Christmas 2009

Wow...is all I can really say! We have had the most wonderful holiday season and Christmas did not disappoint!

AnnaKate's friend, Emerson, came over on December 23 to exchange presents.

We stopped by my mom's on Christmas Eve and my mom went ahead and gave AnnaKate her stroller and baby doll. It is one of her most favorite gifts!

On Christmas Eve, we went to church and then to my mom's for our family Christmas.

Kenny and AnnaKate= True Love

Bev and LeahGrace

AnnaKate was exhausted.

Marshall and I got a little silly...I will spare you all the pictures!

LeahGrace got in on the fun

Santa came!!!!

This year's big gift was a kitchen. She got so much stuff to go in the kitchen...a toaster, blender, pots and pans, an apron, plates and TONS of food.

Christmas morning when AnnaKate first saw her kitchen. She was so excited and immediately set to work cooking.

Opening her stocking

Dog was able to try one of her delicious meals from the new kitchen

After a quiet Christmas morning at home, we headed over to Kenny's house for our family Christmas.

After lunch AnnaKate was pooped!

After a rejuvenating nap, she was ready to go at LouLou's.

Ohh...a cupcake making set for the kitchen!

LouLou and granddaddy gave her a beautiful hand painted table and chair set.

And if that was not enough...we had my dad's family over to our house the day after Christmas. The Christmas kitchen extravaganza continued.
Every little girl needs a blender with her kitchen...

Making a sandwich and reading a book with TT.

I think this picture sums up our Christmas!
We all had a wonderful time enjoying family and friends.

I hope your Christmas was just as special!

Holiday Home Tour

So many blogs have Holiday Home Tours where you can go and look at other people's decorations. I just love it! I find myself spending way to much time looking inside of stranger's homes! So I decided to give the Holiday Home Tour a whirl. If I can't visit your home this year for the holidays, why don't you do the same so I can see your decorations?

The holidays brings special smells, "limited edition" items, special dishes, etc.
These are some of my favorites:

Portmeirion Holly and Ivy China...I like to use it well into February.
Williams-Sonoma Winter Forest hand and dish soap
Exposures Holiday Picture Frames
Any yummy smelling holiday candles

My friend, Holly, and I made these neat advent calendars for our children this summer. I really like ours! I had fun filling it with trinkets, names of Christmas books to read and holiday outings to do.

My paper house collection is one of my favorite things. They look so vintage.

This year I added some new paper houses to the mantle in the den. They are a lot bigger and much more whimsical.

Decorating the tree is so special for me. My mom started collecting Christopher Radko ornaments for me back in the late 1980's. I just love opening the boxes and thinking of when I got that ornament. I have had to cut back on my Radko collection because they have just gotten way too expensive.

My tree is very similar to my mom's tree. Mostly all of my ornaments are old world glass type ornaments. I love glass clip-on birds with feather tails and at last count had about 70 on the tree! Glass bead garland and white lights make the whole room twinkle. The more ornaments the better!!

I always love framing the Santa picture from that year and finding a special place for it.

The is our mantle in the living room. The lighted garland is a new addition.
I like the festiveness of lights!

Ribbon candy is so fun...

I love to fill jars and bowls up with old ornaments.

Don't you just love what AnnaKate and I whipped up!! HA
A dear friend's mother-in-law always makes a gingerbread house for AnnaKate. It is just amazing. The details are perfect.

I have a little tree and some decorations in AnnaKate's room too. She loves turning on her tree every morning. Her nativity figurines are a gift from her grandmother each year at Christmas.


It was so fun to have you over! Please invite me to see your decorations...

Big News..

Nothing can make me happier than a great report from one of AnnaKate's therapists. Today I got a text from AnnaKate's speech pathologist,

"Guess who said bus, bye bye, Lissa (therapists nickname), shhh, thank you and tons of sounds. This is not a joke, she is really starting to talk!"

I have been hearing lots of new sounds and word approximations too, but I always don't believe it until someone else says they hear it too.

We are thrilled beyond words to see progress. I can't thank Melissa, her speech pathologist, enough! She has had AnnaKate since she was one and we just LOVE her!

I did it!

Kiawah Island
Half Marathon
December 12, 2009
2 hours and 2 minutes

Wow...Kiawah was just amazing! A little over 8 months ago I started running and would have never thought that I would run 13.1 miles. I have learned so much about myself over the last 4 months as I have trained. I truly loved every minute of the run and I am sad it is over.

Sallie, Kim, Stacey and me before the race

The Starting line...almost 4,000 people. It took almost 5 minutes just to cross the starting line.

As I came across the finish line...

*Notice the big headphones...I was so worried that my Ipod would die that I brought 2 Ipods but NO ear buds, so Billy found those in his suitcase. They actually turned out great and keep my ears warm too. I needed the music to push me along.

My parents came to celebrate with me
A well earned medal

We had a wonderful weekend in Charleston and AnnaKate had a great time with her grandparents and cousins. I am a little sore but already thinking about where I should run next! :)

Kiawah bound...

I am heading out tomorrow afternoon to Charleston, SC to run in the Kiawah Half Marathon on Saturday. I would have never thought I would be doing this! I am the girl that didn't even play church basketball...zero athletic ability here. But last May some friends convinced me to start running. I really fell in love with it and in August I set a goal of a half marathon. It seemed so far away then but it is already here. I feel ready and I can't wait to see how I do.

I am so thankful for all the support I have had from friends and family. My husband has been so good to find a way to make my runs fit into our busy schedule and I know he won't complain once while he waits for me in the cold rain on Saturday. My sweet, oldest and dearest friend Holly sent me the best gift today. Check out these magnets and the sweet note.

Chappell, aka Coach, gave me running gloves. I think it will feel like she is holding my hand the whole way. And my sweet parents are going to be at the finish line cheering me on. I am one lucky girl!

Check back in to see how I do!

What a day!

Today was the Meyer Center's Annual Ladies Luncheon. Many of you know that AnnaKate goes this amazing school. She receives all of her therapies there and is in a classroom where the teachers work on her therapy goals as well. We feel so lucky to have the Meyer Center in our lives. This luncheon raises money for the school and is just a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. They have a silent auction, lunch and entertainment for over 1,000 people! Here is recap of our fun day..

I made little thank you notes for each guest at our two tables.

Here are the tables. The theme was a Time to Remember. It was dedicated to Dr. Meyer who just recently passed away. The tribute to him was beautiful.

Some of our family and friends enjoying lunch.

Now here is the best part of the day! At the chef's auction, I purchased a dinner party from an amazing local chef, Vicky Moore. She is like a rock star to me! She was recently featured in Esquire magazine as a Break Out Chef to Watch. I am just beside myself and can't wait to have her cook dinner for us!

My great friends, Susan and Erin.

My mom, sister and me

The two Laura's and me

AnnaKate's amazing speech pathologist, Melissa.

Susan and I both have the best taste!!!

Marsha displaying our table sign.

I LOVE the new Meyer Center t-shirts.

I just can't tell you what a special day it was! So many wonderful people coming together for such an amazing place. AnnaKate is one lucky girl!

Here comes Santa Claus...

AnnaKate and I headed to the mall last week for our traditional visit with Santa. We meet a friend and her little girl there every year. I love the tradition and the pictures with Santa seem so nostalgic.
I am all decorated and ready...bring on the holidays!