Christmas Holidays

I think Christmas of 2010 has been my favorite one yet! Drew was at a perfect age to really be involved and excited about everything. Instead of getting our tree at Home Depot like we have the past few years, we went to a local tree farm where you can pick your tree and cut it down yourself. I took the boys while Matt was working to get it, so the son of the tree farmer helped Drew cut it down and carried it to the car for us.

Jett enjoyed a yummy, messy candy cane while I forced him to stay in the stroller during this excitement.
Christmas service at church was awesome! Drew wasn't very excited to sing on stage though, which is not like him at all. I had to bribe him with a chocolate milkshake just to get him up there. I guess we all have moments of not wanting to be front and center sometimes. He was still cute, even if he sat there pouting the whole time. I thought this was a gorgeous picture of all the kids on stage.

The past few years, our church has put together an outreach event called "Hope for Christmas" where they provide toys to needy families. It is much more than that though. The families come to the church and participate in a huge Christmas party. Santa is there, arts and crafts, jumpys for the kids and a secret santa shop so the kids can each pick out a gift for their parents. This year we provided gifts to over 4,000 children in 1,500 different families. God had his hands ALL over that event and I am so grateful I got to be involved in it. We serve an awesome God!

Christmas Eve came too fast this year! Awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus AND the Tooth Fairy, I though Drew would want to go bed early. What on Earth was I thinking?? We pulled up the Santa Tracker online and I told him that Santa's next stop was Georgia and our house would get skipped if he didn't go to sleep. I should have done that 2 hours earlier, because he ran to bed. He woke up to bunk beds and a new tv in the middle of the living room and $10 under his pillow. (He is now missing all four of his front teeth!)
Jett had a new kitchen/grill waiting for him to climb all over.
Then the magic started! It started to SNOW!!! Atlanta hasn't had a white Christmas in 30 something years!! The boys couldn't wait to walk next door to my parents house so they could be outside in it for even just a second.


New Years Eve was spent out with friends. We had a blast!
Getting up at 6AM wasn't easy New Years Day. We had to leave early to go to the annual MudBog. Matt's brother has been building a giant mud truck for some time now and the boys were so excited to put that sucker in the mud hole!

And, after this exhausting fun, Matt's Aunt took some fun family pictures of us, which Drew cried and pouted all the way through. We were able to get a grin in at least a few, thankfully. Doesn't it always seem like there is so much drama and trials to get everyone to sit together and act happy just for a picture!!?? Here are some of the best:

I wish all of you a wonderful, fulfilling, prosperous 2011!!

Our eventful Santa visit...minus the Santa visit.

We woke up early Saturday morning. I was excited to take the boys to the Marietta Square for the second year in a row to visit with Santa and have their picture made. Before we got in line, the boys wanted to play on the train in the middle of the square. Drew has played on it what seems like hundreds of times, and I'm sure Jett will be the same. All the kids flock to it and love to pretend to steer it or slide down the caboose. It's been around forever.
They were having such a fun time! Jett loves steering wheels and slides so he was in Heaven!

Until...he was standing at the top of the 3 metal steps here...
and the next thing I knew he was tumbling head first down them. It was horrible. He was screaming; I scooped him up as quickly as I could, but I knew it was bad. I ripped my favorite scarf from around my neck and pressed it tightly onto his bleeding forhead. Running past the now long line of Santa waiters, yelling for Drew to follow me, I went straight to the familiar faces I knew. I'm sure I freaked them out as I ran up behind them crying and carrying my bleeding, screaming child. We have some family friends that work this event every year, and she was there to grab my keys and take charge. Leaving her daughters to take pictures, she drove us to the ER.

