Catching Up-December Fun

Every weekend in December was full!  The first weekend we celebrated the first birthday of our baby girl.  The second weekend, my sister and I had a cookie swap.  Oh the yumminess!

The next week was busy.  It was the last week of school before break, so I was exhausted from that. Our friends, the Friends came in town.  We met up with them one night for a trolley ride through Gatlinburg to see the lights.

All of us

Oh how I miss this girl!

With my honey

Nick and Caroline

On Friday night our little guy tested up for his yellow belt!  He doesn't look it in this picture, but he really was excited!!!

And both kiddos were in the Christmas program at church!

By the end of the week I was spent!  

Catching Up- It's December- Caroline's Birthday

Actually, I am going to divide December up a bit.

We began the month celebrating this precious girl's birthday.  I got up that morning feeling so blessed and thankful, considering what all happened surrounding her birth.  (You can read about that here).

I knew I wanted to do a winter wonderland theme for her birthday, because, well, I figure I should do what I want while she can't tell me what we are doing! I really didn't do that much, though, due to the fact that time really ran out on me!

Her smash cake, I made.

Cupcakes and Smash Cake

The hit of the party.....the hot chocolate bar!  

The hot chocolate bar was definitely a hit.  We had dark and white hot cocoa.  The white cocoa I made by mixing six cups of whole milk, two cups of heavy cream, and a package of white chocolate chips.  I heated on the stove until the chips melted, and it was wonderful!  On the bar I had chocolate dipped candy canes, snowman marshmallows, Andes peppermint chips, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and whipped cream!  

The birthday girl!  She hates headbands on her head these days!

She was not really into smashing her cake.  Right after she was born my aunt described her as dainty, that's how I would describe her treatment of the smash cake.  In fact, I don't even think she got a really good bite of it.  She just wasn't interested.

This is probably the best pic of all four of us in a while!

Catching Up- November

So we're up to November on this first day of January!

The first part of the month was eventful, without being eventful.  We stayed busy and the month flew by, but it wasn't anything picture-worthy.  There was a lot of planning for a certain little girl's upcoming first birthday and Christmas.

We didn't get Dollywood passes this year so we took advantage of their Sevier County Days.  It was pretty warm the day we went.

The day before Thanksgiving was a snow day for us.  We were supposed to have half a day of school but it was called off, we had just enough snow to go out and make a muddy mess!!

That afternoon we decided to head up to Bass Pro to see Santa.  Mom ended up in the Santa pic because baby girl was having nothing to do with Santa this year!  Wheeler, who had been saying he was going to ask for an IPAD all along, asked Santa for........a reindeer!!!!  Luckily, Santa said he'd try to bring a stuffed reindeer because he needed all his.

As a side note, I will say, Bass Pro Shop's Santa Wonderland or whatever they call it....rocked!  Sure they do it to make a buck, but the kids saw Santa, shot air rifles, played with remote control cars and trains, and rode a carousel and we didn't spend a cent!

Wheeler being Wheeler

Her first carousel ride.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our wonderful family.  These are just a few pics.

 My mom and her sister.

 Making her shopping plan for Black Friday.

With her cousin.

As is tradition, my sis and I went shopping but there are no pictures as evidence.

Also, as I said a few days ago, I just wasn't into the holidays as I wanted to be.  I tried.  I knew we needed to see Santa so I insisted we go on that Wednesday.  I knew we wouldn't be able to go to Dollywood to see the lights unless we went during Sevier County Days, so I insisted we go on that Saturday.  I also knew the kids would enjoy these outings.  I was constantly searching for a feeling, and not finding it.  Don't get me wrong, I loved every second with my family and I cherish the memories we made, but I felt empty.  And rushed.  And pulled in so many directions, as all moms do.  

I'm on a roll!  Hopefully I get Decembers update out this week!

Catching up- October

So I was determined to make October fun!  We waited out the first couple of weeks, because we knew there was a possibility John would be laid off, and if we could do things with Daddy then we would wait for him.  Bless John's heart, that first weekend he was off I think I filled up!


At the beginning of the month it was beautiful out.

