Snow!

We had some great snow today and had fun playing in it and eating it:)

Emma and Brice's first snow cream!

Emma's first snowman!

Brice and I...Brice wasn't to thrilled about the snow or smiling for pictures.

"Up pss"(translation: "Up please")

I'm back:)

Ok so it has been about 2 month since my last post! Our "Odyssey" that we are on has been keeping me pretty busy:) We finally made the big move from Columbia, SC to Cornelius, NC about 1 1/2 months ago. My brother and sister in law graciously invited us into their home to live with them as we secure jobs and a more permanent place to live. This has been such a blessing! It has been fun trading off on meals and babysitting and just being able to hang out with each other in a way we wouldn't normally get to do if we were not living together. This has been especially good since Jason is still living in Columbia part of the time so that he can keep his job there until he finds one here...pray! Just this past weekend we let go of something we have had for 6yrs...our house in Columbia! It was freeing and good knowing that we are one step closer to getting more established in Charlotte but also sad to leave the place where we brought home Emma and Brice from the hospital. It was a crazy moving weekend with torrential rain showers, couches that didn't want to leave (Jason and I had a hard time fitting them through the doorways), sore forearms and trying to start my friend's van with the wrong key and freaking out because it wouldn't start! Moving out of our house in Columbia is also good because it eliminates a lot of bills that we no longer need to pay so that we can be saving....or maybe just staying even for a while.
One of the fun things I have gotten to do since moving here is take care of my nephew Jack (6mo:) 3 days a week while my sister in law goes to work! It has been so fun to get to take care of Jack and build a bond with him...he is a great way for me to get my baby fix:) I originally moved here for another job with a little girl but that fell through...I am still looking for other children to care for though I am getting spoiled just caring for Jack and my children:)

Facing my fears

As I mentioned in the last post we were blessed by taking an extra car home with us when we left my parent's house. My parents recently bought a new truck and no longer needed their VW Passat. We were excited when they told us that they would like to pass it us. God is amazing...we have been so blessed by cars being given to us...we have never had to pay more than $1, 000 for a car and have never had a car payment! Thank you so much Mom and Dad!
One interesting thing about this car is that it is a stick shift! Jason and I had a stick early on in our marriage. When we first got it I tried to learn but gave up soon after because it made me too nervous. So that car ended up being the one Jason drove. So now that we have another car that is a stick shift it was time for me to face my fears. I have had 2 days of driving it and so far it has gone pretty well. The first day I did not stall at all and did really well. Today was a different story. I tried to drive it to church this morning but kept stalling as I was trying to turn out of our neighborhood. I ended up getting out of the car (waving and mouthing "sorry" at the person behind me who had waited through 5 attempts of me trying to get it to go) and changing places with Jason. Later on after church I drove some more and did much better, I even drove it on the highway. It takes some time to get used to but I think I'm going to like driving a stick. I told Jason the first day I drove that it was fun except for the feeling of needing to throw up because I am so nervous. Today I was only slightly nauseous:) Emma's comment today as I was trying to get it to go was "mom, you make the car talk!":)

Our Christmas

We had a great Christmas! We had some good time with our family, I was able to spend some time with a good friend from college, Jason and I got to go on a date thanks to my mom and sister (saw Fireproof...great movie, really uplifting for our marriage), Jason got to drive home a "new" car and we were able meet our newest nephew just minuets after he was born:)

And now for the pictures....

Nothing says Christmas like some some holiday baking:)

This year for Christmas Eve my mom, sister and I took the girls to a Moravian Love Feast in Old Salem, NC. This was a tradition that we had every year growing up since I was about Emma's age. It was fun to share that tradition with the girls. They did really well through the service and enjoyed eating a special orange roll and holding the beeswax candles at the end (Even though Becca was deathly afraid the whole time she held her candle because her mommy said she'd better hold onto it or she could burn down the place...sorry Laura, I couldn't resist:).