A cookie from the bottom of the diaper bag helped calm Jett down and I called Matt at work and his mom to meet us there. He was no longer crying when we pulled up to the front doors. Me? Well, I was a little better. They took us back quickly and evaluated him. By the look on the nurse's face, the notorious train sends the Kennestone Pediatric ER lots of victims. This is what his head looked like after they cleaned it up a bit (sorry, I know it's graphic)...
Calmed and given some apple juice, so clueless as to what he was about to go through.
After 45 minutes of a few numbing gel doses, the nurse brought in the papoose. This is when it got even harder. They strapped him down. I am so glad Matt's mom was in the room with me.
The doctor started working and Jett ended up crying himself to sleep about 5 stitches in. Which actually made me feel a *little* better knowing he obviously wasn't feeling it. He ended up with 11 stitches total. The cut was deep, all the way to his skull, the doctor said. So he has stitches under the skin and on top.
But afterwards, he was smiling his happy Jett smile. Today, one day later, you can't tell anything is wrong. He is spinning around in circles in the living room and attempting somersaults on the rug (which I am not allowing him to do and is ticking him off).

So this was our eventful Santa vist...minus the Santa visit. We'll try again next weekend, although pass on playing on the train, this time.

Thanksgiving pie, anyone?

Here is the setting...Thanksgiving evening at Matt's dad and stepmom's house, all the guys are watching football in the living room, all the ladies are sitting around the dining room table looking at Black Friday ads, kids are running around the house playing and laughing. I had not seen Jett in a little while so I yelled at Matt in the other room. Nope, he hadn't seen him either. I got up, checked the playroom and found all the other kids, but not Jett. I do not think I have ever laughed at one of my boys as hard as I did when I walked into the kitchen and discovered this:
Cousin Rachel was the first to grab a camera, and I am so glad that she did. I want to have this picture forever! By the time the picture was taken though, two pies had been removed from the table. He was sitting in the middle of all the desserts, fork in hand, digging in. The look on his face was so innocent and all around hilarious!! I think there is no denying this little one's sweet tooth!

My sister in-laws and I LOVE Black Friday. This year was my first all nighter. I'm usually up and in line with them somewhere around 3AM, but this year was serious. They were in line at Target at 12:30. I got there about an hour later, but hadn't slept really at all. We shopped and ate, shopped and ate. I got into bed about 10:30PM Friday night. I really could not believe I lasted that long!! Strangely, here we are Sunday night, and surprisingly, it hasn't caught up to me yet.

Saturday we went to the zoo with some friends. Drew ran around like a nut, enjoying every second with his buddies. Jett could probably have cared less. He did love the train ride and the playground, but hated to carousel and being made to ride in his stroller. It was a gorgeous day, although a little cold, and turned out to be quite a fun afternoon!

Just so it's on record...My boys rock my world!

Is this not the cutest little lion you have ever seen??!!
And, while I do not understand the Star Wars craze that my sweet Drew has been sucked into, he does make one handsome Obi-Wan Kenobi!
Halloween was so much fun this year!!

A few days before Halloween, I got to hang out with a few awesome mom friends. April, Florica and I took the "little" boys to Carlton Farms. Jett's favorites of the day were feeding the cows from the hayride and playing on the tunnel slide.

I love how content they all were, just running around in this old, wooden wagon. Such sweeties!
Our attempt at a group picture...it was as good as it was going to be...Caiden snuck out in the last second!
Oh, and, I almost forgot...I'm not sure Jett truly enjoyed this, but, this picture just makes me smile!!

Drew and Matt finished the baseball season with a bang. Best game the team had played all season...and they always played pretty well! Drew rocked short stop and made some great plays.
They beat the only team that had beaten them twice. It was a great feat for the whole team and everyone was very excited!!
Our dear friend, Justin Ramer, helped coach this season. He was awesome and Drew loves him very much!

We are a week away from Thankgiving and I don't really know where this year went. I feel like I blink my eyes and my precious boys are completely different than the one blink before. God has SOOOOO blessed us with some super special little men though, that is for sure! Last night while I was getting the boys ready for bedtime, Drew was laying in his room playing his DS when Jett climbed up into his bed and layed down right next to him. Drew said "he can stay, if he wants..." and as I picked Jett up to take him to his bed, he said "Drewwwww" to which Drew replied "Love you, Jetty, good night". My heart was so full of love that it actually made me tear up. Matt and I talked for a minute about it and I went to bed so thankful that my boys love each other so much, at least for now.

Fall has arrived.

