Christmas

Disney Princess games

One of many trucks/cars

We had already finished shopping for L & E when we remembered little K...it's a good thing we gave her a few things, because even then L asked, "Why didn't Kaylee get as many presents?"

Though very loud, Hungry Hippos requires no reading, understanding of rules, or adult help.

Aunt KK playing Pretty Pretty Princess with Lily.  Don't be fooled...she wasn't just playing for L's sake...she's loved this game forever!

E playing Wii bowling at Nana & Papa's house.  You should see Jon play the Wii guitar game!

L playing Pretty Pretty Princess

K soaking in the action

All 3 of our little loves.

Nana made the cute  apron for L & a matching one for her doll.  I need to learn some sewing skills!

Christmas Eve

After enjoying the candlelight* service at church, we had dinner at Chili's with "Uncle Lukie Head" and Aunt KK.  This was our second choice after we found the more favored Pei Wei was closed.  Maybe this was good, because the kids (and all those seated anywhere in our vicinity) appreciate the crayons and coloring books that Chili's provides young, hungry customers.  When we got home, L and E each opened one gift.  I don't know if this is more to hold them over until Christmas, or to fulfill the desire in Jon and me to watch their excitement as they rip into the paper.  

*Small children, flames, and hot wax shouldn't typically be mixed, but we all escaped without any damage.

Santa

Santa came to our house last night!  L insisted that I put the experience on the blog. :)  Santa  said he always makes a practice run to some special kids. :)  It was hilarious to see Eli go straight to Brian...ahhem, Santa...and Lily be quite skeptical at first.  They felt very special!  Lily had been announcing that Santa is just fun to pretend...she's wondering now if he might be real.  

Wow! 80% OFF restaurant gift certificates

Restaurant.com has an amazing sale right now!!  Go there through 12/25 and use the coupon code HOLIDAY to get 80% OFF on gift certificates.  Thanks to Coupon Cravings for the heads up on this deal.

Update:

We just got $105.00 in gift certificates for $7.80!

Little girl, BIG questions

For quite a while now, Lily has been full of questions and wonderings about God, Jesus, and the Scriptures.  Oh, what I'd give to have them all recorded!  So, today I will record two of her questions (a small fraction from just today).  I can barely begin to describe the answers, because each one stirs up more questions, and we go around and around asking and answering. 

* "Why are there two kinds of hope? ... Like hope in Christ and when you want something to happen." [I love that she sensed the difference - yes, baby, there is a HUGE difference!  Our hope is sure and certain in Christ!]

* "What is destiny?  I know it isn't like on the GPS destination...when they say you have arrived at your destination. [I couldn't help but giggle at this point. :)]  Why does Jesus command it?  What is command?" [Thank God for his sovereignty over our lives...cause I get lost sometimes even with my GPS!]

I have to pray for wisdom everyday as I answer, for my little girl, these BIG questions.  Praise God for her curious little mind and heart!   The following song lyrics are the root of those 2 questions (and many others!):

"In Christ Alone"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

You can hear a sample of this song and their others at http://gettymusic.com

Baby Signs

I have LOVED using sign language with Lily and Eli, and plan to also teach Kaylee.  I found it is not only adorable :), but it reduced frustration in communicating with our kids when they were infants.  Babies are far smarter than we give them credit for!  Our kids continued to sign even after they could talk...comes in handy when I am trying to remind them to use their manners like, "please" and "thank you!"  Eli just signed "more" to me yesterday when his mouth was too full to speak!  

I enjoyed signing and believed wholeheartedly in its benefits, so I thought it would be fun and rewarding to share signing with other families.  I became a Baby Signs Independent Certified Instructor (which enables me to teach the program to other parents, teachers, and children).  Since then, our lives have been a little crazy with moving, job changes, and our new baby.  All that to say, I have not gotten this little business of teaching Baby Signs up and running yet.  I'd like to get it going in the next year now that it appears we'll be sticking around Franklin for a while...Kaylee can be my little mascot for doing sign language with babies! :)

For now, I have put a little Baby Signs ad on our blog.  You can find out the benefits of signing as well as view the books, DVDs, etc. that are for sale.  These are great for your own kids, as well as for baby gifts.  If you order something through that ad,  I would receive a commission for the sale.  Sometimes they run deals on select items, and I will post those coupon codes for you to use.  Even if you don't want to buy anything, I really encourage you to try signing with your kids - I know you'd enjoy it!!  

