I just had to post this photo of Alex. It just makes me laugh every time I look at it!

Merry Christmas!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! We had a great holiday, my brother Joe his wife, Jane and his step girls Stephanie and Anna came Friday-Tuesday. We had a wonderful vist with all of them and Ella really enjoyed them as well. It was a whirl wind of a trip for them but I am so glad they came. We didn't do much on Chrsistmas Eve except do some shopping. We usually go to Mom and Dad's church Christmas Eve service at 9pm but this year we decided to just have a quite evening at home. We did some shopping that afternoon and got home around 5pm but I realized when I got home that I didn't have my purse...UGH! I drove the 20 miles back to the mall in small hopes someone turned it in. We had so much going on with the kids and packages when we were leaving I was getting everything out of the stroller and think I set it down but had all the packages in my arms and thought I had my purse on my shoulder but I think I left it sitting on the floor. So far, it has not turned up. BUT it could be much worse....I don't keep my wallet with credit cards etc. in my purse for that very reason so I didn't loose it and I had my cell phone in my pocket I did, however, loose a really nice digital camera. I had just put in a new disk so I only lost a handful of photos. I hated to loose it but glad I didn't have to worry about canceling credit cards, getting new ID or loosing several gift cards. At least I now know what I will be spending my gift cards on!!

Ella really enjoyed Christmas this year although she is not, nor has she ever been a fan of Santa. She won't even look at him in the mall, so I don't fight her on it. I did ask her the other day how was Santa going to know what she wanted for presents....her reply, I already have enough toys, I don't need more presents. How do I argue that point??? But she had fun baking cookies for Santa. She woke up around 7:45. Mom and Dad were already there to watch her open gifts and she liked opening them. She opened a gift and looked it over, and took her time. In fact about 1/2 way through she took her two favorite gifts so far into her room, shut the door and started to play. She does love her room and to play on her own. She came out after a few minutes and finished opening her gifts. Alex just chilled on Dad's lap. He mostly just watched all the action going on but he did get his first hot wheels car!

We went to Mom and Dad's around noon for the day and had a great lunch with my Aunt Jean and Grandpa. My Grandpa is doing great at 96. He stays in SC during the winter and golfs about 3 days a week with Dad! We had a nice lunch and then Ella and Alex had some gifts to open there. It was really nice and warm (high 60's) and just a nice day with family. This time last year I was very down as I didn't think we would be able to have any more children...we had been trying for over a year at that point so it was kind of a sad time for me and I had pretty much given up the hope of having another. Little did I know that in a few weeks God would be forming Alex in my womb....and now he is here!

Stephen's Dad and Dorane will be coming in today from KY for the weekend. We will get together with Stephen's famiy Saturday night at our house so that will be nice. Stephen's Dad has not seen Alex yet and he has not been here for Christmas before so it will be a nice time. We still miss Stephen's mother...she would have loved to have seen Alex and to know that Stephen has a son. This is our 2nd Christmas without her. It still doesn't seem real that she has been gone that long. We miss her.

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Christmas and will have a blessed new year. I hope we all remember the reason to celebrate, Christ Jesus and all He gave for us.

.................Christmas Fun!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

......................Back to Reality

Well Monday I go back to work....I have been off for 12 weeks and have loved every minute of it. I am fortunate to have been able to take 3 months off because I will never have that opportunity again. I have been trying to cherish the days but they just have gone by so fast. It has been wonderful. Monday I will take Alex to day care, and Ella will join him after school. His day care is amazing but they aren't "Mom". I will be ok though, it will take a week or so of adjustment. Sabrina, who sits next to me, will just have to deal with my emotions.....she sat next to me during my preganacy so I don't think anything could do her in. Bless her she was so great during some really difficult pregnant days....thanks Sabrina you are the best! She is also the same Sabrina who is a photographer on the side (just another little plug for her) :-)Speaking of work, I didn't make it to the Christmas ladies tea this year but I included some photos in my slide show (taken by Sabrina, another plug...you owe me LOL) just because the decorating is just, well, there is no way to describe it, you have to see it. This year the theme was Audry Hepburn-Breakfast at Tiffney's.

