Another Christmas Tradition

We have had another little person join our family this weekend and it is...Elf. That is what the "itty bitty" is calling him for now. I have been wanting to get this book and little guy for a couple months now, but just have never gotten around to it ~ plus it is a little pricey. I am so glad I waited.

Yes, tonight was the first night we all sat down as a family and read the story and it is a good one. We have decided that we would let this be another tradition in our home during the holiday season.

Guess where "Elf" will be in the morning when we wake up? I think he has decided to spend his first night up on the mantle amongst the decorations and stockings. He is so cute, however the HOTY thinks he is a little frightening.

Here is the reason I am so excited we waited to buy this set. We got our hands on an autographed copy, plus my BFF gave me a $5.00 off coupon. Author, Chanda A. Bell was at our Hallmark store yesterday signing books. We did not get to meet her, but she left a couple of signed sets for the store to mix in with all the ones that were left. When I went in to buy it today, I picked one of the ones that were left from yesterday. When I got up to the register to pay, the sweet little cashier told me to open it and look inside. To my surprise, I had gotten one of the autographed copies ~ I was so super excited. Of course I had to text one of my very dear friends, the Librarian to tell her what I had stumbled upon. It is stuff like this that makes her little book loving heart jump for JOY!

Lets see what the "itty bitty" thinks in the morning when she wakes up and how quickly she can find Elf. Oh, and did I mention only 79 more days (March 5th @ 12:00) and my little man will be here to join us in the Frazier family traditions? It will not be long till we get to hold him in our arms.

Happy Anniversary Curtis

Happy 3rd Anniversary Curtis. Wow ~ 3 years ago today was one of the best days of my life. The day I became your wife and knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would be loved unconditionally for the rest of my life. I often tell people that I over married when I found you. There are days I feel so undeserving of your love and the commitment you have made to me, our marriage and our family. Every single day, you amaze me more.

I will never forget when you dropped to your knee in Cabo San Lucas and asked me to marry you...it was the best surprise of my life. I knew long before that day that you were the man I always prayed God would send my way.

Life with you continues to get better and better friend. You have been so much more than a husband to me and not a day goes by that I do not count you as a blessing.

Thank you so much for 3 wonderful years, I look forward to growing old with you and raising our sweet babies together. You are the BEST Husband and Daddy in the world.

I love you with my whole heart!

Let it Snow ~ Let it Snow

We are so excited at our house...it is SNOWING. Of course we had to bundle the "itty bitty" up and take her outside for her first view of the snow. It was actually her bedtime when we looked out and realized that it had been snowing for sometime and sticking to the ground. I told the HOTY we had to take her out in it, because it could be a long time before it happened again.

Oh, this is the most wonderful time of the year. Look at all the snow around this Jolly fella that wishes all our guest a Merry Christmas.

Me & Emma all bundled up, except my feet...I grabbed the first thing I could find and hit the door. It is not to often we get to see snow where we live.

Daddy and Emma trying to keep warm. Emma was so excited...she just kept saying "snow, snow, snow, yeah snow".

This is a view from across the street from our house and yes, that is the snow coming down you see in the picture.

Emma wanted to get down and play in it so bad. Of course I wanted to make a snow angel with her and the HOTY informed me there was not enough snow. I told you I was excited.

Look at the snow on our slide. Guess who noticed that real quick when we went into the back yard?

You are looking at her. We had to let her sit at the bottom in all the snow before we called it a night.

I am sitting in our office with the blinds wide open watching it continue to come down. If it keeps it up, our entire yard will be covered in a blanket of snow in no time. How ironic...the last time it snowed was when Curtis and I met and tomorrow is our anniversary.

The photos below are of our 2nd trip back out when it had snowed a while longer and our baby girl was sleeping.

We have a whole snow family in our yard and we had this one made last year for...you guessed it the "itty bitty". She is my favorite one of all and I can not wait to have Gavin one made next year.

Just in case we ever forgot how old Emma was the first time it snowed.

The HOTY snapped this picture and I thought it was neat that you could see all the little berries on one of our bushes.

Compare this little fella to what he looked like the first time we went out. It is still snowing out there. I love it!

Last, the blanket of snow I talked about a little earlier. I would love it if our yard looked like this for the whole month of December.

I sure wish it were not so late, because I would still be outside playing with my sweet little family in the snow. I can't guarantee you that I will not be out there playing alone in a little bit or attempting to make a snow angel. I am telling you, this does not happen to often in our neck of the woods.

