Let The Christmas Celebrations Begin!

I always try to give every holiday its turn, so we did not pull out any Christmas decorations until our last Thanksgiving meal was over. Surprisingly, our elf, Bockle, felt the same way because he arrived while we were at Gram and Grump's house on Saturday. Tuttle and Maggie was thrilled for his return!

Bockle is a pretty laid back elf. He just likes to move to new fun spots everyday. He never creates a mess for me to clean up or requires much money to make some days a little extra special. Plus he gets the kids out of bed easier on school days!

Daddy was determined to get our decorations up this weekend, so we had longer to enjoy them. Last year it seemed to drag into early December before we really finished, and we were packing it back up before we turned around. 

We headed out Sunday morning to Home Depot with the kids still in pajamas. They didn't mind at all! :) We replaced a few broken decorations and quickly picked out a tree. I am easy to please when it comes to a tree, so it was literally the first tree that Jay picked up. Tuttle and Maggie enjoyed hot chocolate while Daddy paid and loaded the truck.

The outdoor lights and decorations went up first. Jay has a real system now, so it went extremely smoothly. I just love our classic Christmas look for the house.

While I took Jacob to the grocery store, the tree made its way into its spot in the living room. I worked on the lights while the kids practiced piano, and once Jacob went to bed, we decorated with ornaments. Of course Daddy stole the show with his annual singing of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as he places each day's ornament on the tree. 

What a cozy holiday scene to end the weekend.

Now the real work begins.

Keeping Little Boy's hands off the tree.....

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

We celebrated two rounds of Thanksgiving and are officially stuffed. Jay and I always love spending time with our families, and Thanksgiving allows us to really pause and recognize how blessed we really are.

Grandmommy and Grandaddy hosted our first meal on Thanksgiving Day. It was a smaller crowd this year (We especially missed Aunt Peach, Uncle Drew, and Holland), but we still loved catching up with Granny's side of the family that we rarely see throughout the year.

I always go picture overboard at Grandmommy's house. The lighting and scenery just demand a ton of pictures! :)

Jay and I officially sat at the grown up table this year while Tuttle and Maggie sat at the kids' table. Jacob luckily went down for a nap right when the meal started, so everyone could eat with two hands and actually take the time to taste the food! Haha

I am most thankful for this man.

Tuttle latched onto Eddie and even drew a picture of him. It was really sweet.

As if the day could not have offered more perfect fall weather, the kids decided to play in the leaves to complete a picture perfect scene.

We really have so much to be thankful for. I could not ask for a happier life.

After a completely lazy day on Friday including a little online Black Friday shopping, we headed to Gram and Grump's house today for our second Thanksgiving feast. We arrived a little late due to oven trouble, but the squash casserole we brought seemed to make up for it. 

I think the inability to take pictures rubs off my mother and onto me when I am at her house. Between chatting with my cousins and eating two huge platefuls of food, I only took a few pictures. I did get to capture the ever blooming friendship between Tuttle and Maggie and my cousin's kids, Gwen and Silas. I love seeing a new generation of family having a blast every time they get together. I know Jacob will fit right in before long!

Tuttle asked for an "oldest to youngest" picture.

Apparently they were playing "robbers" because that poise was requested next. Silas is not so sure!

My uncle, Larry, asked how I was able to get a photo of all four smiling and looking. Candy bribery goes a long way....

A huge thank to my mom for hosting and putting up with Jacob destroying everything he could grab! Thanksgiving 2016 is one to remember!

Family Game Day!

This past weekend we traveled to Athens for our annual family game day. We try to pick a low key game every year to take the kids, and this year was extra special because it was Jacob's first game ever! Sadly Aunt Peach and Holland had been sick, so they had to miss it. :(

We drove up to Granny's house Friday afternoon (and battled two hours of traffic) to be ready for the noon game on Saturday against Lousiana-Lafayette. Grandmommy and Grandaddy joined us at the house, too. We enjoyed a lazy morning at the house before dressing in our red and black. I love this picture of the babies and Grandmommy and Grandaddy!

