Random thoughts

Lots of things swimming in my head today.

-Christmas is only 1 week away!!! It doesn't feel like it. It rarely does anymore. Something about getting older, I guess, but this year it really doesn't feel like Christmas is here. So what's different about this year? We're still waiting until the last minute to buy gifts...we always do. We're still doing the benevolence program at church...we always do. The difference is we are down to one vehicle right now and it's a truck. We haven't been to the malls or shopping as a family or out and about this year. That makes it very hard to get into the spirit, but very easy to remember why we celebrate this season. It forces me to focus on the WHY not the WHAT.

-I am thankful for God's perfect timing. We can look back and see it in the big things, but what about the little things? I'm not talking about money being there just when we need it or something like that. Today I was about to pull my hair out. The two older kids were driving me up the wall because they are bored and want to do stuff and I have stuff I have to do. When I had just about reached my breaking point, my FIL called and asked if he could take the kids. I said sure and he said, "I thought so. I'm in the driveway!" Praise the Lord I have family who is willing to take both kids off my hands during the day occasionally. I don't know how other moms do it.

-Oh...we are starting up a photography business! We have discovered that we aren't too bad at this picture thing! We both have different strengths behind the camera, but put it together and we can shoot pretty much anything. We are focusing on family photography right now but have done a few headshot sessions, too. If you want to see what we've done you can visit our website.

I guess that's all for now. I'm sure I'll have lots more to say in the coming weeks as we move toward the new year. I always have lofty goals and put them on here. I'll try to make them more realistic this year! :)

Thankful for today

I am thankful for today, November 24. That means that I have survived yet another year on this planet. :) I am thankful and proud to announce that I am 31 years old today. I am not ashamed of my age, I am proud of it. I have come a long way, especially in the last 10 years, both personally and spiritually.

So here's to my birthday! I hope you have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I will. :)

Thankful for Juliana

Wow, I have three kids! Every day that sinks in a little bit more. I thought we were done at two. :)
Yes, Juliana was truly a surprise. I was petrified at first...not ready for a baby, overwhelmed at the thought of trying to take care of three, how was this going to work? Now, 6 weeks later, I cannot imagine her not being here.
She is already beginning to show her little personality. Not a high-maintenance princess like her sister, but definitely has her needs. She studies everyone and likes to snuggle...when she's in the mood! She isn't completely resistant to change, but doesn't like it too much. She is our little angel and I am thankful everyday that God decided that we needed another beautiful baby in our life.



We do make pretty kids...if I do say so myself.

Thankful for Aaliyah

"What's your name?"

"Aaliyah Gabrielle Princess!"



And she is. She is our princess. To be honest, I wasn't too excited about having a girl. Ray would rub my belly and talk about how spoiled she was going to be and how she would be his princess. I could only think about what happens when that spoiled little princess turns 13 (I was a middle school teacher, after all). What I didn't realize was how much having a girl would change me. I wanted to wear pretty clothes and look nice. I wanted my hair to look good. I cared about my appearance and wanted to wear....wait for it....PINK! *gasp*
*side note - before having a girl, I wouldn't be caught dead in pink and much preferred my blue jeans and t-shirts to "fashionable" clothes. I didn't care what people thought of my appearance, including my husband.

Aaliyah is our princess and my tomboy all wrapped up into one. She loves attention. She loves life. Give her happy music and she is content to dance all day long. She is the girl who wants to dress up in her pretty dresses and glitter shoes then go in the backyard and dig for worms in the dirt. She loves to color you pretty pictures (that are really just scribbles, but you get the point) and snuggle after her nap. She's hyper-sensitive to the moods that some music creates and will cry if it's too sad. She is silly and loves her brother with every fiber of her being.
She and I had a love/hate relationship at first. She loved to scream and I didn't like her very much. Despite our rough start, I feel more connected to her than I ever thought possible. My love for her runs deeper than I could have imagined. I am thankful for my baby doll...she will never know how much she changed me for the better.

Thankful for Kyler

So, I haven't been too good at keeping up with the thankful posts for the month. Something about having 3 kids, a dog, a husband, and a house to run...

Speaking of kids, I thought I'd post about how thankful I am for our three beautiful children that God, in His infinite wisdom, decided to bless us with.