We mainly gave the kids stocking stuffers this year...Brice had fun pretending with Daddy and playing with the rubber duckies in Bamma and Granddaddy's bathtub:)

Spaghetti night at Bamma and Granddaddy's...they decided it was more fun as body paint:)

Good pictures of us in our hats:) I FINALLY figured out how the size the hats so that they fit someone other than an infant:)

Baby Aireon was born Dec. 28th at 2:25pm, he weighed 7lbs 12oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. We arrived at the hospital at lunch time and had a great time waiting for his arrival. The waiting room was great because it has a big window to look into the nursery. Emma, Brice and I were easily entertained by watching newborns get their first baths and bottles. When Aireon arrived we were able to greet him through the window as well:) Better pictures of Aireon to come....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We've been having fun at our house getting ready for Christmas:) This year Emma is really into it and in turn that has made me more excited this year as well. Take a look at what we have been up to...

This is the first year that I have done a Gingerbread house with the kids...it was much more work than I imagined but we still had fun doing it:) We ran out of the candy that came in the kit (yes, I used a kit...I'm not that talented:) half way through and ended up using mini marshmallows and Halloween candy. I think the kids(especially Brice) had more sugar than they have ever had during the construction of that house!



We got our Christmas tree a couple weeks ago. Emma wanted to help every step of the way. She helped cut the the netting off the tree and attempted to help Jason bring the tree into the house:)


A tradition at our house...the Garfield ornament goes on first:) Jason has this glass Garfield ornament that he had growing up and I believe he managed to always put it on first when they were decorating their tree so we continue the tradition.

Brice and Emma had fun decorating the tree! Emma got the hang of it pretty quickly (we didn't have a tree last year) and had a blast. Most of Brice's ornaments didn't stay...because he didn't use the hook and because he liked taking them off more than putting them on:) Most of the ornaments are actually still on the tree...the first day after we decorated it was pretty bear but since then they have not done to much "redecorating".

Last but not least...the star:)

A conversation at supper time

Emma has been telling me lately that she is frustrated when Brice is loud or something is bothering her. My usual response is that she doesn't have to be around what is frustrating her (Brice) and that she can go to another room. I also say that she can pray about it. So the other night Brice kept getting down from his seat at supper time (a usual occurrence that drives me nuts!)...after a few times of this Emma said, "Mommy are you frustrated?...I think you need to pray." It's interesting when you start getting reminders to pray from your 4yr old...kids keep you humble:)

Happy Birthday Emma!

My baby is turning 4 years old today! Crazy to think that 4 years ago we were in the hospital just beginning the great adventure of parenting. Emma (and Brice) have taught me so much. They have taught me to be less selfish, how much God loves me as his child, responsibility...they are so dependent on you especially when they are newborns, how to better communicate with people and how to just have fun with life. It is nice now that Emma is older and able to do so much...she loves to wash and brush her hair; which may be part of the reason why her hair always looks so wild and that she inherited my crazy curls (which aren't so present for me after having kids:). She loves to pretend. Lately she has been really into The Little Mermaid....a couple times last week she wanted a fork during quiet time to brush her hair:) She often asks me to help her act out different fairy tales.. she will say to me "You be the prince and I'll be Cinderella". The other day as I was cleaning the house she said, "mom you are kinda like Cinderella":)

She had a fun birthday...we went to Charlotte for Jason interview (went well!) yesterday and met my mom at the mall for a special surprise. Every time we have gone to our mall Emma asks to make a build-a-bear so we decided that would be a special thing for her to do on her birthday. She had fun with it. When they came to the part where you put the heart in the bear the lady told her to make a wish...Emma just looked at her like "what does that mean"...I guess we have never talked about making wishes:) We spent the rest of the weekend with my Sister in law and brother and their son. It was fun hanging out with them. I made a cake for Emma yesterday...it was quite sad...it stuck to the pan and I ended up trying to piece it together with icing...Emma didn't care though:)