1 Day Until...

I'm free!!!! Woooooo hoooooo!!!! Christmas break is almost here!!! I saw a sign on Facebook that says, "Stay calm and wait for Christmas break." Well, I've been about as calm as I can be. Bring on the two week vacay from seventh graders!!! All of my decorations are up and all of my gifts are bought. My plan is to simply enjoy the time off with my family!

I have a couple of random pictures from my phone that I uploaded. I wish I took more pictures, but it's near impossible with a toddler who gets into everything!!

Last week, Ginger's school had Breakfast with Santa. She loves the ol' bearded man. Her request was fruit snacks. He said he could handle that! :)

I turned big 3-0 right after Thanksgiving. Hutson's gift to me was a weekend of pampering at the Peabody in Memphis. It was fantastic!!! I was rendered completely useless when we returned. We ate, shopped, ate, and I enjoyed time at the spa. Did I mention that we ate??? I had the best steak at The Butcher Shop. It was like cutting butter. Yummy in my tummy as G says!!

The Christmas tree in the hotel lobby. Absolutely beautiful!!

The ducks!! Part of me wishes that Ginger could have been there to see them; the other part is glad that we weren't fishing her out of the fountain and paying to replace ducks! :)

10 Days Til Christmas!!! Hope your season so far has been merry and bright!!

It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this time of year, and I find myself questioning why I'm running myself to death to have the perfect decorations, send the perfect Christmas card, find the perfect recipe for a side dish, or buy the perfect gift. It hit me the other day that the only thing perfect about this season is Jesus. My sweet child reminded me the other day that it's almost Jesus's birthday and he's watching her (two random thoughts but so very true!). I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and celebrate baby Jesus- to put it in "Ginger" terms!!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:14

Rudolph

I posted this video on Facebook yesterday and thought it was too funny not to share. She is very passionate about Rudolph "going down in history"!!!

For your listening pleasure...

Not So Traditional

Hutson hates that we have colored lights on our tree and that I put it up before Thanksgiving, BUT he helps me year after year to get it all done before it's "traditionally" okay to do so. Love him! (I'm Team Hutson!! Have you seen Breaking Dawn? This statement will make him cringe and roll his eyes so hard he will probably hurt himself.) I'm off for the week of Thanksgiving (woo hoo!!), and like any other "mother of the year" type, I sent Ginger to daycare so that I could tackle many projects that I have been putting off. Before you go to judging me :) please know that I used the time to get our tree up so that I could surprise G with it! She LOVES it and keeps asking, "Mommy, you put the tree up for me?!" Preciousness!!

Completely enthralled in all of the different ornaments!

I purposefully put these ornaments side by side. We are a family divided! I love the Rebels (that's right, I said Rebels...pooey on Black Bears!!), and Hutson loves those stinky bulldogs (as G calls them when her father isn't around) :)

Ginger Belle

For this child I am thankful!!

Miss Me???

I know you have worried yourselves sick over my absence in the blogging world :) Well, you can now breath easier. I'm back...I think. (I almost forgot how to use Blogger. It has been about 7 months since I last blogged.)

Not much new here:

• Ginger Belle is two and a half. Quite the character she is!!
• I'm still teaching middle school. Oy vey!!!
• Also, I'm just a handful of days away from the big 3-0. (Some of my 7th graders are so sweet to point out that they can't believe I'm ONLY 29. Scallywags!!)

Ginger Belle is:

• completely potty trained!! Praise the Lord!! I thought she was going to college in pull-ups!!
• obsessed with Dora the Explorer. I fought it for the longest and then found it in my best interest to give in :) She also loves Tinkerbell, Caillou, and The Little Mermaid.
• unbelievably stubborn and hard-headed. She has already been sent to the "office" at school for fighting. These surely are not my genes! Have I mentioned "Oy vey"??? Hello, terrible two's!!
• always repeating, "God loves me. I not be afraid." Seems like a stark contrast to the above statement, but that's my girl :)
• very fond of the following song: The Wheels on the Bus, Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and This Little Light of Mine.
• a pro at dodging bedtime and finding reasons to get out of bed. I've dreaded this for a while, and she's finally reached that stage. Any and all helpful hints are welcome for keeping her in HER bed at night!!