Kyler is our only boy. I never thought in a million years that I would only have one boy! I was all psyched up to have a house full of boys when we got married. He is 5 years old going on 15! He is so smart and creative (he knew how to work the DVD player at 9 months old!). He tests my limits with the way he thinks. He can always find a loophole and a way out of something I have told him to do. He can sit down with a box of K'nex and spend a good hour or two just figuring out different things to create and making up a story to go with each creation. He loves his family and friends so much. He is sensitive but loves to wrestle with daddy. He remembers things I never thought he would (which is great becuase he remembers who his great-grandma was) and forgets things when it's convenient (male thing). :) I love him with all my heart and he will always be special to me. After all, he did make me a mommy!

Wow, has it really been that long??

So sorry to the three people who actually read this blog! I haven't posted since the summer for good reason. Well, partly b/c I was lazy, but mostly b/c life just gets in the way sometimes. I need an outlet again for my feelings and a place to vent and share life, so I'm back up and running. Let's see...what has happened since I last posted.
Oh, yeah.
I HAD A BABY!!!



Juliana Isaias was born on Oct. 11 @ 4:54 am. She was 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 1/2 in. It was a quick labor and I had her all natural (and almost without the doctor...again). She is now 5 1/2 weeks old and beautiful. She is more of a snuggler than Aaliyah was, but not near as much as Kyler was. Her brother and sister love her so much that they can't seem to keep their hands off her, which bugs me to high heaven! There isn't much jealousy at all and I am thankful for that. We were worried that Aaliyah would have serious problems if we had another girl, but she has adjusted great. We are slowly getting back into a routine around here and I hope to have Juliana on a semi-predictable schedule soon.
What else is going on, you may ask? Well, in August we moved into a nice little house not far from where we were living before. It's smaller, but works great for us. I'm already looking around for projects to do in the spring. :)
We have also started dabbling in photography...and by "we" I mean my husband. I'm learning a little bit from what he's telling me from classes, websites, books, and discussions with other photographers. We will just have to see where it goes, but so far it's looking promising.
I'm on maternity leave from Walmart and looking to get back in the classroom in the fall, God willing. If His plan is to keep me at home, I'm up for that, too (as long as I can start singing again somewhere).
That's all I can think of for now. I have a Thanksgiving-type post mulling around in my head so maybe I'll get that down before next year! ;)

Have a wonderfully blessed fall day!

My weekend in TX

I just got back from a quick weekend in Dallas to see my grandpa. This was my last chance to fly before I needed a doctor's note and getting away with three kids will be nearly impossible. I wrote down some thoughts about the weekend, but I will have to post that later. It was hard to process and I'm sure the flight attendant and other passengers near me thought I was crazy when I started crying halfway through the flight. Of course, I could always just claim pregnancy hormones! :) I'll post later about the visit...until then...

Last weekend

Despite the feelings vented in my last post (I said I would be open and honest), my husband really is a great guy. I was reminded of that last weekend on our anniversary. 6 years of marriage and we finally got to celebrate our anniversary with something other than a dinner out! I was so excited. A weekend without our kids is what I wanted, but I got sooooooo much more!

My mom came and got the kiddos on her way home from work on Friday then I was free! Hubby wasn't able to come and get me so I drove to downtown Nashville to meet him at our hotel for the weekend. The Hutton Hotel was awesome! It's this cute little boutique hotel that used to be an office building. We were on the 11th floor facing downtown.

This was our view


This is the office building he used to work in.


When I walked into the room he had just one of many surprises for the weekend. A brand new Nikon D40 camera!! I was beyond shocked and excited!!!!!!!!! I have just begun to scratch the surface of what all this camera can do. Let's just say that we won't need another camera for many, many, many years.
After getting a little freshened up (it was REALLY hot that day) we decided to go downtown and have some dinner. The storm that came through canceled our plans to go dancing in the park so I chose The Melting Pot for dinner. I have always wanted to go there and now was our chance. It was great and so was the walk to the Riverfront afterward. He did have to remind me to stop talking about the kids, but that was the last time for the whole weekend. :)
Saturday we went to Green Hills mall for some shopping...after all, I needed a dress for the symphony that night! We found a great dress at Macy's that we got an excellent deal on and I'll be able to wear it post-baby, too! I was able to get a pedicure since we got such a great deal on the dress and spend the whole day just being with my husband as his wife. I will never underestimate the power of having some time without the kids ever again! That evening we got dressed up and made our way to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center to see the Nashville Symphony play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.





