I just finished making a Holiday Memories slide show using Smilebox and it turned out so cute! You have to mute the blog music to hear the slideshow. Check it out! It has pictures for Christmas Eve at church where the girls got to make Christmas cookies, make an ornament and even meet Santa! Logan was not so thrilled about that, however. The other pictures are mostly from Christmas Day spent in Jewett with all of my relatives. We had a great time playing games, playing on the Wii and singing on Guitar Hero. It was a great day.

'Tis the Season . . .

Oh, isn't it nice to not have to go to work? That was my exact thought when I woke up this morning. I have been anticipating this much needed break from school and a very hectic daily schedule. I told Stephen I just want to wear my pajamas, enjoy the kiddos, drink coffee, not go anywhere, and just enjoy being at home. Well, today was the first day I actually got to do that (even though we got out of school last Friday). Friday night I had my 2nd grade team Christmas party which was alot of fun. Saturday, was Christmas with Stephen's side of the family so we were at his parents house all day. Then, Sunday we drove to Huntsville and did Christmas with my side of the family and spent the night. We got home late last night so I was soooooo ready for a day at home today. I felt like a total bum and it was awesome! I did start a project I have been wanting to do for a month now......I began making a Disney scrapbook from our trip in November. I bought a kit at Michael's and I have had all the stuff sitting in a pile on my dresser.....just waiting for the perfect time to start it. Well, today was the day! I am not a "scrapbooking" kind of gal. Just not my cup of tea - but, for Disney.........I was willing to make a sacrifice (heehee) and I think I got pretty creative! The only other time I made a scrapbook was when we went to Disney back in 2006. So, I figured we couldn't have a scrapbook for one trip and not the other - ohhhhhhh, the pressure! Why do I do this to myself????? Anyway, it's coming along quite nicely and I am hoping to get to take it to Jewett when we go on Christmas Day. Tomorrow we are going to attend one of the Christmas Eve services at The Fellowship of the Woodlands and just enjoy the day together. Here's some random pics from this past week. I've gotten behind on my posting. . . . .

MawMaw's reindeer cookies
that we got to sample on December
14th when we went to Huntsville to
watch "From Cradle to Cross" - UHBC's
fantastic Christmas pagaent! My dad
was in the play and even had
a dancing part- go BABS!

My 2nd grade team posing
in front of the gigantic
Christmas tree in our Library
at school on December 18th

Christmas at Nanny and

Grandad's on December 20th

Leah making sugar cookies -

a Christmas tradition at

MawMaw's house in

Huntsville

Lauren making her

sugar cookies

My nephew, Taylor,

making cookies with the

girls

Our beautiful finished

products!

MawMaw posing with

her world famous

cookies!

Logan somehow figuring

out how to stand on the

dryer in the midst of all

the holiday hustle and

bustle. And, in case

you're wondering......

yes, my dryer really is

mustard yellow. Don't ask -

it's a long story........

Leah posing with her new

Tinkerbell doll at

MawMaw's house.

Lauren posing with her

new Princess Aurora doll

(Sleeping Beauty)

Logan helping Papaw

open his gifts

It's a Logan-in-a-box!

MawMaw and Papaw's living room

was a united mess after all was

said and done . . .

Merry Christmas to you and yours

and may God bless this time with

your family.

Oh, before I forget......I did some researching to find out more info. about Kate Gosselin (from the Jon and Kate Plus 8 TV show) and found out that she is indeed coming to Houston in January. Here is the link with the information.....I am trying to figure out a way for me to go - let me know if you're interested in going too!

http://www.championforest.org/events/girlsnightout/

Winter Wonderslam with Toby Mac

Friday night Stephen and I took the girls to the Winter Wonderslam tour with Toby Mac at the Toyota Center. It ended up being sold out - over 12,000 people - wow!!! The concert was hosted by the christian radio station KSBJ. I even caught a t-shirt that some of the KSBJ volunteers catapulted into the crowd - go figure! We stopped and ate dinner down town at this Italian place called Josephines (right across the way from the Toyota Center). Stephen drove us by his office building down town and the girls were amazed to see the very tall building that Daddy works in everyday.


The concert was awesome and the girls really seemed to enjoy it. I've been listening to Toby Mac as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to him as part of the group, DC talk (which stands for decent christian talk). I have seen DC Talk in concert and Toby Mac's solo concert before......all of which were awesome! I especially remember the DC Talk Jesus Freak tour many moons ago at the Woodlands Pavilion - one of the best concerts I've ever been to!

Here we are before the concert
started









It was good to see that Toby still knows how to jam. Here is a little clip of video I managed to get during the concert. Love it!



