Christmas 2009

Yea, nice original title to what else, Christmas!! I love Christmas, always have but now that I'm a mom the "festivities" of Christmas have gotten so fun. We did Elf on a Shelf, we made gingerbread houses, we went to look at lights 3-4 nights a week, we ran here and there and exhausted ourselves to the max. The end result was one spoiled rotten but ecstatic little girl at each and every place we were. I'm so thankful that I got to spend the time with family and friends that I did during Christmas but my heart was heavy, and well to be honesty still is. But that is another post worthy of its own. To recap Christmas.....

12/23 Office Party Luncheon at Public House - 12:30 PM

12/23 Drive to Knoxville

12/24 Christmas Eve in Knoxville with my family 6:00 - 9:00 (drive home and arrive by 11:30)

12/24 Santa needed a little help from us putting together some things that he'd left Addi. But here is the thing - Santa doesn't deliver until Christmas Eve night so that left daddy putting together a My 1st Kenmore Refrigerator and Stove until 3:00 AM!

12/25 6:30 AM (Yeah...we got an extra 30 minutes sleep from the typical 6AM'er) Addi was in awe of her refrigerator and stove and all the utencils, food prep, vegetables, fruits, pots and pans that she just didn't really know what to say. She just stood there looking and said - "Is this for ME?" and then it was on! She made more cakes in 30 minutes than Rachel Ray can make a meal.

12/25 Lewis Family Lunch - 1:00. Robin & Eric were kind enough to host this year and its always a good time with the Lewis'. You never know what we'll be talking about or who we'll be laughing at....this year it was Campbell and his leather jacket Zoolander immitations.

12/26 Christmas with Grammy & Papaw & the Coffelts. And of course Addi is spoiled rotten even more. She got the cutest, (gulp.....,) cheerleader doll from Anne, Allen and the boys. Its hilarious with doing its cheers and all, Addi even got an (EVEN BIGGER GULP) adorable cheerlearder outfit to wear and cheer with her doll. They are really trying to turn my girl into a "girly girl" aren't they? :)

We were busy non-stop for days but it was nice to be with family and friends and celebrate the true meaning of CHRISTmas. I hate that my heart was sad b/c I feel like I barely muddled through and just got by although I was very thankful for everyone, for the gifts they got for Addi and for us. We are truly blessed.

It's the most Wonderful (BUSY) time of the Year!!

Addi with Chanda Bell, author of Elf on a Shelf, at the book signing.

Santa & Addi 2009, she didn't want to leave him!

Attempts at a Christmas Card for Grammy & Papaw

Trying to be JUST like her cousins

Gingerbread House making '09

What??? How did that Efl-ette get on there?


Ready for Nana's

Being reminded that her "elf" is still watching the 'tude!!

Early Birds....

Its no secret that in our home sleeping past 6:30, if you're lucky is unheard of. In fact, I'm usually greated at 6am with two questions...."What are we going to do pun (fun) today momma" & "May I have some milk please." So after the initial search for Cat, our elf that is still being called Cat, I'm hoping we move past that name soon. Anyway, we bundled up in long johns, golashesh, 'boggans, gloves and puffy coats and we headed out to play. It was so fun playing with Addi in her first snow. Daddy was gone on a 4wheeling tree to Brimstone, AND from what he has said its not any reference to Shrek or the smell as they are looking for the dragon while rescuing the princess. So back to the point....we had a little incident with the snowman. Of course it was the tiniest of snowmen anyway but we were attempting to put him on the back porch in hopes to save him for a few more hours well it didnt make it - well it did make a huge mess as it splattered on the floor. Needless to say we got a little laugh out of it. So we cleaned up our mess, came in to change into warm, dry clothes and began making soup, cornbread & a cake. We even attempted home made icing which we made purple with a little learning involved as well in mixing colors...a little red & blue make purple. Never miss those teaching moments, right?! It ended up looking like a huge donut with all the sprinkles we had on it but it was still yummy!

Grazie....Merci.....Gracias!

No matter what language you gave "Thanks" in the one word just doesn't seem like a big enough word to use for the many blessings in my life for which I give thanks. For those that know the Lewis family you know that it isn't a small one. I know I've said numerous times how lucky I am to have married into such a loving immediate family but even the extended Lewis family is one to be grateful for. Since I started coming around these gatherings some 12 years ago not a thing has changed, well other than hairstyles, # in families, and the amount of food we now have to bring. We counted 55 family members present & can not thank Gary & Stephanie enough for hosting such a crowd. They have a chalk board in their kitchen that the girls had drawn a huge tree on with the word THANKFUL written above. They had leaves cut out for us to tape to the branches on exactly what we were thankful for.....some were silly & some were heartfelt but more importantly we enjoyed a lot of quality family time. From 5 siblings they have 10 children plus 10 spouses and in all of that you have over 20 grandchildren that were running in/out of the barn collecting eggs, roasting smores over the campfire, jumping on the trampoline, riding scooters, and just being "kids" as Granny Lewis used to say. I'm thankful that my child doesn't run and hide when we walk into a gathering this large and LOUD - that she is content following the big girls around and I'm able to catch up with some other Lewis ladies that we don't get to chit chat with that much.

