Christmas 2012 'Wrap' Up

Elf
So...Our elf, Princess, once again, brought us into the Christmas season.  His arrival came at the beginning of December while we were grocery shopping!  While we were gone, Princess arrived to our home to set up and decorate the Christmas trees in the kids' bedrooms.  And boy, were the kids excited to see Christmas trees shining out their windows as we were pulling into the driveway after our trip to the grocery store!  Makayla knew instantly that the elf had arrived!
We always know when the elf has made his arrival because he brings Christmas trees with him! Last year, Princess (whose name was Elf last year) arrived in the middle of the night and did all of his tree decorating while the kids were asleep.

Every night, Princess would fly back to the North Pole to tell Santa how Makayla, Mason, and Mia behaved throughout the day.  He would always be back by morning, perched in a new spot to keep watch on the kids.

...chandelier in the foyer

...coloring under the Christmas tree

...hanging upside down from the fish tank

...along with hiding in the refrigerator where his magic turned the milk green, gathering all of the cars throughout the house and driving in a parade, snuggled up sleeping inside one of Mia's diapers, playing with Barbie in a lego built house, flying from the ceiling fan, etc.  Once again, he brought a lot of fun to our home this season and I'm already looking forward to next year with Princess!

Baking
We actually did some baking this year!  Sugar cookies with loooots of icing and a million sprinkles with a few other holiday goodies!

Christmas with the Allen's
We had a wonderful night at Aunt Kathy's house celebrating Christmas!  We were able to spend quality time visiting and playing with Great Grandma Allen, Aunt Kathy, Uncle Darrell, Kari, Ryan and Uncle Gary.

Makayla got a pogo stick...something she's always wanted (for real), along with a few other cute things like a scentsy buddy and bath soaps.

...and Mason got a choo-choo train...something he's always wanted, along with a few other cute things like a scentsy buddy and bath soaps.

...and Mia got these beautiful socks that I'm absolutely in love with...along with a few other cute things like a blanket and adorable diaper cover!

Christmas Card

I did not have time to do Christmas cards this year like I wanted to.  Normally, I spend a lot of time in putting together Christmas cards and I put a lot of effort into them.  This year, that didn't happen and I felt okay for not sending any out...but the more Christmas cards we received from others, the more guilty I felt!  So, one night, we sat in front of the Christmas tree and took about 150 self portraits (it felt like 150, anyway).  I picked the best one and ran to Wal-Mart.  We had Christmas cards in 1 hour.

Festival of Lights
One night, we headed up to East Peoria to see Santa and drive through the Festival of Lights.  It was awesome to see Makayla and Mason's reactions to all of the lights!  There were fire trucks, Clydesdale horses, skiiers skiing down slopes, ducks, whales, deer, trains...it was very cool and the kids loved it!

Santa Visits
We made several trips to see Santa and as many times as we saw him, we never got Mason to sit on his lap. He always stood off in the distance and said "Ho Ho niiiiice" and would tell him that he wanted  a basketball hoop and choo choo train.

We saw Santa at mommy's work...

...at Grandma Curry's house,

...at the mall and at Bass Pro Shop!

Baby at Christmas Time

It's a lot of fun to have a baby at Christmas time and as much as I am looking forward to going back to work, I am soooo thankful to be able to have time off with my baby and having the time off at Christmas time feels a little more special.

Curry Christmas
We had a Christmas party at Grandma and Grandpa Curry's house.  First time in years that everybody was together and the first time ever that Makayla was able to see and play with all of her cousins.  

Santa surprised the kids with a visit!!

...all of the kiddos together except for Mason and Mia.  Of course, Mason is standing off in the distance repeating "Ho Ho niiice.  Mas want a basketball hoop"!  Since he was too scared to get too close to Santa, I kept Mia out of the picture, too.  I didn't want Mason to be the only one missing!  

Makayla and Kyleigh, playing with make-up and barbies!  Girls are so much fun!

Cousin's Christmas
...and yet another Christmas celebration with more family!  

Makayla and Nolan playing and coloring on the house that Aunt Mona and Aunt Julie got the kids...

