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With our actual move to Maryland rapidly approaching, I've been finding myself wanting to squeeze in as much time with family as possible. Sometimes it's hard to do because of schedules, naps, and life, but today we were able to have lunch with Grami and Papa Snow and then have them over to Mom and Daddy-Man's before the kids went down for their naps.

It. was. wonderful.

I've been on a video kick lately and this afternoon was no different - I hope that the kids will cherish these videos as much as I already do.

***

Nearly every New Year's Eve, for probably the last 20 years{?}, has been spent with our friends, the Bullards. The kids were super excited to get to spend the evening with Addy. I had no plans for how long I'd let them stay up. Truthfully, I anticipated that Ellie would crash around 9PM and that Noah would follow some time after that.

Boy, was I wrong.

The three little RockStars made it until midnight, doing everything in their power to stay awake: chasing each other, watching VeggieTales, blowing on their horns {which were, eventually, confined to their room}, and playing lots and lots of dress up.

My favorite dress up time? When they were playing SuperHeroes and Princesses. Notice how Addy is totally feeling Noah's muscles.

Close runner-up for my favorite dress-up time:

The rest of us were tired when midnight hit and after a little short celebration outside with sparklers and horns, we were back inside, putting the kiddos down for bed and asleep ourselves, all before 12:45.

Goodbye 2011,

Hello 2012!

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♥

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Since the weather has been so pleasant the past couple of days, Mom suggested a Zoo trip. Hoping to beat some crowds, still manage to make it back for naptime, and enjoy the animals while they were most active, we left for the OKC Zoo first thing this morning.

"Eeeewww! Something is STINKY!"

Gah. The only reason I included this photo is so that I won't forget how everyone else stayed over by the leopard, watching him gnaw on his breakfast, while I had to walk quickly by for fear of gagging over the sound of teeth breaking bone. Much worse than the rhino's smell, Noah.

We had a blast - thanks Nana, Papa and Aunt BB for donating blood for those passes! ♥

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One of Daddy-Man's best friends from high school, Don {and, Best Man in their wedding} and his wife, Caroline, came over today to spend some time with Mom and Daddy-Man. It's fun for me to see my parents interact with friends from their youth and even get to see them myself - it's been, quite literally years {mine and Ben's own wedding, I think!} since I've seen them!

And, despite a few pretend protests from Caroline, it didn't take much to get them to let me snap a photo of the four of them. ♥

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The last few years, it has been really cold and snowy around the end of December. But this year, it's been practically perfect. A little chilly, to be sure, but warm enough that outside play is on the schedule. This afternoon, once everyone else got back from the movies, the toys were pulled out from storage building and outside play time commenced.

After dinner and baths, Nana, Papa, Aunt BB, Ben, and the kids and I all headed down to Chickasha to see the Festival of Lights. I've been wanting to go for years, especially since the last time we went, Ben and I were not officially dating {though, we did like each other...}. Last year's Christmas light viewing consisted of Noah freaking out the entire drive until we got to the end and he asked to go through again. Luckily, since then, his and Ellie's appreciation of Christmas light displays has grown quite a bit.

We all enjoyed the lights, but the mild day had turned into a very cold evening. We didn't walk around for very long, but long enough to enjoy a few light tunnels {my favorite!} and to explore some areas that we wouldn't really be able to see from the car.

And, a trip to see Christmas lights would not be complete without a stop at Braum's for ice cream!

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Bath time is ALWAYS more fun when you have new bath goodies in your stockings.

"Its da bubbles!" - Ellie

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"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." Luke 2:14

Merry Christmas!

We had a pretty good Christmas Day. We got up and checked out our stockings, ate waffles {and yogurt} for breakfast, and got ready for a special Christmas Day service at church. And, of all days for me to rush out without my camera - the day that one of BB's friends was getting baptized! {sigh}

After church, we came back home for a big Christmas lunch and some play time and rest time before heading over to Grami and Papa Snow's house - the SuperHeroes were definitely hard at work.


I realized, after it was all said it done, that I didn't go real crazy on the photos this year like I normally do... but I did go pretty heavy on the videos. I'm okay with that... because I kept having another verse from Luke run through my mind so much yesterday and today:

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

I couldn't help but have a little bit of understanding of what Luke meant - I don't want to quickly forget all these little moments from the past two days. I want to remember them, love them, and hold them in my hands and declare them the special treasure that they truly are.

