Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Dear Carolyn

Happy Birthday to you!!!

It doesn't seem possible for you to be turning 5 already! Yet when I look at you, I know you are no longer a little toddler. While it's not so easy for Mom and Dad to watch you grow up, we know that YOU are so anxious to be turning 5 (finally). So excited to be growing up. To our sweet daughter, whose ever so eager to help out....

Happy 5th Birthday Carolyn!!

We Love You...

Daddy and Mommy

32 of 52

********************52 Weeks*******************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

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Hopefully by the time this posts we'll be back in sunny, warmer weather or at least on our way. During our time at home the weather obliged to give us snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain and no very little peeks of sunshine. We were glad the temps stayed above zero, and were quite mild (20-30's). The forecast for this week... single digits, that dreaded minus sign, clouds...

As strange as this sounds... it was nice to be in the snow. (AND... it's very, very nice to be leaving it behind for awhile)

We took advantage of our 'snow' time...and made a snowman and spent countless hours out in the snow.

When we got home, this sweet little boy stayed at Boppa and Gma's until Thursday night. When G'ma brought him home, this is what he came thru the door with. Along with a big smile and an even bigger hug.
It has been good to be home. But this week has been anything but relaxing and calm. So much to catch up on. So much to line up. Lots to straighten out. Simply put: not enough hours in a day!
But between the site of my boy coming home. Seeing these flowers. Breathing in their fragrance... I melted into a puddle of thankfulness. No matter what--- never, ever underestimate the power of what little things can do.

I *heart* being an Aunt

I got to meet my nephew for the 1st time tonight. 1 week old. He weighed 9#3 oz at birth. Hardly a tiny baby. But having an 8#15 baby myself... I hardly know what a teeny-tiny newborn feels like. Especially after lugging John around... I say James is little.

Since James was born, I have been asked countless number of times, if I regretted our choice {to not have anymore}, wished/wanted another baby. (And I really don't mind people asking. I really don't.) I usually chuckle to myself thinking.. "4 kids isn't enough for ya?" =) I do not regret our decision to end things. Not for one single second. Yes, holding James I wished it was me having this newborn to hold and admire. For a teeny-tiny second I wanted another. At 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 (and any time in between) in the morning, I will be very glad that it's her getting up, and not me! =)

I could have kept on having babies. I LOVED, LOVED being pregnant and everything that comes with it. No morning sickness, no troubles, no complications whatsoever. Yet, having babies is more than just being pregnant, giving birth and soaking up that newborn-ness. We had our 4 kids in under 4 years, by our choice {nor do we regret doing it that way}. Our hearts were overflowing and our hands were full with 4 little ones. As much as we loved being parents, we knew we had to stop somewhere. And surprisingly, as much as holding James stirred up those 'I-want-baby' feelings, it also confirmed that I am very settled with our choice.

Besides...being an Aunt is much like being a Grandma !! Love 'em, spoil 'em, send 'em home and let their parents deal with 'em!!!

why is it?

Why is it when you are terribly busy.....

• Your daughter finds a little caterpillar frozen in a chunk of ice, and is all worried about it. You tell her to bring it inside, and it actually thaws out! And crawls out of the bowl and is nowhere to be found.

** Update** The girls found the caterpillar, and he's chillin' outside. Literally! :)

• Your (youngest) son decides that all of the toy bins need to be dumped over. All the books need to be off the shelves.

[And while we're talking about our youngest son and dumping.]

• You find a (thankfully, half full) bag of chips dumped all over the floor when you come up from the laundry.

• [speaking of laundry] Your washing machine hose comes disconnected on a extra large size load.

Pay It Forward Winners.....

• Tim and Melissa (private blog)
  

• Heather T

(since I know both of you ... I'll be in touch!!)

Thank you to all (3) of you that entered my giveaway!

I must admit, I am surprised, but not completely shocked that more people didn't want to participate.

31 of 52

********************52 Weeks*******************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

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The snowy background should be a strong indication of where we are now. It feels great to be home. Yet our days have been anything but relaxing. At least for Mom. So many things to do, tons of things to catch up on and lots to get lined up. Benji has yet to step foot inside our house since we've been back. He's camping out at Boppa and Gma's with Jacob. (Aunt Heather had her baby, James, early Tuesday am, so their kids are camping out down there too) The girls are doing slightly better. They've spent a night or two at home. Poor John is stuck at home with Mom and Dad!

Yesterday we did the infamous job of firewood. The kids (that I did have home) were more interested in playing in the snow, than helping! Imagine that!! :) Carolyn snagged my picture on the way out the door.

