Shortest Visit on Record

Krissy and I, with the boys. Ellis is behind the cup.
Good idea for a picture, yet I look like an insect in my favorite glasses!

Ellis

Camden

Micahbird

Every year my roommate from college, Krissy(she prefers Kristen), and her family stop by and stay with us to or from their home of New Orleans. But their kiddos are getting older and they can now make the trek in a day...so no sleepovers for us. We didn't want to miss seeing them since it had been about 6 mths since their last drive thru. So we drove to the Varsity to eat and visit. With 3 children between us now we did more eating than visiting. Still, it was good to see their faces and kiss the babies, who are growing up. I miss my Krissy so much! Micah loved seeing them but was way to active to sit still. Is he the only child like this?

Monday Night Moe's

Paxton climbing on Micah
Our little barber

Sweet Smile!

It is near impossible to get both of these boys in a picture, but I thought both of their smiles in this one were so cute.

Most Monday nights we hit up Moe's because Micah likes it and we are cheap. On Monday's you get a cheese dip and drink free with your tacos. (fyi: Taco Tuesdays run a close second with bogo free tacos) And since Micah just likes cheese and a tortilla then his is free too(because he works it with the staff there). The Dobb's also like this tradition and headed up there with us last night. Val and Dennis ended up coming too. It is always good to see them. After dinner Amy thought it would be a good idea for the boys to go jump. At 8:00? Not so much...although Mick did bring out the spotlight which made nighttime jumping seem very cool. We will definitely be "Jumping into the New Year" tomorrow! So we brought the boys inside before they caught pnemonia and they played in a warmer, safer environment. Paxton is really moving now and loved playing with Micah's toys. He had never really noticed them before.

dunnanunnanunnanunnanunna

BATMAN!

We loved Super Duper so much we went back and bought Batman too. Stay tuned for our last superhero later this week! Micah has been quite the character lately and I thought I needed to write some of his happenings so that I can remember.

~ He constantly yells "Watch, Watch" until we say " Yes Micah we are watching" Just looking at him does not count. Micah then procedes to do a trick. So far the tricks consist of sticking out his tongue, clapping his hands, making strange noises, banging his head against something(not one that we encourage), or sitting trying to think of something for us to watch.

~He talks constantly and especially when he wakes up from sleep. He just immediately starts running through his lists of words that he knows, it cracks me up.

~He loves hotwheels. Hayden brought some over the other day and they are his new found passion and my new found occupier.

~ He can now swim in the tub. Thankfully with the tubes gone the tub has become so much more fun. We are working on him floating on his back.

I am having writer's block lucky for you so I will stop there.

jump! jump!

Mid Jump!
Can you see him laughing?

Can you see my thighs burning?

Mick was getting Micah's booty...he thought it was so funny!

The big contraption for our little person!

I mentioned before that Micah got a trampoline from Mick's parents for Christmas. Micah loves the trampoline at gymnastics and Mick was determined he "needed" one this Christmas. He says it is good for agility...etc...even though the sign on the side of it says it isn't for children under six. I will say that it is nice to zip that baby up and let Micah go to town while I get some housework done. Just teasing...but he does just entertain himself in there. Something he rarely does. Mick is feeling a little under the weather so I got on to jump, jump with Micah bird today. I worked up a sweat and my calves were burning. I think it might be a daily workout for me. Micah was so cute, we took turns jumping...he would sit on the side while I did toe touches for him and then I would sit on the side while he did a seatdrop for me! I think this trampoline will be used quite frequently...the only problem is getting him off of it without a fit. So far that hasn't happened. Thanks again to Nana and Pops, for the trampoline, not the fits!

The best for last...

My little superman!
and my big one too!

Trying to get a family picture since we didn't take one all Christmas!

Super Duper!

After we got home there was nothing left to do. Micah took a nap and we picked up. Then Micah got up and played with us. We had so much fun just being together as a family. We didn't even turn on the tv, which is a big one because I am sure there was a sporting event happening somewhere. I am so thankful for what we have and for our little Micah man.

The Superman pj's came with a cape and Micah loved them. I picked them out because they also light up. Micah called himself "super duper" all day and would show you his muscles, it was priceless. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I think this is the last post for me...if you are still reading thanks!

Christmas Day-Part 2

Don't be confused it wasn't halloween. The girls got dress up clothes and Micah got Superman pj's so they all wanted to put them on. So cute!

We rushed to Nana and Pops to get to work on the insane amount of presents they had bought us. Boy is it nice not to have to spend alot of money on Christmas since they do! The kids were all pretty spent by lunch time so it was hit or miss getting to open presents. Micah only wanted toys and everytime I would open a box with a polo shirt, etc. he would start screaming no, no, no! Silly boy! We all got great things and Bay is definitely the one who "gets it" of the kiddos. I can't imagine what it will be like over there in a few years. Nana and Pops also gave Micah a trampoline that my dad and Mick put together...but it has been cold and rainy thus far. There will be a special blog just for that to thank them. We ate lunch there then ran out to get Micah home in time for his nap. All of this family, food, and presents in just under 5 hours!

Christmas Day-Part 1

Mom reading her gift from Micah...

he made one for Grandmama and Aunt Dot too!

cute belt from Jenny!

This harmonica stole the show...for a $1.