They also announced last night that there is some sort of women's conference or something coming up soon at the Champions Forest Baptist Church in Houston. They mentioned that Kate Gosselin will be there (ya know....Kate from John and Kate Plus 8 on TLC). Hmmmmmm, I'm going to have to look into that. I would like to go and hear her speak.

On a totally different note, Friday at school my team and I were crazy enough to make gingerbread houses with a classroom full of 2nd graders. Here are some pictures from the day......

Aren't we cute in our Santa's Little helper aprons?

We also did a teacher dance on Thursday to the song, Jingle Bell Rock. We performed it on Thursday after the school Christmas program for the students. We were a hit! Here's a few pics . . .

Check out our Assistant Principal

busting out in the splits - you go

girl!

Here's our principal

showing off her twirling

talent in the middle of the

dance

By the way, I finally got to do my Christmas shopping today. I was getting a little worried considering I hadn't bought one dad gum thing for anyone! I started at 8:30 this morning and shopped non-stop until 6:30 tonight. Oh yes......it can be done. However, I don't recommend doing it that way. Needless to say my bedroom is a united mess!

I honestly have not had a chance to do any shopping until today. I think I'll feel much better once it's all wrapped and under the tree. The girls have been asking me why we don't have any presents under our tree - isn't that pitiful? Poor babies......I told them that mommy was going shopping today and they would have some things under the tree in the morning. Stephen took the girls to church tonight while I got Logan in bed and started unraveling the pluthera of stuff.

And what may you ask was going on at home while I was out shopping today...........................

Let it snow . . .

It started snowing this afternoon! I was still at school with the girls when we saw people running outside and screaming - we ran out with some of my teammates that I teach with to see that it was actually snowing. We danced around and took pictures - it was so awesome! It was still snowing when I picked up Logan - he wasn't sure what to think about it. The first thing the girls wanted to do when they got home was run in the backyard and see what it looked like. They had a blast grabbing what snow they could and making snowballs. That lasted for about 10 minutes because they were freezing out there. We saved their snowballs and put them in the freezer to show Daddy when he gets home. Speaking of Daddy, he called about 3:00 from Florida and said he was stranded there due to the "snow" in Houston. He had to call and verify that it was actually snowing because he just couldn't believe it. He said it was sunny and clear as a bell in Florida, but his flight was delayed due to visibility issues. I think his plane finally took off around 7:00 or so. We will be glad when he is safe on the ground again! Here are some pictures of what Logan decided to do while I was taking pictures of the girls with their snowballs outside. I had left the refrigerator open so he decided to climb on in and help himself!

Right before the girls went to bed we heard some commotion outside. Alot of our neighbors were out playing in the snow, so we decided to go out and join them. Then, the girls and I bundled up and went out in the backyard.....we attempted to make a snowman and he was looking pretty good until I tried to help shape him up and he crumbled - oops!

Lauren writing Daddy's name

on the rock wall

Writing their names on

the slides in the backyard

Dancing around in the

snow in the front yard

Logan's First Birthday

Today was Logan's first birthday and it was Mickey Mouse themed of course! The girls had fun this week helping me decorate for the party (and for Christmas) too. It was a bit overwhelming at times......unpacking and doing LOADS of laundry from our trip, I was sick, Stephen was in Atlanta, getting out Christmas stuff, preparing for Logan's party, teaching all day.....whew! Somehow, it all managed to get done. The party went great and Logan did really well. I thought he might get cranky, but he was having too much fun. He knew something was going on, but I'm not sure he knew the fuss was all about him. He just kept smiling and clapping his hands. It seems like just yesterday I was at the hospital hearing the doctor say, "It's a boy!" And now, here we are a whole year later. I just want to cherish every moment. I could have never imagined what having a baby boy would be like (especially after having 2 girls), but it is wonderful and I am so lucky to have him. He brings so much joy to our family and we thank God for him everyday.


Here is Logan's Mickey cake
made by Stephen's Aunt Shannon.
It turned out soooo cute!
She actually had a Mickey Mouse
cake pan - you can't find them anywhere!




Bring on the cake!


And oh, it's so good!





Air Walking Mickey that Mommy
found online - love it!


Am I just precious
or what?




Jumping in the Mickey bouncer
with Mommy




So much new stuff to play with!



Mickey's Fun Factory was
a hit with the kiddos (and adults)



Taking a spin on my new
Tonka truckster - watch out ladies!




Happy birthday to my sweet baby boy - we love you all the way up to the sky and back!
May all your birthday wishes come true!

I have been sick the last couple of days so I haven't had much energy to write about our trip yet. However, here are some of my favorite Disney pictures. I just had to share!