Holiday Happenings

We have been extremely busy around here lately. Last week we decided to have our annual Christmas party...we had a great time - wonderful food and wonderful company. This is the first time that Mark has been able to entertain people from the office, so that's what we did. We had some friends from church as well, but mainly FedEx people. Mark did most of the cooking while I finished the decorating around the house - and the 5 Christmas trees, almost 40 Nutcrackers and many many more decorations that I have accumulated over the years. Mark made an incredible cake with toffee bits and delicious chocolate frosting. Our holiday baking has begun!!!

It has taken me forever to decorate this year. Being in a new house has been hard - I just don't know where to put everything. I really wanted to put my nutcrackers in one place, but I have so many of them that it just isn't possible - and you can't enjoy them all together. I don't remember when I started my collection - but I do remember my parents always taking us to see The Nutcracker ballet every year and it has always been my favorite. It's always fun to pull them out of the boxes and set them around the house. Mark and I enjoyed decorating the tree with our many ornaments. Being able to travel as much as we have, we have a great collection of ornaments. Mark was a little irritated at the numerous New York City ornaments I have accumulated. I think they are some of my favorite - and of course my Pink Pig ornaments are special too! When Mom and I were at Perimeter, I bought a metal tabletop tree to display our White House ornaments that the Mark's parents give us every year. We have 6 (hope to have the 7th this year.....) and they are always fun to look at. I miss having them on our big tree, but I do like having them displayed together - I will try and get some other pictures of our decorations to post another time. Mark and I both really love this time of the year and love all the special ornaments and decorations that we have collection over the years. Thank goodness I had a reason to get everything done...otherwise I might still be deciding where to put things!

Nina turned 7 months old on the 8th - where does the time go? She's so precious and is such a great baby! She has really enjoyed all the Christmas lights around the house and loves looking at herself in the glass ornaments.

Ethan is ALL about Christmas - it's just the best when they realize what is going on. The magic for the kids is what it's all about. Santa has called the house a couple of times and that is just hilarious to watch. He just thinks that is great - he loves Santa and he loves talking on the phone...a great combination!

Our friends Donnie and Cathy have been spending a lot of time with us lately. Donnie almost can't go a day without seeing Nina - it's pretty funny. He went hunting Saturday afternoon - didn't shoot anything, but did find something in the woods for Ethan. Yes, I have dead animal things in my house - I'm now officially TENNESSEE REDNECK! HA! That day Santa sent Ethan reindeer antlers and then that night he got the real thing.

We've got another busy week with 3 parties. I'm sure I'll be posting again soon! Enjoy all the latest pictures! Hope everyone is doing well!




One of the MANY attempts to get a good Christmas card picture. I still haven't gotten one yet - but the first picture I posted is my mom's Christmas card picture - aren't I a great daughter...I made sure she had her picture before I even got mine!!!

These are the reindeer antlers from Santa - Nina isn't quite sure what to think! This is what Donnie found in the woods and was so kind to bring it to Ethan.... it's still in our laundry room and it freaks me out everytime I go in there and see it. Ethan loves it!!
With Amy and Dave in front of the dining room tree Mark's yummy cake
The dining room after the party.....I meant to get a picture before, but forgot
Mark and Donnie after the party - they worked so hard....eating....that they had to take a nap!
The Auburn Christmas tree in the office

Ethan's Christmas tree
Our Christmas tree

Nina - 7 months old!!!
Nina's Christmas tree

Almost December...

It's so hard to believe that it's almost December - 27 days until Christmas! I just uploaded pictures from last week, so I wanted to share a few. We had a wonderful visit to GA - just not enough time to do everything we wanted to do and see everyone we wanted to see. It was nice to visit with Nana, Papa and Mema and then my Uncle Steve and Aunt Dodie and Ryan were at the house for Thanksgiving and that was great to see them. It's always nice to visit with family!

Friday morning, Mom and I took off to Perimeter Mall for some shopping. Neither one of us was looking for anything specific- but it's tradition to go and shop and eat at Cheesecake Factory. This year we took Nina instead of my dad - he decided to work. She was perfect and seemed to enjoy sleeping in the middle of the craziness. We had a lot of fun just walking around drinking our Starbucks. Funny story - Mark and I were supposed to go to the mart while we were home because part of my 30th from him was a "right hand ring". Well, while at the mall, Mom and I were both looking at some rings and we both found something we liked. I called Mark and told him and he told me to get it because we weren't going to make it to the mart this trip. Well, I found 2 that I liked and couldn't decide which one I liked better. So I bought them both. I had hardly walked away from the counter when my cell phone rang and it was Mark....he told me that the fraud department from my credit card was on the other line and wanted to know if I had just charged "x" amount.....BUSTED!!!!!!!!

