Goodbye!!

And we are off...to CHINA!!! Talk to you sometime in the middle of January. Have a Happy New Year and remember to pray for us every time we cross your mind. Thanks so much!! Love you all :)

Christmas Parade!!

Gracie made her very first cake with the Easy Bake oven today. For her Daddy. hehe I should have taken a picture. It was...nice. hehe

Ellie finally got into the presents

"This was just what I wanted!!!"

The pretties with their new American Girl dolls; Lily, Mary, and Samantha

Sassy Faith and her Dora bandaids

Matching clothes!!

I know it is blurry, but look past that to the elation in her eyes when she saw Samantha!

Stockings and presents from Santa

The tree in the quiet..makes you think about Mary having a baby in the early hours of the day, when the world was sleeping...

Jesus

We try to always have a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas complete with singing, candles, and cake. This is a snippet of this year's...

Merry Merry CHRISTmas!!

These are some pictures we snapped before church Sunday...thought I would share!

Twilight

I am sucked into the web of vampires and all the things that really must be accomplished this week are falling to the wayside. Book 2...waiting for Edward. Where has he gone???

Did you hear me??!!

Ellie was blissfully asleep in my arms as I carried her up the stairs to her fluffy bed when uh-oh! I tripped over a little blonde body. Faith was laying in the hallway trying to go to sleep. After much crying, she admitted that Gracie was being mean to her and she didn't want to sleep in the same bed with her. So, this morning I asked Gracie what she said to Faith last night. Her reply? "You HEARD me?!!?" I admit, Cameron and I both burst into gales of laughter that we tried so hard to hide. She started to cry. And said, "Can't I just tell you when we get home?" NO. So she admitted her mean-ness. Ready for this? She said, "I told Faith that if I couldn't have her button (she likes to stick her finger in/on your belly button as she goes to sleep. weird, I know.), then I was going to take out her earrings." ohhhhh. What do you say to that. I mean really?

stuff

Okay. For starters. That was my first trip to this dentist. I didn't know he would be so...messy. But apparently Blue Cross up here doesn't cover too many, so I have to SEARCH for another one. Then get more x-rays. and yuck. That seems bothersome to me.

So...today I am watching my friend Chasity's kids. She has four. So there are 7 kids here. ALL DAY. I may not make it. No, they are really sweet kids. And they are the same ages as mine. So all are entertained.

Went shopping last night. I can't get finished!! I don't know what to buy! So I may get Cam to let me out of the house tonight for a few hours ALONE. hehe

A Trip to the Dentist

It started out harmless enough. I was called to the back where I grabbed my book (for the wait. because dentists seem to like you to wait), kicked off my shoes, and got comfortable in my toe socks. Then he appeared. A VERY good looking dentist. A pretty boy. Kind of prissy. He noticed a stain on his lab coat and about flipped out. So he grabs his needle gun (HATE them) and goes to town. In Sloppyville. He was gouging out my gums when he got trigger happy and let loose a stream of numbing liquid down my throat. My hangie down thing was NUMB. I was gagging, trying to swallow, and they ignored me! That little lady who is supposed to be sucking slobber was a little too preoccupied with the pretty picture torturing me. So he starts drilling my tooth and frigid (I think they put ice in it) water is spraying all over my face and throat while causing my entire mouth to throb with sensitivity. He finished that tooth in record time and started on number two. Yes. I had TWO cavities. Why you ask? I think hormones. Or that this guy was money hungry to feed his lust of being pretty. Because one of those teeth has had a little brown spot on it for 12 years. 4 dentists have told me in the last 12 years that it is just a spot, not a cavity. But my "spot" is now drilled out and filled and that tooth chipped. Ugh. So, anyway. The second tooth. He gets his drill and says "Let me know if you feel this". Ummm...WHY would I feel it? Sign Number One. So he goes in and SHOCK, TERROR, PAIN. My whole body jerks with the toe socks flailing and he replies "I guess you felt that. Then he gouges out some more gums with his gun and grabs his drill. No wait time for the medicine to work. Sign Number Two. SHOCK, TERROR, PAIN. Again, the jerking. He gouges some more and drips liquid numb all over my neck, and says, "Are you a smoker?" I see how that is related. Really. He just rocked my world in a not so good way and he wants to know what I do in my free time?? Then he elaborated after my slurred disgusted response of no. I process pain medicine like a smoker. They need more? So he left me to let it numb. Once he returned to Sloppyville, he finished his treatment of the tooth that probably never had a cavity. He only squirted a little of the acid down my throat...I screamed at the lady who was daydreamimg nasty thought about the dentist to "THUCK IT OUTTTTTTTTT". It was sooo sour. I was gagging. Again. And drooling. And choking. And no one noticed. You would have thought that I wasn't there. He repeatedly hit my bottom teeth with his drill head, causing the sensitive to ice water teeth to throb all the more and send shocks of pain coursing through my body. He kept pinching my lips and making me bit my lips, and pulling my mouth in ways that are not natural. I contorted my face in dire pain and again. No one noticed. After I paid the devil and left, I looked at my tooth and it was covered in tongue skin. Because my tongue was twice the size due to the spillage of liquid numb. I kept biting it apparently. But I couldn't feel it. Even though I process like a smoker. Three hours later, I could feel my mouth. And feel where he didn't do a great job. And where he chipped my tooth. And how my bite is uneven. The whole thing was fun. I can't wait to go back and get a crown. :(