Yes, my child rolling in the grass to play with a dog!

We actually did not travel to Knoxville this year as we typically do but instead headed down to Blairsville, GA to visit with my MIL's brother and his family. Our visits to Blairsville are always minimal throughout the year so it was nice to have a day to get to visit with cousins & 2nd cousins on the Hunter side of the family. As you can see in a few pics - Josh's height definitely doesn't come from the Lewis'. :)

Here is to kicking off the Holiday Season from our family to yours!!!

Boo!

Halloween was a ton of fun this year......It started out with a costume party at Nana's (Addi's babysitter) and was non stop after that; we attended many parties but the most fun was getting Addi ready to go Trick or Treating. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She loved getting to knock on doors and ask for candy. As soon as she would get her candy she would look at me and say, "Are we going to go get more candy now?" Kids....gotta love 'em!

Family Pic - Halloween '09

Addi wanted to take this "punkin" home

It didn't hurt that daddy's friend, a real police

officer showed up.

Turned out to be a beautiful evening

Sugar High at this point

Starla (Robin da Hood) & I (Miss Kitty)

I love this pic!

Miss Kitty, Pocahontas, Princess Leia,

a Bumble Bee & a Nascar Driver

Britt & I at Ashleigh & Casey's Halloween Party

Addi & her BF, Kendall coloring

A ladybug & cowboy with Nana

At this point Addi had spilled something on herself but

you can see another lady bug, a girly clown, cowboy

and pumpkin shirt girl. :)

We found Nemo!

Ever since we had heard Finding Nemo on Ice was coming to town we'd decided we would go. Well I then received a trip through work and planned a girls trip for that same weekend. I had assumed it was just a weekend show & then heard on the radio that it in fact was not. So I hurried to get online to locate tickets.....then I stopped looking b/c the prices I was finding where just ridiculous. My brain actually kept working & I thought about Craigslist. There were 2 entries for tickets, 1 being for 3 tix the other for 4. The person with the 3 had just sold theirs but the other had a phone # so I decided to give it a try. The next few events just continued to fall into place - like someone knew that I needed this family night before I left my girl & hubby for 4 full days. The lady with the tickets worked in Dalton however her mom would have the tickets, she works downtown - luckily I just so happen to have a meeting scheduled downtown at noon. After she talked with her mom she called me back to tell me that her mom would call to work out the details on picking them up. I asked should I get cash out or would she take a check....a check was fine she stated - just make it out to Brandy Christian.
What??? I say to that "Are you married to Tyrone?"
She says, "Actually, yes I am"
I say, "Um hello we are practically related" (By marriage that is)
I explained that I was Tyrone's stepdad's brother's daughter - in - law (Seriously, did you just follow that?, Luckily she did!)
She then says, "Well I actually won these through the radio & the seats are better than ours but we can't go tonight & have tickets for another night so don't worry about the check - just go and have a good time!"
So I dropped by the radio station and picked up the tickets - called my mom to ask her to run to my house, not wake my sleeping husband and throw my blue jeans in the dryer so I'd have something to wear other than work clothes to the show. I sent Josh a text, for him to find when he woke up, that he needed to get Addi, that mom would meet him at the house to ride together to meet me and we'd have a fun family night at Nemo for FREE!
We had dinner at Cheeburger Cheeburger and had a great time at Nemo on Ice. We had bought the movie back when we just assumed we'd go so Addi has been watching it as much as we'd let her. Its absolutely the sweetest thing to watch her reaction at the end of the movie when Nemo and his dad reunite. Every single time she see's it she squeals & laughs hysterically saying "Nemo pound his dad, Nemo pound his dad" (Uh, yes we still have trouble with "F's").
Well live and in person was no different and it was just the most adorable thing to watch. She laughed, sang, yelled, giggled, squirmed, danced and just did until her little body couldn't do anymore. All in all it was the best night even thrown together at the last minute. Like I said, I honestly don't think I had much to do in the planning....I give the credit to the big guy watching over my family.

Dinner at Cheeburger Cheeburger YaYa and Addi excited to go in for Nemo
Addi telling YaYa all about what is going to happen Love my family Waiving bye to Nemo

Still hugging on Nemo on the way to Nana's this morning.