Away in a manger...

Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season and so we praise him. This is located in our entry as you enter our home and it just happens to be my FAVORITE display during the holidays. Every year I can not wait to put it out and I hate to put it away. I usually leave it out through January and I always tell the HOTY I am going to leave it out all year long. I find myself stopping daily and just staring at it in amazement, thinking of the story it tells. I love to hold the "itty bitty" up and let her look at all the pieces and tell her the sweet story of JESUS!


This is also very special to me because I started getting pieces of it for Christmas the last year that my Daddy was alive. The first Christmas we were without him, I did not want to put anything out in my house for Christmas...nada, nothing, zilch. I remember coming home from work one day and the sweetest card was on the counter waiting for me from my husband, along side my nativity scene and a tiny Christmas tree. Being the thoughtful person that he was and still is, he could not bear to think of us going through the season without a little joy in our home. I must admit, it brought joy to my HEART also.

This will be the 3rd Christmas that we celebrate without my Father and I miss him. I still miss him to the point it hurts and it hurts bad. It has been really hard on me this year to be without him, especially since I found out that I am having a son. I would have given anything for him to hold my sweet babies in his arms. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and reflect on the memories we shared that I will cherish for a lifetime. When I pass by our nativity scene it serves as a reminder to me that one day my Daddy WILL hold my sweet babies in his arms.

Tell me about your favorite Holiday decorations. Darla, I know what yours will be...but please post the story and some pictures for all of us about your ornaments and how you started hand making them at such a young age.

I think we are finished decorating for the year. The yard is complete, the house is adorned with lights, the tree is trimmed and we have decorated sporadically through out the house. We decided not to put everything out this year, but we did manage to get the most important things completed.

Oh, I can not wait...my Christmas cards were finalized and ordered today. I should have them mailed out by the first of next week and then I will be sharing them with all of you. In spite of the littlest Frazier's attitude on picture day...they turned out pretty darn cute. Did I mention I have the most fabulous photographer in the world and I love her?

A Tradition & the Grinch!

One of our traditions in the Frazier household is everyone gets a Christmas ornament from the Hallmark store for the Christmas tree. Goes something like this...I buy the HOTY's, the HOTY buys mine and the HOTY & I buy the "Itty Bitty's". You got the picture?

We have kept the same theme or series each year, so I got this cute little guy again this year...

The Grinch!

Good thing I have a sense of humor and I don't suffer from low self esteem, right? Actually, I think it is hilarious. I am often referred to as the Grinch by my sweet husband at Christmas time. Yes ~ we like to joke, laugh, pick and play alot around our house so this actually fits both of our personalities perfectly. I even find him frequently asking me during the holidays... Are you going to wear your green sweater today?

I am not real sure the family knows what to think about it when they come over on Christmas day and ask what we got one another for Christmas. We don't usually buy each other gifts, so we always point out our ornaments on the tree. It is so funny when they see mine because it leaves them speechless, they don't know whether to laugh, comment or feel sorry for me as they are sporting their new piece of jewelry or designer handbag.

So, I am sure you are asking yourself...does she really act like the Grinch? The truth is Christmas is NOT my favorite time of year and I have to really focus on staying positive and not letting the Holidays get me down, here are just a few things I do not like about it:

• suffering children in the world
• people without jobs
• knowing there will be some children who get NOTHING for Christmas
• those who will never know the true meaning of Christmas
• people are stressed out because they can not provide for their families
• those without warm homes and the proper electricity
• the homeless
• parents who really want to get their kids something, but it is just not possible
• people go into debt during the holidays
• sick people
• those who spend the holidays alone with no family
• those who have experienced death and miss loved ones
• the list goes on and on

The truth is, these things bother me all the time...but they seem to be a little more depressing to me this time of year. I am telling you, it makes me really sad.

The HOTY and I choose to do some things to try and make the Holiday Season a little better for others by adopting a child, donating food, paying someones light bill and other random things that hopefully help make someones day brighter. What will you do this Holiday Season to make a difference ? I challenge each of you to do something.

Please know that we have so much more than we deserve and yes, we are very thankful. I love the true meaning of Christmas, spending time with family, the decorations, Christmas cards, being off for 2 weeks, but the rest of it leaves my heart pretty darn sad!

I locked her in the car!

