Christmas Cheer

Here is a glimpse of all our fun!Kenadie LOVED going to see the Lewis Lights! She was so much fun to watch. Papa and Kay Kay went with us, and for two years now, we went to eat at Cracker Barrel before going to see the lights. Sounds like a tradition in the making to me :)Barney, Baby Bop and B.J. were, by far, her favorites!"Making" cookies for Santa. She was quite proud of herself :)After making our cookies, we head out to do Christmas with the Smith and Zumwalt families. Our first stop was the Christmas Eve service at First Baptist Church in Ellisville. Much to my surprise, Kenadie went straight in to the nursery, without looking back! Couldn't believe it!Kenadie and cousin Ava at the Smith's. After dinner and exchanging gifts with the Smith family, we head to Laurel to see the Zumwalts.We're back from the Christmas Eve festivities and pouring Santa his milk.Santa made his visit!and so did Uncle Wes, Aunt Joy, Hayden and Henry!!! We spend Christmas morning and day with my family and then go to Papaw and D's house for dinner and presents.
Merry Christmas!!!

"My Christmas List"

As I was working on some projects in the dining room, I hear Kenadie repeatedly saying "my Christmas list, my Christmas list." I check to see what she is talking about and this is what I see...If you look closely, someone got into the baby wipes and had a little fun pretending it was her Christmas list :)

So long, farewell

Well...we have achieved another milestone, but unlike crawling, walking, talking etc., this one leaves me a bit sadder. I remind you, I am VERY sentimental :) As of Friday, we are paci-less. I had always had in my mind that we would get rid of the pacifier when Kenadie turned two. That was the magic number/time. Well, October came and I just wasn't ready. Just the thought of it made me want to cry. It meant that Kenadie would have one less thing that was strongly labeled "baby."

It's something how when you have an infant, you can't wait for them to be able to keep the pacifier in their mouth. I am pretty sure when Kenadie was a newborn I purchased EVERY style of pacifier just to find one she could keep in her mouth. When she turned one, "pat-pat" as she originally called it, only appeared in her bed and her bag at church. That was a good thing for us because it made getting in her bed less of an issue. It gave her something to look forward to because she knew it was in there. "Pat pat" at some point became "pap-si" and then eventually "paci."

So how are we doing without it? It wasn't as bad as I thought. The first night was quite pitiful because somehow a paci ventured downstairs and she knew it was on the kitchen counter. She kept telling us "paci downstairs" while doing the cry that TOTALLY breaks your heart. We just told her that we didn't have paci anymore--very original, huh :) Then, yesterday at nap time, she asked for it, and I told her we didn't have it anymore. She then asked "why" which was also a first, the 3 letter word that I'm sure we will hear over and over and over again... I just told her she was a big girl now and that seemed to "pacify" her. She layed down and told me goodnight. So, I would say we are doing pretty good :) I think next year, when this is all off her mind, one of her pacis may just have to turn into a Christmas ornament or something :)

Santa and Snow, Ho Ho Ho...

A special guest recently made a stop by Aaron's work...This is about how happy Kenadie was to see Santa :)

All day long, prior to going to see Santa, I kept telling Kenadie who we were going to see, what he might say to her, etc. I asked her what she was going to say to him and she told me "Hi Santa, I Kenadie." I told her that would be perfect to tell Santa. I then told her he may ask her what she wants for Christmas... which I have never even done :) but anyway, she actually responded with "presents." So, somehow, I guess they pick up on that pretty quickly... I then asked her what she would like inside the presents and she paused for a second, looked down at my feet, and said "socks" cute :) Well, from the above picture, you can probably tell that she wasn't about to greet Santa with a friendly "Hi Santa, I Kenadie." Or for that matter, even mutter out that she wanted socks :)I finally must have said something to get her to look up.

