Christmas Eve

We spent Friday and Christmas eve with the Monks. The adults had burgers on Friday (after the boys went to sleep )and then William, Mary Beth and I headed downtown Rome. Christmas-Eve morning, Thompson decided to wake Mommy and Daddy up at 4:30am asking for Granmom and Granddaddy and Auntie & their dogs. So, we cuddled and watched a movie to let everyone else sleep to a "normal" time. We had breakfast and opened presents. Thompson loved his car rug, cars 2, dinosaurs and Jonathan loved his ornament and cars!

The adults enjoyed a Christmas Eve lunch (while boys rested) that Granmom made and it was wonderful. We all dressed up for Church. The boys made it halfway through church and then Granddaddy took them for a walk.  The candle light service was lovely. We enjoyed spending Christmas eve in their new home!

Granmom and her boys

 Granddady and us

Auntie and J-man 

TWM playing with his gifts 

Thompson "loving" his brother 

My 28th birthday

I turned 28 this year and by all my friends’ standards...I'm young. It is interesting that my friends tend to be a greater (notice I didn't say older) age than I am. It never bothers me and I think what matters most is how you act and your stage of life! Anyway, I enjoy being a young-mom and having energy and look forward to a life where I can be active when my boys go off to school and get paid for a job again. Once again, I turned my birth-DAY into a birth-week. William says, I'm a pro at this! I had a fun birthday week. On Friday, we had William's work Christmas Holiday party, and then on Saturday the Monk's took us out to celebrate Wade's 60th and my 28th. We share the same birthday! On Sunday, we took advantage of a Scout Mob and enjoyed dinner just the two of us at Vinings Fish Co. The food was good; service was slow but we enjoyed just catching up.  T-Lo came in town to help us that weekend since we had three events! Thanks t-lo the boys love being with you! On my actual birthday (Wed), William and the boys took me to Taqueria del Sol. The food was great but the guy who took our order was really cranky. On Thursday, we had a ladies birthday celebration for those of us celebrating Dec. birthday at Noche. It was great fun and lots of laughs! So, that was December!!! Thank you to my parents, William, monks for my birthday gifts and dinner. I'm very blessed to have two healthy boys, a fantastic husband, and great friends!

We took the boys to see Santa at Lacey's work and as you can see they don't like Santa! Thompson kept saying, No Santa. He didn't want presents from him. I think he had figured out...I'll be happy with just the ones from our family! Our Elf Magic Elf did make it to see Santa!

Where did 2011 go??

 I've been MIA on the blog front; our life took over! But, I want to back-track and talk about the Month of November:
We celebrated Thanksgiving at my Grandparents with my entire (Henry) family! They have a town home in Old Beau, NC. It was so beautiful in the mountains and the boys had a blast. We stayed with my grandparents and they rented a separate cabin for my extended family! Thompson became BFF with Jessie. He would ask for her all weekend! My grandparents hosted us to lunch at their country club and it was delicious! Thompson did well thanks to my early birthday present, the Kindle Fire. He was happy watching veggie tales! If you had asked me three years ago, if I would ever let my kid watch TV in a restaurant? I would have answered with a firm, NO! Fast forward to fine china and an all boy who isn't a fan of sitting still...Thank you, kindle (and my parents for getting it for me). Before you judge us, we don't let him watch TV every time when we go out; only at times where fine china and/or crowed country club...etc!
Anyway, I digress...we enjoyed playing cards, sitting by the fire, catching up with my brothers, and spending the day in Sparta, NC. We went back to Charlotte and celebrated Christmas since we would be in Rome and Thomas and Jessie and Trevor would be in Maryland. Jessie Thomas got me the cutest
JCREW top and Trevor got William a great MK shirt. The boys of course were spoiled with a Patagonia jacket, new video monitor, movies and toys!

We drove back to Atlanta on Saturday (our 6th wedding anniversary)! Our tradition has been to get the tree up the weekend of Thanksgiving so we put it up on Sunday. I love to have the tree up as long as possible!

