Merry Christmas

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Sorry the video is sideways; I am new at this! :) And just another reminder, don't forget to pause the music at the bottom of the blog before you try to listen to the video.

Swoosh

We just arrived home a few hours ago from a super fun ski trip to Wolf Creek. You can see from this picture that Abby decided she was going to "ski with Daddy" this year. Mind you, the temperature on the mountain Saturday morning was 10 degrees, with about a 25 mph wind, and snow was falling heavily, but there was no convincing this child any differently. She giddily rode the lift up with Jeremy, telling him the whole time that she wanted to go "up high." Then, on the way down the mountain, she kept screeching, "Go fast, Daddy!" I was quite sure that one time down the mountain would be sufficient, but Abby quickly reported, with a huge smile on her face, that she desired to go a second time. Two times was enough though; she was cold and we retreated to the lodge for a Sprite (her choice). Let me just say, though, that getting her dressed to go skiing was a challenge in itself. No sooner would I get her hat and mittens on, then she would have her hat and mittens off again and be unzipping her coat. Neither did she like the boots because they "hurt." This left me to carry her up to the lift to put her skies on; so much for the phrase, "Carry your own skies!!" But it was all worth it to see her delight as she swooshed down the mountain between Jeremy's legs.

We also went sledding while there. Truth be told, this was probably Abby's favorite part of the whole trip! She delighted in riding down the hill with Mama and Daddy, again, "FAST!!" As soon as we would get down, she would be ready to go again, causing Jeremy and I to have to alternate trips up the hill. Pulling a 2 1/2 year old up a hill is hard work.

After playing in the snow, it was time for some relaxation! We drove across to Pagosa Springs where they have natural hot springs and swam/soaked in several different tubs ranging in temperature from 93 - 113 degrees. The kids never got in anything over 102, but the adults tried the hotter ones, even if it was only for a couple of minutes. Let me tell you, there is NOTHING relaxing about 113 degree water! There was also a big pool there which registered at a not-so-balmy 75 degrees. Again, there is nothing relaxing about a 75 degree pool in freezing temperatures. It only took a toe in to eliminate the possibility of swimming in it, even for the kids. This particular spring (pictured), had a waterfall flowing into it...excellent photo opportunity and entertaining for the kids too.

Josh, Amy, Wayland, and Dane Damron also went on the trip with us. Abby and the boys have so much fun playing together and we always enjoy Josh's and Amy's company. There is nothing like good friends to share traveling experiences with!!!

Addition to the Tree

Look what I came into the living room to find hanging from our Christmas tree the other day...birthday party hats. LOVE IT!!

Ho Ho Ho!

Abby Grace went to see Santa Claus the other day. At first, she didn't want to sit in his lap without Mama but after a little Chick-Fil-A bribery, she was more than willing to cooperate. What is on Abby's list this year? A baby, milk, water, a red kitty, a potty, and a toothbrush. It will be interesting to see what Santa comes up with!!!

The Littlest Angel

**Update: If you previously tried to watch the video, try again; it should be working now.**

When they asked Abby Grace to be an angel in the Christmas play at our church this year, they had no idea that they were getting two participants: Abby as an angel and her mommy as a director. I really don't know what is wrong with me, but I could only stay quiet for about two minutes before I started moving wisemen to their "new" places and telling Mary how to sweetly give Baby Jesus a kiss during "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Don't get me wrong; the original directors of the play did an amazing job; I just had opinions that had to be shared! So before I knew it, I was eating, sleeping, and breathing the Christmas play, literally. One night, I actually went to bed only to find myself up again about an hour later making a list of things to tell the kids, costume concerns, and staging ideas. Then there was the morning that I danced around our living room, one person playing the parts of 20, singing and directing as I went, trying to make sure everything was just perfect. Fortunately, Jeremy was not home because he would have truly commited me to the looney bin! But enough about my obsession and love of this project. How did Abby Grace fit into the whole picture?

Well, she too had identity issues throughout the past three weeks (in part certainly because of me). Her primary position was that of "mini director," flailing her arms around telling people where to go, tugging on my leg to tell me, "Mama, wiseman move; he move!!" (he was supposed to stay in his place and NOT move), and giving dear sweet Mary a demonstration on how to take care of Baby Jesus. And her enthusiasm, oh her enthusiasm! If only every child, and adult for that matter, could share such excitement about the birth of our Savior. When she wasn't directing, Abby was prancing about with her candle (battery-operated) raised high, smile on her face, and singing. I am amazed at how well she actually learned the songs, especially for a 2 1/2 year old.

The whole time, there was some question as to what Abby would actually do when it came time for the play. Upon entering, you could see her little eyes scanning the congregation as she crept in my direction, piling into my lap. When it was time for the angels to do their part, though, up onto the stage she went; it was time to perform! She spent the rest of the play singing and dancing and wandering, only to flit by her place, with a slight glance of acknowledgement, one time. If you know me well, you know this was difficult for me to watch because I wanted everyone to do what they were supposed to. On the other hand, though, I thought it was the absolute sweetest thing and I was so proud of her for participating.

Below is a short video of part of the play if you are interested. You will need to pause the music at the bottom of our blog so you can hear the music (and Abby singing) in the video.

Finally, I would like to comment that as cute as the play was and as much fun as we had doing it, I think the most important thing is what Abby Grace actually took away from it. For one thing, I believe she is starting to understand the whole reason that we celebrate Christmas. At least, she talks about Baby Jesus a whole lot these days and mentions that he was at her church in the "grass hay"...leaving me to insert teachable moments into the conversation. The other thing she picked up is hillarious. At the end of the play, the kids shouted, "AMEN!" followed by a bow. So after our prayer before dinner a couple of nights ago, Abby shouted, "Amen. Bow!"

As always, thank you for letting me share my stories with you all.

Happiness

As you open our blog, you will not be able to help but notice that it has changed...again. This time I have added music. My thinking on this is that Abby Grace does not have a baby book or scrapbook, so at least her blog should be good, right?

How in the world did I select these songs? Since Abby was born my biggest hope for her has been happiness. Sure, those other things in life like success and intelligence are nice bonuses, but they mean nothing if you aren't enjoying life along the way. So each of these songs somehow relates to happiness; whether they are about it specifically or just make me want to smile, dance, and sing along, hopefully they will add a little happiness to your life also!!

Thanksgiving

So what's the best part of Thanksgiving? Licking the whipped cream off the beater, of course!!
Abby Grace and Sam (my cousin's baby)