Where did the time go??

As I sat here reading up on all of you, I realized that it has been TWO weeks since I blogged. It seems like it was just yesterday...

Let me catch you up. Hmmm...we had a little party for Ellie at Shawna's house on the 6th. It was wonderful spending time with the family. The women got to go out and do a little shopping without the kiddos. BIG treat for me! The next night, the girlies spent the night with David and Kelly (cam's parents) for the first time. They did great and had a ball watching David shake his booty with the Santa toy that did the same. Ellie thought it was great fun to push the button on the toy and then turn to watch David dance. Hilarious! While they were having fun there, Cameron and I were at a meeting for our China trip. Learned some interesting things. eek!! First, no utensils. Chop Sticks only. I stink at those. Seriously. I have tried. So I guess I will be losing some weight! lol AND the potties aren't exactly what we are used to. I know I should have thought about these things, but come on. I suppose I take the little things for granted. I am going to have to squat over a hole (and let me remind you that balance is not a strong suit for me) in a bathroom that is unisex. Let's just hope I can time it without a man inside when I really gotta go! There was a lot more fun little things we learned, but those stick out to me...

Sunday, I picked up my Mama in Cisco so she could come help me. Faith went to the pediatric internologist and I went to the dentist twice.I got Faith's results yesterday and her bloodwork was abnormal. :( There is a bleed somewhere so when we get back in January, she will have a colonoscopy and some other test done. They are looking for Krohn's diesease and/or anything else that may cause the bleeding. Such as an allergy or intolerance. Which my cousin doctor told me was the case. And I didn't listen. But Jen, if this proves you are right with a simple muscle test, I am forever ruling out these doctors and choosing you! Just letting you know. So, I am nervous. But ready to get a diagnosis. Then, on Thursday morning I had a root canal done on the same tooth for the second time. Infection. At a specialist. Not fun at Christmas time. Then, off to San Angelo I went! I went to two parties at Jaymie's house and spent some time with the family, then returned home on Sunday. That brings us to now. I am trying so hard to finish my Christmas cards. Sorry they are late. You may get them in January. lol I have a party tonight, tomorrow night, then nothingness. Well, homework for China. What is that about?!! Geez. You'd think we would need to be prepared or something. SO there you go. Caught up. And I am not proofing this. I know the thoughts and memories are random, but try your best to decipher what I meant!

My Baby is TWO

There is something so sad about Ellie turning two! She is my baby. My little stinker. My last one. And it brings tears to my eyes to think that she isn't really so much a baby anymore. And why oh why is she such a handful? It would be heavenly if she was nothing but sweet. Boring perhaps, but heavenly.

So today we have taught her to hold up her two fingers and say that she is two. We have sang to her at least 4 times. We have told her happy birthday and I love you pretty much every time we see her. I adore her. She keeps me on my toes. She makes me laugh. She makes me scream. She makes my heart melt, and I couldn't even imagine my life without her in it.