Now that I have calmed down and the HOTY did not make me sleep in Emma's playhouse out back last night, I can share the story with you.

Yesterday I had to drive our car because the HOTY had to assist in picking up 60+ poinsettias that needed to be delivered to his clients and others for Christmas gifts. My BFF's daughter was selling these for a fundraiser at school, so the company agreed to buy them through her opposed to ordering other stuff this year. Great way to support our kids and our community. Of course we had to get a couple for our house too.

Needless to say, I went to pick the "Itty Bitty" up from her Mrs. Jenny (remember we can't call her a babysitter...she hates that). She insisted on playing with Daddy's key and had them in her hand all the way out to the car. I buckled her in and shut the door when I heard, CLICK! It was too late, she had punched the center button and locked herself in. I PANICKED! I tried every door handle before running up to Mrs. Jenny's door and banging on it. I just started screaming, Emma is locked in the car. I was ready to break the window out right then and there, not even concerned with how costly it might be. I did not care, I wanted my baby out of there.

A 911 phone call, 2 wrecker drivers, 2 Sheriffs, all the neighbors coming out to watch and 20 minutes later Emma was rescued from the car. I have never been so frightened in all of my Mommy life before.

I was so thankful that it was cool outside yesterday, that she was buckled safely in her car seat, and for the fast response of everyone involved. I felt horrible and could not stop crying about this. I was so terrified that the Police were not going to be understanding about this and I was going to get in some serious trouble.

At the end of the day, it all worked out and Emma remained very calm through the entire ordeal. I was so proud of her, but at the same time I just could not believe that this happened. Guess she will not be playing with our keys anymore, no matter how cute that little smile is when she is asking for them.

The HOTY & Itty Bitty

I am sure that I don't need to tell you, but these are my 2 favorite people in the world.

2 + 1 = 3

Only 90 more days and there will be a little boy to add into this picture and I look forward to that day.


I can't help but Thank God for all he has blessed me with when I look at this picture. An amazing husband, a healthy daughter and a healthy son on the way. My heart is smiling inside for many reasons tonight. My life has turned out to be everything I have ever wanted, everything I dreamed it would be and everything I love.

Is it perfect? Absolutely not! Will it ever be? No way! Am I grateful? In more ways than I could ever explain! Do I deserve it? No, to God be the Glory! Do I love him? Yes, I do! Will I serve him? For the rest of my life! Will I raise my children in his house? Of course! Do I need him? All the time! Am I forgiven? Everyday!

Better Not Pout...

Guess who can identify Santa Claus and say his name? You got it, my "witty itty bitty". It is probably one of my favorite words to hear her say right now besides "Mommy" of course.

She also surprised us at the end of last week and now tells us "love you" when we tell her I love you. There is nothing in the world like hearing your child tell you they love you back. I hope those sweet words never stop coming out of her little mouth.

I can not wait to share this years Christmas pictures with you. Our AMAZING photographer managed to get a few, even though one of her tiniest clients was not very cooperative.

Bows to Dogs

Last year the "itty bitty" was only 6 months old at Christmas, so Mommy decorated her tree in her bedroom with some of her hair bows and it was so girly and so cute.

As you all know, lots has changed since last year and we have a very strong willed and extremely independent child on our hands. I decided I would let Emma decorate her tree in something she really wanted and would enjoy this year.

This is her new position when I ask her to let me take her picture. She stops, squats down, puts her hands on her hips and shouts "CHEESE". This just cracks us up.

Guess what she picked out? A dog~dog themed tree. Before night-night time, we decided we would sit in her room and let her decorate her little tree. It is still an unfinished product, however I had to share a picture with you...yes, this is most of the ornaments cluttered on one little branch. She insisted that they all go in the same spot. The HOTY and I just kept laughing as we watched her decorate it and she was so proud of all her hard work.

We will have to share the finished tree with you when we get it all completed, for now... I can not help but wonder how perfect the world must be through the eyes of a 17 month old.

SAD

Nope ~ we are not sad around here by any means, however we are dealing with Separation Anxiety Disorder around the Frazier household. It has been crazy around here for about a week now with the "Itty Bitty" and me...needless to say, she is attached to me at all times except when she is sleeping. I am convinced and told the HOTY yesterday that if she could crawl back into my tummy and Gavin would so kindly let her move in, she would have been back in there last week.

