Christmas In Virginia

Christmas 2014: Just the four of us. Peaceful. Soft Christmas music playing. Homemade sugar cookies. "Daddy, did Santa come!?" Singing happy birthday to Jesus. Christmas candy. A trip to the park. Squeals of joy. A Christmas I'll never forget. :)

Trip to North Carolina

About a week-and-a-half ago, my cousin Katherine got married in Chapel Hill. Thankfully for us, that's about a two-and-a-half hour drive. Yay! We had a wonderful time celebrating my sweet cousin, and soaking in good family time.

The Boys

These two Christmas cuties make my heart explode every day. I get about one good picture of them for every forty or so that I take. :) Here they are before church.

This sweet boy of mine is a looooover. All day long (when he's not in time-out or wrestling his brother), he says, "Kisses, Mommy. Mmmmmm. And hugs." I could kiss him and hug him all day long!

The other day, I happened upon this. They were playing together in Nathan's room. They were laughing, and it made my heart SO FULL. I pray they will be best friends for the rest of their lives. They really do adore each other.

And here's Rudolph on the way to his swim lesson. He always falls asleep on the way to swim. I don't know about you, but this is the cutest Rudolph I've ever seen!

Jack's First Movie

Three weeks ago, Scott came down with the flu. The actual flu. So, I was trying my hardest to keep the boys healthy. He stayed in our room for four days, while the boys and I went about the business of everyday life.

One afternoon, I decided I'd take the boys to go see Penguins of Madagascar. I thought they'd enjoy it. I guess I was feeling brave.

Nathan was very excited! See this face? It says, "Emily, chill out. This was worth $26.00."

I was praying that Jack would do well at his first movie. See this face? It says, "I'm capable of anything, Mom--including, but not limited to, making you feel like you flushed $26.00 down the toilet."

It was a bit of a disaster. Jack sat quietly for about twenty minutes, and then it was, "Mommy, go please! Please go! Please go!" At one point, I took my eyes off of him for a second and when I looked up he was stroking the woman's face sitting in front of us.

We had to abandon ship after an hour, and I think the audience nearly applauded when we left. I felt so frustrated, and I had to remind myself of what a disaster Nathan's first movie was. I encouraged myself by thinking, "They grow out of this. Soon, I will be able to take both of my children to a movie without having to flee the theater."

Sweet Boys

I love these two cutie pies! Please excuse the adorableness of Jack sleeping all over the place. Ever since I transitioned him from his crib to a toddler bed, he's a tad bit sleepier than usual. :)

Nathan's Class

Nathan has the sweetest class this year! These kiddos are precious. And I just adore his teacher! :)

Decorating for Christmas

This Christmas is the first time in my life that I won't be with my parents and siblings on Christmas Day! WOW! And last year, we all drove back to Arkansas for Christmas. So, I was more than a little excited to unpack all of our Christmas stuff and get to decorating!

The boys were pretty excited, too!

Despite the fact that it miiiiight appear that Christmas has exploded in my house, I love it!!

Jack's Birthday

Well, we'd already had the birthday party, but I just had to celebrate my big, sweet two year old on his actual birthday! We were in Little Rock, so I took him to Shipley's for doughnuts that morning. Nathan slept in, so I just went with Jack. It was really special. He picked out two doughnuts, and he kept saying, "Yuuuuuummmmy!"

That evening, we had a family birthday party at my parents' house. Jack loved it! I sure loved every minute of celebrating my precious two year old!

Two Weeks Of Bliss

With Scott working nights, the boys and I took a two-week "getaway" to Little Rock! It was heavenly! Dinner dates with girlfriends. Thanksgiving. Seeing family. Pinnacle Mountain. Playdates. It was exactly what the boys and I needed.

It was also hands-down the most enjoyable trip to Little Rock we've ever taken. With the boys being older, I was able to relax more. They slept in a little bit later. They got along, for the most part. And I got to actually enjoy myself and my kiddos!