Advent season and Christmas wonder

Lucy brought wonder (especially her fascination with lights) and the precious reminder of all things cute and cuddly this Christmas!

'Tismas tuptakes!!!! (I don't pronounce my hard C and G sounds yet but mama is a good interpreter). We had so much fun baking during the advent season. I really liked eating the gooey stuff, playing in the sink and cracking the eggs for our goodies.

Grandma (AKA Dandah) had so much fun with us this Christmas season. Lucy and I like it when Dandah makes it home from work and can play with us. Dandah gives us kisses ('tisses) and hugs (huds) and SUGAR!!!! I LOVE MY DANDAH!!!!!!

Mama and I made a gingerbread house and gingerbread men. I liked putting on the candy but was more interested in learning how to open a hersey's kiss and eating the skittles - yummy.

Gingerbread wonderland.

Each night Mama and I read Christmas stories and an advent book about a little bear following a star to meet a little Child. I liked hearing stories about baby Jesus and singing songs (I only have one volume that jungle bells sounds good in - LOUDER!!!). I liked the idea that I would be getting presents for Baby Jesus' birthday. I also liked making presents to give to other people. I got to make a mess and got to bring smiles to other people. Here is one of our present projects - Lucy's foot, my hand, some paper, paint and a green bean can. I let mama know it was "hard work" being an artist but I perservered for the cause.

'Tismas Vocabulary

Mama says I have my own Christmas vocabulary (pronounced Tis-mas) and I thought I should share a little of it with you

Santa Socks

Frosties or Snowmens are my favorite (I also like snowdeer)

Christmas Tree Topper (Mama asked me if I new what goes on the top of our Christmas tree. I said "a hat". I found out later that angels or stars usually go on the top of a tree but I thought our tree might be cold so it needed a snow hat)

Baby Jesus! - He was born in a barn but he likes to play in the back of the tow truck, the trailer to my semi and he likes to go outside with me. Mama told me Jesus is with me wherever I go - I'm a little confused by this because I know when I go to bed Jesus is on the coffee table in the living room.

Brotherly Love!!

Lucy

Bubbles and fun!

Lucy likes to recine in the stroller even when mama sits her up straight.

Bedtime

Where's Samuel?

Here I am!

Happy Jack-o-Lantern Day!

I really wanted to be a lawnmower yesterday for halloween at church but mama said she couldn't swing that on such short notice but I did use the doggy/cow outfit from my cousin Thomas. I thought the frog boots completed the costume and mama didn't protest. I really enjoyed the jack-o-lantern we carved and the seeds were yummy! I wasn't so crazy about the gooey inside but I liked the final product.

In the last week I've had some time to practice dressing up = at Daddy's school a girl let me wear her wig from the Homecoming celebration and at Firehouse subs I wore a fireman hat while enjoying cheetos!

Little Pumpkins

It's that time of year to give thanks and enjoy the oranges, reds, browns and golden yellows of the season - even though it doesn't feel chilly out at all. Lucy and I went to a pumpkin patch on our way home from the Ag EXPO in Moultrie on Wednesday. Her head looks like one of the pumpkins and I had such a fun time picking one out for Dandah's house.

Ag EXPO

Papa, Mama, Lucy and I went to the Ag AXPO this week. It was so much fun. There were tractors and trailers, horses and llamas and a mud puddle. I climbed on all of the big tractors, splashed in a mud puddle and helped Papa look at new harrows. I saw sheep and mama showed me the Llamas (I called them "sheep Mamas" until my mama corrected me and then I just called them Mamas). I ran and ran all day and at the end I was pooped - but as I told mama "oh, dear! This is my favorite!" Besides the Ag Expo here are a few other things I said that Mama thought were noteworthy this week -

We've been picking up pecans and in the fields near the house they are harvesting peanuts. In the front of the house under the oak tree I found some "p-corns". Mama said they were acorns but I must have heard her wrong because all nut like things must start with a "p".

Often heard "I do it all by myselfs" or "I do it my own way!!!!"

