SEVEN Christmases. But who's counting?

 Yes, that's right, 7 Christmases.  6 on Christmas day.  So here goes with lots of pics and play-by-plays.  :)

Christmas Eve we went to my Grandmommie's house to do Christmas with my Mom's side of the family.  Ryder - having no idea what's coming...

Poppy & the kids.

 All the boys... Ryder, Andy, Luke, Ben, Josh

 Paisley was really getting into her presents!

 Me & my little Christmas princess.

 Paisley, Me & Grandmommie.

 Paisley & Aunt Robin

 We got home on Christmas Eve and put out Santa's cookies (Ryder is yelling "Santa!" here)

 Then Santa's elves had work to do... work we were unaware of... He's an angry elf.

 We went to bed around 1am, but it was all worth it when we saw the look on their faces!  Poppy brought the kids down stairs to our annual song, "Early on One Christmas Morn," and when Ryder saw everything he couldn't even scream he was so excited.  He was just holding his fists in the air!  So cute!!  Then he saw Santa's cookies were gone... And just had this look of shock!

Seeing his, "bicycle with pedals," just like he asked for.

 Checking out Paisley's kitchen!

 Looking at her stocking stuff!

 What is it??

 A guitar!

 Checking it out with daddy..

 Paisley opening presents with Mimi...

 Kisses for her new doll!

 And DRUMS.  He's even got the tongue going here...

 Train set!

 Family pic!  And YES - I have no make up on, can't believe I'm revealing this one!

 Trying out the bike real quick... come on, we've got 5 other houses!

 On to Grammy & Grandpa's

So excited about the new car playscape

Grammy & Paisley girl

 Sarah & Mini - Sarah

 Aunt Rachel & their TENT!

 Next stop Grandma & Grandpa Williams.  

 The cousins playing piano.  Cooper, Ryder, Landon.

 Paisley & her Daddy.

 From there we drove to Greenville to see my Grandmommie's extended family.  The kids took a quick breather in the car...

 Didn't get any pics there for some reason... was wearing down!  From there we drove back and went to Grandma West's house.  

 Aunt Renita the Great playing with Ryder

 Paisley laughing with Poppy & Mimi.

 Then finally at about 7pm we headed to house number 6 - Nana's.  Ryder opening his cement truck!

 Paisley & her new Princess Mobile!  

There we got to meet baby Avery for the first time.  Avery was born in November to Blake & Stephanie.  Paisley checking her out...

 We finally headed home to Mimi & Poppy's about 10pm.  Not that you're counting, but that's 14hrs and 6 houses on Christmas day!

THIS is how we all felt...

But very Blessed.  Thanks everyone for making it a very Merry Christmas.

I {heart} news babies!

 So happy to say that my friend Kristin had her baby on Thursday, December 23rd!  Just in time for me to drop by on our way out of town for Christmas and meet sweet, precious baby Elle Madison Edwards! I am so proud of Momma Kristin and we are extremely happy & excited for her & Phillip as they enter into the fun world of parenthood!  Me and the sweet itty bitty...

We headed home Thursday night and on Christmas Eve I FINALLY got to go meet baby Hudson!  Michelle gave birth to Hudson Stuart Curry on December 2nd!  He was early due to all he was making his Mamma endure at the end of pregnancy!  But, he is so sweet!  I got to just sit and hold him forever.  There's just something about a little newborn in your arms!  So happy for Michelle, Chris & big brother Hayden!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Letting Go, Letting Go, Letting Go...

As I sit here with my coffee this morning, bags packed (mostly), Christmas lights glowing in the background and the kids watching Charlie Brown (again!) all is OK in our tiny little corner of the world.
The past few weeks have be so overwhelmingly stressful.  I've wanted to cry but for some reason couldn't - which is wierd because I'm admittedly  a very weepy kind of girl.  I just felt like I had to hold it all together.  We just can't get the sickness out of our house (more on that in a moment), I've had to work way more than normal (and at multiple times wanted to chunk an eggnog latte in someone's face!), and feel like  because of all of it we've barely enjoyed the most wonderful time of the year.  We've not been able to do a lot of the normal holiday things I love to do and have been so stressed doing the ones we have.  Tuesday afternoon it all came to a head.  I was in the doctors office to round out 5 appointments in less than 3 weeks when it hit me..
Why this only happens to us on the holidays I do not know.  Ryder's been battleing ear infections with no help from the antibiotic for 2 weeks.  And by the time we got there BOTH kids had ear infections in BOTH ears plus Ryder had a virus with over 103 fever.  The doctor ask me if I was willing to give him a big huge antibiotic shot.  Was I willing?!?!?  YES!  please, could we just all get one.  (Including the dog, he's probably next!)  This was a big daddy shot in both legs and they brought in 2 nurses for reinforcement.  As my baby boy was laying there held down on the table 4 days before Christmas  - there came the tears.  I've never cried when my kids got shots, but this was painful and he was looking at me, screaming with this helpless look... kinda how I feel like I've been looking at God lately.
At that point I let go.  I can't control it all.  I've done what I could.  I'm letting go of the rest.
I'm letting go...
of the fact that I haven't cooked dinner for nights and the kids might not have had the proper servings of vegetables.
of the fact that I haven't been to the Y all week and have had more than my share of salted carmel hot chocolate from work.
of the fact that the girl that shops all year is not done Christmas shopping.
of the fact that I've not been able to go to all the Christmas parties I wanted to this year.
of the fact that I'm not going to do any holiday baking, unlike some, I truly enjoy it.
of the fact that I've still not gotten to go to meet my sweet, sweet dear friend's new baby, Hudson.
of the fact that I might not be here when my sweet, sweet friend has baby Elle (although as I write this she is now IN labor!)
of the fact that I can't be there to hug my dear friend who's just found out her mother has cancer.
of the fact that we will not be able to please everyone this holiday with the crazy Christmas day schedule we have to try to keep.
of the fact that my house is a complete disaster and will be that way when we get back on Monday.
of the fact that this list could go on for 3 blogs.


All that to say, Christmas is here.  It came really fast this year and although there are only a few days left,  I'm letting go. 
Letting go now and with simple, childlike faith, letting that little baby in a manger take control.  

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord...  Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men.

Let Go. And have a very Merry Christmas.

First Christmas Program!

A few weeks ago we had our Christmas program at church.  It was Ryder's on stage debut!  (Well, that might be a bit of a stretch.)  He looked so cute when he came out with his class...

Singing the first song.  Which he maybe sang 2-3 words of :)

 Oh, time for a rest.  

 I was trying to be sneaky and not let him see me... failed.  He saw me.   This is about the point in song number 2 when he started yelling at me, "I need to go POTTY!"  So that's what we did during song 3.

 And then he finished up the rest of the program with this...

 At the end they came back up and did a little Charlie Brown nativity thing, but I was on stage during that part to sing at the end and didn't get any pictures.   But here's Ryder showing off his cow shirt with Daddy afterwards... 

While I'm on the church subject thought I'd show some pics of the banners I made for church.  This was for the kids area, Promiseland...

 And in the lobby we used a lot of sheet music, old papers and birds and I did 2 for that area.

 This one was big and said Joy to the World, but only got a good pic of JOY.

It was fun.  Starting beginning of the year I'll have lots of new party stuff for Perfectly Paisley!