Getting out...

Well our Christmas tree is down and all of our decorations are put away. Kenny and his mom did most of the work since I am not allowed to lift anything. I really appreciated all the assistance! But our home looks so Blahhh now!! I already miss it all.

Even though the decorations are down, our home is not back to normal. We have to find places for all the new toys and items that Ellie received for Christmas and relocate the old items back to their original/newly adjusted locations. One thing is for sure tho, the radio flyer horse that Ellie got from her Gigi has already found its location...It have taken over the place in the livingroom where the Christmas tree was. The only problem with this was that this area used to house MANY toys and items and the horse now consumes the entire area!! LOL Now I am going to have to do some major thinking on how we are going to handle the toy land overload!! ;)

We decided to get out of the apartment tonight! I needed it, but man it was difficult. I am the "heavy" in our family and our daughter Ellie knows it. However, with this surgery, I am unable to do so much right now and Kenny is having to so most of the day to day stuff. Ellie is testing him really hard!!!

We went to Kohl's to return somethings that Kenny got for Christmas that didn't fit. Ellie was so demanding!!! She pushed her limits the entire evening. She is trying Kenny and seems to be winning. I actually broke down and spanked her in the store. She was so shocked...she looked at me like "You're not supposed to be doing that". HAHAHA!! Kenny is tryi ng so hard and for the most part doing a great job, it's just that my patience and tollerance with things that I KNOW she knows better seem to wear out long before his does...LOL

I would have been happy with just the trip to Kohl's because after that I was starting to hurt, but Kenny had already lined up dinner with his brother's family, so I popped some pain meds and went on. Dinner was nice. It was good to see them and their boys. We ate at Wings and that wasn't to bad either. It was nice to get out...and a good trial run for what I can expect tomorrow night. We will head to Jake and Emily's Wedding Anouncement Party for New Year's Eve! Can't wait to see everyone!!!

Christmas!!

As I have said earlier, Ellie is truly enjoying the Christmas season. Our apartment complex did a Christmas competition this year, and with all competitions we had to play. They did a contest for the best Christmas decorations. We were to decorate our balconies/patios. My inlaws brought by many of our old decorations that were in storage and they bought Ellie a lighted tree with gift boxes and a set of singing bells that were on motion sensor. Not only did we decorate our balcony but we also decorated the entry area of our door. We didn't win anything, but we had so much fun decorating for Christmas this year and enjoying those decorations through out the season that I think we will ALWAYS decorate like that. Ellie loved rushing home to turn on all the lights and being the first one to the door to set off the musical bells at the door. It was great!! She kept me happy and in the spirit of the season. She was full of such joy this year!

Saturday the 18th we did the Seale Christmas at Wesley's & Tiffany's house...That one was a fish fry! We had so much fun seeing everyone. Ellie played with Dillyn and got to watch Polar Express for the first time. She loved it!

We spent Christmas Eve at Ellie's Gigi's house and then spent Christmas Day at Nana's. Ellie got more gifts than any one little girl needs and is enjoying each and everyone. She got a Radio Flyer horse, a FurReal Puppy, a tricycle, an ornament for the tree that she absolutely loved, an indoor slide, tag Jr., a Click start computer, Donald and Daisy Duck, bouncy balls, little people, movies, tons of stocking stuffers and clothes galore... (Can you say over did it!! haha)

Santa and I had a little chat and we decided that the Biblical impact of Christmas should be reinforced by his visit, so Santa delivers three gifts to Ellie like the Wise Men delivered three gifts to Jesus...

