My favorite Christmas memories!

Christmas 2009 was filled with unforgettable memories just as every other Christmas I can ever remember. Harmony had a fantastic Christmas this year. We had several friends drop in that we don't see a lot, we baked a ton, slept in, had lots of lazy days, and really just took advantage of the extra time together. Christmas day was a blast! I asked Harmony if she got everything she wanted for Christmas and her reply was, "Yes, and I even got a lot of stuff I didn't know I wanted!" So cute! It's funny how a child adds a whole new layer of excitement to the season. There is nothing like watching their face as they rip into those packages. We had a wonderful time making our rounds to each family location. My dad was doing the same as always; no better no worse. He was in a more talkative mood, and actually showed his sense of humor for the first time in a long time. It sure was nice to get back home and just relax on Christmas night.

Love, MeL

Here are my favorite Christmas 2009 pictures.

Della brought Harmony a Gingerbread tree to make for Santa! It turned out fantastic. Thank you Della for the special Christmas memories!

 Harmony reading us "The Night Before Christmas!"

Harmony's note to Santa beside his goodies and milk. Too thoughtful!!! :-)

Best gift reaction was for the Super Mario Bros Game for the Wii. She had no clue I had gotten this! I told her before Christmas that I didn't know she wanted it! Of course mommy knew!!!

Peeking inside a tiny tear she made. I was like, " Just open it!!"

Tony & Harmony fighting to get to the presents first!!!

She loved her Activity table we got her!! We love it more! She is off of the living room floor with her Pet Shop and Pony villages!! YaY

She was so excited to see that Santa brought the one thing she asked him for, a remote control car. He didn't bring her just any one though...He brought her a bright cherry red convertible Ferrari with working led headlights and taillights. AWESOME!

Harmony & me in front of the tree. She is in her new handmade shawl from Peru. Thanks Lee!!! She looked gorgeous Christmas day!

Krista Kay, me, & Bryan in what was probably the most bought Christmas item of the year...the Snuggie, well, right outside of the Zhu Zhu pet hamsters!! Those are cute! Anyways, I love my niece and nephew to pieces!!!

My 2009 ornament that David & Trish & Courtney made everyone! I LOVE IT! So simple and cute!

Harmony playing with her Ferrari in the cul-de-sac!

Time with Friends

Today, Harmony and I had over her best friend Lexie and her family. It was much needed time, as we don't get together as much as we'd like too. We let the kids open presents, make a reindeer craft, eat pizza, and cook rice krispie treats. I love watching the kids play together; especially at this time of year. They are full of excitement, and it reminds me of what it was like to be small. This time of year is so magical for the little ones. I am so glad we were able to share some special Christmas memories with some very special friends.

Love, Mel

P.S. I hope this Christmas that you all find a little piece of that magic in your heart again, too.

Showing off the gifts they exchanged!

Lexie buttering the wax paper for rice krispie treats. Check out the butter! Hehe...Love Her!

Mikayla cooking the rice krispie treats, with her assistant Harmony.

The girls totally being themselves!

Check out this cute reindeer project Brenda helped the kids make!

 

Snowy Saturday

Harmony and I were so happy to wake up to a snowy Saturday a few weeks ago. It wasn't around for long, and it really wasn't much to begin with. However, I am always amazed at what a simple white blanket does to enhance the beauty around us. It can take some of the ugliest landscapes and turn them into works of art. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!!!

Harmony is getting so excited now to see what she is getting for Christmas this year. I cannot wait to see her face on Christmas morning. I love watching her rip into all the packages with paper flying and her mouth dropping. One of my favorite things is when she opens her stocking. She always immediately starts eating the goodies. I am certian to remind her at least 100 more times of why we celebrate this time of year. Please remember the reason for the season, without Christ, there would be no Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas,

Mel

Friendship, Paint & Pizza

Okay, so think back to when you were little. Can you remember that one special friend from your childhood? For me it was Melanie Cox. She was my best friend! We always had so much fun together. I had to move away when I was 12, and it was one of the saddest times of my life. Not only was I leaving behind my childhood home, my school, my grandparents, but especially my best friend. It is so easy to lose touch at that age, and of course we did. Somehow over the years we have managed to reconnect and stay a part of each others lives, but of course we are grown. We all know how little time there is when you grow up and have a family to care for. Melanie is a wonderful mother of three beautiful children now, and I still love her to death! I think I will call her today! :-))

For Harmony, her best friend is Lexie Powell. They were in Kindergarten together last year, and made very fast friends. They are so sweet together, and it is amazing how alike they really are. They are both shy, sensitive, and silly! Lexie got to come Friday after school for a play-date. They played video games, finger-painted, and made homemade pizza. I let them go crazy in my kitchen, and make a mess. They were the cutest two little chefs I've ever seen. Plus, the pizza was YUMMY!

Cherish your time with friends, and hold your memories dear! They are a precious possession!


