Thursday, December 20, 2007

Merry Christmas From Our Family!

A couple of weekends ago we set out after church for an eventful afternoon of picture taking! Crazy as it is to try to get 3 kids to cooperate, we got some cute pictures. I love looking back and seeing how we've all changed! Just for fun, I've included one from 2006- take a look at the difference a year makes!!

2006- "Then"
2007- "Now"


Eden gives a thumbs-up for pictures!!
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Here's Collin- our big 3 year old!

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Griffin at 2!

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Eden's First Christmas and Christmas Dress!



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With Grammie and Mommy! Thanks for the awesome dress and bow Grammie!

Mommy with her boys!

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Daddy with the kids...


My favorite pic of the day! Look at her smile!
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Grammie and Pop-Pop with the grandchildren.Going for a stroll.

Another one of my favorites!

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Merry Christmas!

BCM Christmas Party

Sometimes I get so carried away posting family stuff, that I "forget" to share some of the other things going on in our lives. God has been doing great stuff at the BCM! Lives are being changed, people are accepting the Lord as their Savior and of course there is always room for some fellowship! Here are just a few fun pictures from the BCM Christmas party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Swope, an awesome couple who volunteer their time, their resources and give from their hearts all the time!
Food!!
Gifts for the white elephant exchange!
Eden enjoying time with Tiffany and my cell phone!
Pool anyone?
Getting instructions for the gift exchange.
Rahul ended up with this fine elf hat!

Eric wasn't as lucky! :-)

Sunday, December 16, 2007

O Christmas Tree...

Well, finally I am getting around to posting our Christmas Tree decorating adventure. I say adventure because anytime you try to do something as tedious as this with three little ones, three years and younger, it's always full of twists and turns that you weren't expecting! Our first decision this year was to switch back to an artificial tree. In our 5 years of marriage, we have never had an artificial tree! Many years ago, while a student at FSU, I had purchased one for my apartment. So, out of storage it came. The main reason we made the "big decision" was because of one curious little 9 month old! Eden has to put everything in her mouth. If I turn around for one second, she has found something to chew on or eat! Shoes, toys, lint, paper, and the list goes on. We thought it would be much wiser to have something artificial hanging out in our living room for a month, than a beautiful shedding green tree! At any rate, here are a few images from our experience!

Eden got to go first, since it is after all her first Christmas.
She was putting on an ornament before the lights even made it up, primarily because I thought it was going to be too late for her! In other words, she'd be super fussy and ready for bed. She surprised us and made it all the way to the end of the whole ordeal!
I think she enjoyed it just by the sweet expression on her face.
Collin was busy trying to get the lighting situation straightened out. Every year I am very organized about the lights, but they were borrowed for a shower and came back a little knotted up. Being a tad O.C.D., Collin thought he could fix the problem without any trouble. Turns out, he needed a little help! :-)
Finally, he got to put on some ornaments!

Griffin wanted to reach way up high with his Daddy!
And way down low too, all on his own! I think I must have moved dozens of ornaments off of these 5 branches once the boys were in bed!
Collin looked so tall during all the decorating!
Here's Griffin posing with the tree!

I was just playing around with some exposures and post editing. This was a fun picture, but now that our homemade ornaments are up and presents are slowly getting wrapped, I think I'll take another one and post it soon too!

Another First

One day, while I was all alone with the little ones, I decided to be one brave Mommy! I allowed all three kids to take a bath... TOGETHER! It was probably one of the funniest and most precious things I have seen in a long time! I will preface this post with- "I apologize, I couldn't narrow the pictures down to less than 13!" Bear with me- I am after all, just one proud Mom!
The boys introducing Eden to a bubble bath- "big kid style." Eden was more interested in her belly button!
She loved it! Check out that smile!
Funny hair dos!
Eden ended up with one that looked more like a bow!
Perfect right?!
Trying to give her another special do!
Griffin was getting a little carried away! :-)
But, Eden liked all the attention!
Griffin as Santa!
Collin looks like he has a bonnet on here! ha!
Eden thinking her brothers are nuts!
A bit more serious when she realizes she's related!
Finally, she reciprocated all those bubbles in her hair by giving Collin a few new hair styles of his own!

I may have been soaking wet by the end of this cleaning up activity, but it was one experience that was completely priceless and brought more smiles and laughter than I could have ever imagined!