Downtown Charlotte

When my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were here the week before Christmas we took one evening to explore downtown (ironically also called uptown) Charlotte all decorated for Christmas. It was freezing cold (literally), but we lasted from late afternoon until the Panthers/Vikings game ended. No small feat with 5 kids and their 4 parents!

A Thank You to My Mom

Thank you for having me. I loved it when you used to tell me that you wanted 3 kids and you just knew I was a girl because that is what you wanted.

Thank you for feeding us a healthy diet, even before healthy was cool. ;)

But thank you also for knowing when a good excuse for chocolate or ice cream was.

Thank you for spending time teaching me to sew, I still use that skill and you would be proud if you could have seen some of the cool costumes I have made for the kids.

Thank you for all the times you walked with me around Balboa Island, took me out of school for a ditch day to Knott's Berry Farm, and took me shopping. Some of my best memories.

Thank you for being willing to bend your rules when you knew we were worthy of your trust and for not bending them when they were there for good reason.

Thank you for letting us be involved in all kinds of activities from sports to plays to youth group.

Thank you for allowing us to do the things we could afford to do and thank you for saying no when we couldn't afford them.

Thank you for giving me a love of the beach, but also for putting lots of sunscreen on me.

Thank you for sharing your love of little kids with me. I know you would just adore your 5 grandkids.

Thank you for reading to me every night, taking me to the library, and buying me books on special occasions.

Thank you for the summer trip we took around the whole west side of America. It was so fun to explore together and have you all to myself for a couple weeks.

Thank you for teaching me to bake chocolate chip cookies and I'm sorry about the time you got on the phone and I just started adding ingredients by myself.

Thank you for letting me crawl into bed with you when I was scared or hurting, even though I am sure you slept much better when I wasn't there.

Written Mother's Day 2010, my 11th without my mom.

I'm Gonna Like Me!

The other night I was reading the kids a book called "I'm Gonna Like Me : Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem" during our (almost) nightly book reading and/or Bible study time. It's a cute little children's story about liking yourself and being proud of all the things that make you different and special. I was talking to the kids about self esteem because I think it is really important and is something teachable, to an extent. When we were done with the book I decided to go around and ask them what they really like about themselves. I had no clue what they were going to say. Sophie piped right up and said, "I love that I have a family." How sweet is that?

True though. They are all very proud to have a family. Obviously something most kids don't think about. They are always thrilled to point me out to their friends at school and church when I am with them. One of the things that makes our kids unique is their past. They really appreciate things most kids have never been without. And while it is heartbreaking that they haven't always had a family to care for them, it is part of their own powerful testimony.

Our Favorite Christmas Lights

One of Kevin's coworkers goes all out to celebrate Christmas with an awesome display of Christmas lights each year. He starts putting them up at the beginning of November. He is so serious about it that when they moved a couple years ago they bought this house over some others because it was a corner lot with a lot more space for lights! Mark does a great job and our kids think he is just so cool. Don't tell Mark this (Kevin is afraid his ego would inflate too much ;) ) but when the kids are playing at home the boys often say their name is Mark. How funny!

Sophie and I took Uncle Noah, Aunt Maggie, and Henry over to see them one night. Of course Henry really liked them too!

Christmas Visitors

The day following the cookie party Uncle Noah (my brother), Aunt Maggie, and the kids only cousin Henry came for a visit. This is their second timing visiting since the kids came home and we were so thrilled they were coming for 5 days! It is so much fun to have family around for the holidays. So my next few posts will be about all the great fun we had leading up to Christmas.

I had asked Maggie before they came to visit if she would teach the kids about some of the Hanukah traditions she grew up with. She treated us all to the most amazing latkes and homemade applesauce and taught the kids the dreidel game. Thanks, Aunt Maggie!

Christmas Cookies!

The girls did a Christmas cookie decorating party last year and had a blast so asked to do it again this year. We didn't have enough going on the last week of school before winter break ;) so we decided to do it then! We did it on Friday after school. Sugar cookies to decorate and gingerbread to cut. We had a very sweet time! (A neighbor and I planned a party for the boys too that week. We were too busy keeping those little guys occupied to get pictures though!)

Christmas Cheer

The kids' activities kept us super busy the week before their winter break started. All 4 kids had class parties (thankfully different days and times), the girls had observation days in dance (they are each in ballet, hip-hop/jazz, acro, and tap), and the first graders had a holiday singing production. What a week. Here is some of the fun!

Christmas Whimsy

I love the whole Christmas season. There is nothing like cuddling up on the couch in tree lit room munching on wintery snacks with a warm drink. I hope my kids always remember those times too and feeling of importance and togetherness the whole season brings.



My decorating is pretty traditional Pottery Barn style. I do love a little whimsy added in here and there. The kids love the Santa's Village. My grandpa was a carpenter and had a big house he built and decorated with my grandma that had all the elves snacking on cookies and such. (At least that is how I remember it.) I would stare at that house for hours. Grandma and Grandpa's house was a very magical place for all us grandkids. There was always something cooking from scratch, whimsical decorations handmade by the two of them, and the coolest play house ever built to pretend in. This village reminds me of how I felt when I was a kid and I would go there to visit.




Julian's Christmas Lego Train

Some of my favorite ornaments:



My favorite childhood ornament.


Nothing is sweeter than a tree full of ornaments made with love and hung with pride.


Another of mine from when I was a kid.


One I remember hanging on our family tree when I was a kid.


One of my favorites that Kevin and I bought to decorate our tree the first year we were married.