Mountain Trip

This weekend we went to Maggie Valley, NC with Paul's family. As always we had a wonderful time and enjoyed making wonderful memories with family!

Ruthie was fascinated by the fire.

Ruthie enjoyed the yummy breakfast that GG and PaPa made...she had her first taste of grits and loved them!

Saturday we took Emmie skiing for the first time! Both of the big girls had said they wanted to go but we had a serious talk with them on Friday night...it was going to be cold, you had to stay the whole time and couldn't complain, you were going to fall but that was ok and you couldn't get upset, and you had to take a lesson. Ellie decided that she didn't want to go but Emmie still wanted to go.
Fortunately it wasn't very cold so that definitely helped the situation!

Emmie got to ride in the shuttle from the parking lot to the lodge...it was an old school bus...dream.come.true.

We had to wait forever to get our skis and boots but once we were out on the slopes she was so excited! We also weren't able to get a lesson for her since it was the holiday weekend but she was fine with that and it worked out ok. We took her over to the bunny slope and she did great being patient while we got her skis on and once they were on she was able to "ski" on the flat part with no problems...I was so impressed! (Remember this is the child that falls walking on a regular basis.)

Ready to ski!

She had to go up a conveyer belt "lift" to get to the top and I was really worried about getting her off and on. I explained to her that she might lose her balance but if she just sat on her bottom when she felt like she was going to fall that she could then get herself back up very easily. She sat down when she first got on the lift and then was easily able to stand up and she even managed to get OFF the lift without falling. I was so proud of her!

We went over the basics and she was off! There was barely an incline so it was pretty easy for her to get to the bottom. It sped up a little towards the bottom and she'd usually fall at the bottom but she'd get right back up.

(Emmie is up at the top on the far right)


There were a few times her skis got tangled when she fell or they went out, causing her to do a split, but we were able to calm her down pretty quickly.

Having fun!

She and Paul took a break for awhile and found a hill to slide down and then she came back for more practice.

She really wanted to go up the big lift and didn't understand why we wouldn't let her! She also was not pleased that we didn't give her poles to use...she always wants to be the big kid! (Funny story, every time she'd find poles that someone dropped she'd ski in that direction and try to pick them up so she could use them...of course they were almost always adult poles so it was even funnier. She'd get so mad when I would tell her she couldn't have them!)

Wiped out...skiing in hard work!

taking a break

ready with Uncle "Bake"

Sunday Paul, Blake, and their parents were going to go tubing but it ended up raining and they didn't want to tube in slush so instead we took the kids to the "wee bowl" where they could play in the snow.

with GG and PaPa

We pulled them up and down the "hill" and they had lots of fun...at least I think Ruthie did...she was too bundled up to move so she couldn't escape if she had wanted to!

Ellie making a snowball to hit Daddy with.

Emmie playing in the snow.

Blake and Emily left Sunday afternoon and Paul and I headed back up to the ski slopes for some night skiing.

Ready to ski!

The slope was practically empty and it was wonderful! We got lots of runs in and had a great time...I even talked Paul into going up to the intermediate slope with me! After a few hours they started making snow on the upper slopes and it was blowing right across the lift exit and they had two blowing across the entrance to the trail. It was quite chilly! Paul wasn't sure he recognized me when I met him at the bottom of the slope to leave!

the "after" picture

Franklin stayed with my parents while we were gone and after hosting a dinner party on Friday night he pretty much just took walks and slept all weekend. He does love a good nap! We stayed with my parents Thursday night and had lunch with them Monday morning and the girls loved getting to play at Gran and Grandaddy's. The big girls were apparently pretty worn out Monday because they went and got in my bed and snuggled with each other and read some books...so sweet!

sweet, sweet girls!

you gotta do what you gotta do...

Today I was unpacking from our mountain trip and Ruthie was entertaining herself with a bag of cutie oranges. I looked down to find this...

I guess when you're the third child you learn early to fend for yourself!

ABC, 123...

...thank you God for feeding me. Ahhhhmen. 

And then we looked up to see this sweetness. Thankful for this praying child. 

Emmie's birthday/more Christmas fun

*I think this is my last "ridiculously behind" post....then I'm back to my normal length of time behind!*


On Emmie's birthday (December 17) we had a VERY busy day.  She took a cookie cake to school (and the box was ridiculously huge..like wouldn't fit in the grocery cart huge).



After school we ran home and ate lunch and then went to decorate gingerbread houses at a friend's house. My girls love decorating gingerbread houses (and eating the candy!). There was also a sock exchange which was a really cute idea (you filled up a pair of socks with treats and the kids passed them around while listening to a story...that part was pretty funny).