Here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving Celebration:

Hunting Trip



 

 Henry Tree

 

 

 

 Thanksgiving Lunch

Octoberfest of fun

October was one of my favorite months this year!
1. Jonathan was baptized
2. Thompson's birthday party
3. William's cousins from Oregon came to visit with their kids
4. One of my BBF, Sarah surprised me with a visit! We had fu girls nights
5. William and I went to DC just the two of us! (Thanks TLO, Lacey and Andy)
6. Reformation day...aka..Halloween..Thompson was Mater and Jonathan was a Monkey
November is shaping up to be a great month too! We are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with my family at my grandparents home in NC mountains. Jonathan is beggining to "scoot" around. We are headed to Rome next week to see Patrick in play and celebrate an early Thanksgiving with the Monks.
Here are pictures from October:

BIG WEEKEND

Jonathan & Thompson celebrated monumental events this weekend. Jonathan was baptized on Sunday by my father at Village Church Vinnings. After Church, we hosted a birthday lunch and baptism lunch at our place! It was so fun! The theme was from the pixar film, CARS. We had fajitas catered and about 50 people total. I had two cakes to make sure both events were covered.  A huge thank-you to my parents who helped in more ways than I can count! Also, to Auntie who drove down from NC & the Monk grandparents! Thompson loved it and even today he is asking, “Where is my party?” We are blessed by both our boys and thank God for them. Pictures from the big events:

3 Year Old Birthday:

TWO CAKES:  

 

His Skuut Bike (purchased on craigslist) from us:  

 

The Art Barn

My neighbor invited us to join her, her sons and her MIL (Mother-in-law) at The Art Barn. I'd never heard of it but it was so much fun. We started the morning out by meeting Farmer Sue & Vera Bradley (the chicken). Mrs. Debbie read stories to the children and then we headed out to learn about the animals and pet them. Thompson was very nervous at the beginning but he finally warmed up to them and came out of his shell. Mrs. Debbie took us on a hay ride and Thompson got to drive the tractor since he had the most recent birthday. We used some of his birthday money from family to go (Thank You). After, the tractor ride we did an art project and then had a picnic lunch. The Art Farm did a great job engaging the children and we hope to come back soon. Presently, my boys are wiped and are napping! Daddy just got home and headed out on an 18mile run. He is training for the Marine Corps Marathon.

 

 Wednesday, Firemen were doing a drill in our neighborhood and Thompson was thrilled. The firemen were very kind and let him get into the truck.

Thompson's excitement at seeing the truck:

Thompson is 3!

TWM,

Happy Birthday little man!  It is hard to believe you are already three years old.  A lot has happened in those years:

·         You were born in Bremerton Naval Hospital in WA

·         We moved across country to Atlanta, GA

·         Rented a house for 6 months, then moved to a new home

·         You learned to walk and talk and now you talk all the time (just like you dad, when I was little people called me Motor Mouth Monk)

      ·         You became a big brother

I love you very much and I pray God continues to bless you the next three years and rest of your life.  What I want most of all for you is for you to be joyful in the Lord, which is something God is still teaching me to do.Love, Daddy

Thompson,

You light up our lives and are a constant source of humor for us! You are very energetic, stubborn, funny, loving, smart, and determined and we pray that you use those qualities to glorify God. You love people & are very outgoing. You often greet someone by saying, “Hey Friend.”   You’re handsome and athletic. You enjoy playing with your bikes on the driveway, swimming, playing at chick-fil-a, and anything that involves running. You are very stubborn and want to do it your way.

This past year your vocabulary has grown and now we can have conversations. You repeat anything we say which keeps us on our toes. Here are some of your most common sayings: It’s too heavy…when you don’t want to do something, or lets go see them for a minute, its stuck, take Jon-a-fin (you are very concerned that we might leave him), one more time that’s it (you’ve heard me say that…so now you say it to me), What are you doing?, member-dat (Often right after you did something you loved). I love you Mommy & Daddy.

I can’t believe you are already 3; the time has passed so quickly. I thank God for giving me YOU!  I got emotional today thinking of how fast you’re growing up. Don’t get me wrong, I want you to need me less and less each day. But, I love the hugs and kisses you give me and it’s hard for me to think of a time when I won’t get to have you in my house every day.  I heard this quote and it sums up how I feel, “The days go by slow but the years fly by.” You are my first baby and I never knew love like this. It is a slight glimpse for me of our heavenly Father’s love for us.   Mothering you has been the best job and I am so blessed to spend my days with you.  I love you always and forever, mommy

Today, I took you to “School” and I went to bible study. I brought donut hole’s for your class, then we came home had lunch, naps (for you and JRM), took a friend a meal and then the park. Daddy came home and rode bikes and then grilled out Hotdogs!  You also had a cupcake with a candle! I think you liked turning 3. The pictures are from tonight's birthday celebration: