It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The Christmas season is in full swing and I am about half way through with my shopping! Even though I started early, I am NOT as together as I would like to be this year, but I am working on it, right? I had every intention of posting a few Thanksgiving pics and Anna Claire's Santa picture by now, but I haven't made it to that either!

So...I decided to post a few odds n' ends...

1.) What are your kids asking for from SANTA? Anna Claire is asking for...

Bitty Baby Twins: the girl with "yellow" hair and the boy with brown, a double stroller and bunk-beds for them to sleep in.

Santa is apparently feeling generous this year!

2.) Do you think I can use the song "Santa Clause is Coming to town" as a discipline tool year round? It is REALLY working for me right now!

3.) Where did this precious baby go? Actually, I am LOVING age three! She is keeping me in stitches, daily!

3.) I have been very busy with school as usual, but I have taken time to reflect what this season really means to us as Christians. If it weren't for Christ's birth, there would be no such thing as salvation - WOW. I am so very grateful for this amazing, free gift that we have been given. If you haven't heard this sweet song by Faith Hill, I highly recommend listening to it(but I am a fan of hers). Anyway, I am downloading it tonight! More than anything I love the words, they are such a sweet reflection as to the gift we have been given.

Tis the Season'!

A Baby Changes Everything

By: Faith Hill

Teenage girl, much too young, Unprepared for what’s to come

A baby changes everything Not a ring on her hand, All her dreams and all her plans

A baby changes everything, A baby changes everything

The man she loves, she’s never touched

How will she keep his trust

A baby changes everything, A baby changes everything

And she cries, oh, she cries, Oh

She has to leave, go far away

Heaven knows she can’t stay

A baby changes everything She can feel it’s coming soon, There’s no place, there’s no room

A baby changes everything, A baby changes everything And she cries ………….And she cries …..Oh she cries ….

Shepherds all (Shepherds all) gather ’round (they gather ’round)

Up above the star shines down

A baby changes everything Choir of angels say, Glory to the newborn king

A baby changes everything, A baby changes everything

Everything, everything, everything

Hallelujah (Hallelujah)Hallelujah (Hallelujah)

Hallelujah (Hallelujah)Hallelujah (Hallelujah)

My whole life is turned around, I was lost and now I’m found

A baby changes everything, A baby changes everything

New Conversations...

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We did! Way too much food, but that is what it is all about, right? I have SO much to be thankful for and have a couple of fun pictures to post later, but for now here are two new conversations I had with Anna Claire over the weekend. #1 A.C. - (at Grapevine Mills Mall) Mommy, why are there so many shepherds at this place?! Me - Who are you talking about? A.C. - You know all the people with towels and cloffs (cloths) on their heads! (You know the people from India? :) ) WOW! We need to have a discussion about different cultures... #2 Tons and TONS of birds were flying overhead due to the drop in temperature... A.C. - What is their hurry? Me - Who, the birds? A.C. - Yes! They must have a meeting they are late for! I guess I might say I am running late a little too much! HMMMM... Have a great Monday!

Fall is almost over!

It has been a great fall so far! I am having lots of fun with my girl, which is always great! She started her 3 year old preschool year like a champ and LOVES her new teachers, Mrs. Jamie and Mrs. Karen. They are so creative and everything a mother would want! As far as my school year goes, it has been great so far - challenging, but great! I moved to a third grade team with a lot of fantastic teachers on it! Our school also got a new principal who is AMAZING! We have been blessed by her leadership and for this I am so grateful.

In early October we attended our family reunion and got some quality time with lots of relatives, but were especially excited to see Uncle Matt and Aunt Lindsey!

Then we made our yearly visit to the local pumpkin patch and of course Anna Claire had a blast! It was the first COLD day this fall and she was shivering!!!

She pulled a wagon full of pumpkins...

...played with her dear friends...

...and posed for some forced fall-ish shots! :)

My Mom and I also took her to a Halloween pet costume contest at Pet Smart.

It was a bit ridiculous of course, but Anna Claire was in heaven.

Then we stopped by for some Halloween gear at Party City and I got a super shot of

Nana and Anna Claire!

Here is my precious Kitty all ready for a night of Halloween fun!!!

Daddy stopped by...

Posing with Mommy...

Then we attended the Fall Festival at our church as always and I was SO proud of my usually very leery and cautious "Claire-bear"! She tried the bungee jumping and jumped like a champ!

Here she is with the cutest ladybug (Ruby)

Here she is with our cousins...Dorothy(Saylor) and Island Barbie (Sutton)

...and then we wrapped up the night with a little trick-or-treating! It was so fun!

