs with Cinnamon/sugar
Listen to Norah Jones
Laugh a lot
Eat Mac n Cheese with peas
Watch The Devil Wears Prada
Look through picture books of her
Listen to Michael Buble
Watch home videos
Go out for sushi

We love You Whitney!! And we will be thinking of you all day!

Good Morning!

This morning I heard Maycie waking up but waited a few minutes to see if she was just stirring. A few minutes later I could hear Emery in there talking to her so I went in there and this is what I found:

One of Emery's most favorites things is to be read to! Now she is passing that on to Maycie.

May your Merry be CHRISTMAS!

I love this time of year! I am sure we all do. But I think this year has been a bit hard for people to get into the Spirit of Christmas considering the crisis that surrounds us. Although times are tough we can still do much to enjoy this time of year. Especially by just being together with friends and family!

This year for our Relief Society Christmas Dinner our presidency decided to take Christmas to a few women in our ward that are not able to make it out!! We decorated a few small trees and took them baskets filled with all sorts of gifts and goodies! I was able to go to the home of a dear sweet woman who, despite being able to get out because of a recent surgery and stroke, made each of the women in the ward a Christmas pin to wear at the party! She also makes baby blankets for every baby that is born in our ward (I think there were somewhere around 17 or 18 this year!) What a humbling experience it was to go to her home and thank her for her love and service. Then to sing carols to her as she cried and was able to feel the Spirit of Christmas with us was an experience to remember!

This past weekend we went to The First Annual Spring Hill Christmas Parade! We bundled up and brought hot chocolate to sip as we watched the floats and bands go by! Although it was nothing like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade there was something just SPECTACULAR about it to me! Just so much warmth and love was around as everyone went by saying MERRY CHRISTMAS!! And because we live in the South there were many floats that said 'Jesus saves" and "Jesus Loves" and there were church choirs on their floats singing, and many of the floats had nativity scenes. The reason I bring this up is because while watching this go by I sat next to a friend that just moved here from Massachusetts and was taken away by the way people so FREELY spoke of Christmas! She said that people there(Mass.) are offended if you say the word "Christmas"! It is called the Winter Holiday! After that I couldn't help but say Merry Christmas to everyone that went by! Although we may not be of the same faith as most of these people we all come together in celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!

I am so grateful for these wonderful experience I have already been able to have and we are still a few weeks away from Christmas day! I think this will definitely be a Christmas to remember!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Our Turn!!

As Scott mentioned yesterday, Emery was sick throwing up yesterday. Well, now it is our turn!! Scott and I are both down on the couch. Emery was so excited to feel better so that she could go to Gram's house to eat TURKEY and play with cousins today. When we told her that we were sick and wouldn't be able to go she was upset but then she decided to be the doctor and take care of Daddy. What a sweet girl!

Thanksgiving

As I woke up this morning I thought about being thankful and the things I am thankful for. I am thankful for a loving wife who is a great mother to my two beautiful daughters. As I was reflecting on this, Emery walked through the door saying that she threw up in her sleep. The next hour was then dedicated to giving baths, changing sheets, soaking clothes, and doing the laundry. As funny as it may sound, I am thankful for opportunities like these where I can care for someone else. Parenthood is one of the greatest services around. I am grateful for my parents and the countless times that they cleaned up after me and cared for me. I am grateful for Tasha's parents and family. From the first day I walked into their home I knew that I was part of the family. I am thankful for a wife that loves me and puts up with me on a daily basis. I am grateful for two wonderful daughters that light up when I walk in the door from a hard day at work. Most of all, I am grateful for love...without it, none of these things would be so amazing and inspiring. Thanks to all on this Thanksgiving!!

Happiness

I was talking to a lady the other day whose kids are grown and don't live near. She told me to just enjoy this time in my life because it will soon be gone. She said that it was the happiest time of her life and when she looks around her house that has everything always neat and in order she wishes that kids would come and mess it up!!

I just can't get that off my mind. We are busy and often times feel like we can't keep up! But this is truly the HAPPIEST time of my life! I have a wonderful husband who loves me more than I thought a person could be loved. And I have 2 BEAUTIFUL girls who are so full of LIFE! I would not trade these 3 precious souls for ANYTHING!!

It's Autumn Time!

We opened the blinds this morning and this is what we saw! We love the Fall here in Tennessee because there are trees EVERYWHERE!! We are especially grateful to have a beautiful treeline in our backyard. About a month ago I was teaching Emery about the seasons and this week anytime we drive anywhere she says "Mom the trees are FALL!!" She loves to see the beauty of the changing leaves.

P.S. Notice our wood pile is almost gone. My wonderful husband just went this morning to go chop us some firewood for the winter. It is starting to get cold and we are going to need it soon! We love having a wood burning fireplace.

Yes it is True!!

Gas is $1.95!!

Rebekah

Emery and Rebekah at the beach

Today Emery and I were talking about our feelings and how to express them. We talked about how we need to use our words to communicate the way we feel. And then we talked about friends and how they make us feel happy. I had a little cutout of 2 girls holding hands. I told her that one of them was her and the other was one of her friends and she could draw their faces and clothes, etc. She chose Rebekah to be her “friend”. She drew a happy face on herself and said that she is happy when she is with Rebekah.

Rebekah is Emery's cousin who is 9 years old. Rebekah is so sweet! She plays with Emery and takes very good care of Maycie. She just absolutely loves my kids and they love her back! Thank you Rebekah! You are going to be such a wonderful mother one day. We love you!

You'd Think We Love Halloween

We are Halloweened out! We had a lot of Halloween Festivities this year. We went to the zoo for their Halloween celebrations, then the Pumpkinfest in Franklin, and we had a little Halloween party at our house, and we went to our ward Trunk-or-Treat!! FUN TIMES!!

Pumpkin Pancakes for Halloween Breakfast

The Ghouls at Grassmere (Nashville Zoo)

While here Emery saw a "Friendly Ghost" and said "Look Mom! It's the Holy Ghost!"

The PumkinFest in Downtown Franklin

We had a Halloween Party with Emery's friends. I let Emery pick the food that we made. We made Mummy Hotdogs, Spider Crackers, and Monster Mouths. Emery was very proud of her work!!