Away in a Manger

There is a sweet, sweet rendition of the
Christmas Story for children at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWq60oyrHVQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
(if this link doesn't work search "the Christmas Story"
on youtube and it is the first to come up--it is
done by St. Paul's Church in New Zealand)

Milla loves to watch the video and

wanted to play Mary herself.  Here she is

reenacting the manger scene.  

Faith and Milla baking egg-free Christmas Cookies!

(they were not good--Milla took 1 bite and didn't want

anymore!  Need a new recipe!)

Brandon and Milla decorating a Gingerbread House-

Faith is overseeing the project with a big grin!

Faith sampling the Gingerbread House!

Mia came over for a visit

Mia brought her twin brothers!!

Jack, Sam, Milla and Mia (Faith was napping)

Party in Faith's crib when everyone was awake!

Got to go celebrate as Laney Jo turned one!

She was a little Indian Princess with a white feathered

head piece and gold band!  She enjoyed her huge 

chocolate donut!!

Laney, Faith and Emmett (the little siblings)

Asher, Will and Milla (the big siblings)

A group shot at the party!  Their tree is awesome-

3 years ago they got a potted tree as their Christmas

tree--then planted it in their front yard--this year they

were told that they shouldn't have it in the front yard

because it was going to get too big--so they dug it

up and used it as their tree again! 

We also go to celebrate with Annie as she turned

one!! She had a "Winder ONEderland" party...

lots of snowflakes and pretty winter decor

Thanksgiving and November Celebrations

Loved our Thanksgiving this year-- it was spaced out so
so we got good quality time with our families rather than
eating 3 big meals in one day and feeling like
we had to rush, rush, rush.

1st we celebrated with the Crim's at 

Brian and Kelli's house the Sunday before Thanksgiving

My Dad and Grandma came to out house on 

Thanksgiving day.

Mom and Cappie came up the Sunday after

Thanksgiving.  We had a vegetarian Thanksgiving

because my mom woke up in the middle of the

night to put the turkey in the oven--and the power 

went out--so it didn't get done on time!! ha ha!

The sides were DELICIOUS!!

Trying to start a tradition of a

Thanksgiving day hike.  Brandon, Milla, Faith

and I hiked Sawnee Mountain. 

Got together with our Bible Study group

after Thanksgiving

Milla in her Thanksgiving Indian outfit

We also celebrated Brandon's 

34th Birthday on November 17th!

My Mom stayed with the girls while Brandon

went on a date to celebrate.  We drove to north

Georgia.  First we went to Helen and then to 

Dahlonega to "Three Sister's Vineyard"...it was 

so neat www.threesistersvineyards.com .  For $5

you can sample 3 wines--then we got to walk

on the pretty rolling hill vineyards.  Worth the trip!

Earlier in the month we got together with friends to

celebrate all of the November Birthday boys...

(Ben, Christian, Grant and Brandon all turned 34 in Nov)

The Girls and the little ones at Grant and Liz's 

new home! 

Fun in the Fall

Happy Halloween!!
We enjoyed our first Halloween living
in a neighborhood! Milla loved trick-or-treating
and Faith was thrilled to be in the wagon with a lollipop!

 Sisters on Halloween 2012
(14 months and 3 years old)

 Milla as Pippi Longstocking

 Faith as Dorothy

 Milla enjoyed the handing out of the candy
even more than going door to door. She got SO
excited each time someone came to the door--
and a lot of people came!

 Picking out Pumpkins

 Gran Mum came to the Pumpkin Patch

Pony Ride at a Fall Festival at a nearby church...
First Baptist Cumming

 got to pet a 24 day old baby cow

 celebrating Tove's 5th Birthday--
Laura, Me, Blakeley and our girls!
Fun activities at the party---bobbing for apples,
pinata, pretzels on string (cute game-- a long string held
in the air with a bunch of pretzels- each child stand under
string with hands behind back and whoever finishes eating
their pretzel first wins!).

Milla and Mia

 Faith grinning

 Milla was so proud to get her picture taken
with our old neighbors Evan and Ashlee after
the football game...to her they were celebrities!!