Sunday was just a lazy day. We got up and around kind of late, ate breakfast, and checked out of the hotel. The plan was to go to Arrington Vineyards for a picnic and some jazz, but it was just too hot! We went to a movie instead.

It was a relaxing, wonderful weekend of just being with my husband. I think we realized how important it is for us to have regular dates. We need that for us and the kids need to know that they are not our first priority all the time. Our marriage came first. I think we also realized that raising kids is extremely stressful. Without them, there was no screaming, no fighting, no cross words to each other. If we disagreed about anything (and I don't think we did) we just talked about it and stayed calm. That's the kind of marriage I want all the time!

To my husband:
I love you with all my heart and thank you so much for the wonderful, thoughtful things you did for us this weekend. There is no one else in this world that I would want to be married to or have children with. You really are the love of my life.

Pardon me while I vent

Before I start, let me say that I love my family. There are days that I just sit back and marvel at what God has blessed me with.
Then there are days that I just want to go back to college and start all over. I go through these phases where I just get so frustrated with being a mom and wife. Why are we expected to do EVERYTHING for EVERYONE in the house? It came about again yesterday after picking up the same mess for the 10th time this week (literally, I counted). When I left for work last night at 5:00 the living room and dining room were fairly picked up. Yes, there was still stuff around and in the floor, but nothing that wouldn't take 5 seconds to pick up and put in it's place...then I came home...at 11:30 pm. I DO NOT understand how my husband, who hates a messy house, can go to bed with it looking like that! There were crayons on the stairs, papers all over the living room, dinner dishes piled up in the sink (at least they were in the sink), my new camera in the floor, my hairbrush on the floor, and various other things scattered around. I picked it all up and tried to go to bed. I couldn't because my mind was racing with everything that has to be done in the next week and a half. (You see, we are moving...again...twice in a year. I won't go into details, but let's just say that we've been here before and I don't like it. It makes it extremely hard to get motivated to start packing up stuff now when I'm picking up two children's and an ADULT'S mess every day.)
Fast forward to today. Here I am looking around at the mess...again. So I send my kids out to play in the backyard. My son decides to make a mud pie and use his little shovel (smart, stay as clean as possible) and my daughter decides to use her hands. She is covered in mud and now they are complaining that they are hot and want to come in...muddy. I look outside and see my daughter's skirt from yesterday wet and covered in mud laying on the deck. Left there by daddy after their trip to the lake last night. AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Is it really too much to ask that the other adult who lives here and helps raise his children clean up just a little??? Really??? I can only take so much of this before I lose my mind.

Did I mention that we have another baby coming in 3 months???!!!! Like I need more messes to clean up and be responsible for!

Coffee

What is it about coffee that draws me in? I started my coffee habit after my daughter was born (just like mom said I would!). It started as a way to calm the extreme anger I had in the mornings and throughout the day. It helped my depression on those dark winter days and perked me up when I just wanted to crawl back in bed. Well...after I found out I was pregnant a third time, I continued to drink my one cup a day that you are "allowed." However, I realized after a process of elimination that the coffee was making my morning/afternoon/evening sickness ever worse. So, I stopped. This was the first of March. Just last week I had another cup on a day when I was so tired and worn out I didn't think I could stay awake to drive to church, much less teach VBS and then drive home! WOW!! I'd forgotten how much better I felt with that wonderful goodness in my system! :) My husband had been frustrated with my attitude in the mornings, but I haven't received any complaints in the last week since I started drinking coffee again.
Here's my question:
What is it about the coffee that makes me feel this way? It can't be the caffeine, b/c I was drinking a soda in it's place and that didn't do it for me. Is there something else in coffee that picks me up and puts me in a better mood?
How do you feel about coffee?

Sad day

Not in my life, but in the world of entertainment.

Ed McMahon died today. :( My memories are from the Publisher's Clearing House commercials and Star Search. Most people have great memories of him on Johnny Carson, but, alas, I am too young to have those memories (it was on too late for me).

