Holly Jolly Christmas

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

We had a beautiful morning! Full of smiles, excitement, and love!

Santa left a few bites for Miss K. She made a request and it was granted!

Santa left a few notes for us - he's very thoughtful you know

A wondrous morning indeed!

The reindeer sure made a mess!

Landon was so into his presents this year! He unwrapped them all and even helped Grandma K and Papa Gary with theirs

Kisses! Kisses! Kisses!

Miss K's new baby girl!

This was a great Christmas filled with love and family. I tried my best to focus on making this a special day for Kennedy and Landon. Although it was hard at times without Jared, I had to be strong for our children.

Christmas morning, I was awakened to the sounds of giggling and laughter and one super excited little girl and boy. We checked out the cookies and milk that Santa enjoyed and the carrots that Rudolph himself had eaten (they even left a few footprints at our front door). As the house awoke, we opened up presents and watched an amazing video that my dad found on You Tube (a must see!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ml_YbgJsQ Christmas dinner was spent at my grandparents house where we enjoyed my grandmothers famous lasagna YUMO! We are blessed with an amazing family that is built around love - thanks for a beautiful Christmas!

Daddy will be home once again and we have such an amazing thing to look forward to. I want to thank all of my family and friends for the encouraging words and constantly trying to make this an easy transition - you guys are my ROCK!

TO MY LOVE...

Although we are apart in miles, your love is here in my heart

I'm in awe of your love I'm in awe of your strength

This time will pass and we will together be as one

You are the one for me in so many ways 

I thank the Lord for bringing you into my life

We have something special...so real...so true

Merry Christmas Sweetie

love you  

A Day 'O Fun

Our St. Louis trip came to a close yesterday. We had a wonderful time visiting with the family and we managed to squeeze in a day at the St. Louis City Museum. This unique (and I mean unique!) experience was so much fun for the kids and me. Once the International Shoe Company, this 600,000 square foot converted factory now has a wide range of exhibits. From an eclectic children's playground to a surrealistic pavilion, this architectural rich museum WOWED us. We played for a few hours and even walked away with some hand crafted ornaments designed by Miss Kennedy herself!

Thanks Granny and Granpy for a great 10 days!

Off to Chicago we go....

This was the entrance! In the summer, this area is open to explore.

Off we go!

Miss K was a little apprehensive at first

The childrens playground was made out of recycled materials

I loved this room...simple, open, and fresh!

Miss K's creations

Kennedy solo on her very own train ride

Landon thought this place was a huge jungle gym

Good Day!

Goody Goody Gumdrops..

Our trip to St. Louis has been fun-filled! We drove in last week and joined Auntie Evonne in Kansas City for her graduation. After a great weekend, we headed back to St. Louis where Granny Smith had some fun adventures planned. She found a gingerbread house before we arrived and decided it would be a special project for Kennedy and her to undertake. Well lets just say Kennedy LOVED this first time experience. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of love, and a BIG sweet tooth (Kennedy has that one down). Thanks for a great time Granny!

Our gingerbread house started here...

We added a little love...

and couldn't forget the goody goody gum drops...

and we ended up with the SWEETEST gingerbread house in St. Louis!

That's all folks!

(Thank you Nana for our wonderful surprise we received today - the dress is beautiful!)

The Only Thing Missing...

The only thing missing is you...

We've had an amazing 2 weeks in Ohio. Great company, Great food, and Great memories. Kennedy and Landon have enjoyed the mill and all of its secret spaces. My sister Meaghan has been a tremendous help and its been wonderful spending precious time with her - thanks sis for making this transition so much easier. My mom - well what can I say??? You always have a way about you that makes a day seem brighter. Thank you for the way you love my Kennedy and Landon so well - your a beautiful Nana! We had a chance to see Auntie Nicole at her home in Cincinnati - thanks for a wonderful dinner and great company we can't wait to see you on Christmas. The Navy has had an interesting way of revealing some truths in my life. One of them I've come to understand is the true value and importance of our family - you are my rock and I'm so grateful to have you in my life!

As each day passes without Jared, I'm amazed at how God has given me strength. It's not a strength that is understandable right now but it has lifted me up when I need it the most. Kennedy dreamt of Jared a few nights back and she rolled over and said, "Mommy, daddy's going to be gone for a while isn't he?". In that moment, I realized the true innocence of her childhood. She does not know how long and how many days will pass until daddy is home but I hope she knows she can wrap herself in my arms and feel secure. 

We love you daddy!

 

St. Louis here we come!

GOT GRAPES!?!?

You may ask, "What is this that I see?" Well put yourself in the mind of a 3 year old and let your imagination run wild. Traveling is a great thing for young minds - let this picture be proof! Kennedy was in her world o' fun and she picked all of my moms jade plant droppings from the floor. She proceeded to put Becky (in case you don't know Becky, she is Miss K's favorite baby doll) in Landon's highchair and broke all the jade leaves into tiny tiny pieces. She added a little dried leaf garnish and feed her Becky a "grape" dinner. YUMO!

A little laughter goes a long way when we need it the most - thanks for brighting my day Kennedy!