Phone Photos #5

When we were home for Christmas, Mom had a large piece of bleu cheese and offered me a slice of it.  I was excited because I love bleu cheese!  The second picture is a salad I made with it--I was trying to copy a salad from one of my favorite restaurants here.  I didn't know how to caramelize onions (and didn't take the time to look it up), so they needed a little bit of work, but it was a good salad!  I bought a head of "living lettuce"...have you ever seen those?  It looked super fresh (roots still attached) as if you'd walked out in the back yard to the garden and picked it yourself.  I felt healthier just knowing that I'd eaten a head of lettuce by myself!  ha!  (Heather, I knew you'd enjoy this big cheese photo!)  

This was also on our way back from visiting my parents at Christmas--crossing the Arkansas River bridge.  It's a pretty view, but I actually don't like crossing the river because it makes me very nervous.  When I'm driving, I slow down significantly and move to the far left lane of traffic--away from the edge.  Don't worry, Lane was driving when I snapped this photo.

The kids' first annual Christmas letters from me.  I wish I'd started this sooner, but I just got the idea last year from a friend at church.  This friend wrote letters to her kids every Christmas and kept them in a safe place.  Then last year she hung them on the tree for her kids to take and read for the first time (I'm not sure what the milestone was--kids graduating, getting married, etc.??  I haven't decided what my plan is either, but I wanted to get started this year.  I took some time on Christmas Eve to sit down and write out a letter to each child.  I included something about their personality/what they are like at this age, what they asked for for Christmas, and also a prayer and a verse for them.  They were not long letters--just front and back of a sheet of Christmas paper, but in future years I hope to spend more time on each one (start before 12/24).

Some of Rhett's very first copy-machine work on Christmas day!  :)

December 26th, the day Crosby figured out how to crawl!  He was interested in this hair clip so I kept moving it to encourage him to go.  

Before church the Sunday after Christmas--my new sweater and scarf from Mom & Dad (had Lane take my picture to email them). 

At church--our friends Brad & Leslie's little girl, Avery Reese, visiting with Crosby.  They were so cute smiling at each other!

After church that day

The Christmas un-decorating mess.  :(  Never as fun taking it back down.

Alexee when she woke up from her last nap in the crib--this was the day Lane picked up her "big girl bed" so she slept in it that night.  She has not been good about napping since moving to the big bed.  She has taken one nap since then.  She's so tired and grouchy in the afternoons.  I think she still needs the rest.  Maybe it's just a phase?

Alexee watching the frogs that we kept during the holidays for a friend who traveled out of state.

Lane and Rhett in the Dodge the day we rented it to get A's bed and move things to storage.  Rhett made all the trips with Lane and thought it was so fun!  He worked so hard that day helping his Daddy--it was sweet.  This was after a long day when we were filling the truck up with gas before returning it.  It's hard to see, but R is peeking out the passenger side of the truck.

(The formatting in Blogger is driving me CRAZY.  I have no idea what this is going to look like when I post.)

Above:  Lane putting together A's bed.

Below:  Alexee in a new outfit and boots that Mo & Granddad gave her for Christmas.  We were on our way to take C to his 9 month check up.  She wanted her hair straightened with the Chi like mine that day--I think that makes her look more grown up!

Granddad was in town and we got to eat lunch with him!  Alexee was a little bit mad that Mo didn't get to come that day.

Rhett's drawing of "Earth, stars and the whole universe", he said.

Bogart after his bladder surgery.  The vet didn't bandage him like this, but we were trying to come up with a solution to him scratching/biting at his stitches.  Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of him wearing Alexee's Pull-up or Crosby's diaper (those ideas didn't really work because they kept sliding backward).  This bandage seemed to help some.  He is much better now.  He should get his stitches out a week from today.

Just three sweet kids playing in the floor of C's room one day.