Jon and Kate have announced they are splitting up. Now I don't know if they are just separating or filing for divorce; the media is using those terms interchangeably (they are not the same thing in my mind). I don't watch this show on a regular basis b/c we don't have cable, but I have seen a few episodes. I'm sad because it looks, from this side, that they have let pride and hurt hinder them from reconciling. In my opinion, as soon as they realized that things were getting off track, they should have cut back on filming (can't stop completely b/c they are under contract and the show is their income) and began to seek help whether from their church or a counselor. Marriages have survived much worse and been healed thanks to God's grace and forgiveness. Only they know what truly happened, but I do hope that they return to God's feet and put Him back at the center of their family. I always hurt for a couple when they decide that divorce is better than staying married. I have not been married for long (compared to some) but we have already been through some very stressful events and come through closer because of it. I hate to see people give up before trying to heal the relationship. My prayers are with this family and their children who, no doubt, know exactly what it going on by this point.

My church is AMAZING!!!

Not because it's big...and it is. Not because it's 21st century...and it is. Not even because our Pastor and Staff are awesome...and they are!
I love my church because of it's colors. I don't mean the lime green and black logo or the kelly green roof or the many colors of the walls depending on which wing you are in. I mean the colors of the people there.
When I started attending in March of 2000, my boyfriend (at the time) was the only black person regularly at the church. I could ask someone if they had seen him and if they didn't know who I was talking about, I could describe him as the "big, black guy" and they new exactly who I was talking about. I can't do that anymore. We have people from all over calling this church home, now. The awesome thing, though, is not even the adults...it's the kids! We have children from Asia, North America, South America, Africa, and Europe. We have kids every shade from fair skin with freckles to deep, dark brown skin...and I love it. I love it because it shows who we are as a church. We are ALL one body of Christ, regardless of nationality, language, gender, or skin color. Best of all, my children get to go to church with kids who look like they do and kids who don't. Kids who look more like mommy, or daddy, or Nana or PopPop. There...they fit in. Even as they grow older and go to school (where there are still cliques and gangs and racism), I know they will have a safe place where they can learn about God with kids who are comfortable being who they are and don't feel the need to gravitate toward kids who look like them. Thank you God for Lifepoint Church!

Our Weekend

We had an awesome time this weekend! K had a game on Friday night and they won!!! I was so proud of him and the team. After the game was over we dropped the kids back at Nana and PopPop's house and off we went on our first date in almost a year! I was tempted to run away and leave the kids for the night...but quickly realized that K had another game Sat. morning. :( Hubby let me choose where to go and I decided on a Japanese Steakhouse in town that I've been wanting to try. Not bad. Our cook/chef was very "just doing my job" and that disappointed us, but I think we'd be willing to try it again sometime.
Saturday morning brought us to the ball field for the second of three games this weekend. We played the number one team in the league...and they still remain number one. It was not our best game by any stretch of the imagination. It was, however, a good learning opportunity for K. He did not play his best, and it was obvious. We were upset and were able to tell him why. I think he got it. He, understandably, has a hard time paying attention when he's on the field. He's one of the youngest players (4 years old on a 5/6 year old team) and baseball is not exactly the most busy of sports. There is quite a bit of watching and waiting...not exactly his style.
Sunday brought a lot of activity. We went to the first service at our awesome church and saw several people we haven't seen in a while b/c we are usually at the second service in a different part of the building. We left there to grab a quick bite and then home to get dressed for game number 3. The team didn't have enough players to field a whole team so we had to forfeit, but the coaches agreed to let the kids play anyway (it just wouldn't count). They had a fun time and played well. K played MUCH better than on Sat. He was in a different position and actually made a few plays......almost. He tried, he paid attention, and he listened to the coaches. He was proud b/c he played his best and he knew it...and so did we. :) Sunday evening brought out the grill for a Caribbean grill feast followed by family movie night in the living room.
It was a great weekend. Busy, but for some reason, I feel refreshed.

Summer Fun

Our friend Jennifer picked us up this morning and we took a little trip to our local Splash pad. It was a little chilly, but that didn't stop Kyler and his friend Serena. He is only 2 weeks older than she is and they have TONS of fun together. Aaliyah didn't get in at all, but did eventually play in the puddle at the edge. Here are some pics I took.





















Jennifer's oldest, Rebecca...too cool! :)

need some suggestions

Does anyone have any suggestions for good, Christ-centered homeschool materials for preschool? I want to be prepared if we can't get Kyler into a preschool program next year. It would be nice if there was something that could be tailored down for Aaliyah, too! Or, if there are any suggestions about what I could have her do during school time, that would be greatly appreciated, too. She won't go play by herself because she wants to be just like "Kywer." Thanks!

