thank you molly and todd!!!!

talk about an awesome Christmas gift...
molly gave us the planet earth and blue planet series 2 years ago and rarely a week goes by when we aren't playing one of those cds...they are absolutely amazing.
and this Christmas we have the best of imax series~!!!!!
i think i'll sit down tonight and watch something spectacular =)

bringing the kitchen in...

to the living room
we had the fire roaring this afternoon....so the living room was toasty but the rest of the house was absolutely absolutely frigid.
so the kids dragged toys in....including this little playfrig from marie for ez for Christmas....she "cooked" away and jack built and played his little lap harp....
i love days like this!
o!
and the pathology came back for the skin biopsy and it showed a definite allergy to something around me (not eating necessarily) but coming into contact with it....
so they will do a patch test in a couple weeks...i am so ready to know what it is!
i have a little wonder if it isn't olive oil.
i do use a lot of myself instead of lotion.
hmmm....

raw chocolate cookies

well, this is just a mess!
but both esme and i (jack and josh not so much) love them
i just throw in some walnuts, some raisins or dates and some cocoa powder....blend and dehydrate.

buckwheat krispies

my little helper =)
so, they woke up at 3:45 this morning...and i don't mean...woke up and then went back to bed...i mean, woke up and wanted to get the day going...
sooooo, we packed up, ate breakfast, said our goodbyes to joan and were on the road before 6 am
o my!
so when we got home, we decided to just hole up and snuggle...watch movies...and make chocolately things.
raw style =)
first, esme and i made this buckwheat concoction....
soaked buckwheat groats, then blended them up with agave nectar, a little maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and raisins and cocoa powder.
esme was most helpful (notice however where her spoonful of goodness is landing =))
i will dry them out to crispiness!

bill pulling the kids and i ...

out of the mud!
poor marie and bill....they have a BEAUTIFUL yard...so wild and free (though this is due to lots of care and tending) and a slight grassy noll....which is where i parked my enormous truck and got stuck
oops.
bill is just such an easy and unruffled man....he just tractors out and pulls me free...
jack enjoyed it all immensely....though i was quiet at first and he said
"hey mamma, this is funny...right?"
as if to check to see if he could proceed with jocund playing or if i was upset ...he is so aware of my emotions...bless his little heart.

Such a sweet day

this morning jack woke up (at 4 am) and stood right up and just stayed there for a minute...
then he said (when i didn't comment immediately) "well, i'm 4....am i bigger?"
he has been so excited about his birthday today...and it was just so nice...grace and tom and my dad came over...andy drove all the way from chattanooga (he called to wish him a happy bday yesterday and found out about hte little party and just came!!! he is so sweet!)  and of course bill and marie adn joan...
esme just as the party was starting up asked to take a nap! hilarious! and perfect bc then we could all focus on jack and he just loved the quieter time...
i am so so blessed to have these 2 little poppets in my life!
josh is away and was dearly missed but called just in the midst of the party...perfect!
jack drew his picture this morning on a post-it note and stuck it to a present....so daddy could be there =)

downtown fire

last week in canton...2 other fire departments were called in it was so big marie said.
jack said
"can i go play over there...don't worry, there aren't any rattlesnakes"

Scalded File Cabinets

Happy Birthday Jack!

the cutest thing is that jack got a little lap harp from josh and i...and as we were all singing to him, he was seriously strumming away and singing happy birthday with us =)
we tried to go to the fire department afterwards...but they were out on a call...so andy played with them in the foyer...
he really is so so sweet with them...they ADORE uncle annnndy!

The building blocks were a hit!

pre-party

Birthday Party

i made little cucumber strawberry sandwiches, cream cheese/celery/grape/pecan sandwiches and peanut butter and jelley sandwiches...with lemonade and fruit =)
and the static has been so fun!

blowing up balloons

here we are TRYING to blow up the hardest balloons ever!
sorry about the color ...i am learning =)
these suckers were nearly impossible to get started...it was kinda funny trying.
bill refused =)