Saturday we did get to go to the Auburn/Alabama game and we had so much fun! It was our 10 year anniversary - the Iron Bowl game in 97 was our first date. So that brought back a lot of fun memories for us. Auburn is the best little town and we love it so much and actually act like we love each other when we're there. HA! It was sooooo cold, but we had layered well, so were fine. We had great seats and enjoyed the win over Alabama!! This picture is at Toomer's Corner right after the game was over. War Eagle!!!

We got back to Memphis Sunday evening after a long day on the road (and after only 3 hours of sleep the night before). Mark had been busy cleaning while we were gone, but within 5 minutes it was destroyed and I'm still trying to recover. It doesn't help though that when we got back I looked through the mail and realized that Garden Ridge was open until midnight.....so after the kids were in the bed, I hit Garden Ridge at 11pm. I was the ONLY shopper (not in a good area of town either) - the rest of the people were workers trying to clean the store after they had been open since Thanksgiving without closing. You should have seen some of the ugly looks I was getting as I walked around casually with my cart. I did get some good deals though - and that's what it's all about!

Last night we went across town for the town of Collierville's tree lighting. Marion, Kathy, Adam and Madeleine Maund live there and they invited us to join them. It was cold but we got all bundled up and had hot cocoa...it was a very nice evening and all the lights were so pretty. I used to babysit Adam and Madeleine and now they are so big - Madeleine is going to babysit Ethan and Nina sometime soon. I got some good pictures of everyone but Kathy - the women are always behind the camera and the only reason I'm in the pictures this time is because she took them for us. So she was there, just behind the camera. We had a great time with them - It's nice knowing they are just across town!!!

Hopefully my next post will be one with our live tree, decorated. We're hoping to get it this weekend! I'm running in the St. Jude's race this weekend - was supposed to do the half marathon, but am only doing the 5k. So hopefully this weekend I'll have time to get everything completely decorated and I can start painting the guest room. Come to Memphis - I'll put ya to work! Enjoy the last couple of days of November! 2008 is knocking at the door!

Nina enjoying her first taste of McAlister's sweet tea. Of course she liked it - she is MY child!!! Ethan riding on top of Mr. Marion's shoulders looking for SantaNina and Mr. Marion at the tree lighting - Nina loves him - I guess it's payback for Madeleine always snuggling up to my dad when they still lived in GAThis picture is a little blurry - but I still wanted to post it so you can see how big Adam and Madeleine have gotten! They are still so precious! Nina with her newest babysitter

Christmas in November

I've been fussed at recently for not posting anything....we've been so busy. We are in GA for Thanksgiving. I drove with the kids last Friday - they both did so well all day long. I never heard a peep out of Nina for 5 hours and 45 minutes of the drive....and for the last 30 minutes of the drive she screamed. She was ready to get out of the carseat. Ethan was perfect all day long, thank goodness! Anyways, we're here and have had a very busy week. Saturday we went to The Swan House for a baby shower. It was Nina's first time there and everyone had a fit over her - we're already training her right!

Mema with Ethan and Nina outside enjoying this beautiful weather!

Monday, Nina had her 6 months pictures - they were incredible and extremely difficult to decide which ones to buy. When she went for her 6 month checkup she was 18 lbs. 14 oz. and 27 1/2 inches long - right at 100% for everything. She has started eating baby food and loves it - gets mad when you take the spoon away.

Tuesday, we went to Phipps Plaza for Santa! Melanie had an appointment as well, so we went together. Mom and Mema met us up there (thank goodness) because Melanie and I looked a little insane walking around the mall with 4 kids under the age of 4! We had so much fun though and the kids did too. Avery didn't care for Santa, but they did get a picture and if I recall correctly, she didn't scream her head off...just wasn't thrilled about the idea. Ethan of course, loved Santa. He walked right up to him and crawled into his lap like he was his best friend. He wasn't too talkative, but he did ask him where Rudolph was - Santa told him it was too hot here in GA so he left him at the North Pole. He patted his belly and gave him hugs and kisses. The one thing he asked for was a camera. When he got off his lap and I got Nina, as we were walking away he said, "oh, oh Mommy, where is my camera?" He thought that he was getting his presents then and there! Too funny. Nina didn't know what to think of Santa - she just sat there similar to Ethan's first visit with Santa. Hopefully the picture turned out well. I'm hoping we can continue this tradition every year because you all know what Phipps Santa means to me! Melanie and I didn't plan to match our kids, but it looked like we did and they looked like they belonged together - I had several women ask me if they were all mine or Melanie's. Ummm....no! After Santa and lunch at Phipps, we went across the street to ride The Pink Pig. All 4 kids loved it!!! Another wonderful Atlanta tradition!!!