 Kelli registering at Babies-R-Us...
preparing for their baby GIRL due in Feb!!!

The Cumming County Fair with Elise!!!

 My Dad and Granny Girl came to visit

 Elise's Princess 4th Bday party

First Trip to the dentist!  Went GREAT!
I was blown away.  A friend had recommended having
Milla watch youtube videos of other children going to the
dentist prior to taking Milla and it really worked...
she was so excited and knew what to expect. 

Good Bye Lake Lanier

Goodbye Driskell Circle!!

We said farewell to life at the lake.

It was sad!  Brandon and I moved there 7 years ago
from our little apartment in Dunwoody.  All the
way up in Cumming---it seemed so far away-
so, we were sure it would only be temporary...
but, we got hooked.  It was just the 2 of us at
the beginning---then came Hank...then 2 precious
baby girls.  We filled the house up.  The home
and the memories are dear to us.  

In the midst of the crazy pace of life--it was
always refreshing to pull onto a slower, simpler way
 of life on Driskell Circle.  One of the things we will
all miss the most is our walks around "the loop"--
Hank didn't have to be on a leash-- Milla could run
around freely-- (it was rare for a car to drive by)-
we would get to catch up with all of our sweet
neighbors...the Garners, Rices, Stringers, Heards...
etc...Here is a picture of the last walk-we are with
our neighbor Ashlee.

 Last look at the pretty view.
I REALLY miss it....this is the view from the couch
where Brandon and I would plop down after a long
day after work and catch up, where friends and
 family gathered, where I rested with my feet up
during my pregnancies with Hank laying by my side, and
where I sat and fed our baby girls!

It was dark when we finished packing up the last
few things--- this is when we walked down to the
dock to see the water one more time...
*Last Family Shot*

We loaded up the HUGE moving truck and headed
across town...about 15 miles away.  We
are so thankful that God provided the house right
next door to our wonderful babysitter for us to rent.
Grateful for the amazing times and the fond
memories we have of our days at the lake.
It was 7 years...it is were our family began...
We all head off together and look forward to
what the future holds!!!

Beach Birthday

Happy Birthday to Milla and Faith!!!

Their birthday gift was to 

SEE the OCEAN and Put their

TOES IN THE SAND!

 We made it!!! This was in the first few minutes

that we were there!!

 YAY!! So happy to be there!!

 Faith's very first glimpse of the ocean...

a little baby by a big ocean is breathtaking

 Milla was a master sand castle builder

the whole time!!

 Faith loved the sand...mostly

the taste of it!!!

 Our Family

Ft. Walton Beach, Florida 

 Boogie Boarder

 one morning we went to the Bay--

It was awesome-- I had never done that-- it

is on the stretch of government land between

Destin and Ft. Walton.  It is a sandy beach--

but, it doesn't have waves-- it has about 25 ft

of 2-3 feet water that leads out into the ocean--

so, it is great for the little ones to play and not get

knocked down.  

 The bay also has tons of wildlife--- these are

ALL hermit crabs that a little boy caught and

gave to Milla-- we got to watch as each one

found its way back to the ocean.  Brandon also

caught a huge crab.  Fish were jumping every

where.  In contrast to the busy beaches on the

pan handle--we basically had this bay beach

to ourselves! Good find thanks to Brandon!

 Family Feet!

 Faith in the sand

 Milla in the sand

She is learning how to spell her name-- she

has the M down pat and will point it out

on every sign she sees!

 sweet sisters

 we had to try for the classic "white on the beach" 

shot--we took tons of pictures and couldn't

get both of them to look at the same time on 

a single one!! Still sweet pictures!

 Happy Girl!

 Sweet Thing!

Auburn ended up being the perfect

pit stop on the way down and the way back!

Milla was excited to be at "Daddy's School"!

Here we are eating at Toomer's Corner Drug Store.

It was such a great trip!

Waiting to go to the beach in late August is the

key to saving money-- prices really drop.  We really

liked the condo we stayed in.  It is called the "Nautilus"

and it was unit #2507.