Then Katie took a picture of Carolyn and I, after we I got done with firewood. All toasty warm inside.

Pay-It-Forward Giveaway

Shortly before Xmas, I was the lucky winner of "The Not So Perfect Housewife's" Pay-It-Forward Giveaway. Because we left shortly after for TN, I didn't get her package until we got home last night. Although I usually don't drink coffee, the smell when I opened this box is unbelievably yummy! She assured me that I would love it, even if I didn't like coffee. I'm quite sure she is right. Thanks again! I'm looking forward to trying it!!Now it's MY turn! Are you ready to win?

WAIT!

Before you enter, you need to be willing to follow these 3 simple rules if you win:

• You'll need to give me your mailing address so I can send a small gift your way.

• Then you'll need to write your own Pay It Forward post after you receive your gift telling about it, and in that post link back to my blog.

•Finally, you need to be willing to play along. Come up with gifts to send out to YOUR 2 winners of your Pay It Forward Giveaway.

I'll carry on the tradition, and send some of my favorite things to my 2 lucky winners.

***(If you are a winner, you're welcome to send whatever gift you so desire to your 2 winners. Whether it's a favorite of yours, or just a simple gift.... just send SOMETHING to carry on the giveaway.)

Because things are a tad hectic unpredictable around here.. this may be interesting! Enter by Saturday, January 23, then I'll have the kids draw 2 names from a cowboy hat and post the lucky winners ... when you ask? I'm not sure either! But it'll be shortly after Saturday, Jan. 23!

Good Luck!

30 of 52

********************52 Weeks*******************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

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The weather has perked up down here. Sunny, low-mid 40s (getting warmer each day). The natives still are complaining it's cold, but we are loving it! It's kinda messing me up though. Mid January: no snow, temps near 50. This is hardly winter to us. Oh well, we'll enjoy it while we can. Soon it's back to ccccold temps and piles of snow.

The kids are more interested in their bat, than taking a picture with Mom. It's one of their many treasures they found around the place.

29 of 52

********************52 Weeks*******************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

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This not-so-little-anymore girl will turn 5 at the end of this month! More than ever, since we've been in TN, she has been my helper. Washing dishes, sweeping floors, cooking meals, folding clothes, picking up... all in her own special way. And that bitter, cold snap that hit everyone back home... it found its way down here too. Not nearly as cold of course,well, at least not to us. 20's aren't too shabby. Especially if it's 20 ABOVE zero. But to these southern folks... it nearly calls for hibernating in your house if the temps dip below 20*! Cold weather and all, we are loving it down here. But we'd be lying if we said we didn't miss it back home in the Frozen Tundra. It won't be long before we head back, and then we'll be counting down our days to head back into this southern paradise!

Southern Hospitality

If you've ever lived in the south, or spent some time down here, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. In the past few months, we've made countless trips to TN. Each time was exactly the same. People literally smother you with it. I'm not talking about people that you actually know. (They are wonderfully, overwhelmingly, oozing with it) I'm talking about the guy at the pump next to you at the gas station, to the waitress, to the lady who is waiting behind you at the check out lane, to the guy who just crossed in front of your path. It's everywhere. And it's given by everyone.

While I don't mean to say, everyone up north is rude, snobbish, or inconsiderate of others. I've come across plenty of friendly folks back home. And that's not to say everyone down south is full of southern hospitality. (There's "rude" folks down here too. They likely are tourist from up north.. j/k!) But down here, it's just... different.

You get sucked in by it. Never wanting to be freed of it again. It's like an addiction. You taste alittle, and you can't get enough. You crave it. You get withdrawals from it.

We've transplanted to a few areas in the recent years. Don't get me wrong. We've met plenty of friendly, gracious, unbelievably-good-to-us people/friends. We always came away with great friends. But, as far as feeling welcomed by the town/city we moved to... never. Here... definitely welcomed.

No snow, (slightly) warmer temps than back home, southern hospitality... I could move down here permanently in a heartbe.... Okay. Maybe not permanently. But it won't be as hard as I once thought, hopping back and forth. We've made friends with some amazing, unbelievable people so far. And we still have a few more to met once our schedules line up.

Soon we'll have to head north again. I'll have to take some of this southern hospitality with me, and some warmer weather. Can you imagine what kind of place this world would be if everyone was friendly(er)? To everyone/anyone? There's that familiar verse... do unto others as you want them to do unto you. That's gotta be the general motto down south.

A girl could get spoiled living down here! But I hope instead of just taking it.. I remember to give it back.