After the Santa excitement on Friday, it only got better when we woke up to this Saturday morning...
It's a bit hard to believe that in south MS, this is Kenadie's 3rd snow and she is only two! She had started to get a little bit congested, so we pretty much just went out for a quick photo shoot :) Lily, on the other hand, would have played in the snow until it melted :)Kenadie's pink hat was definitely the highlight of her 3rd snow experience. She LOVES hats and wore this one until nap time :) So long snow. Hopefully we will see you again next year :)

These Are A Few of Our Favorite Things

So, I received a request for a post, and I am fulfilling it :) Thought I would share some of Kenadie's favorite toys/books that she has really enjoyed. Maybe you have a toddler on your Christmas list and this may give you some ideas. These are in no particular order, just some things I thought of.
She just got this trampoline for her birthday and I ordered it from here.
Kenadie received this last Christmas and was the perfect age for it. She was 14 months old. She still plays with it, and it is machine washable. It is here.
She loves anything Little People, especially her dollhouse. She got a similar one on her first birthday and for the longest, she just played with all the people. Now, at two, she is interacting with the people with the house. After she has played with any of her Little People, I just love to see where she puts the animals/people inside the house, circus, Noah's Ark etc. It's so funny to see where things end up :) I can only imagine what was going on in her little mind :)
We love, love, love this book! It is one of the few that she will sit through from start to finish. She got this for her 1st birthday, and I have since, given it to several of our friends.
Aqua Doodle Draw 'n' Doodle. Kenadie loves to "draw" and color, so I thought I would try this. She's not drawing pictures yet, but loves to do her scribbling on it :) You fill up a pen with water and draw away on the mat. When it drys, you can start all over again.
This is a classic book that everyone should own :) This was the first book I read to Kenadie. Definitely one you also want a board book version of. She loves it and now likes to try to "read" it to me :) Cute :)
Ok, so maybe this one is just a little out of season :) but by far, this one is tops on Kenadie's list! It's a sand and water table. The sand side is her favorite. Her favorite thing to do at the moment is pour stuff. So, this greatly fullfills that desire :) I will tell you that if you leave the umbrella out 24/7 it won't take it long to rot. There are lots of sand/water tables to choose from, and I do like this one alot, however; we no longer have an umbrella. She has loved this since we got it and that was when she was 18 months old.
Kenadie got this her first Christmas. We started using it once she could sit up well. She still likes to be pushed around in it, so it has definitely gotten much use out of it. Wal Mart and Toys R Us carry it. It is made by Step2. Great purchase!

These are just some of the things Kenadie has really liked, I could go on... Please leave a comment if you have something your child has really liked. I'm always looking for good, "tried and true" toys :)

Give Thanks

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."
Psalm 136:1

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am actually still full from this cake :)There are over 100 Reese's miniature cups in it! Also on our menu were the following:

Turkey
Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Broccoli Casserole
Layered Salad
Chicken and Dumplings
Butterbeans
Rolls
Pecan PieNow, before you think I prepared this wonderful feast, let me get that straight. My mom does it ALL. I can only claim the chopping of ingredients that went into it :) As Mom was making the dressing, I told her "I should probably learn how to make dressing. That would just be something good for me to know how to do." Then she says "Can you make cornbread?" Knowing good and well I couldn't :) So, I guess I need to start with the basics and learn how to make cornbread. I know how to make the "Jiffy" stuff. I'm not too sure how that would taste in cornbread though. Oh well... I think I've decided I will just let Mom continue making the dressing. Mom and I ended the Thanksgiving holiday by going shopping on Friday. We didn't really have anything we were going after, so we decided to leave the house around 7 a.m. We have been going shopping on "black friday" for about 10 years now. After about 12 hours of shopping, the car was FULL. Don't know how much of our stuff was actually a bargain, but we had fun anyway :)

Grocery Extravaganza

Mom and I went on our annual grocery shopping escapade yesterday morning. About five years ago, my mom made a "master" grocery list that has ALL the foods needed to prepare Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and everything in between that we enjoy eating over the holidays. Every year, she pulls out her two-sided list, marks off all the things she already has in her pantry, and off we go :) We pretty much like to keep up with each other and do all of the shopping together, but that two-sided list makes it nice when we get tired. She takes a side, I take the other, and on our merry way we go finish the shopping. If I have never mentioned how super organized my mom is, this should give you a little taste :) Here is "the list."

