From Target Lady to Bag Lady

Well, this year Ash really wanted to take part in our traditional Black Friday shopping. After much persistence, I decided to give in. Not really, I love being with my kids, so I was delighted for Ash to join mom and I. Kris was out this year being that she's a little busy taking care of 2 babies.

Here's Ash's reaction when I told her she got to go.

Well, Hanna from the get-go said she wanted no part it in. She said she was exciting about having her Daddy all to herself. Thanksgiving Mom said something to Hanna about going. I looked at her little eyes, and she said she kinda wanted to go. Ash goes into tears, and there was drama (of course). Well, Hanna ended up going, and although I was somewhat discouraged because either way someone was mad/sad, Hanna was so gracious and sweet. She told me at least three times that night, "Thank you Mama for letting me go". She just kept hugging and hugging me. However, my heart was breaking for Ash who has had to wait for so long, so she and I took off Thanksgiving day to Old Navy, just to two of us.
I even let her sit in the front seat with me. She's tall enough and weighs enough, just not old enough yet. Ash was gracious and looked on the bright side of everything. She even said, "If I'm angry about Hanna going, then that is my fault for being angry. I just need to be by myself and get over it." Such a sweet girl. She and I had a lot of fun at Old Navy together just the two of us.

We get back to Mom's and Mom and I start pulling out the papers so we could get our game plan together.
Funny thing is. . . since being back from Guyana (yes I know I need to blog about it. . . .just how do you attempt to put something like that into words. . . I haven't gotten there yet), stuff just doesn't mean to me what it did in the past. There was definitely a difference in my heart this year Black Friday versus last years. There was definitely a difference in my spending as well.

You know what that meant? No game plan. I was just excited about spending time with my mom and my girls.

We all decided to curl up on the couch and watch "Elf".
Ash was going to make sure to get some good rest.
After all getting in the bed and getting some shut eye I hear what I think is a cell phone alarm go off. I jump out of bed, make up my bed (cause that's important to my Mom. . . very rarely do I make my bed at home), and then grab my cell phone to see what time it is - 12:42 a.m. WHAT??? We were getting up at 4:00. What in the world? That must have been a phone call! Who's calling mom at that time of night? Must've been Melissa? Why would she be calling? I started to pray for her. . . still didn't fall asleep. Shucks. So, I prayed more about whatever was on my heart. An hour later, I'm still awake. I realize my stomach is empty and grumbling, so I tell myself that if I go get a piece of cake, it will help me fall asleep. I checked on the girls. They were snoozing peacefully. I head to get my cake. Ahhhh! My belly feels full. I go lay down. THAT did the trick. 4:00 a.m. came and I was asleep when it got there. I got up, pulled my hair up, and put on some makeup 'cause I knew I'd be seeing people I know from high school (and I was right). Mom told me it was too bad I don't have natural beauty like she does. She didn't put on a lick of makeup.

Well, I had forgotten my coat, so Mom, being a Mom went and got me something to put on.

We were matching!!! I told her I looked like a bag lady and asked her what in the world possessed her to buy such an ugly shirt and 2 at that? They were given to her. Sheewwww! I was afraid I was going to have to call Stacy and Clinton on her.
Here we are outside of Lifeway.
We had such a fun day . . . full of laughter, Chick-fil-A, lots of coffee, McAlisters, and MEMORIES!!!! We even saw a Santa and I told Hanna and Ash to go and tell him he smelled like beef and cheese (Elf). They wouldn't dare. I almost did . . . hee!hee!

The girls were too pooped to pop and so were Mom and I. I'm so thankful I have a Mom and 2 girls who want to spend time with me and go shopping together. I love them all so much!

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Mom's, which means ALOT of people and ALOT of food. Mom is one of 6, and not even half of everyone showed up, and there were 37 people there. I just love seeing my family. And, an added bonus, Gigi and Granddaddy joined us this year. I was so excited that Jon's family is no longer HIS family or my side of the family is no longer MY family. . . that they are both of our families. . . . the two becoming one. Just does my heart so good.

After our bellies were full, all the kiddos wanted to ride on Papa's golf cart trails. He's such a trooper.
After gabbing with my cousins for awhile, I noticed Jon and Alec were missing. Where oh where could my boys be?
In the car AWAY from all the people. . . checking out the Black Friday ads. They were CAUGHT!!!!

Mom, Gigi, and Grandaddy on Mom's front porch.
My cousin Theron married a girl from Japan, Satomi. They have 2 precious girls that Ash and Hanna always look forward to playing with. This year they kept asking me, "Are those Japanese girls going to be there?" I so wish we got to see each other more. I know our girls would be great friends!
See the lady on the far left? That is Aunt Josie. Well, Hanna made Aunt Josie's entire day. Leading up to Thanksgiving Hanna would tell me, "I sure hope that Aunt Josie lady will bring her red velvet cake." I was shocked that Hanna remembered the red velvet cake. I was even MORE shocked that she remembered who made it. I didn't even know Hanna knew who Aunt Josie is. Well, I told Mom, Mom told Granny and told her she had to call Aunt Josie and tell her. Aunt Josie was thrilled that Hanna remembered her. I made sure to tell Hanna to be nice when Aunt Josie was giving her hugs. Anyone who knows my Hanna knows why I said this. . .*wink*wink*
Here's the smorgasbord of food
and my family is FULL of good southern cooks
Here's the red velvet cake, absolutely delicious!