At a new playground we found when out one Saturday.

More birthday fun!

                                    

                                      We celebrated our cousin's birthday.

With my Papa

We carved some pumpkins.

I love this picture!

Making the same face as his pumpkin!

We did hit up a local pumpkin farm.  On recommendation from my sister, we went to Ballenger's in a neighboring county and it was FABULOUS!

About to pick our pumpkins!

We loved the slides.

We had to stay warm, it seemed it was chilly the weekend we were out and about.

It was also chilly for Boo at the Zoo!

My ninja and pumpkin

We also did some resting this month!

And this pic just because.  She is her brother's mini-me.

Like I said on the last post, I feel like I was just going through the motions.  I know Wheeler had a great time and we made wonderful memories, but I felt like I was getting farther and farther behind with work.  If I'm at home my mind is on work, if I'm working on schoolwork my mind is on my family and the time I should be spending with them.

Catching Up-September

Ok, so I have been absolutely horrible at keeping this blog updated.  After being so tired and sick throughout the pregnancy last year I wanted so badly to make it up to Wheeler by doing those fun family fall outings we usually do.  We did quite a bit, however I just felt like I was going through the motions.  Don't get me wrong, I loved being with my family, but I just didn't feel it this year, like I have in the past.  This feeling has continued through the Christmas holidays.  I have had to really do some self reflection and praying over the past couple of weeks.  More about that later, though (maybe!  If I make it back to the blog for that post!)

Anyway, I am rewinding the year, and playing catch up.  September wasn't that eventful.  John was still working weekends and I was working from home most weekends until at the end of the month I had a breakdown and decided that weekends were family time, I put in enough hours during the week!

We get a four day weekend for Labor Day, so Kelli and I took the boys to the zoo.

Aren't they precious!

Do you see them?

They had been begging to ride the camel!

We also celebrated my uncles' birthday.  Yes they were born on the same day a couple years apart.

The Birthday Boys

With Grammy

I added this one just because I like it!  My aunt and cousin bought Miss C this outfit and it is the cutest! I'm sad it won't fit her next summer.  Well, actually, if she keeps growing as slow as she is it might fit!

Wheeler had career day at school and on that particular day he decided he wanted to be a doctor.  I think he's changed his mind about 50 times since then.  Thank goodness he has a little bit of time to decide!

While he was trying to decide what he wanted to be, he dressed as a cowboy!

Like I said earlier, I came to the realization at the end of September that I was starting to neglect my own kids and work was consuming me!  It's still a struggle to find the balance, especially now that I've got a child of my own at school and he can't stay late with me in the afternoons without getting rambunctious!  I love teaching, but it can't consume me to the point it was, and yet there is not enough time to do everything I HAVE to do, much less everything I need to do.  I think this has been a huge cause of the slump I've been in the last quarter of this year.  Like I said, I've been praying about this.

Hopefully I will be back with October within the next couple of days!  I spent about 3 hours watermarking all the pics over the las couple of days, I need to use them!!! HAHA

I'm Still Around

Yes, it's been weellllll over a month since I last blogged, but can I just say this school year seems to be kicking my rear!  I can't believe it's already the middle of October!  So many little things are different this year (remember my "years" span August to August with the school year) and I just can't seem to get into a routine.

First, I had to change classrooms this past summer.  I loved my old room.  It was spacious and attached to a mini computer lab.  Second, I lost the BEST teaching assistant in the world.  While I love the assistants I have (first grade shares three) and they are FABULOUS!!!! Janice and I had built a bond and she could read my mind.  Even one of my students piped up a few weeks ago and just randomly said "I sure miss Mrs. Janice."

Third, my baby boy is in Kindergarten now (I can't believe it!)  and therefore I get NOTHING done before or after school on many days.  He is ALL boy and loves to run free and the momma in me won't let him do that before and after school.  And lastly, John's been working 12 hour shifts on weekends and that leaves me and the kiddos.  Weekends zoooooooommmmm by!  That change this weekend, though.

I have so much to update you on, hopefully soon.

In the meantime:

This was taken a few weeks ago.