Aunt Nancy, Sandy, Kathy, and Grandma Allen holding Mia

Mason playing Hide and Seek with Grandpa Allen!

Choir Program
Makayla's first performance of the season - 
A "Celebrate Christmas" musical program at church.  
(blogged about this earlier in the month)

School Program
Makayla's second performance of the season -
A program for school that unfortunately got cancelled due to the blizzard we were having.  Makayla was terribly upset so we quickly took away her sadness by preparing for her to put on the program at home for us.  Grandma and Grandpa Allen and Grandma and Grandpa Curry were crazies and fought the weather to come over to watch Makayla go on with the show!  She put on her pretty dress, sang a few songs for us in front of the Christmas tree, and opened a present (a book and candy cane) from her teacher.  Even though we didn't get to go to her school and watch her perform with all of her friends, it was still a memorable performance in our living room!

Christmas at Grandma Mac's
No pictures from Christmas at Grandma McWilliams'!  What we were thinking?! A Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve with Grandma McWilliams was a good night with lots of family, yummy food (prime rib and twice baked potato), and kids laughing and playing.  It's always a fun time at Grandma Mac's with the family!

Candle Light Christmas Eve Service    
So thankful to have been able to attend a beautiful, moving candle light service on Christmas Eve at church.  Christmas carols, communion, a beautiful service, and candle light!
...brought me to tears.            

Merry Christmas!

We are so blessed to be able to have so many family and friends to spend the holidays with!  I think we had almost every night of the month of December filled up going somewhere or doing something - driving around town looking at Christmas lights, listening to live Christmas music, Christmas dinners, intimate Christmas parties...!  It's definitely been an exhausting month (celebrations + 3 children, one being a newborn baby = a very tired mama), but I am so grateful to be here, alive, and well...to be able to celebrate Christmas with those we love, doing things that make our heart feel good!

...and out of everything we did this season and every where we went, I think the one thing the kids are going to miss the most is going up to the bell ringers and dropping in their pennies and dimes in the Salvation Army's red buckets!

The Firsts of Firsts

Makayla's first smiles -

Mason's first smiles -

Mia's first smiles -

My life has been made better by these smiles...

Witnessing your child's "first" of anything is magnificent - even as simple as the first time your baby's tiny hand grips onto your finger with all of her might.  I have to say, though, that a child's first smile is undoubtedly one of the most special moments in the first couple months of life.

The first time any of my kids looked at me directly in the eyes and smiled with their whole face, my heart skipped a few beats and my breath was taken away.  In fact, I'm still trying to catch my breath from Mia's first smile last week!

With each of my babes, their first smile was magical for me...

  It was rewarding...

and made me stop to thank God, once more, that I'm a mother.

The light of a baby's smile gives a hearty warmth to the soul.

-Crystal Dawn Perry

Month One

Mia!, Mia!, Mia!

One month ago, you were born (Click here to read about the day Mia was born - Mia's Birth Story) and let me tell you that this past month has come and gone in the blink of an eye!

From November 9, 2012

...to December 9, 2012.

...and everything in between - how you are have fallen so perfectly into the place that you're meant to be.

*I'm amazed at how much you grow with each passing day!  I'm pretty sure your mouth even grew over night one night because the next morning when you woke up, you miraculously took to your paci...like it wasn't even touching your hangy ball anymore!  

*You are such a happy, happy baby girl!  You are very content and I'm so thankful that the noise and constant chaos in our home doesn't bother you.  

*Being one month old, I'm not sure how much you weigh or how tall you are.  We won't go back to the doctor to find that out until next month.  All I know is that you are growing bigger and brighter every day and that's all that matters.  

*You love to eat!!  I've decided that you are a snacker and a grazer rather than a 'sit down full course meal' type of girl!

*Your sister sings "This Little Light Of Mine" every time you get fussy and for the most part that tends to calm you for a few minutes.

*The beginning of December was unusually warm so you got to join us on our yearly tradition of going to the tree farm and finding the "perfect"  Christmas tree!

*Mason loves you to PIECES!  He loves to kiss you and every time he enters the room, he'll say "Mia at?".

