Christmas Gifts

Since everyone is starting to really think about Christmas and Christmas gifts I wanted to share with you a special charity that Jeremy and I have grown to love over the past few years. World Vision is an organization that does a million different things, but the thing I love the most is that it is an advocate for children.

We have two girls that we sponsor each month. One, Marion, lives in Uganda and is nearly 7 years old. Suzana lives in Mozambique and is almost 12. One of the things you can do this Christmas is to sponsor a child through World Vision. It is about $35 a month and it will change your life. We get letters and pictures from our girls every few months and we charish these treasures. We send them gifts all the time and have fallen in love with them.

If you can't give every month I want you to think about those friends and family members that you usually give token gifts to. There are so many ways to give meaningful gifts through World Vision. Last year Jeremy and I did this for his whole family. We donated a goat to a family as one of Jeremy's mom's gifts. We donated chickens for his siblings and for our family gift we donated a water well. We were still able to give our family members other gifts, but we also gave to others through World Vision.

If you donate a gift in someone's name you get a great card from World Vision that you can give to your friend or family member that says what was donated and how it helped. Please look through the catalog at http://www.worldvision.org/ There are gifts starting at $25. You will be shocked at the fabulous way you can make a difference this year.

7 Things I Love About My 7 Month Old

1. I love how ticklish the backs of your arms are. I can barely touch or squeeze the backs of your arms and you giggle or squirm immediately.

2. I love how you reach your little arms out and want to touch mine and Daddy's face all the time. You'll rub his cheeks with his scratchy whiskers and your rub my nose and mouth. I think you have our faces memorized. This is especially cute when you are sleeping near us because you do it in your sleep as well.

3. I love how seriously you play with your toys. You have this look that comes over your face when you are studying something. You get the toy all figured out and then you rush it to your mouth to bite and lick it. It's very funny and I have learned not to interrupt you when you are analyzing something seriously. :)

4. I love that you like to be surprised. If Daddy or I sneak across the floor and tackle you, we get a huge smile. If the "alligator" from the "3 Little Monkeys" song bites you, we get a huge smile. If the "Scary, Scary, Bed Monster (Daddy)" raises the sheets and tickles you, we get a huge smile. It's pretty obvious that we would travel to the moon and back just to get that smile. We love it.

5. I love how when you get sleepy at night time that you get really quite and reserved (more reserved than usual). You will give us little hints that you would like to go to bed: closing your eyes in the bathtub, laying your head on our shoulder, blinking slow in your highchair, etc. And once your bed is in sight you practically leap in to it. You love your bed.

6. I love the way that I can leave the room and when I return it's like I've been gone for 3 years. You smile and follow me with your eyes. Sometimes you wave at me with your new little wave. It's nice to be loved. I've been secretly enjoying the fact that you get a little sad when I leave the room now. I know it's a phase, but I tell myself it's because you think I'm so wonderful.

7. I love your sweet kisses. Sometimes I have to steal them, but most of the time you give them away freely. You get this look in your eyes that is very thoughtful and serious and then you move in with your mouth wide open and kiss me right on the lips. You kiss Daddy on the cheek the same way. Now we can even ask for a kiss and you'll give it, but it's the sweetest when you give me one by surprise. Sometimes I can't even pull you off, but deep down inside I don't want to anyway.

I have loved these past 7 months of getting to know you. You are a great kid! Sweet, calm, thoughtful, and adorable--that's my James Boy.

How Did You Spend Your Friday Night?

There's nothing better than meeting your friends at Gatti Town and watching their son stuff himself with croutons while your husband equally stuffs himself with pizza. Jeremy came home from work last night starving to death and so we had to make an emergency run to an all you can eat pizza buffet.

Thankfully our friends Krista and Jeff could meet us there so that we didn't have to gorge ourselves alone. Our table was entertaining all in itself. Here's how it looked, going in clockwise motion. James sat quietly biting on his sippy cup, Jeremy sat quietly eating as much pizza as he could cram in before he got full, listening to Jeff talk about work, and patiently waiting to get to hold Anna (his nearly 3 month old girlfriend). Jeff ate pretty light because he had a soccer game to go to later in the evening, but I'm sure he has it in him to pig out. Jeff also sat in amazement watching Isaac eat I think 200 croutons (maybe not quite that many, but the boy loves croutons) and watching him delight in the fabulous chocolate pudding his mommy swiped for him at the salad bar. Isaac also enjoyed sitting in the sports room because any time he saw something football related on t.v. he could raise both arms in the air and shout, "GOAL!" It was too cute! Krista enjoyed her pizza while bouncing Anna who was eagerly awaiting her turn in Jeremy's arms (at least that's what he imagined she was doing). Then there was me who was thrilled to drink many glasses of Sprite and eat all the pizza I could hold also.

The boys talked about work and the girls for some reason got on the topic of labor and delivery. The boys were thrilled when we began remembering all of our awkward doctor appointments that we had to go through. I'm telling you, once you've had a baby all conversations can eventually end up with you getting to talk about your labor pains.

Anyway, after we had succeeded in eating all the pizza in the store we headed outside so our boys (big and little) could enjoy some Choo, Choo time. It was too cute!

Hope you had as much fun as we did on your Friday night.

The Time Has Finally Arrived . . .

WHERE I'M ABLE TO RIDE ON DADDY'S SHOULDERS! Whoo hoo! I've been waiting for this day for a long time. It's the best feeling in the world. Daddy flings me on top of his shoulders and I can see the world from a whole new view. I squeal with delight as we walk through the house and Daddy squeals too when I hold on to his fuzzy head. I guess he really likes that I use his hair as my handle bar.





At first I thought that I might crash into the doorframe, but right when I started to see my little life flash before my eyes Daddy ducked and I missed it. It was a close call, but I felt the rush of excitement that comes from living life on the edge. There's no stopping me when I'm up there. I really hope Daddy will let me grab the thing on the ceiling that spins really fast and blows cool air on me. It looks like fun to touch. I think I'll go ask him.

Beautiful Day for a Picnic

James and I just had to get out of the house today. It was too beautiful outside to pass up the opportunity for a picnic. Jeremy had to work today (Saturday) and so we ventured out to play in the grass. The last time I put James in the grass it was to take his picture as a frog and he did a face plant right into the dirt. When I pulled him up he had dirt and grass in his mouth and was not thrilled. Someday he will be thrilled with dirt in his mouth, but not yet. Anyway, we had a wonderful time sharing a cup of ice and pulling up grass.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

James has a new favorite game and by favorite I mean we can play this for 30 minutes or more. His daddy started this game with him last weekend and he just can't get enough. I'm getting very skillful at stacking things really high before he can tear them down.

My Little Froggie