The world looks soooooooo cool...

...from the tops of daddy's shoulders! These were the boy's seats at Bostwick Days!

Bradley visits with Santa!

Santa came to visit the kids at Mars Hill Preschool this week. Bradley was so excited and couldn't wait to tell him what he wanted for Christmas! He was kinda curious about whether or not Santa would have any presents with him, but I convinced him that this was just a "visit" not a "delivery". By the way, it was "Wear Red" day at school too!

My first attempt

Before- looking a little shaggy!
After- much better!

Handsome fella! We like our boy's hair- high and tight!

This was my first attempt at using the clippers on Bradley's hair. He was an excellent client, even though the hair was very itchy. I got a little shorter than I had intended, but I'll know to start with a different guard next time. His hair is very silky and fine--a little different than cutting Nick's! Thank goodness he's handsome like his daddy, I don't have to worry about making him look ugly, since that would be impossible! :)

Our Countdown to Christmas

After reading several blogs, I decided to compile a list of 25 things to do as we prepare for Christmas. I'm working on figuring out a clever/creative/advent-y way to display these 25 things so the kids can open a "door" or something to see what the event is for the day. Till then, they'll just be on paper.
(In no particular order!)
1- Write a letter to Santa: Include cut out pictures of a few “wants”
2- Make a family photo wreath: get pictures of each family member, a Styrofoam wreath, ribbon, jingle bells, a circle template, colored cardstock and a glue stick. Wrap the entire wreath with ribbon, attach jingle bells with glue, use the circle template to trace circles on each picture and cardstock and attach the picture to the cardstock, glue each circle/picture to the wreath.
3- Make Minty chocolate treats: In a food processor, grind 1 box (9 oz.) of chocolate wafers, ¾ cup of slivered or sliced almonds, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and ¼ cup sugar. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in ¼ cup chocolate milk and 1/3 cup light corn syrup. Shape into ¾ inch balls and roll in crushed peppermint candy/candycanes. Store in airtight container in the fridge.
4- Collect gently used toys and clothes and donate them to needy children.
5- Go on a pinecone hunt and cut some small evergreen/pine branches; wrap together with twine or string and add old shiny ornaments or ribbons for a pretty decoration for indoors or outdoors.
6- Make a holiday banner to hang inside. Cut tree and or star shapes and write letters on them to spell out “Merry Christmas” or Joy to the World, etc… Staple/Glue the shapes to yarn, ribbon or string and hang!
7- Decorate the Christmas Tree!
8- Watch a Christmas movie: the Grinch or Rudolph, etc…
9- Sing Christmas carols as a family!
10- Visit Santa at the mall/store.
11- Learn more about Jesus’ birth. (Read Luke from the Bible)
12- Make easy Star ornaments: (Use paper, straws, scissors, beads, 3 pipe cleaners, colored ribbon)- cut straws into ¼” and ½” segments, thread beads and straw segments onto one pipe cleaner, leaving ¾” on either side, twist one end of the pipe cleaner onto another one and continue beading- repeat a 3rd time. Draw a 6” star on a piece of paper as a guide and twist the last stems together.
13- Make Christmas cards from cardstock and old wrapping paper.
14- Decorate a gingerbread house.
15- Make Reindeer Food: ½ cup oatmeal, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup red or green sugar crystals (use food dye on regular sugar if you can’t find crystals). Place in sandwich baggies and label for each reindeer.
16- Act out the nativity scene.
17- Take a drive to look at Christmas lights!
18- Listen to Christmas music and play a board game.
19- Make Cookies for Santa!
20- Decorate/paint an old picture frame to give as a gift with a picture inside it.
21- String popcorn to hang on your Christmas tree.
22- Wrap Christmas Presents!
23- Color Christmas-themed pictures (print out some coloring sheets)
24- Remind each other about the real meaning of Christmas.
25- Merry Christmas!!

All Action!

The kids were enjoying playing outside on their ride-ons/scooters, so I tried to capture some "action" shots!

Onward and Upward!

Upward is starting this week and we're so excited! It has been a little time consuming, but very fun! I've enjoyed the change of pace from the ordinary tasks I do every day. This picture is from the cheer clinic we had at a neighboring church in Athens. It was so much fun and Rach and Juj had a blast learning new routines, cheers, chants and motions! Many more pictures and posts about Upward to come!

These Eyes...

are beautiful. They're brown, they're blue, they're gorgeous and innocent. They're loving and trusting and absorb everything around them. They appreciate the beauty of nature and love the outdoors. These eyes belong to 3 sweet babies who look at me and honor me with their precious expressions. I am so blessed to get to look into these eyes every day!

"No thanks" pictures from Thanksgiving

Trying to take a good picture of 8 kids under the age of 6 and have it look decent, is not a skill that we have figured out yet. These pictures pretty much sum up the attempt. Oh well. Maybe one day.

The Lovely Lanes

Love this picture of the Lanes on Thanksgiving Day!!

The Milligan Family

Loved getting a good picture of my precious family on Thanksgiving! My family is what I'm truly thankful for!!!

So thankful!

Best buds: Mark and Bradley

We are so thankful for Bradley's pre-school! Nick and I enjoyed a special Thanksgiving feast with Bradley the week before Thanksgiving. He made special place cards, a placemat, a necklace, an indian shirt and a hat for the occasion. We enjoyed a few special songs and a prayer before the meal began. It was absolutely adorable! We always enjoy special time with our sweet, big boy!

Meet Mittens...

isn't it cute?!
see the bobbed tail?

even our "non-animal-lover" likes it

the proud new owners

...our newest family member. Mittens has been hanging around our house for the past week or so. On Saturday, Nick and I decided to give it the official "welcome home" by feeding it. It didn't take him long to figure out we were offering it a home. As you can see, Rachel and Bradley are soooooooooo thrilled and excited to have a kitten. We haven't been able to determine if it's a he or she. It's definitely young and was very hungry when we gave it a first meal of hotdog and cheese left over from the kid's lunch. Since then, we have given it real cat food. It's a very pretty cat with sleek black fur and little white socks or mittens on it's feet. Also, strangely enough, it's a "bob-tailed" cat. I have NO idea what that means or what breed that comes from. Right now the kids are obsessed with watching it through the windows (we feed it on the front porch), petting it and feeding it cat food and milk. Dixie is not so thrilled and is not so sure she wants another pet on her land. This cat, if it chooses to stay with us, will absolutely, 100% be an OUTDOOR cat! I hope to get this little kitty to the vet at some point and see if there are major things wrong with it and also have it spayed or neutered. We do NOT want many kitties, just the one!