Why?

I don't know if I was the type of kid to always ask "why?" (mom?), but I know there are several things in life that I wonder why they happen. These are some things that have popped into my head lately:

Why does my 2-year-old daughter know how to sing with a pretend microphone while looking at herself in the mirror?

Why do my children tan just as easily through sunblock as they do without anything on at all?

Why is it so hard for me to season food correctly?

And my husband made a comment twice yesterday that has me wondering...why have I been in such a grumpy mood ever since my daughter (child #2) was born??

pregnancy update

For those who still read this and/or care...
I am now 19 weeks (almost halfway!!) and feel great. I feel "normal" most days and take full advantage of the days I have a lot of energy to clean house, do laundry, mow the yard, take the kids somewhere, etc.
My weight goal for this pregnancy was to NOT hit 200 lbs. I know you shouldn't be concerned with weight when you're creating a child inside, but I can't help it. After gaining 35 lbs. with my first and it taking nearly 4 years to get it off, I'd rather not have that issue again. I've always struggled with my weight as it is...I don't need any extra! So far, I'm right on track with where I want to be.

I won't bore you with anymore or that, just know that the baby is healthy and the doctor is not concerned with my weight gains or losses.

We also had a routine ultrasound today. Everything looks great! We don't know what it is, and we wanted it that way. We already have one of each and wanted this one to be a surprise. I have my feelings, but unless I talk to you personally on a daily basis, you won't know what those feelings are! :)










I guess that's all for now. I have some ideas about the direction I want to take with this blog in the near future, so be looking for some changes and if you like what you read...pass it along!

okay, I'm back

As my last post said, I have been away for a while. This was not a planned break from blogging, but it did give me a chance to get some things in order throughout my day and get back on some sort of "schedule" with the kids. A lot has happened since Jan. On Feb. 2 we had an opportunity to help someone in a capacity that we have never done before. We showed God's love and provided as best we could to a young lady who had come to the church for help. In the end (around the end of March) a "tough love" decision had to be made and she chose to go back out on her own. We continue to pray for her and ask that you, too, please pray for K. She has a long road ahead of her and we can only hope that for the brief time that our lives were intertwined we were able to give her a glimpse of what life with God is all about.
Two weeks after K entered our lives, we found out that, by God's plan, we were going to be adding to our family. Baby #3 is due Oct. 17 and we are thrilled, yet scared and excited all at the same time. This was not in our original plan for this year, but God has an amazing ability to do whatever it takes to make us focus on Him. And believe me, I am beginning to focus more and more on Him, because only with His strength and power will we be able to parent 3 children under 6 (Kyler will turn 5 two weeks after my due date)!
I think that pretty much gets you caught up on the big stuff. R began a new job in mid-February and business is picking way up...even in the mortgage industry. Praise God for that! I continue to work in the evenings at Walmart 4 days a week. I love it, but it is getting harder and harder with the extra exhaustion from the pregnancy and the earlier mornings with the kids (they wake up earlier in the spring and summer months b/c of the sun!).
And lastly, I would love some feedback. I would love to find a way for this blog to earn a little cash on the side, but not sure how. I don't really have a "theme" that I write about except whatever is on my mind or happening in our family. If you have any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated.

Have a wonderfully blessed day.

I know, I know

It's been forever since I updated my blog. I took on quite a bit emotionally and physically in the first part of February and haven't really had time (or the energy) to write. I promise, I will resume. More to come...really...I promise!

Coupons, coupons, coupons!!!

Whether you use canned chicken or could just use some for a few recipes, this is an awesome chance to win 10 coupons!!! You can enter 3 times here and 3 times here for six chances to win 10 cans of FREE Swanson canned chicken.

Good Luck!

attempting to be creative

with dinner, that is. I am trying to make the most of what we have to make what we buy last longer. I came to the realization that I'm falling back into the quick, easy meals and that will end up costing us more in the long run. While I'm home, I need to try new recipes and think outside the Hamburger Helper box. :)

So...last Tuesday I made this...







Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
I made the crust from scratch (because, yes, I like to...really!), used barbecue sauce instead of pizza sauce, mozzarella then hamburger and bacon crumbles on top of that topped with cheddar cheese. I think it tasted good, the kids liked it...I didn't get a final verdict from the picky one of the house, though. He hasn't complained yet and hasn't cracked any lame jokes about it, so I guess it was okay.


