It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Thought I'd throw in some photos to reflect our Christmas Spirit. Love this time of year.

Lila Kate was amazed by the prickly greenness of the tree.

Not quite Martha Stewart, but I'm trying.

Gotta decorate some Christmas cookies...

Audrey's decorating energy did not stop at the tree...

Even the baby got tagged with The Spirit of the Season.

First time either of us has made a gingerbread house. An overrated experience in my opinion (Audrey would disagree). Too tedious and complicated for me!

Most of the decorations on our tree are concentrated on the lower section, about 2 feet off the ground. Anyone wonder why??

Workshop project update

A few more pictures of the workshop/storage building progress. It's actually got all the doors and windows, as well as the shingles, on now and is currently storing stuff!! Yay!

The littlest helper observing the action.


Just had to throw in one to show that I'm not afraid of a power tool. :)



We were so fortunate to have a client-friend of Fred's volunteer his time to place some limestone steps leading from the driveway up to the workshop. He is a landscaper who does beautiful work, and his wife runs a therapy riding program for disabled children. Fred has had the awesome privilege of working on some of her horses at the vet school. They are two very special people who are a blessing to know. Check out http://www.story-book-farm.org/ to find out about the "Hope on Horseback" program. You'll be glad you did. If you're ever looking to donate money to a worthwhile program, keep this one in mind. Anyway, we are so grateful for their kindness in helping us with our project.

Still got a ways to go (putting up the trim, staining, painting the door, bringing the siding down closer to the ground, landscaping, etc.), but the hard stuff is pretty much done!

Quote of the Day

"I'm gonna go tee-tee 'cause I've got a bladder in me."

Beauty is within...or whatever

So today I had an opportunity to bestow wisdom upon my elder daughter.

It went...not so well.

At one point during the course of our day, Audrey emerged from her room decked out in her princess dress, "clip-clop" shoes and tiara. She had glittery polished nails and was wearing every piece of play jewelry she owns.

The life lesson attempt played out as follows:

Audrey: Mommy, do I look bee-yewtiful??
Me: Of course you do, honey. You are beautiful even without all that stuff.
Audrey: What you say?
Me: You are beautiful all by yourself. (Audrey looks puzzled)
It's not what people wear or how they look that makes them beautiful; it's how good and kind they are. You are beautiful because you are sweet, caring, and you share a lot.
Audrey: Ha Ha, you are kidding, Mommy!
Me: No, I'm not, honey. (I proceed to repeat something along the same lines about having a good heart and blah blah blah. The topic then drops and Audrey begins to adorn her fingers with rings, piling all of them upon one hand).

A few minutes later she holds her hands out for inspection:

Audrey: Mommy, which hand is prettier?
Me: I think BOTH hands are lovely, with or without rings.
Audrey: Oh, okay
Me: (thinking to myself) Hey, she's sort of getting it!

She walks away, and I hear her mumble quietly to herself...
"it's because BOTH hands are polished."

Oh, never mind.

Construction Zone

After three years in this house, we finally got around to creating a storage building/workshop (a.k.a. Fred's Man Box). It is high time we had a place to store some of the junk that's been accumulating in our attic, under the house, and out in the carport. Yes, I know a wiser move would be to simply cull our belongings, but we really want to get started on creating an insurmountable mass of paraphernalia for our children to have to sort through many years from now when we are gone. (Isn't that what parents are supposed to do?)

After many hours of planning, measuring, figuring and visualizing what he wanted, Fred took last week off work to hit this project hard, and his parents came down to assist. They were a tremendous help, and I can't believe the progress that has been made. Thanks, Mom and Dad Caldwell! Here are some of the pictures of the project thus far.




Beer girl, reporting for duty

Little helper

Raising the back wall

That's me and my parents-in-law nailing studs to the top plate of the front wall

Handyman Freddie

Doo-Rag Darlings

Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens

We went to a Steeplechase a couple of weeks ago and had a good time. In case you're wondering what steeplechasing is, it "includes the thrills and speed of Thoroughbred racing at flat tracks. It mixes in the precision of jumping to create a hybrid—like hurdle events in track and field—where the premium is on speed, but the concern is focused squarely on the jumps." (I took that from the website).

We stopped at a BBQ stand for lunch and discovered this sight...an old Pinto resurrected as a grill. Ha! Made some yummy food, though.

Audrey enjoyed a pony ride. It was one of those where the poor ponies look bored to death and walk in painfully s-l-o-w circles for what seems like hours. Audrey, however, must have thought it was quite exhilarating. As her little pony circled round to us at 1/2 mph for the 453rd time, she exclaimed with a huge grin on her face, "I'm going WILD!!!"

Also entertaining were the Jack Russell Terrier races. Those little guys don't mess around!

Lots of fun. Hope to catch it again next year.