Just thought some of you might want to see proof of me in the kitchen...ok so I am taking bacon out of the microwave but don't judge me people. There were grits and muffins...

This is what happens when you have too much Christmas. We looked down and Micah had just laid down in the midst of things.

Micah and his mo mo.

We had the first part of Christmas morning with just us and Micah was so cute. I put the very few gifts that we got him under a sheet on our living room table and had him pull it off. He wasn't sure what to think...after a bit he realized their were goodies underneath and he went to town. We got him the Little People Nativity Set and a few motorcycles...and a few books, etc. But the nativity and mo mo's were the main gifts. He loved them both and we went over the story of Jesus with the little people. I know that I am silly to think that Micah can understand but at least if we start now he may understand a little bit earlier right? Mick and I exchanged our gifts, and then we went to cooking breakfast for my parents, grandmother and my great Aunt Dot. Mick cooked omelets and I did the rest in between showering and playing with Micahbird. I had been pretty unsettled all Christmas eve but woke up just feeling the Lord's peace. Some of you must have prayed for me. Things were still hard but I really felt like God was there working on my ever analytical brain. My parents gave Micah John Deere boots and a belt with his name on it and a camo hat. Micah put them all on and looked so like our little redneck baby. After rushing to clean up it was off to Nana and Pops for more of the same...but I at least didn't have to do the cooking.

Christmas Eve

Awaiting the service...Micah was in awe...much like we should be of Jesus himself.

Candles ready? Hayden and Micah wouldn't both look at the same time.
Playing with the hay.

For the last two years we have hit up the kid friendly Christmas eve Candlelight service and it has been short and sweet. I miss running into all my old church friends but the fact that Micah can actually sit through the entire service (with a little help from our snack, thank you Mr. Goldfish) is a Christmas miracle on its own. Micah's friend Jaxson brought his family too and Hayden and my family was also there. Micah blew out Mick's candle 3 times and Jaxson almost caught Taron's hair on fire. Other than that, the boys hung out at the nativity and then we headed home. We had bbq and brunswick stew for our meal and I think it will be a new tradition. Mick's fam also came over for dinner but I was a little stressed so I didn't take any pictures. Micah went to bed pretty easily and Mick and I set out his toys. There was a new anticipation for Christmas this year knowing Micah actually would get excited about playing and opening. Our tradition to read the story of Jesus' birth wasn't very picturesque but we simply "got through it" hopefully Micah will be more willing to listen in the years to come.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

No pictures this morning; just Jesus. I am always up early on Christmas, always have been. I thought it was the urge for gifts that awoke me but now that I am at my own house it isn't that anymore. It is the opportunity to spend some alone time with the very reason for our gift-giving. I am not going to lie, this is possibly the hardest Christmas yet...stress within the family, my sister being absent, Micah still being sniffly and some personal stuff with me going on makes it a little hard to focus on someone other than myself. BUT I think all of this is happening at this time for that very reason! I am so reminded to focus on God and not circumstance. Just wanted to share a few things from the Lord this morning and say Merry Christmas!
"Why does God allow such warfare(my translation:Why does God allow stuff to make us anxious, whether it be trivial or not?)?"
"Sometimes God uses the fight to strengthen muscles we'll need at that next level. If yesterday's wimp is going to become tomorrow's warrior, something has to happen TODAY."
(even if today is Christmas:))

bucket boys

They didn't want to be put down after they had been airplanes!

We had dinner with our friends the Wallace's tonight and as always had a fun time. The one disappointment was again our hopes for Monkey Joe's were ruined. They changed to "holiday hours" after we checked and closed the doors while we were pulling up. Micah was so upset and Taron and I were too. So all the boys had were buckets to play with as a consolation. Kevin apparently carries Jaxson around in a laundry basket and they play airplane. This is a game definitely made for the smaller thinner toddler. Since Micah almost broke the bucket! Mick and Kevin carried the boys around the house and I think Taron and I laughed harder than any of the boys.

Unfortunately Micah coughed once during his nap and after helping me dust and vacuum the house his nose was running! How can I lay him in his bed completely healthy and then 3 hours later..snotty nose comes out. Please pray with me that it would just be allergies from our cleaning and tomorrow a healthy boy. We spent last Christmas sick and we all remember Thankspuking so we were really hoping for a well couple of weeks for Micahbird!

Family Fun and a Snaggletooth

Every Sunday we have dinner with Mick's family. This week was a little crazy because Hayden came with us and we all waited at Nana and Pops house for a long time before going to dinner. 4 kids in a small space is not neccesarily a blessing. Bay had a loose tooth and everyone was determined to pull it(except me) it gives me the heeby geeby's. Mick offered her 5 bucks and then it got serious. Within a small time period and a few trips to the bathroom with Wendy it was out. She made 15 dollars in a matter of minutes. I tried to get one of my back teeth out because we need the money too and I didn't figure anyone would miss it, but I couldn't get it, maybe I should have let Aunt Wendy at it:)

Oh yeah, and we were dressed like the Claus family in the Christmas spirit!

hayden's camera fun!

Hayden apparently got a hold of my camera Sunday night and he took everyones picture. I thought I would share because as I scrolled through everyone had the same face and it just basically cracked me up, I didn't know he took anyone's picture except for ours. Everyone was more than happy to "work it" for our little photographer!