Wednesday, I found a recipe for turkey cornbread pot pie on this site. I had chicken instead of turkey and an actual cornbread mix I put on top instead of the refrigerated cornbread twists.






Once again, the kids and I liked it (they even ate their vegetables), but the picky one didn't say anything. There are a lot of options on this one that I will play with and see if I can actually create a recipe that's mine.

Just a few links

These are some of the blogs that I read. They are awesome if you are looking to cut way back either out of necessity or because you get a thrill out of stretching your money as far as you possibly can.

$5 Dinners - this lady feeds her family of 4 for $5 per night! It's amazing. I'm going to start trying to make one of her recipes one a week and see how it works out. ***BTW she is also giving away a $25 Kroger gift card right now. Go and enter until Wed. afternoon!!!
the Bargain Shopper Lady - nice site. She gives lots of coupon codes for online shopping and great tips here and there. I found out about her site from Jamie.
Being Frugal is Fabulous - I think the title of her blog says it all! She has codes for all kinds of freebies and discounts.
Money Saving Mom - posts great deals and coupons from all over. She also has another blog about being a mom of little ones. That one I LOVE, too!

Hope these help you if you are looking to start saving more in 2009!

Happy 2009!!

Oh, that seems weird. 2009...already? didn't we just have 2007? what happened to 2008??

It's amazing how fast time passes the older you get. I always say that I'm going to just "live in this moment" so that I don't forget what it felt like, looked like, smelled like...then I forget. I get too busy planning ahead and looking to the next thing that I never really and truly soak it all in. My wedding day was no exception...but that's another story.
I'm not making any resolutions this year. What's the point? I never keep them beyond 6 weeks...2 months, max. It's just too hard. Let's take a moment and look back at last year's list of "goals." Go ahead...I'll wait...really...okay, are you back? Here they are (with my added commentary) if you didn't go look at the post.

eat better (but isn't that on everyone's list?)**yeah, didn't happen, but I did lose some weight!
exercise more consistently (again, on everyone's list)**yeah, didn't happen
make a budget and stick to it (takes cooperation from the husband, so we'll see about that one)**yeah, didn't happen...are we seeing a pattern, yet??
increase my show schedule and be more effecient and effective at my business**quit my home-based business so...yeah, didn't happen
take time to stop and enjoy my children (I'm guilty of thinking that they are in my way instead of getting down and playing with them)**I think I actually did better at this one!!
start looking on the positive side of things first**always a struggle, but I had my moments that I actually did
let my husband know how much I appreciate him working so hard so that I can work from home and take care of our children**this falls under the category of slacker wife...didn't do it
make time for "date nights" once a month, every month**yeah, didn't happen.

So...as we can see...not good at keeping resolutions. This year, I've just come up with a few things that I'd like to do. They have nothing to do with changing who I am or what I look like. They have everything to do with spending more time with people. Enjoying the company of others...and sometimes my husband :)

in 2009 I'd like to:
take a wine tasting class
have friends over (sans kids) for a dinner party-type get together
have a weekend without kids to spend with my husband (preferable away from home)
host or attend a girls night with no guilt
highlight my hair and get it cut in a totally new style (okay, changing my look, but it's just hair, it grows back)
go on more than one date with my husband
start teaching again (had to put that on there...I miss SMS)

Just a simple list. What's yours?

Remembering Christmas

Just a few things I will always remember from this Christmas.

-We had very little money, but a "whole lotta love"
-The theme this year was "making memories." No, we didn't really have a theme, but that is what seemed to keep creeping back into our minds.
- First Christmas without Grandma...very hard. Not that we got to see them every Christmas, but just knowing that we can't was rough. One of my gifts was Grandma's diamond dinner ring and my brother got Grandpa's wedding ring. I will never forget the look on his face.
- my son is very selfish...I guess that's typical for a 4-year-old. We only had a few presents under the tree this year (like 4 or 5 each) for the kids and when everything was opened he said, "is this it? is this all I got? this isn't what I wanted. Where's my camera?" I don't know what else he said at the point because that's when I started crying. The weird thing for me, though, is that he has wonderful moments when he wants to help someone who doesn't have anything. So confusing.
- my husband was given my grandpa's scroll saw. The look on his face was priceless, too.

Hope your holiday was sweet and memorable.