I'm sure I am like most and enjoy certain things about the changing of the seasons. Early Fall is probably my favorite of all for many reasons...cool, crisp air, pumpkin candles in the kitchen, football games, hoodie sweatshirts, and simply awesome playing outside weather.

A lot has happened over the last month. Matt has been coaching Drew's baseball team for the first time. They have their last game next week. It has been quite a learning experience for him and he has left some games excited and happy and others saying he will never coach again. (I think that will pass quickly.) In my opinion, he has done an amazing job and I'd be honored to be his team mom next season and the many seasons to follow. Drew has improved incredibly since last season and even has been hitting balls to the fence resulting in many doubles and even a handful of triples! Maybe next season fielding the ball will click a little better. :)

Jett is at such a fun age! Some of the things he has been saying lately: ball, sit, no, yeah, Drew, Tutu (Turner), and he does the tomahawk chop like a pro! Although he is growing like a wild flower, he still likes to cuddle when he wakes up and I hope he doesn't grow out of that like he does his shoes. I can't imagine how it is possible, but he truly gets cuter everyday!

This time of year I also start doing more sewing than usual. I am trying to talk myself into creating a website and selling stuff I make, but I just end up thinking about the time I don't have to sew in bulk and questioning whether I am even good enough. I enjoy sewing and making things for people that I know they will enjoy, but I'm not sure I'm cut out to make a business of it. I suppose time will tell. I am going to be a part of my first real craft show in December, which I am excited about. I made two special little girls birthday outfits last week. Here is one of the outfits I made.

We visited the World of Coke with Matt's mom and Aunt Terri a few weeks ago. Drew loves the 4-D theatre there and tasting the hundreds of different kinds of Coke products from around the world. "The Beverly" is known to be one of the most bitter and not pleasant tasting of them all. Of course, it ends up being Drew's favorite. Because I thought no one would believe me, I made him pose next to it giving a thumbs up.
And, I even snuck a photo of the boys together. It isn't perfect, but, hey, nothing is, right?!


I took the boys to a small pumpkin patch this week. Drew is at an age where it is pretty impossible to get a picture of him doing anything, certainly posing with his brother. Here are a few pictures, and I promise Drew WAS there even though I have no evidence.




Lastly, Matt and I went to our first Parent/Teacher conference today where we received Drew's first report card. He is doing so well! Out of 25 different things he was graded on, he received the highest grade possible on 22 of them!! His behavior grades were not as impressive (to say the least) but once we figure out his medication and continue to learn new ways to help him cope with his ADHD, I'm sure these grades will improve.

Happy Fall, ya'll!! We're off to play outide!

Who doesn't like to play in the dirt?

Certainly not my boys!! At the first sound of the front door opening, Jett is running (as fast as his little, stubby legs will allow) full steam towards the chance that he *might* get to go outside. Turner is usually right behind him. I snapped some cute pics today as Jett was exploring. A little dirt in the mouth won't REALLY hurt, will it?

What is it with boys and sticks??!!



Best buds!
I love this one!

Speaking of dirt...Matt got a new (old) Bronco to go muddin' (redneck term for driving through deep mud holes and trying not to get stuck) with the boys in. Drew LOVES, LOVES, LOVES it! It even has a radio thing in it that he likes to talk into. "Step away from the monster truck."

I hope the 3 of them have many years of fun in this old, dirty truck.

A moment that stops you in your tracks...

I'm sure you've had these moments, you know, the ones that happen unexpectedly...maybe one you've dreamed about or maybe one so far out there that you are totally shocked to see. I saw one yesterday. A GOOD one!! Or, more appropriately, a GOD one!

Drew didn't have a great day at school.He got in trouble quite a bit throughout the day for not being able to follow directions. When he got home, we were talking about his day, what he should have done differently, etc. He looked at me and said "Mom, when we have problems, we are suppose to look in our Bible for the answers." He was SO right! He flipped open his Bible and pretended to read it to himself. (He can't read just yet.) What a blessing this was for me to know that he really IS listening and watching. A moment like this is one I'll remember for a long, long time. Praisin' God and lovin' my kids!