Snow to Sand and Back Again

Wow!!! This Christmas has been anything but boring...or even relaxing for that matter...but it has been fun and memorable. Almost as soon as the snow started here at home we headed to Tybee Island (outside of Savannah) with all of Richard's family for 4 days. We missed most of the BIG snow at home and several days without power, but we made many memories and had a great time together. I really adore Richard's family and appreciate each of them...and the kids, they played non-stop and spent a lot of time in the "hot pool" (the roof top hot tub), as Ryland so appropriately named it.

Star fish...before the bleach...

Roof top outdoor kitchen and "hot pool" with view of the lighthouse and ocean!!

Other than the occasional, "Mom, so-and-so says she is going to tattle tale on me!"...oh the irony!...I was amazed at how little fighting there was. A lot of this was due to Nana Cam taking all the kids every morning for a walk/run-around on the beach and letting them extinguish some of their energy early in the morning. They always came back with lots of great marine treasures to show us. (Tip: don't leave star fish in straight bleach for 4 hours...oops...their treasure turned into tiny pieces...but WHITE they were!)

Over the next week we went to my Mom's house in Charlotte, always warm and welcoming, left the kiddos at her house for a day to get "detailed"...she is like a car wash for kids. I can take them dirty and disheveled and pick them up clean, full, and sparkling (this time also dressed as Superhero's), came home for Richard to scrape driveways and me to set up a dozen Christmas trees for work up until Christmas Eve 7pm...ending in our slightly embarrassing but perfectly fitting Christmas Eve picnic dinner of pizza on our living room floor. Christmas day was great and full of meaning though...

A baby wrapped in a blanket laid in a manger by the Christmas tree (last year's comment from Addie..."Mom, that's not Jesus, that is Ashley (her baby)"), stockings by everyone's bed, presents, brunch, family, snow, fire in the fireplace, love...the works!!!!! It was perfect!
Then off to Dad's in Banner Elk, so festive and fun, 2 feet of snow covered in ice, sledding on our rear ends and not being able to stop, more presents, and food of course!

Now we are home to catch our breath a bit, see some more friends in town, and relish the lazy mornings and long days until the kids start school again and we get back to our rather hectically unpredictable days.

We are greatly blessed, and no matter what the circumstance or unexpected predicament we find ourselves in, I pray that we always see the blessing God has for us in the moment...and we pray that (in Addie's words) "God wraps his arms around you" this season and you too see the blessing.

About To Get Older

So Ryland and I were sitting in my car having a picnic lunch in the parking lot of Lake Tomahawk park...yes, mommy was too cold to get out and have an ACTUAL picnic....so we were sitting there eating and practicing snapping. Ryland has the form down but no sound yet...however, after much practice we did hear a small snap and he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I'm about to get older."

Interesting...he measures age by accomplishments not by the passing time. So he will feel and be older once he can snap. I think this means I am still 25...maybe wishful thinking, but I also don't know that I have learned to do anything new since 25...that can't be true though. I know that I learn things every day...like don't pour cold water in a glass dish just after it has been in the oven (it exploded instantly in our kitchen - one of my many mistakes while cooking). However, I like this idea for measuring age. Rather than feeling like time is slipping through your fingers every day, I could see time as being a slave to my learning curve...not passing me by until I have done something new...once again WISHFUL THINKING!

On the Addison front:

"Mom, I think I know the special person that Jesus has for me when I grow up!"...uh oh...so I said, "really, who is that?" (I have changed the name to protect the innocence of this sweet boy)..."Michael."
Wow! Can't tell Richard that one yet! I have to admit though...I like her choice!

Another note:

Right now as I am sitting here Jacob, Ryland's cousin and little hero, is teaching Ryland the line from 3 Muskateers but the version Ryland keeps saying is, "All for one, and one for two."

Photos by Addison

Here we go...jumping back in to this fun world of blogging, but this time, for me at least, I think it is different. I am going to try my hardest to view this outlet as my random sheet of paper, jotting down bits, funny or insightful, from the life of a 3 and 5 year old that give me a glimpse of the world through their vantage point. I am letting myself, and you (but mostly myself), know upfront that I will resist feeling the need to document all the goings on in our lives, but somehow I do want to freeze the precious innocence, humor, and delight of raising these two little funny kids. I say this merely to take the pressure off of me because I know I will miss taking pictures of something like Kindergarten graduation and then avoid blogging because I missed a link in the chain and I just can't go on until I go back and find that link....So here we go....

We took these pictures back in early fall when it was still warm enough to wear sleeveless and have prolonged picnics in the park. Addie loves taking pictures and I love seeing what she sees...Here are just a few of hers...(totally unedited)



























on the Rye front...I think he is going to have a funny sense of humor...


Richard was getting ready in our room the other day when Ryland was in there and Richard was just talking to me jokingly and said..."I am just trying to look like (pause)..." and Rye chimed in perfectly saying "...a dork." CLASSIC!

(I took this

picture, but I

just had to show

off his little heart

shaped birthmark

on his left shoulder!)