I hung out here most of the time. . . with my cousins Lori, Jessica, and Heather. Heather ran the 1/2 marathon in Savannah that I ran. I loved catching up with my cousins. Again, I just wish we all saw one another more. I was glad for our time together.
Grandaddy was C-R-A-C-K-I-N-G me up. To say he LOVES sweets is an understatement. Every time I saw him he was getting ANOTHER dessert. Seriously, he must have visited the dessert section at least 7 times. I was giddy when I caught him on camera.
Here is me and my love. I love him so much!
Grandpa, Granny, and Mama. I tease mom because she goes by their house every morning, and when she walks in the door Granny says the same thing to her, "You want an egg?" Mama goes by and makes her bed for her. I have such a wonderful Mama!

Thanksgiving didn't end there when everyone left. Oh, me, Mom, Ash, and Hanna had some serious business to attend to. Stay tuned tomorrow for more!

Crazy Hair Birthday Party

This year Ash and I racked our brains for a birthday party idea for she and her friends, then I happened to see on Facebook something about a "Crazy Hair" birthday. I told Ash, and she was in all the way.

We had all sorts of things . . . rubber bands, pipe cleaners, ribbons, curling irons, hot sticks (yes the ones from 1993 that still work, can you believe it?), bobby pins, etc.
Nanna and Papa were here, but only for cake not to have their hair done.
The girls were put into teams (2 in each team), and we had several different categories to give away prizes.
They all had to come up with a team name.


The Crazy Hair Crew
Time for the cake. . . Mom always does such a great job with their birthday cakes.

Ms. Faith and Maddie were so sweet to get Ash a GA Bulldog shirt. .. their family are huge GA Tech fans. I'm so surprised Steve let her get it. . . they just love Ash-that's why :)


Okay, why in the world I have my eyes bugged like this I have NO idea. . .maybe its the fumes from the hairspray?

Ash - spunky, delightful, our girl who does everything BIG, servant, giving, and such a thankful heart.

Ash's BIRTHday Surprise!!!

My sweet friend, Jenn. B, is such a great mom. She is always inspiring me in so many different ways. . . she truly is one of the MOST thoughtful people I know.

One of the many things she does that I just love is on her kiddos birthday (she has 3), she takes them out for a special day.

This year, I thought I would start this tradition with my kids. Remember, on Alec's birthday, I surprised him with a trip to an Infantry Museum. It was such a special day for the both of us.

Well, my spunky, now 11-year-old loves horses. I have a friend at church that gives horseback riding lessons. So I set up a date with her to come to her house and surprise Ash. Ash was so excited all day and couldn't wait to see what we were doing.

She was ecstatic!!!

Here's my sweet friend, Jackie. Her love is horses and she has so much knowledge and taught both Ash and I so very much.
Ash was so excited, yet a little nervous when after Jackie taught her how to "steer" the horse, she let Ash loose. Thankfully as Ash has gotten older she's a little more tame. If she would have been 5, that girl would have that horse galloping through the woods.

Here's the end to our day together.
Well, the next day Daddy-o had a surprise up his sleeve. He woke her up early before chuch and took her out to breakfast. Such a sweet Daddy! Ash, Daddy and I love you oh.so.much, and we're so proud of the young woman the Lord is shaping and fashioning you into be!

Every Girl Loves a Tea Party

Thuu baby turning 8. Man, where does time go??? Well Hanna was going to have a Crazy Hair party like Ash, then she changed her mind to a Cupcake Wars party, and then after her birthday surprise to a tearoom, she decided she wanted to have a tea party. There was only one condition - we had to find all the "tea accessories" . . . i.e. tea pot and hats at a thrift store. We found a tea pot for 1.50 and found several hats and then bought flowers. Gigi helped me and really did the hats up nice. She's so talented and did a far better job than I ever could have.

I did "tea party" voice, and I don't think any of the girls liked it. They all kept looking at me like I was really weird.
Thankfully Gigi had given me this for Christmas about 8 years ago. I seriously just pulled it out of the box with all its wrappings still on it. See those things at the top. I couldn't pronounce the name of them, so I just called them "scrumpdiliicious". My little niece, Natalie, kept saying, "Aunt Michele, I want some more of that scrump."
Birthday girl!

Sweet Lane.
Natalie -isn't she adorable?
Sweet Skyler
Lovely Noelle
Love Kara Jane.
Even Daddy participated in the fun.
Time for the cake. See Hanna's picture on the cake? That was from our tea room surprise.


Gigi and Granddaddy
Here's Papa getting some more coffee -coffee it runs through our veins.


Time for presents.
Now on her actual birthday we had her birthday dinner, which I can't remember what she chose. Anyhoo, every year the kids get to chose what we eat that night for dinner. Here's some of her presents from our family . . . nail polish, of course.

A hermit crap. Kara Jane has one, and Hanna has been coveting that thing.

We all just sat around the table looking at it waiting for it to come out. Hanna's our animal lover. . . doesn't matter what kind of animal, she loves them all.