I'm horrible at taking pictures these days because all my time is spent running after her. Here are a few I have on my phone though...

Ginger the Fairy and cousin Kyle on Halloween night

Ginger and Santa

I posted this one so you could see just how big she is getting :)

Gnawing down on a rib!

I love this one because it shows off her "ever-so-pinchable cheeks." Love that girl!!

Just a Quick Post...

because I need to get in the bed! Sunrise service is going to come early in the morning!! I just wanted to put up a few pictures that make me smile!!

Ginger while she was hunting Easter eggs at a birthday party. She was on a mission to find the most eggs!!

My high school group of friends and our babies. (I desperately need a tan!! Who has the time with a toddler??)

I often leave out my main squeeze! Love him!!

Big Girl Bed

Well, we are officially in a big girl bed tonight. I have to admit that of all the milestones that Ginger has reached this one has pulled at my heartstrings the most. I guess saying "bye bye" to a baby bed means that there is no longer a baby in the house. Sniffles!! My fingers are crossed that she will sleep through the night like a baby!! Pun intended!!!

P.S. You're crazy if you don't think that I will sneak into her room and take at least a couple dozen pictures of her sleeping in her new bed!!

What a Difference a Year Makes!!

We've spent a day camping with family for the last two years during spring break. I cannot get over how much GB has grown!! She is quite a character and amazes me every single day!!

Spring Break 2010

Spring Break 2011

(Does anyone else notice how unstable MS weather is?? Last year she was bundled up, but this year it was t-shirt and shorts all the way.)

Spring Break!!

Spring break is finally here!! Woo hoo!!! (In other words, I have time to blog.) No big plans here for this break, but that is alright with me. Seems like we are on the go all the time, so I have appreciated this slow week!! I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather!!

Here are a few pictures of recent outings. The older she gets the wilder she gets, which makes it almost impossible to catch pictures of her.

Ginger and the mannequin dog at Old Navy.

Golf cart riding with Papa Cool

Ginger Belle and Mommy!! She looks completely disgusted with me, but I still love this picture!

Ginger's Three Obsessions

Finding time to blog these days is a rare thing!!

Ginger is obsessed with three things these days:
1. sausage and biscuits!- don't ask me because I can't explain...
2. water fountains- We pass two of these on the way out of daycare everyday, so I usually end up carrying her out of the building kicking and screaming.
3. her pink princess potty- We got a nice surprise Valentine's night in her potty! We have not pushed the issue at all, but for some reason she is fascinated with all things toilet related!

I'm pretending that her new obsessions make her a well-rounded child :)

Check out the shoes! She says they "parkle!"


The weather lately has been beautiful, so we have been taking full advantage of it by playing outside a lot.

Growing Up

My child is growing up, and it's so hard to believe!!

Here are just a few things that she is into these days:

• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse- her favorites are Mickey (of course), MeMe Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Goosey Dog (other wise known as Goofy)
• Elmo- Is it okay if I say he is totally annoying but totally worth it because he can hold her attention for a long time?
• Speaking in phrases (and pretty good ones might I add!)- She called me the other night from my parents and said, "I miss you good!" Be still my heart!! :) She will repeat anything and everything you say, so be careful!!
• She hates being in a wet or dirty diaper. I fear this could be the beginning of the dreaded potty training. She will come to me and say, "I nasty." Not my favorite thing for her to say, but it gets the point across.
• Frosty!! Yes, it is after Christmas, but the girl is still obsessed with this snowman. Help!!!
• Dancing!! My favorite times with her are cranking up one of Mercy Me's albums and dancing in the kitchen. She's so much fun!!
  

one Sunday morning before church

In just three short months she will be 2!! Unbelievable!!

I'm So In Love!

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17