Drama at the doctor's office

Eli and Kaylee had their well child doctor visits today.  We're thankful that both are healthy and growing.  Kaylee is now tipping the scales at 12 lbs. 2 oz.  The pediatrician seemed a little surprised at K's weight gain...I promise I am only giving her breastmilk - not french fries and milkshakes!  After an uneventful first half of our visit, the nurse brought in a tray with 6 shots lined up on it.  At this point I was wishing I had a pet octopus to hold down our two oldest children.  Lily was appalled that she had to get a flu shot.  She insisted that it was NOT her check-up, therefore NOT her turn to get a shot.  I am sure people in the waiting room believed an amputation was taking place - without anesthetics.  Eli had to get 2 shots.  He cried, but was not nearly as dramatic as Lily in the screaming department.  He did  show the poor nurse how strong his little legs are.  She could barely hold him down (I felt guilty for only having to hold flailing arms - they aren't as dangerous as flailing legs.).  Unsuspecting Kaylee went last and got 3 sticks.  After the first, she just looked at me wide-eyed.  The second and third sticks brought on that silent, scary scream where she turns red and purple from not breathing.  She recovered more quickly than L and E - and I didn't even have to promise a kiddie ice-cream cone at McD's to her. 

L and E have now had ice-cream and lunch (in that order), and all 3 kids are dosed up on acetaminophen.  E and K are sleeping off their trauma, and Lily is looking at books in bed trying to recover.  I think I need to go lay down now too!

Recipe for Cookie Cutter Cookies

Need a great recipe to make Christmas cookies with?  I got this from my Mom...it tastes delicious and cookies stay true to their shape even after baking.  You and your kids will love them!  Enjoy! :)

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cups sugar

1 unbeaten egg

2 TBSP. cream (1/2 and 1/2 or whipping cream)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Sift dry ingredients and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add cream, egg, and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients.  The mixture will be very thick and may not stick together unless you get a little messy and use your hands. :)  Divide dough into 3 parts and shape each section into a "disc."  Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.  Using one "disc" at a time, roll out on floured surface to about 1/8" thickness.  Cut in desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Sprinkle with colored sugar etc. if you wish (Come on, who doesn't want to decorate these cookies?!?).  Bake at 375 degrees for 5-8  minutes.  

YUMMY!

Opryland Hotel Christmas lights

The five of us went to Opryland last night to enjoy all the Christmas lights and decorations.  Baby Kaylee didn't make it in these photos - she was happily cruising in the stroller, and we didn't dare take her out and risk crying when we went to sit her back down.  She loved all the sounds of the people and waterfalls and fountains, and couldn't take her eyes off all of the shiny lights.  If the place wasn't so far from our house, I'd consider going there every night to keep her happy through the typically fussy time of night!  Lily and Eli also had a blast - they ran, danced, sang, and exclaimed things like, "INCREDIBLE!" ... "THAT is IMPRESSIVE!" ... "When can we come to this place again?!?"

Introducing Lily and Eli Howe!!!  The kids always love to be introduced before they sing and dance for us. :)  This curtain we found set the perfect stage.

The kiddos were blown away by this "GINORMOUS" tree...see them down there all tiny below the tree?
There were wise men, Mary, Joseph, and this baby Jesus in part of the hotel.  Up close they are a little weird, but I think from a distance they look like stained glass.  

Eeeee!  That fountain is freezing!!!

*I removed a picture from here of our fam with the silly horses, because it was brought to my attention that L's bottom was showing - oops!  I laughed hysterically at our little plumber, told Jon what was so funny, and he said I needed to take that off of the internet - I agreed.  It was the only picture I was in from last night, so I will save it for us.  Plus, you never know when you might need blackmail material against your own kids!

PS - the whole blackmail thing is just a joke :)

Kaylee is 2 months old (almost)

I can't believe that Saturday will already be December 20 and little Kaylee B. will be 2 months old!  She is growing up too quickly...but not sleeping enough fast enough. ;)  Though not a great snoozer, she shares her sweet baby talk and smile generously with us all.

I took this shot in a dark room, so the camera flashed about 100 times before taking the shot...this is K's deer in the headlights look.  She's probably thinking, "How do I get that stupid thing away from my mom?"

