Ice and Such

Well, this Georgia weather has been downright mean lately.  We  had an ice storm and everyone lost power.  When I say "everybody", I mean everyone I physically know in Georgia lost power at some point on Monday night.  My  vehicle is currently in the shop, so I had to take Chris to work Monday morning and go back to pick him up that evening.  The kids and I actually went really, really early- like several hours early- and just hung out at church waiting for him so I wouldn't have to drive home in the sleet.  

On the way home, the roads were fine, but the ice continued to fall and then we saw a big blue explosion in the sky.  Chris said, "There goes our power", and he was correct.  

We were totally unprepared.  One flashlight and 2 candles.  Ha ha!  We stopped at  my parents'  house on the way home just to kill some time.  While we were there, the power came back on.  We all screamed in delight.  Then it went back off.  And we booed.  This went on for several more rounds before it became dark for good.  Then we went home and settled down in the living room.  Shaun  said he felt like he was in The Walking Dead and I had to agree.  The lights came on once more but then we lost power around midnight and it stayed off until about 5:00 the next afternoon.  Oh, and Violet had an ear infection.  Fun times!  We got really desperate around lunchtime on Tuesday and built a fire in our fireplace.  I can only remember doing that 2 other times in this house, years and  years ago.  The kids loved it.  Violet said it smelled like chicken.  

Jordan has been out of school this whole week due to the city's lack of power so we had a snow week.  Or ice week.  Church was called off last night as well.  We've been watching movies, reading books, and eating.  

We were actually one of the lucky families who experienced the least amount of time without power.  Some people close to us still  don't have it.  And  now we're under another Winter Storm Watch for tomorrow.  

I'm over winter.  

My Little Song Bird

I can't believe it's  been over a MONTH since I've been here.  I really want to start posting regularly again.  I have lots to report-  a lot has happened already this year to my family.  But all in good time!

Today, at the request of my sister, I'm going to blog about Jordan and his newfound ability.  

He has taught himself to make bird calls, and he's really very good!

His teacher at school loves birds.  Jordan loves his teacher, and wanted to get her a real live bird for Christmas, but I talked him into settling on a bird scarf.  Mrs. Klein has a whole classroom full of bird paraphernalia...books, posters, even a clock that chirps on the hour.  This is how Jordan's ability was discovered.  I think he began mimicking the clock.  He was so good at this that his teacher thought it was time to go outside for recess.  Ha!

He told me this story when I picked him up in the carpool lane that afternoon.  And he tweeted like a little bird the whole way home.  Now, he's learned more calls for different birds.  He goes outside, hears birds, and mimics them.  His teacher says he has a gift.  He's even going to show off his gift at the school's talent show in April.

Jordan has been going around "tweeting" for several weeks.  Everyone is amazed.  He turned 9 last week, and when I went to school to bring a birthday snack, his teacher asked him to show off his gift.  I have to say, he is some kind of adorable when he does it.  His little cheeks puff in and out and he really sounds like a real live  bird.  My dad   has called him "Birdie" since the day he was born... since Jordan's name begins with J, which leads to "J Bird", and then shortened to "Birdie".  I guess the name finally fits!

I can't wait to see what kind of presentation he puts together for the talent show.  He'll probably be able to whistle like 100 birds come April.  Ha ha ha!

Our Christmas, mostly in pictures!

Okay, well, a few words first.  I have really enjoyed this Christmas.  This isn't always the case.  I'm usually depressed or worried about money.  This year, though, the Lord gave me the best gift of all.  Peace.  He really did, even though that sounds super-cheesy.  For the first time in my married life, I didn't stress out.  I enjoyed the season with joy in my heart that can only come from God.  He has really provided for us this year, but more importantly, He taught me to trust Him.  

Now, on to the "mostly pictures" part.

I haven't blogged enough this year, so this is probably going to be a mess, all of our Christmas festivities rolled into one.  But  here goes!

Jordan's Christmas program at school.  He's the angel on the right.  He did such a good job.  He is his mother's child, though, and proved as much by getting his robe stuck in the chair he was standing on.  He was embarrassed, but I think he made the play!

Kidpak Christmas Party at church.  This was a volunteer appreciation party that the Kidpak staff threw for us.  And we did feel appreciated.  The fellowship hall was gorgeous, the food was delicious, and everybody  had fun.  I didn't get many pictures because I ran around after Violet, but it was a great party.  

Here's a picture of Violet and her best friend Natalee at the party.  

The boys sat with their own friends and had a good time, too.

Chris had to stay at work after the party, so the boys and I did some errands and grocery shopped.  Then we came home and attempted to make a ginger bread house.  I knew, just knew, that I would mess up this house, but they didn't want to wait for their dad.  So we wound up with this. 

Ha ha ha!  Good memories and lots of laughs, though. 

This is a picture from  Christmas Sunday.  Chris picked out Violet's dress for her.  She was in a mood when we were shopping and didn't want to get a new dress at all.  I talked her into it by saying that Daddy thought she would look so pretty in this dress.  And she did! 

