Why am I so bad at keeping up with this? I could think of a million excuses, but I won't. I will just pick up and fill in the blanks. So...my baby boy turned 7 in February! I really have to pinch myself to realize that I have a seven year old. We celebrated with a little laser tag action and anything from a galaxy far far away. I am so proud to be this little man's mama.
This was my birthday letter to him...
Dear Cam,
My young jedi you are! I love how you become so passionate about what you enjoy. It makes me giggle inside when you run upstairs to turn your Star Wars music on (rather loud I might add) and play out scenes with your Lego ships and figures. You have an incredible sense of imagination and creativity. I will not be surprised if you grow up to be the next Steven Spielburg. I am so glad you have your daddy's smarts! You rock right on through all your weekly spelling tests and read chapter books in a day. You are alot like your daddy actually, which is a good thing. You are a quiet soul, always have been. You have a very kind heart and it bothers you to see or hear of people hurting. I cherish the few hugs and kisses that I get from you these days. I know you are growing up, but if you could sneak in a few more snuggles for me that would be really great! I am so grateful that you know God and his love for you. You ask me good questions that challenge me...keep them coming. I hope the animals talk in heaven too! I love playing games with you, Uno and Guess Who being my favorites. I don't know if I will ever master chess, probably not. I have mastered making you the best cinnamon raisin french toast ever according to you :)
I love you every inch, Mom

On the second day of Christmas a sweet list of "Thing's I am thankful for" was presented to me with mom and dad being numbers 27 and 28. I am just glad I made the cut!

On the third day of Christmas an early present for our little student arrived from Nana and Poppy.

On the fourth day of Christmas we decked the halls.

On the fifth day of Christmas we ate lots of candy and managed to put some on our gingerbread house.

On the sixth day of Christmas we sat on Santa's lap with our cousin "baby Baker"

On the seventh day of Christmas we became a Spanish dancer in our school's "Around the World" Christmas show.

On the eighth day of Christmas Santa brought ballerinas and princesses...

and left us a special letter....

and the force was with us.

On the ninth day of Christmas and EVERYDAY we praise Jesus for being born to save us.

On the tenth day of Christmas we rang in the New Year!

Thanksgiving day

walked into this sweet scene after washing the dishes from Cotie's birthday dinner...love!

the Christmas boxes came down from the attic this weekend, they crack me up!

craving the turkey with Nana

admiring her special turkey treats



we had some fun times with "baby Baker" this month

my little pumpkins

had the best visit from our aunt Sari and cousins Will and Emma (more pictures to follow)



our gratitude tree, a wonderful idea from sweet a friend Designing for the Soul

Emma and Eliza Grace

Yikes! I am way overdue for a post!

Fall is my favorite time of year. The brisk chill in the air, the vivid colors that take over the trees, the smells of pumpkin spice lattes and apple cider, all make my heart warm and fuzzy.
Fall also brings Thanksgiving. The holiday that I feel like gets rushed and skimped. The Christmas wreaths show up before the turkey's even hit our tables. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas! I am just grateful for Thanksgiving , because it reminds us to reflect and give thanks for all God has blessed us with. And I have SO much to thank God for....

Jesus = my saving grace
the 6:30pm call from Cotie to say he is on his way home
weekends...ahhh
the sound of Eliza Grace's footsteps coming into my room to snuggle every morning
living less than 5 minutes from my mom
Cameron's smile when he see's me pull up in the carpool line
the way my husband cuddles me like we are sleeping in a twin size bed rather than a king
once a month girl dinners with my best friends since high school
the flexibility of my work
Eliza's curly locks
insights from other women
my brothers and sisters near and far
blogs, facebook, google, and email
the stillness and quiet that comes over our house at night..well after 8:00pm
Cameron's creativity and attention to detail
COFFEE esp. Starbucks vanilla lattes
wine, NOT the kind my kids sometimes do, the kind you drink:)
God's forgivness (cause I make plenty of mistakes daily)
pajamas and slippers
Cameron's pride when he tells me how many chapters he has already read in his new book
the artwork and school work that come home in my kids book bags
Eliza's pure sweetness
the way my husband looks at me and knows what I am thinking before I can even say a word
having wonderful neighbors who really love my kids
being a mommy- it's not always easy but I absolutely LOVE... really, really love being
a mom. I consider it a huge blessing
hugs and kisses, lots of them!
laughter
seeing a glimpses of Christ through others, nature, and children

As we prepare for Christmas I know I already have ALL I could ever want or need.

I am pretty sure I have not fully dressed up for Halloween since I was like 12 years old. I have thrown on a witch hat or some cowgirl boots to amuse the kids while we trick or treat. This year I was at the costume store desperately searching for a full costume that I could comfortably wear. It is not an easy task, most are lacking quite a bit of fabric! What would inspire me to do this? Well, we got the invite of all invites to come to Charleston for my sister in law's parent's Halloween bash. This is not your average trick or treat party. Cassie's mom literally has a storage unit for all her decorations. She knows how to throw an amazing party! I think the kids felt like we were at Disney world. We had so much fun! I loved being with my silly big kid brother and his sweet family. I loved seeing the joy in Cameron and Eliza's eyes as they took it all in. We made great memories!

Last week at ballet Eliza Grace got to wear the crown for the day. I wish I had been able to get better pictures. The teacher doesn't like annoying parents, such as myself, to come into the classes. I can't say that I blame her. So, these were taken from behind the "viewing window"!

One of Cameron's favorite things to do is dress up and pretend. He has a great imagination! Every year at his school they hold a reading celebration day where the entire school can dress as their favorite book character. It is so much fun to see the creativity that goes into the costumes. The parents can also get in on the fun. The whole morning is spent with "special guest" readers. The books come to life for the students. Cameron knew he wanted to be frog from "Frog and Toad are Friends" right away. I am pretty sure he is the cutest frog I have ever seen.
If I were a little princess, I would kiss him!

Eliza and I have had some yummy together times while Cameron has been off at school. I have to say I thank God everyday for blessing me with a little girl. I remember when I got pregnant how guilty I felt for hoping everyday that God was weaving a little one who would love pink in my belly. Knowing fully that a healthy baby is all that really mattered. I remember lying on the table for the ultra sound and praying that I would embrace whatever blessing was announced. The tears of utter joy flowed when we learned that we were going to have a baby girl. My Eliza Grace has exceeded my expectations for what it is like to have a daughter.
Here are a few snap shots of our past week together.


We went with Nana for our ballet shoe fitting. Of course we ended up leaving with more than just the slippers! She can't wait for class to start next week.


We had playdates with our BFF "Claire Bear"


We ate lots of mint chocolate chip ice cream with sprinkles after dinner. Really just had to add this picture because of that smile I get to see everyday!


We had a playdate with Austin, who in his words says...
"Eliza Grace, I am going to marry you"


More playdates! This is Ann Riley, another BFF! Eliza has more of a social calendar than I do!
She loves her friends and I love to see her having so much fun.