Our little elf/troll (generally the names she gets while wearing hats).  I love her growing chin(s)!

Kaylee is less than thrilled with tummy time, but on this occasion she found her tiny fist and sucked on it until those two fingers were bright red.   I left the room to get the camera, and when I came back, I was greeted with the following smile before she went back to the above pose.

sweet girl!

One step closer

We were very thankful to learn this past Friday that the county has approved all of the permits needed to begin work on our first Little Caesar's restaurant!  Jon and Luke will be taking bids from contractors, and choosing one to outfit their leased space (the lease has been signed!!) to the specifications for the restaurant.  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement throughout this process.  We have seen the good hand of our God provide for both of our families during this process.  

We'll keep you updated....

Lily's Christmas program

Lily did  a wonderful job reciting her part of the Christmas story at last night's program!  We were so proud of her hard work practicing the songs and her verse.  :)  She was the first speaker after the first song and said, "Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth, in Galilee, to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David."  It was really a mouthful...I think I was more nervous for her than she was...and she did great!  Thanks to everyone of her fan club members who were there to see it and cheer her on. :)

Happy birthday Eli!!!

Eli turned 3 on Saturday! :)  We'd planned for the five of us to go to dinner (per E's request) at the Rainforest Cafe and then go check out the Christmas lights at the Opryland Hotel, but the holiday traffic was HORRIBLE.  We probably would have had to wait an hour just to get off at that exit.  So, we opted for Cracker Barrel (a very distant second choice) instead.   Poor Eli was disappointed, but recovered when we said he could use his birthday money from Mimi and Pops to go shopping at their little gift store.  :)  After the Christmas program on Sunday night, everyone came over for dinner, cupcakes and ice-cream at our house to celebrate Eli's birthday.  I just realized that Eli is wearing PJs is so many pictures I post...I promise he has and wears real clothes too!  But these cold days when I know we aren't going anywhere in the afternoon, I let him stay in his PJs after nap time (he can't sleep unless he is in comfy PJs) and just wear them to bed.  Ahh, to be a kid! :)

Sisters and Brother

Lily and Kaylee having a sweet conversation...while Eli sticks his finger in Baby KK's ear?!?
Eli still intent on "betecting" his baby sister.  He loves to sit next to her and pet her head and then he'll just rest  his hand on top of her silky soft head - she'll often times get still and calm.  She must know how much he loves her and what he's doing. :)

Sisters. :)

Snow!

Last week we had our first snow that stuck.  So, even though PJs were already on, we got bundled up and went outside.  It was so funny to watch Lily and Eli have a snowball fight.  Jon and Eli built a big snowman too. :)  I took these pictures from the front step while I tried to keep little Kaylee warm and out of the snowfall, and our camera dry.

All bundled up

It has been pretty chilly here (at least for kids who still talk about the beach like we were there last week!) and wet too.  The cold is one thing, but I don't really care for the wind and rain while trying to buckle the kids in & out of the car or while they are running like maniacs in the house since we aren't playing outside.  I guess it can't be spring or fall year-round...or tropical weather everywhere on earth!

Gingerbread house

Lily and Eli had fun decorating their gingerbread house....

until it collapsed....
and then they had fun eating it!  Jon was able to get it standing again...but now I pick stale candy off of it for a little treat every once in a while when the kids aren't looking.  So far they haven't noticed the bareness of the house!

Elf Yourself 2

Allison just stopped by after work and made a new elf dance for me. :)  Here is our family doing a disco dance!  We laughed until we cried...are you as easily entertained?!?

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/DPEhn6pN6CE1BX4exFbo

Elf Yourself

My sister, Allison, just sent this to me.  The elves are my 4 sisters and me. :)  I needed the laugh after a less-than-great trip to Target with the kiddos - thanks, Al!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/8LaYbQqthywoDKpZBrMa

Jesse Tree Photos

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; 

       from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."

Isaiah 11:1

Here are Lily (in dress up clothes) and Eli (still in PJs) proudly showing their Jesse Tree that we are all caught up on now.  :)  Eli mostly just enjoys taping things to the wall I think, but Lily is really getting into the meaning behind the tree and all the Bible stories that go along with the ornaments.  We'll definitely keep this as a family tradition!