Christmas Eve's Eve didn't go as it normally did.  My sister and I didn't get to take our annual last-minute shopping trip because her mother-in-law passed away that day.  So sad. I did go shopping for her, because she needed help finishing up her list.  I took all of my kids and my oldest niece, Keri-lyn.  It was an experience... the weather was stormy and we couldn't find everything we needed.  We tried hard, though.  It could have been a lot worse.  I ran into several people that I hadn't seen in years.. my old Sunday School teacher from the days when we only had 1 kid, my old boss from Eckerd Express Photo.  We were looking for "Real Live Pet" birds and butterflies, some kind of horse, and some sort of "stuffable" unicorn toy.  We didn't find everything, even after trips to multiple Targets and Wal-Marts.  At the end of the day, the kids looked like this.

Ha ha!  It was a long day, but I think we made some fond memories.  

The next day was Christmas Eve.  The weather was still bad, but the boys and I ventured out to finish up our shopping (we STILL weren't finished!) and went to the candlelight service at church.  I look forward to this service every year and I wasn't disappointed.  I think it was the most beautiful one yet.  Jordan's height is perfect for sneaking shots of him when he's not looking.

After the service, we went straight to the Christmas gathering for my mom's side of the family.  Because of all of the circumstances, we had it at their church's fellowship hall.  

Random Christmas selfies...

And there was "portrait time":

My mom with her sisters and their husbands.

Cousins!  

The best one we could get with the cousins and our husbands.  

Then  my mom wanted a picture of her daughters and their husbands, and this happened. 

Why's it so hard to get one stinkin' picture?!?!

We did the usual Christmas stuff, too.  We ate, the kids opened presents and us "adults" played our annual round of White Elephant Christmas.

Some of the kids, patiently waiting until it was time to open.  Their faces!  Ha!  

And then it was time.  My boys' gifts had a distinct theme all Christmas long:  The Walking Dead for Shaun and football cards for Jordan. Violet's favorite gift from this gathering was an Ariel doll. 

I think my niece liked her new book!

We left when the festivities died down and put the kids to bed so we could put Violet's new kitchen together and finish wrapping.  We went to bed a little after midnight.  Jordan came bounding into our room at 1:00 and 1:38 am wanting to open presents.  And then, he and Shaun apparently stayed up all night.  Kids! 

The only picture presentable to post here is this one of Violet.  She's saying, "Oh my gosh!"  So adorable.  The rest of the kids chose to open presents in their boxer shorts.  

We also went to my parents' house for breakfast and gifts that morning.  Then we went to my Granny's for Christmas lunch.  Granny received a tablet and is now on Facebook.  This is my favorite Christmas memory, I think!

And a few more from  Christmas at Granny's:

 We went to visit with Chris' grandparents later on that night.  We ended our Christmas Day with some Chinese food.  Ha!  Jordan said he felt like we were in A Christmas Story.  

We came home in a food stupor and crashed.  It was a great Christmas!

More Christmas!

I'll just say it... it's impossible to NOT have the Christmas Spirit with Violet in the family.  She's two years old now and just fascinated with everything Christmas.  Except Santa Clause, who she's afraid of.  

She goes nuts whenever she sees a Christmas light.  No matter how many times we've driven by any particular house, she'll scream "Oh, Mama!  Christmas!  There's more Christmas!". Every time, and her level of enthusiasm has not lessened with time.  She's so joyful!  The same thing happens, but on a more down-to-earth level, when we see Christmas decorations in a store.  

A few weeks ago our church had it's Wednesday night service at the amphitheater at Lake Lanier Islands.  We did this last year, too, and the weather was so warm and muggy that we didn't need jackets. This year, it was COLD! Freezing!  Luckily Chris was smart enough to stop and buy blankets and chairs at Wal-Mart because I forgot to pack ours.  The boys ran off and sat with their friends during the service, so I don't have any picture of them.  Chris and I spent most of our time running around after Violet, but hey, we were at church together!

First taste of hot chocolate.  She's now a fan!

We wandered around during the music and found this.  She was in Heaven being this close to "Christmas"!

Here's a shot I took of the service, from the top of the seats.  Beautiful, and a sweet time, even if the weather was frigid!

After church was over, we drove through the Magical Night of Lights, or whatever they're calling it now.  The boys weren't that impressed but Violet sure was!

Memories!

Lately... What I've Read/Watched

The Way the Crow Flies by Anne-Marie MacDonald.  This book was good.  Forget that it took me almost two months to finish it... the fact that I renewed it from the library and then sweet-talked the librarian into checking it back in and then checking it back out to me again instead of sending it back to it's library home in south Georgia proves just how good this book is!  It's long.  Probably one of the reasons it took me so long to finish it.  It's a murder mystery, set in Canada just after the end of World War II.  That's the main plot, but oh my goodness at the many sub-plots.  For once, I actually figured out who the murderer was.  I have to say though, that some of the content was really difficult for me to read.  One of the sub-plots deals with child abuse by a teacher.  