Then we drove 40 minutes across town so Emmie could sing with Cherub Choir at Laurel Crest Retirement Center. We got there and Emmie flat out refused to go up to the front...I was determined that she would sing even if I had to stand up there with her...we had driven 40 minutes to get there after all! Thankfully Blair, her dance teacher's daughter, came in and once she saw Blair, Emmie decided she would sing (all three of my girls adore Blair). Emmie's group sang Away in a Manger and it was so sweet.







After singing we let Emmie pick where she wanted to eat dinner. She had originally picked Rush's but then remembered that they don't have a playground so she switched to Chick-fil-A. We met Paul there and Emmie had a great birthday dinner. Then we headed home so she could open her presents from us and her sisters. She also had a card from GG and Papa waiting for her. She was thrilled with her Ariel from Ellie, Ruthie and Franklin and the $5 in the card from GG and Papa.



Then she got her big present.. a big girl bike! We went out in the dark and let her practice. She's still trying to figure out the pedals and gain some confidence (she had a balance bike before so she's got that part down pretty well) but she's doing really well!


When Emmie opened her $5 we told her she could go to the store and pick out a present. She said she wanted to get Uncle Ben a football (we're not really sure where she got the idea that he wanted one but she was very insistent that he did). I told GG and Papa about this and Papa had some extra footballs around so he brought one to Ruthie's party so Emmie could give it to Ben. Emmie was so cute. When he brought her the football she ran inside and got her $5 bill to give to Papa in exchange for the football. I love this sweet girl's heart. (Papa said no way was he taking the money from that little girl!)

Christmas Activities Roundup

As evidenced by all the blog posts that I am just now getting up, we were VERY busy this December. We did so many fun things and made lots of wonderful memories!


At the beginning of December we went to a going away party for some play group friends. It had been a long time since the whole group had gotten together and it was a lot of fun to see everyone. We're really going to miss Gunner and Chase!

Love these kids!


Ruthie had to be like the big girlrs.





All the Elsas






We had a fun girl's night where we made pizza, watched a movie, and went and got yogurt.



pineapple pizza

my pepperoni girl


good to the last drop

Ruthie was happy that they had fruit




We made gingerbread houses with "little" Emerson (not to be confused with my big Emerson). She's in Ellie's class at school and my girls just love her.




Emerson spent most of the time eating the icing...it was hilarious!




We took Emmie and Ellie to see Columbia Classical Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. The big girls loved it so much!










We had a week of Christmas parties. First we had my hospital floor's party. We had a great turnout and it was lots of fun!



Next we had our Sunday School classes party. (We crashed the party for our old Sunday School class.)

I took marinated cheese...so, so good and so easy!


The next night we had our favorite Christmas party of the year. One of the doctors at the hospital always has a big party at his house and there's also a great turnout. There were quite a few people there that I only see a few times a year so it was really fun to catch up! The girls had a babysitter for this party so it was lots of fun for Paul and I to have a night out together!


The week before Christmas we went to the Lessons and Carols service at church. I love this service and the church did a great job putting it on. The music was beautiful...there was an orchestra and the choir and it was lovely!

The week of Christmas we went and decorated cookies and had hot chocolate at a school friend's house. The girls had lots of fun decorating their cookies and playing with their friends!

The "E" table...Emmie, Emmie, Ellie, and Evelyn





Oh, and I can't forget...I got this fabulous oyster shell ornament from Lindsay. My co-workers all got a kick out of this as I follow a blogger who is OBSESSED with oyster shell décor and I've made all of them look at the pictures from her house tour! By far the best ornament on my tree!

A Visit to Santa

Somewhere in the middle of our Christmas craziness we made a quick trip to see Santa. This year we went to Dutch Square mall since you could take your own pictures. This was really great and saved us a lot of money. I did discover the downside...if your camera malfunctions then you might get home and realize you didn't get a picture of all three children together with Santa. Boo. On the plus side I did get a picture of everyone with Santa. Oh well. Next year I'll be sure that my memory card has plenty of space before we go see Santa!
The big girls were really excited to go see Santa. Emmie spent a lot of time writing Santa a letter and she was so excited to show it to Santa. She did freeze up a little when we first got there so Ellie also refused to go see him but we were the only people there and the Santa was WONDERFUL so after a few minutes the girls warmed up to him and went and sat on his lap. I got some GREAT pictures of the big girls! Ruthie, as expected, was less than impressed.




I LOVE this picture!

This is my "you've lost your mind if you think I'm going to sit on that guy's lap" face.

DID I NOT MAKE MYSELF CLEAR...NOT GOING TO SIT ON THIS GUY'S LAP!