We truly are a blessed family and we had a wonderful Christmas! I was looking forward to watching Ellie enjoy all of her gifts on the days to follow but life had different plans... The morning of the 26th I woke up with strong abdomenal pains. Kenny called my mom to get Ellie and took the to the ER. I had to have an emergency laparoscopy. Everything went well and with my urging I was able to go home that night (it helped that we live 15 minutes from the hospital). Mom kept Ellie for the next two days so that I would have time to start recovering. Ellie just got back home tonight and I am finally getting to watch her play with all her toys. It is great to have her home. I am unable to lift anything over 10 lbs for two weeks and I am not supposed to over do it. Those instructions don't work so well with having a 2 year old, so we will see how it goes. Right now I'm just glad to have her back home. I'm still not feeling very well and I am having to rely on my medication more that what I would like, but I'm improving. Hopefully I will be back to normal by the time we return to school. I have my post op apt on Friday the 7th.

Random Pics Below:

Ellie hitting the big slides at I-Jump for Korey's Bday

Baking Cookies for Santa

A Gorgeous smile by a little fella that doesnt let us get pics of him smiling anymore...

Look at those beautiful smiles....

Ellie Visiting with Santa and Mrs Clause

Snow in Alabama on Christmas day!!

Playing with the Mac!

Christmas Pictures at Ross Bridge...

Dec 4, 2010

Tried to get some Christmas Pictures at Ross Bridge, but it didn't go so well. These are the best that I got.

Sitting in the window in the hallway...

Playing in front of the fireplace...

Peeking out the window looking for ....

This shows is all!!!

After this we tried to do some shopping and see Santa. Ellie got tired and had melt down after melt down. We scrapped seeing Santa and got ZERO shopping done. She was a hornet!!! However it was nice to see my Mom. She helped me in taking the pictures and through out the mall.

We have decided that we get much better pictures out of Ellie if she is with a group of kids. She loves the interaction and likes to have a playmate! Hopefully next time I can line this up better.

November 2010

Well the month of November was full of activity....

In October I was flipping through facebook and a photographer, Melissa, that I am friends with was taking pictures of a SAHM that made tutu outfits out of her home and sold them via the web and some local stores. In Melissa's advertisement pics I saw the cutest Christmas outfit. At that moment I knew I must have it...

On November 9th I picked up the outfit and couldn't help but try it out! How stinken cute is my baby girl?!?!?! Of course she loved it....It was a tutu!

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Well before we even reached Halloween Ellie was ready for Christmas. Any time she would see Christmas decorations in the stores we would have to stop to watch them for almost 30 minutes or more! It was exhausting trying to get her out of the stores. So on Veteran's day (11-13-10) we decorated the Christmas Tree.

It is our family tradition that we all do it together. All most all our decorations were gifts from family and friends and most of them have a story behind them. As we hang them on the Christmas Tree we reminisce about the Christmases of old. There are some that are funny and some that remind us of those who are no longer here and some announcing the arrival of beautiful new family members. Going from ornament to ornament allows us to remember what truly is important in life.

On the 14th Ellie woke up bright and early and was facinated with HER Christmas Tree. She Kept playing with it as well as the Christmas Window Stickers she had placed on the windows. She kept touching the ornaments and the stickers. Kenny and I kept telling her to leave them alone and to just look, but as the morning went on the ornaments ended up lower and lower on the Christmas tree. The next thing I know, Ellie walks in front of me with 2 glass balls (one a silver Christmas ball and the other a glass soccer ball ornament that came in a set of,as Kenny calls them, "real sport" balls) and she says "Balls!" Right as she says it, she raises her hands over her head and smashes them together. They break and pieces fall everywhere...

We clean it all up and get on to her for pulling ornaments off the tree. Then she disappears... We find her hiding behind the Christmas Tree! HAHA...Her safe place.

After we pull her out from behind the tree we decide to make omelets for brunch. My little girl loves to cook and she just HAD to help me! We pulled her a chair up so she could reach the counter top and she became responsible for scrambling and peppering the eggs.

She made so wonderful omelets!

After filling her belly with an omelet, Daddy got out his guitar and they began to play a few songs. Ellie is quite the musician...

