Christmas 2009

Making cookies for Santa

Ben ate as many cookies as he decorated!

Counting down till Santa comes

Ann Phelps' first Christmas

Christmas at Mimi and Paw Paw's

Getting the cookies ready for Santa

Putting out the reindeer food (Ben is trying

to call the reindeer)

Santa made a mess with muddy boot prints and

fireplace rocks

Daddy's special Christmas pancakes

Checking to see if the reindeer

ate the food - they did!

Christmas with Grandmother and Pop

Dr. Will Hooks

Christmas with Dee Dee and Pap

Christmas with Maw Maw and Grandaddy

Will helping Pap pass out presents

We survived another Christmas holiday!! It seems to be more fun each year watching the kids enjoy the holiday! God has blessed us with another healthy holiday season - to Him be the glory!

Snapshots

Here are some random shots from the past week. I love the pic of Ben crying because it is so his personality!! When I told him to sit down and don't move, he thought he was in "time out" and he started crying. All I have to do is raise my voice and he falls apart!! Poor Ben! AP is 10 mos. she is "army" crawling and now getting into everything!! In case you are wondering, the M&M yard art is from my friend, Mandy! She gave it to us as a family present - Rhyne was not to happy about it being on his grass, but he gave in! Thanks "Aunt" Mandy!!

Christmas Card '09

I still cannot believe I got a good pic of all three!! It doesn't matter how much I beg, I will never get Ben to smile in a pic!!

Thanksgiving '09

My Grandmother's traditional table

Not a good pic, but a REAL pic!


Ben before the meal

Generation picture

(Ann Phelps is named after

this grandmother- Phelps was

her maiden name)

We stayed at my parents' house the week of Thanksgiving (staying one night in Carrollton). I decided since the boys didn't have school, it would be fun to go hang out in the country. I love the fact that they can run and play all day and I don't have to worry about them running in the street or being kidnapped!! I got to have a girls' night with my dear Cleveland friend, Ann! We were blessed that my grandparents (Mom's side) were well enough for us to have the traditional meal on Thursday. My Mom did so much cooking - thanks, Mom for the yummy food! It is hard to believe this was Ann Phelps' first Thanksgiving - she has been with us so long I forget this will be her first holiday season!! God has blessed us with so much in such uncertain times - all I had to do was watch my kids to realize how blessed I really am!!!

Zoo Lights

playing in the "snow"


Will and Grandmother found out the
"snow" was actually soap by eating it!

I will never have a great pic of all three - I take

what I get

The weekend of November 21-22 we went to the Memphis Zoo for Zoo Lights. Grandmother and Mae Mae (Rhyne's Mom and sister) were brave enough to join us. It was Mae Mae's 18th birthday. The Zoo Lights consisted of Christmas lights throughout the zoo, carriage rides, visit with Santa, meeting Dasher and Dancer, and playing in the "snow"! It was so much fun seeing the kids so excited!! Of course one of the best parts of the trip was getting to stay in a hotel!! (according to the boys) Thanks Grandmother and Mae Mae for a great trip!

**some memories:

-being lost

-Will eating "snow"

-Ben telling Santa he wanted a dump truck and him getting upset when Santa didn't

give it to him at that moment

- the look of excitement on Ben's face while we took a carriage ride

-Will worrying if the hotel would have his "drinks"?? He was very worried this hotel

would not have drinks?

-Ann Phelps being the perfect tag-along

AP is 9 months old (a little late post)

*I didn't have a recent pic of AP alone!

Ann Phelps turned 9 months old on November 10. I know I say this all the time, but I cannot believe how fast my third child is growing!! At her check-up she weighed 21.4lbs. and was 29 inches long. Thanks be to GOD, she is healthy!! She is the only one of my children who doesn't care too much for baby food! I have to fight with her to get her to eat. The only time I don't have to fight is when I feed her squash - she loves it!! She has two bottom teeth now and is trying to crawl. The doctor told me that because she is a "healthy" (meaning chubby) girl, she will be doing things a little slower than her "lighter" peers! She watches everything and just soaks it up. She has learned to clap her hands which is so cute! Will is still in love with her. He calls her "little girl" and she lights up when he talks to her. Ben is loving her more. He really pays attention to her when Will is not around (Will is protective of AP when Ben is around). We are gearing up for Ann Phelps' first holiday season! God is so very good!!!!

Ben's Joy

We just returned from a shopping trip to Target. It was just me, AP, and Ben. We were in the $1 aisle just browsing and Ben kept pointing to something and saying "mine"! I finally found what he wanted....a set of eating utensils!! No toys, give him a spoon and fork!!! He has not put them down since we paid for them! Go figure!!

Proof Rhyne's the Cook!

Many readers of this blog know that I can't cook. Thankfully, I married a man who loves to cook! I had to share pics of the wonderful meal Rhyne cooked for us tonight! Roast, veggies, and gravy (with mushrooms - for me!)! I am so blessed!!

Treating '09

Mae Mae the Pirate (love the look on
AP's face)

Breakfast Pumpkin Pancakes (I didn't make them)

This year Will decided to be a doctor (again). I decided Ben would be a fireman because he was scared of all the furry costumes!! And Ann Phelps was a cute flower. We went to Greenwood this year to go treating! (no tricking).

Pink Day

Every Friday Will has a color day at his school. Today was pink day!! Now most of you know how much Will loves feminine things, much to the dismay of his Dad! Lately his obsession with all-things girly has gotten better. To make Rhyne happy, I didn't go out and buy a pink shirt for Will to wear. I bought him pink socks - that way the pink would be secretive :)!! Well, Will LOVED the socks!!! I think he loved them more for the fact he could pull them up to his knees. (that is what Rhyne is believing!) Anyway, I know one day I can embarrass him in front of his friends by reminding him of the time in his life when he LOVED pink!!