Busy Break!

Wouldn't ya know, this has turned into one of the best Christmas breaks ever.  About mid-December, I started doing a little mini-panic, thinking about Christmas break with the munchkins, no preschool to break up the monotony, cold weather keeping us cooped up, etc.  However, we've had a surprising number of play dates, our friends from Missouri stayed a night with us, Jason has been able to work a little bit here and there from home, his parents took the older two for an aquarium visit, Lisa came to town, and the weather has been gorgeous!  I cannot complain.

Another thing I cannot complain about?  White House Black Market.  You know how there are just some stores out there that you walk into and think, 'I could buy everything in here?'  Well that's my store.  I seem to gravitate toward a more tailored style, and crisp blacks, whites, and creams are some of my favorites.  They also throw in some navys and khakis/light browns.  So gorgeous!  Well, one of my Christmas gifts from my sweet husband was a gift certificate there, and yesterday I indulged in some retail therapy.  Here's the top I found.  It actually hits me a little lower on the thigh than this model... imagine that, a model with 6 feet of legs and torso!

I also bought this belt to go with it, and I'm thinking it'll be one I can use with quite a few tops.  

Okay, so I have one other shopping story.  About three weeks ago I was in Stein Mart, trying on something in the dressing room.  I hear a woman and a little girl walking toward one of the rooms, and all of sudden the little girl starts fussing.   She says, "No, Nana!  I don't wanna see your whole body!"  Hilarious.

I can't believe New Year's Day is this weekend.  I feel like 2011 was a complete blur.  New house, new baby, new company... any one of those three is enough to wear you out.  Put them together and it equals complete insanity.  I'm truly grateful that I'm still standing and haven't lost my mind.  I will say that God has an amazing way of making Himself known and real in those times when you feel like you just can't do it all.  There have been many a day when I've wanted to just jump in the car and get away, and He reminds me that this season of my life is important, that what I'm doing on a daily basis matters, and that I won't ever look back and regret pouring into these little people.

So here's to 2012!  My resolutions?
1) Continue my weight loss (which has been stagnant during Thanksgiving & Christmas... bummer)
2) Try new recipes and broaden my cooking horizons
3) Get up before the kiddos every morning for Bible study
4) Take the kids to new, fun places and get out more (especially after Hayden drops her morning nap... hallelujah!)

Christmas Memories

Just a few of the memories I'll be filing away in my mental 'Christmas Season of 2011' file:  

Preschool Christmas performance

Inspecting the nativity scene for the first time

Freezing our booties off at Rhema

My favorite picture of Christmas morning... Jax couldn't stop smiling about his Tic-Toc Croc costume.

My girls on the couch before we headed to Pa-Pa and Grandma's house for the rest of the day.  (Their shirts were made by my friend Terra at www.tickledsewpink.com - great prices and even better quality!  Thanks, Terra!)

Throw brother in the mix and things get a little crazy.  Emerson decides to stick her new Polly Pocket doll in her ear, Jax looks to be punching himself in the nose, and Hayden says, 'Who ARE you people?'

Video of the Week

I'm starting a new blog segment called "Video of the Week."  I'm going to do my best to put a video up each week, but I'm not holding myself to it.  I take lots and lots of videos of my kiddos and have them all archived by month on Vimeo, but sometimes I get behind in that process and they just sit on my camcorder.

Needless to say, the chosen video this week is of Jax, but it's from October.  He and Emerson love listening to their Best of Disney soundtracks in the car, and "Beauty and the Beast" is his favorite.  I'll be sad someday when Disney is no longer cool in the car, 'cause we can rock OUT to some Aladdin and Lion King.  Chances are if you're next to me at a stoplight in town, you'll find me in full Off-Broadway character, singing along with my peeps in the back.

Jaxeypoo, I wish you could stay two forever, sweet boy.  I love you dearly.

My favorite pronunciation in the video?  "Un-ek-thpec-ted-yee"  

Christmas Dancer

Emerson's Christmas dance performance was Tuesday.  Miss Shelly had matching PJs, bows and tutus for all of the girls to wear... it was the cutest thing!

Daddy held down the fort while I took pics.  Jax is goin' to TOWN on that sucker.

Getting some Daddy sugars after her dancing!

Hammin' it up with Molly and Anna, her two 'besties' in dance!

And probably her favorite part of all... the SUGAR at the end!

There's nothing like a 3 to 5-yr-old Christmas dance party to get yourself in the holiday spirit!

The Foreman

Every project needs a manager, right?  Hayden supervises her Daddy lowering her crib to the bottom setting. And no, she isn't walking yet, just crawling everywhere and pulling up to standing.

She's also added to her vocabulary... in addition to Mama, Dada, and Na-Na, she now says Boo when we play peekaboo.  So cute!

Family Pics

Instead of linking to the online site of our most recent session, I'm just gonna post some of my favorites.  Our wonderful photographer Kelly Stocksen (http://www.kellystocksenphotography.com/) met us at a park on a 90-degree October day and worked her magic.  We were sweating in our long sleeves, but by golly, I was gonna have fall clothes if it killed us all!

New Look!

I got all kinds of crazy today during the kids' naps and changed the entire look of my blog.  I noticed Blogger had added a huge selection of templates, and they looked super easy.  Mine had become quite a challenge to work with... I had been changing the width of the main section and the left column using HTML code, and it was becoming too much of a project every time I wanted to update.  

Sooooo, I've chosen a basic template, I can still do a few minor adjustments here and there, but overall this is going to be SO MUCH EASIER!  Hooray for easier!

I love how much room I have in the main section to post pictures.  Speaking of pictures, I'm working on uploading some of my favorites from Hayden's 9-month session.  I'll try and post in the next day or two.  Sneak preview in the left-hand column!   

9-month comparisons

Hayden turned 10 months last week, so I dug up pictures of each of the kiddos at 9 months.  I'm noticing they all three have the exact same nose.  I loved my babies at 9 months!