Happy happy happy happy...

happy ann-i-ver-sary!

After eight years

I love you
more completely


and my love for you is
completely different.


Even on the toughest days
I wouldn't trade this for all the world.
and wouldn't want to see the world with anyone else.

ABL

Merry Christmas {the card}

Thanks to our amazing Cindi and her "crew" we got some great pictures

for our Christmas card this year. I had lots of fun putting it together.

Trying to get it printed was another story, but I was happy with the final product.

And, just for fun. Here are a few of the other pictures from the photo shoot.

While we did take a couple "sit, smile, and look at the camera", we also tried lots of ideas for non-traditional poses to try to better capture our active crew.

When taking pictures with small children it is always best to take some time to have some fun. And at this photo shoot, there was lots of fun to be had....

and of course, there was also some chasing to do.

But with the help of 3...yes count them...THREE photographers,

we did get some great pictures that helped to capture these anything but boring days!

And that was the end of the 2009 Christmas card photo shoot.


But even as we walked away (sweating) from the 2009 Christmas card photo shoot, I was thinking about taking pictures last year and already envisioning what next year will look like...when all THREE of them can run away. Its sure to be interesting?!?!?!

ABL

Couldn't have said it better myself...

With a little prompting (but zero rehearsing or scripting) here is an only slightly edited version of KJ's perspectives on the Christmas Story. PRICELESS!

I know it is a little long for anyone (except maybe his Grandmothers), but try to hang in there until he sings. Oh, and try to overlook his Momma singing slightly modified words and his "wardrobe change" towards the end.

I know this is a 3-year-old's perspective, with lots of other distractions

but I could not have said it better myself.

"Glory to God...HE is CHRIST the LORD"

ABL

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

...and these children are nestled all snug in their beds!

Children at Christmas are just so much fun!!

The anticipation was almost more than any of us could stand tonight,

but they are all three finally asleep.

Merry Chrismas, everyone. And goodnight.

Oh, and if you are reading this and need a little anticipation of your own...

check back tomorrow evening for video of KJ sharing a bit about

his perspective on the Christmas story.

ABL

A few words that say a lot

Cbug is a man of few words. But the words he knows/uses sure can express a lot. I love to hear him talk right now. So fun! Here are a few of my favorite things he says...

-"Lub you". Cbug loves to be loved on. At bed time he snuggles and kisses and says lub you about 100 times. I love when he sticks his pudgy hand to my lips for kisses over and over as he falls asleep.

-He knows all of his family members names. I love to hear him say his siblings names. As soon as Lou makes the tiniest noise, he runs across the house to her room yelling her name.


-He can count to 10 in English and 5 in Spanish (thanks to a bilingual babysitter and a brother who LOVES Dora and Diego). After he counts he sometimes congratulates himself with "That's right" or "Great job" That's a middle child, for ya. Has to praise himself.

-His favorite phrase right now is "See dat!!!!" (the exlamation points only begin to tell the emphasis this phrase ALWAYS comes with. After doing just about any trick that he thinks is amazing he wants to make sure everyone saw.

-I LOVE LOVE LOVE when he says "bless you". If anyone makes a sound that remotely sounds like a sneeze, Cbug is the first one to say bless you.

-He's got the manners thing down...especially when he thinks it will get him what he wants. He says please, thank you, welcome, excuse me and sorry.

- I love when he says his food is "Tasty"


-Of course he knows how to say his favorite things...blanket, bear, Queen (Lightning McQueen), Mack, puzzle, story, Thomas and his all-time favorite MATER!

His one/two word sentences combined with facial expressions that communicate ALL of his feelings certainly keep us informed and enetertained these days.

Sure love that Cbug~
ABL

MMM: on holiday

MMM is technically on holiday during December due to a packed schedule of family fun.

So this will just be a one picture post to tell about our day yesterday.

from LtoR...

the smirking one who works the system (just enough of a smile to qualify him for a cookie),

the smiling one who already knows to pose when a camera is pointed her direction,

the jolly one in a red suit who my kids could really care less about,

and the glaring one who always wears his true feelings on his sleeve.

Yep, it's true. A picture is worth a thousand words.

ABL

Three going on Thirty

Updated. Why would you create a new post when you can just add to an existing one?

KJ, our three-year-old definitely keeps us on our toes right now.

I have said that when he was two, I pretty much thought

I could write a book about parenting because he was so easy.

Then he turned three.

and the Lord humbled me!

He thinks he is about 30 years old and talks like he is an adult.
I hadn't done an update lately on the funny things he says
so here are a few of my favorites...

1) He says "totally" all the time. For example, on the way home we were looking for Christmas lights. KJ shouted "Oh there are some really cool ones. You guys TOTALLY missed them"

2) He is doing SO much better when it come to potty training. However, he thinks he needs to go every time we stop the car (and a few times in between). This was the reason for our LONG roadtrip a few weeks ago and also the reason why I had to take him into the gas station recently when we stopped for gas. On the way out of the gas station as we passed the aisles of junk food he proclaimed "Mom, they have LOTS of great stuff to eat at this place". Oh, what a little man he is.

3) I pick up KJ before the other children on the days I work. I love this time in the car with him because I get to hear about his day at school. Usually. On one day when he wasn't feeling much like talking he said "Mom, could you just choose one more question. Then maybe you can ask me some more when we get home". I explained that I ask questions because I'm the mom and I love to hear about the things he is learning. To which he responded "Oh good grief". Sorry, buddy...I'm always going to ask you questions... for the rest of your life.

Oh the things they will say.

4) KJ has been pretty sick this week. He's had fevers up to 104. But he has not lost his sense of humor. This morning the first thing he asked me was if I could set up his blow-up pool for him in the backyard. It snowed yesterday. Its 40 degrees today. No.

5) Also, today was KJ's turn to take snacks to share with his class but because he was sick I had to take them to school for him. Upon arrival and discussion with KJ's teacher, I learned that he has been playing us all. At home, he's been reciting his line for the Christmas show without a hitch. Knows it backwards and forwards. I don't want to brag, but I'd say it is a pretty critical line as far as Christmas shows go. "The baby Jesus was sleeping in a manger" Can't tell the Christmas story with that, right? So, he was supposed to say it at school and have it videoed. I thought they recorded it a long time ago. Apparently they tried. At school, however, he was looking at them like he had no idea what they were talking about at each mention of Christmas Show line. They thought I had forgotten to teach it to him. So, fever and all, I had to bundle him up take him up to school so he could say the line he knew all along with rosy cheeks and a raspy voice....and maybe I bribed him with a happy meal...and maybe candy. Maybe. Guess he wins this round.

ABL

PS- Big shout out to Cindi, Cassidy and Monica for the fun pictures they took for our Christmas card. This is one of the ones of KJ that they got- totally capturing his personality. More pictures from that mini photo shoot coming soon.