*We are a major influence on your sister!  When mommy is nursing you, Makayla nurses her babies... 

*Makayla told me that you and her are best friends.

*I love giving you baths.  It's just another bonding time for us.  I love sitting and snuggling you in the warm, heated bathroom and massaging your little legs and arms with baby lotion.  

*I love how you are beginning to stare so intently at me.  When I talk to you, feed you, massage you in silence after your bath...your eyes, so deep with concentration, are taking every bit of me, you mama, in...just as I am with you.  

*You are soooo loved, Mia! There are so many family and friends who love you.  It warms my heart to see all the love that is poured upon you and how much you are cared for.

This first month has been blissful!  I won't deny it, that this first month has also been hard.  Being responsible for three little human beings is a lot of work, but there is nothing else I would rather be doing!  The JOY and happiness that you, Mason, and Makayla bring to our family outweighs everything else on this earth. 

Being blessed with you, Mason, and Makayla, I'd say that me and daddy are the luckiest parents in the whole world!

I love you Mia Grace!

~Mommy

As Time Goes On

Yesterday, Makayla was in her first Christmas program of the season at church -

It was an hour long program featuring over 100 singers and musicians.  Makayla's little cherub choir sang "Emmanuel" and "Go Tell It On The Mountain".  They had two performances yesterday - one in the afternoon and one in the evening.  We were lucky enough to bring the video camera to the afternoon performance to capture Makayla's wonderful stage presence.  During the entire first song, "Emmanuel", she held her dress above her head for all the audience to see her undies and sucked her thumb.  SUCKED HER THUMB!...Makayla doesn't suck her thumb!  Never!  Who was this girl?!

She claimed she held her dress up and sucked her thumb because she was nervous...hmmm.

Even though she made me laugh to the point of tears, it's still a little embarrassing when your child displays a behavior in public - on stage - that they don't ever display otherwise and after we talked to her and 'calmed her nerves', the evening performance was 100% better!

When we got home after the first show, we watched the video of Makayla singing on stage at church, showing off her underwear and sucking her thumb.  She thought she was the funniest thing in the whole world!  Of course, Makayla and Mason loved seeing Makayla on the TV and wanted to see more, so we hit the rewind button and watched a couple of months of home videos.  

The kids were sitting on the couch beaming as they watched themselves on TV!

...and that's when I couldn't hold back the tears!

We didn't even go back to when Makayla and Mason were babies.  We just went as far back as their birthdays - 3 months ago - and I still couldn't control myself!

...my little girl, on her 4th birthday, bouncing around in her little yellow dress!

I can remember that day like it was yesterday - we painted her nails gold for her "golden birthday", turning 4 on the 4th.  She decorated her own cake, opened a couple of presents, and smiled ALL day long!

...my little boy, on his 2nd birthday, having the time of his life!

As we sang "Happy Birthday" to him, his giggles filled the air!  He loved singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing his candles out.  In fact, he loved it so much, we did the whole thing TWICE!  We did it twice for him, as it made him so excited, he couldn't contain himself - clapping, laughing, and blowing out his two candles before we could even finish the song! 

The home videos made me so emotional because those days are gone, days that I want to hold onto forever...days that scare me to let go of because I can't imagine my babies growing up. And I know that's silly to say because they WILL grow up, but it's so hard to know that one day, they won't be little anymore.  Makayla and Mia won't be my little girls that I can hold in my arms and Mason won't be my little boy that will snuggle on my lap.  Time is fleeting!

Already, Mia is a month old! (Happy One Month Birthday, baby girl!)

As time goes on...

 I won't have a baby to lotion up after bath,

I won't have a little boy in his sweet, sweet voice say "Hi, mom!",

I won't have a little girl who can tell me the story of Mary and Jesus (though the mind of a 4 year old),

I won't have little monkeys jumping on the bed,

I won't have the magic of Christmas,

I won't have a messy, toy-filled home,

But I know one thing is for sure...we will always have JOY and happiness!