After Wal Mart, we head to the car, in which she brings an ice chest so that we can put the cold items in. Then, we take a tour through Sams. We left out of there with quite a FULL buggy too! We were pretty tired when we got home, after being out shopping for 5-6 hours. We didn't let our tiredness keep us from going to Southern's last home game though. Gotta love those cold, wet, windy games :) Thank goodness we won! Kenadie did not attend the game, but had a far greater time with Aaron's parents. I asked her if she wanted to take anything to Papaw and D's house...her response, "I take Lily." :) Ha, she settled for her purple purse, stuffed turkey and of course, Dora :)

Let's Eat! Apple Dip

Apple Dip
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 box Confectioners sugar
1 container caramel apple dip
Heath Bar Bit of Brickle
6-8 apples

Cream Confectioners sugar and cream cheese. Spread into bottom of dish. Top with caramel apple dip. Sprinkle with bit of brickle. Serve with sliced apples. Enjoy!

This dip is sure to get you lots of compliments :) It was a hit at the two functions I sent it to!!!

Apples, apples, apples... Oh my goodness!!! Kenadie LOVES apples. The blades on my apple slicer are sure to dull soon :) If you remember in a previous post, Golden Oreos were a staple to get us through our Wal Mart adventures. Well, we have now traded those Oreos in for APPLES! Apples and milk are a must in our bag wherever we go :) Most children have a blankie or favorite animal that goes everywhere with them, nope, not my child. We MUST have milk! As per pediatrician, I have to cut her off at 24oz. of milk a day. That's good though, at least we know she has strong bones :)

Saving $60.00

So, I can't believe I have never blogged about my 2 four-legged friends, Molly and Lily. They both just celebrated their birthdays last month. Molly turned 11, while Lily is now 5. They are very special to me and I would like to say Aaron, but we'll just keep it that they are special to me :) I will admit, prior to Kenadie, they got much more special treatment and attention :( Everyone was right... They all told me "You won't have time for your dogs once Kenadie gets here." I REFUSED to let that be true, but, needless to say, it really is. I love them dearly and hate the thought of anything happening to either one of them. For now though, Kenadie gets pretty much ALL of my attention :)

One of their special treatments pre-Kenadie days was that I had them groomed once a month. How pretty and flowing their hair would be when I picked them up. Absolutely NO tangles :) Well... Kenadie comes along and I start seeing that $60.00 as perhaps something for her, instead of Molly and Lily. So, I decided to give a try at shaving them. I thought I did a pretty good job, so I've been doing it ever since. Another benefit is that my haircuts don't appear to stress them out like they would get when I took them to the groomer. So, maybe I am still "thinking" of them and doing what's best for them after all. :) In the pics below, Molly is on the right and Lily on left.

Before

After

Birthday Party Fun

Kenadie is officially two :) We've had the party to prove it. Between Halloween festivities and dodging football games, Saturday, Nov. 7th was the perfect day for her party :) We had family over for dinner, cake and ice cream, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, I purchased a Little Tikes jumper and the kids had a great time jumping.








I CANNOT believe I have a two year old! When Kenadie was an infant, I thought that two year olds were "big" kids, and now I have one :) Now that we are two, 8 year olds seem like big kids :) So, I guess that still keeps Kenadie little. Time sure does fly!!! For at least the first 18 months of her life, EVERY night when I layed my head on my pillow I would think to myself, "aww... another day is over that I have with Kenadie." I could quite possibly be the most sentimental person you could ever meet! I still have that same thought. I may not think it every night, but I do most nights.

We have had 2 wonderful years with our precious little girl, looking forward to another great year! Happy Birthday Kenadie!!!

10 Things About Me

Thank you, Heather for the nomination to share 10 facts about me :) I like doing things like this, so I will try to give you some facts about me that you may not know.