Making out our Christmas lists for Santa Claus

This is the closest I got to a good picture of them together - but if you look closely, I forgot Nina's panties....white trash, I know....but at least this is the only thing I forgot! How cute are our little ones in their lime green?

This is after visiting with Santa....standing in front of Tiffany's eating their candy canes!
The Pink Pig - one of Atlanta's great traditions!In this picture, you can see the original Pink Pig at the top left of the picture - this is what Courtney and I used to ride every year. One year we got in and they closed the side down....we pulled away and when we got back and they opened the side for us to get out, Courtney was all the way in the back of the Pig.....for those of you that know my sister....typical! The train type Pig is much easier for an adult to get in and out of, but not the same as the original! Nina thought she was so big getting to sit there all by herself!

Christmas has come early here at Nona and Poppa's house. Poppa decided that Ethan needed a power wheel - so he took him and let him pick one out. Ethan now has a BIG (like so big we're not sure how it will come to Memphis except on the back of Poppa's trailer) blue and orange Jeep. He loves it and goes all over the yard. He hasn't mastered the art of turning the steering wheel yet, but he's getting the hang of it. He loves putting Myrtle in the passenger seat with him and his drink in the cup holder. He discovered today that there is a glovebox that opens. There is also a radio that actually works - so he listens to "dance music" while he drives around. We're hoping to get Allie here this weekend to ride with him - or drive him around. I'm jealous because I never had one of these when I was almost 3!!!!

Watch out....here I come!

Bye, see ya later!

Well, I'm being asked to set the table for tomorrow....so I should post pics and go. We have all 3 grandparents here now and tomorrow my aunt, uncle and cousin will arrive for the day. A full house! We have a busy rest of the week planned with shopping and going to Auburn - my dad scored us Auburn/Alabama football tickets.....WAR EAGLE!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and a successful Black Friday! We have so much to be thankful for!

It's November 7th, Mandy

Those were Mark's words to me this afternoon as I pulled out 2 Christmas trees...yes, there are 2 Christmas trees up in our house. Not decorated - just up. I can explain though. We will be gone for a week or longer over Thanksgiving and the weekend right after Thanksgiving is usually when I start decorating. My reason for pulling the trees out though is to make sure they survived the big blue truck that moved us to Memphis. They did. So of course Ethan had to have his tree as well and it wasn't good enough in the playroom - we had to move it in his room and put it where he told us to put it. Ethan is so excited though - he has both his Daddy's and Mommy's gene for loving the holidays, and for that we are thrilled. We are not overlooking Thanksgiving by any means - we have been talking to Ethan about being thankful and what that means. The other day I was putting away all the Halloween decorations and he got a little upset. I explained to him that it was turkey time. So later that afternoon when he woke up from his nap, I was outside washing the truck and I heard him on the monitor calling for me. Usually he just gets out of bed and comes downstairs, but that day he started calling, "Mom, Mama, Mommy, Mom, Mom, Mom......" When I got upstairs he busted out of his door and threw his hands in the air and shouted, "It's Turkey Time!" He is going to be so much fun this year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We are looking forward to heading to Georgia at the end of next week. Nina's 6 month pictures are the week of Thanksgiving and we're visiting Santa Claus and riding The Pink Pig. I'm excited about everything we have planned that week! It's so hard to believe that it's November and the end of the year is right around the corner.

Nina will be 6 months old tomorrow. She is pretty much sitting up by herself. She loves watching Ethan play and thinks that he is so funny. The other night she has started rolling from her back to her belly, which is funny to watch. Ethan liked his feet, but Nina LOVES her feet...does that mean she'll love shoes like her Mommy??? They are both precious and are so much fun right now. Here are some pictures from the past week. Hope all is well with everyone - we have so much to be thankful for!

Ethan found Mark's headset and thought it was a great toy!

Nina loves being on her belly - although lately she's not on there long before she rolls over to play with her feet. She also loves sticking her tongue out!We went to see Adam Maund's last football game. For those of you that know the Maunds...can you believe this is Adam? We enjoyed watching the game - and he got to play! After the game Adam carried Ethan around like a football.Last week, this bulldozer was clearing the lot across the cove from our house....it was literally an all day babysitter - Ethan went from the front yard to the office window all day long. After the guys left, I took him outside to climb on top of the bulldozer. He loves tractors and trailers. I think that the love for trailers started when Poppa and Nona brought my birthday present to Memphis on his trailer...Ethan loves trailers now! Yesterday he was eating a hotdog and Mark didn't get two of the pieces cut completely apart, so they were still attached. Ethan said, "look Mommy and Daddy, my hotdog has a trailer." Yeah, that's what we're living with!