an early Christmas present...

is soon to be mine thanks to Shutterfly. I love sending out Christmas cards and really love receiving them. All those sweet little children, dressed up and smiling at me from pictures so carefully taken. It's just a part of the season for me. For the past few years, I have designed my own cards using photoshop with pictures that Jonathan has taken. This year, however, Shutterfly made an offer I simply can't refuse. In exchange for a blog post, I'll receive 50 free stationary cards. Thanks to Shutterfly, because during a Christmas season when I have a little baby adding {a little} chaos to our busy family and I can't seem to catch up on even the simplest of tasks lately, they have offered to take one task out of my hands. Whew... I feel better already.

Here are a few of my favorite of their MANY choices:


I am quite smitten with the idea of a folded card {like the last image above} this year. It's hard to choose just one photo, and this way I can include one or more on the inside of the card as well. And, just so you know, although I *heart* each of the above designs, I made sure not to post the one I'll end up ordering. Wouldn't you rather have a surprise in your mailbox in a couple of weeks?

Thanks again, Shutterfly, for making my Christmas a little easier already! Now, we need to dress the littles up and ask them to say "cheese!"

fall fun!

So... Miles, Ella and Elijah evidently had fun while Jonathan worked in the yard yesterday. Especially Miles.

Santa's here!

Last Saturday my mom and I took the kiddos to a {very} tiny and {sort of} pitiful early Christmas parade at East Chase. Santa was to arrive at the end of the parade, so we thought they would enjoy it. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get everyone ready and there on time, so I didn't tell the kids why we were meeting Gammie, just that we were.

When Elijah found out we were there to see Santa arrive, he indignantly {but thankfully quietly!} told me he was not interested in seeing Santa arrive since "he's not real." The {one} band that played was too loud for my hyper-sensitive to noise children. And only a small amount of candy was tossed. According to the kids {and I agree}, the parade was pretty much a bust.

Since we were out, I decided to drag my poor littles to another shop where we could take a picture with Santa for free and with my camera. A perfect opportunity in my estimation, since I didn't have to pay {a ton!} for a poorly taken, cheap print-out. Only thing I didn't like was that this particular Santa had a fake beard. Miles and Ella didn't seem to notice, and Milla didn't mind trying to eat said fake beard. {Gross!}

I just had to try it though, because this could very well be my only chance to get a picture of all four of them with Santa. I know Elijah, and probably Miles, will consider themselves way too big for it all too soon. Miles almost bailed on me this year, but I asked him to pretty please be in the picture for me, and he {unhappily} relented. As you can see here:


Elijah looks like my dad here with that big-cheeked smile. Miles looks pained. Milla looks bored {but so teeny-tiny cute!}. Ella looks happy. I love this picture though. Love it. These four will get so tired of seeing this picture framed on the mantle every Christmas for years to come. But I don't care. Sometimes momma gets what she wants. And {thankfully} I got this picture. Yay!

The three that can speak for themselves told Santa what they want, even Elijah who "is too old for" him. Elijah told him he wants a Wii, Miles told him "every remote controlled toy that's not for girls," and Ella told him a Barbie house. Seems like someone spoke for Milla, but I can't remember who or what they claimed she wants.

I snapped a couple pictures after the boys left the scene. Santa was left with just two sweet little ladies. Pretty cute picture. Don't you agree?

milla jean at 3 months

Well, my girl is no longer a newborn. She came here so big and bright-eyed {and opinionated!} it seems like she wasn't a newborn for long. It's going by way, way too quickly for me, but I also love seeing what's next and joyfully anticipate more and more of Milla's personality emerging. She's such a sweet little thing. Not the laid-back fourth child some said she'd be, but she's just right - just the way she was created!

At three months she loves: mommy and daddy, "talking" to whoever will listen, listening to daddy whistle or mommy sing, her big sister and big brothers, naps in the swing, arms to hold her, warm pjs after a bath. She does not love: waiting to eat, being cold, being put down when that's not exactly what she wants, stop lights or sitting in parking lots {that car better keep moving or she gets mad!}.

{smiling at big sister!}

enjoying {a little} playtime on the floor

On the {many} days that I feel tired, looking at this sweet babe reminds me of what's truly important. And {for now}, it's not how tall the laundry pile gets, the dishes in the sink, or how our school days don't always go as planned.

"...the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Happy 3 months, baby girl. Now let's see what happens next!

halloween

This year we had a Strawberry Shortcake, an Iron Man and a Mario {of course!}. I was up late making that pink hat for Ella. She cried herself to sleep because the white hat {she had previously agreed to wear} just wasn't going to cut it. There was also some concern because her eyes aren't green, but I told her there are some things I just can't change... she woke up on Halloween morning pretty happy with her new pink hat and didn't mention her blue eyes again.


These were taken just before trick or treating. Miles so enjoyed carving pumpkins the other night. He said, and I'm going to quote it because we just don't hear this kind of thing from him often, he said, "I'm in a very good mood!" and that "Tonight is the best night of the year!" Bless our little moody guy. Maybe we should carve pumpkins more often.

And here's our sweet Millaroo. My plans to make her a strawberry {to go with Big Sister} just didn't happen, but she looked sweet in orange polka dots.

Now, if we can get rid of all this candy and start our detox. I woke up to Ella asking me to open a piece of candy and Elijah telling me Miles was having candy for breakfast. If only they knew how many pieces I've swiped from them today. I'll never tell...