Just Dance 2

Santa Babies

Everyday Stuff

I am surely loved.... or at least sought after.
Think somebody is waiting for me?
(The marshmallow was a gift from them to me)

Lake Monroe Sanford, FL
(Snapped with my cell camera and not edited. So nice all the devices are being integrated into one that's with me all the time!)


LG is really getting into the Christmas holidays. She especially loves wrapping gifts. Our gift wrapping supplies are in an unlocked closet. If we want any household items to be safe, we're going to have to lock that closet. She goes in the closet, grabs all kinds of gift bags, she's not picky whether they are birthday, Christmas or plain bags. She then goes around the house and "makes presents". Below is a present she made from the ceramic village she wiped out. Each night, I spend about 20 minutes unpacking her gifts and replacing our household items. At least she's a giver :)

Little Bits of Christmas

December has been busy and fun...take a look!

Since we missed turkey day, we had it in December!

Valla made the pecan pie all by herself!

Our Spread!Bounce House static fun
Reading to her cousin :)
LG really got into trimming the tree :)

Nat's year to put up the star

LG's Holiday Playgroup
Making treats with mom
Saltine Toffee


Rolling Buckeyes!
Tenth Annual Cookie Exchange


Nana and her Grandkids celebrating her birthday
The Lathan Family
Does this kid have style or what?!

Opening a gift from the North Pole, Elvis our Scout Elf.


Lake Mary's Festival of Trees

This one we won in a silent auction :)


Florida Snowflakes

Holding court with the cousins.
Second Cousins- Eelin and Natalie
Snell Family Christmas
Dad's helper and our NEW DISHWASHER!

Random Thought Thursday, I mean Friday

I'm trying Christmas postcards this year instead of cards. Less paper, no envelopes, less postage but still somewhat of a tradition.

One of my children is not being very grateful when she receives gifts...really irks me. Working on it.

My husband's birthday is tomorrow, so hard to buy for and really deserves great gifts. Can't we celebrate the half birthday?! At least more ideas might roll around in the summer.

I have eaten more buckeyes and saltine toffee in one week than should be allowed. Don't really intend to stop either.

Finally sleeping well! :)

Really need to have our neighbors over for dinner. They gave us the NICEST move in gift basket in Oct and life has been SO busy since. Maybe between the 25th and 31st?!

Would love to surprise the kids with a visit to see snow, not gonna happen this year.

After way too much money and too many unexpected broken parts our spa is now working. At least that's what the repairman told me, I have yet to try it out myself.

I didn't know how to explain to my 2yo why her friend doesn't have a Christmas tree since he celebrates Hanukkah. I told her about the special candles. These holidays and their traditions must seems so strange to a 2yo. A man in red who she's never seen brings her toys? Special candles?

Does Hanukkah start with a C or H?

Does anyone is America REALLY celebrate Kwanza?

V is really getting older. Not too many toys this year for her.

My sliding door on the minivan is SO loud it's embarrassing at car pick up. It's got sand or something in the track. Worth the service call to clean and grease?

I think my mom had a good idea, taking the girls to the Dollar Store for them to do their Christmas shopping for others.

I want some photos of my grandparents when they were young to display in my house. Old timey black and white ones.

The girls are off from school from Dec 23- Jan 10. Looking forward to hanging out and having fun.

Wish I knew how to strikethrough words on this blog.

Learned a little more about iPhoto, yay me.

Love my house, hosted 5 events in 7 days, loved it :)

We passed a construction site that had a bunch of metal studs exposed. N asked, "mom, is that a jail?"

In the car N asked, "Tell me again why kids die?" I had no idea how to respond.

Someone was telling the girls about an accomplished violinist and said She played Beethoven. They responded with, "The whole movie?!"

LG is potty training and Grandma asked her, "Are You going to go poop on potty too?" She answered, "We don't talk about poop."

V, "Mom makes big choices"
Natalie says, "yeah but Dad is stronger."

N was sitting on her leg and after a few minutes she stood up and it must have fallen asleep cause she said, " uh oh, my leg feels sparkly!"

Santa's socks

Long White Dress

Valla has been asking me about my wedding dress. She asked where it is and was thrilled when I told her it was in a box in the garage.

We had a fashion show...

Nat's turn!

LG will NEVER let herself be left out of the fun...


Valla immediately wanted to plan a second wedding for Jason and I :) I told her sometimes girls use parts of or wear their mom's dresses. She asked if she could wear mine, but of course she's going to add some flowers or something to make it a little more colorful! Now all she needs is a fiance.

NatWest my Firework

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that tehre's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on slet your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on slet your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em goin "Oh, oh, oh!"

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Random Thought Thursday

Oh how I've missed blogging. hate when life gets in the way.

I love the tidbits i find on other blogs. Tonight's gems=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80entLldZOg and

"If you put pantyhose across the tube of your vacuum and then vacuum up spilled beads, legos or RB of S you can collect them without picking them up one by one."

Who sped up the Christmas gears? It's only Dec 2nd and I feel behind in my shopping?!

I'm still so Mactarded, but getting better!

LG wants to see more photos of herself around the house and on ornaments.

I think I have carpal tunnel in my right pinky but I refuse to stop typing and texting.

I hate seeing things run poorly. There's no reason selling Girl Scout cookies should sound as complex as they made it during tonight's 2 hour training.

Seriously considering doing our family Christmas card through the blog this year. Saves paper, saves postage, saves $ and landfill waste. But love the traditions.

My older 2 are excited to be in the Sanford Christmas parade this Sat. I was in the Sanford Christmas parade at their age :)

My toes and fingers are freezing.

LG had her first MD Happy Meal tonight. She took out the chicken and handed me back the colorful Hello Kitty box. I told her it was hers and a Happy Meal. She said, "Why?"

I hate to jinx myself but the kid is speeding through potty training on her own schedule. Totally helps make up for the 10 months of potty training hell my first put me through.

Really digging Katy Perry.

Surprisingly happy with the Happy Meal toys = Hello Kitty watches, not total junk.

Hate what our school principal has had to endure this week. False sensational news reporting about the color of party plates and napkins has resulted in threats and a cop posted at my children's school. Faulty 'news' inciters should be prosecuted.

Extreme hard core internet commenters and their opinions are scarier still.

It's really LG's first Christmas, very magical.

Staying up way too late, not sleeping well since vacation, not sure why.