We parted ways with Grandmommy and Grandaddy at the gates because they had been invited to sit in the sky box. We headed to our seats with pizza and hot dogs. In true Jacob fashion, he would not sit still in the seats, so we spent most of the first half walking around the stadium.

He did like the action of the fans and the game. 

It is fun to see how Tuttle is quickly growing up and becoming interested in the actual plays on the field. I know Tuttle and Daddy will soon be able to attend games and actually watch the Dawgs win!

Maggie caught a ride on Daddy's shoulders. 

Right at halftime, the wind and cold finally won, and we all opted to return to Granny's house for a nap and an early dinner. Jacob's first game was a success and a win for the Dawgs!

Sunday I got a rare afternoon with only Tuttle. I took him to a friend's birthday party, and we arrived 30 minutes early, so I spent some time talking to my first baby and taking some pictures. I am ignoring the fact that he looks 15 in the photo.

Since the kids are out of school all week, Aunt Peach and I made plans to visit the High Museum on Monday. My GPS alerted me that the museum was closed when I plugged the address into my phone, and I quickly learned that the museum is closed on Mondays. We decided to grab lunch and ice cream instead. I cannot believe we will add another cousin to this crazy crew in ONE MONTH!

Today we are enjoyed a rare pajama day at home before the Thanksgiving celebrations begin.

School Thanksgiving Feasts

We started the Thanksgiving celebration early this week with Tuttle and Maggie's school feasts. Luckily they were on different days, so I could focus on each child individually. Maggie's special lunch was first on Wednesday. She proudly entered the fellowship hall with her class wearing her turkey hat. :)

The parent volunteers walked around with the food options and offered each to the kids. Maggie only agreed to pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and a fruit medley inside of an ice cream cone. I laughed to myself when the only vegetable available was corn. (Flashback to my THREE HOUR corn battle with Maggie.) 

Jacob crawled all over the room and pulled up to standing at everyone's chair. I just cannot keep up with him, and I have pretty much just given up containing our wild boy!

Tuttle's Thanksgiving feast was today, and Ms. Herrera, the school secretary, agreed to keep Jacob in the front office, so I could eat with two hands and focus on Tuttle. 

Tuttle and I loved sitting outside and enjoying the warm weather. My first baby is so grown up now, and I cannot believe how quickly another year in elementary school is flying by.

Tuttle wanted to see Jacob before he headed back to class, so I grabbed him for a little visit. 

Jay and I are so thankful to have such sweet, smart, and healthy babies. Despite our busy schedules, I try to slow down and really appreciate how blessed our lives are. Happy Thanksgiving!

We are also very thankful that Jacob takes good naps and sleeps through the night! Haha

Jacob Turns Ten Months!

Jacob Corbitt Thorne has been a part of our family for ten months now.

This month's photo was almost impossible with our busy boy. Every time I sat him in the chair, he leaped off the second I grabbed my camera. I had to recruit Maggie after school to stand above me on a chair and clap her hands while shouting his name!

Jacob's eating routine has remained the same. He still loves yogurt for breakfast. I have gotten a little lazy and offered squeezies with fruits and veggies for lunch because he sucks them right now, and I know he is getting good nutrients. He also likes pasta and sandwiches. For dinner, he still eats what Tuttle and Maggie are eating. He does eat eat huge amounts, but I am pleased with his attitude toward food. :)

He has also kept the same sleeping schedule. He takes one long nap in the morning while everyone is in school (about two hours) and one nap in the afternoon either in the car or at home. He is ready for bed at 7pm and sleeps until about 7:30 the next morning. Since I am chasing him every second that he is awake, I am THRILLED that he loves his sleep!

Speaking of chasing, Jacob is so busy and curious. He never stops moving while he is awake and wants to turn over and get into EVERYTHING. His current obsessions are bathroom trashcans, the fireplace, Maggie's bookcase with her treasures, the laundry room, the drawer with all my hair supplies. Do you see a trend here? No toys, just areas that he should not be in! Third babies start early and just keep going! Luckily Tuttle and Maggie help wrangle our hurricane boy, too. 

Jacob's two front teeth popped through this month, and his bottom two teeth are visible. Due to all these teeth coming at the same time, Little Boy has been dealing with some unpleasant diapers and in return a pretty bad diaper rash. I picked up some more aggressive cream yesterday, so hopefully it will clear up very soon. 