1. I love, love, love freshly washed sheets! If I had enough time in the day, I would change my sheets EVERY single day.

2. I am VERY much a rule follower!!! You won't catch me cutting any corners or doing ANYTHING I am not supposed to do.

3. When I graduated from college, I thought it might be fun to learn how to sew. So, I took a sewing class and strongly disliked EVERY minute of it. I stuck out the 6 weeks, because I am a rule follower :) and actually felt like I was back in school taking a college course. Not fun and all I have to show for it is an ugly skirt.

4. I was a cheerleader for six years and did not understand the sport until... well, ?!?!?! :)

5. I worked at McRaes (Belk) for one month at Christmas my senior year of high school. Football season had just ended, and I thought I would now have time for a part-time job :) HA!!! I quickly learned retail was NOT for me. I was the youngest worker, so I was fortunate enough to get the pits of a schedule because all of the older ladies would switch their bad work days with me :( Again, being the rule follower that I am, I would never "tattle" on them :) I also got to dust and do such things like that in "better sports ware". I was able to stick out the Christmas season, but thank goodness I picked up on something. I discovered that other workers wanted more hours... so what did I do? I gave them mine and worked less :) That might have possibly been breaking a rule, but sometimes there are emergencies :)

6. I worked at Pep's Point as a slide "conductor" for 4 summers. I told kids when to "go" or "wait". I did not love this job either... Every day when I got to work, I would ask the owner "If you need for someone to go home, I will?" I would get there at 9 a.m. and was usually leaving by lunch--ha. So, I did technically have a summer job, as requested by my parents, I just figured out ways to get off early :)--notice a trend with me and jobs?

7. I wish I had time to work out 3-4 hours a day like I did in high school. Not sure I would do it, but at least the thought is there :)

8. I knicked Kenadie's finger once at a dr. appointment in Jackson. I then attempt to calmly move us to the bathroom, where I proceeded to pass out :( Thank goodnes for the "undercover" nurse that happened to be in there with her child.

9. I was given a "good citizen" award from a police officer in D.C. while touring the Capitol :)

10. I was an avid TY beanie baby collector in high school. Aaron and I would seek out various beanie baby conventions to attend ,haha. If a store just got new ones, I was there, in line to get mine :)

Hopefully you learned something about me that you didn't know :) I am nominating Emily, Presley, and Erin.

Here are the rules:

1. Say thanks and give a link to the one who gave you the award.
2. Share 10 honest things about yourself.
3. Present this award to 3 other fantastically brilliant blogs of content or design, or peeps that have encouraged you.
4. Tell those 3 people they've been awarded and make sure they're informed of these guidelines.

Too Cute To Spook

Halloween was so much fun! Prior to, I had been talking it up with Kenadie about dressing up as a bumble bee and the words "trick-or-treat". I am learning that she does best if she is forewarned about something new, rather than just springing it on her. So, we played some in our bumble bee costume at home to warm her up to it :) At first, she didn't like it, but in no time, she LOVED wearing it and "flew" around the house saying "buzz buzz." Come Halloween, it was no problem to get her to wear her costume and she kept her antennae on really good too! Those little things just make the costume :)

This was our second year to go trick or treating, and our second year to go with Hayden in their subdivision. So sad to say, but this was our last year to go with them, for a few years anyway :( They will be moving at the end of the month to North Carolina. I am happy for the promotion for my brother, but SO not happy with where it takes them :( Until then, we will enjoy them as much as we possibly can :)

Kenadie called her pumpkin her "pumpkin purse."


Kenadie was a ladybug last year, and now a bumble bee. I thought it was funny when Uncle Wes asked what kind of bug she was going to be next year :)

We also celebrated "Kay Kay's" birthday, which is actually today, so Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Halloween was great! Now, if I can just get Kenadie's mind off of going trick or treating. She has asked at least 15 times today to go :) The funny thing... she doens't know that she was collecting candy as she trick or treated :) At the moment, the only candy she knows is a sucker--wonder how long that will last? :)