The "Guls"

 We refer to Justin's basketball players as "our girls."  Canaan has even caught on to this and in the sweetest two year old voice as possible calls them the "guls."  He will wake up in the morning and the first thing he often asks about is the "guls."  I don't worry when he's two and asking about teenage girls first thing in the morning, but when he's a teenager himself, that will be another story.

Since I consider this blog my electronic scrapbook of sorts, it's important to me that I keep up with important things to our family.  Well, basketball is certainly one of them, because it takes up a huge amount of our family time.  Ronnie and Cathy continue to be our biggest support and help at all the ballgames.

Aubree is Hadley's best friend and is in her preschool class.  Aubree was at the game this night and sat with us for awhile.  We are thankful for Aubree's sweet disposition and thankful that Hadley has her as a friend!

Hadley continues to enjoy doing the radio with Justin and Canaan has even joined in a couple of times.  We just have to watch him so carefully, though, as he is more of a wild card in his behavior.  I can hear him screaming some mumbo-jumbo on air!  I'm sure the radio listeners wouldn't appreciate that too much.

Justin continues to talk to media all the time.  People at church laughingly ask for his autograph because he's on the nightly news very frequently during this time of the year.  The media love my man. ;)

So although this is an incredibly busy time of the year; sometimes to the point of tears....we are so blessed to get to know our "guls" and invest in their lives.  Wouldn't trade it for anything!  Go Lady Scotties!



  

100 Club, Sight Words, and Beginner Books

It has been so neat to watch Hadley's growth as a student this year.  The preschool program at my school has been wonderful for her; exactly what our girl needed.  Her teacher did an activity for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday where she asked each student what his/her dream was.  I loved Hadley's response, "My dream is for my brother to stay with me forever."  Be still my heart.  Her handwriting has improved tremendously since the beginning of the year.  After fall break, she did a writing assignment where she wrote what she did over the break.  She wrote that she went to the mountains.  I still can't believe her progress since then.

Ms. Brittney sends a paperback book home with Hadley each week for her to practice at home.  She got to come read to my students one week.  Another week she read to our principal.  It makes her feel so big to think she is really reading.  We are also working through the first set of Bob Books, which we love.

Sight words have come home with her every night since October.  She has mastered all the words on the first list and we are now on the second list.  She loves getting stickers on her cards when she is able to recite them to Ms. Brittney.  Ms. Brittney says Hadley really keeps her on her toes with the sight words.  We are also proud that she recently made it in to the 100 club, which is when a child counts to 100 orally.  At the very beginning of preschool she could only count to 39, so this has been another huge step for her.  Hadley just can't get enough of school and learning.  She wants to do homework and is a perfectionist.  We are just so proud of all she has accomplished this year so far!  It's a good thing, too, since kindergarten is just around the corner.  Sniff, sniff.

Christmas Festivities

All of our month-long fun Christmas traditions and activities lead up to the main events:  family get-togethers and Santa's arrival.   Our annual Christmas at Nana and Poppy's house was wonderful, as usual.  I cannot believe how these kids change from year to year.  We will have two babies to add to the group next Christmas, which will be crazy but so exciting.

These two are my pride and joy.  Oh, how God blessed us with the sweetness of all things girl and rowdiness of all things boy.  I am so thankful!

A few days later, our Christmas Eve traditions took us to Auburn (again) for Christmas with my White and Hughes extended families.  It is such a long day, but I so love being with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I love that my children get to experience that as well.

Santa's arrival brought insane excitement to our house.  Santa left a few bites of his cookies, and we found Canaan eating the leftovers.  That's our boy. Hadley loved the Frozen dress Santa brought her. I loved how sweet and excited she was about every single gift.  It was as if every present was exactly what she had wanted her entire life.  I wished it could have gone on for much longer than it did.  Santa does not overdo at our house....at all.

Santa went with boy toys such as tools and drills this Christmas.  Canaan loved ripping in to his packages and needed no help.

After the excitement of opening our presents, we donned our Holiday attire to head to our Stinson family.  A delicious breakfast at Ma and Papa's and presents galore at Granna and Grandads awaited us.  

