The Last 4 Are Coming

To all of you who were tuning in for the 12 days of Christmas, I must explain. We went to my brother's on the 9th day and they only have dial up. So, I was not able to download any pictures and it took way too long to do anything. They have limited time for internet use, so I couldn't use it much. Therefore, I will be completing it soon. So tune back in!

The 8th Day of Christmas

"On the 8th Day of Christmas,
My True Friend Gave to Me...

....8 Members of a Loving Family (soon to be 9),

7 Ellie Hugs,
6 Paperclips,

5 Christmas Stockings,
4 Generations of Loved Ones,
Three green comfy blankets,
Two Braiding Hair Friends,
And One Warm Winter Hat."

We leave today for Arizona for Christmas. We will

be spending it with my parents and brother and his family.

We are excited to be able to get away and relax. We hope

all of you will be able to be with ones you love during

this special time of year.

The 7th Day of Christmas

"On The 7th Day of Christmas,
My True Friend Gave to Me....

....7 Ellie Hugs,

6 Paperclips,
5 Christmas Stockings,

4 Generations of Loved Ones,

Three green comfy blankets,

Two Braiding Hair Friends,

And One Warm Winter Hat."

This just had to be todays because Ellie woke up

giving hugs. This is very rare coming from her,

since she has never been a "huggy" baby. I love

them and treasure whenever I get one. Make sure

you get a hug from a child this Christmas. They

are the best!!!

The 6th Day of Christmas

"On the 6th day of Christmas,
My True Friend Gave to Me...

....6 Paperclips,

....5 Christmas Stockings,
4 Generations of Loved Ones,

Three green comfy blankets,
Two Braiding Hair Friends,
And One Warm Winter Hat."

As I was saying yesterday, it's the little things that

count. Ellie loves nothing more than getting

in our desk drawer and getting the box of paperclips out.

I am always amazed at how things of little significance

to me, are Ellie's favorite things to play with. How I wish

I could train myself to be as a child again and find pleasure

in what the world would think was insignificant. I often think it is

in those things that true happiness is found.

The 5th Day of Christmas

"On the 5th Day of Christmas,
My True Friend Gave to Me.....

....5 Christmas Stockings,

4 Generations of Loved Ones,
Three green comfy blankets,

Two Braiding Hair Friends,

And One Warm Winter Hat."

As Ellie's mom I think the best

part of Christmas morning is the

stockings. Growing up, they were always

filled with little things of no great consequence,

but they have always been by favorite.

I hope to pass that same feeling onto Ellie.

The more I go through life, I have realized

it's the litte things that count and really

make lasting impressions. A smile, a letter,

and kind word. They are what sustain

us and keep us going when life often seems too

hard to bare.

The 4th Day of Christmas

"On The 4th Day of Christmas
My True Friend Gave To Me....

...4 Generations of Loved Ones,

Three green comfy blankets,
Two Braiding Hair Friends,
And One Warm Winter Hat."

For Thanksgiving, Ellie was able to meet

her Great-grandmother. I just love this

picture and especially of the two of them.

While Ellie's great-grandmother has

memory loss, you can still tell she is in there -

somewhere. With all the family there, she

really focused in on Ellie and they had some good

laughs together. I love the way they are looking

and laughing at one another in this picture. Pure

acceptance is what I would describe it as. May

we all be accepting and find acceptance

during this wonderful time of year.

The 3rd Day of Christmas

"On the 3rd Day of Christmas,
My True Friend Gave to Me.....

....Three green comfy blankets,

Two Braiding Hair Friends,

And One Warm Winter Hat."

When Ellie started to become attached to things,

she chose one of these green blankets. She can't

sleep without them and only sucks her thumb

while holding them. It is the one thing she gets the

most comfort from when she's sad or hurt. I wonder

how many problems would be solved if everyone

had a comfy blanket to comfort them during hard times.

I am eternally grateful for the eternal Comforter whose

birth we celebrate this Christmas season. May we each

learn to turn to Him to help solve our problems.

The 2nd Day of Christmas

On the 2nd Day of Christmas
my True Friend Gave to Me....

.... Two Braiding Hair Friends",

And One Warm Winter Hat."

I have been watching these

twins the last few days.

It's hard to believe

that I first babysat them when they

were the age Ellie is now. They are sweet

and Ellie loves to play and be like them.

She even sat still to get her hair done

just like theirs. It reminded me of all the good

friends I've had that have encouraged me

to join in many fun excursions over the years.

May you take a moment during this

busy time of year to either reconnect

or at least remember those dear

friends who have filled your heart with

warm memories. I am grateful for the

many I have to draw on.

The 1st Day of Christmas

"On the First Day of Christmas

My True Friend Gave To Me....

...One Warm Winter Hat."

I have always loved winter hats. Yesterday I was doing something and turned around to see that Ellie had put Greg's hat on. I thought it was so cute, that I had to take a picture. May you each get a chance to wear a warm winter hat this holiday season.

The Magic Continues with, "The 12 Days of Christmas"

When I was younger our family always did the 12 days of Christmas to a family we knew. It was such a fun experience and made lasting impressions in my mind as a child. We are not doing it this year to anyone im particular, so I thought I'd do one through the blog. I will start tomorrow and end on Christmas Eve. Since children are what make this season so special, I thought I'd do it all through Ellie's eyes. I hope it may bring a bit of the Christmas magic into you home.

Let the Magic Begin!

I just love Christmas time. I love when it is cold outside and warm inside. I love all of the decorations and music. The food is always good, the the treats that much sweeter. Now that I have a Ellie, I will be able to relive Christmas as a child, through her. Today I gave her her first candy cane. As you can see, she really enjoyed it. I don't think she is to the point of really getting Christmas, other than the fact that there is a ton of tempting items which mom is constantly telling her not to touch. Fortunately, she has been pretty good. I'm excited for her and the magic this season will bring into her life. I hope each of you will also experience that same magic during this wonderful time of year.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Today is my moms birthday! She is the best mom in the world for me and I'm so proud to be her daughter. Love you Mom!!!