Holidays With Family

Our Christmas holiday has been very busy, but very good. So many things going on and places we have been. Disney was gorgeous for Christmas and we enjoyed our time there together. The decorations, parades and just the families together was amazing. It is always a place where you see so many different people from all over the world come together. It gives me hope when I see so many families together. Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, cousins, etc....!

We got to go to church twice in Peachtree City so we were able to see all our old friends that were there and visiting with grandparents. Lots of precious new babies being passed around. I love that! Jamie holding Courtney's baby Hunter and Courtney holding Jamie's little Joey. Both just little kids themselves just yesterday.

DH has headed back to the work force and we have all headed to the beach for a little get away before Savannah goes back to school. Les and the kids are down too so it is a lively and loud little cottage!

Dad has had some sad news. His sister-in-law Luke passed away yesterday morning. She was the wife of one of his favorite brothers, Jim. When mom and dad were first married and used to hop in the car on weekends to go to the beach, it was to Jim and Luke's that they would go. They saw Luke last month and said their goodbyes, but they will be going to the visitation tonight in Andalusia and back to the funeral in the morning. I will get to introduce Savannah to some cousins that she has never met.

It is a glorious day here in Grayton! Cool but sunny, quiet and relaxing. Les and I are in one bed together, while Sydney and Savannah are in the other. We have laughed, giggled, tickled and been silly sisters and I think it has really tickled Savannah and Sydney seeing and hearing us just be sisters together. Les is the best sister! I am so blessed!

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!!

Atlanta fun and a Disney Vacation

Monday morning we were up early in Atlanta to fly to Orlando. We drove down and stopped at the Varsity on the way in to Atlanta. It's hard to pass it by. We had a wonderful visit with Mom and Dad. Mom had been cooking for three days our early Christmas dinner. It was fabulous! She fixed all our favorites.

Then the mexican dominoes began! Mom, Les, DH, Todd and I all played until it was time to go to bed. Mom was the winner this trip. DH pouted. He REALLY likes to win all the time. Savannah and Nick were off playing on computers, and listening to ipods while Sydney had fun writing us winner play checks with a checkbook that I had given her from Pottery barn kids. They have the best pretend play stuff!

Monday we were up early for Poppy to drive us to the airport. Smooth flight, so DH was happy. We were thrilled when we drove under the Walt Disney World sign!

DH forgot his camera cable so I may not be able to post pictures until later.

The Christmas trees here are incredible!

Savannah and I are off to our Mother/daughter spa day in a little while!

Thanks to Inez for holding down the fort at the house.

Christmas with Jax and Savannah

Jax and his mommy and daddy came over last night to exchange gifts.  Savannah picked out some really cute things for Jax, but of course his favorite thing was the string that had tied up his daddy's package.  

We also measured Jax up against our growing wall in the laundry room.  I have Savannah's heights along with Nicholas, Sydney and now Jax. 

When we redid the kitchen and laundry room last year, we had to paint around the heights once again.  I will be able to see all the colors my wall has been in the past!

Aunt Julie is the best maker of cupcakes and she was so excited to get the cupcake holder stand from Savannah!

              "The world is a book,

        and those who do not travel

            read only a page."

        -St. Augustine

Blue Wit Jay

I just received a Christmas card from my brother-in-law Jay and found out he has his own blog now.  He probably told DH some time and DH forgot to tell me...that's usually how it goes around here.  DH tells me what I already told him!

Jay is DH's partner in business at the furniture store. 

I need to get him to explain to me the meaning behind the name blue wit. I'm sure it has a good one.  Jay is very talented and the very best of Uncles.  He lived with us in an apartment in Nashville when he was going to high school before his parents moved up here and we became very close then. I wasn't much out of my teens then myself. We all had a lot of fun. 

When we moved into our first house and I was sick those few years, Jay put in a rose garden for me and it was so beautiful! Now he has a spectacular garden of his own.

When we were at Millview church, I taught the 4th & 5th grades for years and Jay became my helper, then co-teacher and when we left, he has carried on and is an excellent teacher who has taught a whole lot of Bible knowledge to a bunch of youngsters. 

My first dog Gretchen loved Jay probably more than me and slept in his room.

Anywho, he's special to us.

Paper, Ribbons, and Tags Oh My!

Most of  you who know me know that I love wrapping paper, tags, cards, and ribbon, ribbon and more ribbon!  I have been having fun sorting and wrapping gifts for my loved ones.  I love to choose just the right paper for the individual, all the while listening to Christmas music.

Savannah is a great help with wrapping too and gets better every year!  I love wrapping presents so much that when I go home to Georgia, I will want to wrap Mom's stash too!  Mom loves that!

When I was little I wanted to work at one of the wrapping stations and wrap all day.  I buy huge rolls of paper from Nashville Wraps and have a different theme every year.  Last year was the red with the citrus green color.  This year I am wrapping more old fashioned ways.  Lots of brown paper packages tied up with string! 

I tend to buy Christmas paper wherever I am.  In Birmingham with Kimberly, I found some pretty green toile on brown and polka dotted boxes that can be used for gifts or baked goods.

Raffia, tulle, satin ribbon, wired ribbon, slinky like ribbon...I use it all.

If I am in Atlanta on the day after Christmas, Leslie, Mom and I always have to go to Buckhead to the Container store first thing for the great sales!

This past year I discovered Etsy on the internet and bought all the seashore theme tags that decorated the beach cottage Christmas tree.  They have some really neat people that make fabulous tags!

So, have fun getting into the spirit of Christmas in whatever way makes you happy and if you need to borrow any paper, you know where to go!