I'm so thankful for this blog, as it holds soooo many precious memories.  It holds so many moments, events, milestones...times that I am able to look back upon and not be sad that these days are gone, but be happy that they happened.  Be happy that I can call these days mine. I am so thankful that I can use this blog as a place that allows me to see all the blessings in my life.

Because my kids won't be little forever, I make it my number one priority to live each day for them and with them.  Each day is an opportunity to love them - to teach them - to hug them - to kiss them - to pray with them and for them - to enjoy them - to hold them - to make memories with them...a day to cherish and to use it to the fullest.  And that's just what I plan to do - from baby to adult hood.  There's so much that happens in my children's lives and there's SO much more to come and I'm not going to miss out on a single thing!

Boy

We've been working with Mason on knowing the difference between boys and girls. Well...I love it when I tell him that he's a good big brother and he 'corrects' me and says "no, me a boy"!

Catch Up

November Catch Up!!

So, now that it is December 1st and we're on a countdown to Christmas, I need to wrap up the very exciting month of November!

I hope as time goes on, I can get back in the swing of things and regularly stay updated instead of quickly throwing two weeks worth of life into one quick post.  There is so much stuff that goes on in our life and I don't want to keep anything out - especially the things that my kids will find funny, interesting, memorable, and worth the reading when they grow up.

Stuff like this:  

The other night I took Makayla to Wal-Mart and we were in the produce section.  She looked at me and asked if black people have parties.  I told her of course black people have parties.  She then sat down in the cart, giggled, and said "I'm so obsessed with black people".

Or this...

We were sitting in the car downtown the other night getting ready to walk out to the street for the Christmas parade. She asked "Are there going to be police...(putting her hand up) I mean COPS...in the parade?"  I told her that there were going to be cops in the parade and asked her why she called them cops instead of police.  She said "because that's their middle name!".

So...trying to put forth more effort in not getting so behind, let's get started on a quick November Catch Up!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving was an unusually warm day.  We ate lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Allen, Aunt Nina, Great Grandma Allen, and Uncle Gary.  After lunch, the big kids went outside to ride the 4-wheeler, fly kites, take wagon rides, play with chalk, play ball - run around in the fresh air!  How often can you do that at the end of November?!

...and while the big kids were outside playing, Mia and I stayed inside to enjoy each other's company.  We stared in each other's eyes, took pictures, and I told her how pretty she was! :)

...after lunch, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Curry's house for Thanksgiving dinner!  We definitely got our fill of all the Thanksgiving fixings!

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We had our annual "Black Friday/Thanksgiving" dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Allen and Aunt Nina at Osaka!...mommy's favorite place and I think Mason's favorite place, too!

Mason LOVES it when they throw that huge, hot fire on the grill!  After the heat simmers down a bit, he works really hard on blowing the fire out.  Of course, when the fire does burn out, we applaud him and he smiles so big because he thinks he blew the fire out.

...Makayla being silly with Grandma and Aunt Nina.

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November was also filled with some quality cousin time! -

We got to see and spend time with Tyler and Brennan and although the kids don't get to see each other very often, you would never guess that based up on watching them play and listening to them talk.

We spent a lot of time playing together at Grandma Curry's and then hit the bowling alley up for some bowling!

For months, Mason has been saying "Baby Out Bowl!"...meaning that when baby Mia came out, we would got bowling.  Well, Mason finally got to go bowling!  Not only did we get to bowl with Tyler and Brennan, but Shawn and Holly were there, too.  Makayla and Mason had a blast!  Even with Mason's "accident", he didn't let that stop him.

Before the game even started, Mason dropped his bowling ball.  As he bent down to get it, it bounced up and hit him in the mouth, causing his teeth to pierce all the way through his bottom lip!  Ugh.  Talk about my tummy turning.  There was blood everywhere and I knew for sure that he knocked his teeth out.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case and he just had a major boo-boo on his lip.  Poor baby. 

...but with a smile on his face and a mouthful of pretzel, he didn't let that bowling ball and busted lip stop him from having fun!

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Besides Thanksgiving, spending time with family and friends, having fun, going to the Christmas parade, and running around...we've just been enjoying and loving on our new baby girl!!