When Joy Came to Stay by Karen Kingsbury.  I know, I know, I've said that I was finished with Karen Kingsbury so many times.  I was over at my Granny's and noticed a copy of this novel on her table.  I read the back cover and decided to give it a whirl because it deals with a subject very near and dear to  my heart:  depression in Christian women.  The book was a typical Kingsbury, in my opinion.  I  pretty much knew what was going to happen before it happened.  Very predictable and cliche.  But, a good story. Also a very informative read for those who think that Christians shouldn't suffer from depression.  I could actually relate to the main character.  A lot!  More than I care to admit.  

Gilmore Girls.  Oh, how I love this show.  I was SO excited and was counting the days until it became available on Netflix.  It's just so good!  The first day that it appeared  on Netflix, I was having a bad day.  I remember thinking to myself, during one of Violet's temper tantrums in Target, "It's gonna be okay.  I'm gonna go to church tonight and then come home and watch Gilmore Girls.  Just hang on.".  Ha ha!  I watched the whole series really quickly and loved every minute.  I had forgotten how hard the last season was to watch, though.  It was torture watching Lorelei screw up her relationship with Luke over and over and over!  Still so good, though!

Parenthood. It's the farewell season and I'm so sad!  I love this show, too.  I have a weird obsession with Lauren Graham, I guess. One of my favorite parts about this season is texting my friend Joanne during each episode.  We watch it together and commentate... "Oh  no.  Zeke's gonna die in this episode!"  and "What in the world is Amber thinking?!?!"  and "No Joel!  Fight for Julia!".  Those sorts of things.  I'm gonna miss it when it's gone.  

American Horror Story:  Coven.  Not impressed.  Totally a waste of my time.  

The Walking Dead.  I finally jumped on this bandwagon and I'm officially obsessed.  I'm on Season 3 right now, on Netflix.  Trying to get caught up by February.  My family is so  happy!  

Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving 2014 is in the books.  So much food!  We ate 5 Thanksgiving meals total.   Not all in the same day, thankfully, but I'm scared to step on the scale.  It was worth it, though.  We had a very nice holiday spent with our friends and family, counting our blessings.  

I didn't take many pictures, but here's a rundown of our many Thanksgivings, if you're interested!

1.  Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family.  This was held last Sunday at my parents' house.  We usually have this get-together at Granny's house, but we've outgrown her home!  All of us 4 cousins are either married of have a significant other, and 3 of us have kids.  So we upgraded to mom's house.  My contribution?  I went in with my sister and purchased the ham.

2.  Thanksgiving lunch at Chris' work on the Tuesday before Turkey Day.  A very nice time and lots of good conversation with our church family.  I was a little nerve-wracked at the idea of my kids eating in the office-  no one spilled anything on the carpet, though.  Ha!  And I had the best turkey I've ever eaten.  It was cooked in a crock pot.  I must get the recipe.  We brought cheesy mashed potatoes!

3.  Thanksgiving Day with The Shadburns at Chris' Granny's.  Again, a very nice time.  The kids all played with their cousins and we adults caught up with our family that we hadn't seen in awhile.  There's always lots of craziness going on over there.  The good kind, of course!

Goofy cousins.  Ha!

Violet finally warmed up to Cousin Terry.  She was scared of him but finally allowed him to hold her!  And Shaun is now the proud owner of that hairy hat.  Don't ask!

I'm thankful for him!

Oh, and I brought some chocolate pecan brownies to this meal.  Store-bought but still a big hit!

4.  Thanksgiving night with my mom's family. This was held at my "baby" cousin Lindsey's new home.  She was so gracious to open it up to our brood!  We spent lots of time admiring, laughing, catching up, and of course, eating.  I love my cousins!  I made mac and cheese in the crock pot.  My first time making this recipe and I just winged it.  It was good!  

5.  Friendsgiving at Elia's house.  My friend Elia decided to start a new tradition this year, and I'm so glad she did.  I had never heard of Friendsgiving before but it's a great idea!  Chris wasn't feeling well on Friday so he and Shaun stayed home.  Jordan, Violet, and I had a great time.  After we ate, the adults talked and the kids played.  Very relaxing and low key.

Jordan and Halle.  I hope they're friends forever!

For this last Thanksgiving meal, I brought fruit and a veggie tray.  

As I type this up, it hits me just how blessed we really are!

Christmas Tree 2014

Today, for the first time ever, we decorated our tree before Thanksgiving!

I know, I know.

I am a huge boycotter of all things Christmas before Thanksgiving.  But today, it just seemed right.  Chris was off.  We didn't have church.  So we just did it.  It was even my idea.  And I listened to Christmas music in the car.  What can I say?  I'm just feeling especially Christmassy this year.  

Even though we didn't get to go to a tree farm this year, I still took pictures!

I'm sure the employees at Lowe's thought we were the biggest dorks.  Ha!

These pictures remind me of The Brady Bunch... some of us are dressed for winter and some look like it's summer time outside. 

Chris remembered that we needed some new lights and a few more ornaments this year, so we went shopping first.  We each picked out a new ornament.  Violet picked a pretty pink purse.

She really liked it.  I thought we were going to have trouble actually getting it up on the tree, but we didn't.

We still need to get a new topper and a tree skirt.  I'll post a picture once the tree is completed.  In the meantime, just be assured that it's very pretty.  

I think we might have started a Smith Family Tradition this year.