We had Alex's baby dedication last Sunday. My parents and Stephen Sister, Mary Kay, came. It was a really nice day.

Well we finally broke down and bought a Mini Van...I still can't believe it myself. We have been looking for a few weeks and I came across a Kia Sedona van on the net that looked great, it has really low miles and the price was unbelieveable. I researched it online and the price was way way below Kelly Blue Book, so I thought there was a catch or it was listed incorrectly but we got there and the price was correct. It has all the bells and whistles that we never thought we'd be able to afford...leather seats, DVD entertainment system, power everything and I got a suprise the other day I was walking to the van, pressed a button on the key remote thinking I was unlocking the doors and the van started up!!! How cool is that?? So Mom and Dad are in Ohio so I have not told them yet, they will be happy for us. Dad would be happier with an American made van LOL...no he will be very happy for us too.

My brother and sister-in-law and my step neices are coming next week. I am excited to see them as it's been a year and they have not see Alex yet. It will be a fun time having them here.

Ella is still doing great and loving school. She is telling everyone that we have the biggest giantest car so she is excited as well. She is excited about Christmas but can't stand Santa, she won't even look at him. Every Christmas she is frowning sitting on Santa's lap...I don't even think we will get a photo with santa this year.
She is 4 and some things just aren't worth the battle : )

Holly

.....................Giving Thanks

I know it's late for a Thanksgiving post but so it goes....We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We went to Mom and Dad's and my Aunt and Uncle Ricki and Ron joined us. My brother was coming from Louisiana, while his wife Jane and his step children Stephanie and Anna went to NY for the Macy's parade and shopping. However their dog was not doing well so he stayed in LA. We missed him but they are all coming the week before Christmas so that will be great to have all of them here. It was a great day, lots of food and laughs. Ella played outside in the leaves and Alex, well he just chilled out on the bouncy seat and slept. Some things I am thankful for this year: Stephen-I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband, my girl Ella-she is just amazing and keeps us laughing and on our toes all the time, my boy Alex-one year ago I was trying so hard to be at peace with the fact that we probably would not be able to have another child and here he is. My parents that are the most giving people, my job-although I am loving being on maternity leave and would love to stay at home, I do love my job. A lot of people can't say that about their career but I do just love it. I feel so blessed that since I can't stay at home, I love where I work. I am thankful for our home and where we live, it's so easy to want for more but we have all of our needs met and that is plenty. Finally, I am most thankful for a God who loves us all, enough to give his Son that we may have life.

Since Thanksgiving we have put up our tree, we got a real one this year. This is the first real tree since early in our marriage and it's beautiful and smells great. Ella enjoyed decorating it. She is still enjoying school, not enough to hop out of bed in the moring...I still have to drag her out of bed but she does love it. Alex is doing great. He is 10 weeks old this week and still not one sleepless night woo hoo!!! He is growing so much and just smiles all the time and started laughing last week, which is just so much fun. He is reaching for things and is facinated with the lights on the tree. We take him back to the Children's Hospital on Monday to get a check on his Cystic Hygroma, it's larger than what it was but he is dong fine. Stephen has been busy landscaping all day at work and then coming home and working on our own yard. Little by little we are getting the yard the way we want it. The back and side of the house is pretty good now we are tackling the front. We started with just the one side of the house and will complete the rest of the yard by next fall. He dug up all the shrubs and planted a new bed. It looks great and I can't wait until the rest of the yard is done.

Christmas is around the corner and I am trying to get everything done before I return to work which will be here before I know it. I go back on the 15th. I already told Sabrina, who sits next to me, to have tissues on my desk ready. It will be an emotional day. After a week or so I think we will all be settled. Well, it's early in the moring and I need to get Ella up and ready for school....another day, another battle.

Holly