(Notice the addition of another tutu to her attire. LOL)

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Well, our football season ended in a third round rematch. We lost that game and the high school football season for the Cullman Bearcats came to an end. The week following that loss Kenny and his head coach headed to Kentucky for a quiet get away of Hunting...

Ellie and I were playing around one night and sent Kenny a picture of his two favorite girls!

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The Week of Thanksgiving...

I love the week of Thanksgiving. My school system works it to where the first two days of the week are weather days and and that last three are Thanksgiving Holiday. We did not use our weather days so we got the entire week off!! (Kenny is in a different system so he was working on Monday and Tuesday) That entire week of was WONDERFUL!!! I needed the relaxation, and for the first time in years Thanksgiving was actually relaxing.

This year was the year to spend Thanksgiving with my side of the family. We always have Thanksgiving at my Aunt Lynn's. This year Anna Beth got there early and she and Jaycee schemed up "A & J Rides." They posted signs all around the house. They declared their "hayrides" "Fun for all ages" (wish I had thought to get a pic of the signs).

They got the tractor and pull behind wagon out and hooked them up. Filled the wagon with leaves (didn't have hay so they had to make due) and drove the children around all day long. It was hysterical and the kids loved it!!




A & J Rides...

Ellie enjoying a ride...

After the festivities we returned to my Mom's house. All of my family was there. We sat around the table discussing the day as Ellie and Dillyn took off to play. They play so well together you almost forget they are there.

When we looked up they were piled into a chair reading a book...

Dillyn refused to allow me to take a picture of him with a smile on his face!

As we were sitting around the table I got roped into going Midnight shopping with my Mom and Sister. We started off at Toys R Us. They were supposed to open at 10 pm. We got there at 9 and there were a rediculous amount of people there.

We were down the side of the TRU building, across the front of the shopping center, around the corner and down the backside of the the shopping center. I didn't get into TRU until 12:00! I think I am a glutten for punishment...

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Friday night as everyone went to Kerry's semifinal game, Chrystal, Ellie, Casyn, and I stayed home and out of the nasty weather. Ellie and Casyn enjoyed themselves. Here they are dancing to Bon Jovi!

Beef Cook-Off

We had our FCCLA Beef Cook-off On November 17, 2010 at Jeff State Community College. My school winner, Heather Vining, took to the competition well!!

Heather worked dilligently on her Nacho Salad and prepped it perfectly for the competition. She was preparing to be judged by the Culinard Instructors or Jeff State's Culinary Arts Program.

She came in Second Place and we were thrilled!!! I was so proud of her! This was her first county competition. She beat out 2 high school duel enrollment culinary students. The winner of the competition was a very tallented young man who co-ops to a restaurant and works as a SuChef. So it was tough competition there!

Congratulations Heather!!!!

Halloween...

Ok, well I know I have been bad and we have a lot of catching up to do... Sorry about that!!

Halloween:

We were so excited about this Halloween. Ellie's first Halloween she was only 2 months old...so really that's not a Halloween. Then last year Halloween fell on Friday and we were still in Football so we just let her wear some Halloween type clothes and went to the game. This year was our first REAL Halloween.

Ellie is in to Tutus. She thinks they are the greatest things, so we dressed her up like a fairy. I found a shop in the Birmingham area that makes great fairy type things (Magnolia Moon) and I bought a purple fairy costume for her. She was supper cute. We went to Cullman to trick or treat and participate in a Halloween Carnival. Ellie had a great time! We took Korey and Kolton (her cousins) with us and met Rex up there too! We had a great time trick or treating thoughout the Cullman community!! It was really the "Old time trick or treating" the type environment that you see in the movies. It was Great!!

After we went to the school to do some football stuff with Daddy....You see football doesn't stop for Halloween and Daddy had to prepare for game 10!

Random stuff:

Picking flowers...

Stop to smell the flowers...

What Daddy will do for his little girl!

Ellie, Kolton, and Korey at the park, ready to feed the fish.