I don't know what it is ~ part of me wonders if she knows we are getting close to bringing her baby brother into the world or if it is just a phase. Emma has always been very close to her Daddy and he is 100% a hands on Daddy and does as much as I do, probably more to be real honest with you. However, she does not want much to do with him these days either. I think his feelings are really hurt too.

Needless to say, my days have been spent doing nothing but giving her all of my attention and love. I am either exhausted by the time she goes to bed or running around here doing the things I would normally do while she is playing with Daddy or playing independently.

Please don't think I am complaining, I have enjoyed the time I have had off and can say that I have devoted every bit of it to my favorite little girl in the entire world and I have loved every second of it!

...Her Royal Throne

We ventured out today and got the witty "Itty Bitty" a potty. There had been talks of this for a couple weeks now, but I really thought we would wait till Gavin was born before we even introduced the potty. Emma has been telling us for a couple weeks now when her diaper is dirty, so we thought we would give it a shot & not worry about it if she was not ready. When we got home from shopping it was nap time, so Emma went to sleep for a couple hours while the HOTY unveiled the pretty little potty. He came out of the bathroom with the empty box and said, "the Princess now has her throne".

So tonight at bath time, I decided to introduce Emma to the potty. I sat down in the floor in front of it and she came over and very attentively listened as I explained, this was her potty and from now on when she had to go potty she needed to tell Mommy and we would let her go in there instead of using her diaper. We were getting ready to take a bath, so I took all her clothes off and invited her to have a seat. Being the outgoing child that she is, she got right on it and sat down and just kept saying, "potty, potty, potty". Within 2 minutes she had used her potty and she was yelling for Daddy to come and see. She was so proud of herself. Her Daddy came running in and gave her a sticker, of course we told her good job and how proud we were of her.

It did not stop there, we had to call everyone in the family to celebrate and share the great news.

I wish you could have all seen exactly how PROUD she was of herself. I just kept hugging her, telling her she was a big girl and I was so PROUD to be her Mommy.

Yes, we even had to give the potty a hug too. We will have to make sure she knows she can not do this when we are out in public, YUCK!

As we were getting Emma ready for night night time and changing her into her sleep diaper, I took her in the bathroom to let her try again. Keep in mind this was only about 1 1/2 hours after she had gone previously. I took her pajama bottoms and diaper off and she attempted to get on again, only backwards this time. We got her turned around the right way and Daddy and I sat there and talked to her for less than 2 minutes and she went again. Needless to say, we had lots to celebrate today.

Yes, our 17 month old was introduced to her potty for the 1st time today and utilized it twice. We are so proud of her and what a big girl she has become. Her Daddy kept telling her, "you are going to be able to teach your Baby Brother how to do all kinds of things". You continue to amaze us daily, baby girl!

Only 3 Days Left & New Pet

Look who arrived at our house yesterday with his neck stuck out looking for a new home. The newest edition to our family and to Gavin's nursery. Our plan is to stick this beautiful guy at the foot of Gavin's crib to watch in on him through out the night. The HOTY actually searched, found him and offered him a place to live. The "itty bitty" called him a horse when we took him out of the box and only had to be told one time he was a giraffe and now she walks around calling him by name.

Oh, I can not wait for Little Gavin to get here and join our family.

Random fact...I order quite a few of Emma's clothes from a place called Eden's Bouquet. This is one of my most recent purchases, except ours has a Magnolia vine on it. Needless to say, anything from Eden's is fabulous and I am in love with every piece of clothing we have purchased from there. I am not normally a name dropper, but I found out today that the man that was doing all the screen printing for Eden's is the PREGNANT man. The one we have been seeing on TV that is pregnant again with baby #2. Is that crazy or what? The owner shared this information with me today and posted it on her blog...I have since looked at her blog and the information is gone, perhaps she thought it was too controversial to have on her blog. Needless to say, she will be finding a new person to do all her screen printing from now on.

Last, but certainly not least...if you have not signed up for my giveaway that will end Saturday morning, it is not too late. Just click on the link below, read the post if you are interested, leave your name and you will be signed up to win one of the heirloom ornaments. They are beautiful.

http://fraziermommy.blogspot.com/2008/11/giveaway-oh-christmas-tree.html

This week is going by so fast and next week is Thanksgiving...I am so excited to be off and spend extra time with my sweet little family. Next Thanksgiving, we will be the Frazier Four ~ I can't wait!