Love, MeL

 

Here is their painting! So cute!!!

Master Pizza Makers

Thats two cute girls!!!

Yum Yum...It was so good!

 Here's to Friendship

No More Training Wheels

We got Harmony her first bike Christmas of 2006. It was a beautiful, shiny, blue and pink Cinderella bike. It came complete with tassels, basket, bell, and of course training wheels!!! We had tried to pursued her to learn to ride without them Summer of 2008, but she was not ready. Harmony always does everything in her own time, you just cannot rush her. When she is ready she will blow your mind with how quickly she picks things up, but patience is a must with this sweet little girl. 

This Summer she came to me and said she was ready to try riding without her training wheels. I was so excited. We got her all geared up, Tony removed the training wheels and took her to the cul-de-sac. Attempt one, no good. Attempt two, no way. By attempt three she was near tears, and too scared to even go on. There sat the bike in the garage for 4 months with no one to ride it. We left the wheels off as encouragement, but she would not try. 

On November 3, 2009 after church she says  to me, "Mommy, I think I can do it now!" She had the most serious look on her face. I said, "Okay!" We geared up again, and back to the cul-de-sac we went. This time I decided to stay with her rather than dad. Attempt one, "Don't let go yet!" Attempt two, "Are you letting go, Mommy?" 

Attempt maybe twenty, 

Harmony: Let go Mommy!

Mommy: Are you sure?

Harmony: Yes.

Mommy: Are you really sure?

Harmony: Yes!

I let go, and there she went. I think my heart stopped for a minute, and I'm sure my smile reached from ear to ear like the Grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes! Daddy was catching all of it on home video. She has mastered riding her bike including taking off on her own, which, actually took several more days. Tony bought her a shiny new kickstand as her reward for learning to ride her bike. I am so proud of her. Somehow I know I will miss seeing her on that bike with her training wheels, but for now it is so exciting to watch this huge accomplishment. She has so much PRIDE when she rides. I just wish I could freeze time. 

MeL 

I don't know why, but I get teary-eyed at this picture! It represents so much more than riding a bike!

Here is the proud Thumbs Up!!!

One day this will be a car. Again, here comes the tears!

 Showing off her shiny new kickstand. Her daddy got her this for doing a fantastic job!!!

Top-Secret Beeswax

Man, was I glad when November arrived. October was one of the craziest months of my life! I have never been so excited to erase my calendar on the fridge. It was so jam packed with to-dos and events that I'm still not even sure how I managed to get it all done. 

Onto November, first thing up, Harmony's first grade field trip to see the Junie B. Jones play. For those of you who don't know, Harmony loves the Junie B. book series. Yes, my 6 year old can read chapter books and yes I am bragging. She is one of the smartest little girls I have ever seen. ~~Thank you momma for passing along those Valedictorian genes~~ 

Anyways, we were so excited to find out that this would be her first field trip this year. The play was called "Top Secret Beeswax", and let me just say, it is one of the funniest plays I have ever seen. Harmony laughed all the way through it, and her favorite part was were Junie B. said, "GRRRR" to some kids on the bus!

We followed it up with a picnic lunch at New Harvest Park. I have never seen kids play so hard, but how often to you get to go to the park with yourself and 136 of your closest friends??

Love, MeL 

"Top Secret Beeswax"

(Hey there Britt)

Picnic at the Park...

(Taking a water break.) 

Harmony & Lexie playing on the playground!!!

Time to go...What a fun day!!!

Halloween 2009

Rain Rain Go Away......

This seemed to be the story this Halloween, as the rain came down just minutes before time for trick-or-treaters to start making their rounds. We had spent our day carving our pumpkins just in time for the big night. I did a "Stack o' Jacks", Harmony did "Fatty Batty", and Tony did a "Candy Munching Goblin". They all turned out fantastic! Now, would they survive being lit out in the rain?

We have lived here for almost 5 years now, and every year over 100 kids make their way around our neighborhood. I was for sure that the rain would put a "damper" on things, but they still came. They came with umbrellas, ponchos, hoodies, and even rain boots. Nothing was going to stop these kids from getting their treats! We had about 113 trick-or-treaters this year. Harmony loves to pass out candy with me, but soon became tired of the cold and rain and went in seeking warmth.

I was surprised at the turn out, but when it comes to kids and candy, I guess I shouldn't have been! :-)

MeL

P.S. The pumpkins did just fine!  

Harmony with her pumpkin.

Cutting out her Fatty Batty pattern.

Showing off her pumpkin!

Harmony the Zebra with her pumpkin! She did a nice job this year, and almost completely on her own!

Tony's Candy Munching Goblin

My Stack O' Jacks

Harmony's Halloween Party

Harmony's Halloween Party at school turned out really well. I planned a much simpler party this year than I did for her Kindergarten class. There is just not much play time in 1st grade, as there is so much to learn these days and so little time to do it in. 