Jacob might have crazy energy, but he still finds time to snuggle and give open mouth kisses. I am soaking up any quiet moments I have holding my baby because he will be too tall and big like Tuttle before I know it. 

A little sneak of our family photo session with Stephanie Madison Photography....

I have already started working on Jacob's 1st birthday theme. I swear he was just born. :(

More Fall Fun

We celebrated the 6th Annual Friendsgiving hosted by the Burke Family this year. Val never disappoints with her "hostess with the mostest" ways, and it was even more special to enjoy yummy food and good conversation at the Burke's new home. It is absolutely stunning, and every room looks straight out of a magazine.

I immediately instructed the kids to sit on the front steps for photos as soon as we arrived because it was so beautiful!

Tuttle and Maggie enjoyed playing in the basement playroom while the grownups and babies stayed upstairs. 

Connor appointed herself as the official babysitter and cracked me up all afternoon with her exhaustion chasing around the little ones!

After a delicious dinner (I brought homemade squash casserole), a group of us walked down to the river. Val and Paul have such a special spot to visit with their boys. We will be back soon to explore!

I love how the event grows larger every year with new babies. This group is so full of love, and we are lucky to be a part of it! Happy Friendsgiving 2016!

The next day we kept up with another tradition of visiting Burt's Pumpkin Farm the Saturday after Halloween. I hope our secret does not get out, but we found THE DAY to go. The weather officially feels like fall, we literally have the patch to ourselves, and there is no line for the hayride. 

Unfortunately Little Boy was feeling a little sick, but in typical fashion, he tolerated our busy lifestyle and was as happy as he could be. I will admit that the extra snuggles were nice.

We wandered through the pumpkins, climbed the tractor, and used dried gourds for mustaches and smiles.

Our final stop was the hayride, the biggest highlight to Maggie. Jacob seemed to relax on the little trip and loved grabbing the hay. Everyone also left with a treat: boiled peanuts for Daddy, Icees for Tuttle and Maggie, and apple cider for Mommy. It was such a nice and relaxing afternoon in North Georgia.

It only took until November, but we are soaking up the fall now!

Halloween

We had a very festive weekend with lots of treats and very few tricks. Friday started the craziness with "Wacky Tacky Day" for Tuttle.

Jacob and Maggie celebrated in their pumpkins!

On Saturday the kids and I went to Boo at the Zoo for the first time. We met a group of friends there, but it was so crowded that it was almost impossible to stay together. I am all about adding new traditions to our holidays, but attending Boo at the Zoo will not be added to our yearly trips. The kids seemed to have a blast finding the candy booths, showing off their costumes during the costume contest, and exploring the inflatable corn maze, but I will stick to the zoo weekdays when most kids are in school! :)

Tuttle had been requesting to carve pumpkins for weeks now, so Sunday we went to the little church pumpkin patch to select our pumpkins. Daddy and I always have a little friendly competition with our carving. I am usually the professional carving expert, but I think Daddy won this year with his monster masterpiece.

The actual Halloween holiday started off bright and early with Tuttle's book character parade at school. He used his real Halloween ninja costume with the Magic Treehouse Book Night of the Ninjas. Apparently it is a popular book because two of his buddies picked the same one!

Maggie's preschool class Halloween party was also Monday morning, and I was in charge of it with Ms. Kristen. I loved finding sweet little Halloween food ideas for the kids. The macaroni and cheese pumpkin cups were a hit for all! 

The class made monster hands out of candy corn and popcorn. They finished them with a spooky ring!

After a Halloween movie and a nap for Jacob (and Mommy!), we were so excited when Daddy arrived home from work, so we could go trick or treating!

Maggie was the most beautiful Tinkerbell complete with glitter pixie dust in her hair.

Tuttle wore his costume well. I think his karate lessons are paying off!

We visited several houses on our street before heading to Redding Road for the big Halloween event. Maggie's bucket was already so full from our own neighbors that she spent most of the time on Redding Road eating candy in the stroller.

Everyone ate way too much candy. Halloween 2016 was a complete success!

Happy Halloween! :)