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  What a wonderful year 2014 has been to us.  Can't wait to see what 2015 holds!

Christmas Card Pictures

I asked my precious friend, Lacey, if she would snap some Christmas card pictures for us this year.  She was more than willing to help us out, as she always is.  We met up with her on Glasgow's square and took advantage of the Christmas decorations on display there.

I thought she captured the kid's personalities just perfectly.  One second sweetness, the next naughtiness.  With Canaan, that's for sure true.  It's amazing how totally different two children can be, but how fiercely and passionately you can love them both.  I never understood that until Canaan came along.

A five and two year old Christmas is the best yet!  Haven't I said that every year?  Well, I really mean it this year.  Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

All Aboard the Polar Express

Our second year at Polar Express was even more magical than last year.  Canaan couldn't stop talking about the choo-choo train and Hadley wanted hot chocolate and cookies for days before going.  Being able to do anything non-basketball in the middle of a week, during basketball season, is a rarity.  So the fact that we can make this work makes it even more special to me. 

      We broke out our matching jammies for such a special Christmas festivity as this.  It really is so nice that the public library offers this free activity at the historic train station.  Since I love anything historical, I get completely giddy over this event.  I totally should have lived when horses, buggies, and trains were the main modes of transportation.

Just like last year, cousin Levi joined in on the fun.  Next Christmas, his little brother will be with us too!  The kids enjoyed sweet treats from Bowling Green's most popular bakery, Riley's.

We were able to talk Hadley in to taking a picture with the train conductor, but Canaan was just not feeling it.  They really do a fantastic job of making this experience seem so real.  We patiently waited for our ALL ABOARD announcement and got our tickets punched before boarding.

As you walk out of the train station to board the train, snow blowing wildly only adds to the excitement of the evening.  Even though it is a snow machine, it makes the whole experience so much more fun.  The oohs and aahs of children and adults alike is contagious.

The kids listened ever so intently at a local radio station's disc jockey's rousing rendition of Polar Express.  We were super impressed that Canaan sat still and listened to the story.  There's a first time for everything.  It really is so sweet to watch all the kids hang on the reader's every word.

Just like last year, Santa Claus made an appearance in the very last train car before we exited the train.  He handed out a jingle bell to all the kids.  Canaan doesn't take to strangers very well at this point in his life.  So he wasn't impressed with the whole Santa thing.  Hadley was in Heaven, though.

We had such an awesome time at Polar Express and can't wait to book our tickets for next year!  All Aboard!

North Pole Breakfast 2014

I was more excited than ever for our 3rd annual North Pole Breakfast, welcoming Rudolph the Elf back to our house for the Christmas season.  Rudolph prepares a special breakfast for Hadley and Canaan when he returns each year from the North Pole.  This year, he made one of Hadley's favorite breakfast dishes:  monkey bread.  He also tries to make the table look somewhat festive for the occasion.  That sneaky Rudolph ;)

Rudolph left Hadley and Canaan an ornament for each of their bedroom Christmas trees as well as a pair of Christmas socks.  Just a little something to get them excited about the Christmas season.

I scored these Elf on the Shelf pj's at consignment this year and thought I just had to have them for our North Pole Breakfast.  Amazing how we just happened to wear them to bed the night when Rudolph returned to our house.  Rudolph and I must be on the same page.  We are so excited about the Christmas season around here!!

Thanksgiving 2014

Count your blessings, name them one by one

Count your blessings, see what God hath done

Count your blessings, name them one by one

Count your many blessings see what God hath done.

God has blessed me far more than I deserve, but I am so very thankful for his love, mercy, and grace.  I am thankful most of all for my salvation.  I am thankful that God led me to an amazing, Godly man to be my mate in life.  I am thankful for my healthy, beautiful children.  I am thankful for our families (parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins).  I am thankful for friends who love and encourage me daily.  I am thankful for a job that I am passionate about.  I am thankful for a warm, comfortable home.  I am just so thankful to God for his many blessings.  Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!