Farm, Food and Fun

I love Fall! Yesterday out under the pecan trees I flew over mama and enjoyed the beautiful day. We rolled around in the grass, watched a spider build her web, sang songs and picked up pecans. I




TRACTORS!!!!



Love that smile! Lucy is "sweet girl" - I like playing with her and giving her hugs and kisses. Mama says I have to be careful because I like to give her snacks too but mama says Lucy can't have goldfish yet.



Lucy's sitting up all by herself now. She's still a bit shaky at times but really likes it - and we like being outside. The pecans are starting to fall so we will be spending lots of time outside picking them up.



Lucy is starting to get the hang of eating from a spoon - though it's still a messy process.

Thoughts from the week

Here I am! I like playing hide-n-seek


Lucy got her first taste of something besides milk and pickles last week. (Dandaw lets her gnaw on pickles while we are eating - great for teething Mama says.) Lucy seemed to like the cereal and wanted to eat the spoon too!



Loads and Loads of laughs with Lucy! Mama says we have great smiles!



Here I am making a fashion statement of independence - "I am 2 hear me roar!" I put my PJ's on and then added another shirt on over my pants. I'm getting good at dressing myself and mama knows why there are children who walk around with random articles of clothing on - rain boots with church clothes, tutus with jeans, etc. - it's not worth the fight sometimes - and hey - creativity is a sought after virtue.

Lately Mama has been talking about HOPE. I'm still trying to figure out what it is. The word 'Hope' is kind of like the word 'wind' it's something I can't see. Yesterday I asked mama "where is the wind? I want to see it!" She told me you can't see it but you can feel it. She said sometimes she wished she could see some of the things that are invisible - maybe things would make more sense in the here and now. She says we'll have to wait until heaven to REALLY see. I think I'll have to ask Mama about it when I get a little older.

Back to HOPE - well, I don't have it figured out but Mama sure seems to talk about it alot. It means alot to her. Here is what I've gathered. Hope comes from God through Jesus (because the "Bible tells me soooooooo"). Hope is what keeps mama going most days (is it like a snack?) Hope is Lucy's middle name (it must be cute!) and Mama says that without Hope there would probably be alot of homeless two year olds - because HOPE reminds her that I won't be two forever (she says she really does love me but there are some "two" moments that are no fun for her)

Sweet OO-cy

the many faces of our sweet Lucy. She's rolling, scooting, drooling, laughing, chewing and making our lives full of joy!

More cousins

Yesterday my mama's cousin's Angela (mama still calls her Angie) and Abbey came to visit with Angela's new baby Eden. She is a cutie and has a lot more hair than Lucy! It was good to see them - if even for just a little while. Here are some pictures of the two cutie pies and the three of us greatgrandchildren (we're only missing Shay!)

Raining

Last night it rained and I was in the tub singing "It's raining it's pouring the old man is sleeping..."

AND
I've overheard Mama say quite often lately "when it rains it pours" but today I think she needs to change that to "when it rains it pours and then the big limbs fall on your car!"

Friends

Several weeks ago some of mama's friends came to visit. Mrs. Carrie and Mrs. Erika and Ava. I liked playing with Ava (or atleast around her). Here are some pictures. Mrs. Carrie took much better pics but here are some from the day - isn't Ava a cutie!

Matters of the heart

I really like my little sister. Several people have asked how she is doing so I thought I would give you an update. She is almost 5 months old now - cooing, rolling over, sucking her thumb and holding her toes. She went back to the cardiologist a few weeks ago and they had good news - all of the holes that are normal for babies to have (PFO,PDA,etc) are finally closed and she only has one more hole (a VSD) that isn't supposed to be there. It hasn't gotten any smaller but her heart has gotten bigger around it and they are hopeful it will close up all the way. She's breathing so much better (no more tachypnia and other issues related to her heart) and as you can see she is eating just fine too - can you believe we used to have to run her feet and make her cry to get her to eat? I like to help mama with Lucy and I like to help her play (I usually just let her watch me play with her toys but for now that's ok).

The thumb