December 27, 2011

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  my favorite outtake from mom&dad's christmas picture this year -

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  we will call this 'one big christmas post'
  
  laundry. red velvet cake. blogging. that's the plan today .... not necessarily in that order. really the red velvet is in between all of it : )

  i don't cook. i don't bake. but i'm perfecting the red velvet. i follow grandma's recipe as perfectly as i can. i mix, stir, blend, measure, bake & let cool at exactly the right times.

  
  this year it was good.

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  my red finger nail polish is chipping off. my left hand especially, as it was painted with my right hand on the way to church sunday. i should have had mom do them when she did the girls .....

  i'm enjoying a day with only 3 things on the list ...

  i'm enjoying texts from amie that say she's on her way over .... just like that.

  and without sounding cheesy, i'm so glad for how rex takes care of us. for his job & how it provides for us. for him being the man & doing what he's suppose to do. it hit me when i was sweeping the floor this morning ....

  the 1st part of this post will be about christmas tree lane - a local street where nearly every house goes all out with lights, wooden soldiers, tacky blow up snow men, nativity scenes & really everything else they think to set on their lawns & string lights around. we weren't going to go ... then i was going to stay ... then we borrowed every coat mom had & decided to walk it, instead of drive.

  
  dad & jack -

  
  regan watching the house that times their lights to music -

  

  

  

  

  
  these are the things you do that are crazy when you start them & by the time they're over you have memories worth remembering.

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  we had this big ol' slumber party at moms friday night .... just 'cause every one was here & it was crazy & mom doesn't have enough beds for all of us & the air mattress went flat & we stayed up til 2 am wrapping gifts for each other in front of each other & watching the help.  dad went to his starbucks, where they know him by name & brought back christmas eve goodness -

  
  
   

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  we eat. we give those gifts we wrapped in front of each other. we play games. we don't really get dressed. we are just together.

  

  
  i completely stomped them in mexican train ... amie & sailor were not impressed : )

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  the games, food & football watching needed to be walked off -

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  rex & i rewatched the nativity story christmas eve while we stuffed stockings & set out gifts.  rex has this luke 11:13 view on christmas gifts for the kids ... he seriously delights in giving good gifts.

    
  they aren't the wake up at 4am on christmas type of kids : ) rex & i can make it out to the couch with quilts & a camera and wait for them still .... and as you can see from jacky's eye rubbing he actually was woke up.

  
  merry christmas, sailor janey -

  
  every stocking has an orange .... and she is actually one kid that likes them.

  

  
  it goes very fast, he says -

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  this next part was really amie's idea .... it's been over a year & a half since we've all been together, she thought we needed pictures. so after church we grouped up, set up the tripod, tried convincing regan she didn't have to be in uncle chady's arms the entire time & clicked away : )

  

  

  

  

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   
  

  

  

  

  

  
   

  

  
  
  and regan was still totally into chad and her picture turned out like this : )
  

  

  
  

  
   

  
  the great thing about this picture is the next time it's taken they'll be two more little kids in it -

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  april read us stories that she cried through ... 'cause she is that beautiful ~

  

  
  
  
  cousins, christmas of 2011 -

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  this has been my favorite christmas song this year .... maybe because there's been this slightly over the top emphasis on what is christmas & what its not .... & well, that's another soap box entirely : )  maybe it rings true 'cause i'm weeks out of having a baby.

  ' .... and the Word became flesh & dwelt among us ....'
  amazing.
  
  
  
  merry christmas !!!

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  • 9:02 pm
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