Check out "festive" Stella!!!

HAPPY FALL YA'LL!!!

Teaser...

Here are a few pictures from the week of Halloween...More to come! :)

This is why...

I haven't been blogging!!! I am sucked in like you wouldn't believe! I have never read this much in such a short time! I am on book three already. Seriously, check it out!

Book One :

Book Two:

Book Three:

Book Four:

Two funny things...

I know! I need to post new pictures soon! I will...but in the mean time here are two funny things my girl has said this week. 1.) We were looking at her classmates' school pictures on the website provided and came across a little boy named Noah. A.C. - That's Noah. Mommy listen, it's not the Noah with the boat and ALL the animals, okay? It's just a boy named Noah. (What's the deal with Noah lately?!?) 2.) Anna Claire decided to play outside with our neighbor's daughter who is 12. I checked multiple times making sure she wasn't driving poor Hope crazy! Hope kept reassuring me that they were having fun and not to worry. I was enjoying this time making the rest of Anna Claire's costume. I finally went to drag her in and this is what she said to Hope (who I promise you Anna Claire thinks is her same age) A.C. - Hope, you are my BEST FRIEND! - and kissed her! Wow! She doesn't meet a stranger. She cracks me up everyday! I am so lucky to be her Mommy. :)

You listen to me!

Anna Claire hasn't been sleeping well...so Mommy isn't sleeping well either. Her eyes also have constant black circles under them and she keeps clearing her throat, so off to the doctor we went! The whole way there I am telling her that we also have to get our flu vaccines while we are at the doctor. I told her she could have flumist (a nose spray that works the same) and that I would have a shot. I am not the smartest person in the world because when we got there they first diagnosed her with croup and then said that they were out of the magical, wonderful Flumist! YIKES! What do I do? Do I wait?...no I can't do that November is the deadline for the vaccine to be most effective! Okay, Jill...suck it up...you are the parent...SHE HAS TO HAVE THE SHOT! Here is what unfolded in that doctor's office... Me: Anna Claire, honey, they don't have any nose spray. You have to get a shot like Mommy. Anna Claire: (got up to SLAM the door and pointed her finger in my face) You listen to me right now (yelling at me through her tears) I AM NOT GETTING A SHOT! DO YOU HEAR ME? (seriously?) Me: Anna Claire, yes you are! Mommy will go first, it won't hurt that bad. I promise it will be over quick! Anna Claire: SCREAMING LIKE AN INFANT or WILD ANIMAL FOR SEVERAL MINUTES Me: OKAY! I will buy you a toy if you stop screaming! (I never bribe, but desperate times call for desperate measures-right?) Her screams turned to quiet sobs and even though it took me and the very patient nurse practitioner to hold her down, the shot was a success. We go to Walmart and she picks out her little toy and says this to me... Anna Claire: Oh Mommy, You are just really blessing my heart right now! Can we say... DRAMA QUEEN? :)

Santa who?

Latest funny conversation... Anna Claire: Nana, who's that guy that comes down our chimney to bring us presents? Is it Noah? Nana: (laughing I am sure) No Anna Claire: Oh yeah! Santa Clause! Do you think we have been reading enough bible stories? HA!

So much work...

Anna Claire is phasing out her nap! YIKES! It does make for an earlier bed time which is often helpful, but also around 5pm I have a very cranky girl on my hands at times. Here is the latest conversation with her teacher at school regarding this subject... Mrs. Karen: Anna Claire do you notice that you are the only one in our class not sleeping? Anna Claire: Yes, but I can't. Mrs. Karen: Why not? Anna Claire: (with a look of disgust) Well you know I have SO much work to do! My Mommy makes me clean up all my toys, eat supper and take baths! I am just working so hard. Boy I must be a mean Mommy...mean, mean mommy...

Ebay...

...A bit addicted...

PINK-A-LICIOUS!!!

Have you heard of this book? I LOVE it! Anna Claire especially is a fan and enjoys every bit of the girly-ness it brings. She now has the whole book memorized (literally) from cover to cover and adds great expression while "reading" it!

We loved this book SO much that while caring for two of Anna Claire's best friends, we had a PINKALICIOUS party. Thanks to Nana's creative brain and shopping efforts (this was right in the middle of setting up my classroom for school - the first time)

we had pink cupcakes and pink flowers,

pink plates and silverware at lunch, storytime, a pink craft and lots of GIRLY play time!

It was such a blast!!!

Maybe next we will have a PURPLELICIOUS party! :)

Some more great pictures of the girls...