The party was about an hour and a half, were as the Kindergarten party lasted pretty much the whole day. This year we had a Halloween story, a couple of games of Bingo (one with sight words of course), and a snack. We had Goblin Punch (vanilla yogurt ice cream w/diet orange soda poured over it) and teddy grahams in three flavors. We were of course adhering to the Knox Co. Schools "no sweets" policy. I made them treat bags with pencils, erasers, vampire teeth, etc... It was so much fun. The kids love having any time away from work! I can't say that I blame them!

Love, MeL

Harmony & Joshua ... One of her best buds this year!

Fall Festival

This year at our first PTSO Board meeting, we decided on having our first ever Fall Festival at ABES! There was so much time, preparation, and work put into the event. I was so happy with the outcome, and it was so much fun! The day as a whole was pretty insane for me, but in looking back, I have nothing but pleasant memories. 

My day started off by getting a call to sub in PAC (Personal Accountability Class). This class is pretty much in school suspension for elementary aged children. I had one child for part of the morning, and then I was free for a couple of hours. I had time to help run some copies, and staple together our info packets for the event. Then, I had two more children come to me so it was back to the classroom for the remainder of the school day. 

The second that school ended Harmony and I had to race off to gymnastics for her weekly hour long session. She did great as always, but I worried that she would be so tired that she wouldn't enjoy the nightly events.

From there it was right back to the school to enjoy an hour and a half of the festival with Harmony. We really did enjoy ourselves. There was a hay ride, a cake walk, face painting, bouncers, games, basket drawings, and food galore. After our play time was over, I had to report to the cafeteria for food line duty. It was so busy and so loud, but I was happy because this was fantastic for our school. I stayed after for clean-up duty and then finally made it home by 9:00. WoW, what a long day!   

Love, MeL  

Harmony on the hay ride.

Harmony with the school mascot!

Shriners Circus

I can remember going to the Shriners Circus when I was a little girl. My eyes lighting up at all of the circus acts, acrobats, and clowns. Althought the Shriners Circus doesn't seem nearly as big to me these days, I am still amazed at the talents of the animals. The hours they must put into training and praticing, and the bravery of the people working with these animals is something to respect for sure. 

Harmony had a wonderful time, and her favorite was the two men running in the human sized hamster cages. I can hardly stand to watch when they move to the outside of it. CrAzY! I have always loved the little dog dressed up as a stufffed elephant. So cute! Harmony got to see Yo-Yo the Clown again. Harmony and my niece Brianna had their picture made with him a couple of years ago, and he is really funny! Although in this day and age there is more time put into the marketing of merchandise than the actual show, it is still a fun time for the family!

Love, MeL 

Love these little cars!!!

Meet Yo-Yo the Clown!

Halloween Family Bonfire 2009

Every year for oh, many years now, my brother Donny has hosted a Halloween bonfire for our family. It is always a great time, and leaves memories that will last forever. There is nothing like being surrounded by your family. This is the first time in years that me and all of my siblings were in the same place at the same time. Donny as always did the event up right with lots of help of course. There was yummy food, spooky decorations, games, the best treat bags ever made, and even a haunted hay ride. It was also my nephew Donavon's 10th Birthday....my they grow up fast!

Love, MeL 

She loves this huge Kitty.

My big sister & me.

My niece KK and me.

All of us...Quick take the picture!

Donny,Sonya,Mike,Mitchell,Melody

Boo @ the Zoo 2009

Harmony was so geared up for her annual visit to the zoo for Halloween! We have taken her every year since her second Halloween. This trip made her 6th time going, and she was just as excited this year as in all the years past! Plus, I had my niece and nephew  (Stephanie & Michael) with us this year, whom, Harmony just adores! This made our trip extra special for us.

We love Boo @ the Zoo. Its not too scary for the kids, they get just the right amount of candy, and it is great family time. There is plenty to look at with all the kids walking around in their costumes and the cute decorations. My favorite thing is always looking at the pumpkins decorated by local schools! Harmony's favorite thing at Boo this year was the Haunted Carousel. It plays spooky music and moves backwards instead of forward. SO MUCH FUN!

The one downfall this year; it was in the 40 degree range for outdoor temperatures. We had us a nice hot cup of cocoa to try and warm us up, but that only did the trick for about 5 minutes. Despite the cold weather the kids still had a great time.Stephanie and Michael loved it, which, we really wanted them to have a good first experience.

Harmony was a Zebra this year, and looked so adorable as always! Stephanie was a female mobster (she looked awesome), and Michael was Darth Vader. What little boy doesn't want to be Darth Vader?

Love, MeL

Harmony the Zebra

Hey she found her twin pumpkin!

Steph & Tony

Now if that isn't creepy...I don't know what is. 

(Check out dudes face!!!)

Steph  & Michael 

Love this one of Steph!!!