Merry Christmas, Here's to Many More!

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My favorite moments of today:

The kids decorating cookies with Nana - the concentration, laughter, and the resulting sugar high from eating too much icing before 10am. ♥

Being asked a million times by an inquiring little boy if it was "time to go to church and sing songs and then open presents".

Watching Noah and Ellie during the candlelight service, one concentrating so hard on holding the candle, the other trying to blow it out... all while listening to Ellie try to sing along and it just coming out as a hum.


The pure joy the kids had in opening presents... in being so excited about each gift {so much so that they even had to try on the new clothes} and in happily bestowing gratitude on the gift givers.

Ellie getting so tired while opening presents that she grabbed one of Aunt Jessie and Uncle Bryan's new pillows and her own blanket and laid down on the couch.

Simply enjoying precious time with our family while celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas Eve!

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Mom and Daddy-Man have the sweetest little next-door neighbor, Ms. Kathy. All summer and fall long, she has just doted on the kids. Every time we see her, the kids love to say hi and she would often ask how Ben was doing while still deployed. Around Halloween she made up special little goody bags just for them - Noah and Ellie both drew her pictures as a thank you. Tuesday, as we were loading up the kids for the movie, she brought over Christmas gifts for both of them... Noah and Daddy {and Papa too} have been getting some good use out of Noah's little race track:

Ben and I left the kids with Nana and Papa tonight and ate dinner with BB, Jessie, and Bryan at BB's house. We all had a pretty great time... even if Ben did beat us all at Harry Potter Clue.

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I didn't pick up my camera today. We were simply too busy! Luckily, I've got a few gems from Noah's camera to share.

Yesterday, Noah and Ellie went to the movies with Nana, Aunt BB, and Aunt Jessie to see Arthur Christmas and give Ben and I some time to work on moving stuff. Noah insisted on taking his camera with him, so I let him... on the condition that he took some photos for me. He got an early start by photographing some of his lunch:

They {all five of them!} definitely enjoyed themselves!

Thanks Nana, Aunt BB, and Aunt Jessie! ♥

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Tonight we worked on a couple of new ornaments from Truth in the Tinsel: a stable and shepherds. Before we made our little ornaments {and while I was gluing the pieces together for the stables}, Ben and the kids read the corresponding passages from one of the kid's Bibles. We all got a little giggle {and a little choked up... at least I did} when Noah decided to "read" the passage from my Bible while glancing over at the pictures from the children's Bible:

Love that kid.

Tonight's ornaments turned out pretty cute too...

almost as cute as the kids who made them.

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Part of the reason for our trip to Abilene was to see our old Life Group and part of the reason was so that we could possibly conserve a few days of Ben's leave. Which meant that Ben had to go into work this morning for a little bit... and that the kids and I were stuck at the hotel while he was gone. But this time, folks, I was a little smarter and remembered to get their "restaurant bags" out of the car. They each have a special backpack which is filled with goodies that they are only allowed to play with when we are at a restaurant. Special goodies like little coloring books, small Lego sets, My Little Ponies and mini car and train playmats.

I put them both on their own beds with their own backpacks and managed to get us all packed up before they started getting restless!

After meeting Chief Mac {who retired while Ben was deployed} for lunch, we headed home... and managed to make it back in near record time!

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Congratulations Jadie! And Josh and Erin too! We love you so, Little Dear One, and pray that God continues grow you into the amazing woman and child of God that we already know you are and will be.

I swear I meant to take more photos during the day, but with Ben not feeling well {we left him to sleep and recover at the hotel while we went to lunch at the Carroll's} and trying to soak up every possible minute snuggling a sweet little baby boy, well, my camera was only really out during the baptism!

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This morning we loaded up the Sequoia and headed down to Abilene for a little weekend getaway - partly for fun, partly for work. Jadie, our friends Josh and Erin's little girl, accepted Jesus as her Savior and is getting baptized tomorrow! To celebrate and to have a little mini-Life Group reunion before the move, the Prysocks and Lyons drove in from Dallas and we all met up at the Carroll's house for an evening of fun and fellowship...

and to enjoy the cuteness of the Little Ones!

♥